And good morning. Travel could prove a challenge for millions in the nations heartland, now in the grips of that winter storm. Further south, a tornado spun off by that very same system hit a town in east texas, leaving at least one person dead and dozens of homes damaged. Abcs Tahman Bradley is joining us this morning and has the latest. Reporter good morning, rob and diana. The midsection of the nation is taking a pounding. About 60 Million People were caught in the blinding snow ha has times has been accompanied by thunder and lightning. Its a real monster. And its dangerous. This morning, the heartland is buried in snow. The blizzard marched towards chicago. The great lakes and Northern Midwest are bracing for almost a foot of snow. The monster storm has socked the heartland. Parts of kansas and missouri were socked by thundersnow. Instead of pouring rain, it was pouring snow. And conditions made driving treacherous. Its a mess out here. Reporter from kansas to missouri, highways were shut down. Just got out of control. Lost control due to the weather conditions. And its scary. Yes, it is. Reporter across the midwest, crews are working to clear abandoned vehicles. Even mighty postal trucks had a hard time. The last one coming here got stuck six times before it finally got here. Weve got extraordinary measures. Reporter the heavy snow made visibility difficult at a number of airports, including this one in omaha, nebraska. At yesterdays peak, snow fell up to three inches per hour in some places. Look at this time lapse. Watch how quickly snow in arkansas adds up. Some in the midwest welcome the conditions. Droughtplagued farmers call the snow a blessing. This will get our spring crops growing. Reporter the storm is expected to weaken today. But forecasters say it will redevelop off the east coast, bringing heavy rain and even more snow. Rob and diana . Tahman bradley in washington for us this morning. Thank you, tahman. Thanks for reporting from indoors, tahman. Appreciate that. The best place to be. Hey, were indoors. I know. Cant talk. Well, the storm system is impacting millions of people. Meteorologist jim dickey continues our coverage now. Good morning, jim. Good morning rob and diana. Were seeing heavy snow through the earlymorning hours. From i80 from omaha to chicago. Especially three to six inches in these areas. The morning commute will be difficult. This while icy conditions are spreading towards 81. Watch out western virginia. Roanoke, blacksburg, going to be snow on those roadways. Flash flooding going to be a big issue with strong thunderstorms in the florida panhandle. Rob and diana, back to you. Olympian Oscar Pistorius sobbed in court again today on the final day of his bail hearing. The judge could decide whether the track star will await the trial for the murder of his girlfriend on bail or in jail. The lead detective has been removed from the case after it was revealed he is facing seven counts of attempted murder himself. And from central america, questions about whether the worlds most wanted and most powerful drug lord has been killed. The intrigue stems from a reported shootout near mexicos border with guatemala. Officials are looking if Joaquin Guzman was among those killed in the gun battle. The u. S. , the u. N. And syrias main Opposition Group are condemning a deadly car bombing in the syrian capital. 50 people were killed when that bomb exploded in damascus. This comes among growing pressure on syrian president assad to negotiate with rebel groups. President obama is sitting down at the white house today with japans new leader, Prime Minister shinzo abay arrived in washington last night, to discuss economic ties and security concerns, including the latest threats from north korea. He is also looking to reinforce the u. S. japan alliance. He is the fifth japanese Prime Minister during president obamas time in office. Police in las vegas are searching for suspects after deadly violence on the famed vegas strip. Three people were killed during a gun battle between two luxury cars and a fiery crash that followed. Authorities say at least one person in a range rover shot at a maserati that then ran a red light and crashed into a taxi. The taxi burst into flames and the driver and the passenger both died. The driver of the maserati was also killed. And there was courtroom drama as Drew Peterson was sentenced to 38 years for killing an exwife. The former chicago cop shouted out his innocence and proclaiming, quote, i did not kill kathleen. But her sister shot back. The Prosecutor Says petersons outburst shows him as the true psychopath he is. On to phoenix, accused Killer Jodi Arias returned to the stand after a heated first day of crossexamination. A prosecutor grilled arias about what he called her memory issues, implaying it was selective. Arias has said she does not remember stabbing boyfriend Travis Alexander in 2008. Things got so intense in the courtroom, the judge had to warn arias and the prosecutor to stop talking over each other. Attorneys from the Justice Department and the five states most impacted by the Bp Gulf Oil Spill are getting set to face off against the oil giant come monday. Its a civil suit that could result in bp being penalized up to 21 billion, depending on estimates of how much oil spilled into the gulf during that disaster almost three years ago. An 11th hour settlement is still considered a possibility. And criminal charges are being brought in a case of deadly food poisoning. Four former Peanut Company employees have been charged with scheming to manufacture and ship salmonellatainted peanuts that ultimately killed nine people. The Justice Department says it serves as a warning to other food manufacturers not to put profits ahead of safety. This years flu shot is not doing a good job of protecting those who need it know. In seniors, the vaccine is 9 effective. Overall for all age groups, the effectiveness is 56 . Its not clear why the vaccine is not working well in older americans. But the cdc says some protection is better than none. A disturbing story from right here in new york. This video shows two, young girls, 6 and 7 years old, fighting in a park. New york police are searching for the 17yearold sister of one of those young ladies. They say the older girl was the one eggs those youngsters on. Because of that, she could face some charges. The whole thing apparently started because of a dispute over candy. A landlord in ohio has pleaded not guilty to spanking one of his tenets. He is accused of hitting the 29yearold man with a belt on his bare buttocks because of unpaid rent. The alleged victim said, if youre going to act like a child, im going to treat you like one. The tenet told police he submitted to that spanking because he was scared. Okay. Not sure what to do with that one. A lot of questions ive got. Moving on. Okay. Moms and dads get it together. Moms and dads will be able to relate to this one. A 10yearold massachusetts boy called 911 because he didnt want to go to bed. He hung up before he was able to talk to anyone. But the dispatcher called back. A Police Officer was sent to the home to explain when its appropriate and when its not appropriate to call for help. Maybe he should have been spanked. But not the other guy. Thats just me, that e. Still to come, consumers are struggling with higher prices and smaller paychecks. But there may be light at the end of the tunnel. What obvious hazard to jumping out of a plane. How rescuers managed to get three paratroopers out of a tree. all right. Welcome back, everybody. Merchants say were putting the brakes on our spending. Walmart is the latest retailer forecasting lower sales. The giant retailer blames the increase in the payroll tax that took effect in january. But theyre worried that the big hike in gas prices is also leaving us with less to spend these days. Gas this morning averages 3. 78 a gallon, up almost half a buck in the last month. The outlook for good prices is pretty good. The agriculture Department Says theres no reason to expect another dry year. There should be higher crop yields. And lower prices for crops means more for meat and dairy warmers. Prices at your supermarket will go up just a little. Young adults are aggressively cutting down on their debt load. Those in their mid30s and younger lowered by a third in a threeyear period. The debt by older adults declined only 8 . And threefourths of households headed by millenials had any debt at all. The Auto Industry is bouncing back. All three are hiring workers and expanding production. The latest, ford, which is moving production of a small engine out of spain and into a plant near cleveland. That will mean 450 new jobs. With the Academy Awards this sunday, movie theaters are expecting a slow weekend. Snitch is one of two new films opening today. And its only likely to take in a mediocre 12 million. And while the action film is getting decent reviews, hollywood expects many fans to simply stay home and watch the oscars right here on abc. Well watch most of them until we have to come into work. Thats right. But well be watching. Thats right. Still ahead, a precarious position. A snowball triggers a chain of events that leads a teen hanging on for dear life. And later, jimmy kimmel gets schooled by a 2yearold. The adorable beatdown, coming up. With so much competition, finding the right job is never easy. But with the nations largest alumni network, including those in key hiring positions, university of phoenix can help connect you to a world of opportunity. I need all the help i can get. Thats why i like nutella. Mom, whats the capital of West Virginia . Charleston. Nutella is a delicious hazelnut spread my whole family loves. Mom, have you seen my backpack . Nutella goes great on wholewheat toast or wholegrain waffles. And its great taste comes from a unique combination of simple ingredients like hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa. Yeah, bye. Have you seen my yes. And. Thank you. [ male announcer ] nutella. Breakfast never tasted this good. Conditions should clear in kansas for the morning commute. But it could get messy around raleigh, north carolina. Some freezing rain expected there. Also, snow could make driving dangerous in the windy city and in des moines. And with all those canceled flights, air travel may be a problem. Delays are possible in chicago, minneapolis, detroit, atlanta, charlotte and new orleans. Well, no traces of a dangerous bacteria has been detected in the water supply of a los angeles hotel, where a body was found inside of its water tank. But Health Officials are still trying to determine if the water is safe to drink. The remains of 21yearold canadian tourist elisa lam were pulled from that tank this week. People who live near the area were not as shocked as the hotel guests. Its not exactly a safe neighborhood. And to go out at night, you kind of have to know the neighborhood, really watch your back. I think its unfortunate. She probably didnt know what kind of neighborhood she was in. The coroner still hasnt determined how lam died. Hotel guests had been drinking and bathing in that water for week, by the way. Ooh, man. Here at home, something you dont see every day. Three Army Paratroopers had to be rescued from the trees yesterday after jumping out of a plane during a training exercise. High winds during the exercise blew the troopers offcourse. All three were unhurt, if possibly maybe just a little embarrassed. Republican lawmakers in arkansas have approved a measure that could come one of the stiffest abortion restrictions in the entire country. The bill calls for a ban on abortions at 20 weeks into pregnancy, allowing exceptions for rape, incest or to save the mothers life. The governor, a democrat, has not said whether or not he would sign it. And a California School district may be forced to scrap its yoga program aimed at helping kids keep fit. One family is suing the encinitas school district. They claim yoga is hinduism. But the school insists its a physical education program. We told you about the big Golf Tournament that was postponed by the air snowfall there. When they finally got it going yesterday, it didnt go well for the top two players. First, rory mcilroy lost his headtohead match. Then, tiger woods, yep, did the same. They were eliminated from the tournament. Its the first time in 11 years that the top two players lost in the very first round. Better luck next time. Time, now, for some of your other sports headlines. And here with the latest is espn. Good morning, im Cassidy Hubbarth with your sportscenter update. The eastleading heat looking for a seasonhigh ninestraight wins. Taking on the bulls. Second quarter. Lebron james gets the tough layin to fall. Heat up ten. Dwyane wade misses the dunk. And the rebound goes all the way to halfcourt. Seconds later, lebron finds wade, who gets it to go, right before the buzzer. Heat up ten at the half. Third quarter, it was all lebron, hitting the deep jumper there. And knocked it down off the three. And hitting joakim noah with a jab step. Late fourth quarter, wade blowsl to go. As the heat win it, 8667. 14 to the left coast, the spurs visiting the clippers. And tony parker went off in this game. Here he is, crossing over Blake Griffin and getting the jumper to go. Spurs up 12. Later, parker showing off his speed. Gets the contested layup to fall. Second quarter, parker blows past chris paul and hits a shot over jamal crawford. And in the third quarter, parker draws the defense down low and finds tim duncan for the wideopen j. Spurs up 18. And next possession, parker blows past chris paul. And its a shot over Blake Griffin. And parker moves forward again on the back door cut. Parker had 31 points in this game, as the spurs hand the clippers their worst loss of the season, winning by 26. Thats your sportscenter update. Im Cassidy Hubbarth, have a great morning. Thank you, cassidy. Before this next story youll say that the teen involved is reportedly okay. Thats the caveat. There he is, though, hanging from a ski lift in new mexico. Its believed he slipped out of a chair after throwing a snowball. He fell 45 feet, and suffered a concussion, a Skull Fracture and several internal injuries. But now, hes home. And as we said, he will be fine. Be safe on the lift. Coming up next in the pulse, a very hot, new magazine cover featuring two of the most beautiful women in the entire world. I love it. Also coming up, he calls himself kid president. Find out what happened when the real president gave him a call. Stay with us. Pearls. Hairbands. And now hot pink toes. Seems tough for a tough dog like duke. But when it has anything to do with gwen, hes putty in her hands. For a love this strong, dukes family only feeds him iams. Compared to other leading brands, it has 50 more animal protein. To help keep his body as strong as a love that can endure anything. Even every fashion trend. Iams. Keep love strong. New almaypop of color eintense icolor bold nudes. A neutral palette with a pop of color that makes my green eyes stand out. And theres one for every eye color. The intense ache made it hard to do the things that i wanted. My doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. Lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. I learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. So now, i can do more of the things i enjoy. Lyrica is not for everyone. It may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. Tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. Or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, or tired feeling. Common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. Dont drink alcohol while taking lyrica. Dont drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. Those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. With less pain, im feeling better with lyrica. Ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain. Hi, im ensure clear. Clear, huh . Im not juice or fancy water. Ive got nine grams of protein. Thats three times more than me [ female announcer ] ensure clear. Nine grams protein. Zero fat. In blueberry pomegranate and peach. It is time, now, to check the pulse. These are the stories youll be talking about all day long. How the white house is getting a special message out to the little ones across the country. President obama teamed up with adorable youtube star, kid president , to spread the word about the upcoming annual easter egg roll. Kid president , looks like you got my message. Yes, mr. President. I got your message. This is historic. Im in. And you should, too. Thanks for your help. Yes, sir, anything to help. The easter egg roll at the white house. Be there. Love this kid. Oh, my. Kid president is played by robby novak. His pep talk Youtube Video has more than 10 million hits. What a sweetie. Two ladies never shying away from the camera have steamed up on a shoot for the trending v magazine. Thats rihanna and kate moss looking cosey. The pair qualifies for that. The ladies met when kate moss asked rihanna to snap a picture with her daughter. And jimmy kimmel puts his basketball skills to the test. And look who got the better of him. That was 2yearold titus ashby. A video of him hitting baskets went viral. And thats what prompted kimmel to challenge him. Titus and his dad took on that challenge. And titus womped him in last nights free throw challenge. Good going, titus. Kid has a future, man. For some of you, your local news, coming up next. [ jen garner ] what skincare brand is so effective. So trusted. So clinically proven dermatologists recommend it twice as much as any other brand . Neutrogena®. Recommended by dermatologists 2 times more than any other brand. Now thats beautiful.