making news in america this morning, brutal blast, frigid air flowing in from the arctic covering half the u.s. temperatures well below zero in the midwest. even the deep south bracing for the cold. breaking now, two more new york city police officers shot on duty. the massive effort under way overnight to find the suspect. mountain danger. two young americans, olympic hopefuls, killed in an avalanche. a close-knit skiing community in mourning. and air time. the climbers doing something no one has done before. free-climbing yosemite's el capitan. ropes used only for safety, not to help them up. new images just in. one of the most significant climbing feats of all time.

well, good tuesday morning. we begin with extreme winter weather now affecting two-thirds of the country. >> there are windchill advisories in 11 states this morning. here are the current windchills. let's show them to you now. negative 6 in chicago, negative 16 in minneapolis, and with it comes high winds, snow and ice. here now abc's susan saulny. >> reporter: the coldest blast of arctic air so far this winter is dousing much of the nation with blinding snow and deadly cold. >> where is your hat? >> i forgot it at home. it's the worst day to forget it. >> big mistake. >> i know. >> reporter: they're bundled up in minneapolis where it felt like minus 30. in wisconsin, at least two people are dead from exposure to the cold. more than 30 school districts told students to stay home. snow caused this pileup in des moines, iowa. the authorities in several states now warning against travel because of whiteout conditions. >> it was just the visibility that was really bad. you had to go by the markers.

you could barely see the exit signs. >> reporter: in chicago crews are out in force to keep frozen fire hydrants clear. and staying warm for newspaper vendor stan charles meant three pairs of socks and dancing a two-step. >> happy feet, happy worker? >> no, i wouldn't say that. it don't pay the money. no. i'm going to survive it, man. >> reporter: up to two feet of snow is expected to pound the great lakes from michigan to western new york. and there's no escaping the chill even in the deep south where they're still cleaning up from at least nine tornadoes in mississippi and alabama. out west, rain and mudslides. this house in washington pushed into a road after a hillside above gave way. >> it sounded like hell, literally like everything was coming apart. >> reporter: relief from the wild weather is not in the forecast. temperatures will be well below normal in most of the country for the rest of the week. susan saulny, abc news, washington.

>> so what's in store today? let's get that from accuweather's justin povick. hey there, justin. >> reena and t.j., thanks. the northeast dealing with cold but not just cold but now some snow. some travel delays here as well up and down 95. flight delays a possibility around boston, philadelphia, new york city, even d.c., a general 1 to 3 inches and a couple spots could top 4 or 5 inches over the highest of terrains over the laurels and into the west virginia mountains. look at the real feel temperatures here on wednesday. below zero throughout many spots. going to be frigid. reena and t.j., back to you. >> thank you, justin. breaking news here in new york overnight. a manhunt is under way after two police officers were shot. this time they survived and their injuries are not life-threatening. authorities don't believe the officers were specifically targeted. they were shot while responding to an armed robbery in the bronx. but the nypd has been on edge since two officers were shot and killed last month. divers trying to find the airasia wreckage in the java sea are facing more bad weather. the search area shifted slightly as strong currents dragged part

of the plane that may contain the black boxes and 125 passengers and crew. so far 37 bodies have been recovered. indonesian authorities meanwhile yesterday suspended officials who allowed the flight to take off in the first place without proper permits. now to a tragic crash in north dakota. at least two people are dead, one a student after a school bus was hit by a freight train near fargo. police say the bus driver, who was also killed, failed to stop at the rail crossing. there are no flashing lights or gates, just stop signs there. the driver and a 17-year-old woman were ejected from the bus. a dozen other students were injured. day two of jury selection gets under way today in the trial of the boston marathon bombing suspect. dzhokhar tsarnaev, now 21 years old, has pleaded not guilty to the attack that killed three people and injured more than 260. tsarnaev's attorneys claim he was influenced by his older brother who was killed as they tried to escape police. but they'll have to explain the anti-american message tsarnaev allegedly scrawled on a boat

before he was captured. >> everything really will boil down to the death penalty phase, so that's the number one objective to spare tsarnaev's life. >> i think he's an animal. he knew when he dropped that backpack there was kids, women, families. his intentions were to do exactly what he did. >> potential jurors who oppose capital punishment won't necessarily be disqualified by the judge, but the judge said they must be willing to consider the death penalty if tsarnaev is found guilty. it's an historic day on capitol hill as 114th congress meets for the first time. vice president biden began swearing in the new lawmakers at noon inside the capitol. this congress is the most diverse in history with more women, hispanics and asians in both the house and the senate and representative love, mia love from utah becomes the first black female republican to ever serve. meanwhile, it's sentencing day for former virginia governor bob mcdonnell facing potentially more than a decade behind bars for corruption.

defense attorneys filed a motion trying to keep mcdonnell out of prison while he appeals his conviction. the judge received hundreds of letters asking he gets community service instead. mcdonnell is accused of selling his office in exchange for loans, gifts and vacations. his wife, who was also found guilty, will be sentenced next month. well, gay couples are lining up for marriage licenses in florida. same-sex marriage officially became legal in the sunshine state at midnight. a judge in miami got a head start marrying two couples yesterday in her chambers. in several of the larger counties, clerks' offices opened at midnight. the change in florida means that 70% of americans live in states where gay marriage is legal. and thousands of mourners braved the cold here in new york to pay their respects to former new york governor mario cuomo. the 82-year-old cuomo died last week of heart failure. his funeral services are set for today. bill and hillary are expected to be among the mourners. we're going to find out today what's in the country's oldest time capsule. >> it was buried in 1795 in the cornerstone of the massachusetts state capitol building.

the contents are believed to include a plate made by a local silversmith, paul revere. officials believe it also has coins, newspapers and documents and the big question is, what condition are they in? >> well, also coming up here, they are almost here at your front door. three new cookie flavors from the girl scouts. plus, it's the biggest day of the year for gadget lovers waiting to see what will be unveiled at the consumer electronics show. would you believe a washer that does two loads of laundry at once? also, that historic climb happening right now. no ropes to help them ascend in what's called the most difficult climb in the world.

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wall street apparently no longer thrilled by falling oil prices. a barrel of crude briefly fell below $50 yesterday, and that helped send the dow down more than 330 points. investors are worried that the continuing drop in the price of oil signals a weaker global economy and may eventually hurt the u.s. as energy companies go bust. well, setup in las vegas has been going on for weeks ahead of today's opening of the world's largest consumer electronics and technology show. they expect about 160,000 people to attend the show, which spans 2 million square feet of exhibit space. the three-day event is all about building buzz for new products. it pumps an estimated $210 million into las vegas' economy. and one of the new products debuting at the show is lg's new washing machine, the twin wash, allows users to clean two bundles of laundry with different settings at the same time, and it's wi-fi compatible so users can adjust the settings

right from their smartphone. >> love it. well, a top wall street firm has fired a worker accused of stealing the data for as many as 350,000 clients. morgan stanley says there's no evidence any of these wealth management clients lost money. the bank said the information didn't include passwords or social security numbers. the former employee allegedly offered the data for sale online. his attorney says that's not the case. thin mints and samoas, move over, the girl scouts are introducing three new cookies. >> yes, in addition to the old favorites, girl scouts are fanning out across the country as we speak with some gluten-free options. one, the toffee-tastic butter cookie, another called the trios, it's a combo of peanut butter, chocolate chips and whole grain oats and then there's the rah-rah raisin it's an oatmeal raisin with greek yogurt. >> i'm still a thin mint girl. >> i'm a samoas guy. >> tried and true. >> we would get along just fine.

>> in the cookie department. when we come back, trouble at one of the most famous addresses in san francisco. you know it from what you've seen on "mrs. doubtfire." also coming up, shock and sadness following the avalanche deaths of two american very promising american skiers. how it all went wrong high in the austrian alps. . which means fewer costs, which saves money. their customer experience is virtually paperless which saves paper, which saves money. they have smart online tools so you only pay for what's right for you which saves money. they settle claims quickly which saves time, which saves money. they drive an all-hybrid claims fleet which saves gas, which saves money. they were born online, and built to save money, which means when they save, you save. because that's how it should work in the modern world. esurance. backed by allstate. click or call. introducing the new subway "simple 6 menu". six of our best six-inch subs- like the italian bmt and tender turkey breast! with a 21-ounce drink and a bag of chips for just $6 every day. it's value made simple.

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plus chest congestion. [breath of relief] oh, what a relief it is. ♪ many parts of the country like peoria, illinois, are seeing their first big snowstorms of the season. people there are expecting a tough commute to work this morning. there have already been several accidents and highway closings. the worst commutes this morning will be from the eastern great lakes down to northern virginia and up to new england where roads will be slippery and it will also be icy in the upper plains states. and if you're flying, airport delays likely in chicago, washington, philly and new york. well, back to the news. members of the u.s. ski team are in mourning after two top skiers were killed in an avalanche. >> the two victims were in a group coming down from the mountain when they apparently triggered the slide. abc's clayton sandell with the

details. >> reporter: high on the mountain, search teams in helicopters with a desperate task after a sudden avalanche buried two rising stars in american skiing. >> the rescue crews from solden were on the scene immediately with multiple helicopters and other rescue crew. they were able to extricate the two skiers, but unfortunately it was too late. >> reporter: four skiers escaped the wall of snow on the austrian slope. but those two olympic hopefuls killed. >> my name is bryce astle. i'm an alpine ski racer out of sandy, utah, and i am 19 years old. >> reporter: bryce astle's skills earned him an invitation to train with the u.s. ski team. he posted this youtube video in the fall to raise the money he needed to follow his dreams. >> helping me hopefully get that much closer to reaching the top of the world cup circuit and olympic podium. >> reporter: ronnie berlack was only 20, a new hampshire native. he bounced back from a knee injury last year to compete around the world. his father telling "usa today"

his son organized his entire life around ski racing. even the best skiers are sometimes no match for avalanches carrying tons of snow and debris at 80 miles an hour or faster. in the u.s., on average every year, 28 people are killed. >> everything happens really fast, and you don't really have much of a chance to avoid the danger once you've triggered it. >> reporter: both berlack and astle are being remembered as outstanding and passionate skiers who died doing what they loved. clayton sandell, abc news, denver. court appearance overnight in a high-profile murder case. here in new york, thomas gilbert jr. is accused of murdering his father. prosecutors say an argument over money led to the shooting. they say gilbert tried to make the scene look like suicide by placing the gun on his father's chest. among the evidence taken from the apartment, officers removed -- recover eded a skimming device and 21 blank credit cards. thomas gilbert sr. oversaw a $200 million hedge fund.

arson is expected in a fire that struck the san francisco home featured in the movie "mrs. doubtfire." police say gasoline was used to light fires that left scorch marks behind on the front door and garage. of course, robin williams played mrs. doubtfire, and when he died mourners flooded the home with flowers. a doctor lives there now. one of his clients is suspected of the crime. and a bizarre shooting in ohio. this is caught on surveillance camera. it's an off-duty cop you see here. he was out to dinner with his wife. you see him fidgeting with his belt. he's actually messing with his gun and accidentally shot himself in the stomach in that elevator. police in cincinnati say the veteran officer was trying to adjust the weapon and it went off. the bullet ricocheted off the elevator wall and struck him. we're told though, he's going to be okay. >> wow. that is hard to watch. an nfl team owner is testing the saying if you build it, they will come. ken kroenke of the st. louis rams and others wanted

to build an 80,000 seat football stadium in inglewood in the los angeles area. l.a. hasn't had an nfl team since the rams left for st. louis two decades ago. st. louis will make a counteroffer later this month. meanwhile, the football teams at oregon and ohio state are getting ready for next monday night's national championship game. >> okay, and this is always something to look forward to. what are the oregon ducks going to be wearing? well this is pretty tame for them actually. they're not wearing their traditional green and yellow on the ducks. they are wearing a white and silver getup. usually they use something very loud to get your attention. but that's a sleek look. >> a bit closer to the usual for the buckeyes. they will be decked out in scarlet and gray. >> oregon and ohio state square off next monday starting 8:30 p.m. eastern time on espn. >> can't wait. no monday night football to tell you about. the nfl's final eight teams getting ready for the weekend's playoff games. >> nba action to tell you about. we get that from our guys at espn. >> hey, kenny and stan here, glad to bring you some sports and some levity to the news program. >> yeah, we got the cavaliers and the 76ers.

cleveland have had some low points this season. already lost to new york and detroit, two of the three worst teams in the east. 76ers also in that number. tony roten, 76ers fans celebrating. they're hoping to see their first 76ers home win of the season. cleveland got 28 and 19 from kevin love, and no lebron james, no kyrie irving. matthew dellavedova is going to try to bring them home. but he can't get it to go. the 76ers' first home win of the season. they win, 95-92. >> congratulations to the 76ers. warriors are going strong hosting the thunder. warriors coming five-on-three fast break here. steph curry looking for his friend klay thompson who wants the ball and he will shoot it. warriors up by 6. later in the first we only rolled tape on the first quarter. steph curry lost it, found it. look at that. that's all fancy. oh, we taped the third quarter, as well. warriors up 19.

there's that thompson again. >> oh. >> warriors win it, 117-91. >> so what you're saying is the warriors are pretty good. >> yeah, they are. texas southern beat southern, 59-58. >> critical information. now back to you. we got "the pulse" coming up next and a longtime hollywood single finally ties the knot because somebody finally realized there is something about marriage. then high in the sky above yosemite, two guys just hanging out on the adventure of a lifetime. adventure of a lifetime.

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[ female announcer ] aveeno® daily moisturizing lotion has active naturals® oat with five vital nutrients. [ aniston ] because beautiful skin goes with everything. aveeno®. naturally beautiful results™. ♪ ♪ all right, time for "the pulse" starting with monday night, a wedding, after expressing doubts about marriage for years, cameron diaz is now a mrs. >> diaz married rocker benji madden of the band good charlotte after dating for less than a year. the ceremony took place last night at her beverly hills drew barrymore and nicole richie among her bridesmaids and the guest list included reese witherspoon and gwyneth paltrow attended. >> she dated justin timberlake. jared leto but settled down. congratulations to her.

>> yeah, big congratulations. season 19 of "the bachelor" debuted with chris soules, an iowa farmer meeting all 30 of his dates. a few made a few impressions. >> he actually met 31 yesterday, right, reena? reena hung out with him yesterday. >> i'm not a contender. >> i'm married, t.j. >> you saw a lady in a pig nose and said she wanted to ham it up. this woman is a cadaver tissue salesperson. it was a fake, though. but still somebody here two-dancing, this is dance instructor here kaitlyn. she had something pretty shocking to say to him. listen to this. >> i don't know much about you. i know your name is chris. i know you are a farmer and you can plow the [ bleep ] out of my field any day. >> what? plow her field? >> we should look that up. >> that's just -- okay, well, chris later said he didn't really know what she was saying and that it made him blush but he liked it and kaitlyn is 1 of the 22 women he's still dating. i like this guy. he is like really midwestern and

sweet and charming and i'm definitely going to be watching. >> she's -- reena is not a contestant, folks. let me clear that up. >> thank you. >> no problem. simply stunning adventure. one expert calling it the hardest rock climb in the world. >> these two guys have been at it for over a week now. tommy caldwell and kevin jorgeson are climbing what's called the dawn wall of yoes national park's el capitan. >> they're free climbing this thing, folks. 3,000 feet of it propelling themselves with just their hands and feet. they are using a rope, though, only to catch them if they fall. >> they rested on the rock face yesterday hanging out in the sunshine. eating is actually pretty basic. there's sandwiches but can you believe this, they both do have a small stove, as well. >> if all goes well here, they should be possibly at the top by this weekend but this is a very big deal. dangerous using nothing but their hands and feet on this granite surface that they say is pretty smooth so it's hard to get up. >> i bet momma is probably anxious about this.

>> one is at least married. they're keepingye on these fellows. good luck, fellows. local news is next for some of you. the fever. an even bigger deal? everything you miss out on... family pizza night. the big game. or date night. why lose out to the flu any longer than you have to? prescription tamiflu can help you get better 1.3 days faster. that's 30% sooner. call your doctor right away. and attack the flu virus at its source with prescription tamiflu. tamiflu is fda approved to treat the flu in people 2 weeks and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures, confusion or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. call your doctor right away. don't lose another moment to the flu. when there's flu, tamiflu.

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live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> good tuesday morning january 6. thank you for joining us. i am kristen sze. >> i am eric thomas with sue here for leyla gulen and meteorologist mike nicco. so we have "spare the air" extended until tomorrow and thursday and the poor air quality is still there. it is fuzzy and hazy in some areas with fog. 1.75 miles visibility in santa rosa where the thick fog is tule fog.

101 southbound is moving smoothly. here is the day planner we are in the 30's the and 40's and 50's and upper 50's at noon and low-to-mid 60's in the afternoon hours threatening a few record highs. enjoy the evening in the mid-50's. not much chill after the morning a problem early this morning a road closing in san francisco southbound 280 to 101. the ramp is closed. the sig-alert is in affect diverting traffic but if you do not have to go that way use 101 until they re-open and napa lake county lane we have full road closing highway 29 both directions because of an overturned rig. there is a sig-alert. thank you. developing news in san francisco, the search for the person who set a fire at a famous pacific heights home, the

house familiar to fans of robin williams from "mrs. doubt fire," and amy hollyfield is at broadway with that story. amy? >> you can see san francisco police officers are here on the scene and they watch over the home overnight to make sure that nothing else happened because no arrests have been made. look over at the far program door, you can see there is damage that is visible where someone tried to set fire to the home, a very popular home in san francisco. several police officers responded last night and they got the call at 8:30 that a fire was set here to the home featured in the 1993 movie "mrs. doubt s fire." a doctor lives here and said he has been having ongoing issue with the former community and we suspect the client is responsible for the attack on the home. the homeowner put out the fire after