good morning, america. snow emergency. the biggest storm of the year shutting down major cities and battering 50 million americans. more than two feet of snow piling up in some areas. powerful wind gusts of more than 75 miles an hour creating whiteout conditions. near zero visibility. some of the busiest highways in the country shut down. >> things are getting much worse minute by minute. >> crews rushing in battling to keep the power on. total travel bans for drivers. >> we do not need people on the roadways. new york's subways and buses shut down for the first time ever for a blizzard. airports on the east coast at a standstill. planes grounded. nearly 8,000 flights canceled in two days. 250,000 passengers stranded. our extreme team up and down the

east coast as millions dig in against this massive storm. and we do say good morning, america. no snow day for us. seven states under a state of emergency. the blizzard moving east. massachusetts really getting hit hard eastern long island, no fun out there, as well. this is a live shot of boston. it is really smack dab in the middle of it right now. >> that city getting hit harder than anyone else. these pictures from grand central, penn station, shut down right now, just empty and it turns out not really snowing here right now. new york not hit as hard as some feared leading to a debate whether safe to be sorry. >> they would be criticized any way. our extreme team is fanned out across the east coast covering

all angles of this massive storm and, ginger you walked to work this morning. a couple of gopros on your head. the city was a ghost town. >> it was. this is from my gopro on my head. no one in the streets. trafficless. it is not something we see. that is why this morning in new york city is remarkable. you see people in the streets here on seventh avenue with me so it's not the seven inches in new york that we are weigh talking about, it's the foot and a half plus to our east and that's where this storm moved. let me take you straight up here. canceled for new york city. north and east for parts of massachusetts and maine, connecticut still in it. winter storm warnings still in place so you still could see a couple of additional inches and wanted to show you the radar. the heaviest band in eastern long island in connecticut and right there just west of boston and it is still going. how about that that is long island. feet of snow already reported and we know those wind speeds are upward of 50 to even 60 miles per hour in some places.

agig agiggally you can get another foot to two feet in that pink or magenta area but we know this morning one of the spots that is far from over that would be boston and our rob marciano part of the extreme team getting blasted right there. good morning, rob. >> reporter: good morning, ginger we are getting blasted, indeed. the blizzard in full force. this is one of the main roads downtown atlantic avenue so they've done a pretty good job plows keep coming through and piling the snow on the side. it continues to swirl. you can see it in the lights and that's going to be the oncoming problem. the drifts will pile up in the realm of some feet and had to move our live shot location. we were close to the water. coastal flooding is a problem. we had to come further inland. so many facets as the storm came roaring through last night. overnight, loud and ferocious, that massive winter storm making its presence felt.

newport, rhode island like a howling wind tunnel wind there gusting at more than 60 miles per hour. just south of boston snow whipping. this nasa image showing the thick layer of white engulfing the east coast. with states of emergencies declared in seven states many governments and schools closed today as officials prepared for the worst. >> the extreme snowfall -- >> should not be taken lightly. >> please remain home and off the roads. >> reporter: this did what it looked like in new york city. drivers working to beat the clock as the snow rolled in. crowded roads filled with rush hour commuters soon going from this to this. times square just outside our "gma" studios virtually empty. as the storm set in monday some battling the blizzard by bicycle including this delivery guy. others on skis. many people shoveling. others plowing to keep up with the falling snow. >> just trying to stay ahead of the storm, you know.

>> reporter: as convoys of the more than 1800 snowplows marched down the barren long island expressway similar scenes in new jersey road crews there struggling to keep the streets clear. here in boston the streets deserted overnight. snow swirling in this new england shore town where the fear is not just the snow but the massive flooding. it is going to be an ongoing battle against the blizzard all day long today and through tonight. boston has shut down not just for today but tomorrow as well. windchills below zero and as you can imagine, george what this snow feels like when it's blowing in your face at 30 and 40 miles an hour it is difficult to take. >> hitting 50 right now, we can tell. get inside. we'll stay in that battered region 30 miles east of boston scituate mass david wright is there and is getting battered right now and shut down the power to prevent any fires. hey, david.

>> reporter: good morning, george. this is one of the first points of land where the whipping winds going into boston harbor hit the land and as you can see, the snow is just about blinding here. right on the other side of that wall of white is the atlantic ocean and the concern out here isn't just the snow two inches of it an hour but also the water. i don't know if you can see here but the water at my ankles is ankle deep. this is normally a thoroughfare and some of these exposed coastal communities, one of the big concerns is that they may be cut off. in scituate they cut off the power as a precaution concerned that fire crews wouldn't be able to get out to those houses to save them. >> boy, it is really whipping up. thanks very much. >> such a massive storm so we see the situation there and the eastern part of long island also being pounded right now. the snow still falling there this morning. the roads completely shut down. highways abandoned and abc's tom

llamas is in farmingville new york with the latest on the situation there. good morning, tom. >> reporter: robin, good morning to you. we're going to need a bigger shovel. when people walk out of their front doors in long island they're going to see this piles and piles of snow and when it's all said and done some parts of long island may have up to two feet of snow. but what's really going to keep people inside today, it's not the white stuff, it's those whipping winds. overnight, a grueling commute, millions racing home before the height of the storm and before sweeping travel bans went into effect in five states. by nightfall, those bans turning some of the nation's busiest cities into ghost towns. here on long island 15 inches of snow and whipping winds. normally one of the busiest highways in the country, the long island expressway completely shut down looking like a desert of snow. overnight, i rode along with the suffolk county police. >> can we make it up there?

>> reporter: patrolling making sure drivers were off the road. look closely, just before the 11:00 ban, this car nearly spinning out of control. >> one of the reasons why the roads are closed visibility is almost zero. this pickup being pulled from a ditch after sliding off the road. >> the snow is just growing. it's getting worse and worse as the hours go on. what's really affecting us right now is the wind that's whipping at us. take a look. the snow is falling every which way you look coming in sideway, coming down. anywhere you look it is a complete whiteout. emergency management officials advise stay home and off the roads. and we were out on the roads all night. most people did listen to the warnings but, unfortunately, one person did die here on long island. a teenager who was out sledding with friends went too fast and slammed right into a light pole. george. >> okay tom, thanks very much. going to go to new york city. no blizzard here but everything shut down the roads are closed. trains and subways closed as

well. abc's gio benitez -- there you see overnight everything slowing down and getting empty through the course of the evening. gio benitez in columbus circle upper west side of manhattan. normally busy. not now. >> reporter: oh george not at all. just take a look behind me. this is that famous broadway. this is one of the busiest roads in all of new york city and look at it. it is just desolate just a few people walking by. not many cars at all. the only ones we've seen are emergency crews walking by and driving by. take a look. the subway here is where people constantly are getting here at columbus circle going underground. nobody there. i want to show you photos we saw earlier from grand central and from penn station. it's just unbelievable that this is what it looks like in new york. just entirely empty, nobody is there getting to work this morning. and i was with emergency management officials last night and i got to tell you, they said that they were relying on these forecasts from the national weather service and they really did not want to see these

stranded cars here on the road so this is going to cost a lot of money, not in terms of any damage but certainly lost business. >> they wanted to be safe. err on the side of safety. gio, thank you very much. philadelphia was also bracing for the worst and thankfully that didn't happen there either. escaping with up to 2 inches of know and linzie janis is there for us this morning. good morning, linzie. >> reporter: good morning, robin. philadelphia was extremely lucky with this storm. really dodging a bullet. at one point it was expecting up to a foot and a half of snow. right now here in the city just about a half an inch. further north in the suburbs they're saying up to 2 inches but the salt trucks still out in force coming here to fill up to load up to make sure the roads are safe but some of them like the one behind me taking off their plows because there just isn't enough snow for them. city officials overnight really

voicing frustration about the forecasts and decided to e rchltrr on the side of caution. >> only half an inch but they have airports at a standstill creating a ripple effect across the country, 4500 flights canceled already today. david kerley at reagan national airport. good morning, david. >> reporter: good morning, george. quiet all up and down the east coast but a quarter million passengers across the country, i'm talking all the way to the west coast, have been affected by this storm. this morning, the big five northeast airports some of the busiest in the country are ghost towns except for some passengers who are stuck. a virgin atlantic flight couldn't take off late and with new york's travel ban passengers had nowhere to go at jfk but to the floor to get some sleep. in philadelphia cots for those who are stuck. the lucky ones made it to hotels. >> if this pushes beyond me getting on a flight by thursday morning, i'll not be a happy camper then. >> reporter: this life flight

map usually lyly lyly filled with planes has a gaping hole but it's spreading across the country. the blizzard cancellations from those five northeast airports rippling across the country leaving passengers stranded. >> i'd like to be back in new york. i know there is a blizzard but i want to go home. >> reporter: this morning more than 4,000 flights canceled. an estimated 250,000 passengers affected. >> i'm exhausted and annoyed and i just want to go home. period. i want to go home. >> reporter: in the early hours of the storm we had a camera on the tarmac at new york's laguardia airport. as plows removed snow trying to get the last flights out. no break for those who wanted to escape on a train. amtrak shut down too between new york and boston. late monday commuters took to social media posting pictures of passengers scrambling to board the last train out of boston. and train service from new york down here to washington and virginia affected as well. slower. here's the good news robin. if the winds die down we didn't get as much snow as expected so

the airlines might be able to start gearing up later today earlier than they thought they could get the whole system back up. really going to be affected through tomorrow as well. >> when i said i would get to dallas today, you were right. >> that ain't happening. >> did not happen but so far so good when it comes to power outages, only 10,000 customers affected. far fewer than you would expect from a storm like this but it's not over. abc's linsey davis is in hartford connecticut, with more on that side of the story. good morning, linsey. >> reporter: good morning, robin. we're at a hartford power substation with good and bad news. the good news only about 10,000 people without power or i should say it's not as widespread as initially feared but do have those 10,000 without power. 8,000 of them right in massachusetts and then you have this snowy as it continues to get wetter and heavier could be problematic and potentially bringing down some of those

power lines, in addition to the ones already down in some parts of massachusetts but help is on the way. you do have crews that have come in from across the country to help restore the power. and then additionally some things working in their favor. you have the travel ban so the roads are open and can get right into where they need to go and in a large -- in addition throughout a lot of new england, the weather, the wind not as bad as some had feared. now, i'm no ginger zee but according to our portable handy-dandy wind reader here our weather system only 5 to 10 miles per hour in the hartford area so not as bad as initially feared. george. >> thanks linsey. we're joined by the mayor of boston marty walsh. thanks for joining us. turns out boston probably got hit hardest of all. how is it going. >> so far, so good. we've had about 11 inches of snow overnight and expecting a lot of snowfall now to be hitting us this morning. about 1 to 3 inches per hour until tonight and winds are

picking up in the city of boston. >> guys in boston are pretty used to this. what's the biggest challenge right now? >> keeping the main arteries open and staying ahead of the storm. so far people have been in compliance and haven't been listening to the ban we have and when people get up thinking they'll go to work when they look outside they'll realize they're probably not going anywhere fast today. >> you shut down schools through tomorrow. do you think you'll be back to normal by thursday. >> i'm hoping. make sure we do the work we need to get dong to clear the roadways tomorrow and that's hoping we'll be open thursday but as the day goes on we'll assess it better later on. >> in new york and other parts south we didn't get hit as hard as some people feared yet you've taken extreme measures shutting down the roads, train stations airports. what do you say to people who think that's an overreaction? >> you're better off safe than

sorry. yesterday as we were preparing people were concerned saying oftentimes we get all worked up over the weather and the forecasters say it'll be bad and sometimes we don't get as bad of a snowstorm but better off being prepared because in boston right now we're being hit pretty hard. if you didn't take the precautions yesterday that we took we'd be in a worse situation than we are today so better safe than sorry. you can't really judge. you can't tell mother nature what to do or how to do it and, you know so we have no control over that situation. >> well good luck handling the rest of it. thanks for joining us this morning, mayor. >> thank you. all right, george a storm like this is not just dangerous for people driving on the roads, there are hazards for people out shoveling and even playing in the snow. remember tom told us about the teenager killed sledding on long island. abc's dr. richard besser is here with what we can do to stay safe and sound and you were saying don't go out but some people are doing it so layer up. >> you got to layer up. the wind and cold will add up to frostbite and hypothermia if

you're not careful. several layers of loose-fitting closer. you want to go with silk polypropylene over cotton. cotton is not good at keeping you warm. you want to change clothes if you get wet. shiver it's your body saying go inside. >> we heard from linsey davis that the power outages are not as widespread as feared but for those people who have lost power what do you suggest? >> important things to know babies and the elder di having a harder time keeping themselves warm and get somewhere that has the heat. if you use a generator it can't be in your basement it can't be in your garage. it has to be outside because of carbon monoxide poisoning. make sure your monitor is working if you're going to use a generate sfler people will get out there and shovel you know. >> if you have heart disease or not fit, hire someone to do it. your heart can't ham that. make sure you're safe when lifting so you don't throw out your back. >> you were on twitter. got a lot of great questions.

>> all morning. >> thanks dr. b. ginger more on the timing as well. >> that storm not over yet but so many people waking up and freaking out saying i thought we were going to have more. if you're in philadelphia or new york city let me explain this to you. our team was extremely conservative with numbers. we went 8 to 16 inches and even we were a couple off. so this storm moved to the east and that's what it will still be doing. the heaviest bands set up just east of where they could have and could have been a crippling storm. i still didn't think it was going to be as big as a lot of other folks had but look at this. the storm timing takes you right through new england and by early tomorrow morning, we are pretty much through with it. places like rhode island into eastern massachusetts and maine will still see a little bit of that wind affected too but behind it it's going to even be sunny by tomorrow. so do look out for wind speeds yet today if you're in coastal new england. for now we have to get to your local forecast.

>> good morning. we are tracking a couple of snow bands across the region which could put down an additional half an inch of snow, up towards winchester and they lighter band from frederick to gaithersburg. the snow showers will continue until 10:00 this morning generally east of the blue ridge. temperatures are cold this morning, below

coming up dramatic and emotional testimony in the trial of those former vanderbilt football players. one player on the stand now apologizing. the latest on that pilot who ditched a plane in the ocean. we hear from him this morning. deflate-gate and pointing a finger at the footballs as the patriots owner lashes out. philip phillips with a bombshell. why he's saying he's been manipulated and forced to perform.

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>> live from the abc 7 broadcast center, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning. i'm jummy olabanji.

it's 7:26. we have some school closings and delays. make sure you check the top and bottom of your screen this morning. we go over to jack taylor. we are dealing with several issues on the roadways. >> we have a very light rush-hour. we have this problem in waynesburg a car into a sinkhole -- bladensburg. the water was running across the roadway and causing some problems. springfield crash. everything off to the right side of the roadway. vehicle fire before saint barnabas road blocked two lanes. a live look near temple hills. very very slow. what are we talking snow-wise? >> it is wrapping up.

most of the remnant snow is fairly light. we have a wind chill factor down into the 20's. here are the bands of snow. prince william county stretching through loudoun county. an additional half an inch of snow. 27 in gaithersburg. we had about 1-4 inches overall. >> thank you for watching.

good morning, america. you're looking live right now at the storm as it hits new england. our extreme weather team up and down the east coast this morning. also right now one of the former vanderbilt football players accused of sexual assault taking the stand and apologizing to the alleged victim. blaming the patriots locker room attendant. >> wasn't that part of an "snl" skit? >> good morning again. a lot to get to. of course this storm hitting the entire east coast, worst right now up in boston and parts east. see the wind blowing. that's a blizzard up there. not so much down here in new york and philadelphia. you see the streets are empty. got about 7, 8 inches of snow. not a blizzard here though in new york city. >> but in boston 11 inches of snow already and counting more than 50-mile-an-hour winds and

we'll go to rob marciano right there in the middle of it. good morning again, rob. >> good morning, robin. the sun is about to come up and we'll lose the light soon but winds continue to blow. on the corner of state and atlantic one of the busiest intersections near the water. not very busy today. the snow is beginning to drift upwards of a foot and a half to two feet in spots and see that obviously increase throughout the day. we have seen plows, we've seen emergency vehicles we've seen one vehicle of commerce and that is the delivery truck for the boston globe. that is it. you call this a nor'easter for a reason. this northeast wind has been blowing all morning long with no signs of stopping. at times visibility dropping to zero. it's going to be a dangerous day not only today but right on through tonight and we'll be here through it all. >> all right, rob. still hours to go. i hope he has a place to go between the reports. a lot of other news to get to. amy has ha. >> good morning. we begin with breaking news.

an attack inside a luxury hotel inside libya's capital of tripoli. they stormed the corintiha hotel. five foreigners killed at that hotel. no word how many hostages may have been taken. we'll have more details when we get them. also breaking overnight, terrifying moments athe a city council meeting in suburban minnesota. two police officers were shot just outside the meeting and the gunfire was caught on tape. >> a resolution authorizing the purchase of an electronic sign -- [ gunshots ] >> get down. get down. everybody, get down. >> at least five gunshots heard as the counselors took cover. the one on the far left pointed his gun. the two officers shot returned fire killing the gun pman. the motive unclear and two officers are recovering. new concerns about security

at the white house after that drone crashed onto the south lawn early monday. the owner saying it was an accident but the indepth is raising many serious questions. abc's pierre thomas has been following the investigation. pierre good morning. >> reporter: good morning, amy. we now know what caused that white house scare. a government employee says it was his drone, he says it was just an innocent mistake but this investigation continues. all that commotion at the white house after an intrusion into restricted airspace was over this this is the drone broken and tattered seen by a secret service officer flying at low altitude on the south lawn early monday morning. it's a so-called quad copter a tiny helicopter-style device that could be bought at your local electronic store. law enforcement officials say it's quiet and flies at ten feet per second but the breach raises all kinds of disturbing questions. what are the white house defenses and what if it had been armed? >> there are bigger drones that can carry payloads and use some light explosives.

>> reporter: drones are a growing problem. a number discovered off the washington mall. one just a block from the white house. others found near the lincoln memorial. in a tree at freedom plaza and on the capitol grounds. who sent that at 3:0 in the morning. law enforcement sources say a government employee called the secret service after all that media coverage to say it was his recreational device. he says it was just an accident no harm intended. the secret service is investigating his story and it's unclear if any charges will be filed. it may all be innocent but the secret service is double-checking its security measures concerned this new age of drones could be dangerous. amy. >> all right, pierre. thanks so much. and some dramatic video from mexico's so-called volcano of fire erupting once again clouds of smoke rising above the crater with another eruption monday. it is one of mexico's most active volcanoes. no injuries reported. finally, fear no more my facebook friends. facebook and instagram are back online.

whew! they were down for about 40 minutes this morning. oh no because of a technical problem unrelated to the weather. the big storm, of course was trending all night long. people on the west coast feeling our pain. one post on facebook telling us west coasters are with us in solidarity adding life's a beach. and look at these messages on buzz buzzfeed. i'll lend you my netflix password. this woman says i was like you but then i moved to l.a. yes. with the palm trees in the background. blue skies there. oh well. >> we have some visitors from nebraska. what did you think of this? they said, hey, it's january. they call this january. but glad that everybody is doing well. now to dramatic and emotional testimony in the trial of those two former vanderbilt university football players accused of sexually assaulting a female student. one of the defendants taking the stand with his alleged victim in the courtroom. abc's ryan smith is there in nashville, has the latest for

us. good morning, ryan. >> reporter: good morning, robin. for two weeks prosecutors have laid out their case against brandon vandenburg and cory batey. batey said of the night in question his recollection foggy but making a crucial admission that could cost him his freedom. >> do you take responsibility for yournduct? >> after seeing the footage, i do. it was me. >> reporter: testifying in his own defense monday former vanderbilt football player cory batey stunned the courtroom admitting he is in a cell phone video that prosecutors say shows him sexually assaulting a female classmate in 2013. batey even attempting to apologize to the victim from the stand. >> i would like to extend a personalapology. >> reporter: batey and brandon vandenburg are charged with aggravated rape and sexual battery. batey testified he was too drunk to remember the incident. claiming he blacked out after

consuming between 14 and 22 drinks that night. >> what if any, recollection today do you have of that event? >> none at all. >> reporter: batey saying he didn't realize what he had done until the next morning finding graphic pictures on his phone on his way to church. >> i was horrified. i didn't -- i didn't know how they got there. i immediately deleted them. >> a lot of things you don't recall. blame it on the alcohol, correct? >> reporter: the alleged victim a former neuroscience major and vanderbilt dance team member overcome with emotion when those pictures and cell phone video of the attack shown in court monday but like batey she says she has no recollection of the actual attack testifying last week she had been out drinking that night with vandenburg who she had been casually seeing at the time before passing out. we distorted her voice. >> i remember waking up in an unfamiliar room at 8:00 something the next morning rt both have pleaded not guilty.

vanden expected to make his close arguments then the prosecution has the final word before it goes to the jury. if both defendants are convicted on all charges they face decades in prison. robin. >> okay ryan thank you. time again for the weatr.r. let's get outside to ginger. you got some breaking news for us ging. >> that i do in times square. travel ban lifted for new york city. so everybody can get out and drive again. so because this storm is less here and certainly not less in philadelphia it is a whole lot more just 50 miles east of here. let me show you some snow totals. in long island well we don't have that on there but over a foot and a half in many places coming up. shrewsbury 22. parts of connecticut, 20 inches. part of new hampshire have been up there above a foot and not over yet. that low is very close to coastal new england, so what you're seeing on the screen are wind gusts and they'll be anywhere from 30 to 40 miles per hour throughout the day. that goes through tomorrow actually. so it's still going to be windy

and cold behind this thing. but we had to talk about one other place and that would be a mild southwest. las vegas, 67 76 yuma. 75 there in tucson. >> >> good morning. we will continue to see some additional snow bands. gusty and ld with >> all that weather brought to you by chick-fil-a and, yes, there are places that are breaking record highs out in the west. we will be looking at those coming up. >> yes, but first of all, ginger zee, you were very humble earlier. you and your team nailed it about what was going to happen here in the city. you were very respectful of what the officials were calling for, understood but we got to give you kudos. you called this. >> thank you so much. i don't ever want to put anybody down but i'm always conservative and then you can build, you

know that's the best way to go about it. so we will go forward and it was good to be safe. that's for sure. >> i'm glad she was right. >> me too. >> as she always is. >> she is. thank you, ginger. come on inside. coming up the latest on that incredible splash landing caught on camera. we're going to hear from the pilot this morning. the new report on deflate-gate just days before the super bowl. is the locker room attendant going to take the fall? ♪

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we're back now at 7:44 with that incredible footage of a small plane going down hundreds of miles from an airport splashing in the middle of the pacific all caught on camera and this morning we're hearing from the lucky pilot. abc's clayton sandell has the story. >> reporter: this morning, the harrowing story behind one of the most dramatic splash landings ever 25-year-old pilot lou morton was flying sunday from tracy, california, all the way to maui but he radios to say there is a problem getting gas to the plane's engine and he's going down over water, 250 miles short of the nearest airport. as the engine quits morton deploys an emergency parachute and hangs on. a coast guard crew flying above captures it all.

the plane hits the water, quickly flipping and sinking, morton escapes but barely jumping into a life raft. a cruise ship alerted by the coast guard is nearby and comes to the rescue. >> have you handled other emergencies like this before? >> no. >> reporter: morton who has been flying since he was 17 used a satellite phone to call his parents to say he was in trouble just before bailing. >> very nervous but just -- i mean he's in control and knew about this parachute which is i'm sure saved his life. you sort of have to give it up. you can't get too frantic at those points. >> reporter: the plane's manufacturer says it's already saved 103 live this morning, make that 104. for "good morning america," clayton sandell, abc news denver. >> that parachute, unbelievable. glad he's okay. coming up under pressure the latest on deflate-gate and the new suspect in the scandal just days before the super bowl. >> touchdown, new england.

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now to the latest on deflate-gate with the super bowl as you know just five days away a new report claims the nfl now knows who had those footballs before kickoff and the patriots owner has some very

stern words of his own. abc's cecilia vega has that story. >> reporter: this morning, the deflate-gate mystery deepens. fox sports reporting the nfl has identified a person of interest a patriots locker room attendant who allegedly took footballs to another room inside gillette stadium before bringing them to the field. reportedly all caught on video. >> go patriots. >> reporter: the scandal swirling as the team left snowy boston and landed in phoenix ahead of sunday's big game. team owner robert kraft angrily lashing out. >> if the wells investigation is not able to definitively determine that our organization tampered with the air pressure in the footballs, i would expect and hope that the league would apologize to our entire team. >> reporter: but coach bill belichick and quarterback tom brady refusing to answer any more questions about how those

footballs lair. >> my attention is focused on seattle seahawks. >> reporter: with super bowl xlix days away the big game will go on before its investigation is complete they say. for "good morning america," cecilia vega, abc news, phoenix. >> and coming up the 36 questions to find true love. here's a great improve this tip. want to create your own gallery wall. here's an easy way to do it. cut paper templates. away with the paper and your gallery wall is perfect. goodbye... now get free installation with a stainmaster carpet and pad purchase $499 or more at lowe's. thank you for being a sailor and my daddy. thank you mom, for protecting my future. thank you for being my hero and my dad. military families are thankfuls. the legacy of usaa auto insurance could be one of them.

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>> live from the abc 7 broadcast center, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning. it's 7:56. i'm jummy olabanji. we're taking a look at the roadways in clarksburg maryland. folks are moving pretty good on the roadways. schools are opening, closed or delayed today. you can see a complete list scrolling on the top and bottom of our screen. that's get over to jack keller

-- talor with the latest on the roadways. >> an abbreviated rush hour. we had some problems down near the quantico interchange. very icy. you some caution. inwe have a crash blocking the left lane at ohio. outside moving very well from 95 over to georgia avenue. >> good to see some of those roads looking nice and clear. we have a couple of lingering snow bands. this one over here between winchester and warrants and. you could the picnic minor additional accumulations. we expect this to wind down now. a winter weather advisory should expire by 10:00. it feels like teens and 20's.

this afternoon temperatures in the 30's but feeling like 20's. >> thank you for joining us. thank you, cle for taking longer to upload our family movies. for fewer video on demand options. for the slower internet upload speeds. for making me wait longer to share my pto albums. for taking longer to upload my files to the cloud. thank you cable... thank you cable, because if we never had yo.. ...we wouldn't know the incredible difference verizon fios makes. in customer satisfaction studies, fios is rated #1 in internet speed

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good morning, america. it's 8 a.m. and winter whit the "gma" extreme weather team has full storm coverage on the blizzard striking the northeast. what you need to know right now. ♪ and "american idol" star philip phillips climbed the charts with "raging fire." now he says his record company is manipulating his career. the latest on his legal battle. and could these 36 questions unlock true love? the scientifically designed experiment to find the right one for you right now. does it really work? we put it to the test and have the surprising results for you this morning. and snow day. the two magic words that thrill your kids but leave you pulling your hair out. what to do when your family is snowed in. all that and the giant "gma" puppy bowl live as we say -- >> good morning, america.

♪ who let the dogs out ♪ ♪ who let the dogs out ♪ ♪ who let the dogs out ♪ >> look at those fierce competitors for our "gma" puppy bowl getting ready to go. we are in love but, look they're getting massages. this is tough business. >> what's the matter? >> massages before the big game. the showdown is coming. we are in love here at the desk. >> hi. >> i got portolini. >> i have thresh. nervous. good-looking little dog there. >> oh. >> hope you're not coming home. >> puppy love. >> this guy might. >> they can all be adopted. >> every one of these can be adopted. big reveal. changing how to use it for good and those puppies will show us. plus fireworks on "the bachelor" from last night and this morning we'll hear from one of the women left standing without a rose. >> amy, can you hand over the

puppy? >> you know what here i can help. i'll put one down and come get it for you. >> hi fwlimer. look how sweet glimmer is. say hi to ginger. >> i'm happy to. >> all right. we'll get some news. thanks guys. we begin with of course that massive storm shutting down much of the northeast. here in new york city some relief a travel ban has now been lifted but millions of people to the north and east are still bracing for the worst. more than 20 inches of know already on the ground. winds topping 75 miles an hour. abc's rob marciano is in boston right now with the very latest, good morning, rob. >> reporter: good morning, amy. as you can see the blizzard just keeps on blowing here in boston. the snow is blowing sidei waysideways and up and over my knees. they've been going that way to work to their offices where their bosses have put them up in our hotel about two or three blocks that way and the people walking this way are going to work in our hotel. we're grateful of that. wins gusting over 30 and 40

miles an hour. that has knocked down power lines so we have over 10,000 people without power. that number will increase and with this dangerous cold that means for some people who need electricity to spark their furnace they'll be in a life-threatening situation, hopefully not as bad as we think. the coastal flooding we had to move our truck because of a storm surge. look at what's going on across the coastlines of eastern mass and eastern new england with high tide coming in at the height of the storm we had a surge of over 3 and 4 feet and flooded coastal areas. another high tide later on as the storm is not even halfway over and here comes another worker likely staying in our hotel on his way to work downtown. the city shut down but not all businesses life goes on for the most part in boston. >> all right, rob. get warm now, thanks for that latest report. at the airports more than 4500 flights have been canceled this morning. even amtrak suspending service north of new york. meanwhile, around

washington, d.c. it is a cold wet mess this morning. a water main break opened up this sinkhole swallowing a car and partially submerging another. and in other news president obama has just arrived in saudi arabia to pay his respects after the death of king abdullah. but during an interview before his departure, the president offered a rare and blunt rebuke to saudi arabia's report on human rights saying "they're going to have to change how they do business." and new video this hour from an attack on a hotel in libya's capital of tripoli. several masked gunmen setting off a car bomb. at least five foreigners have been killed reportedly. years of having borderline high cholesterol could cause big problems later in life. researchers at duke university have found long-term slightly elevated cholesterol levels can nearly double your risk of heart disease. however, the study's author says this does not necessarily mean that people should begin taking close rom lowering medications

as always consult your doctor. well melissa rivers has filed a malpractice lawsuit over the death of her mother suing the clinic where her mother was undergoing a throat procedure. state health officials found that mistakes made by the staff caused the comedian's death. in a statement melissa rivers said "the level of disrespect and outrageous behavior is shocking." finally, we have a quick w for you to end or ruin your new year's resolution diet. if you don't want to turn away but kfc's new offering has gone viral on line. they're now selling a hot dog with cheese sauce and, yes, that bun is actually fried chicken. it's called the double down dog. right now they are only on sale in the philippines but many americans are demanding that they be brought here. i have to say i love fried chicken and i love hot dogs but i don't know if i could do that. i don't know if i could do that. >> i'm just trying to -- >> get your head --

>> fried chicken sounds good now. >> i'm not alone. >> exactly. "pop news" coming up but lara is in the social square. >> i am and here's what's coming up. first in "pop news" why is emma watson about to go one opponent opponent one with a real beast? and then we have an "american idol" bombshell. why philip phillips has been forced to perform and now what he's doing about that. then 36 questions that could help you find true love. we'll put those to the test and this guy. the "gma" puppy bowl is coming up in times square. they're all up for adoption except maybe him. we'll have more coming up. don't go anywhere. >> head over this way. now watch that "d" line. "gma's morning menu" is brought to you by nexium 24 hour. available without a prescription. the latest choice for frequent heartburn. get complete protection. nexium level protection.

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♪ school is closed school is closed ♪ ♪ 'cause it snowed so much last night ♪ ♪ school is closed school is clclosed so sy at home and sleep tight ♪ >> very talented and creative the head of moses brown school putting his own spin on "let it go" sharing a big announcement with his students. the video trending on youtube overnight. >> pretty great. >> he has a great voice. >> what a voice. >> my niece and nephew go to that school. >> do they really? >> yes, they do. enjoy. >> did they tell you how talented -- >> i did not know that but i'm wildly impressed. >> we're going to have tips to make your snow day fun. paula faris is allowing us to tape her at home.

streamline home with three kids. >> with the three kids. >> to give us some tips on how you handle the snow day. >> she has three kids. it's like what do you do. here in new york it's opening back up but a lot of places in the northeast are shut down. >> "pop news." >> taking one for the team. here we go with "pop news." we begin with emma watson who is truly the belle of the balance right now lighting up the internet and here's why. harry potter actress confirmed she has signed on to play belle in the adaptation of "beauty and the beast." she wrote on facebook "my 6-year-old self is on the ceiling, heart bursting. i'm to start some singing " the movie is set to start shooting later this year. a fun fact for you guys the 1991 version was the first animated film to receive a best picture nomination. >> i did not know that. >> that movie. ♪ quiet village every day ♪ >> wow. >> just kidding. i'm not trying out. i'll never get it.

you are going to get it, emma. ♪ >> wow. >> my favorite. >> a little "frozen." >> the forecast right in new york on it ginger and can sing. >> bonjour. >> okay. well so glad you said bonjour because a french judge has ruled that a chocolate loving couple cannot name their baby nutella. the baby girl's parents were clearly nuts about chocolate hazelnut spread. the judge didn't share their sweet tooth noting that calling a child by a trade name would lead to a lifetime of teasing and renamed the baby girl ella for the parents. the decision -- his decision has since spread around the world. >> wow! so the judge named the baby? >> the judge named the baby after the parents named the baby nutella and they said it's a trademark name. >> we shall name you -- >> you from now on shall be known as twinkie.

>> send it back to the parents. >> let the pardons come up with another name. >> there's a court date of the a whole lot going on. needless to say big on the internet. i'll throw some pens. so while most folks in the northeast are bundled up there is someone or something that is enjoying all that snow. the twitter handle @bostonyeti2015 popped up featuring mysterious pictures of this thing out and about in massachusetts enjoying the heavy snowfall when we saw this miss mysterious creature surfaced we decided to follow it then we got this a personalized note showing off its barefoot. do you see that and we say to you, boston yeti hoping you're warming up inside or perhaps you can borrow robin's green froggy -- >> appreciate the sentiment. did not need to see the foot. >> i know. >> i think it was proof of the

yeti. >> keeping the mystery alive. >> yeti i'll treat you to a pedicure. >> hearing from yeti pretty cool. >> well that's how we roll robin here at "gma." that's "pop news," everybody. >> thanks "heat index" coming up now back out to ginger. >> good morning, guys. i put my snowshoes on not really. i put my heels back on. we're all plowed right here. 7 to 8 inches. smiling faces here. you guys enjoying the snow? it's not over yet. still snowing and lower manhattan. a band set up and to massachusetts where the situation is considerably more serious. we're seeing more than two feet of snow already for worcester, that's marshfield massachusetts, where we've seen flooding inside the town thanks to the marshfield pd for putting that out there. it's not over but it will slow down through the day in new york city. going to stick with you in boston all the way through tonight and then move off into maine for the overnight into early wednesday. so that's the timing. much more clear

>> good mornin washihington, 32 degrees downtown and still some snsnow bands acrcross e region west oi-95 from winchchester through rrentoton. a winter weath advory n effect until 10:00 this morng. it will bebe breezy today and it els lilike the teensnd 20's. we should warm into the e 30's this a afteron butut with luste he conditions, i it will feel like 20 and we cocould get some suhine before the day is done but skies wiwill clear tonight and drdrop down into the teens. >> so this little one, what's your name. >> muriel? high high-five for snow day. first time you've seen snow. >> first time i've seen snow. >> we're enjoying it out here. >> like hearing those firsts. today's "heat index," battle involving philip phillips saying he's manipulated by the company

managing his career and wants out of his contract. abbie boudreau has the story. ♪ for you ♪ >> reporter: this morning "american idol" winner turned gone gone gone megastar philip phillips filing a bombshell petition hoping to terminate his relationship with a company he's calling oppressive and fatally conflicted. ♪ stand by me ♪ >> reporter: the 24-year-old season 11 winner who signed recording, management publishing and merchandising deals with 19 entertainment, a co-producer of "american idol" before even winning the competition in 2012 alleging the company manipulated phillips into accepting jobs and entering into other transactions that were for the benefit of 19 and its affiliated companies rather than his own benefit. >> one of the things that phil phillips complaints about is that he was being forced to perform for "american idol" sponsors for free. >> reporter: phillips also claiming the company repeatedly withheld material regarding

important career matters even allegedly naming and releasing the title of his most recent album without consulting him. ♪ i'm going to make this place your home ♪ >> reporter: phillips says after hitting it big for songs like "home" he frequently requested that his management company renegotiate his recording deal. but he claims they never did because the label and manager are both under the same umbrella company. >> these kinds of management disputes are fairly common in the entertainment stress. >> reporter: phillips' attorney telling abc news the singer appreciates the opportunity "american idol" afforded him but adds he never anticipated that producers would favor their own interests above his career. 19 entertainment fighting back telling us "we have always acted in the best interest of philip. we will vigorously defend ourselves from any baseless claims to the contrary and from any attempt to interfere with our rights and relationships" for "good morning america," abbie boudreau, abc news, los angeles. >> okay let's talk about this

with our legal analyst dan abrams. this is interesting. not a lawsuit, a petition. >> that's right. going to the california labor commission. you basically have two choices in california either can say i'll sue or go to this commission. ordinarily you go to the california labor commission because you don't want to hire a lawyer it's much more informal. the process is much easier. you don't typically have a sort of multimillion dollar lawsuit. although it's happened and contracts have been invalidated by the california labor commission. although it is very tough to get in particular this kind of deal to get it invalidated. he's not in an easy position here. >> depending on the outcome this could have a huge impact. >> oh if this california labor commission -- remember this, is not a judge deciding it. it's a commissioner as part of this commission makes a decision to say this contract is a violation of this talent agency's act, that could invalidate all sorts of reality show contracts. i think it's unlikely they will

go that far. they could cherry pick certain things he says happened to him and say, you know that shouldn't have happened or this shouldn't have happened and this could end up in a lawsuit down the road. >> thank you. next on the "gma heat index" we showed you that school principal letting it go telling his students they have a snow day. so many waking up to that most magical words but some parents might not be as excited. tips to keep your kids entertained but first asking you to show us how you're celebrating your snow day. nicky sent us this picture of her daughter. oh making a snowman in ohio. >> cute. >> elizabeth ah she's watching "frozen." a lot are staying at home watching movies. to abc's paula faris who is snowbound at her home in new york city. her three adorable children caroline who is 7, j.j. is 5 and landon is 1. hey, momma. how are you holding up paula? >> you guys can you please save

me? help. no we're doing okay trying to control the chaos. can you say hello? i've actually adopted another child. we had a sleepover last night. the kids are contemplating xbox. i'm getting ready to get them outside to get energy out. is this -- kids are trying to control the chaos and keep them occupied throughout the whole day. always a challenge if they can't get outside and get that energy out but luckily i'll get them outside and dressed. >> what are things you've been doing with them. >> we've been up since 5:30 robin so that's fun. i tried to pay them off. i said can you guys please sleep till 7:30. i will give you $5. it didn't work. we've been playing xbox had breakfast and ready to build snow forts and have hot chocolate -- i'm trying to make an event out of one thing. we'll come in and watch a movie.

i'm going to make homemade popcorn. it's the only thing i know how to make in my kitchen and build a fort but i have a lot of appreciation for educators and stay-at-home moms and please save me, please. help. >> when are you coming back to work? >> wired. >> yes. i can't wait to come back to work tomorrow. >> thanks for sharing that. appreciated that. i used to love we used to make the tent out of the sheet. did you do that? good times. now a snow day idea to keep little ones busy parenting expert and editor of mom.me. ericka souter you have a 6-year-old. >> as soon as i found he'd be home early i thought what could i do? i called a couple of his friends, they had a lot of fun. they were great. a lot of parents, their inclination re-create school and make it another school day at home. you don't have to do this. our mom.me readers love these.

we have a sock puppet. we built a fort with all the pillows and made sock puppets and then we also did these really great snow globes. all you need is glitter and baby oil and a mason jar and then we did frozen bubbles. you can blow bubbles. they freeze under $30. fun activity. >> hello. >> great ideas, everybody. >> a lot of fun. >> all right. hey, we'll move on now to another story. we want you to imagine there were 36 questions that could unlock true love. according to a study there just might be and mara schiavocampo has this story. >> reporter: the questions range from the silly to the very serious and some say they're the shortcut to dating success. well we put that theory to the test and it definitely brought one couple closer. stuart kenworthy and kyle godfrey-ryan are complete strangers.

>> nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you too. >> reporter: who were >> reporter: who were about to get very close. >> are you ready to fall in love? >> totally. let's fall in love. >> reporter: they're about to ask each other a set of questions that have been scientifically designed to speed up a couple's connection and lead them to love. >> the questions gradually get more and more personal. >> reporter: dating can be complicated. >> i thought in your profile it said you liked to drink red wine. >> you pritchetted out my profile. >> reporter: but they're supposed to simplify things and help people get to know each other quickly. >> as long as you're responsive to this really helps relationships of all kinds. >> you need physical chemistry and then you need mental and emotional chemistry. so questions like these help people find that second half. >> when did you last sing to yourself? >> reporter: how is our couple doing? >> i sing to myself constantly. >> reporter: we asked them to

give it to each other. >> tell your partner something you like about them already. >> i really like your eyes. >> i really love your sincerity. >> reporter: and then complete the last part of the exercise. staring into each other eyes for four minutes. >> everything kind of blacked out around even just your eyes. >> that's exactly like a trance. >> how are you leaving this room today. >> i guess we'll see. >> i would definitely have a cup of coffee with him. >> so sounds like the questions work. >> they do work. i believe they work. >> giving whole new meaning to speed dating. >> getting through all the questions can take anywhere from 90 minutes to three hours so researchers say it is okay to split them up or you can set a time limit. >> that's a big time investment and what about if you're in a relationship worth doing these? >> they say the great thing they're designed to bring any two people closer. that can be a friendship marriage and if you get through all 36 they say you can make up

new ones. we could do some and become better friends. >> a party game mara thank you. if you want a list of all 36 questions and take it for yourself go to goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! love could be in the air. first though coming up on "good morning america" our incredibly adorable puppy bowl is back. the referee is going over a play with some of the puppies. keep an eye out for penalties like excessive cuteness on the feel and unnecessary roughness all coming up on "gma." >> try again. try again. we've been through this three times. in the mouth. well that's a foul. hang on. [ whistle ]

>> live from the abc seven broadcast center, this is an abc seven news update. >> good morning at 8:27 a.m. we are on a winter weather alert this morning. this is a live look at chantilly, virginia. you can see everything is white out there and schools in fairfax county are closed today and other schools are closed and the laid today. you can see a complete list scrolling at the top and bottom of your screen and on our website, wjla.com. let's go over to jack taylor for a look at the traffic. >> south bound to 95 has take potholes in the left lane so be careful. constitution avenue between first and 2nd street in northeast is closed because of

maintenance. be careful but a lighter than normal rush-hour. >> we will look for improving conditions throughout today. we are already seeing our advisories canceled early. it is holding off into the western counties. there is one pesky band of snow that is hanging out there. it is getting blustery and it will be cold today. the radar shows things look fine toward the east. the lingering snow -- snow shower is through front royal into warrenton. this will wind down this morning and we will look for some sunshine this afternoon but gusty and cold today with temperatures in the mid-to upper 30's. the temperatures drop tonight with wind chills in the single digits tomorrow morning. >> we will be back at 856 a.m.

and welcome back to "gma." welcome back to the puppy bowl just minutes away right now and they're getting warmed up. they're ready to go. some rough and tough competition. just a couple minutes. >> they have been feisty. >> yeah. >> they mean business. this is going to be a rough game guys. >> also in this half hour oscar isaac, one of the big stars of the new "star wars" movie. lara will talk to him about his new moved with jessica chastain "a most violent year." >> really great movie. >> wow. >> he's got a gripping performance in that. you know as we said the super bowl is just days away the ads keep coming. this morning we have an exclusive look at the game day commercial from wicks. how many of these football legends do you remember? take a look. >> what about canada? >> nope. >> that indoor league. >> nope. >> what am i going to do? >> do what everybody else does. start a business. build yourself a website. ♪ >> welcome to t.o.'s humble pie. >> with wicks it's easy to

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>> all these guys are starting business with the help of wix and all tied it into the commercial. >> congratulations. >> my home boy brett favre. t.o. terrell owens was in franco harris. >> emmittt pt was in there. >> a lot of drama in "the bachelor." a mud run competition. all topped off by a very serious announcement from chris and this morning one of the women sent home is speaking to us first. abc's melissa rycroft. >> reporter: this week some very important guests arriving at the bachelor mansion offering a little extra help. >> oh. >> yay! >> chris' three sisters asking challenging questions to help decide who should go on a one-on-one date with their brother. >> do you kind of wear the pants? >> no. >> so to speak. >> i mean i think relationships are about compromise. >> reporter: the 33-year-old's trusted advisers finding a perfect fit for a

cinderella-themed date in jade. >> you look so beautiful. >> some of the women in the house wishing that they were on the fairy trip instead. >> i would love to be going on this date tonight and to be pampered and, you know feel beautiful. >> reporter: this week 30-year-old juela flying under the date starting with a flash. and ending with a campout complete with some scary stories and some sneaking around. >> this is not what i expected. >> last week the single mom decided to bare her soul to the bachelor about the loss of her husband. >> i don't understand how someone could have a child and leave them like that. and leave me. >> reporter: but at this week's rose ceremony soules makes the emotional decision to send them home. >> juela is a special human

being to care for a daughter that lost a father. >> hard to say good-bye to what i thought i might find here. i really do want to find love. >> now back at home with her daughter ireland, kinney is reflecting on her time at the mansion in a "gma" exclusive interview. >> for the first time since my daughter was born i had time to kind of reflect on how i feel and how i was doing, i'm sure any mother is going to relate to that. through any experience there's, you know growing and healing and i think that permanently it was really good for me. >> reporter: and she may be one step closer to finding love. >> i'm definitely going to be looking for love and just really optimistic about it. >> reporter: for "good morning america," melissa rycroft, abc news, dallas. >> all right, melissa, thanks for that. lease head out to ginger with the final check on the weather. ginger still snowing? >> it is still snowing. looking a little like a snow globe. we're loving it aren't we?

yes, we are, we're trying to stay warm. not stopping us. 7.8 so far central park. 8.3 upper west side. look at some of those numbers. laguardia up to 11 inches boston so far, remember still snowing hard up in massachusetts, a foot killingly, connecticut, 20 inches and waster, 25. parts of long island at 25 so the snow is out there and till going but not back to the southwest. rapid city warm breaking records in the northern plains. when you have that ridge you get the trough out here in the east. a look coast to coast. >> >> good morning. we will continue to see some additional snow bands. gusty and cold with >> all right, all that weather brought to you by royal

caribbean much it is a little cold and the weekend and it's going to get colder. you come in with me. we're going into the studio robin. >> we were looking at them and said bring them on in. get them some hot chocolate. this summer the special olympic world summer games are coming back to the united states of america. first time this has happened in 16 years and leading the charge is olympic figure skater michelle kwan. it's a world stage of humanitarian event for 7,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities. kicking off later this year in los angeles, the special olympics world summer games is returning to the u.s. for the first time in 16 years. uniting athletes from over 170 countries. and for olympian figure skater michelle kwan these olympic games hold a special place in her heart. >> i've had incredible opportunities to be involved in organizations but the one that i deeply care about is special olympics.

>> reporter: to spread awareness and understanding in the months leading up to the games they are hoping to unite american communities with the very first unified relay fund-raiser. >> i think someone said it the best it's like i don't want my child who has intellectual disabilities to be stared at. i want people to walk by and not have to take that double take. i want to make her feel that she's included in society. >> reporter: starting on may 26th, volunteers will carry the flame of hope across the country hitting all 50 states. >> the flame of hope will be lit in athens and it will be carried across the water and it's the flame of hope and i hope that everyone getting excited because we're excited, right? >> yes, very excited. >> reporter: zakharchenko commander has been involved in the organization for nearly 30 years. >> i just hope that it will unify everyone together as a whole and to accept this world for what it is and it's just it

is a more inclusive and very accepting from everyone. it doesn't matter whether you're older, whether you're younger, with an intellectual disability without an intellectual disability we're in this together. we are who we are. >> zakharchenko said that so well didn't he? we're going to take a look at the route where the relay will be run. three separate routes all starting in the east and ending in los angeles where in july the games will begin. are you guys ready? [ cheers and applause ] wonderful. it's going to be broadcast on espn i am so honored they asked me to be the host of the opening ceremonies for this. so the first time in 16 years the world games special olympics right here in our country. coming up they are the stars of "gma's" -- oh you guys the puppy bowl. our big competition, oh. it's coming up. let's go!

♪ i would just want to start by saying i think the dogs are chewing on a microphone pack.

the puppy bowl gets a little aggressive. they mean business and the countdown is officially on to super bowl sunday. this is our own showdown here in the studio. we do it every year the "gma" puppy bowl. referee dan is here to help us kick it off. what can we expect? >> a lot of aggressive and some napping so we get a little bit of both. >> they're eating the field now. >> a penalty. it looked beautiful when we started. >> it's been defiled in so many ways. how does the puppy bowl -- are you okay? >> the puppy bowl works simply. every puppy is a running back. if they drag a chew toy to the end zone it's worth a point. all from the humane society all up for adoption. >> i'm in love with that shane. team ruff team fluff, let's go. >> i want a nice clean game. i mean ma literally. one, two three.

>> go puppies. go puppies. go. >> wait, we have some action. >> wait. >> come on -- >> the cocker spaniels don't --sters. >> sometimes they have stage fright. >> let's encourage them a little bit. >> come on guys hey, guys come on one, two, three, go, go, go. >> it's a slow start. >> this year. >> oh. >> follow me. follow me. follow me. >> all right. now we got it -- this happens all the time. >> robin, is this anything chose to what we can expect at this year's super bowl? >> look at this one here saying, oh. >> i think -- i think -- >> they gave it all in the beginning. they were here for an hour training. >> they might be saving it for the big game on sunday. >> i hear some players crying. >> there's no crying in puppy bowl. >> he's holding his -- >> no you cannot bite shane's -- >> that's a foul.

>> all right. we call that dog collar tackle. no good. >> unnecessary ruffness. >> you got it. >> three more months. i'm here all week. >> that's why we have no scoring in puppy bowl. >> it's a low-scoring game. >> things are getting a little affectionate down in this erfolgswelle though. >> puppy love over here. >> hi. >> oh my goodness. >> hi sweetheart. >> we don't care if you don't score a goal. >> we all win if these puppies go et adopted at the end of the day. i believe that robin is holding the one i want to adopt. we'll see. i'll give you some unnecessary roughness if you take that baby shane -- >> oh. >> my favorite. >> dan, we need to make some scoring happen. >> sometimes games devolve into excessive cuteness and that's what's happening right now. >> oh my goodness. >> hi. >> we can encourage them to move on by throwing the toy around. >> get the toy. >> getting them going. are you ready, guys. one, two three and ready, let's go. >> come on.

>> oh. >> team ruff. >> follow me. >> let's go. let's go. >> oh look at my guy, yes! >> let's go. >> come on. >> it's not working out for me buddy. >> let's go. >> i think it's safe to say -- what happened -- >> can you tie in puppy bowl. >> 0-0. >> can you? >> kiss your sister. >> there we go. we got one with the ball. let's go. let's go. let's go. let's go. bring it here. bring it in. [ cheers and applause ] >> touchdown. >> and we do have a winner. in this -- >> it never happens. >> team ruff comes through. >> team ruff comes through. >> in puppy bowl xi a preview of the big game. puppy bowl xi airs on sunday on animal planet. you can adopt one of these dogs.

go to goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! coming up very excited. oscar isaac is here to talk about his upcoming role in "a most violent year." there he is don't go anywhere. "good morning america," we'll be as a small business owner you wouldn't deliver just half of what you have

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oscar isaac was widely praised for his golden globe nominated role and back now starring in "a most violent year" alongside jessica chastain as a self-made man trying to run a business in the '80s during a time of crippling corruption and deadly rivalries in new york city. here they are after a suspicious

gun has been found on their property. take a look. >> this is your kid playing with a loaded gun. >> i know what it is. let me deal with it. >> you better. you're not going to like what will happen once i get involved. >> so happy to have oscar isaac with us and big fan of "llewyn davis" and this role so meaty. must have been a great joy to play to be compared to the greats like al pacino. gritty new york films like "cerp co-"what was the experience like to you? >> very cold. one of the coldest years on record. so much fun. >> your character is trying to stick to a personal code of ethics. not easy to do during this time. >> right, well, this is a young man who is trying to expand his

heating oil business in one of the most difficult times in the city which was 1981 on the edge of bankruptcy and collapse. and this guy sees opportunity there but he also doesn't want to give in to the violence of the area and sometimes you have to do some dubious things to get ahead and his wife played by the wonderful jessica chastain you know she definitely feels that he should push the limit and get a gun and protect himself and show strength that way but he's at his core a pacifist. >> he wants to do the right thing. >> he wants to do it the most right way and kind of the whole point is how do you navigate ethically in a town where everyone says you got to hustle to make it. you do whatever it takes to get ahead and he's not willing to do anything. >> the movie has really resonated with critics. i know george was saying he loved it and just a couple of -- i'll toot the horn. national board of review best actor congratulations. >> thank you. >> best supporting actress for

jessica and best picture. >> that was crazy. very unexpected. there's so many amazing films and performances out. i mean this last year was a great year for film so to be included with all those was -- >> to be included and then to be at the top of the happy and jessica chastain you've been friends with her. there is an amazing chemistry watching you on camera. now i understand why. you were students together. >> at juilliard. >> we were friends and classmates. she was a couple of year as head of me but we became close friends and i got to see her play helen of troy and juliette and i thought she was like everyone remarkable. >> when you're learning the craft i would imagine it's got to be easier to be working with someone who learned the same way as you. >> exactly. so there's a shorthand. also often you have to be sensitive of how other people work. we didn't have to. we could say anything and saves time. we really got to be intimate and i feel as though there's a lived

in history there. >> and it shows on camera. congratulations on that. we have to ask you about "star wars: episode 7." was it one of the first you saw was "return of the jed die." >> i remember that in the theater. seeing it in the theater when darth vader helmet comes off. it's just a soft little sad man. >> now your role in the new film is you're fighting -- you're one of the x-wing fighters. >> i fly one in it. that's all i'm allowed to say. >> the secrecy around it. >> i've signed away my organs. they own me. yeah. >> but you practiced in a unique way, right? to get into character, hotel room shampoo bottle. >> i did. to try to get back into saying some of those kind of lines and that old spirit i was like how do i get in it? i know. i start playing with a toy with my shampoo bottle. >> always a kick. >> immediately put me back into

it. >> always a kid. cannot wait so see the new mysterious "star wars" film and great to see this. everybody, "a most violent year" is in theaters right now. do check it out. we'll be right back.

"good morning america" is brought to you by alka-seltzer plus, coal and cough. >> we have a big reveal from twitter this morning using your

phone you'll be able to record edit and cheer videos 30 seconds long the first example ever just posted by oscars host neil patrick harris and we posted our first puppy bowl action that you can only see by heading to our twitter account. >> have a great day, everybody. >> live from the abc seven broadcast center, this is an abc seven news update. >> good morning, it is now 8:57

a.m. this is a live look at roadways in germantown. we have a winter weather alert. that was the hot spot for snowfall. we now go to the traffic center with how the commute is looking. >> we are looking at crosschecked divot he reported on 270 southbound after route 80. you will be able to get around but watch for the ire and rescue response -- for the fire and rescue response. no reported problems on the top side of the beltway are getting around the beltway but edmondson wrote at decatur street is still shut down after our early morning water main break. kenilworth avenue is closed between tilden and the caterer as a detection. -- and to cater as a brick -- and decatur as a precaution. >> 30 two degrees downtown and

light lingering snow showers to our west. things will wind down for the rest of the afternoon and we will be dealing with windy and cold conditions. we are expecting windchill factors to be in the teens tonight and tomorrow morning, in the single digits. snowfall totals are about 4.5 inches down to about half an inch at reagan national airport. no additional accumulation today but sunshine later today. >> thank you for watching. we will see you back here for

announcer: it's "live with kelly and michael."

today from the movie "wild," actress reese witherspoon. and, we get a visit from the talented steve carell. plus "shameless" star emmy rossum all next on "live." fundsfund [captioning made possible by disney-abc domestic television] announcer: now here are kelly ripa and michael strahan! [cheers and applause] ♪ [cheers and applause]