join john berman and me every morning on "early start." then have a great weekend. >>> hello everyone. i'm fredricka whitfield. welcome to the "cnn newsroom." just in to cnn, a historic announcement from u.s. attorney general eric holder involving same-sex marriage in america. in a speech tonight, hold letter announce the justice department's plan to extend the federal government's recognition of same-sex marriages, even in the 34 states that don't consider it legal. i want tocnn correspondent in washington. taking place

i'm john berman. >> and i'm christine romans. it's monday, i'm sorry, february 24th. it's 5:00 a.m. in the east, and a lot to get to this morning. we'll begin with breaking news from ukraine, where an arrest warrant has been issued for the country's ousted prime minister, viktor yanukovych. ukraine's acting interior minister says he's wanted for the mass murder of peaceful citizens. this morning, his whereabouts are not known. it follows a weekend of political upheaval that saw yanukovych tossed out. a former rival freed from prison, and parliament appointing an acting president. there's growing concern about possible intervention by russia. cnn's nick paton walsh is live in kiev. bring us up to speed, nick. >> reporter: well, christine, the mass murder you're referring to is, of course, the shooting dead of dozens of protesters here, mostly by police down a few days ago just from where i'm standing here. now, they believe that yanukovych specifically ordered that, hence the arrest warrant. we're talk

john berman joining us this morning.hat some forecasters are calling potentially catastrophic for the deep south. people in georgia and the carolinas are hunkering down. among the big concerns of course, ice on roads, power lines, ice any where. another big headache, air travel. the storm scrapping more than 2,700 flights so far. meteorologist indra petersons is tracking the storm for us of course. let's begin with carol costello

i'm john berman >>> i'm michaela pereira. those stories and much more. >>> our stop story is this rare ice storm in the south knocking out power to tens of thousands. 143,000 as of this minute. it is only just beginning. thousands of flights have been canceled, schools are closed, millions of southerners have been told just stay home. we will show you the damage just ahead. >> also, at this hour, senator rand paul is set to talk about a lawsuit he is going to file against the obama administration. it is over nsa surveillance programs. the kentucky republican is a long-time critic of mass collection of our personal data. he calls it unconstitutional, because it infringes on civil liberties. >> at this hour, closing arguments are underway in the loud music murder trial. michael dunn could face life in prison. he is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of jordan davis outside a jacksonville gas station. he testified yesterday in his own defense. the jury is expected to get the case this afternoon. >> if you lov

i'm christine romans. >> i'm john berman. great to see you this morning. except for this.s and millions of americans. this is because of the latest arctic blast sending temperatures plunging 20 to 30 degrees below normal. that's happening for two-thirds of the country. that's how this winter's been so far. indra petersons is here to explain it all and take all the blame. >> spring is 22 days away. it's going to feel really good and i'm going to get a lot of gifts, right, guys? yes. it's painful. indianapolis is 7 degrees. and is this white house the windchill. we have wind chill vice others out there. the morning lows, look how dangerous we're talking about, 30, 35 below. duluth feels like 35 below. d.c., 27. new york city, in the teens out here. and as we go through the afternoon where it should be the highest and warmest temperatures of the day, chicago is going to feel like 7 below. new york city, 16, minneapolis just at 1. thursday morning, going to see temperatures 30 below average if not below zero in those morning hours. on top of it today, we're going to be talking

i'm john berman. >> i'm michaela pereira.>> the city of atlanta says, this will not happen to us again. you remember this, snow, sleet and rain. they are in the forecast again

i'm john berman. >> i'm michaela pereira. so glad to have you with us. those stories and more. >>> this is the winter that keeps on giving in a bad, bad way. the snow days, the flight delays, the flight cancellations. they are adding up costing the economy millions, and millions of dollars. >> a third day of jury deliberations in the so-called loud music trial is underway. jurors are deciding right now whether michael dunn killed jordan davis in cold blood or self-defense. dunn is a 47-year-old white man. davis was black and 17. he was shot dead in a dispute with dunn over loud music. it all went down at a gas station in jacksonville, florida, in november, 2012. dunn faces up to life in prison if he is found guilty of first-degree murder. >> the son-in-law of a couple killed by a package bomb is being charged with planting the device. 49-year-old richard parker lived next door to his in-laws. police say he is the only suspect. investigators say they found a note that may have been attached to the bomb. they are not discussing what that note said or a pos

john berman, got a bit of a bone to pick with you. i heard rumor who ever was ahead in the medal count in sochi got to choose who went outside. really? really? >> i think the u.s. just slip aed ahead of canada. >> reporter: that's what i'm saying. >> this is wicked fun for me now, this storm. my question for you is this, if you don't have to be outside because your bosses who sit there sent you outside, are people trying to get out and work and do things? >> reporter: it's surprising. there's a few people taking a stroll. we're here on the circle. central park is behind me. it's beautiful. you get like the polar vortex right here. you can see the snow coming sideways across our lens. behind us, it's quite beautiful if you're dressed for it. that's the key. >> you look beautiful standing a midst that beauty. one of the questions we're going to ask going ahead, kids in school here in new york, they did not cancel school. a lot of people are outraged. we'll talk about that in a bit. first ahead that the hour, they killed american troops.

. >> and i'm john berman. it's 5:00 a.m. in the east. a lot going on this morning.n in the ukraine. these are live pictures from the ground. this morning, kiev's main square son fire. you can see the smoke there. you can see the water cannons in the

very busy day. >> i'm john berman. >> let's start in the ukraine.kiev's main square up in flames. live pictures now of independence square. protesters have been facing off with police after a day of intense fighting. fighting that has left at least now 25 people dead. it was the deadliest day, bloodiest day in ukraine in decades, since it became an independent nation. and despite the national pressure, ukraine's president is insisting he won't back down. nick paton walsh joins us live on the phone. nick, remind us, why are all these people taking to the streets, they want this president out? nick, you can hear me? can you tell us what's happening on the ground now? all right. nick on the phone, he is in kiev. he is watching the violence. up can see the pictures. it it is just stunning. literally, the square on fire. and we're told there are bus loads and bus loads of young men coming in from the countryside who want to join in the protests, john. >> we'll get nick on the phone when we can. >>> meanwhile, let's turn to what's happening right now in v

i'm john berman. >> a big sigh from my co-anchor. i'm christine romans.ay, february 13th, 5:00 a.m. in the east. >> we'll begin with what is happening up and down the coast

as john berman taught me, the father of twins. thanks, john.ed drug dealer suspected of selling heroin to philip seymour hoffman was granted a bond today. robert vineberg sat in the courtroom as his attorney said the 300 bags found in his apartment were for personal use. the self-admitted addict was arrested two days after hoffman was found dead from an apparent overdose. police say hoffman's number was found on vineberg's cell phone. his attorney edward kratt says they were just friends. thanks for taking the time. >> i'm exstatic to be here. >> someone who would be here. let me ask you this. the judge didn't seem to buy the claim that you and your client are making that the 300 bags of heroin found in vineberg's apartment were for personal use. the judge said, if you don't have a job, why would you have this much cash sitting around if you weren't a drug dealer? what's your response to that? >> well, the judge had certain facts from those facts he drew certain conclusions. i have a set of facts that he's not privy to and i've drawn the opposi

i'm john berman. >> i'm michaela pereira. those and more at this hour. >>> the city of atlanta says, this will not happen to us again. you remember this, snow, sleet and rain. they are in the forecast again starting tonight. a new task force is on the job to make sure everybody is ready ahead of time before the storm. the governor has already declared a state of emergency for 14 counties. you better believe they will be ready at this time. meanwhile, at this hour in jacksonville, florida, the medical examiner is on the witness stand in the so-called loud murder trial. the defendant admits he shot and killed a 17-year-old in a dispute over loud music but was it self-defense or murder? ashleigh banfield will have more in our next hour. >> the obama administration is considering a mission to kill an american citizen involved with al qaeda ad suspected of plotting attacks against the u.s. they won't say who it is. a senior official tells us they are holding a high-level discussion with military commander's as to whether to take t

. >> and i'm john berman. it is friday, february 14th. happy valentine's day!. in the east. and we do begin this morning with this monster storm. >> shoveling out for your valentine.

i'm john berman. >> and i'm deborah feyerick in for christine romans.t is monday, february 10th, 5:00 a.m. in the east. >>> we begin with breaking news this morning from north korea, where we're hearing now from kenneth bae, the american missionary held there for more than a year. in a conversation with a swedish diplomat believed to have been recorded last week, bae says he has not lost hope that he will be set free. new worries about his physical condition. >> to my family, just let them know that, you know, that even though i'm here, but i still continue on with myself and i have not lost hope or i have not given up anything. >> a u.s. envoy was set to visit north korea today to discuss bae's release, but the government there rescinded the invitation. former u.s. ambassador donald greg is now on the ground. the purpose of his visit unclear. bae's family says jesse jackson has offered to go to north korea to try and bring bae home. coming up in our next half hour, we'll speak with paula hancocks in seoul about the diplomatic fight over bae. >>> other

i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. it's tuesday, february 4th, 5:00 a.m. in the east. >> and as you wake up this morning, the weather is going from unbearable to downright offensive. after all the record-breaking cold we've been through, after the snow that snarled travel for millions from washington to boston, and we're still straightening out that mess, by the way, this monster storm is coming. yes, we're talking about another one, potentially even worse, and it's set to deliver snow, rain, sleet, ice. you name it, it's coming to more than 100 million people in two dozen states from the rockies all the way here to the east coast. >> kansas city just one of many places in the midwest shut down today, schools closed. employers are being told, you know what, let your workers stay home today. we don't want them on the streets. the city could see 8 or more inches of snow with the first flake set to fall this hour, just in time for the morning commute. >> yeah, and new york is cleaning up this morning after 8 inches of snow fell. that was the taking of the ran

i'm john berman. >> and i'm christine romans. it is friday, february 28th. it is 5:00 a.m. in the east. >>> all right, millions facing dangerous weather from coast to coast this morning. it is friday. that's the only good thing i can tell you. >> exactly, still, it's friday. >> communities in the california foothills near los angeles bracing for mud slides. look at these pictures! a major pacific storm moving in there. 1,000 homes now under a mandatory evacuation order. the drought-starved region expected to get more rain in the next 48 hours, more rain in two days, berman, than they've had in the past two years. meantime, bitter cold gripping much of the country, windchill temperatures dipping to 25 below. that's forced public schools to close today in minnesota, where there's been, count this, 46 days of subzero temperatures this winter. the cold turned tragic. a 6-year-old girl died from exposure. so sad there. indra petersons tracking the extreme weather from coast to coast. hi, indra. >> yeah, good morning. definitely a lot to talk about this morning. one is the potent

i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. it is thursday, february 27th, 5:00 a.m. in the east. >>> let's begin this morning in arizona, where opponents of a so-called religious freedom bill overjoyed this morning. governor jan brewer has vetoed the measure that would have allowed businesses to deny service to gays and others, to deny service to their own customers based on religious grounds. brewer says the bill could have produced "unintended negative consequences." let's get more from cnn's miguel marquez. >> reporter: john, christine, calls for veto and protests turned into celebration here at the arizona capitol. they even produced signs very quickly for, thank you, governor brewer, and they were chanting "thank you, jan," after vetoing the bill that the governor said strongly, in a strong statement to say this bill was too broadly written and there was no reason for it to be law in arizona, and therefore, she was not going to sign it. she heard from legislators and from businesspeople all day long about this bill. one thing in particular that she heard from le

i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans.past the hour. >> so, the final score was 43-8. >> wow. >> and it wasn't even that close. super bowl xlviii was a sdes nati decimation, the seahawks tearing apart the broncos bit by bit to win their first title and hand peyton manning his second super bowl defeat. manning threw as many touchdowns to the seahawks as he did to his own players. and now seattle will not need its famous coffee to wake up this morning. that city might never sleep again! look at this. they're doing unspeakable things to furniture. also, why would you treat furniture like that? >> it was denver furniture. >> andy scholes here with all the answers this morning. andy. >> too much seattle coffee, that's what happens. >> or something. >> as the saying goes, defense wins championships, and not even the broncos' record-setting offense, the best offense in nfl history, could overcome the legion of boom. now, the great joe namath took over twitter at start of this game, rockin' that massive fur coat. he was on the fie

i'm christine romans. >> and i'm john berman.the hour right now. >>> an ethiopian airlines pilot is in custody after apparently hijacking a jet so he could seek asylum. the 767 with 200 people on board was on route from addis ababa to rome when police say the co-pilot diverted it to geneva. the co-pilot diverting it to geneva while the pilot was in the bathroom. once they were on the ground, the co-pilot apparently climbed out the cockpit window and out of the plane on a rope. passengers were taken off the plane, their hands up, but police say the passengers on board were not threatened. all are okay. we're going to continue to follow this developing story all day here on cnn. >>> this morning both the prosecution and defense in the so-called loud music trial are planning their next move after the jury delivered a partial verdict following 30 hours of deliberations. michael dunn was convicted of attempted murder in the shooting that left teenager jordan davis dead. this followed an argument, apparently, over loud music. but the j

. >> and i'm john berman. it is friday, february 14th. happy valentine's day! >> yeah. >> it's 5:00 a.m. in the east. and we do begin this morning with this monster storm. >> shoveling out for your valentine. >> right. what is more romantic than shoveling snow? and there is a lot of it. this storm affecting millions and millions of people up and down the east coast. the problems stretch all the way from the south up to maine. look at this map. look at these snow totals. there's more snow and more trouble in the forecast. >> this morning if you're planning to travel anywhere on the east coast, be sure to call your airline. more than 1,000 more flights grounded today. that's on top of nearly 7,000 canceled yesterday. crews racing to clear runways so they can get the planes moving again, and travelers are scrambling to find new flights, some even heading to the airport because they can't reach anyone on the phone. >> i don't know what to do. we were supposed to go to miami. >> i kept calling the last two days trying to rebook because i thought this was likely to h

i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans.ing. >> and this morning, there is a new threat against the winter olympics in sochi just as the first events get under way. homeland security here in the u.s. is warning airlines that terrorists could try to hide explosives in toothpaste tubes or cosmetics. and law enforcement sources tell cnn the threat is specifically tied to the winter games. our nick patan walsh is in sochi this morning. nick, give us a sense of how serious this threat is considered right now. >> reporter: well, serious enough that barack obama is being updated about it, serious enough that we've had a lot of u.s. officials warning about specifics of this being directed towards flights coming possibly from europe towards russia, specifically directed towards here, sochi, or adler, where the games are being held behind me, specific that it's about toothpaste and cosmetics perhaps being used to either smuggle explosives to this venue, or perhaps more likely, detonate them on the airline itself. now, this is a proble

join john berman and me every morning on "early start." until then have a great weekend. >>> hello everyone. i'm fredricka whitfield. welcome to the "cnn newsroom." just in to cnn, a historic announcement from u.s. attorney general eric holder involving same-sex marriage in america. in a speech tonight, hold letter announce the justice department's plan to extend the federal government's recognition of same-sex marriages, even in the 34 states that don't consider it legal. i want tocnn correspondent in washington. taking place later this evening, where will it be and what will be said? >> reporter: fred, he's in new york city to headline the annual gala at the waldorf. a move by the obama administration to extend federal recognition to married same-sex couples in all the states, even those that don't recognize marriage at legal right now. according to excerpts of tonight's speech obtained by cnn's justice reporter, the attorney general will say, "just like during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the stakes involved in this generatio

join john berman and me every beak day morning on "early start," until then have a great weekend. >>>e. i'm fredricka whitfield. the top stories we're following in the "cnn newsroom." sections of the northeast are bracing for yet another winter storm. coastal massachusetts is under a blizzard warning, boston, maine, boston, rather, to maine, could see 12 inches of snow or more. and new york city could see even another few inches of snow by tonight. looking right there at a cloudy picture. a dusty, snowy picture of the statue of tlabt could mean a brand new round of flight cancellations and delays all over the place. rosa

joining me now, early star co-host john berman and patrick kerney playing 11 seasons including threecks in 2007. okay, guys. impressive pick eers check this out. i challenged, a toboggan race, here at super bowl boulevard, and i emerged victorious. i never win in sports and really wanted on the record for this. >> here's the thing. i've been doing reporting behind the scenes at cnn. there was a lot of talk about this race and a feeling amongst many it was not completely fair, and that you may have cheated more than just a little bit. >> wait. this is from nischelle turner? >> look at this. >> tobogganing is about to happen. >> a couple deep knee bends. >> ooh, baby. all right. get loose. >> win, two, three -- ♪ >> we made it. >> so -- that's christine romans/tonya harding grabbing the back of nischelle turner's sled right there making sure she doesn't win. >> all in fun and games. look, i was ahead most of the time. then nischelle was crawling along, and so i decided to level the playing field a little. >> literally came back and told me she won. i talked to other people who literall

i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans.> word of a potential health threat in california. officials mystified by a childhood illness that mimics polio but isn't. sophia is one of five confirmed cases showing signs of this illness. there may be 20 more. doctors say the children experience sudden, apparently irreversible paralysis affecting one or more limbs. >> the prognosis that we've seen so far is not good. most of the children we've seen have not recovered use of their arm or leg. >> i'd like to say that sophia is still a healthy, young girl who's thriving. she goes to preschool. she does dance. and we were very lucky that it only affected her left arm. i was with her in the er when she was having trouble breathing. i know that we are so lucky that she's here, and i know that many families go through losing a child, so we are so grateful that sophia is with us today, and she's going to do amazing things. >> i'm sure she will. all of the children being studied were vaccinated against polio. doctors studying the syndrome s

i'm john berman. >> a big sigh from my co-anchor. i'm christine romans. it's thursday, february 13th, 5:00 a.m. in the east. >> we'll begin with what is happening up and down the coast now, from the south all the way up to new england. look at that. that tells the story. snow, heavy snow, and there's ice, too. very, very dangerous, very deadly. already ten deaths have been connected to this storm. more than 4,000 flights have been canceled from atlanta all the way up to boston. 700,000 people without power. >> 71,000 flights canceled since january, billions of dollars out of travelers' pockets. all of this drama continues and we all wait for spring. look, a number of power customers without power this morning climbing. the heavy ice has taken down power lines. more than 770,000 people are now without power this morning in 15 states, john. >> the ice also causing situations like this one. oh, my goodness! just trees snapping under their own weight throughout the southeast. and again, that is moving north at this minute. these trees are crashing into homes,

join john berman and me every beak day morning on "early start," until then have a great weekend. >>> hello everyone. i'm fredricka whitfield. the top stories we're following in the "cnn newsroom." sections of the northeast are bracing for yet another winter storm. coastal massachusetts is under a blizzard warning, boston, maine, boston, rather, to maine, could see 12 inches of snow or more. and new york city could see even another few inches of snow by tonight. looking right there at a cloudy picture. a dusty, snowy picture of the statue of tlabt could mean a brand new round of flight cancellations and delays all over the place. rosa flores join us live in new york. it looks kind of just damp and dreary on the ground there. not so bad. >> reporter: yeah. doesn't feel too bad. with the cnn temperature sign, it's 37 degrees in new york city, and let me tell you, it's not that bad. thank goodness. i want to show you around so you can take a look, because the snow right now, it's light, particularly behind me, central park. famous central park, you can see, whenever it's snowing, central

i'm john berman. >> and i'm deborah feyerick in for christine romans.

i'm john berman. >> and i'm christine romans. it's monday. sorry about that.eaking news. a hijacking drama

well i'm john berman in washington d.c. and here's what's coming up tonight on the big picture. the koch brothers are at it again this time leading a nationwide media campaign that is attacking obamacare and exploiting americans is the time to start regulating the amount of money that billionaires like the koch brothers can throw at our democracy and political processes that and more into nights alone liberal rubble and it's been two years since george zimmerman shot and killed trayvon martin and used florida's stand your ground shoot first law to get away with murder can we take alex stand your ground shoot first laws off the books and ensure there are no more trayvon martin's or jordan davis'. you need to know this we need to be regulating the koch brothers today senate majority leader harry reid took to the senate floor and ripped the koch brothers a new one over an anti obamacare a television ad put out by americans for prosperity a koch funded group here's what that ad had to say my name is julie and five years ago i was diagnosed with leukemia. i found out that i only have

i'm john berman. >> i'm michaela pereira. those stories and more at this hour. shots flight in the square, blood flowing. u.s. officials worry the violence could get worse. 100 killed today alone, hundreds more injured in the worst outbreak of violence since protestors camping out in square three months ago. it's unclear what prompted the new gunfire. cnn crews tell us protestors were throwing rocks and moll toef cocktails at police. closer ties with the you're european instead of accepting raid from russia. we'll have a live report from kiev in a moment. >>> a big day in ennew jersey f chris christie. the subject is supposed to be sandy relief. this is open to the public. you never know. could be a free for all. there are protests outside. in the past, these have been high drama events where the governor goes toe to toe with the public, sometimes in their face. it will be interesting to see how he acts today. >>> a warning to airlines of possible attempts to hide bombs in shoes, cosmetics and athletics. they feel terror groups are work on new bomb designs. unre

. >>> and now let's check in with john berman in forrandererson tonight. >> tonight an in depth lookael dunn. >>> and accusing north korea of atrocities, starving, killings comparable to the nazi area. >>> a kentucky pastor took the snake-bite handling style of preaching all the way to a reality tv show. he is dead tonight of a snake bite after refusing medical treatment. it is all at the top of the hour. >> we are looking forward to that. john mentioned that snake story. it is compelling to imagine how it happened. the snake handling pastor who appeared on "snake salvation" has died. he was bitten on saturday. snake handling was not something funny. it was a key part of his faith. >> to me it is as much a commandment from god as thou shall not commit adultery. when i first started i said if i went to a hospital or doctor of a snake bite i would quit church. >> despite the practice being illegal in every state except for west virginia there are more than 120 snake handling churches throughout the southeastern united states. outfront ralph hood joins me now. thanks for taking the time

title but you'll know it as "@thishour" with berman and mikaela, moves it to the madonna stage -- 11:00 a.m. eastern. >> i'm the only one that call you john. everyone else calls you berman. >> known as big papa, now he just goes by berman. >> it's 11:00, that's the important thing. >> 11:00, great news, great people, love you. good luck. >> the other big story, the icy mix headed to the southeast with advisers in several states. streets being salted ahead of the storm and, tra supplies be brought in. officials saying they're being pro active this time after a couple of inches of snow paralyzed the city just two weeks ago. but will the preparation keep atlanta from repeating the winter weather shutdown. let's get over to nick, who is tracking this story. >> reporter: good morning. officials moving more resources into the metro area to save themselves the embarrassment from just a couple of weeks ago. southerners on alert this morning stocking up on supplies as a imagine winter storm is expected to wallop the region this week. >> this time it is a mixture of some ice and some snow. >> widespread freezing rain, the potential for an ice storm

. >> i'm john berman. those stories and more right now at this hour. >>> chaos in ukraine where protesters are standing their ground despite orders to clear out of independence square in kiev. this was the deadliest day in the three-month-long standoff. this was the deadliest day in decades there leaving 25 people dead and hundreds injured. vice president biden has called ukraine's president urging him to pull back government forces. the u.s. is threatening sanctions. protesters are furious their president is taking cues from moscow in refusing to sign a trade deal with the european union. they want his powers limited. we'll have a live report from this chaos in independence square in just a moment. >> if you happen to be eating a hot pocket, put it down and check the label. nestle is recalling two varieties of their popular snack, croissant crust philly steak and cheese -- philly steak and cheese. the meat is being recalled. it was recalled because the company said processed, disease and unsound animals w

i'm john berman. >> and i'm michaela pereira. we're learning more about the shoe bombing threat.he bomb-maker is believed to be making on a bomb that would pass airline screening. homeland security has asked people to watch for attempts to hide bombs in shoes. >>> and in west virginia, people are wondering if their water is safe to drink. experts are wondering just how dangerous the chemical in their water is. no one seems to know right now. what's happening at this point is being called unprecedented. >> we're expecting storms along the eastern seaboard. we just got word that d.c. is under a tornado watch until 5:00 this afternoon. a breakthrough in the ukrainian protest. the president and opposition leaders have agreed to a deal. that includes less power for the president and constitutional reform. now, in return, protesters must withdraw from the streets and turn in any weapons within 24 hours. >>> in sochi, team usa is taking on men's hockey. this is a semifinal with bragging rights on the line with an unbelievable win from canada yesterday. >> we're not talking about braggin

. >> and i'm john berman. it's 31 minutes after the hour. >> a cnn fact check, t.s. eliot is wrong.y is the cruelest month. february is the cruelest month. >> sorry, 30 minutes after the hour. we are going to start with what's happening to so many people at this very minute. millions getting hit by a huge, fast and powerful winter storm, delivering not just snow but treacherous ice as well. this is blanketing an area from philadelphia all the way up to boston. so many schools are closed. here in new york, for now, at least, the nation's largest district, will be open. that's for now. there are real risks today, especially with the ice starting to come down. this could get really, really bad. >> nearly 2,000 flights have now been canceled mostly in new york and boston. but, hey, a lot connects through new york and boston so check your schedule. this is the scene in kansas city when a southwest airlines jet wound up stuck in a snowdrift after landing. the jet was taxiing to its gate. 55 passengers, five crew members on board. they were taken off the plane and brought safely to the gat

i'm john berman. it is 11:00 here in new york. >> reporter: i'm michaela pereira. it is 8:00 a.m. out here in l.a. i am here for the oscars. at this hour, the area is bracing, bracing for torrential rain that could lead to dangerous mudslides. it has prompted an evacuation order for about 1,000 homes in southern california. if you can see the conditions on the road live from that camera, it is bad on the roads. you have to take your time. we know the state desperately needs rain. they are in a drought. they are saying this is about the worst drought this area has seen in modern history. the ground is so dry, some areas getting hit so much, pounded by as much as six inches of rain, there could be flash floods. there is a flash flood warning here in southern california that is good until saturday night. the other issue is some areas are seeing this runoff. a lot of areas don't absorb as well. sandbags are being distributed. barricades are being set up to redirect some of that water. let's take you to northern california where it is not any better. we are told about thousands of peop

. >> i'm john berman. those stories and more right now at this hour. at this hour, we've been watching it all morning, another winter storm. >> make it stop, john. >> this could bring almost a foot of snow to parts of the northeast today and tomorrow. >> these are the nasty conditions that drivers near cleveland had to deal with this morning. several inches fell overnight. now, the area is dealing with wind gusts of up to 40 miles an hour. >> if that wasn't enough, passengers say it was like nothing they have ever experienced. did weather play a part in this, we don't know. the plane suddenly dropped and started shaking violently. the plane dropped and hit severe and sudden turbulence. one passenger said, everybody on board were terrified. >> there was a lot of screaming and a lot of hollering. another passenger hit the ceiling so hard she cracked the panel that was above her head. five people in total went to the hospital, some crew, some passengers on board the plane. right now, we are told united airlines is investigating. young people are expressing

i'm john berman. >> i'm michaela pereira. those stories and right now at this hour. the co-pilot on an e-theo pea an airlines jet hijacks his own flight and takes it to switzerland to plead for asylum. the passengers and crew members are okay. we are going to talk to an aviation expert and our own law enforcement analyst about this bold hijacking and we'll talk about efforts to keep this kind of thing from happening again >>> a 4.2 magnitude earthquake shakes oklahoma. the quake struck near guthrie, 22 miles north of oklahoma city. this is the latest in a string of earthquakes hitting central oklahoma. five quakes struck friday. another one hit saturday. no reported injuries. >>> a 19-year-old pennsylvania woman is saying she killed at least 22 people. she is now facing murder charges. along with her husband for allegedly killing a man they met on craigslist. on friday, miranda barber gave an interview to the daily item in pennsylvania and said she had stopped counting once she hit 22 killings. police are now investigating. one law enforcement source close to the inv

i'm john berman. >> i'm michaela pereira. it is 8:00 a.m. in the west. at this hour, millions are bracing for yet another blast, a bitter blast of cold weather. not as bad as the polar vortex episode we saw last month. still, cold enough to get our attention and your attention. that arctic air is hitting the minnesotas and dakotas today and it rolls east. temperatures are expected to be below zero in parts of the north and below freezing in the south. it has been a bad winter in the south. forecasters are not expecting any big snow or ice storms. the growing controversy swirling in arizona. they are urging the governor not to sign a bill that critics would say would allow businesses to discriminate against gays. they say it is all about freedom of religion, including one state senator who has some bold statements. you will hear from him in a group behind the build in a little bit. some outrage from the state's only openly gay legislate tore. if the arizona bill becomes law, the top cop there might not have to enforce it. attorney general eric holder says

i'm john berman. >> i'm michaela pereira. good morning out west. it is 8:00 a.m. out there. >>> happening now, a passenger terminal at the port of miami is being evacuated due to a bag of unknown substance. evacuation is affecting terminal "b" and a norwegian ship. they are out working on this. >> also, at this hour, we're awaiting a big decision by arizona governor, jan brewer, on the controversial ledgereligiou freedom bill. they include american, delta airlines, marriott and at&t. sources are telling us that brewer is very likely to veto it. it would allow businesses to turn away customers on religious grounds. critics say it is designed to discriminate against gays. >> talk about an arctic blast. temperatures have been below zero in parts of the midwest with windchills reaching 30 below. 15-25 degrees lower than normal across the midwest and 10-20 below average here in the northeast. tomorrow, even colder. no end this week to the deep freeze hitting the northern part of this country. >> an internal e-mail obtained by cnn shows that the department of homeland s

. >> i'm john berman. those stories and who are right now "at this hour." president obama will be speaking to the nation's governors at the white house. the subjects, job creation and obamacare, no doubt they will come up. >> the president hosted the governors and joked about some being hungry for his job. >> tonight, we want to make sure that all of you make yourselves at home, to which i'm sure some of you are thinking, that's been the plan all along. >> it's funny, because it is true. >> attorney general, eric holder, wants congress to require retailers to immediately report data breaches to customers in law enforcement. this is in response to the massive data breach. remember the one we had, several during last year's holiday shopping season. at target alone, 40 million people have their debit and credit card information stolen. >> they want to slight california into six separate states, jefferson south and central california. it is moving forward if it can get 807,000 signatures by july 16th. an adventure capitalist is behind this idea. he thinks the s

i'm john berman. michaela is on the road. stories right now at this hour.ight now, at the white house you're looking at live pictures. this is where the first lady, michelle obama any minute from now, will be announcing changes to food knew frinutrition label. they are hoping that it will help you make healthy choices. dr. sanjay gupta will show us how serving sizes and calorie counts will get a complete total overhaul. >>> elsewhere at the white house, a wchl ary eye on russia. dozens of gunmans at the ukraine southern region and raised a russian flag. you can see it there. ukrainians are bitterly torn between old ties to moscow a a future more closely aligned with the united states and also with the west. >>> a russian warship has docked in havana and cuba. it's reportedly gunned with guns and unlike the previous visit, cuban authorities have not explained this ship's mission. >>> south korea says the north has fired four short-range missiles into the sea. it's not clear if this has anything to do with the south korean and u.s. military exercises going on

. >>> now let's check in with john berman who's in for anderson with a look at what's coming up on "a.chey, john. >> hey, erin, we have breaking news on two fronts ahead on "a.c. 360." of course, the deadly storm tracking up the east coast right now, coming back for a second round in washington, d.c., look at that. we will have a live report. >>> one of the fatalities, a tragic death here in new york city. a snowplow struck a pregnant woman. miraculous, that baby was saved. randi kaye will have that story. >>> our other breaking news, the shocking arrest in the package bomb deaths in tennessee. the man charged with the couple's death, their son-in-law, we will speak with that family's pastor. >>> also, we'll take you back to the so-called baby lab at yale university. anderson speaks with researchers doing real unique research, including whether babies are born with an innate moral compass. >>> plus, anderson got to hang out with some really cute babies, something, erin, i think you know a little about. that's all at the top of the hour. >> i know, i heard he's finding out what goes on i

. >> and i'm john berman. great to see you this day. it is february 7th, 5:00 a.m. in the east. >>> let's start with the winter olympics and a new warning this morning from homeland security in this country over a possible terror attack, just hours before the opening ceremonies. the tsa now banning all liquids, gels and powders from carry-ons for flights from the u.s. to russia. there are fears terrorists could be using them to smuggle explosives. nick paton walsh live in sochi this morning. what are you hearing this morning? what's the security situation there? >> reporter: well, i just tried to go into one of the olympic venues. when you go into one of the cordons, they're actually stopping people bringing in liquids, unless you have a special accreditation pass. i saw one man having to drink his bottle right there on the spot, so clearly concerns securitywise, but what's the impact on attendance here? we've been around the venues. not a lot of international tourists we're seeing. still early at this stage, but we are only hours away from the opening ceremony. but

"ac 360" with john berman is next. >> good evening again and get ready again. winter taking another shot at the country and virtually no state goes untouched. it is breaking news tonight. also, the lowdown on the slowdown. how this weather is crippling air travel to a degree not seen in years and why there is still more to come. later, what's going on behind the baby blues? anderson's continuing series on how even the youngest children seem to be hardwired for grown-up thinking. tonight, can babies discriminate? we do begin though with the breaking news. another round of dangerous winter weather. new watches and warnings posted from washington state to the state of maine. including a blizzard watch in massachusetts. a blizzard watch. and if you lost count, can don't don't worry, you're in good company. all 50 states have seen know this winter. 49 in just the last 24 hours. the impact continues. literally. take a look at this. about 100 vehicles were involved in a series of crashes and pile-ups today on a stretch of the pennsylvania turnpike just north of philad

john berman joining us this morning. chris is on assignment. >>> a winter storm that some forecasters are calling potentially catastrophic for the deep south. people in georgia and the carolinas are hunkering down. among the big concerns of course, ice on roads, power lines, ice any where. another big headache, air travel. the storm scrapping more than 2,700 flights so far. meteorologist indra petersons is tracking the storm for us of course. let's begin with carol costello joining us from atlanta. feeling a little bit of deja vu this morning or oh, it has -- >> reporter: oh, it has begun. when you couple these words with an apock lip ik traffic jam, people take notice. more than 50 salt trucks overnight, the city preparing for a catastrophic winter storm. freezing rain causing what may be the worst ice storm in a decade forcing georgia and virginia into states of emergency. >> there is no doubt that this is one of mother nature's worst kinds of storms that can be inflicted on the south. >> reporter: up to an inch of ice

i'm john berman. it is 11:00

. >> i'm john berman. those stories and who are right now "at this hour."ernors at the white house. the subjects, job creation and