Enrollment period for obamacare, to help struggling americans. Mary bruce standing by on that. The arrest at the capitol. Police say a man with a gun in his car and paperwork on Stop The Steal. The false claims about the election. And House Speaker nancy pelosi tonight on the continuing threat, saying the enemy is within. Saying members of Congress Want to bring guns onto the floor and have threatened other members. And the newly sworn in congresswoman and the videos. What she said to a survivor of the Parkland Shootings and what she said about the las vegas massacre. Tonight, the deadly leak at a plant. At least six workers killed. Workers say there were clouds of chemicals. Employees immediately falling unconscious. The major storm system slamming the west. Racing across the country. And now it could potentially become a significant noreaster. Up to a half foot of snow possible in some places in the east. And rob marciano with the new track tonight. General motors with a major announcement. Gm will stop making gaspowered Passenger Cars and suvs, and when they plan to do it by. And America Strong tonight. The u. S. Service member and the time sensitive mission. Would he get there in time . Good evening and good evening and its great to have you with us here on a very busy thursday night. And we begin tonight with that troubling news on the coronavirus here in the u. S. The South African Variant of the virus that we knew dr. Anthony fauci has said he was concerned about, has now been found in two people in South Carolina. Neither had traveled and they had no connection to one another. Tonight, scientists believe this strain is highly contagious and the other concern is that it would appear that the vaccines arent as effective in fighting it. Moderna, for one, already Announcinge Ainst this variant, though that will take time. Pfizer says its hard at work on this, too. Tonight, the virus has now taken more than 431,000 lives. This january has been the deadliest month yet. With news of that South African Variant here, the cdc tonight is now urging people not to travel. And this evening, all of this comes amid efforts to get more vaccine out there. And news that some vaccine is not being used. That new note from the cdc, saying at least 13 states have used less than half of the vaccine doses sent to them. Abcs whit johnson leading us off tonight. Reporter tonight, the first known cases of that highly infectious covid variant from south africa now confirmed in the u. S. Two people from South Carolina with no Travel History or connection to one another. What is your biggest fear . My biggest fear at this moment is that these variants are going to take hold and really take off across the united states. And if that happens, were going to see a huge spike in cases. Lots of infections, lots of deaths. Reporter the cdc now urging all americans to avoid travel. Its exactly what experts worried about, since early tests showed the South African Variant may chip away at the effectiveness of the pfizer and moderna vaccines. The one in south africa troubles me. Reporter dr. Anthony fauci telling us work is already under way to update those vaccines with a booster shot. Well already be on the road to being able to give people a boost that directs against the south african isolate. Thats what were doing right now. So were just yeah, were not taking any chances. Reporter there is no evidence the South African Variant is more deadly, but it does spread more easily, like mutant strains from brazil and one from the uk, already in 28 states. Wir icafo. Where tht,ki fothe south abs acro the coun including here at Stanford On The Hunt for the variant from south africa. Eyay its only ar of yet, but ti awe it m still be ill be lown total number of cases, but i do believe its probably much more widespread than just South Carolina. Reporter with new variants threatening a fresh surge in cases and more deaths, growing pressure to vaccinate with limited supply. Some states Like Washington cracking down, telling nonresidents theres no vaccine for them. This man drove from oklahoma to get one. I set my mileage at zero miles when i left. I drove almost 1,800 miles in 2 1 2 days. Reporter in oregon, county Health Workers stuck in a snow storm managed to save six doses that were about to expire, setting up an impromptu clinic, going car to car, administering shots to thankful drivers stranded on the side of the road. It wouldnt have mattered if it was six doses or one or 200. We would have been out going door to door until we couldnt give them anymore. Thats really something. Whit johnson with us tonight at that mass vaccination site at the Javits Center here in new york. Youve been reporting here over the past several dys the long lines across the country, families trying to make appointments for vaccinations, they cant get them. And then today we learned this from the cdc, theyre reporting that 13 states have used less than half of the doses distributed to them. How is this even possible . Reporter well, david, there are a variety of problems. One complicating factor is Many Health Care facilities are holding onto those second doses until they know that more is on the way. A senior white house adviser is now promising that fixes are in the works, including plans to ship out 10 million doses per week over the next three weeks. David . All right, whit johnson leading us off tonight. Whit, thank you. And we have heard from dr. Fauci there for days to keep an eye on this variant from south africa. Now that its here, what more do we know . And what are they seeing in south africa right now, where more than 90 of the new cases there are this new variant. Heres our Foreign CorrespondentJames Longman tonight. Reporter south africa was already overwhelmed by coronavirus and now its the epicenter for that new, seemingly more contagious b1351 variant taking over the country. It is quite horrible. All the icus, all the hospitals are full. Reporter with two cases now detected in the u. S. , at least 31 countries are now facing this strain, too. By some estimates, it could be up to 50 more infectious. Though scientists caution theyre still studying it. In south africa, a ventilator shortage. Hospitals stretched thin. Morgues unable to keep up. Has it ever been as bad as it is now in south africa . This is the worst. The number of patients is just overwhelming. Weve allowed patients to die because we could not ventilate them. Reporter south african researchers saying the variant now makes up ore than 90 of cases there, despite a strict lockdown. The w. H. O. Warning today its also fueling a second covid wave across the continent. And James Longman with us tonight from london. And james, we heard what dr. Fauci said about the pfizer and moderna vaccines, that they work against most of these variants, including the uk variant, but that when it comes to this south wont bes effeive. Reporter yeah, david. There are some worrying signs that this South African Variant may be chipping away at the efficacy of the vaccines. But this is important. The vaccinemakers are saying they are working hard at updating their shots. David . All right, James Longman with us tonight, as well. Thank you, james. And amid this pandemic, President Biden taking Executive Action today to expand health care access, reopening the Enrollment Period for obamacare to help struggling americans. Heres abcs senior White House Correspondent mary bruce tonight. Reporter President Biden today signing an Executive Order allowing millions of americans to sign up for obamacare in the middle of the pandemic. To undo the damage trump has done. Reporter The Order Opening A Special Insuranc Peodrom february 1toay 15. It comes with biden focused on selling congress on his massive nearly 2 trillion covid relief bill, which includes 160 billion for vaccinations and testing. Support for small businesses. And 1,400 direct payments to most americans. Biden wants to pass the bill with republican support, but gop lawmakers say the price tag is just too high. If our republican colleagues decide to oppose this urgent and necessary legislation, we will have to move forward without them. Reporter the white house today asked whether they would be willing to break the bill into pieces to allow votes on the parts with bipartisan support. Their answer no. In the oval office, we asked the president directly. Do you think getting covid relief passed will require you to break it up into chunks, mr. President . No one requires me to do anything. Saying its not required of him. Mary bruce live with us at the white house tonight. And mary, President Biden says this is a national emergency, that it cant wait. But as you report here tonight, republicans and democrats still seem far apart. So, whats the bottom line . Reporter well, david, the talks continue. I asked the white house today, whats more important, getting that this is part of the negotiating process. But The Big Picture here, david, is they make too many concessions to republicans, they could risk losing support from democrats. And with that near even split in the senate, they just dont have a lot of wiggle room here. David . Millions of americans are watching it all tonight. Mary bruce tonight. Mary, thank you. And now to what Authorities Say is the continuing threat at the u. S. Capitol. New arrests reported on capitol hill tonight. 71yearold Dennis Westover of West Virginia in court in washington, d. C. , arrested for allegedly having a gun near the capitol. Authoriies say he shouted at a National Guard member. They recovered a gun from his car along with Stop The Steal documents, those false election claims, and a list of politicians. Tonight, authorities also arresting a man accused of attacking a Police Officer while trying to force his way through a capitol checkpoint. Nancy pesionight sayemn. To bri d and the wly sworn in congresswoman and the videos now. What she said to a survivor of the Parkland Shootings and what she said about the las vegas massacre. Abcs rachel scott back on the hill tonight. Reporter tonight, three weeks after the storming of the capitol, House Speaker nancy pelosi calling for greater protection for Members Of Congress, insisting they now face an enemy within. We will probably need a supplemental for more security for members when the enemy is within the house of representatives. Reporter when asked who she was talking about, pelosi saying this we have Members Of Congress who want to bring guns on the floor and have threatened violence on other Members Of Congress. Reporter she didnt mention names, but pelosis words likely a veiled reference to newlyelected congresswoman Marjorie Taylor greene of georgia. In a widely shared video from 2019, greene declaring pelosi a traitor, implying she should be executed. Its a crime punishable by death is what treason is. Nancy pelosi is guilty of treason. Reporter its not the only video coming back to haunt the congresswoman. She also posted this one, questioning whether the Mass Shooting at a Country Music festival in las vegas was a setup by liberals to rally support for gun control. So, i am really wondering if there is a theres a bigger motive there and does it have to do with the Second Amendment . Reporter that, of course, is not true. Authorities determined the shooter, stephen paddock, acted alone. A motive was never determined. Greene also shown on this 2019 Video Chasing david hogg, a teenage survivor of the Parkland School shooting. Hogg was on capitol hill lobbying for tougher gun laws. But yet youre attacking our Second Amendment. Reporter now, congresswoman greene sits on the house education committee, installed by the republican leader, Kevin Mccarthy. What could they be thinking . Or is thinking too generous a word for what they might be doing . Its absolutely appalling. Rachel scott with us live from washington again tonight. And rachel, House Republican leader Kevin Mccarthy has been under increasing pressure to try to stop the infighting among House Republicans since these deadly riots at the capitol. He said that former President Trump should, quote, accept his share of responsibility, but today, mccarthy was in florida, trying to mend fences with the former president . Reporter yeah, thats exactly right, david. Republican leader Kevin Mccarthy requested this meeting. The two meeting today in florida. We know that trump was unhappy with mccarthys criticism of his words at that rally. Tonight, trumps team calling the meeting cordial, david. Rachel scott, Who Covers Congress for us every night. Rachel, thank you. We turn now to the deadly chemical leak at a Food Processing plant, this was north of atlanta. Workers say they were overcome by clouds of chemicals. Employees immediately falling unconscious. Hazmat teams responding. And tonight, at least six workers have died. Heres Abcs Steve Osunsami now. Reporter workers at this Georgia Poultry Plant tonight say that the fog of chemicals in the air was so thick that anyone who walked into the area lost consciousness. We have a nitrogen leak. We have some people down inside. Reporter six people died. One of them at the hospital. Doctors tonight are still treating at least eight of the plants workers. I couldnt see but nothing but fog at the bottom of the steps. It was too thick. So, i turned around. But if i had gone down there everybody that went down there, they fell out. Once the units arrived, they found a large contingent of employees that had evacuated, along with multiple victims that were in that crowd that were experiencing medical emergencies. Reporter more than 100 were put on buses to a nearby church where they were medically evaluated. A lot of these folks that came into work today did not have any idea of what would happen, nor did their families. Reporter taking no chances, authorities put a school nearby on lockdown, frightening the schools parents, who were told that they shouldnt come get their kids. Four firefighters we a hospitalized and one of them is still being treated tonight. Authorities believe that the leak was in a line of nitrogen and theyre still not sure what caused it. David . All right, steve osunsami, thank you. Were going to turn now to this headline getting a lot of attention on wall street. Day traders at home in this pandemic on inexpensive apps taking on giant wall street hedge funds who have bet against struggling companies. Many of those investors at home investing in those struggling companies, forcing the hedge funds to then pay up for shorting the companies. Heres abcs chief Business CorrespondentRebecca Jarvis tonight. Reporter tonight, the new York Attorney general is investigating after a multibillion Dollar Bubble on wall street burst. It all started as a raging tug of war between a group of young Stock Enthusiasts who bought shares in struggling Companies Like game stop. But the biggest hedge funds in the country were betting game stop would crash, also known as shorting. By buying the stock, the newcomers helping to push shares of game stock up 1,700 , costing the hedge funds more than 5 billion. But today, several online brokerages decided to restrict trading in Companies Like game stop, effectively shutting out the little guys. But tonight, many say theyre not giving up. I think the stock is going to go up a lot, so regardless of the new restrictions. Reporter you did not sell today . No, not a single share. Reporter 19yearold j. P. Is one of many newcomers, stuck at home in the pandemic, swapping trading tips on reddit. Until today, he was using the free Online Platform robinhood to buy and sell stocks. That is, until they told their users they couldnt buy any more game stop in light of recent volatility. What did you think of robinhoods move . I thought it was pretty unfair and unjust. Reporter and now, late tonight, an aboutface. Robinhood announcing it will reopen limited trading tomorrow, calling it a Risk Management decision. So, lets get right to rebecca tonight. And rebecca, as you reported, new yorks Attorney General tonight saying shes reviewing concerns about trading on the robinhood app. We know those athome investors say they deserve that right to do it. But youre learning tonight that several Members Of Congress are now looking into this, as well . Reporter thats right, david. Weve heard many calls from congress to look into this new territory, these new trading devices. Its important to keep in mind here, the s. E. C. Says they are not commenting to abc news at this time, but the bottom line, this is not saving for retirement. If you are even considering doing this kind of trading, proceed with caution, david. All right, Rebecca Jarvis, tonight, as well. Thank you, rebecca. When we come back here, the major storm system slamming the west, racing across the country and it could potentially become a significant noreaster, up to a half foot of snow in parts of the east. So rob is going to time this out right after the break. 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Wind an that noreaster, all part of the same system. Lets get right to senior meteorologist rob marciano with the latest track of all this. Hey, rob. Reporter hi, david. We can feel that cold air pouring in right now and that sets the stage for that noreaster, that energy coming from the california storm, which is still bringing that heavy tomoch mora goodont 10el, in and that nor developing sunday night, monday into tuesday, could see significant snows especially inland. Well be tracking it, david. Were going to need that hood you have there, rob, with the temperatures on the way. Robe mars rob marciano, thank you tonight. When we come back here on the news, the major announcement the news, the major announcement from gm tonight. Not an injection or infusion, for adults with rate to Severe Ulcerative Colitis when a certain medicine did not help enough. Xeljanz is the first and only fdaapproved pill for moderate to severe uc. 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Gm announcing today it will stop making gaspowered Passenger Cars and suvs, becoming the First AmericanCar Maker To Go Ctric by 2035. Of course, less than 15 years from now. Medium and heavy trucks will still be gaspowered. Gm hopes its vehicles will be Carbon Neutral by 2040. When we come back here tonight, the u. S. Service member, the time sensitive mission. Would he get there . coughing hi susan honey . Yeah . I respect that. But that cough looks pretty bad. Try this new robitussin honey severe. The real honey you love. Plus, the powerful cough relief you need. Mind if i root through your trash . New robitussin honey severe. Strong relief for your severe symptoms. What happens to your Body Language strong relief when your underarms are cared for . Strong relief when your underarms are shows for . Our new dove advanced care formula is effective. And kind to skin, leaving underarms cared for and you. More confident and carefree. 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The amount of gratitude that i have to have my husband by my side, it was totally not expected for me. And this new mom with a thank you. Shoutout to his troops and everyone who has been supporting us. We feel loved and honored and it was a perfect way to welcome our new Baby Boy Cannon to the world. Ill say. Congrats to mom, and dad, back at the base, thank you for your service. I hope to see you tomorrow. Good night california is vaccinating more than 100,000 people per day. Sounds good, but we really need to do better. Tonight we look at the problems and the solutions. And 7 on your side digs in to the second state Auditor Report on the edd. If possible,ts en more scathing than the first. Im spencer christian. Our storm is losing its intensity, but its impact will linger. Ill have the Accuweather Forecast coming up. Abc7 news at 6 00 starts now. Building a better bay area for a safe and secure future. This is abc7 news. Well, have you seen enough of live doppler 7 this week . Well stop showing it when it stops raining. Which is not quite yet. Good evening. Im ama daetz. And im dan ashley. The end of the storm is in sight, which is certainly welcome news for the neighborhoods where the weather caused some real problems this week. Check out the beach flats area of aptos in santa cruz county. Longtime resident rich ralston posted this video on facebook today, showing several inches of stan they havent seen hit the bad for years. Willits in Mendocino County got 10 inches of snow, plus high winds and trees simply snapped in the storm. Tammy wilkens sent us these pictures of damage she saw. Incredible photos. In the central valley, yosemite got so much snow, its staying closed all through the weekend. These are pictures the National Park service tweeted. Beautiful but a little scary with all that snow. The storm, though, is winding down. We are definitely past the worst of it. Which is great news. Spencer christian is tracking. Spencer, whats left . Well, dan, take look at live doppler 7. Youll see it is winding down, area is receiving very little or no rainfall at all. But where it is raining in some of those place, its raining heavily, and thats mainly down in the south bay from gilroy to