making news in america this morning -- >> super storm. snow, flooding and powerful winds, already a deadly combination. and it's messing with travel plans from coast-to-coast. great debate. differences on display, as leaders of both parties try to agree on health care reform. after all the talk, what now? and a medal for mom. after the sudden death of her mother, a canadian skater has a small reason to smile. >> it's friday, february 26th, 2010. good morning. and thanks for being with us on this friday. i'm vinita nair. >> and i'm todd connor in for jeremy hubbard. a storm unlike many in decades

is stalled over many east coast cities this morning. >> that means travel issues nationwide. more than 1,300 flights have been canceled so far. >> and we'll show you a live look at the airport in newark, new jersey. no flights getting out right now. meanwhile, new york city schools are open. but that's not the case for countless other school districts. as you can see, it's still coming down in times square. >> and linsey davis is there at the cross roads of the world with more on this storm. lindsey, i'm sure you're bundled up. >> reporter: bundled up and freezing. good morning to you, vinita and todd. when i woke up yesterday, it was snowing. about 24 hours later, it's still snowing. we have about nine inches on the ground in new york and counting. i slipped on my way to times square this morning. that's why thousands of schools in the northeast are closed. but that's not the case, as you said, for new york city public school students.

no snow day. airlines are cancelling more flights again today in the northeast. and more than 100,000 homes are still without power across the region. >> some winters are bad. some winters are good. this is a bad one. >> reporter: winter wonderland, depends on who you ask. >> i'm totally done with the snow. i'm ready for spring. so ready for spring. >> reporter: heavy snow, flooding rain and damaging winds. >> it'll get better. can't get much worse, right? >> reporter: in new york city's central park, a 56-year-old man died after a branch weighted down by snow fell on him. philadelphia is expecting another eight inches on top of the record 73 inches that have already fallen. >> down here about 20 years. >> about 20 years? >> this is probably the worst one. >> reporter: one to two feet are forecast for a large swath of new york state, new jersey and pennsylvania. meteorologists say they haven't seen a storm like this in more than a generation. just to give you some

perspective, we've had about 40 inches of snow in new york city so far this winter. that's about 20 inches more than normal. vinita and todd? >> wow. hard to believe. linsey davis, chilling out in times square. >> chilling out, yes. the pattern of this storm is the most unusual weather watchers say they have seen in years. >> our weather editor, sam champion, has a look at the storm that just won't go away. >> in the 30 years of storm records, they have not seen a storm that looked like this. let me show you what we're looking at. the path of the storm is so unusual. it goes inland. then, makes a loop. then comes offshore again. staying in the same area for what could be one or two days. the winds are another dangerous component of this storm. we'll have power outages, tree limbs down, all from this one system. >> powerful storm, wreaking havoc as we speak. sam will have live updates later this morning on "good morning america." moving on to other news. the health care reform effort has reached its final act.

president obama's summit to find common ground between decrats and republicans may have only clarified their differences. >> both sides have retreated to their corners where they will calculate their next moves. viviana hurtado is in washington with more. good morning, viviana. >> reporter: good morning. after the summit, is the country any closer to passing health care reform legislation? the general consensus is no. abc news has learned the president wants health care reform legislation passed by mid-march. if that does not happen, he'll have congress to temporarily set it aside. this comes off the seven-hour health care summit, where republicans and democrats defended their territory, while trying to gain political ground. >> i think today took us a step closer to passing. >> frankly, i was discouraged by the outcome. >> reporter: mr. obama invited republicans to the table to hear their reform ideas. such as allowing americans to buy insurance across state lines. there was some common ground, including cutting down on fraud. but there were few areas of

agreement, on how to provide coverage for the more than 40 million uninsured americans. and rein in health care costs that are rising at almost twice the rate of inflation. gop leaders proposed a modest, step-by-step approach. republicans arguedhat the american people want reform but not what's on the negotiating table. >> the thing i've heard more over the last six or seven months, is that the american people want us to scrap this bill. >> reporter: the president made it clear that starting from scratch is one republican idea that's off the table. >> if we can't, then i think we have to go ahead and make some decisions. and then, that's what elections are for. >> reporter: there was more public interest in the summit than the state of the union address. nearly 4 million streams of the summit were accessed on the white house website, compared to over a million on the state of the union. >> a stunning number there. viviana hurtado, thanks. yesterday's summit, as viviana mentioned, was televised on c-span.

was anything accomplished? or was it just political theater? abc's chief political correspondent, george stephanopoulos weighs in. >> political chess. and both sides gained something. the president reinforced his bipartisan bona fide. showed he was really reaching out. i think republicans were able to show they had substantive ideas. there were just differences about how to achieve health care form in this country. >> george says democrats will likely put the issue aside if they can't get it done by late next month overseas to afghanistan, where at least 17 people are head after an attack in the heart of kabul. the taliban has claimed responsibility, saying five suicide bombers conducted the early-morning raid. the targets were two, small residential hotels where foreign workers stay. it was the first such attack in kabul since mid-january, when government buildings came under fire. in southern afghanistan, hundreds of afghans and marines gathered in the center of marja, to raise the nation's flag for the first time in two years. the battle to take the town back from the talib is mostly over. now, comes the hard part. finding taliban fighters who may

have blended into the population, maintaining security and repairing the local economy. former president george w. bush stopped by dick cheney's house yesterday. it's the first time the two have met in person since they left the white house more than a year ago. mr. cheney was released from the hospital a day earlier, after suffering a mild heart attack. senator john mccain has picked up an important ally in his battle to keep gays from serving openly in the military. the head of the marine corps told lawmakers on capitol hill that he believes the current don't ask, don't tell policy should remain in place. james conway the is the most senior officer so far to reject the push for a change in the law. charlie rangel admits that his staff knew who paid for the trips. but said he did not. the panel is weighing mo serious questions about his taxes and fund-raising. rangels chairmanship of the powerful house ways and means

committee could be? jeopardy. a look at this morning's weather from around the nation. that same, vicious winter storm pounding the northeast will continue to wreak havoc today. expect another four to six inches of snow, along with coastal flooding and hurricane-force winds. wet weather will hammer the west coast, with two inches of rain from san francisco to portland. >> temperatures are running well below normal from the midwest to the northeast, with highs only hitting the 30s. but from l.a. to phoenix, it will be in the low 70s, dry and beautiful. and when we come back, money news. your next coca-cola could cost less under a new deal. plus, trouble for a gold medal-winning alcohol team, after a alcohol-fueled postgame celebration. and we'll have more on

welcome back. the treasury department is considering changes for its embattled mortgage modification program. the proposal would ban foreclosures, unless borrowers were declared ineligible for the program. the $75 billion program was meant to help as many as 4 million homeowners. but only about116,000 loans have been permanently modified. a free show in florida is showing how many people need help. people began lining up early thursday morning, hours before the event began. homeowners from all over the country are attending.

overseas stock markets are all gaining ground this morning. tokyo's nikkei average rose 0.25% today. hong kong's hang seng is higher. in london, the ftse opened higher. on wall street, the dow fell 53 points yesterday. the nasdaq ticked down less than two points. coca-cola has reached a deal that could save its customers money. it's buying a huge chunk of its biggest bottler. coke says it could save hundreds of millions of dollars over the next few years. some of the savings may get passed on to customer, particularly for battled water. in today's "usa today" tech report, a gadget for everyone who loves f.m. radio but can't stand commercials or deejays. it's a table-top radio and ipod-like device that records music and stps out everything else. "usa today's" ed baig says it works. but there are some drawbks. >> you lose the deejay. but also you sometimes lose the beginning or the end of a song.

as you know, deejays sometimes talk into a song or as a song is ending. you also may miss the deejay at times because you don't know the song you're actually listening to. it is interesting technology. i just think $250 is too much to pay for f.m., with or without commercials. >> and you can read ed's full review on usatoday.com. forget the stock market. it seems like comics is where the money is these days. just three davis the first comic featuring superman sold for $1 million, the first one featuring batman has broke that record. detective comics number 27, sold for $1,75,000 at auction. the seller bought fir for $100 in the late '60s. >> he thought it was expensive then. coming up on this friday, friends of a missing tv actor do what police could not. they find his body. and new this morning, a massive collision in antarctica could impact the world's oceans.

now, here's a look at the morning road conditions. it will be wet and icy in the west, along parts of interstate 5. but the biggest nightmare, the entire northeast. look for snow-covered and even impassable roads from pittsburgh to portland. and if you're flying today, expect airport delays in seattle, san francisco, and detroit, along with every major hub in the northeast. a canadian figure skater embraced by her country after her mother died just days ago, skated to a bronze medal last night. joannie rochette said she knew her mom was with her on the ice. brad bhee lis with skating and all the other highlights from vancouver. >> reporter: the best of the best in figure skating last night.

u.s.'s rachael flatt, but it was not enough. mao asada takes the silver. joannie rochette wins the bronze. and the americans fail to win a medal. the americans wanted to win in this one. u.s. women against canada in the gold medal game. but two goals in the first period by poulin, and it's 2-0, canada. and the u.s. keeps canada scoreless in the final period. but america can't score. once again, canada takes the gold and the americans settle for the silver. after eight decades, the america drought in the nordic events is over. phil lamond races to gold in the cross-country. johnny spillane gets the silver. julia mancuso back in action in the giant slalom. she skis the third-fastest time in the second run. but it's not. mancuso finishes eighth. in men's freestyle aerials,

jeret peterson picks up the silver medal. st. onge finishes fourth. the women of canada's gold medal hockey team may be in trouble for their postgame antics. some of them hit the ice clad in their medals, swigging booze and smoking cigars. the ioc says celebrating in the locker room is one thing. the team has issued an apology, saying they were overexuberant after winning the gold. as for the medal count, the u.s. remains on top with 32. followed by germany and norway. today includes the men's hockey semifinal, between the u.s. and finland. also, men's speed skating. and women's slalom, where lindsey vonn promises to race, even with that broken finger. also in vancouver, a sad ending to the search for a missing actor. now, andrew koenig's grieving parents are urging others to

battle depression to get help. alex stone reports. >> reporter: searchers in vancouver have found the body of missing actor, andrew koenig. his parents delivered the sad news. >> my son took his own life. >> reporter: koenig, who is best known for his role as boner on the sitcom "growing pains" had been missing for two weeks. >> andrew's body was found in the park by friends who initiated their own search. >> reporter: koenig's parents say this could have been prevented. >> if you're one of those people who feel you can't handle it anymore, you know, if you can learn anything from this, it's that there are people who really care. >> reporter: before koenig disappeared, the family says he was in debt and giving away possessions. alex stone, abc news, vancouver. some frightening moments for shoppers at a high-end mall in

dubai. a fish tank sprung a massive leak, sending water gushing into the mall. amazi amazingly, all 33,000 sea creatures living in the tank were not harmed. and the crack in the tank was repaired. a giant iceberg has split off a glacier in antarctica and could disrupt the world's ocean currents and weather patterns. it contains enough fresh water to supply the earth's human needs for a year. scientists will be tracking where it goes. up next, the stories we'll be following today, including the fallout at all seaworld parks from wednesday's deadly whale attack. and when will it end? the northeast buried by snow. [ robin ] my name is robin.

i am a wife. i am a mom... and i was a pack a day smoker for 25 years. i do remember sitting down with my boys, and i'm like, "oh, promise mommy you'll never ever pick up a cigarette." and brian looked at me at eight years old and said, "promise me you'll quit." i had to quit. ♪ my doctor gave me a prescription for chantix, a medication i could take and still smoke, while it built up in my system. [ male announce] chantix is a non-nicotine pill. in studies, 44% of chantix users were quit during weeks 9 to 12 of treatment, compared to 18% on sugar pill. it's proven to reduce the urge to smoke. seeing how chantix worked, i wasn't so afraid to try quitting again.

[ male announcer ] talk to your doctor about chantix and a support plan that's right for you. some people have had changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice agitation, hostility, depression or changes in behavior, thinking or mood that are not typical for you, or if you develop suicidal thoughts or actions, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. talk to your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which can get worse while taking chantix. some people can have allergic or serious skin reactions to chantix, some of which can be life threatening. if you notice swelling of face, mouth, throat or a rash stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away. tell your doctor which medicines you're taking as they may work differently when you quit smoking. chantix dosing may be different if you have kidney problems. the most common side effect is nausea. patients also reported trouble sleeping and vivid, unusual or strange dreams. until you know how chantix may affect you, use caution when driving or operating machinery. chantix should not be taken with other quit-smoking products. ♪

my benjamin, he helped me with the countdown. "n, how many days has it been?" "5 days, mom. 10 days, mom." i think after 30 days he got tired of counting. [ male announcer ] talk to your doctor to find out if prescription chantix is right for you. now, a look ahead to the stories we'll be watching on this friday. yet another day of misery for millions in the eastern third of the nation, as a massive storm brings snow, rain and flooding. the effect will be felt across the country, with hundreds of flights already canceled. the struggle to reform health care is coming to an end. president obama says he will give congress a few more weeks to pass legislation. if they don't, he will ask them to set it aside indefinitely. the killer whale exhibits at all three seaworld parks remained closed today as the

mpany review safety procedures. official now say it was likely dawn brancheau's pony tail that triggered wednesday's deadly attack. south carolina governor mark sanford's divorce from his wife, jenny, is expected to be fil today. the couple was unable to reconcile after the governor disappeared last summer then publicly confessed his affair with an argentine woman he called his soul mate. after yesterday's meeting between george w. bush and dick cheney, the alumni will have a breakfast in washington. hundreds of former staffers are expected to attend. but cheney won't be among them because of his recent heart attack. coming up later on "good morning america," trying to sell your house in this tough market. we have got the lowdown from some real estate experts, who are going to reveal the top five things you can do to make that sale fast. apparently now was the time to list because summer's a lot more competitive. >> and it will be here before

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crafted for bliss. finally from us this friday morning, a sign of the times. with a major milestone for the music industry.

it wasn't long ago when many wondered if legal music downloading would ever take off. and if it did, would adults and seniors join in? >> yesterday, we got that answer, with the 10 billionth itunes download. sharyn alfonsi reports. >> reporter: we've done it 10 billion times. click, buy, then crank it up. ♪ good good night ♪ i got a feeling >> reporter: making this song, by the black eyed peas, the most downloaded track ever. also in the top ten, a few songs that might make your grandparents blush. ♪ i kissed a girl ♪ and i liked it >> reporter: which makes what happened all the more surprising. the person who downloaded the 10 billionth song wasn't a 14-year-old with a math book, but a 71-year-old whose idea of hardware is the seven stent stints in his heart, and the artificial hip sockets in his leg.

meet lou soltser, a grandfather of nine, who was downloading country music when he hit the jackpot and got a call. >> they said, lou, lou, this is steve jobs of apple. and i said, sure it is. >> reporter: the song he was downloading? johnny cash's "guess things just happen that way." he wins $10,000 worth of free music. >> i thought, you know, what in the world? i don't need 10,000 songs. >> reporter: and while the 71-year-old hasn't decided which songs he'll download, it's probably a safe bet that it won't be "boom boom pow." the grandfather from georgia may have mastered the download, but he still thinks the black eyed peas are a side dish. sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> and in addition from hearing from steve jobs, he heard from johnny cash's daughter. she called him and said thank you for downloading my dad's song. stay with us for "good moin