Good evening. We begin tonight with that dangerous goliath of a winter storm. You can see it visible from space in an image released today. This storm has prompted 750 reports of Severe Weather on the ground. And a lot of drivers are learning the highway can turn into a deadly slick in just seconds. Abcs meteorologist ginger zee takes us to a stretch of american highway that felt it the most. Reporter tangled and twisted on a detroit highway. This was the scene along a mile and a half stretch of i75 today. At least 30 vehicles were involved in the crash. Three people were killed, including two children believed to be siblings. The culprit . Whiteout conditions from a single band of snow. Only 15 minutes. Thats all it takes. Reporter this is what it looked like inside that blinding whiteout. Its called lake effect snow. And it was created as cold air and wind passed over the warmer waters of lake michigan. Lake effect snow squalls are notorious for changing conditions quickly. You can be driving along with perfect visibility then in seconds you cant see anything at all. Fierce winds whipped up snow along indiana highways today, too. 40 cars piled up on i70. This is part of that same system thats created weather bedlam around the nation, including that tornado, believed to have had winds of 150 miles an hour in adairsville, georgia. Abcs Steve Osunsami visited with danny and katherine welch, sifting through what was left of their home. I found this one that has all of our names on it and our kids names. Reporter daddy. Thats you. Reporter the same vicious cold front brought springlike floods that washed out roads and flipped cars in North Carolina. When the levee broke, there was trash, there was limbs, even saw a tire was floating by. Reporter in parts of maryland, two to six inches of rain fell, making it a morning full of rescues. And then there was that wind. Wind gusted over 70 Miles Per Hour in connecticut, taking down power lines and trees. Diane, i wanted to go back to that image inside the detroit whiteout today. Now, if this happens, the recommendation is to gradually slow down, turn on your flashers and if you can get off the highway, do so. Diane . Again, you have to act fast. Thank you so much, ginger zee reporting in tonight. And now, in washington today, one man entered the arena. Chuck hagel, the purple heart recipient from the vietnam war, the former senator, nominated to be secretary of defense. His former colleagues met him with a fuselage of critical questions today, and abcs chief washington correspondent Jonathan Karl takes us about the fiery day. Reporter hes a vietnam veteran and former republican senator, but today chick hagel found himself and his judgment under attack by a fellow republican and vietnam vet. Were you correct or incorrect when you said that the surge would be the most dangerous Foreign Policy blunder in this country since vietnam. Were you correct or incorrect . Well, im not going to give you a yes or no answer on a lot of things today. Well, let the record show that you refused to answer that question. Reporter hagel eventually did answer, standing by his words on the iraq war, revealing something about the kind of defense secretary he hopes to be. I saw the consequences and the suffering and the horror of war. So i did question a surge. This going to be worth the sacrifice . We lost almost 1,200 dead americans during that surge. Now, was it required . Was it necessary . Reporter hagel would be the First Defense secretary who saw combat as an enlisted soldier. As a poor kid from nebraska, he and his brother, tom, volunteered to serve in vietnam. The brothers served in the same infantry unit in 1968, both getting wounded, each crediting the other with saving their lives. I dont see the lens of every world event and whether we should use American Power through the lens of vietnam. But its part of me. Reporter hagels service was praised i admire your service to your country. Reporter but he was criticized for being soft on iran and too tough on israel. At one point, criticizing what he called thelobby. Today, he took that comment back. I should have used another term, and im sorry. And i regret it. Reporter and hagel seemed to get confused about iran, which he called an elected, legitimate government, stating president obamas position on pursuit of nuclear weapons. Hagel is likely to be confirmed, but even supporters acknowledge he didnt have a familiarly Strong Performance today, saying that he still needs to learn more about the pentagon, telling the committee, quote, if confirmed, i intend to know a lot more than i do. Those were his exact words, diane. It was a bruising day. Thank you so much, Jonathan Karl. And, in alabama tonight, Law Enforcement officials are searching for enough wisdom to prevent a tragedy. A standoff is under way, a frightened 5yearold boy held hostage in an underground bunker. His captor has a gun. So, what should police do next . Abcs gio benitez is there. Reporter just beyond that line of trees, a 5yearold boy named ethan is spending his third terrifying day in captivity. Dozens of police and s. W. A. T. Teams have the property in this tiny alabama town surrounded. Hostage negotiators have been talking regularly to the kidnapper, 65yearold jimmy lee dykes, through a ventilation pipe. Thats an innocent kid, let him go back to his parents. Hes crying for his parents and his grandparents and he does not know whats going on. Reporter police say the two are in a six by eight foot bunker four feet underground. Ive actually seen the hole, the bunker hes in now. Hes got steps made out of cinder blocks going down to it. Reporter Authorities Say the veteran has enough supplies to last for weeks. He is allowing the boy, described as a child with autism, to watch television and take medication sent down through that pipe. Alabama state senator Harri Anne Smith has been with the childs mother since the beginning of the standoff. Ethans mom did want me to convey a message to the community and the people of this area, that shes extremely grateful for all the prayers. That thats whats getting her through. Reporter the ordeal began tuesday, when the suspect stormed a school bus, demanding to remove children. A heroic bus driver, charles poland, was shot and killed trying to protect them. Were just hoping for that day that we can bring the little boy home. Safely to his family. Reporter the motive for the kidnapping is not yet clear. And aside from saying that the suspect is, quote, sleeping some, authorities are releasing very few details about this, in hopes that it all ends peacefully. Diane . Thank you so much, gio. I know youll stay on this story. And last night, we told you about a young woman in chicago. Her death moved to the center of the debate about gun violence in america. Hadiya pendleton, 15 years old, a majorette in her high school band, gunned down in chicago, days after taking part in the inauguration festivities. Well today, a new image of the young woman emerged. And a mayor says shes taking action. Abcs alex perez was there. Reporter its been more than a decade since chicago has had a january this bloody. 42 murders so far this month, including 15yearold hadiya pendleton, that standout student who performed at the president s inauguration festivities. Today, we learned she made this antigang video when she was just in sixth grade. Say no to gangs and yes to a great future. Reporter but hadiyas own future, cut short, when she was caught in gang cross fire tuesday. This citys mayor, rahm emanuel, announcing today 200 Chicago Police officers from the citys stretched thin force, will move from behind the desk to the streets to target high crime areas. We need to Work Together to protect our greatest resource. The children of the city of chicago. Reporter pendleton was with her friends, underneath this shelter, trying to stay out of the rain, when she was shot and killed. And the violence shows no signs of slowing down. Since her death on tuesday, six people have been shot and wounded in chicago. Chicago closed 2012 with more than 100 murders. And as diane sawyer heard last october, its all too easy to get a gun here. Go behind a couple bushes, i bet there are some guns under there. Pam bosley lost her son to gang violence. If they do it once, theyll do it again. Reporter she believes the citys push for more police is a good start. And the breath of hope for a city trying to cope. Alex perez, abc news, chicago. We thank you, alex. And a change of topics now. Today, everyone was watching as a superstar performer at the center of a big controversy finally broke her silence. Were talking abbeyon say, and the star spangled banner. For anyone who doubted she could sing it, she sang it, all alone. Heres abcs paula faris. Reporter she walked to the front of the stage and faced the music with music. O say can you see reporter beyonce, belting out the National Anthem acapella at her Super Bowl Press Conference today. No prerecorded tracks. What so proud ly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming reporter she now admits she did sing over prerecorded tracks at the president ial inauguration, sparking controversy. Beyoncegate. The crisis in lipia. Reporter for ten days shes been silent. Today, she came clean. Any questions . Reporter immediately setting the record straight. Due to the weather, due to the delay, due to no proper sound check, i did not feel comfortable taking a risk. I decided to sing along with my prerecorded track. Reporter in fact, beyonce says it was always the plan to sing with a prerecorded track. The inauguration was, unfortunately, a time where i could not rehearse with the orchestra, actually because i was practicing for the super bowl. So, it was always the plan. Reporter no response from the white house, but democratic strategist Donna Brazile tweeting, beyonce has come clean and told the truth. God bless america. Hip hop icon Russell Simons simply tweets, beyonce killed it. Shes been preparing for the super bowl for five months and today, she made this promise. I will absolutely be singing live. I am well rehearsed. And i will absolutely be singing live. This is what i was born to do. Reporter diane, the super bowl typically the most watched Television Event of the year. 100 Million People expected to tune in. Thats four times more than watched the inauguration, so, youre talking about a big stage for beyonce. That was a nervy performance today. Reporter it was. It was something else. Thank you so much, paula. And still ahead on world news, were going to tell you about a new crime spree, revealing crafty new ways thieves know how to target your home when youre away. If there was a pill to help protect your eye health as you age. Would you take it . Well, there is. [ male announcer ] its called ocuvite. A vitamin totally dedicated to your eyes, from the eye care experts at bausch lomb. As you age, eyes can lose vital nutrients. Ocuvite helps replenish key eye nutrients. Ocuvite has a unique formula not found in your multivitamin to help protect your eye health. Now thats a pill worth taking. [ male announcer ] ocuvite. Help protect your eye health. Begins with back pain and a choice. Take advil, and maybe have to take up to four in a day. Or take aleve, which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. Good eye. [ male announcer ] youve reached the age where you dont back down from a challenge. This is the age of knowing how to make things happen. So, why let erectile dysfunction get in your way . 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 longterm 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. This is the age of taking action. Viagra. Talk to your doctor. Viagra. Weve decided to were all having such a great year in the gulf, put aside our rivalry. cause all our states are great. And now is when the gulf gets even better. The beaches and waters couldnt be more beautiful. 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Authorities are accusing these four men of gaining access to a list of people who suspended their newspapers to go on vacation. And that turned out to be an invitation into an empty home. Abcs cecilia svega has more on the brand new ways that thieves are monitoring what you do. Reporter while matt and Beth Robinson were away visiting family, this what was happening in their North Carolina home. Security cameras catching it all. Thieves busting down their and ransacking their house. A familys nightmare, especially if you inadvertently laid out a welcome mat to thieves. This alleged burglary ring in southern california, a stunning case and point. The thieves managing to get a newspapers list of all those away on vacation, who wanted their papers held. There may be up to 100 victims. People who came home to find theyd been cleaned out, everything from jewelry to instruments to bikes, even the coffee pot gone. Another modern day red flag, all those facebook pictures you post while off visiting the grand canyon, the beach and the snow. You might as well leave your front door wide open. You case the online profile. Thats the modern way. Reporter if anyone knows, its walter shaw. The fbi says the former burglar and jewel thief pulled off more than 3,000 breakins. Hes reformed now and even has a book and film about his and his familys life of crime. Do the normal stuff they did 20, 30 years ago, go on vacation without bragging about where theyre going. Reporter another tip, timers for television and lights. But not just any timers. The best way to fool them . Timers that go off at random times of the day or night. Reformed thieves share these secrets. Expensive flower pots, decorations and kids toys left outside usually suggest nice things inside. If it snows while youre away, have a neighbor create car and foot tracks. And ask them to pick up your mail and newspapers. Avoid that vacation hold. All ways to avoid seeing this. And hes in my house. Im seeing him Walking Around my house. Hes in my bedroom right now. Please get somebody there quickly. Reporter while your family is supposed to be off relaxing. Cecilia vega, abc news, los angeles. And coming up right here, is this the real life jaws . A surprise appearance in our instant index tonight. I wish my patients could see what i see. That over time, having high cholesterol and any of these risk factors can put them at increased risk for plaque buildup in their arteries. So its even more important to lower their cholesterol, and thats why, when diet and exercise alone arent enough, i prescribe crestor. In a Clinical Trial versus lipitor, crestor got more highrisk patients bad cholesterol to a goal of under 100. [ female announcer ] crestor is not right for everyone. Like people with Liver Disease or women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. Tell your doctor about other medicines youre taking. Call your doctor right away if you have muscle pain or weakness, feel unusually tired, have loss of appetite, upper belly pain, dark urine or yellowing of skin or eyes. These could be signs of rare but serious side effects. Is your cholesterol at goal . Talk to your doctor about crestor. [ female announcer ] if you cant afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. Constipated . Yeah. Mm. Some laxatives like dulcolax can cause cramps. But phillips caplets dont. They have magnesium. For effective relief of occasional constipation. Thanks. [ Phillips Lady ] live the regular life. Phillips. [ male announcer ] when it comes to the financial obstacles military families face, we understand. Our Financial Advice is geared specifically to current and former military members and their families. [ laughs ] dad dad [ applause ] [ male announcer ] life brings obstacles. Usaa brings retirement advice. Call or visit us online. Were ready to help. Learn more with our free usaa retirement guide. Call 877242usaa. 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. Our instant index tonight begins with two surprises from the animal kingdom. 110 days until summer, and word today, were going to need a bigger boat. Yep, thats a great white, a real life jaws, you see there, trolling the waters off long island here in new york today. It is 16 feet long, 3,500 pounds. Researchers have been searching the movement of this very shark with gps and she swam 1,000 miles, from jacksonville, florida, all the way to new york. And shes still swimming out there tonight. And a letter carrier reminded us today it is not always postman versus dog. Here is the video that landed in our inbox. A mailman in cape cod, massachusetts, greeted at the white picket fence by a golden retriever, not with a snarl, but an enthusiastic offer of help. Listen. Go give it to them thats all i got have a nice day. Go give it to them best part of my day. Nice part of our day, too. And the one and only oprah today proved maybe you can be too popular on your birthday. Look, there she is on her 59th, surrounded by flowers. Among them, a giant arrangement from actor and director tyler perry. So big, oprah says she sprained her back lifting it. She tweeted, quote, in bed with an ice pack most of the day, end quote. Perry responded, saying, next year, for oprahs 60th, shes going to get a single rose. And if theres something out there you see or hear or love for our instant index, tweet it to me, dianesawyer. And coming up, something new. Are you about to see the funniest super bowl commercial ever . And whats the funniest moment from the past . See if you agree with us. Hi, im phil mickelson. Ive been fortunate to win on golfs biggest stages. But when joint pain and stiffness from Psoriatic Arthritis hit, even the smallest things became difficult. I finally understood what serious joint pain is like. I talked to my rheumatologist and he prescribed enbrel. Enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, and stop joint damage. Enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. Serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders, and allergic reactions 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. You should not 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 you have symptoms such as 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 biologic medicine prescribed by rheumatologists. And finally tonight, the big game, just three days away. And we are emboldened tonight to bring you our opinion of the funniest moments in the funniest Super Bowl Ads ever. Do you agree . And how about seeing some new ones . Heres abcs david wright. Reporter for as long as theres been a super bowl. The madison avenue approach has been sex sells. Bud. Wise. Er. Reporter but funny sells even better. The corollas cabin is so quiet, weve locked our friend inside with ferocious sleeping badgers. Reporter time sometimes it eelgs extreme humor. If awakened, theyll gnaw his face off. Reporter like this toyota commercial from super bowl xlii. This year, taco bell has an ad aimed at aging baby boomers. Rebechling all the way back to the nursing home. Dad . Where do babies come from . Ah oh. Reporter this year, one of the funniest ads features a dads fantastic response to an innocent question. And that, son, is where babies come from. But jake said babies are made when mommies and daddies reporter its enough to make my parent smile. But are you more likely to buy the mini van . Maybe not, according to a new Harvard Business school study. Too much entertainment actually detracts people from buying products. Reporter case in point, what may be the funniest Super Bowl Ad ever. Being a cat herder is probably about the toughest thing ive ever done. Reporter an old west parody. For a Data Processing company. Not everyone can do what we do. Reporter but can you name the product . We couldnt. So but we sure did like the ad. David wright, abc news, los angeles. And let us know what you think. Let david wright know, and me, on twitter. And thank you for watching. Were always working for you at abcnews. Com. Nightline will be along later at its new time, 12 35 a. M. Eastern. And well see you right back here again tomorrow night. Good night. On the list, the ravens cheerleader banned from the