07/02/2014 ABC World News with Diane Sawyer

weather update. Now, time to take a look at the news is seen across the

United States a couple of hours ago in ABC World News with Diane Sawyer.

Welcome to world news. State of emergency. Hundreds of thousands of

families in the dark and cold tonight. Warnings about black ice.

At what temperature does it set in? And watch this snowplough nightmare

for one unsuspecting man. The injuries mounting already at the

Sochi Games. Another sport, another athlete. And what we now know about

that terror threat in toothpaste. And, get this, paying you to stop in

your favourite shop if you are willing to inspire while you shop.

Cash in tonight. -- willing to spy. Good evening. We are following two

major weather headlines this evening. Amid all of those warnings

about the vanishing water supply in the west, we have dire conditions in

Merrylands. Powerlines turned to icicles, snapping with cars

underneath. The state of emergency in Pennsylvania tonight. Hundreds of

thousands spending the evening in the dark as temperatures plummet.

Power grids have been pushed to the brink. Hospitals have been forced to

take drastic action. Tonight, the storm after the storm. After that

winter blast dropped nearly one foot of snow and ice from Kansas to maim,

freezing cold and a race to restore power. -- from Kansas to Maine.

Nearly half a million people in the dark and frigid cold. Thousands of

workers from as far away as Canada are coming to help in the slow and

painstaking work. These men try to pull a livewire away from a van,

slowly guiding it with a pole. Soon the van is smoking and out come the

fire extinguishers. At least 20 people were hospitalised overnight

with carbon dioxide poisoning. Operating generators and grills

indoors. Hundreds of people in shelters. They have been wonderful.

Near Pittsburgh, one man was trapped for days after his roof collapsed.

In New York City, security footage caught this man walking as he gets

flattened by a wall of snow from a snowplough. All of the melting and

freezing on the roads is causing a lot of black ice, which forms when

the ground temperature is 32 degrees or lower, when rain, sleet or melted

snow hits and freezers instantly. Tonight, all of this snow is

completely frozen. This price is the danger. The exhaust pipe is

completely covered. If the owner of the vehicle starts it without

clearing this up, they run the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. This

is not going anywhere. It's really settling in tomorrow morning. More

than 80% of the nation tomorrow morning will be below freezing. It's

all the way through the Pacific Northwest. Portland, Oregon, may

even have a record low temperature. Many people are worried about the

weekend. Let's have a look. Saturday, seven o'clock, the low

pressure system in the south-east goes off. If these had come

together, it would have been massive. Right now, just bits and

pieces of snow. Some relief in the west, with the governor suggesting

water conservation already. San Francisco is one foot down. They got

one inch today. That's huge for them. It's not a drought buster but

it still huge. Up to five inches in some of those areas. Some good news

for a change. Thank you. Moving onto a major development after that

terror threat we reported on. Worries about toothpaste being used

to disguise explosives on their way to Russia and the Olympics. The US

is banning all carry on liquids on flights to Sochi. Nerves could not

be higher in the current atmosphere. American authorities say this is the

target, a passenger jet like this one flying in today over the Sochi

Olympic Village. This is the concern. Tubes of toothpaste. US

authorities say a team of terror operatives could use these to

smuggle explosives on board. They would be able to put the entire

product together to get a much bigger bang for your buck. Security

agencies announced a ban on all liquids, jails, aerosols and powders

on carry on luggage into flight to Russia. Arriving American visitors

seemed oblivious to the threat. The US is not going to let anything

happen to us. The concerns go beyond the airport. US authorities say they

are not that confident that the Russian security's ring of steel

with its tens of thousands of armed officers, naval ships, surveillance

drones and anti-missile batteries hidden in the mountains, will be

enough to stop a determined terrorist. The US says it's ready

for anything that could happen in Sochi, with small teams of armed

personnel guarding American athletes and two US. Navy ships now in

international waters. Some of the events have already got under way.

There are tonight we'll concerns over the course after American

superstar Shaun White pulled out. In action today, snowboarders. Today,

American snowboarder Heidi closure injured in a run. Changes to the

course are being made after Shaun White said it was too dangerous.

Four years ago at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, nobody was

thinking about concussions. Now, everybody is. Including this

Slopestyle skier, who has suffered a string of concussions over the last

few years. You heal faster if you have no stimulation whatsoever. It

means sitting in the dark with no television, computer, phone,

nothing. It's not just head injuries. Rooms, hands, wrists,

tailbone... But it's all problems I can still ski with. It's almost a

miracle they can walk, much less content for gold. The US ski team

has a concussion expert on hand for every eventful top and the US hockey

team has given authority to an urologist to bench a player with a

concussion. -- neurologist. Now to a comment that has caused out raw.

There was a conversation on the situation in the Ukraine. In that

phone call, when she was asked about including our allies from Europe and

the conversation, she uses a choice word.

I want to bring in our chief White House correspondent who happens to

be with us in New York. Not a word you would use to talk about an ally?

This is a major embarrassment. The top diplomat for Europe consulting a

European allies. She immediately apologised. This is between two

diplomats. Why are we hearing miscue. The White House are saying

that the Russians leaked this. The world first heard about this on

Twitter from an official in the Russian government. The assistant to

the Deputy Prime Minister. To the investigation into the tragic death

of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Actors involved in the death being caught.

-- being in court. A wait for Philip Seymour Hoffman. Police are

investigating whether 46 -year-old actor got the heroin discovered in

his apartment when he was found dead. In court today, two people

arrested as part of the investigation on unrelated drugs

charges. A third who police say had his number in his cellphone also

arrested. They all deny involvement in his death. A steady stream of

stars have paid their respects to his family. Cate Blanchett turned up

armed with a bag of toys. actor speaking about his children. When

you have children, heartbreak changes its meaning. He didn't think

you could love something like that in that way. Now you do. He spoke

about his addiction. In this week 's Time magazine, this was written

a... He meant that their deaths would

make news and maybe scare someone clean. He hopes part of his legacy

will be that this story of addiction help save some lives. It was last

night we told you will about the emotional stand-off between two

families. The tragedy in a movie theatre where it a young father was

shot dead for text -- during previews. Everyone in the case

awaits a new video from inside the theatre. Two devoted fathers, and

one of them killed after an argument at the movie theatre. Prosecutors

hope video they obtained might shed new light on what really happened.

No strikes or hits. Nothing to indicate he was threatened. Retired

police captain was emotional. He pleaded not guilty to second-degree

murder. He said he did it in self defence. His wife on the view shared

new details on the fatal argument. The gentleman confronted my husband

several times. He ignored it several times. He got to a point where my

husband spoke up, and that is one he were shot. He said he fired after

seeing an unknown object thrown his way. Witnesses say only popcorn was

thrown, and that he knew it. I had someone say, I'll show you to throw

popcorn at me. I then saw the flash from the muzzle of a gun. One shot,

one death, many questions. Much more ahead on world news. Getting paid to

shop your favourite store. As long as you're willing to spy while you

are shopping. Hear from one customer who made $12,000 doing it.

I couldn't believe this one. Imagine getting paid to shop your favourite

store as long as you're willing to be a spy. The everyday James Bond is

making thousands. He may look like an ordinary

shopper, but he wonders the aisles snapping photos. He is being paid to

do it. Are you a secret shopper? Yes. In eight months, he is raking

it in. I may just over 12,000 dollars. He does it in his spare

time. They post quick jobs for members to complete. It's a way to

check their products the competition. They say there are

about 400,000 walkers across America making ten to $15 an hour. While

available gigs very by location, there are postings for all 50

states. An easy job. She thinks it is a savvy way to get extra income.

We tried it out with Nicole. I don't know any other job that gives you

$12 for five minutes of work. You want to make sure before you give

information that you are with a reputable site. It is recommended

that you use websites like he baits. Did you know companies are letting

you pay with tweets instead of cash? At this shop, you get items like

perfume bottles for Insta ground posts about them. How much money

without cost in East oche -- in a store? $50. How do you get in

trouble for doing that? It's not illegal. But you can be asked to

leave. Our instant index tonight. A bill calling on the US government to

combine all uniforms. We have heard from some American clothing makers

who say bring it on. A classical musical caper solved tonight. They

believe they have recovered a rare violin worth at least $5 million. It

went missing when the owner was shot with a stun gun. A well-deserved

honour for one of our own. The Washington press club foundation

lifetime achievement award. The first woman to cover the White

House. Finally, the line is already forming. Who doesn't reach for the

underdog? They are canine supermodels. They

are ready and looking part dog and also part brush you might find in a

car wash. They are purebreds, one and all. Until now. Now the most

elite of show is allowing dogs like Jimmy to compete. He is a mixed

breed. He is a rescue dog. What is his story? He was dumped at a

shelter at about seven weeks of age. He now has his shot at the ring. The

world 's most exclusive club is opening its doors to the average

Joe. The marked could be a champion. Unlike other competitors, he has

never had a good hair day. If I brushed him, he would just look like

this again. He has other talents like jumping hoops and running up

and down and between things. He is one of the 16 mixed breed dogs

hoping to beat purebreds. What will meant to that? Any dog can do it.

Just because your dog doesn't have a pedigree, it's not to say it can't

be an athlete. Now even the underdog can have its day. A huge test. Their

day has finally come. I hope to see you tomorrow night.