making news in america this friday morning -- the extreme weather. forcing states of emergency. winter storms making a mess in places not used to snow. and fears about damage that could be done in california. details and your forecast ahead. and president-elect donald trump is set to get his long-awaited briefing about russian hacking. face to face with top u.s. intelligence officials. as we get new details on who might end up paying for that border wall. fight on a flight. this time, two sisters heading to see their father one last time, missing those precious moments. now, new claims about how an angry exchange got started. and a 100-year-old man celebrates with an adventure in the sky. we'll show you his birthday jump coming up.

some of us go to the ponderosa for a birthday. he jumps in the air. winter unleashing its rage. it's going to last all weekend long. >> warnings and alerts are out from coast to coast. states of emergency have been declared in alabama and georgia. many americans are digging out from storms that hit earlier this week, trying to get a jump on the cleanup before the next round of snow. this is what it looks like at a northern california ski resort right now. >> just a little bit? >> virtually buried under all that snow. imagine that same picture with another six feet of snow. that's what forecasters say is coming this weekend. >> janai norman has more on the monster storms on the move. >> reporter: about two-thirds of the country is waking up to winter weather alerts. >> that's bad.

>> reporter: the same storm system that slammed much of the west, bringing 10 to 15 inches of snow and rain to parts of california, raising concerns for flooding and mudslides, now moving east. >> this is what denver is looking like. >> reporter: in denver, passengers watched as crews worked to de-ice planes. though more than 130 flights were canceled any way. snow totals in other parts of colorado could top two feet. >> i was expecting six inches. >> i didn't figure it was going to be this. >> definitely a lot more than expected. >> reporter: in buffalo, new york, some people were stuck in traffic for more than five hours. >> you can't really tell on the video how much it's snowing. >> reporter: in pennsylvania, driving conditions made for a messy commute. where at least ten cars collided. >> about the scariest thing that's ever happened to me. >> reporter: now parts of the the south are bracing for the worst of it. governors in alabama and georgia have declared states of emergency in all counties ahead of the storm.

>> we feel fortunate it's coming in potentially on a friday night. where we will have the weekend to really address the roads. >> reporter: outside atlanta, police are calling in specialty units. to help with traffic. some neighbors say they won't bother trying to leave home. >> if it comes, stay put. >> reporter: janai norman, abc news, washington. >> some good advice there in janai's story. exactly when and where will the nasty weather arrive in your area? >> justin povick has all the answers as usual. good morning. >> diane and kendis, thanks and good morning to you. we're still tracking some slippery travel along the 95. storm system number one is departing. in its wake, bitterly cold right through the weekend. further off to the south, look at this. later on today, tonight, into saturday, a southern snowstorm. the potential for six-plus inches from central north carolina into southeast virginia. treacherous travel. along i-40 and out to i-95. diane? kendis, back to you. >> our thanks to justin.

now to president-elect donald trump who is coming face to face today with the intelligence community whose findings about russian hacking he has refused to accept. >> trump will be briefed on the russian hacking report by the nation's top intelligence leaders. president obama received those same findings yesterday. and congress also weighed in. meanwhile, the washington post is reporting that the u.s. picked up intercepts from russian officials celebrating trump's election victory and congratulating themselves on the outcome. here's abc's karen travers. >> reporter: for now, this comprehensive report on russia's election interference is classified. >> the president has also directed the intelligence community to make as much of the information included to the public because it's important for the american people to understand that it's our democracy that has been interfered with. >> reporter: on cap overwheming agreement that russia was behind the cyberattack.

putting people at odds with donald trump. >> i think there's a difference between skepticism and disparagement. >> reporter: on wednesday, trump tweeted wikileaks' founder julian assange's claim that russia didn't give him the hacked dnc e-mails. the president-elect said he wasn't in agreement with assange and called himself a big fan of the intelligence community. that embrace of the final active hacker, seemingly over the intelligence community, drew attention from lawmakers. >> do you think there's credibility we should attach to this individual given his record of -- >> not in my view. >> reporter: in an interview with pbs newshour, president biden said trump's criticism of the intelligence community is dangerous. >> for a president not to have confidence in, not to be prepared to listen to the myriad of intelligence agencies from defense intelligence to the cia

et cetera is -- is absolutely mindless. >> reporter: director of national intelligence james clapper says the hacking was just one part of russia's multifaceted campaign. that also included propaganda and misinformation. donald trump will get his own briefing today on the report in new york city. diane? kendis? >> all right, our thanks to karen. now to a controversial departure from the trump transition team. former cia director james woolsey left the team. he said he only saw trump in person and spoke with him a few times. and he didn't want to appear he was still an adviser on that team. taxpayers, not mexico, may end up paying for the border wall. if it gets built at all. trump repeatedly said mexico would foot the bill for the wall. the transition team is now considering asking congress the approve the funds. house speaker paul ryan's

plan to defund planned parenthood is sparking outrage with groups. ryan says republicans will anti-abortion provisions to pull the nonprofit's funding. advocacy groups are vowing to fight the move, claiming the targeting of planned parenthood will awake an sleeping giant. now to the politics of sexual identity reignited in texas. the texas privacy bill, better known as the bathroom bill, has been filed at the state capital. it relegates bathroom use based on a person's sex at birth. supporters insist the bill is about protecting privacy. opponents say it discriminates against transgender people and could lead to business boycotts. similar to those seen in north carolina. overseas, two of the world's top terrorist groups appear to be turning on each other. in a new message, the chief of al qaeda is accusing the leader of isis of slandering his group. he also is urging isis jihadists to stop attacking civilians in quote soft targets like markets

and mosques, and instead, concentrate of attacking military and police forces. closer to home, mayhem taken over in parts of mexico, following a 20% spike in gas prices. >> looting has erupted. in in city of veracruz. two people including a police officer have been killed in the violence. at least 700 people have been arrested. hundreds of businesses were damaged, as you see there. the spike in gas prices followed last weekend's deregulation of mexico's energy sector. coming up, the search for an escaped prison inmate comes to an end. plus some bad news from legendary retailer sears. stores are closing. jobs are being cut all across the country. we'll tell you where. and the final good-bye to debbie reynolds and carrie fisher. hollywood stars coming out to say farewell. the apartment building where the fire was. when things like this happen, i think you find a new perspective on life.

hi. red cross put us in a hotel so we were able to stay together. we're strong and, if we overcame that or if we can overcome that, we can overcome anything, so. [ sniffle ] and i take my job seriously. while i'm busy watching the game, i need your help keeping an eye on the stands.

if you see something that doesn't look quite right, tell a law enforcement official. we all play an important role in protecting our communities, and you can help. if you see something suspicious, say something to local authorities. [ crowd cheering ]

you're looking at a federal prison escapee who was on the run since new year's eve. he's now recaptured there in handcuffs after two attempted bank robberying, former army reserve itself james morales escaped from the prison. he now faces firearms charges and aggravated child rape charges. in chicago, those four people accused of torturing a mentally disabled teen and streaming the attack live on facebook are now facing hate crime charges. >> that's because prosecutors say the suspects, who are black, went after their white victim because of his race and his disability. police found the victim wandering on the streets of the west side of chicago after the horrific video of his attack emerged. >> the actions in the video are reprehensible.

that, along with racism, have absolutely no place in the city of chicago or anywhere else for that matter. >> police say the victim understandably was severely traumatized. he's recovering at home with his family. the four people charged in the attack are set to appear in court later today. today is day three of the sentencing phase in the charleston church massacre trial. they heard from the families of the nine people killed. they heard from roof's former attorney. he asked the judge to allow him to represent the white supremacist. roof is defending himself. as the jury decides if he should be executed. a bit of business news now. one of the nation's oldest retailers is shutting 10% of its stores. sears is closing 150 locations nationwide, which including k-mart stores. it's all fallout from much of the retail market moving online. shares of the company have dropped nearly 50% in the past

year. and authorities in california are hoping a new law taking effect this week will stem the tide of crashes due to distracted driving. the new smartphone law, now one of the tough nest the country, extends earlier legislation that kept drivers from talking and texting. but not from streaming video or using apps like instagram and twitter. now the california law prohibits drivers from holding devices. two sisters say the airline prevented them from flying home the say good-bye to their dying dad. and one man's desperate struggle to get home from work in the snow as 80 million americans face some nasty conditions today. kellogg's special k... ...made with whole grains and fiber ...to help a body thrive. ♪ i love it folic acid and vitamin d... ...to make a body feel this good. start your day with 150 nourishing calories... ...in a bowl of special k.

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breo won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. breo is specifically designed to open up airways to improve breathing for a full 24 hours. breo contains a type of medicine that increases the risk of death from asthma problems and may increase the risk of hospitalization in children and adolescents. breo is not for people whose asthma is well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. once your asthma is well controlled, your doctor will decide if you can stop breo and prescribe a different asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. do not take breo more than prescribed. see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. ask your doctor if 24-hour breo could be a missing piece for you. learn more about better breathing at mybreo.com. so this might be the definition of misery for many. the man who posted this video was stuck in this snowstorm on the roads near buffalo for two hours. he finally had to abandon his car and walk three miles home because the vehicle ran out of gas.

good luck finding it today. >> oh, no. it's only going to get messier with icy roads in the northeast. especially around the great lakes. look out for rain and snow in the southwest. icy conditions from texas to the carolinas. well, because of all that weather, you can expect some possible airport delays in new york, atlanta, new orleans, and memphis. as always, during stormy weather, you can check with your airline. we're learning new details about two sisters removed from the flight home to see their ailing father. >> the women were taking an allegiant air flight from orlando, to asheville, north carolina. they say as the plane headed for the runway, one of them got a text saying their father wasn't expected to live through the night. that's when she walked back to sit across from her sister, who had become emotional. then a flight attendant intervened. >> i said i'm trying to console my sister. we just found out my dad's dying. she said, you need to keep your personal problems off this plane. she said, i'm doing my job. i said maybe you're in the wrong job.

>> that triggered a call to the captain. who returned to the gate. the sisters were removed. never making it to see their father before he passed away. >> airport security tells a different story. a report released to abc news says the night attendant intervened only after baker tried to place her belongings inside emergency equipment bins. a heating exchange escalated into her sister making a crude gesture toward that flight attenda attendant. after an emotional good-bye to actress carrie fisher at her home in beverly hills comes a sendoff for her legendary mother, debbie reynolds. >> reynolds' private funeral is scheduled for today. more now from abc's chris connelly. >> reporter: the hbo documentary, "bright lights," starring debbie reynolds and carrie fisher. said to be an intimate chronicle of their mother-daughter bond. now set to debut on saturday. its first airing moved up from march in the wake of their deaths on successive days last month. on a misty thursday in the hollywood hills, a private memorial. among those arriving to pay

respects, meg ryan, who acted with carrie in "when harry met sally." ellen barkin. and meryl streep, who, at the memorial, performed "happy days are here again," the same song carrie and debbie sang together on "oprah" in 2011. their uncommon closeness. forged through decades of turbulence and tenderness. still with the power to charm and captivate the world. chris connelly, abc news, los angeles. from the world of hollywood to the world of sports. and a bit of change coming to our sister network, espn. long-time anchor chris berman, known for many of his nicknames is giving up his regular on-air nfl and baseball spots for a new role at the network. >> he joined espn one month after it launched in 1979. >> wow. >> the sports network says he'll make occasional appearances on air and will also serve as a spokesman at some espn events. espn is a division of disney, the parent company of abc news. lucky for us, neil and kenny are still hanging around.

they've got some sports. >> good morning, america. he's kenny. i'm neil. we may or may not be wearing pants. >> this is your miniaturized version of "sportscenter." you should try the whole thing one day. a big basketball game in the nba. some people call it the association. federation. russell westbrook, former sonic, drills that. >> yes. >> he wants three more. eight threes. 49 points. james harden. left-handed even. and harden in transition. he had 26. 12 assists. 0.7 to go. thunder inbounding. down two. they're going to make up a cool play. got to get it off quick. enes kanter. can't control it. rockets are the winners. 118-116. they've won a bunch of games. bartender, how about something on ice? it's been a long night. the columbus blue jackets who kenny has been on since the get-go. >> absolutely. >> looking to win their 17th in a row, which would tie a penguins team from the early

'90s with the most. that team had lemieux and jagr. this columbus team does not. they have some good players. barry melrose said, some players you'll know better as they grow. braden holtby and the capitals too much. pitched a shutout. 5-0, streak over. but we gave you hockey. >> i was challenged in my ear about the veracity of the statement that westbrook was a sonic. he was drafted by the sonics. never actually played. >> which means he was a sonic. >> yeah, don't drink coffee. coming up, a new job for hillary clinton. how about mayor of new york? also ahead, the 100-year-old skydiver proving the sky's the limit. y birthday! i survived a heart attack. i'm doing all i can to keep from having another one. and i'm taking brilinta. for people who've been hospitalized for a heart attack. i take brilinta with a baby aspirin. no more than one hundred milligrams as it affects how well it works. brilinta helps keep my platelets

from sticking together and forming a clot. brilinta reduced the chance of another heart attack. or dying from one. it worked better than plavix. >>don't stop taking brilinta without talking to your doctor since stopping it too soon increases your risk of clots in your stent, heart attack, stroke, and even death. brilinta may cause bruising or bleeding more easily, or serious, sometimes fatal bleeding. don't take brilinta if you have bleeding, like stomach ulcers, a history of bleeding in the brain, or severe liver problems. tell your doctor about bleeding, new or unexpected shortness of breath, any planned surgery, and all medicines you take. >>talk to your doctor about brilinta. i'm doing all i can. that includes brilinta. if you can't afford your medication, astra zeneca may be able to help. i'm bushed! i've been on my feel alyea me too. excuse me...coming through! ride the gel wave of comfort with dr. scholls massaging gel insoles. they're proven to give you comfort. which helps you feel more energized ...all day long. i want what he has. thope to see you again soon.. whoa, whoa, i got this.

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we begin with a story that is the talk of the town here in new york. is hillary clinton going to run for mayor? >> no, this is not from the onion. the conventional wisdom is almost certainly not. it's extremely unlikely. however, it's "the new york times" that is reporting that it has been discussed. as one of the potential future jobs that secretary clinton could pursue. her former staff members have not entirely dismissed the idea. so perhaps it's a possibility. and a texas man has reached new heights on his 100th birthday. literally. >> yes, he has. take a look at al blasky. celebrating his first century with his first skydive. he is now co-owner of the u.s. record for the oldest citizen to ever complete a tandem jump. he had a chance to do it at 97. he decided to wait a few years until he hit 100 because he wanted to do something worth celebrating. >> just turning 100 or even 97 is worth celebrating. >> that is better.

>> not too shabby at all. he had a friend that joined him as well. >> yeah, 75. protests planned on inauguration day. one will probably be more mellow than the rest. >> a marijuana advocacy group plans to hand out 4200 free joints before marching to the national mall. the group's leader is not encouraging them to smoke them, which would be against most d.c. laws. >> just handing them out as a prop? >> you can probably smell those folks coming. you'll know where they are on january 20th. >> more news after this. due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat not caused by a heart valve problem. but no matter what path i take, i go for my best. so if there's something better than warfarin, i'll go for that too. eliquis. eliquis reduced the risk of stroke better than warfarin, plus had less major bleeding than warfarin. eliquis had both. don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to,

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friday, january 6. >> we've got mike nicco, and mike, stepping out this morning, oh my goodness, it is cold. >> it's definitely cold, one of the coldest mornings we've had. in fact, look what i stepped out into. let's go to the graphic. yeah, thick frost and 25 degrees so boss, this is why i was about five minutes late to work this morning. >> is that a lamborghini? >> yes. you know how fickle they are when it gets this cold, they're hard to get started. they don't have all the amenities of the other cars. you should follow that mike nicco abc7 guy. he puts out real good weather

information. in all seriousness, freeze warning until 9:00 this morning. 40s and barely 50s this afternoon. i hit some black ice on the westbound 24 heading towards -- it sounds like we have more black ice. >> we have black ice right around altamont pass, westbound 580 near north flynn road, eight vehicles go off the roadway in the last hour or so. we haven't had any serious crashes so far, just some sliding off the roadway and spinouts but looking at getting some more information. we have at least one lane blocked. >> alexis, thank you. we are tracking the freeze warning in most of the bay area. this is the cold before the storm. >> abc7 news reporter lonnie is live for us in san jose.

>> reporter: good morning, matt. if you're waking up this morning, you have an early start, expect a lot of time. you're going to have to allow yourself a lot of time, because look at all these cars, you guys. just covered in frost here. we're just off of capitol expressway here in san jose in front of a car dealership where you can just see a sea of cars covered in frost here, and that was pretty much the same story for another car off of zancor road covered in frost from front to back, so you want to allow yourself some time to warm your car up, clear off the frost. also, grass and plants this morning were just noticing it all covered in the crystal white frost. if you haven't already, bring yur plants inside, such as citrus crops and vulnerable plants, also pipes and your pets, the three ps, just to show you how cold it is out here. i don't know if you can see it coming from my mouth.