but in nearby maryland, wind gusts so strong, they sent this semi teetering against the guardrail of the bay bridge. >> i'm really not prepared for more of this, to be perfectly honest. >> reporter: up the eastern seaboard, those already so battered by superstorm sandy braced themselves for another wallop. the remnants of that storm's wrath still clearly visible from the new jersey coastline through the rockaways and all the way to eastern long island. lashing wind and coastal flooding threatening the entire area. >> we're in the process of rebuilding. i have all construction material all over the place. i had to put it up on higher ground. i think it's going to flood again. >> reporter: this storm will move slowly hanging around these already battered beach s and finally pushing on toward new england. this weather showing little sign that spring is a mere two weeks away. richard cantu, abc news, new york. and we have new details now on the snow, the slush and those wild winds. >> we'll turn to accuweather where meteorologist jim dickey is tracking the storm, jim?

>> good morning, john and diana. well, our storm system has moved its way offshore. many spots along the new jersey coast have winds 60 to 70 miles an hour. snow is still on the table right now. the new york city area a slushy inch or two piling up through the early morning hours then more snow on the way tonight into early friday. many spots, 3 to 6 inches before this all winds down. john, diana, back to you. >> jim, thanks. all right. stay with us on "gma" for the very latest on the storm. our extreme weather team keeping watch on this morning moment by moment. our other major story is the political theater that played out overnight in washington. >> first there was a talkathon on the floor of the senate. then there was the cozy dinner between president obama and top republicans. >> abc's tahman bradley is joining us now from washington with all of this drama. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, diana. good morning, john. to break the gridlock here in washington, president obama is trying a new approach. he's reaching out directly to gop lawmakers, gop rank and

file. in fact, he even took a few of them out for dinner. a thumbs up from republican senators after a swanky dinner meeting with president obama. the dozen gop lawmakers dined on the president's dime. >> all i can say is we had a very good evening. i appreciate it very much really. you'll have to grab somebody else. >> reporter: do you think the conversations will continue? >> oh, yes, sure. >> reporter: the dinner was the latest in an outreach effort. by president obama to rank and file republicans. the president has been meeting with gop lawmakers at the white house and will address their caucuses on capitol hill next week. for mr. obama the approach is a shift from the combative tone he sometimes used in the past. the president hopes greater communication can lead to bipartisan cooperation, and it just might be working. >> his goal is ours. we want to stop careening from crisis to crisis. >> reporter: the dinner came just hours after house republicans passed their plan to prevent a government shutdown and ease the impact of the $85 billion across-the-board spending cuts that took effect last week.

while the president was reaching out -- >> constitutional analysis and i'm -- >> reporter: -- tea party republican rand paul on the senate floor was filibustering the president's cia nominee for nearly 13 hours, a sign business as usual may be hard to break. as you can see, rand paul may be a tougher sell for president obama, but the president's aides say he is concentrating his outreach on gop lawmakers with a history of bipartisan dealmaking. john, diana. >> tahman bradley in washington, thank you. all right. at long last the final catholic cardinal who will help select the pope is expected to arrive today. his arrival from vietnam clears the way for the cardinals to finally announce when they will begin the papal conclave. now, all the cardinals are under a vatican-imposed media blackout and the stove that will burn that voting ballot, well, that's now in place. breaking news in the cam tall of north korea. they've issued their boldest threat yet vowing to launch a nuclear attack against the united states.

that attack in response to a u.n. vote today on new sanctions against the country. of course, north korea isn't believed to have any weapons that could reach the u.s. ma mainland. this threat of its propaganda stepped up in recent days. they say arkansas has the toughest anti-abortion law in the nation. lawmakers in the state overrode the veto to ban abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. opponents say they will go to court to prevent the law from taking effect this summer. and it was an emotional moment in tucson, arizona, for former congresswoman gabby giffords. she returned to the place where she was gunned down two years ago. speaking just 15 words, giffords along with her husband mark kelly urged washington to pass background checks for gun purchases. >> be bold, be courageous. fully support background checks. thank you very much. >> giffords and kelly placed a bouquet of white roses and

daisies at a memorial honoring those who died in the attack which nearly killed her. all right, coming up, america's favorite place for clothing results in a new survey that might surprise you. and it's a big day for facebook. get ready for some more changes. >> oh, boy, i hate when that happens. plus the warning for spring breakers heading to florida. you won't be alone in the water.

welcome back. the stock market again opens in new territory this morning after hitting another record high yesterday. the dow gained 42 points to close just below 14,300. so far this year it's up more than 9%. investors were encouraged by a better-than-expected jobs report yesterday. they were also cheered by a report from the federal reserve

which says the u.s. economy grew in january and february in all regions of the country. particular bright spots include the housing recovery, more hiring and strong auto sales. in fact, most of the gains in consumer spending were from vehicles. america's favorite place to shop for clothing is an upscale retailer. a market research company says it's nordstrom's, especially known for evening wear, scored high marks for easy return policy and the entire customer experience. it finished far ahead of number two, kohl's. the national transportation safety board issued a preliminary report today on the boeing dreamliner battery problem. now, the ntsb warns that it will only include facts, not analysis. transportation secretary ray lahood tells "the wall street journal" he still needs more information before he allows it to resume commercial flights. well, get ready for another brand-new look an facebook. the social network is unveiling a radical new design of its news feed. do you remember that thing? >> yeah. >> that's the first thing you'll see when you log on, and the company now wants to make it more relevant and give you more

control. you're also more likely to see bigger photos, more videos, and, quote, more engaging ads. just what we needed. >> ads, keyword there. a fast food chain is learning it only takes a moment for fans to turn on you. taco bell thought it would give its facebook and twitter followers a sneak peek or taste of its cool ranch doritos locos taco, sounds pretty good. said they would be available yesterday, but only a few had it, and fans are going loco online. give me my taco, man. doesn't it sound good right about now? >> yeah, i'd take that right now. coming up next, sad news. a young woman with a passion for big cats is killed by a lion, and her family speaking out overnight. a new health warning about items that might be on your breakfast menu. the moment my moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis started getting in the way, that was it... it was time for a serious talk with my dermatologist. this time, he prescribed humira-adalimumab.

humira helps to clear the surface of my skin by actually working inside my body. in clinical trials, most adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority of people were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. make the most of every moment. ask your dermatologist about humira, today. clearer skin is possible.

[ female announcer ] roc® retinol correxion max. the power of roc® retinol is intensified with a serum. it's proven to be 4x better at smoothing lines and deep wrinkles than professional treatments. roc® max for maximum results. and deep wrinkles it'and start talking abouttts. whawhat you really wanthroom. from your toilet paper. it's time to talk about clean. feeling clean is so important. i use quilted northern. quilted northern soft and strong is stronger than the leading value brand, for a confident clean. all right. midwest still feeling the impact of that punishing storm now swooping down on the northeast and suburban chicago, the roof of a banquet hall collapsed

under the weight of that heavy, wet snow. as you see, a lot of damage there, but fortunately no one was hurt. and now let's take a look at the morning road conditions. we've got slick highways in the northeast from new jersey to maine. snow already on the ground makes for a slick commute in the mid-atlantic states. a wet ride from seattle to san diego. snowy passes in the sierra nevada, cascades and northern rockies. if you're flying airport delays possible in new york, boston, san francisco and los angeles. now to that tragic death of the 24-year-old woman after she was attacked by a lion in a california animal sanctuary. >> overnight dianna hanson said they shared new details of her dream to work with them. rick monsanez has more. >> animal is contained to enclosure. patient is in the closure. lion has been taken care of. >> reporter: a person was attacked but still alive at the cat haven facility in dunlap.

when investigators arrived they found dianna hanson in an enclosure with this lion, couscous. the lion wasn't able to be coaxed away and shot the lion and gave hanson medical care. >> it was killed. >> reporter: hanson died in the enclosure. the 24-year-old was an intern at cat haven. according to a statement on her father's facebook page she drove down to the facility from seattle with her father at the beginning of the year. she was working on a six-month internship with the cats at the facility. >> i always in the back of my mind i had this feeling this could happen someday. completely fearless. totally thought no problem. never going to happen to her. >> reporter: on the cat haven facebook page dozens posted condolences for both dianna hanson and couscous. some even criticized law enforcement for putting down the lion. cat haven was founded 20 years ago in the sierra foothills. anderson says he wants these cats seen in video to serve as

ambassadors for their wild cousins. >> our thanks to man mrick mont. hundreds of sharks forcing swimmers out of the water at several south florida beaches as people descend on the area for spring break. one beach was closed two days in a row after lifeguards spotted those sharks close to the shoreline tuesday and wednesday. the sharks are heading back north after migrating south for the winter. we're hearing for the first time from the young girl who suffered serious burns while laying in her hospital bed. ireland lane was burned last month when static electricity ignited residue from hand sanitizer and olive oil. says she's feeling well and has a simple message to everyone sending her cards and gifts. >> thank you for everything. >> reporter: ireland has had two skin grafts since being burned

and if this wasn't traumatic enough she's also a cancer survivor. health warning to get ready to tear in a plate of bacon or sausage, a new study finds eating processed meats like hams, hot dogs and bacon is linked to dying early. experts think it's because of the preservatives used in the meat. >> no. >> bacon is bad for you. >> i had no idea. >> made me think twice. well, a judge in connecticut has ruled competitive college cheerleading is not a sport. his ruling came in a lawsuit filed by women's volley ball players at quinnipiac university. the school wanted to drop their sport and replace it with a competitive cheerleading squad but that doesn't meet title 9 requirements because among other reasons competitive cheering is not recognized by the ncaa. as for some sports that are definitely real, here's some of last night's highlights from espn. welcome to your spo

"sportscenter" update. the blackhawks trying to extend their 23-game point streak taking on the avalanche. third period, shorthanded, down 2-1. donovan tate getting out and scoring big time. yes, sir. virgin valarmov couldn't do a thing about it. tied at 2-2. still tied, daniel castillo lighting the lamps, blackhawks up 3-2. 49 seconds left and would rein it 3-2. his first goal of the season. to the nba. lebron james and the heat looking to extend their 15-game win streak. ta taking on the mavs. wade back to jones and jam right there. miami by 12. fourth quarter, dequan jones, no, get that out of there says d. wade. wade with a vicious block there.

final seconds of the game, james driving, hitting the bucket to go. he had 26 points despite his 7-14 from the floor. one more shot. can't get it to go, lebron james the hero first game winner as member of the miami heat as they win it 97-96 to extend their streak. that's your "sportscenter" update. i'm hugo hey andrjorge andres. kim kardashian rushed to the doctor in tears. avalanche caught on tape. wait till you see what happens next.

time now to check "the pulse." these are stories you'll be talking about all day long and we want to start with a skier's absolute worst nightmare. he has a small camera on his head heading downhills and turns around and it's too late. >> ow. >> the guy gets completely buried. >> direct hit from an avalanche. not a wipeout. eventually he dug himself out and continues down the mountain where he sees some of his friends who seem okay, as well. lucky guy. >> wow. live another day. live to tell. that's crazy. >> show and tell now. oh, man. one of the world's most expect apartment moms had a pregnancy scare. kim kardashian has been rushed to a hospital in los angeles after she feared that she may have had a miscarriage.

>> thankfully it was not the case. doctors told her to stop overdoing it and get more rest. she does jet set around the world and hasn't slowed down even though she has a little bun in the oven. we're learning a whole lot more about jessica simpson's impending birth, the oversharing reality tv show took tmi, too much information, to an entire new level when she was on kimmel last night. >> watch this. describing the unpleasant symptoms of her second pregnancy when this exchange occurred. >> i've been vomiting and -- never knew that a wiener could actually make me nauseous. [ laughter and applause ] >> wait a minute. this is a -- >> well, i guess i just told the world that i'm having a boy. >> oh, okay. i didn't even know what was happening. >> you see, even kimmel and i

thought she was talking about a hot dog -- >> no, i think he was thinking along the lines the way men think and extra bonus. >> maybe, all right, well, she admits this pregnancy wasn't planned and happened only seven months after the birth of her first child. >> i went right there to the place you wouldn't go. the eyebrows has it. one of the biggest stars reveals his hidden talent. >> leonardo di kicaprio broke o into jack nicholson. >> without saying a word. the former co-star of his. >> he's an absolute dead ringer. who knew. can you do that? >> not that. i don't know how to make the eyebrows go up. no, see -- >> i can do it if i give myself some help. look, i'm jack nick

surveillanceson that's kind of scary. >> we don't have it. some of you local news is next. everyone else, we'll be right back. it's the lightest greek yogurt with fruit. with its creamy, thick texture you won't feel like you're running low on satisfaction. light & fit greek. be light and fit. and satisfied. hi, i'm ensure clear... clear, huh? i'm not juice or fancy water. i've got nine grams of protein. that's three times more than me! [ female announcer ] ensure clear. nine grams protein. zero fat. in blueberry/pomegranate and peach.

something this delicious could only come from nature. new nectresse. the 100% natural no-calorie sweetener made from the goodness of fruit. new nectresse. sweetness naturally. prego?! but i've been buying ragu for years. [ thinking ] i wonder what other questionable choices i've made? [ club scene music ] [ sigh of relief ] [ male announcer ] choose taste. choose prego. [ sigh of relief ] but all you notice is her beautiful, healthy skin. jergens ultra healing moisturizer makes even your driest skin look healthier, instantly. with beautiful skin from jergens, you'll always make an entrance. jergens®. the beautiful difference. are made with sweet cherries and the crisp, clean taste of our cranberries. i cannot tell a lie -- 'tis tasty. okay, george washington, did you take my truck out last night?

'tis tasty. ♪ in moments of grief, we are there. when the world looks for truth, broadcasters come through -- se fails. today, with more ways than ever to experience the moments that transform our lives, americans still choose broadcast television and radio more than all other media combined. television and radio are still the most trusted sources for news and entertainment, and our web and social sites are among the most visited sites in our daily lives. when important moments happen, both big and small, we're the first informers to history. we are the pioneers, the innovators, the local broadcasters of radio and television.

>> live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. good morning, everyone, i am katie marzullo here for eric thomas. >> i am kristen sze. this is the day of the memorial for two santa cruz police officers. there could be showers. >> we will check with mike nicco for a look. >> that is the difference between today and yesterday. today we start off dry. a few isolated showers in the north bay. administration we led to the afternoon, our chances of showers will increase as you can see. the flow is coming ashore. the showers will develop off the coast. they will move onshore and to the east. the further you are to the east the least likely you will be to get the showers but the north bay, the bay and the south bay will be hit heaviest. 54 inland and low-to-mid 50's at

the coast. lightning, an outside, outside possibility. small hail and snow level down to 3,000 feet. >> the golden gate bridge has road work in lanes. you can see the red caution sign is flashing. the arrows direct you. one lane in the northbound direction, two lanes in the southbound direction. mostly at northern portion of the span. coming off the waldo you are clear. other than that we are looking at road work an the bay area with a situation on the nimitz freeway in oakland, northbound 66, that until 5:00 this morning. kristen and katie? >> a painful goodbye, thousands of people give a final salute to the two santa cruz officers killed in the hype of duty. we have team coverage going with cornell bernard. that is where the procession begins this morning. >> santa cruz is preparing to say goodbye to two fallen

heroes. this parking lot will be full of law enforcement from santa cruz county but many parts of california. this is where a law enforcement motorcade procession if the two fallen officers begins to san jose for the public salute to honor detective sergeant loran "butch" baker and elizabeth butler killed by an armed suspect february 26. last night many paid their respects, their flag draped caskets were at a memorial funeral home. many paying tribute to the officers who were loved and respected here in their community. >> it is a big loss for our community. i am, wherever i go i can feel the sense of sadness. we need to get our community back.

>> a motorcade procession begins here at 8:45 for the beach boardwalk head north on highway 17 and travel south on highway 85 and north on highway 87 to h.p. pavilion in san jose. the fire trucks from around santa cruz county will be on every overpass from here to san jose paying respects to the fallen officers. >> we continue our team coverage this morning with abc7 news reporter, amy hollyfield, in san jose, where the service will take place. several high-ranching big aniar -- dignitaries they will attend. >> they expect so many people here and this is the largest place they could find. they got the pavilion yesterday for the service yesterday. some predict there could be 18,000 to 20,000