praise from some of the administration's critics. president obama introduced daley as someone who knows how to create jobs and grow the economy. banking communities. d daly has urged democrats to steer toward a more moderate course. the president is expected to make another appointment that businesses will like. treasury official gene sperling will likely be named chief economic adviser, a position he held in the clinton administration. back then he helped president clinton balance the budget and negotiate with republicans. mail rooms at all maryland state agencies are shut down today after suspicious packages were received at two office buildings. hundreds of people were evacuated. the packages released a puff of smoke when they were opened but they did not contain explosives. at least one package contained a note complaining about highway signs that promote the state's terror tip line. if you're flying to or from the northeast today better check with your airline. another snow storm is coming in. new york city is taking no chances this time. the tire chains, plow and salt are all ready. city leaders want to avoid the chaos that followed the post-christmas blizzard when some streets weren't plowed for days. some parts of the city still have uncollected garbage from almost two weeks ago. today's storm is just the first half of a one-two punch hitting the northeast. >> meteorologist ava dinges has the latest from accuweather. good morning, ava. >> reporter: vinita and mike, snow is returning to the northeast but we even have a stronger storm potential potentially forming into next week. these through today we are talking about 4 inches of snow in new york city. that mainly beginning after the morning commute, continuing into the evening commute. you are going to see travel concerns along i-95, even heading through the new york state throuuway into albany. also along long island. that's where some places could see about a half foot of snow. even albany, that could be up to 9 inches of snow. this is a quick-moving storm system. it exits friday night and we're not going to see nearly as strong of winds. you won't see that blowing and drifting behind the storm. here's the next potential. we do have a storm coming out of texas into monday and that's going to bring some much-needed rain to the southeast. depending on where the storm tracks, fit goes offshore, not too many problems. if it stays onshore, we could see another round some of heavy snow and that's something we will continue to watch and something to keep in mind, january could be fairly stormy for the rest of the northeast. now back to you, vinita and mike. here's the rest of your weather. rain and mountain snow in the pacific northwest. up to 1 foot of lake-effect snow in western michigan and northwest indiana. a coating around the twin cities, chicago, detroit, and cleveland. several inches of mountain snow in the west virginia area, tennessee, and north georgia. >> 52 degrees in atlanta. 30s from boston to baltimore. a frosty 12 degrees in minneapolis. 21 in chicago. 38 in kansas city. 37 in billings. 47 in portland. the star of this year's largest national annual coin show is a penny. >> and that is because the experts say it is a penny worth $1 million. the penny is from 1943 and it is all copper. >> collectors say it's one of a dozen copper pennies from 1943, manipulated with leftover metal from the previous year. the rest of the 1943 pennies were steel and zinc coins because copper was conserved during world war ii, making this one pretty penny. >> the neat thing about this is it's a four-day event and they're saying that anyone with old currency, whether it be coins or dollar bills or bills i should say, can come in and they will have collectors on hand ready to make purchases if they see something that's worthwhile. >> very cool stuff if you like to collect. and hey, there you go, makes "cents." >> we'll be right back. a short time ago, this woman suffered from around his house. these people chose freedom over restrictions. independence over limitations. they chose mobility. they chosehe scooter store. and this is the team of mobility experts who made it all happen. ii great news, you've been approved for payment. dr. cruz, i'm calling on behalf ofmarie stanford. and they can make it happen for you. hi, i'm doug harrison, if you're living with limited mobility, call the scooter store today. i promise, no other company will work harder to make you mobile or do more to ensure your total satisfaction. i expected they'd help me file some paperwork with medicare and my insurance. i never expected them to be so nice or work so hard to get me a power chair at no cost to me. if we qualify you and medicare denies your claim for a w scooter or power chair, i'll give it to you absolutely free. that's the scooter store guarantee. we'll wo with your insurance company, even help with financing. if there's a way, we'll find it. when they delivered mom's 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[ male announcer ] every day thousands of people are switching from tylenol to advil. to learn more and get your special offer, go to takeadvil.com. take action. take advil. go to takeadvil.com. with olay challenge that. olay bodywash has 2 times the combined cleansers and moisturizers and 25 percent less water than the top selling bodywash. soft, smooth skin. with olay. well, we have decided to keep a good thing going here at "world news now." you may have figured it out. we are taking our nfl picks segment straight through the playoffs. that's right. there have been some changes. diane sawyer sitting this part of the season out. the records have been changed back to 0-0. you guys will pick every playoff game starting with tomorrow's and sunday's all the way to the super bowl. so here is the leaderboard as it stands right now. our competitors are all start from scratch so it's 0-0. >> yes, that's right. without further delay let's get the playoffs going. it all starts tomorrow with rob's saints visiting seattle to take on the seahawks. then a rematch of last year's afc title game, the colts hosting the jets in indianapolis. >> then on saturday, my afc western division champions the kansas city chiefs hosting the baltimore ravens. and the packers take on the eagles in philadelphia. >> do you know when you're not even here we still give you a shoutout for your chiefs. >> nice, thank you. >> the home teams got me to the second place in the regular season so i'm sticking with my game plan. seattle, indianapolis, kansas city, and philadelphia. >> good pick with kansas city, good pick. rob is of course picking his saints along with the colts, ravens and eagles. jack came in first in the regular season. >> jack! >> he's also taking the saints as well as indianapolis, for some reason baltimore, and the only one picking the green bay packers. >> finally our very dear willis. >> yes! >> the big dog over there going with new orleans, even though you and rob have a bit of a rivalry you're picking his team. the jets, kansas city, and philadelphia. >> yes! >> willis, i love the kansas city pick. >> there you go, baby! >> chiefs, baby, at arrowhead, tough to win. >> i already beat you leading into it. cry me a river, willis. >> there are some changes for people out there who are watching this weekend. the overtime rules are changed in the playoffs this year. it was a change that was actually approved last march but it does not go into effect until the playoffs. here's what happens. bottom line, the rules are similar. if the first team with the first possession scores a touchdown, game over. but if the team with the first possession goes down and only kicks a field goal, then they kick off and the other team gets an opportunity to either score by field goal, which would then tie it, may go back for the other possession, or a touchdown. what it basically is going to do is force coaches to decide whether or not they want to take the ball, which is what they usually wanted to do, would be to score first, or kick off and maybe let their defense sort of limit that team to a field goal and get an opportunity to score a touchdown. so bottom line. >> did i look like i know what you're talking about? when we come back, that workout program for insomniacs. stick around. experts from a leading consumer publication recently tested automatic dishwashing detergents. they rated finish quantum number one, beating the competition ! try finish quantum for amazing clean and shine. satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. welcome back, guys. it is a new year and for so many people that means new year's resolutions. and believe it or not the number one resolution for so many people is an attempt to lose weight. joining us today is matt marshall with 24-hour fitness. matt, it's so wonderful to have you here. i feel with all your swimming you're really an expert. >> i'm really excited to be here. helping people get in shape for the new year and show them how easy it can be. >> we thought what better than to give people a platform for exercising, whether it be on the couch or whether it ob the bed. we're going to do four exercises or five exercises today that are easy because you can do them while you're seated the entire time. >> exactly. the whole key to exercise is making it simple and convenient. and what better place to do it than watching tv. >> i'm probably the worst workout model you could ever have. let's get going because this first one i know requires your legs to come out this way. let me slide over a little bit and you tell me about it. >> we're going to do a basic sit and reach. it's a flexibility exercise. take a pillow on the couch. first thing is stretch straight up. and then you're going to stretch out. hold for ten seconds. move to the left, hold for ten seconds. move to the right, hold for ten seconds. very basic but flexibility is an important part. >> this part is kind of your warmup? >> absolutely. you definitely want to stretch prior to working out. >> let me get my super workout shoes on the couch. out for ten seconds. up for ten seconds. i hope this is one of the easier ones because i'm so not flexible. >> it's one of the most important parts. where exactly am i getting the stretch? i'm feeling it in my hamstrings. >> that's the number one place you're going to be feeling that stretch. >> how many sets? is there sets you should do with this? >> probably three sets of ten seconds each. >> i think this one is easy enough. >> i won't make it too easy on you. number two will go into an abdominal exercise. same thing, your feet are going to be up on the couch and raised straight into the air. my shoes are almost as good as yours. all right. so hands straight up. >> okay. >> hold to the three count. >> are you totally flat right now or already starting in a half crunch? >> no, i've got something behind my back here. your back will be flat. you want to be sure you keep your core tight, hands straight up, up, down. hold. three sets of three is probably a good place. >> don't look, this is so embarrassing. they told me last minute we were doing this. just going straight up. >> keep your feet down. >> straight down. straight up, straight down. i an definitely feel it in my abs. my targeting upper abs, lower abs, what is this? >> your entire abdominal section. you want to focus on keeping your head straight up, eyes straight up. >> i'm already faking, how sad is that? >> let's go on to the next one. >> so the next one is going to work your back. so we're going to use a band. get these anywhere. it's just a resistance band. put your feet back up on the couch. >> okay. >> so arms straight out. you're going to feel some tension. straight back. this is basically a simple seated row. straight up. hold. you want to touch your shoulder blades together. and hold. >> let's move on to the lunges. i feel like for so many women this is what we all say we should be doing more of. you have a great exercise that can be done right off the couch. >> exactly. you can move to the edge of the couch. you're going to basically fire your quads as well as your hamstrings. just sitting on the couch. fire your gluts as well. >> when you say fire, what does that mean if. >> activate, tighten, absolutely. so you're going to go ten seconds here. you're going to do three sets of ten, that's a good warmup for this. then you can go to the advanced exercise which is basically going to be. stand up. and then down. and up. >> my rear end is just grazing the couch. >> absolutely. you don't want to sit, you don't want to take too many breaks. >> i'm already cheating. okay. and it's a good number of sets for this? >> absolutely. >> how many should you do? >> i would say probably three sets of 15 as well as a good place to start. >> what's the next one? >> last one, push-ups. >> this should be the most painful for me because i have no upper-body strength whatsoever. this is just the basic? >> it's an assisted push-up because you're not using your entire body weight because you're going up against the couch here. >> shoulder width apart? >> shoulder width apart. >> legs? >> what you want to make sure is keep your body aligned. you don't want your butt all the way up in the air. >> like what i'm doing. >> up. down. up. down. up. >> matt marshall, you certainly got my blood boiling this morning, i'm already sweating. we're going to continue doing push-ups as we go to break. logon to wnnfans.com. we've got all these wonderful workout tips from our wonderful trainer matt marshall. thanks for coming. >> absolutely. 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"world news now" delivers your "morning papers." >> by now i think almost everyone knows what spanx are. they really have created their own market and now i think every woman knows what they are and most men know what they are. >> i did, i learned. >> get ready to see the newest incarnation of spanx and you're not going to believe that. the picture speaks for itself. >> a little twist on the spanx. >> unbelievable. they are now doing body-slimming garments for pregnant women. the line in the article was like, even if you have a gut that big, even if there's a fetus in it, it should still look slim. there you have it. i was talking to one of our writers and she said, when she was pregnant she liked to have that comfort, something holding it in. maybe not something tight. maybe there is a market for these. look at them right there. >> maybe it's the baby that wanted to look more slim. >> remember that "saturday night live" with baby spanx where you could have a skinni skinnier baby? >> there's a burglar that burglarized a house but actually had to call 911 to get out of the house. he felt trapped. it turns out that he called for help after he couldn't get out after a couple of days of being inside. when cops got there, they actually talked to the guy through the window, that he allegedly broke into. >> i thought he was drunk also. >> there you go. >> it is time for your weekly "polka." ♪ politics and foreign wars all the weather all the scores ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ tapes that roll in way too slow ♪ ♪ stuff you saw on koppel's show ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ it's late at night you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants ♪ ♪ grab your world news now mug and everybody dance ♪ ♪ have some fun be a pal every anchor guy and gal ♪ ♪ do the world news polka ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ ♪ they make us work the graveyard shift, that's why we go for broke ♪ ♪ why don't you tune in to abc and play our little joke ♪ ♪ five whole days every week we're here with tongue in cheek and the world news polka ♪ ♪ do the world news polka ♪ i said now do the world news ♪ do the world news polka ♪ i said now do the world news polka ♪ (man) more of your favorite tv shows, as always, breaking local news, emergency alerts, in the palm of your hand. high quality hd, 3dtv... more choices than ever. it's... mobile tv. technology, not regulation from washington, d.c. check out what's next. visit... montana may maryland mayhem. two packages ignite in state office building mail rooms. even though it's small it is an explosive. >> who sent them and why. staff shakeup. the president's new chief of staff and what's next in the white house. and dramatic role. a challenging movie comeback for nicole kidman. it's friday, january 7th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> yeah, that new movie with nicole kidman "rabbit hole" is only going to be released in select theaters. it's getting rave reviews. >> first i really heard about it, actually, since it came out or it's going to come out. apparently she did a fabulous job. i'll be interested. >> as well as aaron eckhart, who everyone loves i think. good morning and thanks for being with us on this friday. i'm vinita nair. >> i'm mike marusarz in this morning for rob nelson. it will not be business as usual in maryland today after explosive devices showed up at two government office buildings. in two cities mail rooms at state agencies are closed indefinitely. >> were the packages from a terrorist or a crackpot? at least one of the packages included a complaint about highway signs that asked drivers to report suspicious activity. john hendren has more. good morning, john. >> reporter: good morning, vinita. good morning, mike. the devices were small but they put a lot of people on alert at government buildings across maryland. the first package erupted here near maryland's state capitol. it was addressed to governor martin o'mally. >> there was an initial flash of fire and smoke and a smell that emanated from that reaction. >> reporter: a second went off here at the maryland department of transportation building in hanover. >> when the package was opened, there was a sulfur smell and what was described by the individuals that opened the package, both similar, a small puff of smoke. >> reporter: it was less than an explosion but more than a minor worry, officials say. no one was seriously hurt though some workers were taken to local hospitals and cleared for exposure to dangerous chemicals. >> more than unsettling that this happened in more than one building. >> it's really scary to think that the building you worked in received a small explosive. even though it is small, it is an explosion. >> reporter: a federal probe into who might have sent what appears to be incendiary bombs and alarm among those nearby. >> evidence that both of those packages has been collected. we are working with the maryland state police, the fbi, the postal inspectors, the atf. and again, we want to get to the bottom of whomever sent these packages. >> reporter: officials say the devices were powered by a small battery linked to an electric match and a switch. the sender was apparently angry at the government. a message contained with one of those packages complained about government calls to report suspicious activity and it ended "you have created a self-fulfilling prophecy." the white house has issued a formal veto threat to any legislation to repeal health care reform. it came as republicans had their first meeting on the repeal law. they've titled it the repealing the job-killing health care law act. meanwhile the independent congressional budget office said repealing health care would cost $230 billion. president obama's new right-hand man may help him warm up relations with republicans and the alienated business community. former commerce secretary who also has strong ties to wall street and big banks. but the president could lose some democrats' support in the bargain. here's jake tapper. >> reporter: president obama extolled the virtues of his new chief of staff. >> he possesses a deep understanding of how jobs are created and how to grow our economy. bill also has a sminlg ydgen of awareness of how our government and politics works. >> reporter: he'd been in the building 50 years ago this month. >> i visited the white house with my parents. and my brothers and sisters visited a young president who went on to show great strength, leadership and vision. >> reporter: daley may be best known by the public for not conceding on election night as the chairman of al gore's 2000 presidential campaign. >> this race is simply too close to call. our campaign continues. >> reporter: an executive at jpmorgan chase until this week, daley received praise from a frequent white house foe, the u.s. chamber of commerce. >> this is a guy that understands the issues, understands the players, knows the players, and knows how to make it work. >> reporter: his appointment got a chilly reception from liberal groups such as moveon.org, which says daley's appointment is troubling and sends the wrong message to the american people because of his "close ties to the big banks and big business." daley has advocated centrism, writing in a 2009 op ed that democratic leaders need to "acknowledge that the agenda of the party's most liberal supporters has not won the support of a majority of americans, and based on that recognition, steer a more moderate course on the key issues of the day. friday morning president obama will name another member of the clinton alumni association to his white house when he names gene sperling, director of the national economic council. sperling previously held that same position during the clinton administration. jake tapper, abc news, the white house. hopeful news about the rutgers university football player who was paralyzed in october. eric la grande is recovering. he was injured on a kick return against the army team. la grande admits he feared dying on the field that day. but now he says he can move his shoulders and has regained full sensation throughout his body. la grande tells espn he will continue to improve. >> i believe that i will walk one day. i believe it. god has a plan for me. and i know it's not to be sitting here all the time. i know he has something planned bigger for me. >> la grande also says he tried to give a thumbs-up after being injured but he couldn't because he says it felt like there was a thousand pounds on his thumb. you can see the exclusive interview with eric la grande today on "espn sportscenter" at 9:00 a.m. eastern. flights are canceled here in the northeast where winter storm watches and warnings are posted again. buses are already outfitted with chains on the tires. plows are ready with plenty of road salt. the aggressive response follows the post-christmas blizzard mess that left vehicles stranded in streets, unplowed for days. garbage still piled up, uncollected since that late december blizzard. >> that's right outside my apartment looks like. >> they said that rats are coming to the surface to go after those trash bags so there you go. today's storm could be a preview of much bigger ones to come, at least one in a few days. >> accuweather meteorologist ava dinges has the storm track. good morning, ava. >> vinita and mike, not only are we talking about a snow storm for today but another one potentially looming into next week. let's talk about what's happening at least for now. snow tarting to begin into new york city right about after the morning commute, mostly around 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. it looks like the morning rush okay, not so great into the afternoon hours. heavy at times throughout the midday point in new york city. continuing to build twost boston and also heavy into upstate new york. we are expecting some travel concerns. i-95, slight delays at laguardia, jfk, logan in boston, and we could even see cancelations. the good news here, this is not the monster storm that we dealt with over the christmas holiday. we're going to see a quick shot of some heavy snow, then the storm quickly exits the region. so new york city, you're talking about 4 inches. and into albany, there could be upwards to a half foot, even more than that. we're not going to see the strong winds that we saw with our last blizzard. so hardly a blizzard at all, just a heavy batch of snow. >> all right, thanks ava. here's the rest of your friday forecast. 6 inches of snow in the mountains of north georgia, tennessee, and west similar. up to 1 foot of lake-effect snow in michigan and northern indiana. a dusting around the twin cities, chicago and detroit. rain and mountain snow in the pacific northwest. >> 48 in seattle. 30 in salt lake city. 64 degrees in phoenix. fargo and minneapolis don't even hit the teens. 21 in chicago. mostly 30s here in the northeast. it's a birdseye view turned upside down. people across wisconsin are getting their fill of the national emblem. >> it's the time of year when hundreds of bald eagles congregate on wisconsin waterways. so bird lovers are lining up for a chance to see them soar and dine on fish in the open water. this was the scene on the partially frozen waters of green bay. >> wisconsin is home to more than 2,000 bald eagles. the state is organizing special eagle watching days through the rest of the month. >> such a majestic bird. we'll be right back. 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[ male announcer ] and common tissue can make it burn even more. new puffs plus lotion is more soothing than common tissue and delivers twice the moisturizers to your nose versus the next leading lotion tissue. now it is time for a look back at the week in quotes. one newsmaker we were all waiting to hear from was one of the lucky winners from the mega millions jackpot. >> yes, and there was also the monumental transfer of power in the nation's capital, and of course the beginning of a new year. >> i now pass this gavel, which is larger than most gavels here, but the gavel of choice of mr. -- speaker boehner. i now pass this -- >> let us now move forward, humble in our demeanor, as steady in our principles, and dedicated to proving worthy of the trust and confidence that has been placed in each of us. >> there's such a disconnect between this town and the rest of the world. >> this real world stuff is going to get old really fast. this is now your job. >> i take this obligation freely. without any mental reservations -- >> without any mental reservations. >> or? >> no mental reservations. what's great about our system of government is the nonviolent transfer of power. but you could sense there was tension between, you know -- between boehner and pelosi. it's subtle. take a look. >> let's get to my favorite topic. and something foreign to the gay kid over there. chicks in the shower. >> again, this is i think the sort of insensitive, inappropriate behavior that the administration's looking to change when they repealed don't ask, don't tell. >> thought the mayor was messing with me when he called mer. he got me up at 4:00 in the morning, told me we had birds falling out of the sky. >> my daughter told me it was snowing. >> i think the snow is amazing. i've never seen snow. >> my kids, my grandkids, my great grandkids and their children also will never have to worry. because we're not going to blow this. we're just not going to blow it. >> it wasn't a quote of the week but i will say my favorite scene of the week is this one. it involved vice president biden when he was doing the swearing-in ceremony for the oregon senator. wyden. you can see the little boy grabbed the speech right out of his hands. it was a great moment to watch him barter with this little kid and give him a mint in order to get his speech back. >> i know senator wyden said it was two charmers in action. coming up, the dramatic role that could jump start nicole kidman's career. >> we're heal about her new heart-breaking movie and her wild side during her down time. that's next. speaking of films it has been years since nicole kidman generated oscar buzz. >> peter travers talked to kidman about her role which earned her a golden globe nomination. >> welcome to the show. you in your position could do any kind of movie. you could be a psychotic weather woman to die for. you could do birth. you could do movies that people would say, why is she choosing that one? she could do so many. and now you've chosen to do "rabbit hole." not an easy movie. >> yes. i think it has hope in it. >> it has hope. >> it has observations. serious observations which sometimes can be funny. just because it's so authentic or real. >> but what drew you to "rabbit hole"? >> i think the power of it. because i'm interested in -- i suppose most of the themes that run through my work are about love and whether it's -- whether it's love stories, whether it's finding somebody and finding love, whether it's losing it, whether it's obsession. i'm just fascinated with all the different ways in which to play it. love seems to always draw me in. and this was a story about love and loss of it and the way in which you try to recover. >> well, we should set that up a little about what happens in the movie. this couple, you and aaron eckhart are playing, lose a child. 4 years old. >> yeah. >> and it's how you deal with it. and i remembered i had seen a quote from you back when "birth" came out, where again it as husband and wife situation. but you said something about, do you ever really get over losing someone that was that important to you? and yet "rabbit hole" is about you not getting over it but moving a couple of steps beyond it so that you can have a life. >> dealing with it. learning to live with it. which is what we all have to do ultimately. because we're all going to experience it. we don't talk about it too much. or when we get hit by the, some of us, you know, end up never, never -- never recovering at all and never learning to live with it. and others do, you know. and that's -- a speech from me about, it's there, it's in your pocket. >> like a brick. >> uh-huh. and that speech to me is exquisite writing. because it's so real. but it's also -- that's where the hope is. that's where it's one of the little things where you just say, my gosh, this is something that makes me feel less alone. it's a life lesson. and it's throughout the story. >> what i'm interested in this daredevil aspect of you, i read somewhere once you like skydiving. >> yeah. >> so what is it? is that since you were a kid? >> when i was a kid i begged my mom if i could go and skydive and she wouldn't let me. i begged for a tattoo and she wouldn't let me. there were many things i wanted that my mother wouldn't let me have. so i suppose i -- >> but later. >> yes. i still don't have the tattoo. >> there's a tattoo hidden somewhere? >> i'm with a man that has a lot of tat did dues. >> it's often said nicole kidman has unfortunate taste in scripts. they say this movie despite the fact it deals with a couple losing a child is not a downer. like we mentioned she's already won a golden globe and there's so much talk about a possible oscar. >> part of the promo it says, it's okay to laugh at this movie. it's a very odd script apparently where you think maybe it's not okay, it's not appropriate. apparently it's a good performance by her. >> 85 on rotten tomatoes. and she's going in with no protective gear? her hands could dry out. 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[ spongecaster ] so it's not a chore. ♪ hair, grow it, show it >> it's going to make sense in a second. >> finally this half hour, the answers to the prayers out there of all the men who suffer from hair loss. not me thankfully, knock on plexiglas. >> thanks to stem-cell research scientists might be close to a possible cure for all those other men who are going bald. you guys should not hold your breath. >> reporter: it's estimated 50 million american men have hair loss. seinfeld's george ka stanza famously among them. >> i think this looks pretty good. >> reporter: he was forever searching for a fit. >> i don't like this thing! and here's what i'm doing with it! >> reporter: researchers say these new findings are worth holding on to. here's what they thought going in. that men who are balding must have fewer of the necessary stem cells that produce hair. but that was a surprise. the number of stem cells in bald men was actually the same as in men with full heads of hair. it's actually a secondary group of sells, projen for cells or so-called workhorse cells made by those stem cells. they're the ones that are missing. the stem cells themselves need to get working. >> the fact that we found this normal number of stem cells in the bald scalp is surprising. and raises the hope that we'll be able to develop treatments. >> reporter: now scientists say with those stem cells there already, all they need to do is figure out how to get them to produce the secondary cells that produce the hair. >> we need to find ways to wake them up so that they can make new hair. >> reporter: researchers predict they'll be able to do that within a decade. the men we talked to said they'll believe when it they see it. >> it would be something you would be interested in? >> maybe, yes. i feel comfortable the way i am, though. >> you look good. >> reporter: but we did wonder -- >> if there was one tv actor, movie star, whose hair you could have, who would it be? >> brad pitt. >> maybe that would look good. >> reporter: this man said even if scientists do come up with a fix, he's over it. >> it will cost me more money. i like my hair like this. >> reporter: in fact, when we asked that same question, whose hair would he like? >> you'll brenner. >> reporter: david muir, abc news, new york. >> you know, in those they took a guy that was bald and gave him hair. i wonder what a guy like you who has a full head of hair might look like -- >> oh my gosh! >> you look like an alien. >> nobody likes to see that. >> graphics, nicely done, that's pretty good. >> i'll keep my hair. >> there's your future, mike. >> i know. >> i'm just kidding. >> you never know. >> that's the news for this half hour double trouble. two packages ignite in two maryland state office buildings. who's behind this mail room threat. coverage crunch. the dramatic jump in health insurance costs. >> i feel helpless. >> can you fight this added expense? millionaire dreams come to life. >> we're awake and this is real. >> one very lucky couple. it's friday, january 7th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, everyone, i'm mike marusarz sitting in for rob nelson. >> i'm vinita nair. mail rooms at all maryland state agencies are shut town until further notice. >> low-grade package bombs were sent to office buildings in hanover and annapolis. police say one of them was sent by someone unhappy with highway signs. john hendren has the latest. good morning, john. >> reporter: good morning, mike. good morning, vinita. the devices were located 25 miles apart in hanover and annapolis, maryland. they set law enforcement and many local workers on edge. the first package was addressed to maryland governor martin o'mally. >> there was an initial flash of fire and smoke and a smell that emanated from that reaction. >> reporter: it erupted near maryland's state capitol. a second went off at the maryland department of transportation building. >> when the package was opened, there was a sulfur smell and what was described by the individuals that opened the package but similar, a small puff of smoke. >> reporter: they were less than an explosion, officials say, but more than a minor worry. no one was seriously hurt though some workers were taken to local hospitals and cleared for exposure to dangerous chemicals. >> a little bit unsettling that this happened in more than one building. >> it's really scary to think that the building that you work in, you know, received a small explosive. even though it is small it is an explosive. >> reporter: the eruptions triggered an evacuation. a federal probe into who might might have sent what appears to have been incendiary bombs, and an alarm for those nearby. >> evidence from those packages has been collected. we are working with the maryland state police, the fbi, the postal inspectors, the atf. >> reporter: officials say the devices were powered by a small battery linked to an electronic match and a switch. authority dozen have one clue. a note with one of those packages complained about government calls to report suspicious activity. that note ended "you have created a self-fulfilling prophecy." mike and vinita? president obama is promising to veto any law to repeal health care reform. he issued a formal threat as house republicans met to discuss a bill they call repealing the job-killing health care law act. gop leaders insist the health care reform law would result in higher medical costs and lost jobs. the house may be able to repeal it but the senate is unlikely to go along. >> we believe that a significant impediment to job growth in this country has been the existence of the obama care law. >> the republicans have to understand that the health care bill is not going to be repealed. >> yesterday, the independent congressional budget office said repealing health care reform would leave millions of americans without coverage. and a repeal would also cost the government $230 billion over 10 years. federal and california state leaders promise to fight a huge increase in health insurance premiums. one provider, blue shield of california, wants to increase rates up to 59%. david muir tried to get answers from that company. >> reporter: michael frasier was stunned when he opened up the bill from his insurance company. >> my rate's going up 59% on march 1st. >> reporter: his monthly payment shooting up from $271 to $431 a month. >> i feel helpless. i feel i can't -- that there's nothing i can do. >> reporter: he's among the tens of thousands of customers affected by this one company alone. it's not just california, it's across the country. new york state, wellpoint insurance looking to raise rates 28%. in iowa, wellmark looking to hike rates 18%. across iowa, angry customers asking how could this be? >> it's like a david and goliath scenario, to me. >> reporter: blue shield in california, that 59% hike? >> there's no one who can say anything on-camera about what's behind the hikes of up to 59%? >> no, i don't have anybody. >> reporter: what they gave us was a statement saying, these rates reflect trends that were built in long before health reform. our individual market medical costs are rising rapidly. but we wondered, what about health care reform? was there nothing to rein in these double-digit increases? >> many state insurance commissioners have no authority to stop excessive rate increases. >> reporter: so we turned to secretary of health and human services kathleen sebelius, who told us what the federal government can do is try to shine a spotlight on these increases. secretary, what would you say to the customers we talked to today, who would want more than a bright light shined on these figures? they want someone to step in and say, you can't do this. >> well, i would agree with those customers and that's really what the state authority would do. >> reporter: in so many states, authorities don't have the power to reject these double-digit hikes. so what can you tell customers, what should they do? >> they should contact the governor of their state and the state legislature, demanding that those laws be changed. >> reporter: call the governor? we did ask the secretary if that seemed overwhelming for so many americans who are simply trying to find a way to hold to their health insurance. she pointed out again the power remains with the states and state insurance commissioners are the only ones who can reject these numbers outright. only a handful of those commissioners actually have that power. david muir, abc news, new york. another snow storm is on the way to the new york area today. the city is taking steps to avoid the mess and the harsh criticism following the post-christmas blizzard. in addition to the usual work, teams will now be feeding video back to city halls so managers can stay ahead of problems. the city is still not back to normal since the last storm. garbage is still uncollected in some neighborhoods. speaking of the weather most airlines have already canceled some flights and are waiving fees. >> today's storm could be the first of two waves of snow. meteorologist ava dinges has the latest from accuweather. good morning, ava. >> vinita and mike, i think the last thing people on the eas coast want to hear is the word snow. i'm going to be saying it a lot in this forecast. at least the storm won't be the monster we dealt with over the christmas holiday. we are going to see a heavy shot of snow. whether it be in new york city, starting after the morning commute, continuing into the afternoon hours. that snow building into boston toward the afternoon. we'll see a heavy band of snow back into upstate new york. so there are going to be widespread travel concerns. slippery spots on the interstates, even the new york state thruway, even cancelations at some of the airports. but this is a quick-moving storm. it comes in and moves out within much of the day. we're going to see about 4 inches in new york city. upwards of a half foot in albany. we're not going to see the winds that we dealt with the christmas blizzard. so you may have some travel concerns out there but you're not going to see the widespread blowing and drifting. i think the big concern with this, where are they going to put all the snow? there are a lot of piles up around the east coast and this is only going to add to it. now back to you, vinita and mike. >> all right, thanks ava. here is the rest of your friday forecast. up to 6 inches of snow in the appalachians of west virginia, tennessee, and georgia. heavy lake-effect snow from grand rapids and south bend. a light dusting around minneapolis, chicago, detroit, and cleveland. rain from seattle to portland. >> 37 in boise. 47 in albuquerque. 52 in sacramento. just 11 degrees in fargo. 28 in indianapolis. 31 in omaha. 60s from dallas to miami. 52 in atlanta. and a snowy 38 here in new york. >> on this next story we should say right off the bat we do not at all recommend you try this. >> that's right. check this guy out. as he cruised down interstate 95 in connecticut yesterday. yes, in his electric wheelchair. traffic cameras spotted him riding on the shoulder and followed him the whole way. he eventually used a regular exit to get off of the highway. >> so dangerous. and before anyone gets any bright ideas the police remind us, this is illegal. the guy in question there, we still don't know why he was on the highway but he was not issued a ticket. we'll be right back. ♪ [ female announcer ] unlock the potential of nature and shine. with pantene nature fusion shampoo. experience cassia essence fused with pantene pro v science. the advanced formula conditions damaged hair to unlock radiant shine today and up to 10 times more strength in 14 days. nature fusion from pantene. healthy makes it happen. [ male announcer ] every day thousands of people are switching from tylenol to advil. to learn more and get your special offer, go to takeadvil.com. take action. take advil. when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement nsurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to " 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying .up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp p medicare supplement insuranc. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competitive. i can keep my own doctor. and i don't need a referral o see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare r supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits r your needs and budget. with all medicare supplement plans, there are virtually p no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep that accepts medicare. p your own doctor and hospital and best of all, these plans are... when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up. and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... as with all medicare supplement plans, you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts # medicare, call this toll-free number now. welcome back. as we speak, the biggest gathering of tech nerds is under way in las vegas for this year's consumer electronics show. >> the cool kids call it ces. and it showcases the next big thing in technology. and our contributors andrea smith and daniel sieberg are in vegas to tech it out. >> we know you guys wish you were here. you love and appreciate technology like we do. but, well, it's a tough job but somebody's got to do it. this is the super bowl of technology. >> it's fabulous. >> we're surrounded by all sorts of stuff. the trend here continues to be 3d. right? >> 3d tvs everywhere. 3d tvs, 3d laptops. 3d glasses. >> eventually we'll get 3d tvs without the glasses. >> exactly. i saw a 3d tv that you can use without glasses. toshiba. >> maybe no headache or dizziness too, one day. all right. the one problem that every gadget runs into is running out of juice. >> right. >> a number of different devices helping recharge. in sort of a cordless fashion. >> right. because you have all these cables with you. who wants to carry all the cables? so this is wonderful. it's a tool charger. these are the two things most people need. micro usb and an iphone charger right here. >> those just go on the power -- >> put it on the power mat just like this, plop it down, and it charges, no cord. >> magnetic conduction? >> magnetic. you can put three devices on here and they charge. >> i'm into magic, i think it's magic. this is from oregon scientific. what is this all about? >> these are getting great reviews. you used to go to the gym and you had big, clunky watches on. this is made of nice, soft silicon. looks kind of cool. it's a heart rate monitor. it will tell you how fast you're going, how many calories you're burning. really comfortable. oregon scientific. >> very cool. for those out on the slopes and wanting to impress their friends with the jumps they've gone off or something? >> you're going to look really geeky with it. you put this on, put it on if you want or -- >> i'll put it on. >> i'm so glad you're putting it on. you go down the slopes and take hd video of everything you're doing, every pole you're hitting, every person you're barely missing. >> i just wiped out. >> when you're owl done you pop out this little sd card that's right here and you have sd videos to -- >> brag about? >> impress your friends. >> or claim it wasn't you, whichever the case may be. speaking of cameras this is from kodak. it's in the line of small but pretty decent quality video cameras. >> right, because they make wonderful cameras, very intuitive, great for sharing. much smaller and what they've done is they've made it so easy you hit one button when you're done and you can share it, facebook, youtube, the whole thing. >> cool. now, okay. so tablets are everywhere at this show. the only person who hasn't come out with a tablet is me, at this show. this is one from dell. the dell duo. >> yeah. >> you're more adept at this than i am. >> i want to call it a transformer because you just kind of swivel it over here. >> more than meets the eye. >> you can close it down like this, voila. and i love this. you can carry it around with you. >> every time you turn around there's a different type of tablet. form, function, spinning around like that, a hybrid of the keyboard. >> exactly. tablet palooza here. what's interesting is everyone is waiting for android's new platform. that's the platform that's being built for tablets from the ground up. that's what people are having their eye on. >> the 800-pound gorilla not here, apple with the ipad 2, eventually. we're in for some fun here. doesn't look like a whole lot. >> hey, that's important. >> this is absolutely important. if you were out at a party, in addition to taking pictures of your camera here, who would have thunk you could use it to open your beer bottle? or your soda bottle. >> don't break your nails. >> this is how much? >> this is $25. this is the only thing at ces i think that's $25. and you can get an iphone app for it that will count how many bottles you opened. >> my wife does that, i don't need an app to tell me anything about that. thank you so much, andrea. >> daniel mentioned apple not being there at the show. there are some rumors apple's ipad 2 could be on the horizon. there are already some blogs out there talking about the case which reveals maybe a front-facing camera and a back camera, which would be dynamite for people who like that. >> i know you're waiting for that ipad 2 before you buy. one cool thing i'm hearing more and more about, on your remote control, soon there's going to be the ability to have a netflix button on the remote so you can immediately stream instead of having to do all the back and forth with mailing it in. >> not bad. >> yeah. >> love technology. why jennifer lopez is facing a federal investigation. >> and who is dropping tiger woods. i should say who else. after a long-term business relationship. that's coming up next in "the skinny." jennifer lopez's love may not cost a thing but her ex-husband certainly does. we keep hearing this guy's name and now there are problems involving him and the irs. according to reports, and this report is coming to us from radaronline, the irs investigators questioned him october 7th, 2010. basically what they say happened is that she submitted a form to the irs that said she paid him double what he is claiming he actually received. in other words, she says i paid him more, he says i pay her less. now they're asking, who's at fault here? could she have overstated, could you have understated? ojani has come back and said, there's no way i understated, the reality is she is my only form of revenue. >> okay. >> kind of a nasty split. they had a restaurant together in 2002 called madre, and he sued her for firing him as manager. this all comes on the heel of another report that j. lo's husband mark antony had $3.4 million in unpaid tax bills. he says that's all been cleared up. but of course, she is worth a lot of money. now the latest amount is "american idol," independent of her singing and acting career. so i think at this point she probably wishes that former marriage had never happened, for all the drama that has occurred after it. >> it's a tough gig if you can get it. if that's his only income, what a job, right? you could be the ex of j. lo. so there you go, congratulations to that. some things not to congratulate. tiger woods. he's facing some problems again with some endorsement things. there's this new game that's out for anybody who's played it before, tiger woods has this popular pga game produced by ea sports. last year, tiger woods' face was on the cover. we know the problems he had there. on the left-hand side of the screen is last year's cover. one of the covers before you see him prominent there on the front. this year on the right-hand side, they've decided to put him in the back. and really make the focus augusta national, which is obviously the prestigious host of the masters tournament. that is the main focus of this year's game. ea sports says, look, this is just something that we decided to do, we've had a relationship of 13 years with tiger, we're not backing off of our support with tiger, they just decided to change the game. this year also, "golf digest" has decided to end their relationship with tiger woods. he wrote a column for "golf digest." which apparently was worth about $2 million for him. and basically, "golf digest" says the reason that this relationship is ending, his contract was coming up, they needed more time with tiger, tiger was not willing to give them more time to write his column, so they're deciding to split. that follows a bunch of other endorsements that did decide to part ways. gatorade, gillette, some other big names. >> wow. here's something i don't think anyone could have seen coming because her name is never in the headlines. jamie presley, that girl who was on the show "my name is earl." she played joy on the show. she has now been arrested on suspicion of dui. there's the mug shot right there. she's 33 years old, arrested at 11:36. the interesting thing here is, she was released on $15,000 bail. why that's significant, it's typically $5,000 and tmz is reporting in du it cases when the blood alcohol is measured at higher than .15 -- the legal limit is .08 -- you can have a higher bond. it's only suspicion of dui but it certainly is not a great thing for such a talented actress. [ female announcer ] picking tights isn't easy. picking a free detergent is. switch to tide free & gentle. it removes more residue from dirt, food, and stains. so nothing spoils this tights enthusiast's enthusiasm. tide free & gentle. style is an option. clean is not. maybe i'll...oops. [ female announcer ] instead, try new it immediately soothes and delivers long-lasting protection. here are some stories to watch today on abc news. two sisters will be released from a mississippi prison after serving 16 years for armed robbery. jamie scott needs a kidney transplant, her sister gladys agreed to be the donor. new labor department numbers on unemployment are released today. analysts predict a slight improvement from last month. wall street investors will be watching closely. federal reserve chairman ben bernanke will be on capitol hill today. he'll brief lawmakers on the latest economic outlook. we finally know who he is. the man with 190 million reasons to smile. jim mccullar of ephrata, washington, has claimed his half of the mega millions jackpot. >> he appeared at a news conference to claim a check for a cool $190 million. he took plenty of time to tell reporters how he broke the news to his wife. >> i go through the door. we have three pomeranians that sleep in the bed with her. as soon as i cracked the door, bark bark bark bark bark! she's on at the dogs, be quiet, be quiet! i said, carolyn. what? get up. she says, what's wrong? and i said, nothing. and i guess she looked at me and i was pale. and shaking. she thought i was having a heart attack. and she said, are you okay? and i said, yeah. i'm perfect. i said, but you need to get out of bed. she says, what's wrong, what's wrong? i says, where are the lottery tickets? she said, they're on the desk in front of your computer. i said, well, come with me. and i says, look at this and look at that. she looked. and she studied and she looked and she studied and she looked at me and screamed. tears started flowing down. and i looked at her and i started crying. all she could say was, is this real? is this real? and i says, i pinched myself already, we're awake and this is real. what this means to me is that the legacy is going to go generation after generation after generation. my kids, my grandkids, my great grandkids, and their children also will never have to worry, because we're not going to blow this. we're just not going to blow it. >> what a wonderful story. and the couple there has been married for 41 years. you heard him talk about the legacy. father of six and grandfather of more than 20. >> i mean, that's the coolest story i've ever heard. >> it's nice that he let her have that same experience he got. >> yeah, that's just fabulous. and we're still waiting for the other winner. the other half of that jackpot in idaho to come forward with the winning ticket purchased there.