that's what's making news in "america t right now on "america this morning," bomb cyclone. the massive storm as powerful as a hurricane setep up the east coast. more than two feet of snow possible. the areas getting hit the hardest. we'll time out the track. historic decision. supreme court justice stephen breyer retiring. the official announcement expected today. this morning, the woman who could replace him. inflation nation. more items at the grocery store are about to get more expensive. the prices going up and the new proposal to give shoppers a break. plus, putin's next move. would he invade ukraine during the olympics? the new research on coffee and why you may want to drink it before you sleep. and later, it was one of the most heartbreaking losses in sports history. the bills losing to the chiefs,

but this morning, how the two cities are coming together in a very special way. good thursday morning, everyone. we begin with that massive storm expected to impact the east coast this weekend. >> the so-called bomb cyclone could be as powerful as a hurricane unleashing blizzard-like conditions especially in eastern new england where more than two feet of snow is possible. wabc meteorologist lee goldberg says the storm is starting to come into focus. >> here's what i think with snow totals. the bless chance of seeing a foot or more is on the east end of long island. i do think the heart of the storm is over southeastern new england then this difficult area and what i have deticked here is the city straddling three to six-inch total and 6 to 12-inch total as we go into the storm. >> expected to have less of an impact in washington, d.c. or

philadelphia. we'll get the full picture from accuweather in less than ten minutes. the other big story, the retirement of supreme court justice stephen breyer. >> after nearly three decades on the bench, the official announcement expected to come today setting up a confirmation battle over his replacement there's already a front-runner, em nguyen has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. president biden and justin breyer are expected to make that official announcement in a joint appearance at the white house today. longtime supreme court justice stephen breyer is expected to announce today his retirement from the supreme court. several sources tell abc news the most senior member of the court's liberal wing will step down at the end of the term in june paving the way for president biden's first high court opening which he has vowed to fill with a historic nomination of the court's first black woman. >> i'm looking forward to making sure there's a black woman on the supreme court. >> reporter: breyer, 83 years old nominated by president bill

clinton in '94 known for several major opinions, upholding the affordable care act, abortion rights and limiting presidential powers over recess appointments. breyer told "the new york times" last year he was reminded of something justice antonin scalia once told him, saying, quote, i don't somebody appointed who will just reverse everything i've done for the last 25 years. >> i do not intend to die there on the court. i hope not. >> reporter: the front-runner is believed to be d.c. circuit court judge, ketanji jackson, a former clerk of justice breyer who has gone through the senate confirmation process. >> that someone who comes from a background like mine could find herself in this position. >> reporter: also believed to be

on the list other women. senate democrats are pushing for a bipartisan confirmation already reaching out to republicans. >> i did talk today with the chairman of the judiciary committee. we talked a little bit about the timetable. as you know, i felt that the timetable for the last nominee was too compressed. >> reporter: president biden only needs a simple majority to confirm a new justice due to senate minority leader mitch mcconnell's 2017 change in senate rules for supreme court nominations. that means democrats could confirm a new justice on a party line vote, mona. >> em, thank you. turning to the standoff over ukraine, russian warships are conducting drills in the black sea. moscow has shown no signs of backing down after the u.s. delivered its official response to vladimir putin rejecting his demand that ukraine be banned from joining nato. putin also continues to carry out military exercises on land near ukraine's border. secretary of state antony blinken says the u.s. has laid out diplomatic options for putin.

>> right now, the document is with them, and the ball is in their court. whether they choose the path of diplomacy and dialogue, whether they decide to renew aggression against ukraine, we're prepared either way. >> now, the russians haven't rsponded yet, but a top u.s. official says putin is unlikely to invade ukraine while china is hosting the olympics, which begin next week, however, back in 2008 during the beijing olympics putin did invade georgia. meanwhile, germany is facing criticism for not doing enough to help ukraine. it's sending 5,000 military helmets but refuses to send weapons. one ukrainian official said the offer left him speechless. germany relies on russia for natural gas, and some say it's prioritizing economic ties over ukraine's security. now to your money and word this morning that items at the grocery store are about to get more expensive, up to 30% more expensive just as the federal reserve makes a move to try to fight inflation. this morning, another major food

company getting set to raise prices at the grocery store. cnn was first to report that kraft heinz will increase the cost of dozens of products including velveeta cheese, maxwell house coffee, kool-aid, capri sun drinks and oscar mayer hot dogs. the price hikes are expected this spring around the same time the federal reserve signaled it will raise interest rates in hopes of fighting inflation. >> the fed's come around to the view that these price pressures are going to remain elevated much longer than they had initially anticipated. >> reporter: the increase keorrowie expensiv on everything from from mortgages to cars to credit card bills. rates near zero since early in the pandemic, but with consumers eager to spend, the fed hopes the interest rate increase will slow the economy. >> in light of the remarkable progress we've seen in the labor market, the economy no longer needs sustained high levels of monetary policy support. >> reporter: fed chair jerome powell also hinting rates will likely go even higher. some analysts now expect up to five rate hikes this year.

>> i think there is quite a bit of room to raise interest rates without threatening the labor market. >> it comes as a poll finds 49% of americans say raising prices have caused hardship for their family. one congresswoman from michigan is now tracking soaring prices on her social media page posting pictures of high prices. and in oklahoma a new bipartisan proposal would eliminate the sales tax on grocery. >> this has idea has likes and we're looking forward to working on it together with the republicans. >> reporter: even with borrowing costs expected to rise. interest rates are still at historically low levels. experts do not believe they'll reach double digits like previous pandemics. turning to the pandemic, the so-called stealth variant of the omicron variant found in more than 20 states. it's called stealth because it's harder to find but experts believe it behaves just like the original omicron strain. >> you can still detect the b2 omicron variant with the regular test, but when you try to get

the genetic sequence, you have to use additional sets of testing to identify it. it may likely emerge as another subvariant of omicron. >> meanwhile, cvs expects to begin receiving n-95 masks from the government today to hand out for free with a limit of three per person. a man accused of killing a texas deputy is being held without bail charged with capital murder. oscar rosales was arrested in in mexico yesterday restrained with the handcuffs of corporal charles galloway gunned down over the weekend. the coast guard calling for search for survivors off the coast of florida dire. a suspected 134ugsmuggling boat capsized during a storm. 38 people are missing. one survivor was found. icy conditions are blamed for a chain reaction crash in indiana. this fedex truck lost control, slamming into a highway bridge where its trailer dangled over the side of the road for hours.

meanwhile, with that bomb cyclone expected off the east coast over the weekend, let's check your thursday forecast. good morning. it's going to be a bone-chilling start to your thursday across the northeast. single digits and teens and even below zero in some areas. bundle up at the bus stop. as we take a look at late friday into saturday here comes our nor'easter. it'll rapidly intensify. the heaviest of the snow should be from long island up into new england where more than a foot of snow will be possible, but there will be a sharp cutoff with this snowstorm, folks. as you head west of new york city, those snow totals will drop significantly. i'm accuweather meteorologist kevin coskren. coming up, the new tribute to kobe bryant two years after his helicopter crash. also ahead, the university that mistakenly told dozens of students they were getting free tuition. should the students still have to pay? and a new push for a four-day workweek. the proposal gaining support in congress.

back now with a sculpture of kobe bryant and his daughter gianna erected near the spot where their helicopter crashed two years ago. the base of the sculpture includes the names of the seven others also lost in that crash. the temporary memorial was removed late yesterday. good news for dozens of students accidentally awarded a full ride to college. central michigan university says it will pay four years of full tuition for the 58 high school seniors even though it was all a big mistake. the school says the scholarship notifications were sent out by mistake while the school was testing new technology. the pandemic has changed the way we work and now some members of congress want to go one step further.

here's abc's andrea fujii. >> reporter: this morning the push for a four-day workweek. a california congressman has introduced legislation that would reduce the 40-hour, 9:00 to 5:00 to 32 hours. >> what i'm really aiming for is a new norm where people actually have a livable wage with less days in the week that they have to use to earn it. >> reporter: this legislation coming as a record number of americans quit their jobs. 4.5 million in november alone. studies show the pandemic is driving the exodus with workers demanding more pay and flexibility. the 100-member congressional progressive caucus is supporting representative takano's bill. they say in part to improve work/life balance. it would not eliminate the 40-hour workweek but instead require employers to pay overtime after 32 hours. >> we have a chance to, i think, have a less stressed nation and a happier workforce.

>> reporter: some countries have already adopted the four-day week. companies in japan are seeing success with the schedule. in iceland, some employers found productivity and quality remained the same. and spain and scotland have vowed to try it as well. but opponents say it could destabilize the u.s. economy, putting undue pressure on businesses, especially those with slim margins. congressman takano argues otherwise. >> think about an extra day of leisure, how that would change the economy. and we don't know for sure that this will negatively impact. in fact, i predict it will positively impact the economy in ways we can't predict. >> reporter: several american companies are already using the four-day workweek and say they too have also seen increased productivity. the legislation is still awaiting a vote. andrew, mona. >> andrea, thank you. coming up, a new mystery in space. beaming out radio signals every 18 minutes. also ahead, the singer versus the podcaster. the debate over misinformation

on joe rogan's podcast takes a dramatic new turn. maybe it's another refill at your favorite diner... or waiting for the 7:12 bus... or sunday afternoon in the produce aisle. these moments may not seem remarkable. but at pfizer, protecting the regular routine, and everyday drives us to reach for exceptional. working to impact hundreds of millions of lives... young and old. it's what we call, the pursuit of normal. ♪ ♪ within this hallowed bowl is the grain of all time. heart-healthy. no artificial flavors. and ready in minutes. it's epic apples and cinnamon by the spoonful. quaker oats. a super-trusted superfood.

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could be a new class of star. they're calling it a magnetar, type of neutron star. we turn to the battle between rock legend neil young and podcaster joe rogan over misinformation about the pandemic. young delivered an ultimatum to spotify, and now the audio streaming service has responded. ♪ seen the needle and the damage done ♪ >> this morning spotify users will need to go elsewhere to listen to neil young. the grammy winner said spotify has become the home of life-threatening covid misinformation, lies being sold for money. ♪ >> young singled out podcaster joe rogan, who has cast doubt on the need for vaccines. >> i don't think that if you're a young healthy person, that you need it. >> young delivering an ultimatum. they can have rogan or young, not both. now spotify appearing to side with rogan, who with his

estimated 11 million listeners and reported $100 million contract, has become a flash point of controversy. >> i understand he has a right to say that, but this platform needs to police and -- >> let me ask this. >> earlier this month, hundreds of scientists, doctors and other health professionals signed an open letter to spotify, urging the company to crack down on covid misinformation. the letter singled out an episode of rogan's podcast featuring dr. robert malone, an outspoken vaccine skeptic who compared the climate surrounding judgment public health to germany in the 1920s and 30s. twitter has banned malone and youtube has removed that episode, but it's still available on spotify. the streaming giant saying, we have detailed content policies in place, and we've removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to covid since the start of the pandemic. as for neil young, spotify says it regrets his decision. young says he stands to lose 60% of his streaming income. here's some motivation to go for a walk. a new study finds just ten

minutes of walking per day cuts the average adult's risk of death by 7%. researchers say being slightly more active could save 100,000 lives each year in the united states. and coming up, a reason you should drink coffee before you go to sleep. >> did i hear you right? also ahead, the question also ahead, the question that stumped a "jeopardy!" you and me, partner. we meet center of town, high noon. hold on. nope. daisy's got lassoing lessons at noon. ok. high two o'clock? i got a spur fittin' at two o'clock, how's about three? i'm getting thrown through a saloon window at three. we don't need any more overscheduling. but we could all use more ways to save. i can squeeze you in between swim class and kevin's harp recital at 3:30. i thought we was eatin' beans at 3:30. right. switch to geico for more ways to save. tell you what. what about tuesday? cranky-pated: a bad mood related to a sluggish gut. miralax is different. for more ways to save. it works naturally with the water in your body

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you looked at this for a long time. no response. you're going to lose $8,000. you're going to finish in second place with $19,600. roan, you are our new "jeopardy!" champion with a one-day total of $29,600. congratulations to you. >> amy schneider is still cemented in history. she says she's sad but also relieved she doesn't have to come up with any more anecdotes when the contestants on interviewed on the show. next the perfect piece of furniture for working families. >> check out the desks at a library in richmond, virginia. the work stations were installed in 2019 but someone recently posted a picture online. one parent calling it a game-changer. >> work hard, play hard. next, two things that you wouldn't think go together. coffee and a nap. >> but one researcher says they go hand in hand if you want to stay alert. people working from home these days are exhausted, so he recommends having coffee before

taking a short nap. it will actually reduce that awful groggy feeling when you wake up. that's because the caffeine takes 20 minutes to kick in. experts say a short nap can go a long way. and next, minnie mouse is going hillary clinton. >> not politically speaking but fashion-wise. she's giving up her signature red and white polka dot dress in favor of a pant suit. >> the new outfit will debut at the 30th anniversary of disneyland paris. finally, many fans still haven't recovered from sunday's game between the bills and the chiefs. with only 13 seconds left, the bills, they blew their lead. >> but now something good is coming from it thanks to people on social media. kansas city chiefs fans started making donations to a children's hospital in buffalo in $13 increments to commemorate the 13 seconds that determined the game. and now they've raised more than $250,000. the hospital tweeted despite a heartbreaking loss sunday night, our hearts are warm waking up to the $13 donations coming from kansas city chiefs fans.

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breyer expected to announce his retirement officially today. some of the women who could end up replacing him. >> attacks like this prompted oakland restaurants to make a change. new option aimed at keeping customers safe. reggie: tracking the sub-variants of omicron found in more than 20 states. what scientists have learned. >> amy schneider's historic run on jeopardy. her message to fans after her final show. good morning everyone, it is thursday, january 7. reggie: we will start with a thursday weather. drew: we have a lot less fog. good morning, down to a mile and a half. nevada, four miles. elsewhere, we are doing better. clear skies for a lot of us allowing temperatures to start out on a