reena ninan, abc news, new york. >> our thanks to reena ninan tonight. >>> and we're going to turn now to the search this evening across several state s for the driver authorities believe opened fire on another driver this weekend. it was deadly. and the victim had called 911 just moments before. here's abc's susan saulny. >> reporter: tonight, a massive search across pennsylvania, maryland and west virginia to find the driver of a dark-colored pickup truck who authorities say fatally shot 28-year-old timothy davison in what appears to be a terrifying incident of road rage. it began along a stretch of i-81 near the border between maryland and pennsylvania just after 2:00 a.m. on saturday. davison was driving north, back home to poland, maine, after visiting family over the holidays. he called 911 in distress, saying a ford ranger-style truck was following him. what happened next is chilling. operators listened as davison, helpless at the wheel, said someone in the truck was firing shots. >> he then rammed his vehicle into the victim's vehicle, causing it to spin out of control and beco

for "nightline" i'm reena ninan in new york. >> wow. she is something.th won big at the golden globes last night and soon they could be facing off at the oscars. how could the globes affect oscar ballots? coming up next. you've learned a thing or two. [ metal clanks ] ♪ this is the age of knowing what you're made of. so why let erectile dysfunction get in your way? [ gears whirring ] talk to your doctor about viagra. 20 million men already have. ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain; it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. [ cellphone beeps ] this is the age of taking action. viagra. talk to your doctor. he knows every beat, every note, and every word to danny's songs. [ felix meows ]

he's reena ninan. >> reporter: it's a scene similar to the ones she played on the big screen as carrie. >> oh my god. my very own louis vuitton? >> reporter: this time it's actress and singer jennifer hudson who's doing the gifting. [ screaming ] hudson, surprising her longtime assistant with a new house. the singer posting the video on her instagram page. the two have been friends since grade school. by her side while she endured the heartbreak of a lifetime, the murder of her mother, brother, and nephew. killed in their chicago home. other celebrities realize the power of giving back, oprah winfrey giving a cruise to the mediterranean for 100 of her harpo staffers. and brad pitt, $80,000 on gifts for his vineyard staff in france. and it's gone viral now, receiving more than 24,000 likes. reena ninan, abc news, new york. >> got to love her for that. >>> and good morning america in the morning, good morning america. go

hundreds of families evacuated in the cold tonight, and abc's reena ninan is at the scene. >> reporter: panic as fire breaks out in the 42-story high rise in the heart of midtown new york. one resident, a man who goes by the name mikey atwall, his wife nadia and 2-year-old son, trapped inside. atwall live tweeting their desperate situation. first posting this photo of the smoke, with the caption, quote, stuck on building on 26th floor, building on fire. firefighters rushing to the scene to battle the blaze. the smoke engulfing parts of the building. atwall, a scientist and professor, livesover the 26th floor. minutes later, tweelts, still stuck. too much smoke on hallways. el say tomorrows not working. standing in balcony with wife and 2-year-old. more than 133 fire fighters responded to the fire. take a look at the charred remains. it is believed it started right at the 20th floor or so of this apartment building. we spoke with nadia atwall about their ordeal. >> the smoke is so intense and silent. and we put right away wet towels inside our door. that was really the moment where i wa

he's reena ninan. >> reporter: it's a scene similar to the ones she played on the big screen as carriea big surprise. >> oh my god. my very own louis vuitton? >> reporter: this time it's actress and singer jennifer hudson who's doing the gifting. [ screaming ] hudson, surprising her longtime assistant with a new house. the singer posting the video on her instagram page. the two have been friends since grade school. by her side while she endured the heartbreak of a lifetime, the murder of her mother, brother, and nephew. killed in their chicago home. other celebrities realize the power of giving back, oprah winfrey giving a cruise to the mediterranean for 100 of her harpo staffers. and brad pitt, $80,000 on gifts for his vineyard staff in france. and it's gone viral now, receiving more than 24,000 likes. reena ninan, abc news, new york. >> got to love her for that. >>> and good morning america in the morning, good morning america. good night >>> what we know about a man suspected of abducting a seven-year-old girl at gunpoint from her frondyard. >> the deadline is approaching for a girl

reena ninan, abc news, washington dulles international airport. >>> how long will the freeze last? let's bring in meteorologist ginger zee with the answer of what's ahead. >> i've been looking at the long-range computer models. you want to find your state and look at the color that's over it. this is going to come at us in waves. we start thursday. tomorrow morning. and you see that 32. that's the blue line at the bottom. we're going to put it in motion. and watch where the cold sticks around. for friday morning, that white color all throughout the northeast, all the way down to kentucky and tennessee, is zero. we get a little break on saturday. but another punch monday. check that out. 20 below zero is the navy color up in the northern plains. that sticks around for wednesday and early thursday, too. diane? >> all right, ginger, and the whole team covering the cold again tonight. >>> and next here, now, the big story about security at the olympics in sochi, two weeks away. we've heard the worry of law enforcement. but today, we finally hear from some of the american athletes. tryi

abc's reena ninan tonight. >> reporter: departing from new jersey, a scare on the seas. 281 passengers and 22 crew members on a royal caribbean cruise fell ill, forcing the ship to alter its ten-day course, skipping a stop in haiti and docking in san juan, puerto rico. passengers and crew members experiencing gas toe intestinal illness. >> i caught it within the first 24 hours. the fever just kept going up and i realized when i couldn't keep a tablespoon of water down. >> reporter: today, health officials from the cdc boarding the ship to conduct an investigation. 90% of stomach illnesses on cruise shims are the result of a norovirus. a bug that effected the queen mary 2 last year. the norovirus with be drought on board through water, food or infected passengers. the virus can spread quickly, making it incredibly hard to contain. health officials calling it a hardy virus. it can live on surfaces for days like doorknobs and handrails. it may take a couple more days before the cdc can confirm the cause of the illness. cruise officials say they have taken a number of steps to prevent the

reena ninan, abc news, miami. >> and more of reena's report on a special "20/20," imperfect getaways.t at 10:00 eastern. >>> and when we come back -- our instant index. secret life of dogs, coming up next. if yand you're talking toevere rheuyour rheumatologistike me, about trying or adding a biologic. this is humira, adalimumab. this is humira working to help relieve my pain. this is humira helping me through the twists and turns. this is humira helping to protect my joints from further damage. doctors have been prescribing humira for over ten years. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. for many adults, humira is proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira , your doctor should t

abc's reena ninan walks us through this big debate. >> don't do it. don't do it. you'll regret this for the rest of your life. >> reporter: here's the question. is it okay for patients entering clinics where abortion is one of the procedures offered, to be confronted by strangers? >> don't kill your little baby. >> reporter: protesters, all the way to the door. here it is, happening in kentucky. >> let that baby live. >> reporter: well, massachusetts said no. ordering protesters to stay 35 feet away from the clinic's doors. a kind of buffer zone. it's currently illegal for protesters to cross this yellow line. the buffer zone is roughly two parking spaces wide. and it takes about seven seconds to make it to the entrance of the clinic. this planned parenthood employee, who asked to appear in shadow, says it's an important protection for women exercising their rights under the law. in a state where there have been fatal shootings at clinics in years gone by. >> the protesters were able to get really close to women and also make the women feel intimidated and scared.

. >> i'm reena ninan, in for diana perez. we start with a winter storm battering the midwest and taking aim on the northeast. take a look. the arctic air is coming out of the central plains and grabbing moisture from the gulf of mexico. the storm is leaving its mark and will eventually affect 21 states. 2014 has begun with an extreme blast of winter weather. a huge storm has been moving across much of the country, bringing with it freezing temperatures and lots of snow. in minneapolis, temperatures dropped to around zero. fire crews struggle to deal with a massive blaze, following an explosion at an apartment complex. water turned to ice in the extreme temperatures. and in indiana, slippery, snow-covered roads are making travel difficult for drivers. nearly a foot of snow has fallen in chicago, with more expected today. residents are doing their best to dig out. >> it does the job. it's in the porch. now, doing the car. make do with what you've got right now. >> reporter: the storm is headed towards the east coast and new eng

i'm reena ninan. >> and i'm muhammad leila. you notice a couple new faces.> yeah. i couldn't believe it because i'm constantly e-mailing you every time you are in some crazy location. >> sometimes you'll do stories out of washington or here and me, same as you. i should say, you are as lovely in person as you are over the phone or on e-mail. >> and everybody always knows how great he is. >> are you kidding? i'm hot. >> we knew that, too. you're stating the obvious. >> i'm just kidding. i wish -- i hope that i can be as attractive on you -- >> oh, boy. >> on air -- as attractive on air as you are. >> good morning. good morning, muhammad. >> i think i just got youtubed with that clip there. but that's all right. let's quickly change the topic now. >> okay. >> and get to serious news. >> that's right. we begin with bad weather for a huge part of the country. the midwest blanketed in snow from one storm and is now getting more. >> returning home from the holidays is difficult and dangerous with traffic accidents and flight cancellations. that storm will then mak

. >> and i'm reena ninan, in for diana perez. we begin with the monster winter storm. it has the northeast in its grips this morning. here's a look at the radar, from d.c. all the way to maine, covered in a lot of snow. >> this is actually a collision of two storms. one from the midwest. the other, a powerful nor'easter, barreling up the coast. >> this is what it looks like here in new york. a winter weather wonderland in times square. six to eight inches of snow are expected in the big apple by this afternoon. >> meanwhile, chicago is digging out from under 18 inches of snow that have fallen since tuesday. but there is now a bigger danger. temperatures that could hover around zero for days. >> the blizzard conditions are hammering boston and its suburbs this morning. the national guard is being called to help. abc's marci gonzalez is braving the elements in massachusetts. marci, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, reena and muhammad. as you mentioned, it's not just the snow and strong winds creating such a big problem. forecasters say a storm like this, paired wi

reena ninan, abc news, new york. >> wow.ena's report on a special "20/20" called imperfect getaways at abc right here at 10/9 p.m. central. >> a blow for cruise ships everywhere. >>> coming up, a "play of the day." we decided to bring it back. so freeze it. >> are you going to break it? >> no. i hope not. don't break. don't shatter. >> that's nice. it? >> no. i hope not. don't break. don't shatter. >> that's nice. don't break. don't shatter. stir what's inside of you. ♪ [ engine revving ] [ tires screech ] ♪ [ male announcer ] that was bold. real bold. ♪ [ female announcer ] neutrogena® pore refining cleanser. alpha-hydroxy and exfoliating beads work to clean and tighten pores so they can look half their size. pores...shrink 'em down to size! [ female announcer ] pore refining cleanser. neutrogena®. of "looking for a good deal" and "sheesh, i should've looked some more." ♪ that's why walgreens makes it easy to save even more on your medicare part d prescriptions. ♪ just stop on by and leave all the legwork to us. switch to w

abc's reena ninan is here with more on the story. >> reporter: he's an associate pastor at first baptisthey have a motive they're not willing to share. a pastorer they call a fugitive from justice. now the lead suspect in his wife's murder. police say he was likely fleeing the country to germany ultimately to russia. >> the chances of extraditing him are pretty nil. >> reporter: custom agent s wer urged to be on the lookout for him. homeland security officials were notified of his departure. >> all that had been done was to tell us that there was a warrant, he would have turned him in. >> reporter: six months earlier, his wife was stabbed to death in their alabama home. police questioned the 53-year-old husband following the murder and then released. >> he was totally shocked when they pulled him out of line and detained him. >> reporter: according to affidavit he was arrested new year's day, quote as a fugitive of justice. inconsistencies during questioning led to his arrest. his attorney said that he was public about the trip, detailing his trip for sa three-year mission, writing in ja

abc's reena ninan has the story. >> reporter: a rare glimpse this morning at an accused killer and hisc spree that eureka, california, police say ended in the murder of father eric freed in the rectory of his own church. >> it seems to be a crime of opportunity. we have not established a motive. >> reporter: the day before the murder, on new year's eave, gary lee bullock was arrested for public intoxication. acting so erratically, he was sent to a hospital where he had to be restrained, according to police. he was eventually released. hours later, police got a call about a suspicious person at father freed's church. police found him and referred him to a shelter. soon after that, a security guard said he saw a man matching bullock's description around the church. and asked him to leave. >> there were a lot of people who hung around that rectory all the time. i would see people sleeping in the doorway. >> reporter: today, we know it was bullock's family that directed police to a house, where father freed's car was discovered nearby. he was arrested while driving with his father-in-law.

for "good morning america," reena ninan, abc news, new york. >> just feel for that community, all gathered for some sort of answer on that. >> horrible story. all right. we'll be continuing to keep you updated on that, as well. >>> we have a bitter custody case in utah to bring you this morning. the biological father, suing to get his son back and $130 million in damages, claiming he was defrauded and his baby given up for adoption out his knowledge. aditi roy has the story. >> my son doesn't deserve to go through this. i don't deserve to go through this. >> reporter: jay strickland says his son was placed for adoption at birth, without his knowledge or consent. and he's fighting for custody of a 3-year-old son he's never met. he filed a $130 million federal lawsuit, claiming the boy's mother, whitney patterson dempsey lied to him. >> she put him up for adoption the next day. >> reporter: the unmarried pair broke up before the child was born. but they remained friendly and agreed to share custody. >> i helped her as much as i could. i gave her money when she needed it. >> reporter: strickl

abc's reena ninan has the story. >> back up. >> you don't -- >> reporter: never afraid to tell you howom my wife and baby with the camera! >> reporter: this time, it wasn't a put-down that angered alec but a tsa pat-down of his 5-month-old daughter, carmen, on monday. using his favorite ranting vehicle, he tweeted -- tsa random selects my 5-month-old daughter for a patdown. i am not kidding. #travelinginusadisgrace. they shared this rare image of their daughter and said it happened just before boarding a flight back to new york. >> it's business drunk. it's like rich drunk. either way it's legal to drive. or on that same flight, his wife seemed to take a more zen approach to events, posting this picture on her instagram midflight. of course this isn't the first time that the "30 rock" star has flown off the handle while traveling. in 2011 he was kicked off an american airlines flight when he refused to stop playing words. the airline said he was abrasive toward the flight crew. he later apologized. and made fun of the dustup on "snl." >> on behalf of everyone at american airlines issue

reena ninan has the details. >> reporter: richard shahan was an alabama-based baptist preacher with aevout following. this morning, he's accused of murdering his wife, karen. the 53-year-old arrested on new year's day while trying to board a plane to germany. police say he's a fugitive from justice. >> i think he was totally shocked when they pulled him out of line. and detained him. >> reporter: he was nabbed after a customs official recognized his passport. but the pastor's lawyers said he was traveling to germany and then russia to work for a children's ministry. >> once he got to germany and then to russia, the chances of extraditing him were nil. >> reporter: the pastor's wife was found stabbed to death in their home six months ago. the pastor was held when his wife was found dead but he was released. at the time, the pastor was held for 48 hours but released. however, over the last few months, police say inconsistencies during questioning raised their suspicions about the pastor. his lawyers argue they had no idea their man was a wanted man. >> they did not inform us of the fact

mission to convince tots to eat the color of the rainbow all with the help of a new character and reena ninanas more. i like the new character. >> there is a new friend on "sesame street" dr. rooster helping them to whip the gang into shape and teach kids what it means to live a healthy life. cookie monster? >> mm-mm. >> reporter: how about veggie monster. ♪ because you always got to eat fruit, veggies or meat if you want to be healthy and strong. >> reporter: they may be trading in their favorite treats. >> only cookies all wrong. >> reporter: for some healthier options hoping that young viewers will follow in the footsteps of their furry friends. >> and i am here with the world famous dr. rooster. >> reporter: meet the newest addition to the family. >> keep our body healthy and strong. >> reporter: this cardiologist partnered with the "sesame street" workshop to teach children around the world healthy habits. the results a muppetized md character fashioned after himself. >> he says, take care of your several. health is important for your life. >> reporter: my old friends on "sesame street"

mission to convince tots to eat the color of the rainbow all with the help of a new character and reena ninanas more. i like the new character. >> there is a new friend on "sesame street" dr. rooster helping them to whip the gang into shape and teach kids what it means to live a healthy life. cookie monster? >> mm-mm. >> reporter: how about veggie monster. ♪ because you always got to eat fruit, veggies or meat if you want to be healthy and strong. >> reporter: they may be trading in their favorite treats. >> only cookies all wrong. >> reporter: for some healthier options hoping that young viewers will follow in the footsteps of their furry friends. >> and i am here with the world famous dr. rooster. >> reporter: meet the newest addition to the family. >> keep our body healthy and strong. >> reporter: this cardiologist partnered with the "sesame street" workshop to teach children around the world healthy habits. the results a muppetized md character fashioned after himself. >> he says, take care of your several. health is important for your life. >> reporter: my old friends on "sesame street"

reena ninan is on the story. >> reporter: it started as a simple game of hide and seek and ended in a rescue operation. >> i have an 11-year-old daughter. she is stuck in a washing machine. don't ask me how. >> reporter: determined to beat her sisters and cousins, 11-year-old trinity rhodes hid inside the washing machine and was stuck. >> she was hanging out of this part right here. i could only see from about here-up. and she was quite panicked. >> reporter: at first, the kids employed their own rescue tactics before notifying any adults. >> they don't want to be in trouble. >> reporter: so, the kids pretreated her, so to speak. >> they got some butter. rubbed her up with butter. >> reporter: there was even a rinse cycle. eventually, the local fire department had to be called. >> the patient had been in there 45 minutes. she started to panic, complaining of a lot of pain, troubles breathing. now, we have to just cut her out. >> reporter: after 90 minutes, she was finally freed. >> it was scary. i thought they were going to cut me. >> reporter: but everything came out in the wash. >>

here's abc's reena ninan. >> reporter: nearly 18 million people took cruises last year. of them, you probably stood at the ship's railing, enjoying the view and wondered even for a moment what would happen if i went overboard? what you've probably never seen is a vacation video like this. >> i remember looking over the water, looking at the ship, and the next thing i knew i was falling. >> reporter: sarah kirby is the woman in freefall on the video. it happened just over a year ago. she was on a 30th birthday cruise, miami to jamaica. sarah, along with her fiance and best girlfriend, are spending the first night of the trip bar hopping. ending up getting their drink on at the point after night club. >> everybody was drinking to excess and i was enjoying it with everybody else on the cruise. >> reporter: and honestly, you got pretty drunk that night. >> yes ma'am. we decided to leave the bar, go back to our room. the next thing i remember is going out onto the balcony. >> reporter: it's 12 minutes past midnight. one second she's holding the rail of deck seven. the next, s

abc's reena ninan is here with more on the story.ng. >> reporter: he's an associate pastor at first baptist church of birmingham. police believe they have a motive for this murder, a motive they are not willing to share. he's the pastor authorities call a fugitive from justice. now the lead suspect in his wife's murder. police say he was trying to flee the country, likely heading to germany from nashville and eventually russia. >> once he got to germany and ultimately, russia, the chances of extraditing him are pretty nil. i mean, we can't get snowden back. we probably wouldn't get him back either. >> reporter: custom agents were urged to be on the lookout for paster richard shaham. homeland security officials were notified of his departure. his name was flagged in a data base. his lawyers say fleeing was not his intention. >> all that had been done was to tell us that there was a warrant, he would have turned him in. he would have turned his passport either. >> reporter: six months earlier, his wife karen was found stabbed to death

abc's reena ninan is here with the latest. ena. >> reporter: good morning, the two men were reportedly friends and those who knew them tell us they are surprised the man found dead geoffrey farrar was said to have mentored for two decades a 31-year-old now accused of killing him. geoffrey farrar loved scaling these rocks at maryland's carderock park so much he even earned a nickname. >> people would call him carderock geoff. >> reporter: little did he know he would spend his final moments there. the 69-year-old found dead at the rock's base after climbing with three friends including the man he mentored for 20 years, david dipaolo. at first many thought it was an accident. >> we had an operating on the assumption that it was an accident just doing something that he loved. >> reporter: but now police say it was manslaughter. according authorities farrar and dipaolo were seen arguing right before the climb. their two companions said they went to the top of the rock face but looking over the edge they see no one. when they walk to

abc's reena ninan is at reagan national airport in washington with the latest. morning, reena. >> reporter: good morning to you. here at reagan national, 14% of the flights have been cancelled after getting 4 inches of snow. this morning, airports struggling to get back to normal operations. this latest storm leaving planes battling heavy snow like this. frustrated passengers stranded. >> i was wondering if i would be able to reroute that flight. >> reporter: the frosty winter wallop leading to over 3,000 flights canceled nationwide tuesday. the most miserable places to be, philly, laguardia and newark but there were some lucky flyers. >> landed in laguardia and looks like we were on the last train out. >> reporter: and this family who made it back to maine from florida. >> most of the flights are cancelled already. >> reporter: but what goes into making the call to delay or cancel a flight? we went along with a team as they battle to keep the runways cleared to find out. this multifunction snowplow behind me clears the runway. it has three devices, a snowplow t

reena ninan joins us. >> reporter: right now, police say they have no reason to suspect foul play.king for the public's health. they had just fulfilled a dream traveling the world together for two years. now, her husband living a nightmare. >> it's been nine nights. it feels like a thousand years. it's like you fell off a cliff. because my best friend is gone. >> reporter: about a month after returning from their trip around the world, she went missing. last seen friday january 17th after going for a walk near her in-laws home in texas. >> landscapers saw her leave and head north. from there, we have zero clues. >> reporter: law enforcement agencies have scoured the area. no sign of the missing marketing graj waut. >> we've exhausted the area surrounding our city. >> reporter: so far, police have rule out foul play. josh says his 33-year-old wife left the house with only her wallet. he's handed over his laptop to police an he says he's constantly checking his wife's credit card for any activity. nothing has changed. >> we're kind of at a loss. we don't know what to do for now. >> r

abc's reena ninan all over the story this morning. >> reporter: from steps climbed to miles walked theed, it's giving some users a workout itch in the form of a rash. >> i wore it 24/7. >> reporter: katie bought her fitbit force just before christmas hoping to keep her motivated and moving. but two weeks ago she noticed this rash on the wrist where she wore the watch-like device. >> the rash progressively got worse and had some elevated bumps, some bliss terse, and that's when i decided i needed to go see the doctor. >> reporter: fitbit force casings are made with a surgical grade stainless steel, a type of metal that contains traces of nickel, something that 8.6% of the population is allergic to. nickel is found in everyday objects like belt zippers answer earrings but with those with an allergy to it constant contact can produce a itchy but treatable dermatitis. >> the shape of the lesion is exactly the shape of the thing that is coming in contact with it. typically we treat with topical steroid products. because they give you a quick response. >> reporter: fitbit is telling abc nuse