making news in america this morning, winter blast. temperatures reaching dangerous levels across the country this morning, and they are not going away any time soon. breaking news, an entire block of condos ablaze overnight. >> it was like a movie. i've never seen anything like this in my life. >> new video just in of the intense flames pouring from the building as firefighters work to get it under control. widow's tragedy. we are hearing from the wife who witnessed her husband getting shot at a movie theater. >> and it's so hard, and it's so unbearable. >> the message she has and the one thing she's focused on now. dazzling display, a flock of birds put on a mesmerizing show high in the air.

good thursday morning to you. i'm marci gonzalez in for diana perez. >> and i'm john muller. we begin with the dangerous cold gripping much of the country this morning. windchills are making it feel like negative 30 in the midwest and single digits in the northeast. >> the arctic blast comes as millions of people dig out from the recent snow. abc's mary bruce has the details. >> reporter: millions are digging out from this massive winter storm, and this freeze is about to get worse. a one-two punch of bone-chilling cold crippling the midwest and northeast. this morning, at least two dozen states under windchill warnings or advisories. fresh misery in minnesota. blizzards creating whiteout conditions. today, it will feel like 35 below zero in minneapolis. in massachusetts they are clearing over a foot of snow. residents in new jersey worked

overtime to keep up. >> this has been the fourth time since last night. this was like 18 inches here. >> reporter: a pregame cleanup at metlife stadium, home of the super bowl. >> we're taking it as a dress rehearsal, but i'm not wishing for another snowstorm. >> reporter: roads turned into skating rinks making a slippery mess for commuters. >> it's been pretty rough out here. the roads are real bad. the ice has been stacking up, and, i mean, we've got a couple of inches of snow that they've still got to get out of here, so it hasn't been fun. >> reporter: slick city streets sent pedestrians tumbling. frozen airports in the east causing a domino effect across the country from maine -- >> most of the flights are canceled already. >> reporter: -- to los angeles. >> i was wondering if i would be able to reroute that flight. >> reporter: in over 48 hours more than 7300 flight delays and over 5,000 cancellations. today, more than a thousand flights already delayed. now, brace yourself because it

seems there is no end in sight. three waves of this frigid arctic air are expected to blast through the midwest and northeast through next week. john and marci. >> all right, mary bruce reporting live for us. thank you so much. >> all right, as mary said, the brutally cold temperatures are going to stick around for awhile. >> our coverage continues now with accuweather meteorologist jim dickey. jim. >> good morning, john and marci. another frigid morning lies ahead of us. in fact, a fresh shot of arctic air. that has pushed into the northern plains, upper midwest, these are early morning low temperatures, minus 14, minneapolis, minus 29 in bismarck. thankfully for you temperatures will rebound a bit through the day as relative warmth works back in. no such luck across the northeast. staying frigid. minus 16 in burlington, minus 3 into syracuse, 7 into new york city, and this cold will have some staying power. we'll keep it frigid right on through the weekend. john and marci, back to you. >> all right, jim dickey at accuweather. thank you. moving on now to a truly

massive fire that lit up the night sky in dallas. it engulfed a whole row of condos, most of which were being renovated. residents say work on the units have been going on for years. only one of those condos was occupied, and fortunately its owner wasn't home when the fire broke out. >> it's like a movie. i've never seen anything like this in my life. >> i was coming to the house, and i saw this billowing flame of fire, which was up probably about 12 units. >> one firefighter was slightly burned. he was treated at a nearby hospital. blowing embers from the huge blaze started two small grass fires that were quickly put out. all right, now to serious concerns about security at next month's winter olympics in russia. olympic officials are dismissing threatening e-mails received by teams from several nations. those e-mails mentioned possible attacks during the games in sochi. meanwhile, amid final preparations for the games, members of the u.s. women's ski jump team say they are taking security issues in stride. >> security isn't my top concern. i'm hoping everybody goes there for the right reasons. >> we try to be safe.

we're big fans of the buddy system on our team. other than that, we're going to be pretty sheltered staying in the village where we are. >> they have told their family that when they're in sochi for the games, they should not wear jackets that, quote, scream america. also, the hunt continues for that so-called black widow, a potential suicide bomber. she is still at large and is believed to be in the city of sochi itself. next door in ukraine at least two people have now died in protests that began back in november. thousands of protesters spent the night on the streets of kiev stoking a fiery barricade against police. demonstrations began when the government strengthened ties with russia and then turned violent when it outlawed protests last week. the united states is now threatening to impose sanctions. after a rocky start to the peace conference on syria, a u.n. mediator is meeting separately with both sides in switzerland today. a syrian representative was outraged after the opposition and the u.s. said president bashar al assad should have no

role in syria's future, and graphic photos were shown alleging widespread torture of syrian prisoners, but the syrian government dismissed them as a hoax. a new blow to the troubled dreamliner. a norwegian airlines flight was grounded after a passenger spotted fuel pouring out of the wing. this was the view out of the window as the flight prepared to take off from bangkok. fuel there gushing onto the tarmac. the passenger told a flight attendant, and the plane was then taken out of service. an airline spokesman says there was a problem with a fuel valve. all right, virginia may have become the next state to allow gay couples to marry. the state attorney general is expected to announce today that the ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. two virginia coupling are suing in federal court to have that ban overturned. normally the attorney general would defend state laws in court, but in this case, he will not do so. toronto mayor rob ford says he had a minor setback this week when he was caught on video slurring his words, and he says his private life is not

affecting his work. the mayor fought his way through a crowd of reporters who have been waiting to question him about the tape. the mayor had vowed last november to quit drinking and said the public would never see him drunk in public again. >> somehow i thought we would. all right, hawaii is in for a full day of sunshine today. 76 degrees. ah, sounds like a perfect condition to watch some waves grow, but the national weather service says those waves might be 40 to 50 feet. >> wow. the high surf and dangerous currents are considered extremely dangerous. people are told to stay out of the water. they say coastal flooding and property damage are also possible. meantime, some of the world's best and bravest big wave surfers are heading to the california coast right now. they're going for what's called mavericks. it's a competition that is only held when the waves get big enough. the surf near half moon bay, california, tomorrow could be over 40 feet. >> you're going to get your board and head out there,

right, marci? >> oh, yeah, i'm on my way. >> do a report for us. >> sure thing. time now for the rest of the weather across the nation. there is a high danger of fire in the west because of hot, dry conditions. stagnant air is still a concern. a winter storm watch has been posted in houston and san antonio for sleet and freezing rain tonight. temperatures in washington and portland, they are in the upper 50s. anchorage sounds balmy at 39. how about that? l.a., phoenix and honolulu in the mid-70s. all right. cutting down on waste. a grocery store will soon open only selling expired food. and crushing grief. for the first time, a wife who witnessed her husband being shot in a florida movie theater is talking about her loss. plus, new this morning, a member of the military makes a brave move in the middle of a robbery.

all right, welcome back. netflix has clicked its way to another blockbuster quarter of impressive growth. the company already more popular than any other subscriber service including hbo has surpassed 30 million paid customers in the u.s. that's for the first time. it's predicting continued growth. >> bless you. >> thank you. target will no longer offer health care benefits -- need health care benefits -- to its part-time workers joining a growing list of retailers to do the same. target executives say employees putting in less than 30 hours a week now have new options through the affordable care act. they also cite low enrollment saying less than 10% of their workers were enrolled in the part-time health plan. a new store in massachusetts will soon be selling food thrown out by other stores. the daily table set to open in

may is the brainchild of former trader joe's president doug rauch. it will offer inexpensive healthy food that is past the sell by date. rauch says the food is still perfectly safe to eat. >> as long as it isn't milk, i think i'm game or maybe meat too. if it's cake, yeah, bring it on. >> oh, yeah. the future is here when it comes to home construction. the technology called contour crafting already in place using 3-d printers instead of human hands. it basically is a giant robot that would build a home from the ground up. it can put together a 2500-square-foot house in 20 hours, and it may one day provide housing for the world's poor. all right, how about some beer flavored jelly beans for your super bowl party? what do you think? if you like the idea, then the folks at jelly belly jelly beans have their new draft beer flavor. they say the beer beans have a clean taste with notes of wheat and some sweetness. the beans are, in fact, nonalcoholic. >> i love it. that's a great idea.

>> i do personally. both. >> i'll have both. >> there you go. why not. when we come back, super bowl saturday? why there is a small chance the big game might not be played on sunday. >> hmm. and a bronx bomber's big price tag. overnight the newest yankee talking about his nine-figure payday.

all right. take a look at this sight in the evening sky over county galway in ireland, captured by a woman on her way home. a flock of hundreds of starlings turning and twisting in perfect harmony. sometimes all together, other times breaking off into several clouds and always just totally mesmerizing. look at that. >> awesome, isn't it? >> yeah. >> really good.

all right, let's take a look at the roads now. not as cool as that. lake-effect snow will make travel tricky in michigan and upstate new york. and it looks like a good day to fly with delays expected only in houston. and the widow of a florida man shot and killed at a movie theater is sharing her heartbreaking story for the first time. >> nicole oulson says she was enjoying a rare date with her husband, but a retired police captain sitting behind them got upset when chad oulson sent one last text to the baby-sitter. that was during the previews, by the way. police say the two men argued. oulson then threw popcorn at curtis reeves, and reeves shot him. >> i was just so excited and looking forward to spending the day with the love of my life, and just to think that in the blink of an eye, my whole world just got shattered into a million pieces, and now i'm left trying to pick them up and put them all back together. >> reeves is claiming self-defense. his lawyers are expected to invoke florida's controversial stand your ground law. we're going to hear a lot more from nicole oulson and her attorney. that will be later this morning on "good morning america." three police officers in

albuquerque are being called heroes after pulling an unconscious woman from her burning car. a lapel camera on one of them captured the rescue. the woman had crashed her car into a pole. the car was engulfed in flames just after she was pulled to safety. police say she smelled of alcohol. tests are being done to determine if the woman was under the influence. and this from new jersey. a would-be robber seen entering a t.j. maxx and going to a high-end watch display. he winds up smashing the case, starts loading his bag full of merchandise, but then an active member of the air force comes along and takes on the guy, who then starts to flee. the suspect did get away, but he left nearly $27,000 worth of watches behind. medical news now. in a new study which finds fish oil may keep your brain younger. researchers found women who had a higher level of omega-3 maintained better brain function longer. fish are rich in a source of omega-3. experts say the results hold some promise for delaying dementia.

all right. you saw a little of the cleanup at metlife stadium, which is hosting the super bowl earlier in the show. well, the nfl says it would take a storm bigger than the one we just had on tuesday to force any kickoff of the game to be changed. actually the league says if a change needs to be made, the game can be played any time from friday, january 31st to monday, february 3rd. >> well, if it's not going to be super bowl sunday, i'm hoping for a super bowl saturday. for a super bowl saturday. super bowl monday just sounds like a drag. >> yeah, doesn't have the same sort of ring to it. >> saturday might be a novelty. >> then you have sunday to recover from the parties. >> exactly. and with all of that talk of snow, maybe you'd like to know that it's just 20 days until most pitchers and catchers will report to baseball spring training. >> just put a smile on my face. one of those reporting for the yankees will be japanese right hander, masahiro tanaka. he signed a $155 million contract making him the first, or, i'm sorry, the fifth highest pitcher in the major leagues. he was undefeated last season in japan going 24-0.

wow. all right, football, baseball, how about a little basketball. >> hey, why not. we can do that, but we have to get them from our buddies at espn. good morning, america. welcome to our "sportscenter" studios here in los angeles. i'm stan verrett. this is neil everett. now, if you watch this segment daily, and let's face it, you're cheating yourself if you don't, you know we've been talking about kevin durant. >> he just scored again! kevin durant and the thunder were in san antonio, and all of oklahoma city went, ooh! ooh! durant was okay, though, because he's tough, went to texas. listen, he got 36 again. tony parker had 37. the spurs, listen, they're as good a challenge as okc has got. they were not enough. durant did have 11 turnovers. nobody cares. thunder, 11-105, and kevin durant continues to be masterful. pacers and suns. this may surprise you a little

bit. the pacers on a five-game win streak starting a five-game road trip. the suns just came out and ran them. joe green to miles plumlee and then green. the pacers let him go. he didn't forget. >> he's played for a few teams. >> yeah. green finished with 23 points and 6 rebounds. how about that? you know, sometimes it's just your night. the suns win it, 124-100. how about that? >> yeah, the kevin durant show going to boston friday, philadelphia on saturday if lee was correct in research. >> back to you. >> all right, thanks, guys. up next, "the pulse" where we will talk about something everyone can relate to, what the experts are saying about texting and walking. all right. bruce springsteen does it again. the boss moves past elvis presley on a very prestigious list. oh no.

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♪ ♪ high hopes time to check "the pulse." we start with bruce springsteen showing the king who's boss. >> springsteen's latest album, "high hopes," has debuted at the top of the billboard 200, making it his 11th album to hit number one, and that puts springsteen ahead of elvis presley with the most number ones on that chart. >> springsteen is now number three on the all-time billboard's 200 list behind jay-z and the beatles. the perils of texting while walking are well known. remember this woman who fell head long into a fountain at a pennsylvania mall while tapping away on her phone? >> yeah. now a new australian study -- check that out. unbelievable. i'm sorry. i'm distracted. now a new study finds it's virtually impossible to text and walk in a straight

line. it's the first time researchers have actually looked at the body in motion and say people who text and walk are less likely to look at their surroundings or keep their balance. >> i am definitely guilty of that. all right. it is national pie day, so which pies will sell like hotcakes today? according to this convenient pie chart provided by schwann's, the makers of mrs. smith's pie. >> 47% say apple is their favorite. >> pumpkin, a close second. cherry came in fourth behind chocolate cream, next, apple crumb and then good old -- that southern favorite, pecan. blueberry finished just behind lemon meringue followed by key lime and beach. >> i want to know where banana cream is on that list. it's my fave. i have pumpkin right now. >> which is my favorite. >> want to share? >> i have a lemon one. i'm happy no matter what, cheers. >> cheers. [ male announcer ] meet felix.

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live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> good morning on this thursday. thanks for joining us. i am kristen z. i am eric thomas. what do we have in store for us temperature-wise? >> mike? >> year was the end. we have a wind shift from the south bringing moisture in the form of higher humidity. even fog along the coast. we have the streets sweating in san francisco. maybe it will be slick. it is clear. we have a fire danger that continues in the north bay. it will be sunny and warm. the surf is up. the high surf advisory is developing. 64 to 72 at the coast. inland, 69 to 73. leyla gulen?

>> i noticed cars have a sweat on them. they are perspiring but nothing to sweat as far as traffic. an accident in oakland, eastbound 580, the on-ramp, with a lane blocked. we not seeing delays. it is early. as we look at our drive time traffic, 580, address to dublin, 24 minutes. antioch to dublin, 24 minutes. outside, the golden gate bridge shows 101 shaping up nicely with a glistening on the concrete but it is clear. we have develop news from the east bay city of oakley where neighbors are honoring the death of an 11-year-old boy believed to have accidentally shot and killed himself. our reporter is in oakley with more on the tragedy. amy? >> that is how the police

department are investigating this shooting: an accidental self inflicted shooting. the victim is 11-year-old boy. the shooting happened in his home in oakley. he lives with his parents and grandmother. at 7:00 last night. police does not say who was home at the time. neighbors say they are surprised to hear the family had a gun in the house. >> he would walk the dog, it was like his baby. >> brief conversations. surprising. quiet neighborhood. >> police called in a helicopter to take the boy to the hospital but called it off when he died in the ambulance in front of the home. they did not say how he we got the gun or would owns it. abc7 news is learning more of the officer involved in the shooting death of bart