the pentagon woarning that russia could be preparing for a false flag operation, saying they could stage an attack on their own troops or on russians inside ukraine. u.s. intelligence saying a russian invasion could soon be coming and martha raddatz standing by with late reporting. >> tonight, the founder of the ooet keepers in federal court, charged with seditious conspiracy for the january 6th attack. 11 members of the group facing charges. prosecutors saying they were in the nation's capital, having purchased thousand of dollars of weapons and ammunition. pierre thomas standing by. tonight, inside the race to save lives. the harrowing videos just made public of the horrific fire near boulder, colorado. >> leave your stuff! go! the fire's at the back! >> reporter: residents with seconds to evacuate. first responders driving through flames, going door to door to get families out. and tonight, how many families still seeking help. a remarkable scene on the train tracks. thieves raiding the train and what he left behind. there is news coming in tonight on alec baldwin. what he's done of that deadly accident on a movie set. news coming from from north korea tonight. we now have to images after two missile launches overnight, believed to be fired from a train. and here at home tonight, the american workers who hope you'll think of them when you buy dessert. who are our persons of the >> good evening, and it's great to have you with us as we near the end of another week together. we cannot wait for the weekend, even with this storm coming, and that's where we begin tonight. this massive winter storm bearing down on multiple states at this hour from the midwest to the southeast and right up into the northeast. 31 states, 75 million americans on alert for heavy snow, treacherous ice, and bitter cold. tonight, several states already declariing states of emergency s we come on the air. the scope of the storm across more than 2,000 miles from the midwest, then the ice in the south, we're most concerned about there. and then right up the east coast into the northeast. this could bring several inches of snow in some places. tonight already, these images from the northern plains. a convoy of snowplows at work in fargo, north dakota. snow falling in cedar rapids already. significant icing danger in the southeast tomorrow. north carolina pretreating the roads with salt already. even before the storm hits the southeast, temperatures will plunge overnight into tomorrow. sub freezing wind chills tomorrow morning before it all starts. senior meteorologist rob marciano leading us off tonight to time this out for us. good evening, rob. >> reporter: good evening, david. cold air here in hartford, connecticut, proceeding that storm that's in the plains. we now have winter storm warnings posted from south dakota all the way to north carolina. this thing dives southeast, where that cold air is already beginning to be in place. we'll see a wintry mix in atlanta by sunday morning. accumulating in tennessee. icing conditions. ice storm warning through south carolina. this does pull in milder air i-95. so snow turns to rain for bigger cities but accumulations will be heavy. 5 to 10 inches in many spots. first things first, this bomb cyclone off the coast of new england, that's what's bringing in the cold air. going to feel like minus 2 here and minus 7 in syracuse. that is dangerous. >> take it easy this weekend for sure, and we'll be watching you all weekend long, rob. thank you. now to the pandemic tonight, and with the omicron surge pushing cases and hospitalizations to new record highs, the cdc tonight with new guidance on masks in this country. now warning that loosely coven cloth masks provide the least protection with omicron so contagious, and that n-95 and kn-95 masks provide more protection and they're especially important for people at high risk of infection or severe disease. tonight, as this moves across the country, in new york, the encouraging news -- a glimmer of hope on all of this. once the epicenter of this omicron wave at the start, what the governor now says they're seeing. here's erielle reshef tonight. >> reporter: tonight, the cdc is out with that long-awaited guidance on masks, warning that loosely woven cloth masks provide the least protection, that n-95 and kn-95 masks might be a better option, and that these highly protective masks may be important for people in high-risk settings or at risk for severe disease. but the cdc stopping short of urging americans to upgrade their masks, even though health experts have been recommending higher quality masks in the wake of omicron. >> the cdc is recognizing that n-95 and kn-95 masks really represent the gold standard right now, but at the same time, if those masks aren't available to you, a lower quality mask like a surgical mask or even double masking with a cloth mask, still is better than no mask at all. family and to your community. >> reporter: it comes just as the government rolls out a new program tomorrow, reimbursing insured americans for up to eight at-home covid tests per month. but insurance companies warn it will take time to set up the new system. >> keep that receipt, and you'll be reimbursed for that purchase. i just think it's going to be potentially a little bit bumpy here in the next maybe even several weeks. >> reporter: as for those free rapid tests, the president has promised to send to american homes, the white house today said each household will be able to order four tests at covidtests.gov starting next wednesday, and they will take 7 to 12 days to ship out. and today, growing concerns in chicago where hundreds of public school students staged a walkout to protest in-person learning and call for more safety measures. >> why are they sending us back to school? take their test, everybody take a covid test. >> reporter: the covid surge infecting 780,000 americans every day, more than twice the number rolling up their sleeve for that first vaccine shot. and just 24 hours after the supreme court knocked down the president's vaccine mandate covering 80 million workers, tonight general electric suspending its mandate. >> i think what businesses need to do is take this on voluntarily. instead of being compelled by the government they should mandate vaccines for employees. it's really good for keeping workplaces and our country safe. >> reporter: and there are positive signs omicron is in retreat in the northeast where it hit hard first. cases in new york state dropping from 90,000 a week ago to 46,000 today. and hospitalizations are starting to decline, too. >> turning the corner. you heard it here first. i've been waiting to say that. >> let's hope that's true here and then moves right across the country just as quickly. i know there's also a new study of nba players but sheds light for us all on how transmissible this is and for how long. the new study suggests the virus could be transmissible five days into the infection? >> reporter: that's right, david. the new study of nba players showing more than half with omicron could be infectious after five days. experts say that's why it's so important of following the isolation guidelines of five days and mask for five more. >> erielle reshef with us tonight, thank you. now to the alarming intelligence tonight involving russia. the pentagon warning that russia could be preparing for what's called a false flag operation as a way to invade ukraine, suggesting they could start a false attack as a pretext to invade. a russian invasion could soon be coming. martha raddatz tonight. >> reporter: tonight, independent sources inside russia providing unverified images of more heavy russian military equipment rolling west on rail cars. as we get a troubling new sign an invasion could be just weeks away, according to a u.s. official. in addition to the 100,000 russian troops massed on ukraine's border, the biden administration today accusing russia of pre-positioning operatives in eastern ukraine who are trained in urban warfare and explosives to create a possible provocation that vladimir putin would use to justify an invasion. >> an operation designed to look like an attack on them or their -- or russian speaking people in ukraine, again, as an excuse to go in. >> reporter: the white house saying that russian-influenced act tars have been also fabricating provocations on social media. >> when there isn't something to suit their needs they'll make one up. we'll be watching for that. >> reporter: the accusations come after a week of talks with russia that did nothing to de-escalate the situation. the russian foreign minister today still insisting that russia wants a guarantee that ukraine will not join nato, a guarantee the u.s. will not provide, with putin threatening a military technical response if conditions are not met, a threat which he has not explained. but today, hackers penetrated and crippled dozens of ukrainian government websites, leaving ominous messages -- "be afraid and expect the worst." >> martha raddatz with us live tonight. martha, the timing of this major cyberattack on ukraine obviously a suspicious and now tonight's warning by the pentagon of a russian false flag operation. these were some pretty extraordinary words from the pentagon today. >> reporter: really extraordinary, david. now, russia claims it doesn't want to invade, but the u.s. is not convinced of that, and a u.s. official said today, if russia does make that decision an invasion could begin any time between now and mid-february. david? >> martha raddatz with us on a friday night. martha, thank you. we turn now to the most serious charges in the capital attack. 11 members of the oath keepers now indicted for seditious conspiracy. tonight, the leader of that group in court. leader stewart rhodes arrest in the texas in court there today. prosecutors saying they were in the nation's capitol, having purchased thousands of dollars in weapons and ammunition. the founder's attorney claiming they were there to provide security. here's our chief justice correspondent pierre thomas now. >> reporter: today stewart rhodes the founder of the oath keeper facing a federal judge, and if kikted potential decades in prison. >> he intends to fight the charges. >> reporter: rhodes, a yale law school graduate and arm vent was taken and custody, accuse of seditious conspiracy, of a premeditated plot of use of force to block joe biden's election as president. accord to the fbi, rhodes allegedly planning to disrupt the transfer of power soon after the november 2020 election. this is what he said just days after the election. >> because we have men already stationed outside d.c. as a nuclear option in case they attempt to remove the president illegally. we'll step in and stop it. >> reporter: that planning allegedly included reconnaissance of the nation's capital, buying firearms, ammunition, gun scopes and other tactical gear. he allegedly bought ten of thousands of dollars of weapons in the days before january 6th, and plans were allegedly made for teams of heavily armed quick reaction forces to stand by right outside the nation's capitol. prosecutor say these images show them staging weapons in a d.c. hotel. communications allegedly between rhodes and his followers. on december 11, 2020, rhodes sent a message in a private group chat stating that if president biden were to assume the presidency, quote, it would be a bloody and desperate fight. we're going to have a fight. that can't be avoided. and on christmas day, rhodes allegedly wrote of congress -- it will be torches and pitch forks time if they don't do the right thing. an attorney who said his client never went inside the capitol says the government's case is built on lies. >> they went into the capitol to provide security for a demonstration that turned into chaos. >> pierre, we know this was an initial appearance, that he did not enter a plea. what's coming next here? >> reporter: rhodes will stay? custody until a january 20 detention hearing where prosecutors are likely to argue he's a threat and should not be released, david. >> pierre thomas live in washington. thank you. we're going to turn to the race to save lives and how harrowing it was in boulder, colorado. the newly released video from colorado's marshall fire. sheriff's deputies rushing into neighborhoods, going door to door telling families they needed to get out, the fire was here. more than a thousand homes and businesses destroyed. will carr takes you inside the effort to save lives there. >> go towards denver! a ba evacuate now! >> reporter: tonight, new heart-pounding body camera videos showing the dramatic and dangerous escape from that deadly colorado wildfire. >> move now, leave your stuff, go. everybody head east. leave your stuff now. >> reporter: racing into this costco, telling shoppers to leave immediately. >> evacuate now. leave whatever you're doing, >> reporter: rescuers driving through thick smoke as flames devoured entire neighborhoods. >> sheriff's office! >> reporter: going door to door urging families to get out. >> ma'am, you have to evacuate. >> yeah we are, we're packed, we're leaving right now! >> reporter: these officers racing to help horses get to safety. with smoke blanketing the sky, this officer rescuing a pair of dogs found running in the street. the december fire destroying businesses near boulder, killing at least one person. a second person still missing. tonight, the cause of that fire is still under investigation, and authorities tell us at this point they don't have any reason to believe it was started on purpose. it comes as more than a thousand residents are still displaced. david? >> we think about those families of course again tonight. will carr, thank you. overseas, north korea releasing new images of their latest ballistic missile test overnight, claiming they fired two missiles from a train just hours after they accused to u.s. of escalating the situation with sanctions. the state department tonight condemning the launch. in australia tonight, tennis star novak djokovic facing deportation for a second time. his visa has been revoked again. his lawyers tonight repealing a government decision to revoke his visa again in this ongoing battle over his vaccination status. the australian open starts monday. djokovic, the top men's player in the world for tennis, deportation could mean a three-year ban from coming back from australia. when we come back here tonight, the remarkable images on the train tracks. thieves raiding cargo trains. also news tonight on alec baldwin. what he's done in that case after a deadly accident on a movie set. ♪ got my hair ♪ ♪ got my head ♪ ♪ got my brains ♪ ♪ got my ears ♪ ♪ got my heart ♪ ♪ got my soul ♪ ♪ got my mouth ♪ ♪ i got life ♪ you and me, partner. we meet center of town, high noon. hold on. nope. daisy's got lassoing lessons at noon. ok. high two o'clock? i got a spur fittin' at two o'clock, how's about three? i'm getting thrown through a saloon window at three. we don't need any more overscheduling. but we could all use more ways to save. i can squeeze you in between swim class and kevin's harp recital at 3:30. i thought we was eatin' beans at 3:30. right. switch to geico for more ways to save. tell you what. what about tuesday? tonight here, quite the scene on the train tracks in los angeles. the union pacific rails littered with thousand of shredded boxes and deeb. authorities say thieves there have been raiding cargo containers for month now before crews have a chance to unload them. police tonight increasing patrols in the area. tonight authorities say alec baldwin turned over his cell phone in the investigation into the deadly shooting on the movie set in santa fe. he has turned over his phone after being issue a search warrant a month ago. baldwin holding the gun while it fire a live round, killing halyna hutchins. baldwin insisting he's cooperating with the investigation. when we come back here on a busy friday night, the surprising request from fedex to the faa. what they now want attached to their planes. what can i du with less asthma? with dupixent, i can du more....beginners' yoga. namaste... ...surprise parties. aww, you guys. dupixent helps prevent asthma attacks... ...for 3!... ...so i can du more of the things i love. dupixent is not for sudden breathing problems. it's an add-on-treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as two weeks. and can reduce, or even eliminate, oral steroids. and here's something important. dupixent can cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. get help right away if you have rash, shortness of breath, chest pain, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection, and don't change or stop your asthma treatments, including 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system would have to be approved by the faa after ensuring it won't harm the plane or crew or other planes in the region. the company said it would help them having to reroute over dangerous territory. when we come back on a friday night, what are you having for dessert? who are our persons of the week? like screening for colon cancer... when caught in early stages it's more treatable. i'm cologuard. i'm noninvasive... and i detect altered dna in your stool to find 92% of colon cancers... even in early stages. early stages. yep. it's for people 45 plus at average risk for colon cancer, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider if cologuard is right for you. we're in. inner voice (kombucha brewer): i'm dramatically holding this bottle, so the light hits it just right, and people think... wow... ...he knows what he's doing... ...when i'm actually pretty lost with my payroll taxes. intuit quickbooks helps you manage your payroll taxes. cheers. 100% 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[upbeat acoustic music throughout] [upbeat acoustic music throughout] with unitedhealthcare medicare advantage plans, you can take advantage of $0 preventive dental care. - wow. - uh-huh. $0 copays on preventive dental care and the nation's largest medicare dental network. take advantage now. who's on it with jardiance? and the nation's largest medicare dental network. we're 25 million prescriptions strong. we're managing type 2 diabetes... ...and heart risk. we're working up a sweat before coffee. and saying, “no thanks...” ...to a boston cream. jardiance is a once-daily pill that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular death for adults who also have known heart disease. so, it could help save your life from a heart attack or stroke. and jardiance lowers a1c. jardiance can cause serious side effects including... ...dehydration, genital yeast or urinary tract infections, and sudden kidney problems. ketoacidosis is a serious side effect that may be fatal. a rare, but life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking jardiance and call your doctor right away... ...if you have symptoms of this bacterial infection, ...ketoacidosis, or an allergic reaction, ...and don't take it if you're on dialysis. taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. lower a1c and lower risk of a fatal heart attack? we're on it. we're on it. with jardiance. ask your doctor about jardiance. it is never too cold for ice cream, especially when you meet our persons of the week. >> reporter: tonight with the deep freeze moving in, the american worker who is specialize in something frozen. >> howdy. come on in. >> reporter: coleman jones first took us inside howdy more than three years ago. >> what's this one? >> coffee and cookies. >> reporter: when they started, a dozen employees all with special needs. >> it just jumped out that, hey, this is what the restaurant industry >> reporter: tom landis, founder of howdy homemade, designing the store for his workers to succeed. everything here tailor made. even the cash drawer, only bills, to help simplify transactions. >> $4 is your change. anne marie carrigan had trouble finding a job. >> it makes me feel like there's not a place for me in this world. >> reporter: her lesson for us all -- >> never take knno for an answe. grab what you are passionate about and make it happen. >> reporter: that's what they've done ever since. >> howdy, mr. muir. >> howdy, david muir! >> reporter: brandt urban and his favorite flavors. >> dr. pepper chocolate chip. but little bit better is "chocolate as all get out." >> reporter: the new locations and new hires since we first met them. now in lubbock, texas, gyorgi, a new hire. >> howdy david mui. it might be cold out there, but we might have some ice cream to warm your heart. >> howdy, david. >> reporter: founder tom back, too. >> since y'all talked to us last time, we've had 281 franchise inquiries. we've signed 10 franchises. we're in 123 h.e.b. grocery stores. >> reporter: a grocery store chain in texas. the workers' faces on every pint. >> howdy, david muir, from asheville, north carolina. >> reporter: the brewer family opening their franchise with the same mission. >> we are so excited to be opening a howdy homemade ice cream to provide jobs for adults with amazing untapped abilities. >> reporter: tonight we're learned soon in indianapolis, too. >> howdy, david. >> reporter: every new location, at least 15 new jobs. and tonight from indianapolis, their sales pitch already. >> it's really good ice cream. but don't take my word for that, david. come grab a scoop. >> it's a deal. we love their mission and their ice cream. good night. >> omicron spreads like wildfire. we are still in the throes of the highest infection rates that we have seen to date. >> new guidance about which masks work best and what you should be using. good afternoon. >> you are watching abc 7 news at 4:00 live here on abc 7, hulu , and wherever you stream. that updated mask guidance just came from the cdc this afternoon, warning that usually woven cloth masks provide the least amount of protection. >> the white>> the white>> the e a website to distribute free at home rapid tests. every household can order up to four starting wednesday. >> california has reported more than 100,000 new cases for the fourth straight day, but for the second day, the test positivity rate has gone down slightly. it was at 23%, now it is at 22.9%, so a little improvement there. in south bay, some good news of a possible decline in omicron cases. >> fewer omicron cases are on the horizon. 40% -- according to the public health director. still, it does not mean we are out of the woods. not with hospitalization still high and limited covert tests. she is offering guidance on what test is best. >> if you already know you have