[Fredricka Whitfield, Cnn Anchor:] It is Noon in New York, where a blizzard warning is going up this hour; 9:00 a.m. on the West coast. Hello. I'm Fredricka Whitfield at CNN's global headquarters in Atlanta. Ahead this hour
[Unidentified Female:] You just never know when you're going to get that needle in the hay stack.
[Whitfield:] The needle that she's talking about is a potential terrorist. We'll show you her critical role in defending America. A winter wallop is heading east and may give enough snow to make driving impossible in parts of the northeast. And, if you want to get away from that snowy weather, well, we've some ideas that will make you laugh at old man winter. But first, a look at the top stories: Protesters are on the march across the country to mark the 32nd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Supporters of a woman's right to choose say that they're concerned a few retirements on the high court might lead to a reversal of Roe v. Wade. Just eight days before election day in Iraq, and government officials there are making more moves to beef up security. They've decided to close Baghdad's airport next Saturday and Sunday. Other security measures include a curfew and tighter restrictions on weapons and cars. And the U.N. conference on disaster prep ends today in Japan with a focus on the recent tsunami. Delegates agreed on a plan that calls on nations to put disaster risk on political agendas and invest in disaster readiness. They also pledged support for an Indian Ocean tsunami warning system. We begin with the big winter storm barreling toward the northeast and New England. Just moments ago, a blizzard warning went into effect for New York City. The storm is expected to dump more than a foot of snow on areas around the Big Apple and the wood, the wind rather, could be howling at more than 50 miles an hour. And in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, up to a foot of snow is expected. But the storm should pass in time for tomorrow's NFL conference championship games in both of those cities. And in Boston and other areas, get ready. It's also heading your way. The Midwest has already felt the blast. Cleveland is expecting up to a foot of snow by the time the storm moves through there and brutal winds are making the situation even worse. And this is what motorists in Minnesota experienced: A lot of snow and a lot of gridlock. The storm's snarled rush hour traffic yesterday in the twin cities and it shut down Interstate 94 in western Minnesota. Let's get a big look at the big picture out there where Rob Marciano is in our very warm weather center, at least for now, Rob. How's it looking?
[Rob Marciano, Cnn Meteorologist:] It looks this is a big storm and it's getting more intense. Chad Myers, by the way, will be out of the studio and in Philadelphia, reporting from there in a couple of hours. Look how fast this storm is moving. It is just ripping across the Ohio River Valley, and the Great Lakes and now moving in towards the northeast. Still snowing in places like Chicago where they could get another several inches before this is done. The red indicates winter storm warnings that are posted for a good chunk of the northeastern third of the country. The white indicates a blizzard warning, which Fredricka mentioned, now in effect from New York, as of Noon, and it will be in affect later on today in Boston, which could see the brunt of this storm. Watch how things move into the northeast, bitterly cold air here, now beginning to snow in Philadelphia and in D.C., not quite snowing in Newark or in New York, but that will come to fruition as we go throughout the day and this storm sits off the coastline. When it does that it'll grab even more moisture from the Atlantic Ocean. And these are the expected tallies later on tonight and tomorrow: New York, 15 to 20 inches; Boston, 18 to 24 inches; Philadelphia, 10 to 15; Baltimore and D.C. also getting into the act. Mentioned the cold temperatures, it's seven right now in Boston; 14 in New York and that doesn't take into consideration the wind. Fredricka, at times, often, I should say, the wind chills will be below zero tonight and tomorrow, dangerously cold wind chills and, Freddy, winds could gust in Boston over 60 miles an hour. They've actually posted a hurricane wind warning for Boston.
[Whitfield:] Wow!
[Marciano:] And I haven't seen that in the wintertime, so it's going to be a the wind is probably a bigger issue than the snow, as matter of fact.
[Whitfield:] Well, that's a scary situation. Stay indoors.
[Marciano:] Yeah.
[Whitfield:] Rob Marciano, thanks so much.
[Marciano:] OK.
[Whitfield:] Well, hope if this weather system does not bring a repeat of this situation. During a snow storm in Nebraska, two weeks ago, a desperate call for help. Two young people were lost on a highway. While they pinned their hopes on cell phone, something went terribly wrong. The technology did nothing to save their lives. The story now from Keith Oppenheim.
[Keith Oppenheim, Cnn Correspondent:] In a subzero snow storm, Michael Wamsley and Janelle Hornical, two 20-year-olds, got lost riding to Omaha, Nebraska. They made repeated calls to 911.
[Operator:] Sarpy County, 911.
[Wamsley:] Yes, my girlfriend placed a call earlier out by sandpit.
[Operator:] Out by where?
[Wamsley:] Out by sandpit.
[Oppenheim:] Because he is using a cell phone, his signal is bouncing to other regions and dispatchers want to transfer him to where he think he is so he can get help faster. No, no, no please...there's no
[Operator:] I don't understand. But I can't help you because I'm
[Oppenheim:] Wamsley and Hornical are stuck near a gravel pit near the rural outskirts of Omaha, slowly freezing to death.
[Wamsley:] Please, can you get over here now?
[Oppenheim:] But despite the anguish, dispatchers don't have the technology to pinpoint the call.
[Dan Peterson, Director Of Communications:] It was just not possible to locate where they were.
[Oppenheim:] Days of searching follows the phone calls. The bodies Wamsley and Hornical were found outside, frozen. They left their vehicle not dressed for the weather.
[Dr. Henry Nipper, Creighton Univ. Medical Ctr:] Both individuals were impaired at the time of death.
[Oppenheim:] An autopsy revealed that both bodies had high traces of the drug methamphetamine or crystal meth which may explain their confusion in the storm, and that may have made the calls even more challenging for 911 dispatchers. Still the question is, was this a bad mix of drugs and inadequate technology, or were the calls transferred so often that time was wasted in the search for two people calling for help? Keith Ompenheim, Chicago.
[Whitfield:] Sad situation. Well, "News Across America" now, police are combing the woods across Georgia, searching for this man, Frederick Fretz. He's a convicted sex offender believed to have kidnap an 11-year-old boy in Florida. The child was found alive last night on a ramp off Interstate 75, about 400 miles from his home outside of Atlanta. Authorities say the child appears unharmed. But, police say the man suspected of kidnapping and killing a 19- year-old Texas woman appears to have been on a multistate crime spree. Johnny Lee Williams is being held in an Arizona jail. Megan Holden was abducted Wednesday from a Wal-Mart parking lot in Tyler, Texas. Her body was found yesterday in a ditch along a west Texas highway. And in Santa Maria, California, the jury in the Michael Jackson molestation case will hear from an expert about how victims of sexual abuse behave. Prosecutors say they want to know why victims are sometimes fond of their abusers, don't tell relatives, or wait to report the abuse. The judge agreed to allow the testimony. Jury selection begins January 31st, with opening statements set to begin in March. Here's the latest in the fight for Iraq with the January 30 elections just eight days away, now. The Iraqi government is trying to put in place security measures to protect the election process. One official says that includes closing Baghdad's airport on the day before the election and keeping it closed through election day. In unrelated news, Ahmed Chalabi, former Iraqi exile leader, is expected to be arrested sometime today on bank fraud charges. Iraq's interim defense minister says that Chalabi will be turned over to Interpol. Chalabi faces charges in Jordan where he was tried and convicted in absentia for fraud connected to a bank collapse in the 1980s. According to the Chinese embassy eight Chinese hostages being held in Iraq have been released unharmed. The men were kidnapped earlier this week. A group calling itself the Islamic Resistance Movement had released several videotapes showing the men during the past few days. Our next report contains graphic images that may be disturbing, especially for children. Almost every day, the fighting in Iraq claims more lives, often the victims are civilians. Recently, a photographer captured one tragedy involving an Iraqi family, victims of mistaken identity. The horror produced an unusually quick apology from the U.S. military. CNN Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, has more.
[Barbara Starr, Cnn Pentagon Correspondent:] It was just after 6:00 pm Tuesday, already getting dark, past curfew when U.S. troops fired shots at this car in the northern Iraqi town of Tal Afar. The military says the soldiers, on foot patrol, were on alert for suicide car bombs. The photographer who took these pictures watched as the tragedy unfolded.
[Chris Hondros, Getty Images:] I realized that some shots are going to get fired. I know, I mean, I can know I knew that their car would have a hard time seeing these camouflaged soldiers, so I sort of scooted off to the side outside of anybody's line of fire and the car kept approaching. I could hear it.
[Starr:] In moments, it was a nightmare on the street. An Iraqi man and his wife in the frontal seat killed by U.S. gunfire. Six terrified children emerged from the backseat, one slightly wounded, blood everywhere. A small boy, bewildered at what he has just seen.
[Hondros:] The soldiers, when they realized what was going on, they very professionally and apathetically swept into action, picked the kids up, immediately, the medics came over, immediately tried to assess any injury the children had.
[Starr:] Soldiers upset as well, as they tried to help the children. They took them to a nearby hospital. A U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad says there was no intention to harm innocent civilians. He says, "While the pictures are heart wrenching, they also go to show in the moments immediately following, soldiers went from trying to protect their patrol to rendering comfort and assistance to the children suffering a tragic loss." The military spokesman says procedures were followed. There were hand signals to the driver, warning shots fired and then shots to disable the vehicle, and then shots that were fatal. No one may ever know if the Iraqi driver didn't see the soldiers, didn't understand the order to stop, or if there was panic. But with five car bomb attacks in Iraq in the last three weeks against patrols and checkpoints, security concerns are at an all-time high. Still, the human tragedy.
[Hondros:] The captain was adamant about making sure the children were all in a room when the two bodies of the adults were brought in to the morgue, in the hospital. He specifically said he didn't want the children to see any more.
[Starr:] The orphan children now in the custody of the oldest teenager. The military may compensate the family, but the faces of this war show their agony. One small Iraqi girl sits at the feet of U.S. soldiers, waiting for someone to tell her what happens now. Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
[Whitfield:] And how long will U.S. troops have to remain in Iraq? And what is the exit strategy to get them out? We'll hear from one expert who says that's part of the problem. There is no exit strategy that he can make of. And on this 32nd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision Roe v. Wade, ruling legalizing of abortion, protesters on both sides are in Washington. Is this emotional issue coming back to the forefront of American politics? And later, defending America: Her eyes and ears are part of a first line of defense against terrorists trying to cross into the United States. Her story when CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues.