tonight, breaking news. the monster winter storm sweeping across the country, creating mayhem for travelers as the system moves east. 200 million people on alert for the threat of blizzard conditions, high winds, and life-threatening cold. 45 states in the danger zone. many roads are closed and slick with ice. conditions deteriorating by the hour. but millions still braving the bitter conditions, trying to stick to their holiday plans. thousands of flights canceled. mounting frustration at the nation's airports. we have team coverage of the deadly storm. alex perez in windy chicago. mola lenghi in denver. and rob marciano standing by to time it all out. breaking news here in new york city. the images coming in late today. a fire onboard the iconic staten

island ferry. forcing passengers to evacuate onto tug boats. an historic bond for disgraced ftx founder sam bankman-fried. charged with what prosecutors called a fraud of epic proportions. free on a quarter billion dollars bond after making his first appearance before an american judge. his parents showing their support in the courtroom. where he's staying tonight. aaron katersky standing by. the new cdc alert about a rare but dangerous bacterial infection, just days before christmas. what health officials are telling doctors and parents to look out for as family gatherings get under way. president zelenskyy back home tonight in ukraine after that historic and emotional visit to the u.s. how republicans are responding to his urgent plea for more aid and weapons. new transcripts released today from the house january 6th committee. what they reveal about the alleged pressure campaign against one key witness. jonathan karl standing by. the embattled congressman-elect in the hot seat. new questions about his past, from his education to his work on wall street. a new report even calling into question his claim that his grandparents survived the holocaust.

rachel scott with new reporting. and a mother's wish for christmas comes true. with the greatest surprise she never imagined. good evening, everyone. thank you so much for joining us on this busy thursday. i'm linsey davis, in for david. we begin with the major christmas storm and life-threatening cold sweeping across the country. it's being called a once in a generation storm, crippling holiday travel for millions of americans, and what could be the coldest christmas in decades. 45 states are now under winter alerts for snow, wind chill, and floods. blizzard warnings are now in effect for ten states. the system pushing its way into the northeast through christmas day. whiteout conditions in several states, roughly 200 miles of interstate 90 remain closed in south dakota.

people from more than 100 vehicles had to be rescued after being stranded on the highway. during this, the height of the holiday travel, today, more than 7,000 flight delays and cancellations. more interruptions already anticipated for tomorrow. and creeping in right behind this system, dangerous cold. below zero wind chills from the plains to texas into the northeast tomorrow. 200 million americans are under some type of watch, warning, or advisory. rob marciano standing by. abc's alex perez leads us off from chicago. >> reporter: tonight, that brewing bomb cyclone turning highways into white knuckle whiteouts for drivers. outright blizzard conditions in the northern plains. this was the view from a trooper's cruiser in cheyenne, wyoming, overnight. officials nearly everywhere urging drivers to stay off the roads. the front moving into the chicago area late this afternoon. >> feels like it's 25. that's nothing compared to what's coming. look what's coming. >> reporter: overnight, powerful snow squalls forcing motorists to a standstill on interstate 25 outside wellington, colorado.

and more than a hundred people rescued from interstate 90 just outside rapid city, south dakota, taken to shelter to wait out the storm. a 200-mile stretch of that highway shut down until at least friday. in wichita, a glaze of ice turned highways into skating rinks. the bone-chilling cold stretching all the way to the deep south. in houston, officials checking on the homeless. our elwyn lopez in atlanta, where they're bracing for the coldest christmas since 1985. >> the governor here declaring a state of emergency ahead of that arctic front. crews will be laying down two layers of brine before that rain moves in. the biggest concern? flash freezing and black ice. >> reporter: the president briefed on the storm by fema officials today. >> please. take this storm exremely seriously. >> the president hoping that americans heed those warnings. alex joins us now from chicago, where it's about to live up to

its nickname as the windy city. what are the conditions there so far, alex? >> reporter: yeah, linsey, the temperature here tonight is going to feel like 30 below zero. city crews have been busy trying to salt streets, trying to get ahead of those icy conditions. this will be the coldest christmas for chicago since the year 2000. linsey? >> all right, alex, try and stay warm out there. thank you. the system that's paralyzing holiday travel can be summed up in two words. bomb cyclone. let's get right to abc's senior meteorologist rob marciano. rob, what are you seeing? >> reporter: well, this cyclone is about to go into its rapid intensification stage, or bombing out, where the wind field will expand and in some cases explode. we've got wind alerts that extend over 1,000 miles from the center of it. there you see it. blizzard warnings that have been expanded from nort dakota to upstate new york. and the ribbon of snow is going to be from chicago in through michigan. we don't see a ton of snow coming in those areas, but it's going to be blowing sideways. and the warm sector, we're going to see the rain coming down sideways.

and flooding across i-95, where winds could exceed 50 to 60 miles an hour in bot sectors. so, that means trees down and power outages, as well. and where it doesn't snow, that rain could flash freeze, because temperatures are going to drop so suddenly tomorrow and into parts of saturday. look at the numbers on friday morning, we're looking at minus 30 below in chicago. and then friday morning in through parts of the deep south, that is pipe-bursting stuff. it expands to the east during the morning hours on saturday. pittsburgh and nashville, well below zero for wind chills. on top of everything else, the nfl outdoor games are going to be brutal this weekend. linsey? >> sounds like one for the record books. rob, thank you. this massive storm hitting at the absolute worst time for holiday air travel. every major airport from los angeles to denver, dallas to chicago to new york posting cancellations and delays on the boards. millions of people wondering when and if they'll make it home for christmas. abc's mola lenghi is in denver. >> reporter: the timing couldn't be worse. the arctic blast's march across the country, just as millions are packing the nation's airports, creating a cascading

travel nightmare right before christmas. >> it's pretty crazy. it is indeed. >> reporter: among the millions passing through tsa checkpoints today, yours truly. currently hustling through san francisco airport, where some terminals are more crowded than others. the united terminal this morning, an absolute zoo. hoping to catch my flight to denver. denver-bound flights today have been among the most canceled and most delayed. despite sitting on the tarmac for more than an hour, i was one of the lucky ones. elle ross is stuck in denver trying to go from billings to st. louis, now stranded overnight. if that's not bad enough, the airline lost her baggage. how has the process been to rebook and find a new flight? >> right now, it's terrible. it's been awful, yeah. haven't been able to talk to a real person, long lines, waiting everywhere. >> reporter: from boston to laguardia to chicago's o'hare, more than 2,000 flights canceled in and out of the u.s. today. and the day's not even over yet. and with the combination of airlines reducing flights and crushing holiday demand, flights are 95% full, making rebooking a

challenge, if not impossible. >> tired, stressed, hungry. just hopeless, honestly. >> reporter: here at denver international airport, more than a quarter of all inbound and outbound flights canceled today. nationwide, more than 1,500 flights already canceled tomorrow. now, the storm is also disrupting services to trains and buses throughout the country, with amtrak and greyhound already warning of disruptions and cancellations to their services through the holiday weekend, linsey. >> getting to grandma's house a bit trickier this year. mola, thank you. next tonight, the founder of ftx accused of defrauding investors of billions, he's now back in the u.s. today, a judge in new york released sam bankman-fried on $250 million bond, possibly one of the largest ever. prosecutors say he, quote, perpetrated a fraud of epic proportions. for now, he'll be living with his parents in california under heavy security.

here's abc's aaron katersky. >> reporter: tonight, the one-time crypto wunderkind, sam bankman-fried, left court with an ankle bracelet and an order to go live with his mom and dad. a judge ordering him released on a $250 million bond. an amount he told abc's george stephanopoulos he couldn't now pay. >> i think i had $100,000 left in my bank account last i checked. and i think i have, you know, one credit card working with that right now. >> reporter: bankman-fried was arrested last week in the bahamas for perpetrating what prosecutors called a "fraud of epic proportions." today, he appeared in the same courthouse where bernie madoff once pleaded guilty. the clanging of shackles around his ankles audible in the room. he's now facing eight charges, including fraud and conspiracy. and he's not the only one. before bankman-fried even landed in new york, authorities announcing two of his key associates, his ex-girlfriend, caroline ellison, and the cofounder of ftx, gary wang, had agreed to testify against him. both pleading guilty to charges for playing what prosecutors

called a significant role in the $8 billion fraud. before he left court, bankman-fried was barred from doing any business worth more than $1,000. a then again, linsey, the judge pointed out after what happened with the collapse of ftx, ba bankman fried achieved such notoriety that nobody wants to do business with him. linsey? >> aaron, thank you. we move on now to the triple virus thread heading into the holiday weekend. along with the flu, covid, and rsv, the cdc is now issuing a new alert for an invasive form of strep. here's abc's erielle reshef. >> reporter: tonight, a new alert from the cdc urging doctors to look out for cases of that rare but dangerous form of invasive strep-a in children. the infection on the rise in some places. >> invasive strep-a is incredibly rare, but when it does happen, the impacts can be devastating, including death. and that's why we have to be really cautious and make sure we identify potential infections

and absolutely intervene as early as possible. >> reporter: and with christmas just days away, health officials urging americans to take the early and relentless spread of respiratory viruses seriously, as hospitals across the country cope with a crush of patients. >> it's not just a covid problem. we're dealing with covid, the flu, rsv, but also other respiratory issues that we get normally at this time of the year. >> reporter: and with covid cases and hospitalizations spiking 40% since thanksgiving, doctors concerned about an upswing after christmas. advising people to pack rapid tests and test before gathering, even if you don't have symptoms. and linsey, with flu cases continuing to spread, demand for the prescription anti-viral drug tamiflu is rising. the biden administration saying it will make the national strategic stockpile available to any jurisdictions with low supply. linsey? >> erielle, thank you. overseas tonight, 24 hours

after delivering an historic and powerful address to a joint meeting of congress and the american people, ukraine's president zelenskyy is now back in his home country. before returning to ukraine, he met with the president of poland today, after making his dramatic appeal for billions in aid from the u.s. how republicans are now responding to his plea. here's abc's chief white house correspondent cecilia vega. >> reporter: tonight, president volodymyr zelenskyy back in ukraine after that high stakes trip to washington, stopping in poland. saying he is coming home with good results. in his historic address to a joint meeting of congress, the defiant zelenskyy dressed in military fatigues, thanking americans for their help, while pleading for more. >> we have artillery, yes, thank you. we have it. is it enough? honestly, not really. >> reporter: zelensky handing vice president kamala harris and speaker nancy pelosi a ukranian flag signed by the very front-line soldiers he was with

just hours earlier. >> we will win because we are united. ukraine, america, and the entire free world. >> reporter: but zelenskyy also delivering a sober warning about the tough road ahead, saying russian strikes are hitting ukranian power supplies hard. his people now bracing for a harsh, potentially deadly, holiday. >> in two days, we will celebrate christmas. maybe candlelit. not because it is more romantic, no. but because there will not be -- there will be no electricity. millions won't have neither heating nor running water. >> reporter: abc's britt clennett seeing the darkness first-hand in kyiv, where trough the windows, teachers and students are seen studying by candlelight.

>> there are just a few lights on in that residential building and it's only 6:00 p.m. and over here, a bank, actually still in operation, but in complete darkness. these guys are putting in a new generator. >> reporter: back in washington today, congress moving to approve $45 billion more in aid to ukraine, though some republicans say they're opposed to sending more assistance. more than half of all house republicans refused to even show up for zelenskyy's historic address. some who did, sitting during standing ovations. >> let's get right to cecilia vega, who joins us now from the white house. cecilia, we saw those applauding. sitting there, not - some top republicans are making it clear that they want limits on this american support for ukraine. >> reporter: exactly, linsey. the man who could become the next speaker of the house, kevin mccarthy, said that while he does support ukraine, he does not support writing a blank check. that very well may be a sign of things to come. we are also, linsey, hearing from the kremlin in response to zelenskyy's trip here to washington. they called it a, quote, hollywood-style trip, and they say it will not help advance peace talks, linsey. >> cecilia vega from the white

house. cecilia, thank you so much. and tonight, congress is one step closer to approving that massive $1.7 trillion government spending bill. senate democrats and republicans approving the bill late today, sending it to the house for approval tomorrow. the bill also funds the government and military through september 2023. next tonight, the january 6th committee is preparing to release its final report on the attack on the u.s. capitol and the days leading up to it. newly released transcripts reveals how one witness was allegedly pressured to not testify against donald trump and his inner circle. here's abc's chief washington correspondent jonathan karl. >> reporter: the january 6th committee today released what it says is evidence people close to donald trump tried to intimidate one of its star witnesses. cassidy hutchinson's live testimony in june was explosive. the top aide to former white house chief of staff mark meadows delivered an eyewitness account of what was happening at the white house on january 6th. >> i overheard the president say something to the effect of, you know, "i don't effing care that

they have weapons. they're not here to hurt me." >> reporter: hutchinson recently told the committee she was scared to testify, saying she told her mother, quote, they will ruin my life, mom. if i do anything they tonight want me to do. she said her first lawyer, who had worked at the trump white house and wouldn't tell her who was paying his bills -- told her, quote, the less you remember, the better. and implied he could get her a job, telling her, quote, the pay will be great. you're going to be financially very comfortable. and she told the committee that an aide to meadows reached out to her before she testified, saying, quote, mark wants me to let you know that he knows you're loyal, and he knows you'll do the right thing tomorrow, and that you're going to protect him and the boss. cassidy hutchinson's first lawyer insists that he represented her honorably and ethically. she ended up firing him, hiring a lawyer with absolutely no ties whatsoever to donald trump, and, of course, giving her explosive testimony before the january 6th committee. linsey? >> jonathan karl for us.

thank you so much, jon. now to the incoming republican congressman from new york under fire before even taking office. the state attorney general is now looking into allegations that george santos lied about his past during his campaign, everything from his education to his work on wall street to claims that his grandparents survived the holocaust. here's abc's congressional correspondent rachel scott. >> appreciate you guys. >> reporter: tonight, the new york attorney general is looking into explosive allegations surrounding incoming congressman george santos. >> i hope i can earn your support. >> reporter: after a "new york times" investigation revealed the long island republican may have misrepresented substantial parts of his resume and back ground. he ran on the promise of the american dream, telling voters his grandparents survived the holocaust and fled to brazil. >> my grandparents survived the holocaust, so these regimes of socialism, marxism, they don't work. >> reporter: but "the forward," an independent jewish organization, reviewed genealogy websites that show his grandparents were actually born

in brazil. santos helped his party clinch a narrow majority in the house, making history as the first openly gay republican to win a house seat as a nonincumbent, telling "usa today" that he's never had an issue with his sexual identity in the past decade. but tonight, new revelations that santos finalized his divorce with a woman, less than two weeks before launching his first bid for congress in 2020, something he has not talked about publicly. he also claimed to be a wall street financier and investor who worked at goldman sachs and citigroup, graduating from baruch college. but when we reached out to baruch, goldman sachs, and citigroup, they all told us that name did not match their records. his lawyer calling it all a campaign to smear his good name. tonight, santos breaking his silence, saying that he's committed to delivering on the results that he campaigned on. he says he plans to speak out next week, insisting he has a story to tell, linsey. >> many eager to hear that story. rachel, thank you. today, president biden delivered a christmas address

from the white house. facing a republican-controlled house in the new year, the president offered an optimistic look at what's ahead, focusing on all that unites us. >> as tough as these times have been, if we look a little closer, we see bright spots all across the country. the strength, the determination, the resilience, that's long defined america. we're surely making progress. >> president biden and first lady dr. jill biden will be spending christmas at the white house. when we come back, the news just coming in here in new york. a fire aboard the iconic staten island ferry. passengers forced to evacuate onto tug boats. i always want to know more about my family history. we sit down at the kitchen table, pull up the ancestry app, drink our coffee looking at all the information, all the tiny details. dad, check this out. colorize it. -look at that. -wow. everyone has color. look at that afro. that was the style. you had to have it, otherwise you're not cool. see what else we can find here.

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so clean, you'll feel like you just left the dentist. oral-b. brush like a pro. ♪ next tonight, the news just coming in from here in new york. a fire aboard the iconic staten island ferry. emergency crews rushing to evacuate hundreds of passengers, guiding them through the dark onto tug boats and other ferries. the fire broke out in the engine room. the ferry was near the statue of liberty in new york harbor on its way to manhattan from staten island. when we come back, the near miss in space. out of control space junk that postponed a space walk. what we're learning tonight. who are positive for acetylcholine receptor antibodies, it may feel like the world is moving without you. but the picture is changing, with vyvgart. in a clinical trial, participants achieved improved daily abilities with vyvgart added to their current treatment. and vyvgart helped clinical trial participants

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need to get your a1c down? you may pay as little as $10 per prescription. finally, the lengths one son went to to make his mother's christmas wish come true. senior airman jalen spots is about to surprise his parents with that big crate. >> the plan today is for me to jump in this enormous crate behind me and roll up to the front door and surprise my family. >> reporter: spots has been serving in italy for the past three years. when he recently spoke to his mom, she said she only wanted one thing for christmas -- him. which gave him an idea.

>> i got on google, late night, and i found operation home. >> reporter: operation home is a nonprofit dedicated to raising money for enlisted service members so they can go home for the holidays. >> i told them i was going to gve them a christmas gift, they don't know it's going to be me. >> reporter: spots climbing inside that crate. wheeled down to his parents' home. and then -- the big reveal. >> hi, mom! >> oh! my baby! >> reporter: a reunion three years in the making. >> i am so happy. i -- i just can't believe my baby's home. >> all the feels there. thank you so much for watching. whit johnson here tomorrow. for david and all of us, i'm linsey davis in new york. good night and happy holidays.

> this is not the worst of it but don't tell that to travelers who chris -- whose christmas plans are not going as plans. > we will visit this year with a decline in homicides. >> see what has changed in oakland to make a police chief make a statement like that. >> poor air quality prompting a spare the air alert. i will have your holiday weekend forecast coming up. >> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc7news. >> drawing view seven captures today's big weather headline. those foggy cloudy hazy skies. they are going to stick around for a while. >> it is not just clouds in the sky. it is pollution too. it is better enough to prompt a spare the air alert. wood-burning is banned. let's keep in mind. >> right now it is good to

moderate as you will notice. we are going to pan around the bay area but it has not been around -- not been like that all day. right now it is moderate around santa rosa also toured oakland, san francisco down toward san jose. it is good over on the santa cruz mountains. hayes has been continuing through tonight. a spare the air alert has been issued. it runs all the way through sunday. you will notice poor air quality for the north bay, coast and central bay. also for the santa clara valley, moderate elsewhere. if you are sensitive to would running smoke pollution keep in mind you want to limit your outdoor time. you'll want to keep your doors and windows closed to avoid exposure. you will notice a weak system coming in and it is bringing a few sprinkles in light showers. as we get y