Good evening. As we begin this thursday night, the nations top doctors are sounding an alarm about something theyre seeing coast to coast. And here is the map that says it all. Every region marked in red is facing an outbreak of the flu. And there is no flu season that has started this hard, this early in a decade. So, why is this year so bad and what about the flu shot . Abcs chief medical editor dr. Richard besser starts us off. Reporter its an early outbreak. In arizona, this time last year, there were 18 cases of flu. Today, 790. In new york, 84 last year. Today, 3,975. Massachusetts, 126 last year. Today, 3,736. We are seeing an average of over 600 cases a week of infew when influenzalike illness. The volume is certainly unusual for this time of year. Reporter from kentucky to North Carolina to texas. Horrible sore throat and ears. Just makes you feel bad for five, seven days. Its nasty. Reporter hospitals now seeing the influx. We are having an early influenza season and its a serious influenza season. Weve had a definite uptick in hospitalizations. Reporter there hasnt been an outbreak this early for ten years. And that year, the flu season was severe. We know that with just one sneeze, the virus can spread almost 20 feet in just seconds. Youre infectious a full day before you show any symptoms a bad mix. But why would this flu season, which usually peaks in february or march, be spreading so quickly so soon . Is this a new flu, one that isnt in this years vaccine, one were not immune to . So far, the vaccine seems to be a good match. I cant really ever remember it starting early in november. Reporter or more intriguing, could dry air be the culprit behind this early outbreak . It is the most interesting new theory. In damp air, the water droplets take the flu to the ground. Quickly. Dry air . Look at that sneeze again. The virus floats in the air longer, spreading further. All doctors know right now is that the flu is already here. So, rich besser is here right now. Tell me more about the vaccine this year, how effective is it . Reporter well, its never 100 . Its usually about 60 in healthy adults, lower in the elderly who need it. Thats why we all need to get the vaccine, to help protect them, so we dont infect them. But we keep hearing over and over again from people, i got the flu shot and i was more vulnerable afterwards to the flu. Possible . Reporter it just cant happen. You may get a sore arm and a fever, but you are not getting the flu. So, get the flu shot, no matter its efficacy and no matter what you think. Reporter its definitely better than nothing. All right, rich besser reporting in on this outbreak tonight. And we move on now, because we have learned tonight that in newtown, connecticut, there will be a visitor tomorrow. Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. She arrives just as the 500 children of sandy hook elementary are returning to the classroom, and it happened this morning. There they were, looking out at us from the bus. A small symbol of resilience. And Abcs Amy Robach tells us the story behind those moments. Reporter Officials Say the buses were packed and attendance was high as nearly 500 sandy hook students returned to class for the first time today. Most of the kids were excited. They had seen friends they hadnt seen in awhile. They were anxious to get into the hallways and meet up with the other kids. And you could see the teachers had the same response. Reporter but for many parents, it was a difficult, emotional day. We were with erin and her first grader, lauren, last night, as they prepared for school. We just try to focus on the happy things. We really have no idea what were doing. Reporter during the shooting, laurens teacher hid her 15 students in a tiny bathroom. Today, erin was one of many parents who stayed at school with their children. Have you thought about next week and what each day may bring, will it get a little easier . I hope so. I hope so. I cant stay with them every day. I know at some point im going to have to let them go. We want to just make sure that everybody feels comfortable and we want to move on and let the kids move on, too. Reporter and even as students pass daily reminders of what happened in newtown, erin knows her children are one step closer to healing each and every day. You get so worried and you get caught up in everything that happen and the tragedy of it all and then they surprise you by bouncing back. Reporter and diane, you mentioned congresswoman Gabby Giffords planned private visit with families here tomorrow. Well, just yesterday, she was in new york city, meeting with mayor Mike Bloomberg and talking, not surprisingly, about gun control. Diane . Amy robach reporting in tonight. Thank you so much, amy. And now we head overseas, because there is word tonight that the fight against the enemy in afghanistan has claimed a victory. U. S. Officials confirming a powerful mastermind of attacks on u. S. Forces has been killed by a drone strike. Abcs chief Global Affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz with those details. Reporter we here at home go on with our lives, off to work, to school. Some 7,000 miles away in pakistan, a secret war is being waged from the sky. And last night, the u. S. Scored a major victory in that war. A drone strike killing a man named maulvi nazir, who had been sending fighters to attack our troops in afghanistan. This is the first drone strike of 2013. More than 350 have been launched since 2004. A large number of their top leadership, as well as a lot of the midlevel and foot soldiers have been taken out by these strikes. Reporter but while the drone war grows, the u. S. Will soon be drawing down the 66,000 u. S. Forces in afghanistan today. Military planners suggesting that anywhere from only 6,000 troops to 20,000 remain after 2014. To ensure the country does not descend again into a safe haven for terror. Officials i have spoken to believe that president obama will opt for fewer troops and a faster withdrawal, which means in the future, we will likely be even more dependent on these drone strikes, diane. Thank you so much, martha. And returning home now, news today from secretary of state hillary clinton. 24 hours ago, we saw her walk out of the hospital after that health scare and blood clot. Well, today, she said she would be back at work next week. She worked from home on Conference Calls with her Foreign Policy team, and they said she sounded upbeat and raring to go. And, in washington today, it was a kind of new start. The justelected 113th congress of the u. S. Arrived from around the country. And it was a day filled with drama. Fresh off the bruising brawl over the fiscal cliff, john boehner was reelected speaker of the house. But this time, 12 of his fellow republicans did not vote for him. Last time, the vote was unanimous. After taking the gavel, he spoke, fighting back tears in front of his colleagues. Put simply, were sent here not to be something, but to do something. [ applause ] so, that was john boehner in the house. But across the capitol, a milestone in history. One after the other, women were sworn in as senators. For the first time ever, 20 u. S. Senators in all and they were lawyers, ranchers, a former governor. They are also mothers. A total of 40 children and stepchildren, as senator Kirsten Gillibrand reminded us at her swearing in. And before the holidays, we had a chance to gather these formidable women in one room to talk about a new era. And they said they fought to win tough races and theyre not going to stop now. They are living, breathing history, climbing the stairs and sending a signal. They are 20 senators, republican and democrat, who say they have had it with gridlock and the way congress works. If they can delay a problem, pick an argument and wait until next year, theyll do it. We dont believe in the culture of delay. The dean of senate women, senator barbara mikulski. For a record 26 years, shes brought the women together for private dinners, cheering them on with her slogan. Square our shoulders, put your lipstick on, and fight the revolution. I dont want people who watch this show to think were some kind of a sorority, because were not. We all march to the sound of different drummers, to some extent. But senator Dianne Feinstein says women can be independent lawmakers and still work together. You know, were less on testosterone. We dont have that need to always be confrontational. And i think were problem solvers and i think thats what this country needs. Someone once said that women candidates speak softly and carry a big statistic. I do not agree with the speak softly part. When i saw president obama a few weeks ago, i told him about our quarterly dinners, and i said, mr. President , if you want to see bipartisanship in washington, invite the women senators to help you get it done. And he loved the idea, and he plans to invite us to the white house. So, they say theyre ready to tackle big issues like jobs, transportation, immigration, but its their male counterparts who keep reopening roe versus wade and contraception. I think most of us would agree that the government doesnt have a place in that. Its really individual families who should make those decisions. Im pro choice, so, i dont disagree with what my friend jean just said, but i think both issues should be settled and should not be the main focus of debate. Well, senator collins, i dont think they are entirely settled, i mean, thats the problem. Is that there were amendments introduced to say that women wouldnt have access to Health Insurance coverage for birth control. There was a question raised about whether or not well really have enforcement of equal pay for equal work laws. And boy, if thats the case, then we better stand up and we better speak out. But if congress was 51 women, you can bet your Bottom Dollar we would not be debating contraception. Exactly. We should be talking about transportation infrastructure, or economic development, or how to solve the budget deficit. And we keep facing these amendments on abortion, its like, cant you just leave that alone . Always brought by men. Always by men, diane. And these new female arrivals signal a modern era. The first female senator ever from nebraska, deb fischer. The first asianamerican woman elected to the senate, mazie hirono. And the first openly gay senator, tammy baldwin, of wisconsin, who was in college when she was inspired by geraldine ferraro. I said to myself, i can do anything. The skys the limit. How many of you absolutely know america is ready to elect a female president . Absolutely. Oh, i do. In my life. Easy. How many of you think there will be a nominee, a female nominee in 2016 . Hope so. Hope so. We hope so. Is there a president in this room . Maybe. Oh, yes. Maybe not in 20 of them. A succession of them. You know, i think the thing is, every man wakes up in the morning, looks in the mirror and says, i can be president. Every woman looks in the mirror and says, what can i get done for my country today . Wait a minute. Not one of you in this room looks in the mirror and says, i can be president. Well, you may think it from time to time. Senator kelly ayotte tells a story of her 8yearold daughter. And she said to me, mom, i dont want you to run for president. And i looked at her and i said, kate, im not running for president. Why do you ask me that . And she said, because, mom, i want to be the first woman president. [ laughter ] she better call hillary. Can she break the news to her, were not waiting that long . Were not waiting that long. And, again, our interview was taped before secretary clinton was hospitalized and released. And by the way, we asked these senators to pass on the best advice they ever got for all children, all boys and girls . And were going to bring that to you tomorrow night. And still ahead here on world news, brian ross investigates the powerful painkiller some College Football teams are using on their players. You had a heart attack . I had a heart attack. Aww man. [ male announcer ] returns are easy with free pickup from the u. S. Postal service. Well even drop off boxes if you need them. Visit usps. Com pay, print, and have it picked up for free. Any time of year. Nice sweater. Thank you. Plays a key role throughout our lives. One a day mens 50 is a complete multivitamin designed for mens Health Concerns as we age. It has 7 antioxidants to support cell health. One a day mens 50 . Not in this economy. We also have zero free time, and my dad moving in. So we went to fidelity. We looked at our familys goals and some ways to help us get there. They helped me fix my economy, the one in my house. Now theyre managing my investments for me. And with fidelity, getting back on track was easier than i thought. Call or come in today to take control of your personal economy. Get oneonone help from americas retirement leader. Theres the sign to the bullpen. Here he comes. You wouldnt want your doctor doing your job, the pitch whoa so why are you doing his . Only your doctor can determine if your persistent heartburn is actually something more serious like acid reflux disease. Over time, stomach acid can damage the lining of your esophagus. For many, prescription nexium not only provides 24hour heartburn relief, but can also help heal acidrelated erosions in the lining of your esophagus. There is risk of bone fracture and low magnesium levels. Side effects may include headache, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Call your doctor right away if you have persistent diarrhea. Other serious stomach conditions may exist. Dont take nexium if you take clopidogrel. Let your doctor do his job. And you do yours. Ask if nexium is right for you. If you cant afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. And nohave a and now, we have an abc news investigation about College Football players and injections of a powerful painkiller. One star College Player says it gave him a heart attack. Abcs chief investigative correspondent brian ross tells us more. Reporter even when he showed up in severe pain Armond Armstead sacks jake locker. Reporter number 94, usc defensive lineman armon d armstead was told his team needed him on the field. Thats whats expected you on the field, especially at usc where football is so important. Reporter so, armstead was soon introduced to what an abc news investigation found is the closely held secret of College Football training rooms. Where team doctors inject powerful prescription painkillers to get injured players back on the field. Just go in, he would give me the shot and id be on my way. Reporter medical records show armstead received injections of game days of a generic version of the hospitalstrength painkiller toradol, used to treat postoperative pain. Its label shows of the risks, including increased risk of cardiac infarction, a heart attack, and stroke, which could be fatal. And you had a heart attack . I had a heart attack. Reporter armsteads story has now helped to shed new light on the secret world of painkillers in College Football. Of the top College Football teams contacted by abc news, 16 refused to disclose whether they use toradol. Six said they do not. Four said they do. Unlike professional sports, the ncaa does not keep track of the use of toradol or other painkillers. If we keep track of what happens, lets say, to horses in horse racing, dont we owe it to the athletes to keep track of whats going on in College Sports . Reporter with the backing of his parents, the 65, 290pound armstead, a picture of health, with no Family History of heart disease, is now suing usc and the team doctor, claiming they ignored the stated risk of toradol and never told him about them. As a mom, that was an atrocity. Because how many other kids are going to take these shots to get on that field, not knowing, this could kill you. Reporter the team doctor, james tibone, would not talk about whether he had revealed the risk of toradol. I cant comment on that. Reporter you feel its appropriate to use young, healthy people, we still use it. Reporter usc declined to comment. And when we went to the School Stadium to see the coach, we were told we did not have the proper paperwork and escorted off the property. You guys are obviously making him uncomfortable. Reporter the coach later told us he had no idea until we told him about the possible risk of the painkiller or when or if his players were given it. But now, at least two teams, nebraska and oklahoma, told us, they have stopped using toradol in the wake of the growing concerns about the risk of the painkiller, which includes possible kidney failure and internal bleeding, diane. A big list there. And i know youll have more on all of this on nightline tonight. Well be watching. Thank you, brian. And coming up here, a big new barrier adele just broke. Theres a fire starting in my heart reaching a fever pitch and its bringing me out the reaching a fever pitch and its bringing me out the dark ow tha need for protein c yet many of us dont meet our daily protein needs . 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Serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and Blood Disorders have occurred. Before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether youve been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. Dont start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. Tell your doctor if youre prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. [ phil ] get back to the things that matter most. Ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. [ doctor ] enbrel, the number one biolog medicine prescribed by rheumatologists. And our instant index tonight has to begin with this amazing new picture. A doctor is performing a cesarean and the doctor starts, as he would, to remove the baby. But look. Look what happened. As hes doing it, a tiny hand reaches out to him from the womb. The doctor cries out, shes holding my finger the babys father grabbed the camera and photographed little that say ya making her first new friend. Lets just savor that for a moment. And, tonight, we also have a number to remember. 4 billion. Thats how many disposable coffee cups starbucks uses around the world in one year. So, today, they introduced something new. A plastic reusable cup which costs a dollar, and when you bring the cup in for a refill, theyll douse it, first, in boiling water. And, adele is making history tonight. You could have had it all rolling in the deep for the First Time Since nielsen started tracking music sales, one album has reigned supreme two years in a row, earning the spot of top seller in 2011 and 2012. And the honor goes to adeles album, 21. And we love to know what youre seeing and hearing every day, so, tweet me your thoughts for the instant index, dianesawyer. And, coming up, the incredible story behind this picture. Two teens, inches above an icy lake, clinging to a tree for four hours. Shing rescue, next. Cue, next. This is 100,000. We asked total strangers to watch it for us. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Ill be right back. They didnt take a dime. How much in fees does your bank take to watch your money . If your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. Ally bank. Your money needs an ally. Mommys having a french fry. Yes she is, yes she is. [ bop ] [ male announcer ] couldve had a v8. 100 vegetable juice, with three of your daily vegetable servings in every little bottle. You know how painful heartburn can be. For fast, long lasting relief, use doctor recommended gaviscon®. Only gaviscon® forms a protective barrier that helps block stomach acid from splashing up relieving the pain quickly. Try fast, long lasting gaviscon®. Both of us actually. Our pharmacist recommended it. 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Bring out chicken broccoli alfredo. Or bestever meatloaf. Go to campbellskitchen. Com for recipes, plus a valuable coupon. Campbells. Its amazing what soup can do. And finally tonight, the story of two teenagers, an icy lake and the saving power of one rickety tree. Here with what happened, abcs cecilia vega. Reporter all they had was a dying tree, and for more than four hours, thats what the two boys clung to, stranded in the middle of an icy lake. It was pretty scary. Yeah, it was pretty scary. You could feel it like sinking in and cracking. Reporter 14yearold Christian Van aller and 15yearold alex orton told us what happened when they went out walking on that lake in the Arizona Mountains and the ice cracked. If the tree wasnt there, we probably would have fallen in. Reporter each lost a shoe in the frigid water, so they covered their bare feet with their hats and waited. By the time the rescuers arrived, night had fallen. It took a team of more than two dozen to pull the boys to safety. So what is the lesson in all of this . Dont do that again. Dont do that again. Reporter Lesson Learned the cold, hard way. Cecilia vega, abc news, los angeles. And we thank you so much for watching. Were always here at abcnews. Com. Nightline later. And ill see you again tomorrow night. Good night. U again tomorrow night. Good night. New years confron traigs between airport screeners and a world series hero. Late developments in the search for a petaluma teenager who vanished in the night. Im Spencer Chris chichblt cold snap continues and ill give you a look at frosty temperatures. Jco9 snpt8y a wide ranging federal investigation that could have reshaped what you see online wendz a slap on the wrist. Good evening, everyone. Im carolyn johnson. Im dan ashley. There is developing news in the search of a petaluma woman missing from a hotel at lake ta show where she was celebrating the new year, Sheriff Deputies trying to trace a call made with her cell phone after she disappeared. Her name is alisa burn, and she have Team Coverage for you tonight. Abc 7 news is with her family and n. Peta luma. Were going to start with nick smith on the search underway in lake tahoe. Nick