including posing as law enforcement officials and demanding victims pay fines. >> pierre thomas again tonight. thank you. >>> now, to a case we've been reporting on right here. a massive and deadly gas three buildings here in new york city. it caused a seven-alarm fire. buildings were reduced to rubble. two people were killed. well, tonight, four people are now charged with manslaughter, and prosecutors say it was all because of greed. abc's ron claiborne from the scene tonight. >> reporter: it began with a fiery explosion. flames engulching three apartment buildings. and in just a few hours, all of it gone. two lives lost, dozens displaced. today, the building's owner, her son and two contractors were arrested and charged with manslaughter. accused of tampering with gas lines in their rush to rent apartments for up to $6,000 a month each. >> when greed guides the decisions and the respect for human life doesn't, this is the result. >> reporter: nearly one year later, the two people who died are still remembered here at the site. prosecutors say the contractors illegally jerry rigged

abc's senior justice correspondent pierre thomas on what they are accused of doing while in uniform to avoid getting caught. >> reporter: georgia state prison guards are the ones wearing handcuffs today, busted drug dealers. they allegedly helped inmates get drugs into the prison and helped them transport the drugs through the state, while wearing their uniforms, so that the police would be less likely to stop them. >> allegations range from smuggling in contraband, but also using their official capacity as officers to protect what they believe to be drug transactions and drug shipments. >> don't overlook anything. >> reporter: raids like this coming as the fbi and state officials vow to clean out compromised guards and illegal activity inside prison walls. the arrests, the latest example of apparently wide-scale corruption within georgia prisons. more than 130 inmates, guards and outsiders charged just since september. >> and pierre thomas with us pierre, so, these officers are accused of staying in uniform to go undetected and the inmates had cell phones to run their deals? >> report

more than 130 inmates, guards and outsiders charged just since september.r. >> and pierre thomas with us live tonight, as well. pierre, so, these officers are accused of staying inniform to go undetected and the inmates had cell phones to run their deals? >> reporter: david, it's stunning. georgia corrections officers have been charged with protects inmates who were using cell phones for outrageous scams. including posing as law enforcement officials and demanding victims pay fines. >> pierre thomas again tonight. thank you. >>> now, to a case we've been reporting on right here. a massive and deadly gas explion that brought down three buildings here in new york city. it caused a@seven-alarm fire. buildings were reduced to rubble. two peop were killed. well, tonight, four people are and prosecutors say it was all because of greed. abc's ron claiborne from the scene tonight. >> reporter: it began with a fifiy explosion. flames engulching three apartment buildings. and in just a few hours, all of it gone. two lives lost, dozens displaced. today, the building's owner, her@ son and two con

>> all right, pierre thomas with us live tonight. pierre, thank you. >>> now, to pope francis this evening, and his historic visit to mexico. these images coming in just crowds gathered. that visit to the mexico/u.s. border, making headlines in the presidential race here in this country. donald trump saying the pope does not understand the danger of an open border. abc's chief foreign correspondent terry moran with the pope. plus, the moment pope francis was visibly upset with crowds, pulling him toward them. >> reporter: he stood on the banks of the rio grande, head bowed in silent prayer, here at this troubled border. across the river, a few feet away in the united states, americans, including some undocumented immigrants, praying with francis, remembering the thousands who have died in the desert, trying to get to the u.s. spiritually, there was no border here today. joyous crowds on both sides, in juarez and in el paso, a hugely symbolic celebration, a message from the pope. this week, donald trump sent a message back, in an inte

scalia passed away on a visit to texas, and abc's chief justice correspondent pierre thomas joins us now with what we know about this hour. pierre? >> reporter: tom, law enforcement sources, two of them passed earlier today, apparently by natural causes in texas. law enforcement officials say it appeared no evidence of foul play whatsoever at this point. i'm being told that the u.s. marshals are on the scene to work with the family, but again, we're being told by two senior law enforcement officials that justice scalia has, in fact, died. >> pierre thomas on t phone for us reporting in. pierre, thank you so much. and just moments ago, chief justice john roberts issuing this statement on behalf of the court and retired justices. "i am saddened to report that justin antonin scalia has p psed away. he was an extraordinary strij, admired and treasured. his pasaing is a great loss to the court and the country he so loyally served. we extend our deepest condolences to his family." i want to bring in terry moran, o covers the supreme court here at abc news. terry, talk to me about the legac

abc's pierre thomas has more. tonight, the families of those fatally shot and wounded in san bernardino are preparing to enter the legal fight to force apple to help the fbi open a killer's iphone. this is a very emotional case for the victims in this case. the pain is still very palpable. it is critical that they get they get these answers. the families weighing in---as rallies in support of apple are planned across the nation tomorrow and the war of words escalates between apple's ceo and the fbi director. ".we can't look the survivors in the eye, or ourselves in the mirror, if we don't follow this lead." fbi director james comey wrote in an open letter released overnight. he added: "we don't want to break anyone's encryption or set a master key loose on the land." but today apple ceo tim cook in an email to employees, rejected the fbi's reasoning. he called on the fbi to "withdraw its demands" seek legislation in congress and set up special commission to sort through these difficult issues. cook writing "at sta

and abc's senior justice correspondent pierre thomas, live in our washington bureau tonight. pierre, what comes next? >> reporter: david, tonight, the justice department is going to a federal judge to force the city of ferguson to overhaul its police department. in a blistering press conference this evening, the attorney general has just accused the ferguson police of, quote, racial bias against african-americans, calling the practices egregious and routine in that city that saw so much racial unrest in the summer of 2014. this new lawsuit comes after ferguson city council last night rejected a deal the city had negotiated with the justice department. lynch announced she is suing less than 24 hours later, highly unusual, david. >> all right, pierre thomas with the live developments on ferguson tonight. pierre, thank you. >>> now, to the extreme weather we're tracking at this hour. 11 states under winter weather alerts, record-breaking cold on at the same time. images coming in from outside cleveland tonight. slick roads there. a major pileup, parts of i-90, shut down. let's g

texas, and abc's chi justice correspondt pierre thomas joins us now with what we know about this hour. pierre? >> reporter: tom, law enforcement sources, two of them tell me that justice scaliaa passed earlier today, apparently by natural causes in texas. law enforcement officials say it appeared no evidence of foul play whatsoevert this point. i'meing told that the u.s. marshals are on the scene to work with the family, but again, 're being told by two senior law enforcement officials that justice scalihas, in fact, died. >> pierre thomas on the phone for us reporting in. pierre, thanyou so much. and just moments ago, chief justice john roberts issuing this statement on behalf of the court and retired justices. "i am saddened to report that justin antonin scalia has passed away he was an extraordinary strij, admired and treasured.d. his passing is a greatoss to the court and the country he so we extend our deepest condolences to his family." i want to bring i terry moran, who covers the supreme court heret abc news. terry, talk to me about the legacy tonight on justice scalia. >> rep

lynch announced she is suing less than 24 hours later, highly unusual, david. >> all right, pierre thomas with the live developments on ferguson tonight. pierre, thank you. >>> now, to the extreme weather we're tracking at this hour. 11 states under winter weather alerts, record-breaking cold on record-breaking heat in the west at the same time. images coming in from outside cleveland tonight. slick roads there. a major pileup, parts of i-90, shut down. let's get right to rob marciano, tracking all of this, really a tail tale of two countries tonight. >> reporter: it is. the cold could be in some spots the coldest they've seen. in the west, a big ridge out there. that drops down even more cold to the east. big trough, and we'll see more lake effect snow showers and squalls kind of rotate through the area. and the real cold stuff will come in this weekend. wind chills, 10 to 20 degrees below zero across the northeast. that means actual temperatures right around zero degrees. time to think about protecting your pipes and other vulnerable areas in your home. david? >> rob, thank you. >>> now

abc's senior justice correspondent pierre thomas now. >> reporter: tonight, the families of those fatally shot and wounded in san bernardino are preparing to enter the legal fbi open a killer's phone. >> the pain is still very palpable. it is critical that they get this information. that they get these answers. >> reporter: the families weighing in as rallies in support of apple are planned across the nation tomorrow, and the war of words escalates between apple's ceo and the fbi director. "we can't look the survivors in the eye, or ourselves in the mirror, if we don't follow this lead," fbi director james comey wrote in an open letter released overnight. he added, "we don't want to break anyone's encryption or set a master key loose on the land. but today, apple's ceo tim cook in an e-mail to employees, rejected the fbi's reasoning. he called on the fbi to "withdraw its demands," seek legislation in congress, and set up a special commission to sort through these difficult issues. cook writing, "at stake is the data security of hundreds of millions of law abiding people, and setting a dan