one loves so much is happening here. people are being told to stay off the roads. utilities are mobilizing to take care of expected power outages here. snow plows have mobilized, and by the time it is all over, this area could see more snow than it's had in years. it started as rain and sleet, and now it's snow, falling in the nation's capitol. 5 to 10 inches are expected in the city while outlying areas could see up to 1 to 2 feet of snow. >> that could run your whole house. >> reporter: generators are in high demand as people worry about power outages. utility advisers say they've been preparing for a storm like this since the last blizzard hit the capital in 2010. >> it turns over 15,000 trees in the past five years. >> reporter: road crews are mobilized with plows and sand to clear roads and highways. the storm is expected to batter the d.c. metro area all day today as it moves up the east coast. >> it's not looking good. >> reporter: hundreds of flights have already been cancelled in washington, d.c., and new york

where the storm is headed next. that's adding to travel problems. more than 1,500 flights were canceled across the u.s. today. at chicago's o'hare airport, one of the busiest in the world, 9 inches of snowfall took its toll on departures and arrivals. >> i think we're going to be staying in chicago. >> reporter: on the shore, flooding is a concern. crews in brick town new jersey spent tuesday building sand dunes. this town is still recovering from superstorm sandy. mayor steven acropolis spent the day on an atv looking for residents and urging them to leave. >> if there's a low lying area or they're on barrier island we're really asking them to seek higher ground. >> reporter: flood warnings stretch from delaware to long island. some areas could see more than a foot of snow near the capitol here. children are likely to get their wish today. most schools have already announced they are closing for

today. and also this storm is supposed to clear up and get sunny again on friday, so it's sandwiched between two beautiful weather days, anne-marie. yesterday people were right here picnicking. >> wow, isn't that something. at least it will be nice for the weekend hopefully. thank you, susan. >> reporter: yes. well, as the storm moves east, it is getting stronger and cbs news weather consultant david bernard has more. >> the big northeaster is beginning to take shape across the mid-atlantic. in fact, our satellite picture shows that low beginning to strengthen and by later on today that will be moving offshore of the delmarva peninsula. now, potential snowfall into friday is greatest over northern virginia, west virginia and western maryland. that could be 1 to 2 feet of snow. along the i-95 corridor from baltimore to d.c. we're thinking it could be 6 to 10 inches. thursday into friday, the storm moves to the southeast. southeast new england probably

has the greatest potential for heavy snow, but we can't rule out accumulating snows in the tri-state area as well. and coastal flooding is a big part of this as well. we have coastal flood warnings for all of the jersey shore, the delmarva, and also the western end of long island sound as well as the east end of long island currently under a coastal flood warning. i'm david bernard, cbs news, miami. the number of syrians who have fled the civil war in their country has reached the 1 million mark, according to the united nations. it's estimated more than 70,000 people have been killed. one official says, quote, syria is spiraling toward full-scale disaster. and the government of venezuela has declared seven days of mourning to honor president hugo chavez. chavez died yesterday following a two-year battle with cancer. he'll be buried on friday. and depending on who you ask chavez will be remembered as a fiery champion of the poor a savvy politician who won re-election three times, or as a

bullying dictator who demonized the united states. ines ferre has the report. >> reporter: hugo chavez was one of latin america's most colorful and controversial leaders sleaders. he was a leader for more than a decade, a firm believer in the government. the force saw him as a savior. the executives who managed the country's vast oil reserves wanted him gone. the venezuelan people learned of chavez's death on national television. on the streets of caracas, they supporters chanted "chavez lives on." some even cried. chavez had been battling cancer since 2011. he traveled to cuba multiple times for chemotherapy and surgery. last october he won re-election, but just two months later, his cancer returned. chavez began his career at age 16, joining the army as a pair a trooper. 20 years later believing the milly

were corrupt, he led a military coup to unseat the president. it failed and chavez was thrown in jail but years later he campaigned to close the gap between the poor and the wealthy oil executives, and in 1998 he was elected president. he was friends with cuba's fidel castro and iran's mahmoud ahmadinejad. he particularly disliked president bush. chavez accused the u.s. president of ignoring the poor so in 2005 the venezuelan president announced that citgo would provide discounted heating oil to nearly 2,000 poor american households. he hoped to have a better relationship with president obama but a year after his election he called obama a poor ignoramus. hours before his death he expelled two foreign diplomats. ines ferre, cbs news. well, venezuela's vice

president nicolas maduro will act as into trim president until re-election supposedly in 30 days. the dow makes history, plus martha stewart's day in court. good morning to you, anne-marie. wall street jumped into record territory tuesday. the dow climbed 125 points to finish at 14,253. that is 89 points higher than the previous record set in october of 2007. the new high is more than double the rock bottom low of 6,500 the dow touched on march 9th, 2009. a big difference between october 2007 and now is the unemployment rate. back then it was 4.7%. now it is at 7.9%. companies have more cash, but are slow to hire. some analysts say that's because they're still worried about the economy. >> right now where we're growing at about 2% is not really strong enough to bring down unemployment at a very fast level. it kind of keeps our nose above water, but if we do get 2.5%

3% that would be a rate that would bring the jobless figure down. >> a couple of reasons for the surge, record-low interest rates and the federal reserve's bond buying program. well, if you had enough to invest when the dow was at its lowest, you would get a nice return. $1,000 put in the market back on march 9 of 2009 would net slightly more than $2,400 today. asian markets got a boost from the dow's record closing. tock owe's nikkei gained more than 2% while hong kong's hang seng added 1%. and martha stewart took to the stand tuesday. she's at the center of a bitter battle between two huge department stores. macy's claims she violated their exclusive contract by signing a deal with jc penney, but stewart testified she was only looking to expand her brand. the trial continues today. anne-marie? >> ashley morrison in new york. thank you, ashley. coming up on the "morning news," a warning about a deadly super bug spreading across hospitals across the country.

plus, controversial cabin rules. the tsa rolls back restrictions on knives on airplanes. this is the "cbs morning news." >> announcer: "moneywatch" sponsored by vagisil wash with odor block. the confident clean. by vagisil wash with odor block. the confident clean. doerr block. the confident clean. our ocean spray cran-cherry juice drinks are made with sweet cherries and the crisp, clean taste of our cranberries. i cannot tell a lie -- 'tis tasty. okay george washington, did you take my truck out last night? 'tis tasty.

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chili's lunch break combos start at just 6 bucks. so ditch the brown bag for something better. like our bacon ranch quesadillas or big mouth burger bites, served with soup or salad, and fries. starting at just 6 bucks at chili's. well, big changes are coming to the airport. starting next month, passengers will be able to carry on small knives and other items banned since 911. the tsa says the new rules will allow the agency to concentrate on more serious safety threats, but as marley hall reports, not everyone supports the new policy. >> reporter: passengers waiting to fly out of u.s. airports will soon notice more relaxed rules about what they can carry on board with them. beginning april 25th passengers will be allowed to carry small pocket knives as long as they're the blades are not longer than 2.6 inches and not wider than

half an inch. box cutters and locking knives and threshold with molded grips will still be banned. all blades have been forbidden in cabins since the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001 when terrorists used box cutters to hijack four airliners. they'll still forbid lacrosse sticks and ski poles. passenger reaction was a mixed bag. >> i don't like it. absolutely not. i feel much safer the way it is. >> i think it's fine. i think they've got control of the situation and they wouldn't make that kind of a change unless they felt it was appropriate. >> reporter: but flight attendants are calling the change dangerous and short-sighted. they say while pilots may be locked in cockpits and be safe, others are not. >> they're allowing these items to come through and they're putting the responsibility of the cabin completely on us, even though they know coming through security are these items. >> reporter: though the relaxed

rules might make for a slightly faster trip through airport security lines, you probably won't notice. tsa staff furloughs and others forced by mandatory budget lines are expected to stretch security lines to as long as four hours. marlie hall for cbs news, queens, new york. the cdc is sounding the alarm on a dangerous super bug. it's being called nightmare bacteria because they're resistant to the strongest antibiotics. health officials said tuesday the bacteria known as cre have been found in 42 states. up to half of those who end up with the infection in their blood stream die. when we return, we will take you live to vatican city where the sistine chapel is undergoing preparations to hold the election for a new pope. is undergoing preparations to hold the election for a new pope. dare to create all kinds of drama. new revlon photoready™ primer and shadow add sparkle or use wet. so you can create whatever eye you're in the mood for. dare to be revlon.

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some cities around the country. new york snow and rain. a high of 42. miami, showers. chicago, expect flurries, 36 the high. dallas, mostly sunny, 58. the high los angeles, mostly cloudy. in the words of houston's cardinal daniel dinardo, no one wants to rush this. well, when cardinals gather in rome elect a new pope seem in no hurry, they'll cast their ballots. in a just released cbs/new york

times poll, a majority of american cabinets want the cardinals to choose a younger more liberal pope with new ideas. danielle nottingham is in vatican city. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. any day we will learn when the cardinals will huddle up inside the sistine chapel and finally begin selecting a new pope. the cardinals are waiting this morning for the last of the cardinals to arrive in vatican city sometime later today. more than 100 cardinals from around the world are meeting early and leaving late, but they're in no rush to set a date to elect a new pope. >> they've got plenty of time to get it done before easter. after all, we haven't had a conclave go over five days since 1831. >> reporter: the sistine chapel is now closed to visitors so workers can turn the famous landmark into a home away from home for cardinals as they elect a new pope. >> in addition to a new stoll, the ballots will have to be

burns and a whole floor need to be installed. >> reporter: they'll put in anti-bugle devices in the chapel. many cardinals say they will choose a leader who can help reform the church in the wake of corruption allegations in the wake of the abuse system. advocates for the abused victims say they want a pope to protect the innocent. >> the current system isn't working. for children, for victims, for catholics. >> reporter: once the conclave begins, cardinals will lock themselves inside the sistine chapel and will remain there until the next pope is chosen. and the cardinals are planning a joint prayer in st. peter's basilica this evening to pray for the process of electing a new pope. it will be open to the public, anne-marie. >> danielle nottingham in vatican city. thank you. coming up in sports, another nba team responds to the miami's take on the "harlem shake" dance krarksz but it is not what you expect.

and could the chicago blackhawks keep their historic unbeaten streak alive? this is the "cbs morning news." this is the "cbs morning news." . and start talking about what you really want from your toilet paper. it's time to talk about clean. feeling clean is so important. i use quilted northern. quilted northern soft and strong is stronger than the leading value brand, for a confident clean.

overnight after a patient sets a fire! how san mateo police quickly diffused the situation plus: rain and wind. bands of wet weather sweep across the bay area. we've got your rain time table for rest of the week. and winter wallop. spring is nearly here but not before one more big east coast storm. the drastic actions being taken to prepare. join us for kpix 5 news this morning... beginning at 4:30. good morning. it's wednesday,

here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. washington, d.c., you saw it. rain and snow. atlanta, partly sunny. st. louis turning sunny with a high of 40. denver, partly sunny as well. 60. seattle, expect showers. in sports now, the chicago blackhawks are now one of the hottest teams in the history of major pro sports. on home ice against minnesota last night, the hawks strike four times in the first period. they win, 5-3. now, chicago has not lost in regulation this season, and their unbeat abouten streak dates back 29 regular season games to last year. now, the record is 35 games set by the philadelphia flyers. in 1971-72, the lakers won 33 straight.

the blackhawks try to make it 30 games without a loss tonight. in college basketball the second ranked hoosiers honored their seniors tuesday night, but that was the only celebration. ohio state pulls away in the second half to win, 67-58. in the nba, a monster game for oklahoma city city guard russell westbrook. he scored 37 points against the lakers. the thunder keep l.a. from scoring in the final six minutes of the game to preserve a 122-105 win. finally, you remember that "harlem shake" video produced by the miami heat last week? it showed lebron james, dwyane wade, and the rest of the team performing the dance that has become an internet craze. well now the minnesota timberwolves give their take. they give their take. he got smashed, they pull the guy. the video concludes with the message reading "some things get

old fast." i've got to think they're going to hear from the league about that one. i'm anne-marie green. this is the "cbs morning news." i'm home. [ keys clatter ] oh. where were you? uh, i was just in the car. oh, the car. what's that on your collar? hmm? oh -- tie. [ chuckles ] [ chuckles ] why do you seem happy? i'm not. come here. okay. [ inhales deeply ] mint. wow. i had a shamrock shake. i hate you. and i got one for you, too. i love you. [ male announcer ] the magical, minty flavor you'll covet with all your heart. mccafé shamrock shake from mcdonald's. the simple joy of... mint. ♪ ♪ sorry. sore knee. blast of cold feels nice. why don't you use bengay zero degrees? it's the one you store in the freezer. same medicated pain reliever used by physical therapists. that's chilly! [ male announcer ] bengay zero degrees. freeze and move on. dare to leave your lipstick at home. new revlon colorstay ultimate suede™ lipstick gives you all-day color

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a couple is in custody after leading police on a wild chase through two states. one of the suspects stole a police cruiser in philadelphia and sped off, nearly hitting a woman on the street. later the driver struck several parked vehicles before finally stopping. the chase began in camden, new jersey, when the couple stole a different police car. officers managed to stop a vehicle and arrest one suspect but the other managed to steal a cruiser. and there's a lot less drama in san francisco where people are enjoying a new sight in the skyline. last night they turned on the lights for a massive public art installation that illuminates the san francisco oakland bay bridge. john blackstone spoke with the artist.

>> reporter: the lights moving poetically across a two-mile span across the oakland bay bridge are the creation of artist nathan villarreal. on his laptop he put the latest touches that transforms the bridge into a light sculpture. >> this is a unique opportunity. 50 million people will see this over two years. it's something anyone can see and engage with. >> reporter: electricians spent four months in the wind and the cold installing 25,000 l.e.d. lights, each individually programmed to a fiberoptic network. villarreal then began sculptoring the light into patterns he says will never look exactly the same. it changes constantly. how do you do that? >> well, using software. there are sequences which will be displayed in random order in random amount of time. some may recognize the same passage but never in the same order or at the same time.

all the motion factors into my creation. water, birds, it's abstract and open-ended, but you can see what the roots of the inspiration are in the sequences. >> reporter: for 75 years the bay bridge has been san francisco's other bridge, all in the shadow of its famous and elegant neighbor the golden gate. villarreal's job has been to make people notice the bridge that has long been ignored. >> it's not a rivalry. i think san francisco is so beautiful and it adds weight to this side of the equation. >> reporter: the project cost $8 million to create, but the l.e.d.s are so efficient it cost just $15 a night to turn a work iowa day bridge into a work of art. john blackstone, cbs news, california. coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," a late winter blizzard is headed to the mid-atlantic after bearing on pairs of the midwest. we'll show you the areas that will be hit hardest. plus, police officers behaving badly. john miller tells us why many

escape punishment. and our eye-opening women series continues. valerie jarrett, condoleezza rice, and lesley stahl stop by the studio. that's it for the "cbs morning news." i'm anne-marie green. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

michelle griego. tim >> your realtime captioner: linda marie macdonald. good morning, everyone. it's wednesday, march 6. i'm frank mallicoat. >> i'm michelle griego. time now is just about 4:30. let's check in with lawrence right now. lawrence, i think it's raining

out there. did you notice that? >> wasn't that nice? >> yeah. >> that wind and rain, we have more scattered showers and yeah, more rain coming down in the san jose area and more to come maybe some thunderstorms. wouldn't that be great? >> very exciting, yeah. we also have high wind advisories in effect. chp issued wind advisories for several bridges including the bay bridge. >> the bay bridge looking nice too. >> it is. it's all sparkly. >> more on that coming up, too. a patient set a small fire inside his room at san mateo general prompting evacuations and a two-hour standoff with police. officers say the patient was upset when he started the fire before 11:00 last night. hospital staff started moving patients out of the way before police arrived on scene. a s.w.a.t. team helped calm him down and took him into custody. >> from this point forward, the person has been detained, medical staff will evaluate him and figure out his situation

and take it from there. >> police say the patient's room suffered some fire damage. 4:30 now. a suspected carjacker is recovering after being shot by san francisco police officers in the bayview last night. officers spotted a bmw that was stolen at gunpoint on monday after a short chase cornering the driver in a cul-de-sac but he didn't stop. thigh bmw threw itself into reverse, striking one of the officers. that officer was then knocked to the ground. the bmw repositioned itself and was about to go forward. the officer was vulnerable. two of his brother officers fired at the bmw striking the driver once. >> that suspect is now in stable condition. the officer was not badly injured. this is the sixth bay area police shooting in less than a week. the first shooting went down on thursday night when sonoma county deputies shot and killed a kidnapping suspect on highway