this morning, killer cold. >> it will be another day of dangerously low temperatures. bad news for millions stuck in this deadly deep freeze. but now, snow is on the way. we'll show you where. somber, systolic, and slammed by republicans. hillary clinton faces the music over the benghazi attack. a gripping day of political theater. real emotions. manti te'o opens up about the infamous nonexistent girlfriend. insisting the emotional plain was very real. and something fishy at the golden arches. a whole, new seafood snack. get ready for fish mcbites.

good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm sunny hostin. the freezer door is still wide-open this morning, with millions of americans bracing for yet another day of teeth-chattering cold. >> it is rough out there. the arctic air mass is triggering windchill advisories in at least a dozen states, from north dakota to new england. it will feel like minus 45 in northern maine. and the actual temperature at international falls, minnesota, 33 below zero. bundle up in minnesota. most of us don't have to brave the cold for too much. but for many, it's just part of the job. those that have to spend their days outdoors have no choice but to bundle up against the very brutal elements. >> basically, keep moving. you know, layers. i have on, like, three layers. and if i need to, i'll take something off. put something on, as need be.

>> the frigid air was too much for one worker in maryland. he had to be rescued from a cell phone tower 200 feet up in the air. he called 911 after becoming hypothermic in 10-degree weather. a colleague got to him first. and helped bring him down to safety. if you haven't gotten the point by now, here's another snapshot, capturing the bone-chilling cold. look at this leaky fire hydrant here in new york. the water frozen solid, as it spilled on to the sidewalk. take a look at that. >> yeah. that kind of says it all, folks. and that dangerous arctic air is sticking around through the weekend. >> accuweather meteorologist, jim dickey, has the latest forecast. >> good morning, rob and sunny. another brutally cold day on tap here. these are the early morning temperatures we're expecting. minus 14 in burlington. only at 13 in new york city. upper midwest, northern plains, similar story. minus 13 in minneapolis. minus 12 in bismarck. also seeing some snowfall. nothing in the way of heavy snow

here. leer looking for light snowdrifting across the mid-atlantic. in the washington, d.c. area, slick spots on the roads. rob and sunny, back to you. >> thank you, jim. we have reporters in the coldest spots this morning. we'll have the very latest for you guys coming up on "good morning america." glad to be in the studio today. well, secretary of state clinton is back on capitol hill today. but this time, she'll be introducing her replacement. confirmation hearings began for massachusetts senator john kerry, who is expected to easily secure the nomination. but yesterday, clinton was the star of a much more contentious hearing. here's abc's martha raddatz. >> reporter: it was a riveting drama. secretary of state clinton, seemed in rare public form. at times, angry. aggressively on the defense. at another point, choking up over her four, lost colleagues. >> i put my arms around the mothers and fathers, the sisters and brothers, the sons and

daughters. and the wives left alone to raise their children. >> the american people and the families of these four, brave americans still have not gotten the answers that they deserve. i hope that they will get them. >> reporter: and the secretary did not hesitate to shoulder the blame. >> as i have said many times, i take responsibility. >> reporter: but she insisted she never saw any of the requests for more security in the run-up to the attack. >> they didn't come to me. i didn't approve them. i didn't deny them. >> reporter: that made republican senators pounce. >> i think it's inexcusable. >> reporter: clinton fired back in anger when senator ron johnson pushed her about statements by u.n. ambassador susan rice, made on tv in the days after the attack. >> we were misled that there were supposedly protests. and then, something sprang out of that. >> with all due respect, the fact is, we had four dead americans. was it because of a protest or guys out for a walk decides they

would kill some americans? what difference, at this point, does it make? it is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again, senator. >> reporter: this is likely the last, long look the american public will have of hillary clinton for a while. and there is no doubt she has left a vivid impression. martha raddatz, abc news, washington. >> vivid, indeed. in other news this morning, the pentagon announces a major crack in the camouflage ceiling today. women will be allowed on the front lines. the move opens the way for thousands of female service members to serve in combat and to climb the military ranks. abc's tahman bradley reports, now, from washington. >> reporter: the u.s. military is about to become fully integrated. outgoing defense secretary leon panetta will announce an end to the ban on women serving in combat. >> they've proved themselves time and time again over the last 12 years. and finally, they're going to get the recognition, which is key. >> reporter: the groundbreaking

move overturns a 1994 rule that restricts women from being assigned to the front lines and elite combat divisions. in reality, women have sported flak jackets and heavy packs, taking on direct roles in afghanistan. tammy duckworth lost both her legs in combat. she serves in congress. >> the reality of the battlefield has changed since the vietnam era. everyone is serving in a combat situation. >> reporter: kimberly olsen was one of the first female pilots in the air force. >> my generation of women basically took the doors off the hinges so these women could have a chance at serving their country in anything they were qualified for. >> reporter: an abc news poll shows three-quarters of americans support women in combat. but not all men serving do. a young enlisted soldier told abc news, women in direct combat will create sexual tension, which can create a distraction, that can be life or death. men are designed to hunt and kill. a senior defense official tells

abc news, each branch of the armed forces will have until may to come up with a plan to fully integrate women. although secretary panetta wants plans implemented by may, senior commanders will have three years to seek special exceptions if they believe there's certain roles to remain closed to women. rob? sunny? >> don't ask, don't tell, and now this. a sea change going on in the nation's military. tahman bradley, live in washington. thanks, tahman. mitt romney has mostly stayed out of the public eye since his defeat in november. he avoided the inauguration celebrations earlier this week. but now, we hear that the romneys will be in washington tomorrow at a luncheon in their honor. the event is being co-hosted by megacampaign donor and hotel magnate, bill marriott. and still to come this morning, abc's katie couric with manti te'o. his first on-camera interview since he became the center of a very bizarre scandal. sandwiches that don't

measure up. angry customers taking it right to court. >> my, my. and a big change in the wine aisle. trader joe's raising the price of one of my favorites, two-buck chuck.

welcome back. there's breathing room this morning on the federal debt limit. the house has passed the bill to ignore the limit until mid-may, which will allow the government to keep paying its bills without a battle in congress. meanwhile, investors also say those battles are the biggest threat to the world economy, more than europe's financial crisis. apple's earnings last

quarter were good but not good enough. the company had a $13 billion profit, with big increases in sales of its iphones and ipads. but analysts had expected more. so, apple stock fell 11%. after the earnings report, erasing almost $47 billion in the company's market value. wow. big numbers still. netflix, on the other hand, had better earnings than anyone expected, even netflix. the video streaming service added more than 2 million customers in the fourth quarter and posted a profit. that sent netflix shares soaring in after-hours trading. the company credits holiday sales of consumer electronics for the increases. the subway sandwich shops are being accused of shortchanging their customers. several class-action lawsuits filed this week say the chain's foot-long subs aren't. they're not really 12 inches long. they're anywhere from a half-inch to an inch shorter. the lawsuits seek dough for the missing portions. if you're not outraged

enough by that, well, fans of two-buck chuck are out of luck. trader joe's is raising the price of its popular charles shaw wine from $2 to $2.50. the supermarket chain says it kept the price steady for 11 years. not bad. customers are suggesting new nicknames for the wine like 2 1/2-buck chuck, inflation chuck and upchuck. >> and you're a fan. >> for $2, it is not bad stuff. >> i never tried it. i'll have to give it a try. >> it's come in handy a few weekends. invite me over. next on this thursday morning, why did manti te'o talk about his girlfriend, even after learning she didn't even exist? and america's new tennis phenom, a rising star, back on the court today. how she did down under. that's coming up. [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus presents the cold truth. i have the flu... i took theraflu, but i still have this cough.

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surveillance cameras show us a nasty collision of a tractor-trailer and a train. it happened tuesday in vermont. luckily, though, no one was injured in all this. the truck driver seemed to take the blame, telling police he was distracted behind the wheel and didn't see the flashing green lights at that crossing. and now, for a look at morning road conditions. wet highways from l.a. to seattle. a slick ride in western nevada and the northern rockies. snow-covered roads across the great lakes. the commute will be slippery at times from the ohio valley down to virginia. >> and if you're flying today, rain could cause airport delays in l.a. and in san francisco. and now, manti te'o. we get to hear his entire conversation with abc's katie couric today. >> we already know the notre dame football star told katie he was, in fact, duped. and that he believed a woman he met online but never met in person, actually died back in

september. te'o admits that answering questions about his girlfriend even after learning about the hoax. >> my story, i felt, was a guy who, in times of hardship, and in times of trial, really, you know, held strong to his faith. held strong to his family. and i felt that that was my story. >> reporter: even if that hardship was exaggerated? >> the pain, the sorrow, that was all real. >> te'o explicitly said he played no part in the hoax. we're still waiting to hear from the man who is believed to be behind the entire thing. a former fourth grade teacher in los angeles is now charged with sexually abusing 20 students. robert pymental is being held on $12 million bond. the veteran teacher had left the classroom in march after allegations first surfaced that he inappropriately punched feel

students. he has retired and will continue to receive his full pension. and a woman who was forced into marriage when she was just 14 years old has escaped warren jeff's polygamist sect and regained custody of her children. ruby jessop, now 26, was held against her year for 12 years. after she fled the compound, authorities were able to get her six kids out. for now, she's been granted temporary custody. in other news this morning, the man who gave charlie brown his voice in several tv specials is in jail this morning. peter robbins is accused of stalking and threatening his former girlfriend, as well as a plastic surgeon who performed a breast enhancement on her. he pleaded not guilty to those charges yesterday. robbins is being held on a $550,000 bond. the family of former nfl linebacker junior seau, is suing, saying the nfl hid information about con consequences to hits to the

head. seau killed himself in may. tissue samples showed seau had brain disease related to hits to the head. thousands of players have sued the nfl over head injuries. and a day after stunning the tennis world, american phenom sloane stephens is out of the australian open. stephens lost her semifinal overnight to victoria azarenka. late in the second set, azarenka took a controversial medical time-out. she later said she was having trouble breathing. stephens reached the semis by defeating her idol, serena williams. and back here at home, there's soon going to be a new number one men's college basketball team. the reason why, coming up from espn. >> welcome to your "sportscenter" update. i'm jorge andres. jim put george mason on the map. and trying to do the same with miami.

miami taking on number one duke. mason plumlee, inside. the filthy jam. 15 points, 11 boards for him. duke up early. however, here come the 'canes. kenny kadji, the bucket and the foul. second half, ryan brown, dunking it home. 'canes up 58-29. just over ten to play. kadji, the vicious jam. 22 points, 6 boards. 'canes up five. later, brown once more, the one-handed jam. miami with a huge upset, 90-63, over duke. the nba, kobe bryant and the lakers, visiting the grizzlies. pick it up first quarter. kobe, 2 of his 29 points in the game. lakers up five early. third quarter, zach randolph, 12 points, 10 boards and a floater right there. griz up by nine. under a minute to go. marc gasol, the putback jam.

fourth quarter, earl clark to kobe. kobe appears to be fouled. but no foul called. take another look. kobe getting hacked on the way up. and the lakers' frustrations continue. they lose 106-93. that was your "sportscenter" update. i'm jorge andres. have a great day. this one might take getting used to. say good-bye to the team in blue, the new orleans hornets. next season they're likely to be called the new orleans pelicans. the name change is expected to be announced officially later today. the brown pelican is the state bird of louisiana. not a frightening mascot. up next, "the pulse." and mcdonald's newest snack item getting some buzz this morning. and a mom gets stuck in her child's highchair. and a mom gets stuck in her child's highchair. and it goes viral. meving with pain. it could also mean living with joint damage. humira, adalimumab, can help treat more than just the pain.

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time to check "the pulse," this morning, the stories you'll be talking about today, starting with this. mcdonald's will go fish next month. it's introducing a new menu item, fish mcbites, nationwide. they will be offered in three sizes. >> the fried fish nuggets are made from the same fish as the filet-o-fish sandwich. and mcbites have been successful in test markets. >> good luck with that. >> delicious. a british mom ended up in a rather embarrassing fix after drinking just a little too much wine. maybe some two-buck chuck. serena curtis decided to try out her son's highchair and managed to get herself stuck. >> her friend and drinking partner took this video before calling the fire department for rescue. serena admitted to being a wee bit merry before trying the prank. and that could happen to anyone. >> that's good stuff. the nfl has stop running

back frank gore. the league has fined him $25,000 for wearing his socks too low. >> gore committed the fashion foul during sunday's afc championship game. we don't know why he chose this look. but it worked. gore scored two touchdowns. >> nfl cracks down on the big issues. lebron james back in the spotlight. and his fans can be sure he won't be quitting his day job anytime soon. ♪ all night dance you into ♪ ♪ the sunlight i want to rock with you ♪ >> that's king james trying to sing michael jackson's "rock with you." and dwyane wade joined him on stage. it was for a good cause, a fund-raiser to benefit young people. i think he's got some moves there. >> yeah. the voice isn't too good. but i'm not going to say that to

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updating the top stories. secretary of state clinton introduces her likely replacement later today on capitol hill. as confirmation hearings begin for john kerry. a major change in the nation's military is being announced today at the pentagon. female service members will now be allowed at the front lines and in elite combat units. for yet another day, millions of people are bundling up in the extreme cold. the sub-zero and single-digit lows are expected to hover over the midwest and northeast throughout the weekend. quick look at weather. rain from l.a. to seattle. slate and snow in the northern rockies. also some snow around the great lakes. but just a dusting from southern ohio down to the state of virginia. and finally today, beyonce still hasn't said whether she was lip-syncing the national

anthem. >> silence can be deafening. but the controversy got us thinking about the people who would have been better off if they had faked it. here's abc's dan harris. ♪ say, can you see >> reporter: what's everybody talking about after president obama's big day? beyonce. she's still not saying whether she lip-synced the national anthem. ♪ brave >> reporter: but what we do know for sure is that there are others who absolutely should have. here, now, are scientifically compiled via google search, top-six worst-ever national anthem renditions. number six, steven tyler. ♪ say, can you see >> reporter: at last year's nfc championship game. ♪ of the free >> reporter: number five, karl

lewis. ♪ through the perilous fight >> reporter: this is a classic. in 1993, the olympic star got booed in the middle of his rendition. ♪ and the rockets' red glare ♪ >> reporter: number four, anita baker. ♪ and the rockets' red glare >> reporter: number three, michael bolton. ♪ as we watched >> reporter: clearly haunted by the curse of the bambino at boston's fenway park in 2003. we have a two-way tie for second. a dubious honor shared by cyndi lauper and christina aguilera. both of whom forgot the words. but number one, now and forever, must go to roseanne barr. >> i knew i started too high to get the note