// this is "nightline." >> only the the ferocious blizzard bearing down at this hour on 50 million americans. state of emergency declared across seven states. schools canceled. travel on the roads and in the air at a standstill. our team on the ground bringing you the latest. we are young put rock star jack on the map. ♪ we are young ♪ >> now he writes for taylor swift. why didt take him until 28 to move out of his parents' house? >> were you really into your mom's cooking? >> no. i don't really appreciate her cooking. >> tonight coming out of the woods and into his own. did her short do cost her the crown?

the back lash as many say miss jamaica was ronald of the miss universe universe pageant.

good evening. agency we come on the air,

record snow and hurricane force winds, promising to grind trains, planes and automobile traffic to a halt. and the worst of it according to the latest forecast models is just getting underway. rob marciano bringing us the latest. >> reporter: good evening. the blizzard has arrived in boston where the streets downtown are nearly deserted and for good reason. it is downright painful to be outside. the wind is blowing the snow sideways. forget that the snow accumulation. the winds could be crucial. especially here in eastern mass. we're talking about power outages and that means people will not have light. in some cases, they won't have heat either. this is life threatening cold. hard to believe this is a few snow showers across the midwest a couple days ago. look at what it has become. >> tonight the northeast corridor. hunkering down with snow and

wind steadily increasing. >> crazy. >> reporter: 50 million americans right now in the path of this massive blizzard that could bring up to three feet of snow in 36 hours. winds up to 75 miles per hour and widespread power outages potentially dangerous in near freezing temperatures. and the ripple effect thousands of people stranded around the country. governors from seven states declaring states of emergency. many making the same plea. >> extreme snowfall hurricane force winds. >> it should not be taken lightly. >> travel ban for the entire state. >> please remain home and off the roads. will stay home from school tomorrow. state offices are closed. roads are shut down tonight for everyone exempt emergency vehicles. this beast of a storm blanketing the northeast. look at this nasa image taken from space. the storm which first hit the midwest is now moving further up the northeast coast toward maine. our abc news extreme team fanned

out in full force over the several states in the path of the blizzard. in new york mayor bill de blasio going to extreme measures to protect the city's 8 million residents. >> this will most likely be one of the largest blizzards in the history of new york city. i'm ordering at 11:00 tonight, our streets will only be able to emergency vehicles. >> reporter: a total vehicle ban. 255,000 tons of salt over 1,800 snow plows, 40% more blanlss at the ready. and an additional 500 staff for this city's department. >> damaging winds and blizzard conditions tonight. >> reporter: inside new york city's command center serious decisions considering the city's safety will be made. >> every single one. they'll be here 24 hours a day, seven days a week. >> reporter: all in an effort to avoid scenes like these from 2010 when new york streets turned into a tangled mess of cars causing a nightmare for

first responders. for the first time in recent memory, the new york subway system is at a complete halt tonight. >> typically a station like this would be packed with people. right now it is more like a ghost town. that's because one of the last trains is about to roll out. >> reporter: a major concern outside of new york city. icy highways. >> we're out with the suffolk county police department and we're on what is usually one of the busiest highways all the country. the long island express way. take a look tonight. barely any cars out here. this is going eastbound and westbound. not a car in sight. the reason why? people listened to the warnings and stayed off the roads. >> reporter: the salt trucks in full force. at this new jersey command central -- >> silver toyota- >> reporter: 3,700 trucks ready to roll. >> we are the first responders. if we don't have the roadways cleared, then fire truck, police trucks, ambulances cannot get through. >> reporter: that sentiment echoed on the ground in boston

where i rode i know what the truck driver danny lee. >> the biggest problem you have on a night like tonight is what? >> traffic. traffic. cars on the road when they shouldn't be. >> reporter: i would like to say that new englanders are hearty. but if we get over two feet of snow, how hearty can you be to handle that? >> it's fun, the first one. after that it doesn't get, it's not fun anymore. >> reporter: all in all between what is being taken off this truck and what you have here in stock, how much salt is here available for this storm? >> thousands upon thousands of tons. we are ready. we are prepared. >> reporter: 35,000 tons of it shipped in by the container full. will it be enough? the last time boston saw two feet of snow was two years ago and it brought the city to a standstill. the record is 27.5 inches.some areas outside the city could see three feet. even this mountain of salt can't melt three feet of snow. >> reporter: people across the

northeast are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. >> the bakery section has been completely cleaned out. here are the water shelves. not a lot left. >> reporter: check out these lines just to get into the supermarket. inside, shelves wiped clean. >> by noontime everything was gone. panic buying. >> reporter: the storm isn't just affecting those in the northeast. airlines taking preemptive action in order to avoid crowds at airports. >> indescribable right now. it doesn't feel too good to know i have to stay here two days. >> reporter: nearly 3,000 canceled flights today. 4,000 tomorrow. the northeast, five major airports will be shut down for much of the next 24 hours. and these cancellations ripple through the entire airline system, touching dallas chicago, denver. this stranded passenger in los angeles, wiping away tears. >> i've got work i've got less money in my account. we checked out of our hotel.

>> reporter: back on the east coast, people and their pets are trying to make the best of the blizzard, sharing on social media their snowstorm party fun. there seems to be no shortage of booze. in new york even delivery food. have the food delivery bicycle is not an emergency vehicle. so no. >> reporter: this pro footage from a delivery bike taken hours ago. while we won't know what the full effect of this snow will be until at least tomorrow one thing is certain. where i am in boston, if the wind is still blowing, it seems safe toast stay indoors. abc news, boston. ♪ next "we are young" as the rock star takes us into his childhood bedroom. and later on "nightline,"

halle berry rocked the short hair look. did it fire on miss jamaica? to be more powerful... and, miraculously, unleash 46 mpg highway. an extravagance reserved for the privileged few. until now. hey josh! new jetta? yeah. introducing lots of new. the new volkswagen jetta tdi clean diesel. isn't it time for german engineering? in a race, it's about getting to the finish line. in life, it's how you get there that matters most. like when i found out i had a blood clot in my leg. my doctor said that it could travel to my lungs and become an even bigger problem. so he talked to me about xarelto®. >>xarelto® is the first oral escription blood thinner proven to treat and help prevent dvt and pe that doesn't require regular blood monitoring or changes to your diet. for a prior dvt i took warfarin, which required routine blood testing d dietary restrictions.

not this time. while i was taking xarelto®, i still had to stop racing, but i didn't have to deal with that blood monitoring routine. >>don't stop taking xarelto®, rivaroxaban, unless your doctor tells you to. while taking xarelto®, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. xarelto® may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. xarelto® can cause serious bleeding, and in rare cases, may be fatal. get help right away if you develop unexpected bleeding, unusual bruising, or ngling. if you have had spinal anesthesia while on xarelto®, watch for back pain or any nerve or muscle related signs or symptoms. do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto® tell your doctor about any conditions such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. xarelto® is proven to reduce the risk of dvt and pe, with no regular blood monitoring and no known dietary restrictions. treatment with xarelto® was the right move for me. ask your doctor about xarelto® today.

lena dunham. he is ridiculously talented. his path to stardom is unconventional. and he said it included struggles with anxiety and depression. tonight the award winning singer/songwriter takes dan harris inside his world. he's the man behind the

inescapable sarah bareilles song "brave." he's also behind monster hits from the band "fun" and co-wrote -- ♪ and the grammy award winning song ♪ we are young ♪ on top of that he's also wring songs like out of the woods for the musical juggernaut hit machine taylor swift. now jack antonoff is stepping out on his own with a new band called bleachers and an insanely catchy song directed by his girlfriend lena dunham of the hbo show. his improbable rampage through the american top 40 began here. >> i made the entire bleachers album in this room. >> in his childhood bedroom in suburban new jersey where he

lived until a year and a half ago. >> you lived here until you were 28? >> yeah. which made you think i had to be the only person. >> why were you living with your parents? >> i felt until very recently i felt totally uncompelled to move out. >> were you really into your mom's cooking? >> no. wasn't even. that i don't really appreciate her cooking. >> reporter: you can chart his entire chronology through clutter. >> does that seem like a murderer lives here? >> in his teens he became obsessed with music. by the time he reached high school, and here's an interesting side note he recently dated a classmate named scarlet johannsen. >> i would write down date how much we got paid, when we got paid and the bill. >> there's a lot of zeroes here. >> yeah. >> reporter: he struggled in relative obscurity for many

years until he and two other guys started a band called "fun." they blew up hit the top of the charts, won grammies and toured the world. >> you have gold records in here? >> yeah. this is actually a platinum record. >> that's very rare. >> reporter: it was during this time that he met two women who would change his life. the first was lena dunham. >> how did you two meet? >> my sister set us up on a blind date. >> and after that it was serious town? >> yes. serious town. >> reporter: the other woman to enter his life while he was riding high with "fun" was taylor swift. they met while on the awards show circuit and decided to start writing music together. lena dunham posted this picture she took in their living room. although they often work at a distance. >> so you guys aren't in a room together writing? you're just e-mailing? >> usually. we've done room thing too. and either way works.

but there is something nice about me working really hard on a track and trying to put this whole idea together and then sending to it her and she hears with it totally different ears. >> reporter: this is not a man content to be known as either arm candy or somebody else's songwriter. when he was out on the road with "fun," he started writing new songs with a new band called bleachers. >> you would wake up in some random city somewhere. instead of hanging out with the rest of the band -- >> i would just work a lot. i remember writing in malaysia. i would work on planes on the bus. >> reporter: the first single, i want to get better was a hit. the video his girlfriend directed shows antonoff as a shrink but he will be the first to tell you, he has spent a lot of time on the other side of the couch. >> it is about loss and anxiety. >> reporter: his own loss and anxiety, to be specific. when he was 18 in rapid succession, 9/11 ham, his sister

died of cancer, and his cousin died while fighting in iraq. my whole world just felt very close asked very much like anything horriblepossible. any time you get on a plane, you think it will crash. you get in a car, you think you will crash. to this day, very intense anxiety and depression. >> reporter: those fears have not stopped him from leading a very public life. we joined him on the road with bleachers at a sold out show in boston. ♪ for antonoff most of the last 15 years has been spent on the road and he admits, this takes a toll on his relationship. when we went backstage, he tried to explain yes can't stop. >> touring is hard. i don't not understand when people walk away. it is not for me. at this point after 15 years, it is a huge part of my life. for better or worse, i have to be on tour for some portion of the year. but it is not easy on people you love and i understand when peel look at this love and think this

isn't stable. >> reporter: back home he invited us into his new studio. a sort of private lab where he concocts his hits. >> just finding cool sounds. >> it has a mad scientist feel to it. >> reporter: and right in front of our eyes he went into a zone and started making a new song seemingly out of thin air. >> my gut, it is going to sound awesome. pretty cool. >> so are we potentially witnessing the germ of your next big song? >> yeah. this will end up way cooler. >> reporter: he even let a middle age reporter threw in a few suggestions can i get a songwriter credit on this? >> definitely. when you talk i don't want to want you, i start thinking about addiction.

>> interesting. i'm rarely writing about a girl. that is nice. now some publishing here. >> are you feeling a genuine like i'm on to something buzz right now? >> yeah. this is a cool song. i'll tell you if that works out. >> i have to say, so impressive. 30 minutes ago you had a laugh and now you have a song. could end up being a bleacher song. could i show it to someone else and they could love it. >> reporter: whether or not this song ever sees the light of day, it is reasonable to assume the hits will keep coming and they will be intensely catchy and personal as antonoff likes to say, pop music is at its most brilliant when it makes you both dance and cry. for "nightline," this is dan harris in new york. next miss congeniality knew how to catch your eye.

but not all risks pay off with a prize. the short haired beauty queen looking at an ugly truth. tonight. just tell us your budget and the "name your price" tool helps you find a whole range of coverages. no one else gives you options like that. [voice echoing] no one at all! no one at all! no one. wake up! [gasp] oh! you okay, buddy? i just had a dream that progressive had this thing called... the "name your price" tool... it isn't a dream is it? nope. sorry! you know that thing freaks me out. he can hear you. he didn't mean that, kevin. kevin: yes, he did! keeping our competitors up at night. now, that's progressive. [coughing] dave, i'm sorry to interrupt... i gotta take a sick day tomorrow. dads don't take sick days, dads take nyquil. the nighttime, sniffling sneezing, coughing aching, fever, best sleep with a cold medicine. winter is hard on your face. the start of sneeze season. and the wind-blown watery eyes.

that's why puffs plus lotion is gentle on sensitive skin. so you can always put your best face forward. a face in need deserves puffs indeed. and try puffs softpack today.

beauty pageants often have shiny sequins and big hair. the fans of miss jamaica are adamant that her pixie cut cost her the miss jamaica poise, beauty. >> beautiful!

>> reporter: and most of all, confident. as miss jamaica, kaci fennell seems to have everything it takes for miss universe. exempt perhaps for one thing. >> as you can see, i don't have long hair like everybody else. >> reporter: some say her hair cut may have cost her the c people are disappointed. >> the fourth runner up is -- jamaica! >> reporter: ultimately losing out to the longhaired miss colombia. trending in the twitter sphere the #miss jamaica should have won. people tweeting, the world isn't ready for a rebellious contestant. despite being a staple on the red karmett since haulie berry first rocked the look. a short hair cut can come with

controversy. when this actor lopped off her locks -- it was about ratings. while anne hathaway may have won an award, plenty of fans gave her hair style two thumbs down. as sandra bullock pointed out, pageants can be having a cookie cutter look. but the pro miss jamaica proved beauty comes in many styles. even if the crown fits for now on a longhaired beauty. >> thanks for watching abc news. as always we're online. good night, america.

i'm late. yeah, ray, listen ally drew this picture of our family, and now she wants to put it up on the fridge. yeah. so? well, look at it. there's ally and the twins there's you and me and... look at your parents. oh. she made them giants. yeah. with sharp teeth and claws. yeah, and they're attacking our house. stopt. i'm showing him. no, this way. it goes this way. she's very perceptive.e. we can't put this on the fridge. your parents are going to see it.

do you like my picture, daddy? um, yes, i do, i do, sweetie. honey, howome you made grandma and grandpa look so scary? that's not grandma and grandpa. those are halloween monsters. oh. ok. grandma and grandpa en't monsters. ha ha. ah, youth. yup. honey, don't use your sleeve. life's bleachable moments need clorox bleach.