pitch - blanca ---lucero benitez, en el siguiente reportaje, nos cuenta que efectos ---lucero benitezguiente reportaje, nos cuenta que efectos tendr el estado de emergencia en esa industria. take pkg 0:01 blanca --temperaturas bastante inusuales para esta temporada del aÑo., incluso hay muchos que piensan que debido a esta sequa ya se acab el invierno. cesar ---ahora pasamos con nuestro meteorologo.. . two box ..javier castro quien nos da un panorama de lo que se avecina. adelante javier. take lot stop open vo - blanca ---estamos a menos de 2 vo - blanca ---estamos a menos de 2 dias del partido que decidir el futuro de los 49'ers en la postemporada . ---esta noche, el equipo ya est en seattle, washington donde el domingo se enfrentar a su rival de liga, los "seahawks" por el titulo de la conferencia nacional y el boleto al super bowl. ---decenas de personas se congregaron en la entrada del hotel donde est hospedado el conjunto para darle la bienvenida a los jugadores y desearles buena suerte. cesar ---en nuestra region, los fanaticos de los 49ers tambien esperan el partido del domingo

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gio benitez, abc news, new york. >>> coming up -- the pope is offering his new year's message to the world. >>> plus, the battle continues over a little girl declared brain dead after having her tonsils removed. why her family still has hope. >>> more trouble for target. now there could be problems with gift cards consumers bought over the holidays. details coming up next. gift cards consumers bought over the holidays. details coming up next. ♪ [ birds chirping, twinkling noises ] you're always after me lucky charms! they're magically delicious! can help your kids' school get extra stuff. they're the only cereals with box tops for education. you can raise money for your kids' school. look for this logo. only on big g cereals. you can make a difference. every cereal box counts. tomato florentine soup, it took a little time to get it just right. [ ding ] ♪ but finally, it happened. perfection. at progresso, we've got a passion for quality, because you've got a passion for taste. [ male announcer ] you say tomato. ♪ old el paso says diced tomato stand 'n stuff chicken tacos. ♪ you say w

and we begin with gio benitez in chicago where they're getting more snow tonight on top of the foot theylready have. gio, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, david. yeah, the snow just started falling moments ago. in fact, you can hardly see this beautiful chicago skyline already, and that chicago river completely frozen. this is our icy nation. tonight millions are bracing for more than just a snowstorm, but also a paralyzing deep freeze, a bone-chilling blast of bitter cold temperatures now threatening much of the nation. forecasters predicting subzero wind chills beginning tomorrow, the most frigid cold snap in years. >> winter is brutal. >> reporter: how cold? this water freezing in just seconds. >> now it's ice. >> reporter: temperatures expected to plummet in green bay, making tomorrow's ice bowl one of the coldest nfl games in history. the packers and the 49ers will play in temperatures near zero degrees. it will feel like 15 below zero. wbay's matt smith is there. >> that all-important tailgating forecast here in green bay calls for a wind chill of negative 15. so for the ro

right there in the snow drift we begin with abc's gio benitez in chicago where it is piling up. gio. >> reporter: it sure is, diane. good evening to you from a snowy chicagoland. it's getting colder and colder. 12 degrees right now. it feels like two below zero. this stuff isn't just fluffy. it's downright relentless. from blaring sirens in evanston, illinois, alerting residents to a snow emergency, to a chicago whiteout, up to 18 inches of fresh snow in places. the midwest is a blowing, snowing, deep freeze. officials too, sounding a warning. >> we ask that residents check on the well-being of residents, friends and neighbors. >> reporter: the city's full fleet of 287 snow plows and salt spreaders dominate the streets. snow plows in nearby rosemont out in force, too, looking like a choreographed ballet. drivers operating on little sleep, a grueling job as we found out. >> when it gets heavy, you just keep going and going and going. >> that's what we do. if you left it build up, you'll never move it. >> reporter: lyle richmond knows that, clearing the snow from his house, over a

we asked abc's gio benitez for a survival guide tonight for the best coats. and a reality check on how much heat we really lose, how fast. >> reporter: emergency rooms tonight, getting ready for an influx of frostbite and hypothermia. look how fast heat seeps out when you're not bundled up. watch this hand. remove the glove and in 60 seconds, the orange and yellow heat disappears and frostbite begins. i'm wearing three layers of down jacket under this one. look at what happens when we turn to this infrared memera. you se the bright spots right there? that's heat escaping. that's not a good thing. not all winter coats are created equal. we took to the streets of boston to show how. you're wearing a fleece jacket. you have a down. she's losing heat on the shoulders. looks pretty warm. and look at these. who do you think feels the coldest? >> i have layers on under this. >> reporter: look at her zipper. heat escaping right through it. but her friend's zipper is covered up by a wind flap. he's warm. and if you think wool is the answer -- you're losing a lot of bo

gio benitez, abc news, los angeles. >> and you can see the full report on a special "20/20" tonight -the influence." again, it's tonight, at 10:00 eastern. >>> and when we come back here -- ♪ let it go >> two tiny singers belting it out. a reason to smile in our friday "instant index." instant index. . i worked a patrol unit for 17 years in the city of baltimore. when i first started experiencing the pain, it's, it's hard to describe because you have a numbness... but yet you have the pain like thousands of needles sticking in your foot. it was progressively getting worse, and at that point i knew i had to do something. when i went back to my healthcare professional... that's when she suggested the lyrica. once i started taking the lyrica, the pain started subsiding. [ male announcer ] it's known that diabetes damages nerves. lyrica is fda approved to treat diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new, or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or be

gio benitez, abc news, new york. >>> coming up -- the pope is offering his new year's message to the world. >>> plus, the battle continues over a little girl declared brain dead after having her tonsils removed. why her family still has hope. >>> more trouble for target. now there could be problems with gift cards consumers bought over the holidays. details coming up next. gift cards consumers bought over the holidays. details coming up next. ♪ [ male announcer ] your eyes. even at a distance of 10 miles... the length of 146 football fields... they can see the light of a single candle. your eyes are amazing. look after them with centrum silver. multivitamins with lutein and vitamins a, c, and e to support healthy eyes and packed with key nutrients to support your heart and brain, too. centrum silver. for the most amazing parts of you. eat tomato sauce on my spaghetti. the acidic levels in some foods can cause acid erosion. the enamel starts to wear down. and you can't grow your enamel back. i was quite surprised, as only few as four exposures a day what that can do to you. it's quite

gio benitez, abc news, chicago. >>> and we have some pictures, now, we want to share tonight. all of us looking out together at each other. arctic travelers bundled up. a sea of eyes peering out from mountains of scarves and hats. and take a look. so many eyelashes and eyebrows turned to icicles. >>> and one family sent us this picture saying it was something they've never seen before. a ring of ice around the dog's water bowl. and something they'd never seen before in florida, a snowy owl usually found in the arctic, landing on the beaches of the sunshine state. by the way, we followed up on a hunch today and found a record number of us are searching online for, quote, warm-weather vacations. at least we can dream. >>> and now, we turn from the cold blast across the nation to another big story in the news tonight. the cold reception at the white house for a new book, which is peeling back the curtains on the white house windows, telling people what others real thought of each other inside. and the unlikely author is former secretary of defense robert gates, shaking things up.

ac is benitez may be trying to appease her mind as well when he is making concessions. chief palestinian negotiator said that i caught a case these remedies of sabotaging the peace and pets. john kerry's trying to help the two sides agree on a free man for a final agreement and i say she could meet but then again next week. on the data from the united states may raise questions about the strength of the country's economic recovery. the jobless rate fell last month to its lowest level in more than fine pianist still in play is created fewer possessions than analysts had expected the department officials say the jump this plate stand at six point seven percent as pretense of points down from the sun that. the colonel was the lowest in the eighty three he enters injury is at its seventy four thousand non farm jobs and is expected to come to town centers authorities in st now reporting more human cases at the theater and an avid at the time to stop the virus from spreading. officials are tracking infections but the eight seven and nine strain. the reported sixteen cases acr

gio benitez, abc news, new york. >>> and someone got a kind of royal reality check today. the queen of england and her family. a scolding, new report warning them to start tightening the belt. they have apparently run through a fortune. here's abc's terry moran. >> reporter: think of the british royal family and you think of opulence and grandeur and magnificent events. you would never believe they're nearly broke. but they are. well, not them personally. but the royal household. the official department that runs all of their palaces and properties, 360 buildings, thousands of employees. a scathing report in the british parliament found that the queen's public accounts are down to less than a couple of million bucks. privately, she's still fabulously rich. but her public finances and her palace are a mess. buckingham palace looks great on the outside. but behind the scenes, this place is in desperate need of repairs. the roof is leaking. central heating needs replacing. and chunks of stone are falling off the building, endangering members of the royal family. the report de

>> gio benitez leading us off. our thanks to you. >>> the storm is quickly moving eastward, we're talking about possible blizzard conditions. i want to bring in meteorologist mike working nonstop and what's the track of this thing? what are we looking at right now? >> it's a powerful storm coming out of the central plains. it will grab moisture from the gulf of mexico and move to the atlantic where it will bomb out and drive snow to the great lakes. this is going to be snow. it's really cold air, a frigid outbreak of air. look at these high temperatures, new york, boston, only in the teens for high temperatures, we may modify a little on saturday but not by much. >> because of those temperatures we're talking about a lot of snow. >> a lot of snow. this stretches from nebraska to the northeast. wither's talking about some places picking up as much as a foot to a foot and a half of show. added to that very strong winds, blizzard conditions in the northeast, wind chills indexes dropping below zero, dangerous condition

abc's gio benitez, now, on the family that is america strong. >> reporter: when it comes to competitive family chops -- or saws -- quite like this one. >> my body just takes over. total thoughtless state. i love it. >> reporter: that's arden cogar jr., a four-time u.s. champion. besting anyone in the country at slicing that bark. except maybe for cousin matt, who at just 27, stole the u.s. championship title. they say matt was born with a saw in hand. two in a family tree of lumberjacks extraordinaire. 20 in all. so, how many of you have been involved in timbersports? all of you. the patriarch is arden cogar sr., 79 years old. >> my father, he's been one of the greatest axmen to ever pick up an ax in north america. and he passed it on to me and has passed it on to the entire family. >> i've won lots of championships. >> ready, pap? let's have some fun. what do you say? >> reporter: axing his way to fame. >> there is arden cogar. >> reporter: here he is on abc's wide world of sports back in 1972. >> and it's arden cogar, the winner. >> reporter: and now, it's my turn. it's not even. they

abc's gio benitez. >> reporter: tonight, new documents show officials loyal to governor chris christie were warned on day one that the massive september traffic jam, that it was possibly life-threatening. and one of the key architects of the jam, christie's port authority appointee, david wildstein, went to the bridge himself to witness the standstill on the first day. christie's aides have said, the four-day jam on the world's busiest bridge was part of a traffic study. but it appears it was political payback, after ft. lee, new jersey's, democratic mayor, would not support christie's 2013 re-election. christie aide, bridget anne kelly, writing in an e-mail, time for some traffic problems in ft. lee. wildstein replying, got it. christie apologized thursday, denying any involvement. >> that should have been a ringing phrase that he blames himself. rather than playing the victim that his own people betrayed him. >> reporter: christie openly mocked the jam in december with reporters. >> i worked the cones, actually. >> reporter: the documents also show that those close to christie went o

abc's gio benitez, now, and the man who is "america strong." >> reporter: little kate, a 3-year-old ball energy, with dirty blonde hair and big, blue eyes. but kate also has autism. she can't sit still for long. so, when kate and her mom, shanell, boarded a plane to philadelphia, shanell was bracing for the worst. >> we knew that flights were difficult for her. >> reporter: a businessman sat down. kate immediately started reaching for him and calling him daddy. and what happened next led shanell to write an extraordinary thank you note that she posted online. >> dear, daddy, in seat 16c. you could have shifted uncomfortably in your seat. you could have ignored her. you could have given me that smile that i despise because it means manage your child, please. >> reporter: but instead, that businessman, eric kunkel, put down his work. and spent the next 2 1/2 hours playing games with kate. the little ninja turtles. >> she brought them out. and she wanted to play. we talked about my dogs. i showed her the pictures. >> sometimes the simplest things are such a big deal. but it's a big deal for

here's abc's gio benitez. >> reporter: tonight, irs watchdogs are calling it a growing epidemic.off with your tax returns before you ever file them. jennifer orange says she was a victim. >> somebody had already filed taxes using our social security numbers. and we were denied getting our tax return back. >> reporter: she says it took her six months to get her hands on her own cash. >> it makes you feel like you're about this big. >> reporter: she's in florida, which tops the nation in i.d. theft. but it's happening everywhere. irs watchdogs say 1.6 million americans nationwide fell victim to the crime in just the first half of 2013. the federal trade commission telling abc news tax i.d. threat complaints have nearly doubled. >> all they have to do is use your social security number, fill out a 1040-ez form. these days, you don't have to submit a paper copy of your w-2, so, thieves can make up all the information and get a tax refund in your name. >> reporter: what's worse? fixing the problem and getting your money back isn't easy. it could take as long as a year. >> but this is

abc's gio benitez, now, shows us. >> reporter: the big thaw is causing big problems. in chicago, three people plunged into the icy waters. two died. in maryland, rescuers rushed to save three children who also fell through the ice. at least two tornadoes in north carolina, and record-breaking winds knocking down these homes under construction. in upstate new york, ten feet of water, inundating homes. >> this is the worst i've ever seen it. >> reporter: families rescued by bulldozer. in new hampshire, the water looking like a shattered skating rink. here in pennsylvania, this isn't snow. this is ice that hasn't melted just yet. and now, the new problem, giant potholes. this one in pennsylvania. turning this bridge into swiss cheese. the warm-up causing a mess, after the coldest freeze in decades. gio benitez, abc news, morrisville, pennsylvania. >>> and there is fresh trouble, tonight, for governor chris christie of new jersey, after the scandal over that epic traffic jam. tonight, a new question involving superstorm sandy and even christie's family. is this fair? abc'

once again, gio benitez. >> 9-1-1, what's your emergency? >> yeah.tools. >> reporter: three weeks before anthony curcio made off down that babbling brook on an inner tube, this call came in to 911 reporting suspicious items behind a dumpster. >> you found burglary tools? >> yeah -- a cap, a wig, a can of mace bigger than i've ever seen. >> can i get your last name please? >> dean -- d,e,a,n. >> your, your first name? >> alan -- a,l,e,n. >> what's your phone number? >> i don't have one. i'm homeless. >> reporter: homeless. that's right. the caller was someone who didn't have much, but among his belongings -- a moral compass. remember the dumpster guy who warned curcio, weeks before the robbery about being up to no good? >> i thought, well, maybe if he's homeless, maybe he's been drinking, maybe he's not going to remember my description. >> reporter: now, he was a crucial witness, and buzz and hatch needed to find him to help them nail curcio. but how do you find a witness with no address? >> i went to a mcdonald's and i bought ten regular hamburgers,

we begin with abc's gio benitez in chicago where schools will be closed today. >> reporter: another major snowstorm pummels the midwest. almost a foot of snow falling. up next, the coldest arctic air in decades. a subzero cold snap hitting america's heartland. monday's forecast, 8 below zero in cleveland. 12 below in pittsburgh. people here in chicago calling their city chiberia. >> now i'm going to buy hat and gloves. >> reporter: you need it. city officials with the warning -- >> these are extremely dangerous conditions. we strongly urge people to heed warnings and take the necessary precautions to stay safe. if you can stay indoors, please do so. >> reporter: that's why minnesota's governor canceled classes at home to keep kids at home. in the east, ice is the problem causing this massive 11-car pileup in new york's staten island. the concern on the road, black ice. that ice created in below freezing temperatures. slick roadways flipping cars on their sides and making sidewalks slippery. >> the most common things are going to be ankle injuries, wrist injuries, knee and elbow. >> report

este zur dado de carlos morales y 2 minutos mÁs tarde los diablos empatan con anotaciÓn de edgar benÍtezs seguidores y con anotaciÓn de aldo denigris. logran su primera victoria del torneo el equipo de gÜero real llegÓ a 4 unidades chiapas se queda con un punto, el chiverÍo parece resucitar. >>> en la liga de las estrellas, el real madrid, venciÓ al espanyol con apretado 1 a 0 con este resultado los merengues estÁn a solo una distancia de los lÍderes atlÉtico de madrid y barcelona. mente en la. nfl los 49ers de san francisco tendrÁn su tercera final. vencer a los panthers carolina y disputaron el tÍtulo de la conferencia nacional ante los seahawks. y lo 49 rs con su sÉptimo super bowl en su historia. para estar informado minuto a minuto de todas las noticias del mundo internacional. visite univisiÓn deportes.com. pase muy buenas noches. >>> en instantes millones kwel branch el dÍa de no llevar pantalones en lo met cientos de personas, incluyendo mu s >>> cientos de personas hombres de distintas edades abordaron 6 de las 1 lÍneas del metro de la ciudad de mÉxico sin pantalones para crear

gio benitez, abc news, boston. >>> here's a look at your weather.ies in 25 states. even in the deep south. most areas of the midwest will also see light snow. the west coast, though, has the opposite problem. hot and dry. >> southern texas will see temperatures in the 30s. just a little warmer along the gulf coast. only in the 50s in southern florida. high in southern california, of course, will be in the mid-70s. >>> now to pop star justin bieber who could be facing months in jail following his first arrest. bieber waving to fans after he was released on bail. he was picked up in miami beach yesterday, accused of drag racing, drunk driving and resisting arrest. the 19-year-old was allegedly going twice the speed limit when he was pulled over in a yellow lamborghini. police say he admitted to smoking pot, drinking and taking prescription medicine. bieber seems to be turning into the newest bad boy. even the womanest arrested with is no stranger to trouble. we'll have more in "the skinny." >>> chris christie and his gop leadership are on deadline to

medaillasta olimpica soraya jimenez, el ex marchista noe hernandez y el ex jugador del america chucho benitezxicana dejo la mas grande de las alegrias para este pais bajo el mando de miguel el piojo herrera el pase al mundial, brasil 2014. en mexico, jazive perez telemundo.. take weather sot segment ends a todos los que se les ha negado acceso a cuidado médico... bienvenidos a covered california. ahora, no se te puede negar cobertura médica por tener un problema previo de salud. inscríbete hoy en coveredca.com. del tiempo para esta noche y los proximos dias.. take pkg take pkg take juanfra live amigos al regresar despedimos nuestro segmento del aÑo con dos entrevistas que dieron mucho que hablar y jugadas memorables del 2013... segment ends end segment b francisco ramirez y domina la accion, adelante juan francisco chroma key jf hola blanca buenas noches, amigos un gusto saludarles en este nuestro ultimo segmento deportivo del 2013... precisamente en este aÑo muchas son las entrevistas que les hemos presentado pero hay dos en particular que destacan por el entorno a ellas; la primera, marco f

abc's gio benitez has the latest. >> reporter: two of christie's aides at the center of the bridgegatecandal may be served with legislative subpoenas as early as monday. lawmakers demanding documents and testimony as the world weighs in on that massive four-day traffic jam on the george washington bridge. right here on abc's "this week" rudy giuliani on chris christie -- >> he's handled it the best way you can handle it. he held a press conference. he's flatly denied is it. >> reporter: there's a big if. >> if it turns out there's some evidence he knew about it, he's taken the complete risk his political career is over. >> reporter: there's no evidence governor christie had any involvement in the traffic lane shutdown last september but e-mails show christie's own aides participated, perhaps for political payback. a democratic amablyman investigating the incident now says this may be a criminal matter. question of misuse of public resources during that four-day jam. >> when you use the george washington bridge for what the e-mails show as political payback, that shows using public prop

gio benitez, massachusetts. >>> at least air travel is back to normal. but it will still take a few days to work through the backlog. the latest storm caused 5,000 flights to be delayed or canceled. and of course this is having a ripple effect across the nation. >> and the coldest winter in decades. >> with more on extreme temperatures, accuweather's jim dickey is joining us now. jim? >> good morning, john and marci. keeping it brutally cold here today. in fact, a fresh-up of arctic air has moved into the northern plains and the upper midwest. these are expected early morning low temperatures. minus 29 in bismarck. minus 14 in minneapolis. we won't get above zero throughout the day. northeast, new england, not much better. minus 3 in syracuse falling to minus 16 before the sun rises into burlington. single digits all over the place. 8 pittsburgh. d.c. 7 this morning into new york city. and unfortunately, this cold will have some staying pattern. this pattern holds through the end of the month into early february, the jet stream is southward keeping a num

gio benitez, abc news, new york. >>> coming up -- the pope is offering his new year's message the world. >> the battle continues over a little girl declared brain dead after having her tonsils removed. >>> more trouble for target. problems with gift cards consumers bought over the holidays. details coming up next. >>> welcome back. investors are toasting wall street's best year since 1995. the dow will open this new year nearly 3500 points higher than it did last year, it closed at an all-time high yesterday. this year's gain helped investors recouped most of what was lost during that crisis. it was fueled by the fed's stimulus program. >>> there's more trouble for target. the retailer now says that some of its gift cards sold during the holiday season weren't activated properly. just a few weeks, the accounts of some 40 million consumers that used debit and credit cards at target were hacked. as for this latest problem, target is going to honor those gift cards. >>> netflix plans to be try out a new rate. they'll be allowed watch movies on one screen at a time. for $7.99 you can watch

but as we hear from gio benitez, they are still waiting. >> reporter: as we hear the famous tune, oldscue. >> the chinese helicopter can reach is when the weather improves. >> reporter: this, after three ice-breaking ships like this one couldn't shatter miles through the ice to reach the ship. watch through the time lapse video as it tries and tries again. the latest rescue plan? most of the 74 on board will be flown in groups of 12 to a chinese icebreaker nearby, from there they will be carried to the icebreaker at the edge of the sea. for now, a message. gio benitez, abc news, new york. >>> the archdiocese of philadelphia has helped to post bail for the first official convicted in the sex abuse scandal. his conviction was overturned last week. he needed to pay $25,000 before his release and likely it will come in the next coming days. >>> and the state of utah is not giving up on banning same-sex marriage. the state is asking the court to issue an order halting the marriage after the federal judge's ruling. they say it is quote, a front to the will of the state and the residents and

and begin with gooe joe benitez in chicago. getting more on top of the foot they have.ood evening. >> reporter: good evening, david. yeah, the snow just started falling moments ago. in fact you can hardly see this beautiful chicago skyline already, and that chicago river completely frozen. this is our icy nation. tonight millions are bracing for more than just a snowstorm. but also a paralyzing deep freeze, a bone-chilling blast of bitter cold now threatening much of the nation. forecasters predicting sub zero wind chills beginning tomorrow. the most frigid in years. >> it's brutal. >> reporter: howl cold? water freezing in just seconds. >> now it's ice. >> reporter: temperatures expected to plummet in green bay, making tomorrow's ice bowl one of the coldest nfl games in history. the packers and 49ers playing in temperatures near 0. it will feel like 15 below zero. wbay's matt smith is there. >> the all-important tailgating forecast calls for a wind chill of negative 15. so for the roughly 80,000 fans brave enough to embrace the bitter cold, receive free hand warmers, f

gio benitez is in chicago again tonight where they have been hammered with two giant rounds of snow and the sub zero temperatures coming. gio, good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you, david. the snow has been falling for more than 24 hours now. and i just want to show you just how much snow there is here on this chicago sidewalk. take a look. it is almost up to my knees. this is really the beginning of a nightmare here in the midwest. tonight, another major snowstorm pummels the midwest. almost a foot of snow falling today. and up next, the coldest arctic air in decades. a subzero cold snap hitting america's heartland, monday's forecast? 8 below zero in cleveland. 12 below in pittsburgh. people here in chicago calling their city chi-beria. >> i'm going to buy a hat and gloves. >> reporter: yeah, you need it. city officials with the warning -- >> these are extremely dangerous conditions and we strongly urge people to heed the warnings and take the necessary precautions to stay safe. if you can stay indoors please do so. >> reporter: that's why minnesota's governor has already canc

amy. >> all right, gio benitez, thanks so much. and speaking of the bitter cold, temperatures bulging. let's go back to ginger in central park for the details how cold this is going to get, ginger. >> reporter: not just record-breaking but potentially record-shattering. that's the cold air for next week. it's plenty cold this morning. new england has been there and will be there for days. let's look at the numbers as far south as tampa. yes, we are talking windchill advisories in florida this morning. parts of georgia and parts of winter weather advisories, too. the numbers of are single digits and teens and even parts of tennessee this morning. they we have a look what happens in the next cold blast. the numbers not just plummet but this is the wicked wild, brain-freezing. we use the word dangerous. it's when the pets absolutely need to come inside. when we go to 25, 35 below zero. you have to be outside for a short amount of time for frostbite and hypethermia to set him. we'll talk about another storm but for now dave and amy. >>

. >>> i'm gio benitez in chicago, where the deep freeze is causing a nightmare on the roads. car after car in the frozen midwest, stranded. >> not going to go. >> reporter: it's so dangerous indianapolis has, for the first time in 40 years, ordered all cars off the road. except for emergencies. treacherous winter conditions across the country causing crashes, like the one we saw this weekend in colorado. aaa reporting tonight, 14,000 calls for help today in the midwest. 30% are for car battery failures. so, we hit the road with a pro. all right. let's get out of here. tow truck driver james rodgers. >> it's hard to maintain a car in this kind of weather. a lot of people are getting stuck. >> reporter: a driver waves us down. >> are you guys a towing company? >> reporter: locked out of his own car. here's what can happen in weather like this. this handle was frozen when he tried to open the door. it just broke. and that's not the only problem. in weather like this, motor oil thickens. engines can crack because of frozen coolant. windshields can shatter and tires lose pressure.

here's abc's gio benitez. >> reporter: this morning, white-out conditions are keeping the 74 strandedip in the antarctic. >> we still not know when we'll be helicoptered out. >> reporter: this, after expl e explorers stompd on the ice to "auld lang syne." creating a makeshift helipad for rescuers. time-lapse video from one of those ice breakers show how it constantly got stuck. a helicopter will fly most of the passengers in groups of 12 to a nearby chinese icebreaker, from there, they'll be carried by barge to the australian icebreaker at the edge of the sea ice. >> we take each day as it comes and looking after each other and supporting each other as we can. >> reporter: for "good morning america," gio benitez, abc news, new york. >>> finally, a fitting end for johnny football's college career, the heisman winner jo johnny manziel led texas a&m in the biggest comeback in school's history. they came back to beat duke, manziel will enter the nfl draft later this year. >>> and that's the news for this new year's day. now, let's get a check of the weather where you are. >>> all right, l

here's abc's gio benitez. >> reporter: tonight, a united front.he stranded passengers stomping on sea ice to the tune of that famous new year's song, auld lang syne. ♪ >> reporter: creating a makeshift helipad for rescue. >> by getting the team to stomp down on the snow and ice so the chinese helicopter from snow dragon can reach us when the weather improves. >> reporter: this after three ice breaking ships like this one couldn't shatter miles of that thick ice to reach the ship. watch in this time-lapse video as it tries and tries again. the latest rescue plan, most of the 74 onboard will be flown, in groups of 12, to a chinese ice breaker nearby. from there they will be carried by barge to the australian ice breaker at the edge of the sea ice. for now on this holiday -- >> we're just about to enter 2014. >> reporter: a message -- >> happy new year! >> reporter: if the helicopter mission fails, reports tonight that the strong american ice breaker, the polar star isn't too far. it could reach that ship in just ten days if it's needed. >>> overseas

and we'll start with abc's gio benitez. >> reporter: as that bitter winter storm pulled out, people all over the east coast were left digging out. in new england, winds blowing all that snow around, 35-mile-per-hour gusts. here in plymouth, massachusetts, america's hometown, even that iconic plymouth rock is covered in snow. more than 13 inches of snow falling here, enough for this ice cream shop to jokingly put up a sign, see you in spring. people like jeff, clearing snow from in front of businesses. he's been at it since 6:00 a.m. you're keeping downtown alive. >> oh, absolutely. you have to. >> reporter: for the first time in history, philadelphia has had three snowfalls of six inches or more before february. philly and d.c. closing schools. but schools were open in new york city, where a new mayor faced a big test, complaints that streets weren't plowed quickly enough. >> the snow hit right before >> if there's any place that's not good enough, we're going to keep working. every hour from this point on to improve it. >> reporter: city streets like a skating rink for drivers and pede

bonds and clemens both did not make it and one guy actually voted for benitez. >>> johnny manziel isthe nfl draft, and we begin tonight's top five with miami heat great at basketball, awful at singing. i'm sorry, ms. jackson, i am for real. and it's all because you -- >> baby, there ain't no mountain high enough. >> all right. not the warriors most -- just a buzzer. the bank stays open in brooklyn. >>> no. 3, check out ireland. that's what i call a polar vortex. right? that's what it really looks like. >>> at no. 2, san diego state's josh davis. this is a getaway moment. he owes everybody on the team a six pack. >>> no. 1, blake griffin throwing it down over chris humphries. it was he who married kim kardashian briefly just a few years ago. >> so you heard about the -- the -- you know, the -- what's the cam again? >> dunk cam. >> i was trying to get you to put it on. >> you're supposed to dunk while he's on camera. >> yeah. exactly. that's what alex boone did to capper nishg. that's the craze. but it's emblemmatic, i think, of how relaxed the 49ers are right now. >> good. lose the fo

abc's gio benitez, on the frozen nation, tonight. >> reporter: from the arctic midwest to the frozen northeast, people are battling the ice and sometimes the ice wins. in west haven, connecticut, a dramatic ice rescue. a 70-yar-old man falling through while checking if the ice was safe to skate on. and near boston, ice overcoming fire hydrants right in the middle of a blaze. and right now here in west bridgewater, massachusetts, crews are demolishing this house. the cold weather really preventing firefighters from putting out this fire before it was too late. so, you're firefighters got to one. that one was frozen. the second one was frozen. the third one was frozen. it wasn't until the fourth one -- >> fourth one, that they finally got water. >> reporter: 3,000 feet away? >> the 1 we finally used, was 3,000 feet away. >> reporter: further north in quebec, another fire at a nursing home. emergency workers hampered by the cold. at least three dead and dozens missing. back here in the u.s., the national climateic data center says, records broken this month. 19 below in fargo, north dak

abc's gio benitez has the heroes of the cold. >> reporter: all across this frozen nation, workers like this michigan mailman, who has no other choice but to be outside in 15 degree cold. >> today i'll be in the field about seven hours. >> reporter: in new york, this delivery man, pushing packages of meat through the snow. in maryland, a postal worker climbing on the hood of his delivery truck to clear off ice. and here in chicago, where this morning we faced wind chills of 12 below zero, firefighters were called to a three alarm fire. frigid temperatures freezing icicles on that fire hydrant. >> most people can stay inside but your firefighters have to be out here in the cold. >>> whether it's icy cold conditions, or its hot conditions, either way, the firefighters, they have a battle in front of them. >> reporter: the deep freeze closing schools in wisconsin, which logged its coldest temperatures in nearly four decades. it's going to get worse. minnesota already cancelling monday's classes for the first time in 17 years. it's brutal, look at these bubbles in buffalo and massachusetts,

abc's gio benitez tonight. >> reporter: two of chris christie's aides at the center of the bridgegate scandal may be served with those legislative subpoenas as early as monday. lawmakers demanding documents and testimony as the world weighs in on that massive four-day traffic jam on the george washington bridge. right here on abc's "this week," republican rudy giuliani on chris christie. >> he's handled it the best way you can possibly handle it. he's held a press conference. he's flatly denied it. >> reporter: but there's a big if. >> if it turns out that there's some evidence that he knew about it, he's taken the complete risk that his political career is over. >> reporter: there's no evidence governor christie had any involvement in the traffic lane shutdown last september. but e-mails show christie's own aides participated, perhaps for political payback. a democratic assemblyman investigating the incident says this may be a criminal matter. questions tonight over the possible misewe of public resources during that four-day jam. >> when you use the george washington bridge for what

here's abc's gio benitez. >> reporter: he's the 32-year-old former professional soccer player, now the first latino star of "the bachelor" but tonight he's making headlines when a reporter asked if it would be a good idea to have a gay or bisexual bachelor? >> no. >> why not? >> just because -- i respect them but honestly, i don't think it's a good example for kids to watch that on tv. it's hard. >> reporter: juan pablo sited his upbringing. >> people have their husband and wife and have kids and that's how we are brought up. now there is fathers having kids and it's hard for me to understand that. >> reporter: then he went further. >> there is this thing about gay people that it seems to me, you know, and i don't know if i'm mistaken or not. but i meant, great, you know, i have a lot of friends but they're more pervert in a sense. to me the show would be too strong, too hard to watch on tv. >> reporter: today abc and the production company, warner horizon, responded with this joint statement. juan pablo's comments were careless, thoughtless and insensitive and in no way reflect the vi

but as we are hear from abc's gio benitez spirits aboard that stuck ship are still high. >> reporter:g syne." creating a makeshift heli-pad for a rescue. >> stomp down on the snow and iso the chinese helicopter can reach us when the weather improves. >> reporter: this after three ice breaking ships like this one couldn't shatter miles of that schick ice to reach the ship. watch in this time-lapsed video as it cries and tries again. the latest rescue plan most of the 74 on board will be flown in groups of 12 to a chinese ice breaker nearby. from there they will shall carried by barge to the australian ice breaker at the edge of the sea ice. for now on this holiday, a message. >> happy new year. >> reporter: gio benitez, abc news, new york. >>> the archdiocese of philadelphia has helped post bail for the first catholic church official convicted in the sex abuse scandal. monsignor william lynn's conviction for his handling of the abuse claims was overturned last week. he needed to pay $25,000 before his release and likely it will come in the next coming days. >>> well, the state of utah