karen travers joins us now with more. >> winter has not officially arrived for one more week, but this storm has made quite an impact in northern indiana, icy conditions, high wind, and six- foot snow drifts left interstate highways and passable. -- in passable. the bitter cold there has reached as far south as florida where the governor has declared a state of emergency. citrus growers are worried about their crops. the cold weather is not going away anytime soon, and so far there has been at least 14 deaths attributed to this storm, and officials are warning people to take precautions and stay warm and state prepared. karen travers, abc 7 news. >>> deciding when to venture out after a snowstorm is about to become a bit easier for people in montgomery county. county executive ike leggett will announce the launch of a new online tool. it will show the process -- the progress of snowplow's throughout montgomery county. it will indicate when the streets have been cleared. >>> the smithsonian is feeling the heat over a decision to remove a controversial video from the national portrait ga

karen travers, abc news. >>> now, maryland's most powerful doppler radar and the forecast certified mostccurate by weatherate. >>> to warm your spirits look at this bag with the snowman i got. it was -- dish was visiting north carroll high school and hang out with the foot forecast team that you will see on a special airing this weekend. north carroll and everybody else dealing with a chill. it's teens outside the beltway. but officially 21 in baltimore. 23 in easton. wanted to calculate the wind and show you it feels like seven in town 11 in easton and that's not a advertisement for your morning slurpee which is probably the last thing you want. look at oakland, the wind chill is 15 below. the rest of the east coast, they are talking about a deep freeze in the south. look at florida this morning. it's currently 30 in orlando. there's ice on makeey's ears. 35 in west palm and 38 in miami. we are going to stay at 29 today a wind advicery are gusts to 45 miles per hour and occasional flurries. here's kim with the traffic. >> reporter: well, traffic is a fairly smooth start this morning. as

karen travers joins us now with how the vote went down. good morning, karen. >> reporter: good morning, rob. before this vote was passed with bipartisan support, both democrats and republicans expressed their displeasure. after months of fierce negotiation and contentious compromise, the house of representatives passed a temporary extension of all of the push tax cuts. >> on this vote, the yeas are 277. the theys are 148. the motion is adopted. >> reporter: the senate easily passed the same measure on wednesday. the $858 billion tax plan will extend the bush tax plan for two more years. extend unemployment benefits for an additional 13 months for approximately 9 million americans. and provide $400 billion in tax cuts and credits, aimed at boosting the struggling economy. with this legislation, the average u.s. household with an income of nearly $50,000, will continue to keep its tax cut of over $2,000. the most contentious element of the bill, the extension of tax breaks for the wealthy. the 5% of americans making more than $250,000. as a c

karen travers, abc news. >>> now, maryland's most powerful doppler radar, and the forecast certified most accurate by weatherate. >>> all right. good morning. k4r-67b 15 on the chock. looking at maryland's most powerful doppler radar, there's been streamers through frederick montgomery county all night long. they have been clipping laurel and doing so right now dropping enough to coat maybe the windshield on the cars and some of the ground. with you not much is sticking like we dealt with yesterday morning. it's flying and falling and looks like it on doppler radar, but it's not doing much on the ground. overall, it could be sliding through sections of anne arundel back towards howard county even baltimore city over the next hour. so we will continue to watch this. an extension of the streamers are continuing in the lower eastern shore where they are getting flurries in sals bury and ocean city. it's not the true story here. it's about the temperatures. widespread 20 degree readings will match the 20 in baltimore to dulles, dover, fill did he have yeah, york and hagerstown. we are do

karen travers, abc news. >>> and there was more wild weather in oregon. the tiny town of omsville is recovering after a twister tore through the area. six families were displaced. but there were no serious injuries. tornados in oregon are almost unheard of. there's been only four touchdowns in the past decade. >>> and the heavy snow that broke through the roof of minnesota's metrodome over the weekend actually did more damage than first thought. inspectors in minneapolis say the roof will not be repaired in time for monday night's vikings/bears game. that game will be moved to the roofless university of michigan stadium. >>> what's in store for today? more snow from minneapolis, fargo. freezing rain. showers along the gulf coast. another half-foot of snow around the great lakes. in buffalo, rochester and erie. >> a wet 43 in seattle. teens in fargo and the twin cities. 20s from omaha to detroit and the northeast. 36 degrees in atlanta. and 66 degrees in new orleans. >>> and when we come back on this wednesday morning, one megabank's new dress code. right

karen travers shows us more of what feels like a nation on ice. >> reporter: winter doesn't officially arrive for one more week. but this early season storm has already made quite an impact. in northern indiana, icy conditions, high winds and six-foot snowdrifts made highways impassable. state troopers had to use snowmobiles to reach drivers who were stranded in their cars. some for more than ten hours. >> i can't go north. i can't go east. what's left? technically you're still stuck. >> reporter: one tow truck driver was digging out vehicles for 17-straight hours. >> i ran into one lady down there and she was in tears. she could not function in the car. it was really disorr yen tating down there. >> reporter: with the storm moving out of the midwest, crews in minneapolis are working around the clock to shovel off the stadium. their goal, to get the roof and the field in shape for next week's game. the cold and bitter air reached as far south as florida, where the governor has declared a state of emergency, and citrus growers are worried about losing their crop. >> we're not ready for

karen travers, abc news. >> stories to keep in mind. >>> we tell you about this morning's weather from around the nation. about two inches of snow in washington, d.c. and virginia. rain in raleigh. fleuries in phillie and another ten inches of snow for syracuse and rochester, new york. morning snowshowers from cheyenne to fargo. and scattered showers from seattle to portland. >> meanwhile, 35 in colorado springs. 33 in salt lake city. and 51 in sacramento. teens for fargo and minneapolis. and 33 in kansas city. mostly 30s in the northeast. 70s, though, in miami and new orleans. >>> one more weather story this morning. a powerful storm that battered israel has now exposed a rare, ancient artifact. the 1,700-year-old roman-era statue was found in the sand after high waves and gusty winds knocked down parts of an archaeological site. >>> and when we come back this morning, outlawed. the government bans baby cribs that are used by millions of parents. >>> and where you can find the world's most expensive christmas tree. >>> foreclosures fell sharply last month. but it was only probably a t

karen travers, abc news. >>> it feels like we are stuck with the temperatures.on't know i don't know if it's the temperatures or the wind but either way, a break from one would be nice. >> yeah. we are in the mid-20s this morning. i look down and see it's 19 degrees now. justin, you got some explaining to do. >> well, it's the sun has to come up in a couple hours night going warm up to 23. >> yeah and we will warm up to 23 by nine or 10. we have ourselves a look at cold air and the problem with the air being this cold is that it pushes the storm track to our south. i say the problem for those of us that want to do something with this cold air. it might be frustrating to see we have had the snow to the north and the west. and the next round may stay to our south. it's 18 in cockeysville. 14 manchester and 17 in bel air. factoring in the wind. bel air feels like 7 and manchester 1 below in northeastern carroll county. brr. we will be watching the storm track and give you an idea of what we expect in a couple minutes. but, the range of upper teens to low 20s by 9 a

two feet of snow fell in some areas and the clean-up efforts are just beginning karen travers joins us with the damage left behind. >> good morning. mother nature packed a powerful punch this weekend, bringing two feet of snow and blizzard conditions to parts of the upper midwest. old man winter is no stranger to minnesota but this snowstorm will be one for the record books. this shows the roof of the minneapolis metrodome stadium collapsing under 17 inches of stem. no one was hurt but the nfl was forced to move the vikings-giant game to detroit. the weather a great havoc on travel plans, over 1400 flights were canceled at chicago airports. the storm is heading to the east coast. in the northwest, i am karen travers, back to you. >>> as the travel season gets closer, gas prices keep rising. the national average for regular gasoline is now $2.97 per gallon. it is 12 cents higher than last month and 35 cents higher than they were last year. the average for a gallon of regular in the d.c. area is now $3.10. >>> there are 12 days left until christmas and today will be busy for ups and the

karen travers has the latest on the blizzard. >> as residents of the upper midwest, all that snow laces like indianapolis and cleveland are getting ready. it packed a powerful punch dumping over a foot and a half of snow. it's no stranger to minnesota but this storm will go down in the history books. >> in minneapolis, incredible video, the roof of metro dome collapses. >> luckily nobody was hurt. the dome collapsed forced the n.f.l. to move the game to detroit. left out in the cold, minnesota fans with game tickets. >> really a big bummer. >> 29 states are getting pounded by this, it stretches from the great lakes all the way to the gulf of mexico. >> 1600 miles in extent and got snow on the edge of it, thunderstorms and it continues to go across the country. >> some part of wisconsin is saw two feet of snow. high winds may it feel like it was 20 degrees below zero. havoc on travel plans for tens of thousands of americans. over 1400 flights were cancelled at chicago o'hare's. >> this storm heads to the east coast where florida will see temperatures in the mid 20s. >>> taking a look at

karen travers, abc news. >> i am sort of jealous. >> really? >> that in snow? >> yes yeah. >> it would be a nice to see a little bit but that seems like lot. >> how much snow you want just in. >> never enough. >> what can i say? it's 6:09. if you are in the job market, you want to be on the lookout for scamers that are trying to get you. >> absolutely. coming up, we will look at local scams designed to dupe you by promising work but they are taking your money. >>> plus, big changes coming to your child's lunch menus. french flies replaced with -- fries replaced with apple but some parents are not too happy. >> the the royal engagement pictures have been released. we will show outhappy couple. but first, latest business new from new york. >> reporter: good morning. we begin your money scope report with the vote on president obama's tax deal with republicans. the plan to extend the bush tax cuts and unemployment benefits is exspented to clear an important hurdle in the senate. and the white is confident deal will pass despite protest from house democrats. at leas

karen travers, abc news. >>> and that storm now moves into an area that has already seen several feet of snow. >> accuweatherer.com ava dinges has the forecast this morning. >> reporter: good morning, vinita and mike. the worst of the snow may be over for the northwest but now comes the lake-effect system. with the harsh colding moving into the ohio and upstate new york. some of those snow bands may be dropping at least 1 to 2 feet of snow. that's going to create whiteout conditions along i-80 and i-90. starting off in the 20s in the northern tier, it could be colder by tuesday morning. now back to you, vinita and mike. >> ava, thanks. snow piles up the northwest, the pacific northwest is getting rainfall. >> up toinches of rain fell in washington and oregon yesterday, triggering widespread flooding and mud slides. hundreds of homes were evacuated and some people had to be rescued from rising waters. >> lots to talk about. and our team of reporters will show us the latest conditions coming up on "good morning america." >> battle over the contentious tax cut deal. lawmakers are poised

karen travers is following the winter weather system as it creeps closer to the mid atlantic. >> reportere bitter cold and relentless winter weather are showing no signs of easing up. snow is followed by ice in parts of the midwest. this lighthouse near cleveland is frozen solid. in the southeast, sleet and freezing rain turn roads into skating rinks. at least five people were killed in accidents caused by icy conditions. parts of kentucky and tennessee are braising for ice accumulations up to half an inch. >> i couldn't see it. black ice is transparent and you can't see it. folks you have to be real careful. especially if you have the loved one in the car with you. >> reporter: lake-effect snow pummeled upstate new york. syracuse saw more than ten inches of new snow on wednesday. this month is the second snowiest december on record in that region. residents of minnesota are digging out from their massive snowfall this week. and officials are concerned about how the early winter weather will affect their budget. >> we have to plow the snow. >> we spend what we need to spend to make the ro

karen travers, abc news. >>> firefighters could be considered some of the bravest people on earth. no doubt about it. but they say after visiting kennedy krieger, the kids have them beat. children fighting deadly illnesses got a visit from a group of firefighters spreading holiday cheer. it was part of the 7th annual baltimore city firefighters tour for kids. not only did the firefighters collect toys for charity but distribute them to kid who are stuck in the hospital. firefighters will visit three other hospitals this week. >>> and with the chill in the air, it's feeling lot christmas lately. and we have got something to get you in the holiday giving spirit. make the season brighter for a child in need. we are asking for new unwrapped and unopened toys for our 12th annual kindertime toy drive. we will we have teamed up with the baltimore sin fumy orchestra. if you want a list what have they need in termination of instruments and toys, and where to drop them off, head to abc2news.com and click on kindertime link under the marketplace tab. >>> it's 10 minutes after the hour. an inc

karen travers as more on the ice and sleet now threatening that region. >> it is showing no signs of easing. the snow was followed by ice in parts of the midwest. this is frozen solid. in the southeast, sleet and freezing rain been turning roads into skating rinks -- rain turned roads into skating rinks. at least five people have been killed. >> folks, you have to be real careful, especially if you have a loved one in the car with you. >> residents of minnesota are still digging out. officials are concerned about how this will be affecting their budget. >> we have to plow. >> the roof of the metrodome which collapsed on monday will not be fixed in time for the monday night game. the nfl moved the game to university of minnesota's outdoor stadium. the problem is that it is full of snow. you can expect a cold and icy. this morning. -- icy commute this morning. >>> new details are emerging about the man who shot at members of the florida school board during a meeting. 56-year-old clay duke at least 50 rounds of ammunition. a police officer shot him as he fired at school board members. h

karen travers' joins us live with details. >> good morning. it took months of fierce debating and contentious compromise. congress ensures that no american will see a tax increase on january 1. it is 8 $585 billion tax cuts for two more years and extend unemployment benefits for an additional 13 months. that will affect 9 million americans. the bill provides $400 billion in tax cuts and credits aimed to help the struggling economy pretty average u.s. household as an income of $50,000 will continue to keep their $2,000 tax cut. democrats have been frustrated recently that president obama struck a deal with republicans that kept the tax breaks in place for the wealthiest americans. president obama defended the move. one key thing to realize is that none of the provisions of this bill are paid for. democrats and republicans are fighting about budget cuts, the tax cuts will add nearly $1 trillion to the already skyrocketing national deficit. >>> thank you. senate democrats hold a massive government spending bill because of an outcry over earmarks.

karen travers is joining us now from washington with more on the congressional rush. , karen. >> reporter: good morning, rob and vinita. after months of debate the senate's ratification of a new nuclear treaty with russia is calle dussio rkier a election when cgrss legislative members take off. under intense deadline pressure, this congress may have accomplished more in t six days tha la sixths. >> the ayes appear to have it. >> reporter: after november mid-term elections, describby president obama shellacking, democrats laut an aggressive agenda for the remaining days they controlled boa. the white house was o congress could work its way through the lengthy to-do list. >> the president thinks hat >> the pdinrnmeing inks hat unemplont ianc extensions, don't ask, don't tell repeal, the dream act, tax cuts, and s.t.a.r.t. all can be done in the next 18 days? >> yes. >> reporter: it took more than 18 days. but the house and senate checked off several big-ticket agenda items. including the repeal of don't ask, don't tell. the first step in lifting the ban on gays serving i

. >> karen travers joins us now with details. rob and vinita. the results are in for the pentagon's highly anticipated survey on gays in the military. something that was considered so controversial may not really be after all. don't ask, don't tell -- don't care? the pentagon announced allowing gay and lesbians to openly serve in the military would not pose a serious risk to military readiness. >> though potentially disruptive in the short-term would not be the wrenching, traumatic change many have feared and predicted. >> reporter: that conclusion is based on results of a survey of over 100,000 active duty and reservists and 44,000 military spouses. it looked into how the pentagon could repeal the controversial 17-year-old law. the majority of those service members said repealing don't ask, don't tell would have mixed, positive or no effect on their ability to conduct their missions. opposition was stronger among combat troops. 43% of those surveyed from the marine corps and 48% from army combat units say repealing the law would

karen travers, abc news, washington. >> it's funny, they say actually some american television showscan sentiments overseas. >> i wasn't surprised the diane sawyer show "world news" was on there. the list includes some ones you wouldn't expect like "friends" and "desperate housewives." they say "the late show with david letterman," they say they're agents of influence. >>> a baltimore man faces charges of attempted murder and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction after a failed bomb plot. police say antonio martinez, also known as mohammad hussein, parked what he thought was an suv loaded with explosives outside a military recruitment center. but it was all part of an fbi sting and there was never any actual danger. >>> in political news this morning, president obama is again facing some open hostility on capitol hill. but this time it's from his very own party. it is of course all over that tax cut deal he made with republicans. and this morning the white house is trying to head off a full-on rebellion by democrats. abc's jake tapper has the very latest. >> reporter: one day