08/01/2014 ABC World News with Diane Sawyer

more on the crash in north Norfolk. But now it is time to look at the

news as seen across the United States.

Welcome to world news. Tonight, the coldest night yet. All 50 states

seem temperatures below freezing. Travel is trapped 14 hours on the

train. Firefighters out in the Arctic. From the icy roads to the

polar bear that had to go inside. Police and emergency responders

accused of lying and scanning about the trauma of 9-11.

And a super dieters. The 15% of us who really do know how to lose

weight and keep it off. They share their secrets.

Good evening and welcome. This day maybe one for the ages. The Ice

Ages. The coldest day in the polar freeze. A white, bone chilling

blanket over most of the United States. Stretching 2500 miles from

the Canadian border to the Florida Keys. We will bring you the big

picture. When is it going to end and who had picked toughest day? We have

all been dealing with this relentless cold. We all know that

from the trenches. While the winds and snow. This is what you get.

Inside the blinding blizzard. 50 mph in wind gusts and 24 inches of snow.

That was in the past 24 hours. New York is expecting up to five feet by

the end of the week. It is the silliest place in America today. --

smelliest. But the major headline is the

ridiculous cold. Very cold. 16 states saw windchill of -40 degrees

or lower. 61 hours Minneapolis spent below zero. And here is a familiar

sight. So many Americans doing that perilous plunge. That is the number

of decreasing your city fell in 23 hours. Bottoming out at minus four

degrees. If you were in fourth grade, this was the coldest day of

your life in parts of the south. That was the record-breaking low

temperature in Atlanta this morning. This is not the coldest it has ever

been or the longest it has ever been this call for anyone in the US. But

in Wisconsin, one resort has said it is to cold to ski. This prisoner

escaped and venturing himself in because it was too cold. Everyone

hold on, because it is almost over. It is relatively warmer and taking

over. This is Thursday. By the end of the week, we will see

the 40s return in New York. In some areas we might even get above

average temperatures. So many survivors stories streaming

in. We see what happens when it is below freezing in your living room.

That has got ice on the back of it. With every tour, this man is

counting every degree. On every single wall of his home. His

thermometer has had nothing but bad news since the Sunday. I spent one

night here and then attempted to spend last night here. It just got

too cold. She came back today to fill his bath tub with hot water to

prevent his pipes from bursting. That is a lot of heat coming out

about. Paper bursting has been a problem. -- pipes. We more than 500

people spent the night stranded on three trains stuck in a snow bank.

They had power, but limited food and the bathroom situation was less than

ideal. I am exhausted and have not had much to eat. Surviving the storm

has had all new meaning to this young mother. She gave birth to her

first child by herself at home. Her due date was not until the 21st. I

think she wanted to see the blizzard. Millions of adults

probably wished they had missed the next few days. They are still

shivering in the dark. As we know, a lot of people huddled

at home have been using electric heaters, ovens and lighting fires to

stay warm. Some of them hazards. We have spent the day with the

firefighters trying to fight in the freeze.

On the frozen frontlines, firefighters battle more than just

the blaze. Watch as a Chicago firefighter just trying to work

slips and falls. Knocking his helmet of his head. Monday night,

firefighters trying to battle a fire were frozen themselves. Watch what

happens to the buildings. They become ice castles after the

firefighters sprayed them with water. And look at this fire

hydrant. Here in Chicago, firefighters even had to use a

player to melt the ice. -- flair. They turn on the fire hydrant and

nothing happens. This firefighter sits up. No matter the temperature,

as soon as the site when, 60-?70 of equipment. It is no match of -- for

the cold. They have to be outside. And we have some pictures that we

would like to show tonight. All of us looking out for each other. A sea

of eyes peering out from mountains of scarves and hats. Take a look, so

many eyelashes and eyebrows turned icicles. One family have a picture

of something there have not seen before. A ring of ice around the

dog's waterborne. And a snow we all landing on the beaches of the

sunshine State. -- snow we all. We found that a record number of us are

searching online for warm weather vacations. And now we turn from the

cold across the nation to another story in the news. The cold

reception at the White House for a new book that is peeling back the

curtains on the White House windows, telling us what people really

thought of each other inside. The unlikely author is a former

secretary of defence, Robert Gates. For two years, he was the

President's point man on the most important national security

decisions. The end of the war in Iraq, the escalation of the war in

Afghanistan. He was in the situation room went in London was killed. But

it turns out that Robert Gates had deep misgivings about the President.

He says: Dates who calls himself a Republican

and also served as George W Bush's defence secretaries write:

his harshest criticism is of Vice President Biden who he calls a man

of integrity that says: dates as Hillary Clinton then

Secretary of State shared some of his frustrations.

In response to all of this, the White House has pulled out a

statement like, praising Bob Gates for his service to the country

saying the president welcomed differences of opinion on his

national security team when it comes device that -- vice president Biden

the men says he agrees on what Biden is the leading men of his son. Gates

acknowledges that on the biggest decision, the Balan rate, it was

Gates was wrong and the president who he says made one of the most

courageous decisions in the White House. -- the bin Ladin raid. We

have worked on it from the Department of defence that for US

troops, members of the U.S. Air Force are presumed dead after a

helicopter crash in England. The accident happened during night-time

training mission. Any bigger headline about America's largest

bank, JP Morgan has agreed to pay more than $2.5 billion for missing

the warning signs of Bernie made off's massive Ponzi scheme.

Officials say employees did not knowingly help made off scam

customers out of billions of dollars, made off is serving a

prison sentence of 150 years. Next on it a big bust of some police and

firefighters accused of massive fraud. Adding to the Arab rage, some

are reportedly trying to cash in on one of America's darkest days. 911.

When real heroes showed brilliant strength. They were the ones who ran

towards the towers. It's like an ass, saving lives, toiling for

for many police it took a lasting toll, physically and

psychologically. Today, dozens of other retired fired -- firefighters

and police officers were charged with lying, making up claims of 911

related mental illness to get millions of taxpayer dollars in

disability pay-outs. This alleged scheme which involve people who once

served the public when a government coffers and took advantage of the

people that police officers and firefighters are sworn to protect.

Prosecutors claim for ringleaders, including an 89 -year-old pension

consultant opinion disoriented in psychological evaluations. More than

100 police officers and firefighters live, half of them blaming 911 for

the disability. Investigators said photographs, video and postings on

social media reveal the defendants do not appear to be disabled,

despite claims they could not use a computer. Cannot drive, could not

shop. Former police officer Glenn Lieberman is shown on a jet ski, he

received 100 Semi $5,000 over four years after reportedly saying he

could not go outside. I can only express disgust at the actions of

the individuals involved. There is anger the night among the families

of the heroes who died on 911, George Silva lost his brother

Stephen, a firefighter. The firefighters and police I know many

are dying today from cancer from the rubble. It put a mark against people

against that was a dedicated and truly represent the fire and police

departments. George Silva also told me he is second. That is sickened by

the fraud. He wants to remember what his brother stood for and what

people should do and we should not focus on bad apples. Moving on the

night, other stories in the news, the results are in in the New Year,

we will tell you which diet was chosen as the best one of the year

and we meet some people who found the way of losing weight and keeping

it off. And a stunning idea for the first time, a dog helps perform

surgery in the operating room. What does she do? Do not miss it.

Next night, the New Year 's resolution to lose weight. Today, US

News reported the list of the best diets. At the top, the dash diet,

exercise portion control. On the list the Mediterranean diet which

focuses on fruits and nuts. Vegetables and fish. And Weight

Watchers, which uses the points system for food. Next you're going

to meet a handful of people who not only lose weight but know how to

keep it. How do they connected to their happiness? What other secrets

to success? Lindsey Davis tells us right now. Meet elite group of super

directors. People who have beaten the odds. -- super dieters. Dieters

who have lost weight and kept it off over the years. More than 10,000 of

these long-term losers are being tracked by the National weight

control registry, their secrets are stored in a database. We in the

registry what made this effort successful from different of your

past unsuccessful efforts. They say that this time they were more

committed. The losing weight and keeping it off. Steve Porter is a

registry member. I had back issues and when the doctor said I am happy

to keep giving you injections as you need them but where would you be

five years from now? That is when I said I needed to look at changing

something. After losing ?105, he managed to keep off about 75 of

those pounds for the last three years. He says that maintenance is

the hard part. It is possible with him with daily exercise are

meticulously recording everything he is going to eat. We plan the mail is

very carefully. It is kept in a spreadsheet and posted on the

fridge. Two of the most common strategies, hitting on the scale,

for many of them, every single day. And exercising on average an hour a

day. Rather than thinking of it as a diet, including exercise and good

health eating habits. That is the new normal. The new normal is all

about being conscious and careful. That is the key for this woman who

shared her weight loss journey with ABC News for the past two years. You

can be healthy and beautiful and love yourself. At ?179, she is at

her lowest weight as an adult and committed to losing even more.

Finally tonight, the remarkable dog who helped save a life every day.

Even in the operating room, ready to help doctors and nurses. Surgeons at

Duke University say this is a first. Seven-year-old Caitlin is heading in

front a operation to help a kidney operation and they are bringing in a

dog. Her dog, JJ is trained to smell when she's trouble. She lives with

mastocytosis which causes reactions to everyday things and is sensitive

to anaesthesia. We saw how it works at home. This is JJ alerting.

Staging a reaction coming on, slamming the change. It did not take

a minute to come down to the Cabinet door and get the medical kit.

Doctors say the. 's knows works better than their machines. He gave

us warning signs that something started but come down quickly. To

think JJ was back -- abandoned at five days old. She stood out to the

trainer. You want one that is confident and will say hey, I need

you to pay attention. She says any dog can be trained with slot --

saliva. This is her treats for when she alerts. Bat this means that KK

can live a normal life and go to school. This dog is a miracle to us

every day. Should I tell people that you love him? How much? More than

any number. Your Mac are so 1000? More than 1000. They will need to

make a new number. She assures us that is a lot. I will see tomorrow

night. Good night. The risk of coastal flooding

continues to diminish in the UK car in the UK, it meant we could see

further land and river flooding of the next few days. Heavy rain but to

come the, there will be fewer showers showers around and winds