today. check it out. making news in america this morning, winter weather. light snow overnight crippling washington, d.c. a traffic mess across the nation's capital. even impacting president obama, plus, the megastorm on the way. feet of snow expected. we're going to have the latest track. pulling away. donald trump with a bigger lead in the newest poll as sarah palin stumps for the front-runner firing up trump's supporters. even addressing her son's recent arrest. historic hire. the first female hired as a full time coach in the nfl. and postponed. the next "star wars" movie pushed back far, far away.

good thursday morning. i'm kendis gibson. >> and i'm marci gonzalez in for reena ninan. the winter weather bringing the nation's capital to a standstill days before a big storm is expected to hit. >> yeah, some people just making it home from work right now from last night. overnight drivers crashing on icy roads in and around washington, d.c. and gridlock hours past the evening rush. even the president's motorcade getting caught in t the inch of snow coming from a system not associated with a storm that could dump feet of snow on d.c. >> looking at the radar now that storm already moving out to sea. it was brief but it certainly caused a lot of problems. abc's ray-r ramundi has details. >> reporter: motorists crashing into one another. untreated roadways and light snowy literally wreaked havoc across mid-atlantic states. >> so i drove home from work and

i'm not used to driving in snow, so it was pretty rough driving home and took a while. >> reporter: less than two inches of snowfall kriping enough in the nation's capital to even delay the leader of the free world. president obama's return to the white house delayed after his staff was forced to change plans due to the weather. >> en route to the hospital. we have multiple injuries. >> reporter: in montgomery county, maryland, outside of washington, cars were stuck on roadways for hours. >> just trying to stay off the roads. >> reporter: in west virginia utility companies bracing themselves for immending power outages. >> the thing that has us worried with this storm is the depth of the snow and potential for wet snow. >> reporter: some 15 states this morning under winter storm watches from as far south as north carolina to as far north as boston. this as the i-95 corridor braces for a potentially historic blizzard aimed at nation's capital, new york and philadelphia.

>> we don't want to overreact but encourage people to get prepared. >> reporter: they're tripling the amount of snowplows and trucks. this as we brace for the major storm which is less than 48 hours away. marci, kendis, back to you. >> a lot are saying it's too late for them right now as we try to get home. ray, thank you. that extreme weather, however, is coming much sooner to the south. before it dumps all that snow on 50 million people, it will be bringing rain to the gulf coast. >> and picking up strength. justin povick of accuweather has the latest. good morning. >> kendis, marci, we are following developing severe weather on this thursday, more so over the western gulf coast states from louisiana back into alabama and mississippi. threats here going to be damaging winds and tornadoes and then later on friday into friday night and saturday we will be following a heavy snow threat evolving throughout the middle atlantic states and into

portions of the coastal northeast. there is the potential for over a foot of snow for some. kendis and marci, back to you. >> all right, our thanks to justin. also breaking overnight, stocks in asia and europe taking a beating today after another wild ride on wall street. the dow starts today down 249 points after free-falling more than 500 points. at one point during the day, the s&p 500 at its lowest level in nearly two years. all this turmoil blamed partly on dropping oil prices. that's good at the gas pump but it's hitting 401(k)s hard. here's abc's rebecca jarvis with what to do. >> reporter: stocks this year are now down almost 10%. for those who are worried about that retirement savings account, you should know this, the hardest thing to do is the very best thing you can do for your money and that is to wait it out. >> that's going to be tough bus a typical 401(k) has lost nearly $8300 in value this year. in just hours, u.s. markets are

expected to open lower. and with the presidential race ticking down toward its first real votes, a new poll shows donald trump stretching his lead over the rest of the republican pack. the numbers put trump at 34% in new hampshire. his biggest lead yet in the granite state. ted cruz is a distant second followed by jeb bush and marco rubio, tied at 10%. and trump took his road show to tulsa, oklahoma, and was nearly upstaged by his opening act, sarah palin. the former alaska governor accused the obama administration of neglecting war veterans having trouble adjusting to civilian life. then she alluded to her son track's arrest for domestic violence calling it, quote, the elephant in the room. >> but my son like so many others, they come back a bit different, they come back hardened. i can certainly relate with other families who kind of feel these ramifications of some ptsd and some of the woundedness that

our soldiers do return with. >> democrat hillary clinton seized on the trump/palin partnership telling voters it is up to them to make sure this image doesn't become a real-life version of a bad "saturday night live" skit. clinton is struggling in new hampshire. eclipsed by bernie sanders' surprising double-digit lead and in iowa where sanders is within striking distance of a win. and a lot of dads out there can relate to president obama. getting emotional about a major milestone for first daughter malia during a lunch in detroit he was asked about her uncoming high school graduation. >> malia's school asked if i wanted to speak at commencement and i said no. i'm going to be wearing dark glasses and i'm going to cry. >> very adorable there. malia is a senior so private sidwell friends school and is expected to start college in the fall. still ahead, "star wars" fans will have to wait a little

longer for the next film. plus, sinking fast and surrounded by ice. a driver perched on top of her car waiting for a rescue. and serious allegations comics accusing amy schumer of stealing hair jokes. what the "trainwreck" star is saying this morning.

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and the gift of parks today. when i have an asthma attack... i feel like a fish with no water. learn how to prevent your child's next asthma attack. because even one attack is one too many. a tennessee teenager is safe and warm this morning thanks to rescuers who pulled her from a frigid pond. she was driving on an icy road when an approaching car lost control and swerved in her direction. that's when she slammed on the brakes and ended up in the water. well, could be another day off from school for thousands of students in detroit.

yesterday 88 schools were closed and teachers are threatening another mass sick-out today despite the school district going to court to stop it. the teachers say they're trying to draw attention to the poor condition of the schools including safety hazards and supersized classes. well, there could soon be drastic new action over the safety of hoverboards. some of those boards now under investigation by the government after catching fire. well, a government watchdog is calling for a suspension of all online sales of all hoverboards until there's better testing and proof of safety in the devices, and amazon is now offering a refund on all hoverboards bought on that site. the big winter storm moving into the east is likely to disrupt some travel plans. five major domestic airlines are offering waivers for refunds for flights to, from or through cities affected by the storm. it won't cost anything to change your plans and they recommend you check their websites for flight statuses. okay, some bad news for "star wars" fans. the next movie in the series,

"episode viii" is being pushed back. instead of memorial day weekend, 2017, it'll debut now just before christmas next year. "episode viii" from our parent company is scheduled to begin filming next month. when we come back, caught on camera, a snowboarder surviving an avalanche. why police are now taking a close look at this video. and a shiny jacket that's causing a frenzy at stores as well as online. who wore it and for how much? [ scanner beeping ] sir, could you step aside? "sir"? come on. you know who i am. progressive insurance? uh, i save people an average of over $500 when they switch? did you pack your own bags? oh! right -- the name your price tool. it shows people policy options to help fit their budget. [ scanner warbling ] crazy that a big shot like me would pack his own bags, right?

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and zero holding me back! oikos triple zero. be unstoppable. mmm dannon updating our top story, ahead of the blizzard expected this weekend there was a similar storm in washington, d.c. last night during evening rush hour. the 1.6 inches brought traffic to a standstill. even the president was affected. his helicopter grounded, so the presidential entourage had to drive back to the white house. most of the snow and ice on the roads this morning will be in the ohio valley. flooding is likely on roads in the deep south. in the west, wet roads. in the northwest and northern california late tonight and snow in the mountains. if you're flying airport delays likeliest in memphis and new orleans. so, jada pinkett smith says that all of the backlash after her all white oscars rant isn't really about the oscars. it's about black people gaining power in an industry where they

are undervalued. >> smith tweeted her thanks to academy president cheryl boone isaacs for her pledge to work for dramatic changes, and now her husband, will smith, is speaking out in an abc news exclusive. >> the industry reflects america. it reflects a series of challenges that we are having in our country at the moment. that's not the hollywood that i want to leave behind. >> and you'll hear much more from will smith later this morning on "gma." newly released e-mails show top officials in michigan tried at first to avoid responsibility for the water crisis in flint. a day after doctors reported high levels of lead in flint children, a top aide to the governor told him the real responsibility for the city's water issues rested with local government officials, but later e-mails acknowledge that it was the state treasurer who okayed the water supply switch to save money. more americans are living

100 years and beyond. new research by the cdc this morning shows between 2000 and 2014, the number of people living 100 years and longer was up 45% and 80% of centenarians are women. a snowboarder who triggered an avalanche could face criminal charges. in this video that's really gone viral now christian mayor taped himself riding the slide and narrowly escaping death or injury and officials at the california resort say he was in an area that was closed to the public but he's denying that telling a local newspaper there were no posted off limit signs. and we have another celebrity rescuing someone from a car crash. new england patriots reserve linebacker darius fleming saw a woman struggling inside her smoking car after a three-car accident. he couldn't open the door, so he kicked out the window. fleming needed 22 stitches, but he played last sunday's game anyway.

teammates say they're not surprised. he's a stand-up guy. >> all right, and to some sports headlines now. one nba team coasted again and another bounced back. >> let's get the details, shall we, from our friends at espn. we have two great nba highlights. stan will read his better than i will read mine. warriors/bulls, you saw what golden state did to cleveland on monday. this, pretty much the same deal. steph curry to draymond green. warriors up 10 and then later green returns the favor. curry, 25 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds in the game, and you don't see him do this much, throwing it down. warriors now 20-4 on the road. >> man. and you mentioned the cavaliers getting their warrior handed to them the other night. they were taking on the nets and

this was all lebron james -- kevin love, hey, let's be friends and teammates and share the basketball and share the love. i hold nothing against you but never talk about me again in the locker room. love, 17 points, 18 rebounds. lebron james had 17 points. stop looking at my lemonade. 91-78, cleveland cavaliers. >> said he likes to bring energy because the ball finds energy and you saw it on that last play there. >> the ball don't lie. we're done. >> back to you. >> lemonade? >> i don't get it. >> all right, thanks, fellas. so french tennis star wilfried tsonga is showing off a great move off the court at the australian open. >> he noticed a ball girl on the sidelines who seemed to be ailing somehow. he stopped play and escorted her off the court. how nice. he said he appreciates all of the accolades that have been coming in on social media but he adds that offering a helping hand is just the normal thing to do. >> a very stand-up move.

>> yeah, very observant of him too. in the heat and everything to actually take notice that someone was in need. >> and he won, by the way. he's going to be hitting the third round of the australian open tonight, i believe, tomorrow night, it is confusing with the time difference in australia. >> all right. okay, so up next in "the pulse," amy schumer breaking her silence about other comics saying she stole their jokes. and history in the nfl. the first full-time female coach. i accept i do a shorter i set these days.22. i even accept i have a higher risk of stroke due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. but i won't play anything less than my best. so if there's something better than warfarin, i'm going for it. eliquis. eliquis reduced the risk of stroke better than warfarin,

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♪ all right, time now to check "the pulse" starting with controversy brewing for comedian amy schumer. >> yeah, she is accused -- i didn't even know this was a thing -- of joke theft by someone who compared her jokes to the gags of other comedians like kathleen madigan and wendy liebman. schumer vigorously denying the allegations. >> and if she thinks that i in 2006, again, that i saw that or i saw wendy's joke in the '90s and thought, okay, if i just wait this out or that i reference old sets of people, like that's so crazy. >> and schumer says, quote, i will literally take a polygraph to prove her innocence. >> i didn't know things were that deep or that serious in the joke world. >> yeah, seriously. okay, so sarah palin in the spotlight again over her

wardrobe. and this time getting lots of attention over that sparkly little number that we saw yesterday that we were trying to figure out while endorsing donald trump this week. >> yeah, it's a bolero jacket from saks fifth avenue. the price tag on this thing, $695. >> is there gold on that? >> oh, my goodness. well, it sure moves. this thing is trending on twitter. you can't buy the jacket now because it sold out. >> it sold out. >> i guess as a result of this. people saw that and said, i want to shimmer like -- >> there are a lot of rick james impersonators out there. >> oh, man. harsh. >> nothing wrong with rick james. something glittery. okay, so this is cool. the nfl now has its first female assistant coach, talking about kathryn smith right there who will work with special teams for the buffalo bills. this past season she was an administrative assistant to coach rex ryan. >> the arizona cardinals last summer hired a woman to work with its inside linebackers, but only during training camp.

smith's official title is special teams quality control coach. >> and the buffalo bills, by the way, are trail blazers in this field. >> right. >> they had a recruiter, scout as you'd call her, back 30 years ago, the first team to do that. okay, and high school coaches are always telling players to use their heads. but in a tight game in alabama, max nolan did one better. >> he collided with a pass that was meant for a teammate and made the layup anyway with his face. even the harlem globetrotters can't pull off that shot, and this video was taken by max's girlfriend. >> yeah, it would have gone completely unnoticed, but apparently his girlfriend posted it on twitter and then max became famous for this. >> and the slow motion is really what makes it. and it would be embarrassing probably if it weren't so cool getting all this attention.

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live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> it is 4:28. i am reggie aqui. >> i am natasha zouves. it is friday friday eve. finally. >> good morning, we will look at live doppler hd with good news for commute. it is dry. there is not much fog. right now. that is going to be difference from yesterday. way will see are temperatures that are milder today although we will have a ton of cloud cover and limited sunshine. we are starting off with temperatures running in the mid-40s to low 50s. we will hang out in the upper 50s to low 60s this afternoon. we see if sue has good news. >> so far, so good. up and at it at 4:28. the golden gate bridge shows

cones are here. you are down to four different toll lanes. they are doing work in the tunnels headed into san francisco and that should be picked up any time. san rafael is fog free. light conditions. the only thing we have is road work. we will update that in a couple of minutes. >> breaking news from oakland, a car sheared in half. look at this video. a mangled mess. this crash took place before midnight near mcarthur boulevard. to get an idea of the speed and impact the other half of the car is a block away. it is not clear what caused the crash but we will bring you more details when they are available. >> no more fake surveillance cameras on bart. the agency is changing policy on using decoys on the trains. our reporter is in fremont with what prompted the move. matt? >> yes, reggie, the public hass.

they don't want fake cameras on bart trains. they want the real thing. this came to light last week when bart revealed all the cameras on trains are actually decoys. that information came to light after bart was up able to provide video of the january 9 shooting in a pittsburg bay point train. the images came from west oakland. bart defended this but they are changing their mind because of the public the ought taxpayers are paying the money, would you think it is common sense. would you think this actually work? >> we hear loud and clear from the public they are unhappy that we were using decoys and today we are announceing we are committed as quickly as possible buying and outfitting every train car with a working camera. >> the new cameras will record video to be viewed later. other details