making news in america this morning -- >> high anxiety. stock markets plummet overnight, following a big loss by the dow. investors nervous about a new job report out today. kidnapping charges for an american church group in haiti. they thought they'd go free. instead, they face decades in prison. and winter blast. from drenching rain to several feet of snow. hundreds of flights already canceled, on this february 5th, 2010. good friday morning to you. i'm stephanie sy. jeremy hubbard is on assignment. >> and i'm vinita nair. overseas stock markets are

taking a hit. the unemployment rate is expected to cover around 10%. >> and the report will revise upward the massive number of jobs lost over the last year. viviana hurtado reports from washington. >> reporter: more jobs may have been lost in the depth of this recession than most realize. the number of jobs cut is expected to rise by roughly 800,000 more than previously thought. this means since january 2008, 8 million americans will have lost their jobs. speaking at a fund-raiser last night, the president insisted his top priority is putting people back to work. >> our most urgent task is job creation. that was our number one priority last year. it's our number one priority this year. >> reporter: but stocks yesterday tumbled, in part because investors lack confidence in the administration's plan for economic recovery. they're also anxious about today's jobs report. >> we need jobs, no matter what. i think the administration is finally fully aware of that. and they're trying to address it. >> the biggest fear right now is

kind of two things. one is unemployment. and two is how long is this recovery going to take? >> reporter: later today, the president travels to maryland to meet with business owners. he'll be drumming up support for his economic plan, including one that would use some t.a.r.p. to lend to small businesses and a jobs bill. these proposals require support in congress. >> we have a jobs agenda. it's about putting people back to work. >> reporter: republicans say the democrats' initiative will only add to the ballooning federal deficit. >> it's going to add $100 billion to the deficit. that's not something i can support. >> reporter: many economists predict unemployment will remain at 10%. that's where it is right now, through 2010, which could be good for republicans and bad for democrats, since this is an election year. vinita and stephanie? >> we'll be waiting for today's report. viviana, thanks. the morning's other big financial story, growing problems for toyota over safety issues.

>> here are the new developments. the company's ceo holds his first news conference about the massive recalls later today in japan. also, officials are apparently preparing to recall thousands of prius models because of brake problems. and that could affect $100,000 models here in the u.s. the company is also looking into similar problems with the lexus hybrid. with more, here's our t.j. winick. >> reporter: there's a report that toyota will recall 270,000 of its prius hybrid vehicles over brake problems in the united states and japan. it's even more troubling because of mounting evidence the company has failed to tell its customers and the government all it knows about defects in its vehicles. >> i would describe it as a culture of hypocrisy and deception. >> reporter: a former lawyer and whistleblower, biller, says officials ordered cover-ups of safety issues. >> they were hiding evidence, destroying evidence. >> reporter: across the country, many toyota dealers are working around the clock tending to cars

that drivers bring in. and also tending to the cars on the lot so they can sell them. the majority of drivers abc news spoke with said they were satisfied with toyota's response. >> i think the company's still a good company. they just had a tough one to deal with. >> reporter: still, many like mike gonzales aren't convinced. >> i'm worried. very worried. i don't know what else could be coming up with it. >> reporter: one toyota dealer in new jersey, feels the media and government are making it worse. >> people on the telephone, taking 10 to 15 minutes to talk to those people. the people who actually have a problem, they may not be getting in because we're taking care of hysteria. >> reporter: but safety advocates is claiming toyota has used influence to stymie investigations of its runaway cars by the u.s. government. t.j. winick, abc news. another winter storm is slamming the east coast and ohio valley today. and mid-atlantic states are bearing the brunt. salt spreaders are out in force

in the nation's capital, where they're expecting up to a foot of snow. and by tomorrow morning, surrounding areas could see up to two feet. airlines are bracing for the worst. these major carriers have already canceled hundreds of flights today, with more of the same expected tomorrow. amtrak has also canceled most of its trains heading south from washington, d.c. accuweather's raychel harvey-jones has more on the scope of the storm. >> this storm has produced heavy rainfall across the south, dumping two and three inches across parts of texas and the gulf states. and impacting travel hugely. and it makes its way toward the south and east, we will be expecting heavy snowfall totals. across the carolinas, into florida, temperatures are a little warmer. we're just looking for heavy rain here. css the northeast, baltimore, philadelphia, washinnd.c., and new york city, certainly the commute from 5:00 onward will certainly be a difficult one. heavy, disruptive snow across

i-80, parts of i-70. and a heavy band of paralyzing snow along the i-95 corridor. this system will produce hazardous highways. we've seen airlines cancel their flights ahead of this storm even arriving. stephanie, vinita, back to you. >> you can get the latest from accuweather from abcnews.com. a bizarre scene could unfold later today in los angeles. michael jackson's doctor, conrad murray, says he's going to surrender to police, whether he's actually be charged with a crime or not. that follows negotiations between murray's lawyers and the prosecutor over jail time. james ray has spent a second night in a arizona jail, after pleading not guilty to manslaughter charges. ray is accused in the deaths of three followers during a sweat lodge ceremony back in october. if convicted, he could face more than 35 years in prison. activists are gearing up for day two of their first-ever convention. they have descended on nashville, tennessee, after shaking up town hall meets and congressional committees across the country. abc's john berman is there.

>> reporter: the first ever national tea party convention brought in delegates as diverse as the dams, who came in from indiana in a car. >> we're really normal people. very middle class. >> reporter: to william temple, who came in a kilt. >> the government, now, for the last 50 years, has been moving away from the constitution and to governing as a tyranny. >> reporter: but they came together with one goal in mind. what do you want the tea party movement to do in 2010? >> win. >> reporter: win what? >> congress. >> reporter: for whom? >> well, conservatives. >> reporter: judson phillips put together this convention to try to harness the political power of the tea party movement, a movement that helped fuel rallies and marches last year, and helped mobilize support for scott brown last month in massachusetts. while these activists share a disdain of big government, and what they call out-of-control spending, there is no single tea party group. there's tea party nation, tea party patriots, tea party express, new american tea party, tax day tea party, tea party

revolution, just to name a few. and some of the factions are furious with how this convention is set up -- for profit, charging $550 per delegate. >> when somebody steps up, and they say that their purpose of putting on a convention like this is to make a profit, it essentially is the antithesis of a grass roots movement. >> reporter: the keynote speaker, sarah palin, will be receiving a reported $100,000 for her appearance saturday night, though palin says she will not pocket the money. >> i won't personally gain from being there. the speaker's fee will go right back into the cause. >> reporter: so, some controversy in this first-ever national convention. john berman, abc news, nashville, tennessee. >> certainly a different version of grass roots. when we come back, ketchup in a cup. the replacement idea for those tough-to-open packets. big banks, big trouble. charges filed against bank of america and its former chief. and a homecoming of sorts this morning. former residents of america arrive in china.

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recapping your top story. investors are on-edge this morning, ahead of the government's release of the big january jobs report. tokyo's nikkei average tumbled nearly 3% today. hong kong's hang seng plummeted more than 3%. in london, the ftse opened sharply lower. this follows the worst day of the year on wall street. the dow plunged nearly 270 points yesterday, closing just above 10,000. the nasdaq fell 65 points to close at 2125.

bank of america is facing new charges that it misled investors when it took over merrill lynch at the height of the financial crisis. new york's attorney general filed civil charges against the bank and its former ceo, saying b of a failed to disclose massive losses at merrill. the bank received an additional $20 billion of bailout funds to offset those losses. in today's "usa today" tech report, computers go 3-d. there's a couple of new 3-d laptops on the market. one by acor. the other by esus. ed baig has been testing them out. and says they're not quite ready for primetime. >> an intriguing curiosity. but i want the technology to improve. and more importantly, get more content to watch on the thing. there are some interesting games. but we're going to need more. >> you can read ed's complete review on usatoday.com. facebook is getting a face-lift. the special networking giant began rolling out the new look

to its home page yesterday. the tap future has a dropdown list with notifications and messages. it's easier to locate your favorite application and games and discover new ones. there's actually hundreds of anti-ketchup groups on facebook. but they have reason to rejoice this morning. heinz has redesigned this new packet that lets you squeeze or dip. some residents in the midwest and southeast are testing the packet. it rolls out at select fast food restaurants this fall. >> anti-ketchup packets? >> i guess because they're hard to tear open. >> use your teeth. can make a real mess. coming up next, people check the latest track of that major winter storm hitting the east coast. plus, the fate of the american missionaries in haiti. they now face a lengthy jail term. of course. it's where wt. what about here? our first date. [laughs]

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here's the leading edge of that big storm moving up the east coast. right now, it is already dumping snow in western virginia and the ohio valley. and it is gaining strength before blowing into the nation's capital. and for a look at the morning road conditions. rain, ice or snow from florida to south jersey. roads could be impassable at times in virginia and maryland. snowy highways across i-75 in the ohio valley. lighter snow from st. louis up to fargo. rain and snow on i-5 out west. >> if you are flying today, expect airport delays in san francisco, l.a., minneapolis and kansas city. and from philadelphia to atlanta. the ten u.s. missionaries accused of trying to smuggle 33 children out of haiti were sure they'd be coming home. they arrived at a court hearing, packed up and ready to board a charter jet. instead, they're behind bars indefinitely. charged with kidnapping and conspiracy. david wright reports from port-au-prince.

>> reporter: they arrived at the courthouse this afternoon, smiling, crammed into two police vehicles. in the back of one, their backpacks and other personal effects. >> you have your bags. do you think you're going home? >> reporter: we expect we will be released today, mouthed the group's leader, laura silsby. one by one, police escorted them in. the missionaries unrepentant. >> we expect that god's will be done and we will be released. and we are looking to what god is going to do. >> reporter: the courthouse grounds serve as a tent camp. people made homeless by the quake. their plight was just part of the backdrop. these people are american, says this man. the whole world just wants to know what will happen to the americans. when the missionaries emerged hours later, some were still smiling, even after receiving the bad news. the police vehicles sped off with cameras in hot pursuit. they'd expected to be headed out of the country. in fact, their lawyer in the

dominican republic had even chartered them a plane to take them out. but for now, they're headed back to jail. bail is possible but rarely granted here. a verdict could come in as little as three months, although a magistrate has the authority to free the americans earlier. worst case scenario? 15 years for each kidnapping count. each conspiracy count carries a maximum penalty of nine years. >> too surprised. why am i surprised? because, really, these people are innocent. >> reporter: as the americans were shuffled back into their cells, no comment and no idea if or when they'll be free. david wright, abc news, port-au-prince. north korea says it has decided to release an american missionary arrested on christmas day for illegally entering the country. robert park was carrying letters denouncing leader kim jong-il and asking for the closure of camps for political prisoners. north korean officials say they are setting park free because of, quote, sincere repentance of his wrongdoing. it's super bowl time.

there's tickets available for the game. online ticket sales, the majority is being bought by people in louisiana, as opposed to indiana. here's j.w. stewart of espn news. >> good morning. i'm j.w. stewart with this espn news update. rebron and the cavs visit the heat. first quarter, heat throw the ball away. j.j. hickson makes them pay. throwing down on d. wade. hickson with 12. wade would get a measure of revenge here in the first. tagging and hitting. he had 24 points in the game. only six in the second half. second quarter, shaq comes up with the steal. gives it to danny greene. up top to lebron. he had 36. and the caves have won fenn in a row. alexander ovechkin and the caps have won 11 in a row. meeting up with the rangers. 15 seconds left in the second, ovechkin. with one hand, he beats henrik lundqvist. worth another look. going five-hole on michal

rozsival. that's ovechkin's second goal of the game. third period, 5-5 game. caps on a powerplay. poti's shot and save. niklas backstrom will score off the rebound. backstrom, part of a five-point night. and the caps have won 12 in a row. the ottawa senators on a ten-game winning streak. hosting the vancouver canucks. going into the first on the powerplay, mihalik, his first in the season. jason spezza, his ninth goal in the last eight games. the sens have won 11 in a row. they take this one, 3-1. that will do it for this update. for all of your breaking news, highlights and scores, make sure you stay current with espn news. >> our thanks to espn. two american-born pandas begin their new lives in china today. >> tai shan and mei lan arrive in china. they will take part in a breeding program to restore

their endangered species. >> first, they have to adjust to their lifestyle. now, they will each have roommates. >> and unlike their u.s. diet of cooked sweet potatoes a enbirthday cake, they will be munching on steamed bred in addition to their usual bamboo. they miss the bad weather on the east coast. but they also miss the super bowl. >> too bad for them. hopefully they get satellite tv. coming up next, the stories we'll be following today. stay with us. it's packed with powerful nutrients that help strengthen your immune system. okay, bring it on, bad stuff. still healthy? mm-hmm. like the cranberry, the pomegranate is a super fruit, prized since ancient times. he would know. [ snickers ] also available in light and diet.

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now, a look ahead to the stories we'll be watching on this friday. anxious investors are looking to the january jobs numbers released this morning. the unemployment rate is expected to stay at 10%, or rise just above it. that helped send overseas markets down. former president bill clinton arrives in haiti today, where he'll deliver some relief supplies and meet with leaders. "nightline's" cynthia mcfadden is traveling with the former president. her special reports begin tonight. this morning, president obama attends a memorial service for the cia agents killed in afghanistan in december. later today, he visits the little league world champions. michael jackson's doctor, conrad murray, is going to turn himself into a los angeles prosecutor today, even if no formal charges have been brought against him. his lawyers have been haggling with authorities over the terms of his surrender.

for some of you, your local news is next. for everyone else, "america this morning" continues after this. announcer: kids who don't at breakfast .aren' getting the nutrition they need to keep their bodies strong. carnation instant breakfast essentials supplies all the nutrients of a complete breakfast to help build strong muscles and healthy bones. carnation instant breakfast essentials. good nutrition from the start. fearless performance. that's what you get with secret clinical sport. proud sponsor of tanith belbin... and all of the fearless athletes of the u.s. olympic team.

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captions by: caption colorado, llc (800) 775-7838 comments@captioncolorado.com 911, what's your emergency? >> i've got a gentlemen with a gun, he's loading it now. >> all of a sudden a man pulls ought a gun and then just starts shooting. and baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings blake one of the first at the scene after an officer is shot. you have your soap, toilet paper and eggs and milk? oh, boy. it will get white here real fast. i'm jamie costello. >> i'm megan pringle. i made the mistake of go together grocery store. it took four hours. >> you have to be nuts. >> i know, but i needed food. >> she was down to rice. >> yesterday she was at the gym working out and you run into

someone who says what? >> are we getting 40 inches of snow? >> where does this come from, meteorologist justin berk? >> there's a group of forecasters online who throw out a number and this one has run wild across the internet. i've been in touch with some of them. this will not be an all snow event. we should change the title line to snow, sleet, snow. that will impact how much we get. the potential here, i really think the moisture cop tent will be 2 feet of snow. when does it begin? between 10:00 this morning and 2:00 in the afternoon. the thing about this type of stomple, it's really not a slow transition. it gets heavy fast. so please be careful. don't want you to get caught in this. once it begins, within an hour or two, it gets heavy. basically a winter storm warning for everybody. new jersey has