this morning on "world news now," millions are digging out and cleaning up. >> northeast clobbered by the monster snowstorm and hurricane-force winds. some areas hate wiit with coast flooding, and the new concern is the deep freeze, even the cold in florida paralyzing iguanas. and new comments from the president as an explosive new book comes out today. plus the jackpots are rising with nearly $1 billion up for grabs this weekend. plus. happy 26th birthday, almost, to "world news now." we are partying like it's

on this friday, historic friday, 2018. from abc news, this is "world news now." >> amazing. and we were partying in '92, so we know what that's like. >> one key thing we should mention. you see the asterisk, we are still on our parents' plan until tomorrow, that's when we actually turn 26 years old. >> since it's friday, we're celebrating. >> we're partying like we are turning 26. and it's been a fun 26 years. man, we've grown up so quickly. >> i know, so fast. let's talk about the weather for this half hour. we'll break down to celebrations an a little bit later on, but we'll talk about the winter storm that has slammed the east coast with deadly results. >> the radar shows it's moving away, thankfully, but what's coming behind the storm is temperatures so cold.

>> this is times square where about eight inches of snow piled up, some of it spilling onto the ground snow system. and they cleaned up the confetti lot quicker than they cleared up the snow, clearly, because there's a lot on the sidewalk. it produced hurricane-force winds, strong enough to tear down this huge metal canopy at this new jersey gastatio statio. >> and this is boston as flooding occurred on downtown streets. eva pilgrim begins our dprofrco from there. >> reporter: a bomb cyclone unleashing its power. in massachusetts, hurricane-force wind gusts, and in scituate on the coast, some of the worst flooding in recent memory. homes and businesses inundated. >> you can see just how hard these waves are crashing against this sea wall. it's cra

the roofs of these houses. [ sirens ] >> reporter: in boston, fire trucks driving through floodwaters. first responder ts making water rescues. this is flood waters coming out of the boston harbor. it's not even high tide yet. we've already had to move our cars twice. at one point, the water was as high as the hood of our suv. nearby, we spotted a man heading home from delivering food. what are you doing driving in this? the powerful storm dumping up to three inches of snow an hour in the region along with lightning and thunder. in manchester, new hampshire, this vehicle crashing into a nursing home. no one injured. anyone behind the wheel risking an accident. in new york. >> two buses just collided here. >> reporter: police busy using their vehicles to push stranded

dangerous. it shouldn't be underestimated. >> reporter: multiple home the burning on oak island. the only access by boat. but with the heavy ice, firefighters forced to build ramp and use a hover craft to reach the scene. sub-freezing temperatures turning roads to pure ice, from virginia to georgia, stranding drivers for hours. >> just slow down. slow down. >> reporter: at least six deaths now being blamed on this storm. now boston schools will be closed again tomorrow, part of the reason for that are the sub-zero z sub-zero tru sub-zero temperatures on the backside of this storm. several trucks are on the road trying to get the snow off the roads. they're putting it in piles,

don don't want it to freeze on the roads. >> eva start the day on a pile of salt and ending the day on the pile of snow. quite a scene there. so the storm also brought travel to a stand still. more than 4,000 flights were canceled on the east coast, leaving passengers stranded at airports across the country. good news. most major airports say they'll be up and running today. >> and the world's largest jet was diverted away to stuart international airport. >> quite an unusual scene there outside of new york city. and now comes the deep freeze. accuweather meteorologist justin po vi povick joins us. >> the blizzard make its way away. but the majority of the snow has already kurd. where we've se

much of new england. big concern today is the biting winds along with blowing and drifting of snow. there will be icy spots and real-feel temperatures will be well below zero. 30 below or lower. kendis, linda? >> oh, the good news. the temperatures can go even lower. our thanks to justin. so the unusually cold conditions by the way, in south florida leading to weird scenes down there, the temperatures krinling native green iguanas. >> the cold causes their limbs to stiffen up and they fall out of the trees and they land belly-up. and it makes them appear dead. wildlife officials say they're still alive, they're just belly-up. they can't do anything. the sun warms them up in a little bit. you see they look like they got frozen. >> that's so weird. jeb bush tweeted about that yesterday. >> it's like the turtles. the poor turtles in the cold water who went belly-up. let's turn now to

on twitter overnight to discredit the bombshell book that triggered his very public cat fight with the former top advi adviser steve bannon. >> he tweeted overnight, i authorized zero access to the white house, actually turned him down many times for author of phony book. full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don't exist. look at this guy's past and watch what happens to him and "sloppy steve". >> a new nickname there. the publisher is releasing the book today ahead of schedule despite a threatened lawsuit. >> reporter: president trump and his former chief strategist, steve bannon are facing off. >> did steve bannon disgrace you, mr. president? >> he called me a great man last night. >> reporter: bannon hasn't denied making explosive comments about the trump family, but on breitbart

to his listeners. >> nothing will ever come between us. >> reporter: the white house says mr. trump was furious when he learned of bannon's stinging critique in a book. he's calling the trump tower meeting between jared kushner, paul manafort and a russian lawyer promising dirt and hillary clinton treasonous and unpatriotic. >> i'm not going to waste my time or the country's time going page by page talking about a book that's complete fantasy and full of tabloid gossip. >> reporter: the president's lawyers are threatening legal action against bannon. as for the president's relationship with bannon. >> i don't talk with him. >> reporter: sarah sanders says the president has spoken with bannon a few times since he left the white house. there were no regularly scheduled calls or meetings. >> let's talk about the former press secretary

who is questioning the accuracy of the book, saying a lot of the things credited to bannon never happened. >> and he insists that melania was very supportive of the campaign. >> we'll hear from sean spicer in a few hours when he joins us on "good morning, america." just when you thought marijuana was on its way to beco becoming the national plant, the trump administration says not so fast. jeff sessions clears the way for federal authorities to crackdown on the pot trade, this, just days after california legalize the recreational use of pot. but it's not clear if marijuana shops or growers will be targeted. even some republicans say the change is confusing and disruptive. the amazing race for a key state in virginia state

legislature is now over. >> it ended with the winner's name being picked out of a bowl. republican david yancy's name was chosen. >> he won by ten on election day, then she won by one vote in a recount. >> and you thought the hanging chad went on for a long time. >> seems like a strange way to decide. >> and who takes control of the legislature there. coming up, the jackpots are growing overnight, and with nearly $1 billion up for grabs, one thing you can do to boost your chances of winning. and later, celebrating 26 years of "world news now" almost. we're getting the birthday party started a day early. and tell us what you love about "world news now." tell us what you don't

about "world news now" on facebook and twitter. you couldn't do that back in is 99 -- 1992. >> blessedly.

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city. so much for the city that never sleeps, only like one guy out there. >> no one's taking advantage of the benches out there today. >> not today at all. and your grub hub order is definitely not getting through, still covered with snow and ice after the nasty winter storm. >> and the problem now is what's to come. a blast of frigid air that could break records and bring wind chills as low as minus 40 degrees. >> and the deep freeze pushing the mercury down is forcing energy bills up for millions of americans. >> but quick fixes could save you. >> reporter: we scoured the country with top tips to help on the rising bills. first stop, lancaster, ohio where we found nick anderson recommending these affordable weather proofing kits for your windows. >> it has adhesive. you can cut off the excess.

down in saratoga, new york. >> unplug the electronics you're not using. >> reporter: unplugging your laser printer could save you $130 a year. >> if you're not using the room, close the vents. >> reporter: and in new jersey, advice for anybody with a fireplace. >> make sure the damper's in the closed position. it can let a tremendous at of air out the chimney. >> reporter: washing the clothes in cold could save you more. you'd be surprised how much air can come through the outlets. you can purchase phone plate outlet seals, those you can attach yourself to the light fixtures, and it can save you hundreds of dollars in energy coasts. rebecca jarvis, new york. >> or we could move to florida where it's warmer

>> if you're into instant congratulate a gratification. >> the powerball jackpot an estimated $550 million. half a billion dollars. if you are going to play, you should know that winners who use quick pick win the jackpot 70% of the time. so jot down all those birthdays apparently not as helpful. >> and usually a rural gas station or store is the place. like i don't know why us city folks are going to the kiosk thinking we're going to win. never happens. coming up in the next half hour, the health scare for alex trebek. why he's been forced to take a medical leave from the program. plus leading theaters this weekend, jessica chastain and kevin k kevin k kevin costner. and keeps it there longer with lock-in moisture technology

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♪ aaron sorkin, the

"the west wing" is making his directorial debut with the story of a poker princess. >> jessica chastain stars as molly bloom who ran the poker game until the fbi stepped in. >> reporter: the movie tell the unlikely story of a brilliant olympic hopeful bound for harvard law school who ended up heading an illicit gambling game. i talked to molly. >> i became the owner and operator of the game. >> reporter: a seat at her poker table became one of the hottest tickets in towns, attracting players like leonardo dicaprio, ben affleck and toby mcgwire. the characters in the movie are fictional. you peeled back

and it's not a pretty sight. >> it's not. just to be clear, in peeling back the curtain, i don't dish on anyone. i wouldn't want to under any circumstances. >> reporter: but making her game the ultimate boys club, bloom says she was earning up to $4 million a year at the height of her success, all legally. in the movie, bloom's success presented a threat to the men she worked wfl. >> you're going to stop paying me to do that job because i'm doing too much money doing my second job and if i say no i'll lose both jobs because it doesn't seem fair? >> reporter: she was penalized for being too good at her job. she also ran afoul of the mob, graphically depicted in the movie, and eventually arrested. indicted for running an illegal poker game after skimming the pot for profit. she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year of probation. molly's game is being released as the

the me too movement is sweeping hollywood and beyond. >> the fact that women are coming together and saying, okay, we are not going to be silent about the injustices that weigh face anymore. >> reporter: chastain, a crusader for female empowerment, advocating for pay equality, taking part at the women's march last year and unabashedly speaking out. her performance so believable, she was just nominated for her fifth golden globe. i understand your reaction was an a little almost surprised. >> especially after what we just talked about with the idea of coming forward and speaking up. >> reporter: you're not going to be punished for having an opinion. >> yeah, a woman is allowed to have an opinion and have a livelihood. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm juju changna new yor in new. >> this triggered a c

about aaron sorkin's other project. >> "west wing." coming up, guess who's about to turn 26 years old.

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(colonial penn jingle) ♪ ♪ finally it is happening to me ♪ ♪ right in front of my face ♪ >> and we're not playing cc pettyson for no reason, but 26 years ago she was in the top ten. and since we are almost 26, our birthday for the show is january 6, 1992 when it was born. >> back in the day, lisa mcgee and aaron brown who anchored. they didn't think it would last a year and here we are. >> and you have seen some greats. lisa mckree, aaron brown. anderson cooper,

david muir. and us. sorry. so we've knocked it down a little bit. we want to do some quick, 1992 facts. interesting to note, celebrities who are turning 26 along with us, selena gomez, neymar, the greatest soccer star around, odell beckham jr. >> cardi b. >> she only make money moves i'm told. happy 26, almost. >> well, we made it through one full week of the new year, and it's the start of our 26th year on the air. let's sing. ♪ politics and foreign wars ♪ all the weather all the scores ♪ ♪ that's world news polka ♪ weather man says it looks like rain ♪ ♪ guess what happened with hussain ♪ ♪ that's world news

♪ i scrimped and saved for music lessons so i could learn ♪ ♪ i suffered for my art, you know what? now it's your turn ♪ ♪ every anchor guy and gal do the world news polka ♪ ♪ come on, get up ♪ ♪ that's world news ♪ that's world news polka ♪ ♪ >> just you. ♪ that's the world news polka >> that's good. ♪ on the year since '92 ♪ i hear disney's honoring us with a theme park ride ♪ ♪ they make us work the graveyard shift ♪ ♪ that's why we go for broke ♪ so why not stune in to abc ♪ ♪ we're here with the world news polka ♪ ♪ it's world

♪ >> have a great weekend, we'll see you monday, 26 years!

this morning on "world news now," the northeast is frozen over. powerful winter storm is moving out, but not before leaving more than a foot of snow in some parts, and some of the worst coastal flooding boston has ever seen. images coming in. and flights impacted and now record cold. >> major developments in the russia probe as the white house hits back at a potentially damaging new book. the president weighing in year night saying he never met the writer. >> and the health scare for alex trebek. >> why he is taking a brief medical leave from the