now reporting, whit johnson. >> whit: good evening, i'm whit johnson, and we're interrupting your regular programming, because the polls have just closed in the south carolina republican primary, and now based on exit polls, abc news can project donald trump will defeat nikki haley in her home state. and we're just getting some preliminary exit poll data, a glimpse of what was on voters' minds when they went to the polls today. nikki haley was hoping to tighten up this race in the final push here, but take a look at this, 77% of voters had already made up their minds on who to vote for last year. when asked which issue mattered the mothers in deciding how to vote, 39% said immigration, 33% said the economy, followed by foreign policy and abortion. i want to get right to our rachel scott in columbia, south carolina at trump headquarters, and rachel, what are you hearing from the trump campaign tonight? >> reporter: well, whit, donald trump was so confident he barely even campaigned in this state. tonight he is projected to deliver that crushing blow to nikki haley in her home state, a stat

." >> whit: good evening. thanks for joining us on this saturday. i'm whit johnson. several dwell developing storie. a major snowstorm could hit the northeast later this week. the urgent manhunt in tennessee for the suspect isn't fatal shooting of a police deputy. we gi with new details from the dead pli and fiery crash on a florida interstate. just before we came on the air authorities confirming the pilot and copilot of that small plane were killed when it went down on i-75 near naples. the pilot reporting the failure of both engines. three other people fleeing for their lives from the burning wreckage. these images captured by a good samaritan recording on his phone as he rushed towards the flames. the incident bringing traffic on the busy roadway to a standstill. authorities say one person on the ground was hurt. two vehicles were damaged. part of i- 75 near the crash site remained cloed today. the ntsb on the scene investigating what caused both engines to fail. abc's morgan norwood leads us off. >> oh, my god. oh, my god! aww! >> reporter: tonight chilling new

." >>> i'm whit johnson.s we come on the air, millions on the west coast are bracing for another round of heavy rain and snow. a hard-hitting storm taking aim at the saturated state of california, which is already received more than 150% of its annual rainfall. flood watches in effect from los angeles up to the bay area, concerns tonight the heavy rain could lead to more scenes like this, rock slides shutting down part of the 101 freeway in del norte county in northern california. here on the east coast, central park looking like a winter wonderland, a fast-moving storm dumping a little over an inch of snow there. parts of new jersey and pennsylvania, cleaning up after receiving around a foot. all of this expected to freeze over tonight. let's go right to meteorologist brittany bell from our station wabc here in new york. is the snow done for now? >> we are done with most of the snow, whit, but with so much snow still on the ground in sub-freezing temperatures, that threat turns to black ice tonight through e

. ♪ >> gio: the san francisco 49ers and our own whit johnson are super bowl bound. >> whit: i'm going>> you're going to the game. >> gio: we're getting him ready for the big game as we say, good morning, america. ♪ my mama told me ♪ >> whit: i love that. >> gio: what was that? >> whit: little finger wave. bang bang, niner game. you know how it goes. that was so fun yesterday. we were still working out the low logistics. our executive producer simone said it's official you're going. credentials came through. i'm going to the super bowl, and we're going to talk about it so much. great to have erielle back at the desk with us. >>> we do have a lot to cover and exciting things including some great "deals & steals" to help you treat yourself with tory johnson this morning. >> gio: can't wait for that. >>> dangerous weather out west. rain-soaked california facing more torrential rain with potentially life-threatening flooding. the preparations and forecasts this weekend. >> erielle: we begin with the u.s. air strikes in the middle east. u.s. central command saying more thank 85 targets in 7

i'm whit johnson in new york. i'll see you on "gma" in the morning.re getting closer and closer to super bowl sunday. the stadium is set for the showdown between the san francisco 40 niners and kansas city chiefs, and the excitement is building right here in the bay area. good evening. i'm ama daetz and i'm dan ashley. >> thanks for joining us. all eyes will be on vegas on sunday. here's a live look at allegiant stadium. while some lucky fans will see the game in person, most of us are not making the trip. but it is spectacular to be here in the bay area. check out the sunset over san francisco. that's unbelievable. that's gorgeous. that really is stunning. all right, well, party hearty, but keep it safe. that's the message from san francisco officials as they get ready for huge celebration sunday night. if the niners win the title. abc seven news reporter luz pena has the details on what they're planning in order to avoid problems and keep people safe. >> we coming for you, kansas city. >> it's all about the niners and san francisco city officials wa

i'm whit johnson in for david. we have several breaking stories as we come on the air. the deadly plane crash on a florida highway and an angry president biden pushing back on that scathing special counsel report over his handling of classified documents. >>> we begin tonight with two earthquakes hitting california and hawaii. in california, a magnitude 4.6 quake hitting near malibu. the quake felt by millions of people in the los angeles area. just minutes earlier, a magnitude 5.7 quake hitting just south of the big island. reports of aftershocks following. abc's chief national correspondent matt gutman reading us off in los angeles tonight. >> reporter: tonight, damage assessments under way after southern california was rattled by a 4.6-magnitude earthquake. >> an earthquake has been felt in l.a. county. >> reporter: our station kabc broadcasting live when it struck. >> it's in ventura county, orange county, l.a. county -- all of them have felt it. >> reporter: the epicenter just northwest of malibu. the shaking likely felt by millions of people, says seismologist dr.

." >> whit: good evening. thanks for joining us on this saturday. i'm whit johnson. we have a couple of breaking stories as we come on the air. another round of u.s. strikes against iranian-backed militants in the middle east. this time in yemen. with the help of british forces and other allies. but we begin tonight with the life-threatening storm and dangerous flooding in the west. 40 million americans under flood watches and millions facing dangerous winds. this satellite imagery here showing a time lapse of the atmospheric river in the eastern pacific ocean. storm preps under way in santa barbara county. some under evacuation orders in that area. officials going door to door to notify residents. ventura county also under evacuation orders and warnings. let's get right to abc meteorologist somara theodore leading us off tonight. and somara, time this out for us. >> reporter: well, whit, today was the day for preparations. tomorrow all the impacts will be felt. alerts are lighting up the board from flood watches and high surf advisories to winter storm warnings. now

>> david: all right, whit johnson, we'll see you tomorrow night in this chair. thanks, whit. >>> when we come back here, the chilling new details tonight. the son who allegedly killed, beheaded his own father, a longtime federal worker. authorities pointing to rage over the government. what that son allegedly did the day before. >>> also quaker oats in this major recall. >>> and remembering a beloved actor from "rocky" to "the mandalorian." for possibilities, has you searching discover a different first treatment. immunotherapies work with your immune system to attack cancer. but opdivo plus yervoy is the first combination of 2 immunotherapies for adults newly diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer that has spread, tests positive for pd-l1, and does not have an abnormal egfr or alk gene. opdivo plus yervoy is not chemotherapy, it works differently. it helps your immune system fight cancer in 2 different ways. opdivo and yervoy can cause your immune system to harm healthy parts of your body during and after treatment. these problems can be severe and lead to d

. >> and so is whit johnson, right. >> he's going in the super bowl. there he is. >> he's 40 niners after beating my packers. >> he's so excited going to the super bowl. >> he better be there going to win this year. >> they are niner nation i do hope so. >> does whit sit during the game. she's standing pace the entire three hours a little bit of both. >> and then his daughters are all about taylor swift. so you know we got to split household. >> oh so either way you come out on top. >> everybody wins. >> only mom wins. really >> really. right. exactly with the commercials, i guess coming up, the new madness surrounding apple's new vision pro. >> we are a unique law firm that only represents mesothelioma victims and their families. do you have questions about paying medical bills, getting the best medical treatment, finding a specialist, or learning about the newest treatments available? we've been offering free information about mesothelioma to victims and their families for over ten years. call us at one 800 511 5400. i've got a book .com that's one 8

whit johnson tonight on these new numbers. >> reporter: tonight, the american job market is surging, adding 353,000 jobs in january, nearly doubling what economists had predicted. the blockbuster report comes on the heels of the 333,000 jobs added in december -- and stronger than expected economic growth to end 2023, reversing earlier fears of a possible recession. stunning numbers, despite some recent high-profile layoff announcements from companies like u.p.s., google, and amazon. and workers are making more money. wages jumped 4.5% year-over-year, outpacing inflation. the news sent stocks soaring. the dow and the s&p 500 both hitting record highs again. it comes after the federal reserve decided this week to leave interest rates unchanged. and it could further delay plans to cut rates later this year amid fears that inflation could rise again. chairman jerome powell signaling he has faith in the dur arit and strength of the entire american economy. >> it's a good labor market. and we've seen inflation come down. this is a good situation. this is a good economy. >> reporter: the un

the biggest 49ers fan, whit johnson, made to it las vegas for the game.ill smiling. >> reporter: hey, george, good morning. yes, it hurt, but i am still smiling. and the commercial, of coursing were fantastic. more than 200 million people in the u.s. said they planned to tune in to the super bowl this year. that's according to the national retail federation. with big money on the line, it was a super charged celebrity appearance and plenty of trips down memory lane. this morning beyonce rocking the battle of the super bowl ads. >> bet you can't break that. >> bet i can. >> reporter: queen b ruling not on the the screen, but breaking the internet in this verizon spot, one of the most searched ads of the night on google. >> okay. they ready. drop the new music. >> reporter: the super star teasing then releasing the first few singles from part 2 of her grammy winning album renaissance. ♪ but that wasn't the only new music. >> what up? for your consideration, here comes the boston massacre. the dunkings. >> reporter: ben affleck debuting the dun kings showing

." >> janai: that is what whit johnson was telling us. phenomenal. it'll win some awards. >> janai: we will be right back with our "play of the day." ay o" . >> janai: we will be right back with our "play of the day." maybt reaching a magic number... and more about discovering magic. rich is being able to keep your loved ones close. and also send them away. rich is living life your way. and having someone who can help you get there. the key to being rich is knowing what counts. ♪ i have type 2 diabetes, but i manage it well ♪ ♪ jardiance! ♪ ♪ it's a little pill with a big story to tell ♪ ♪ i take once-daily jardiance ♪ ♪ at each day's start! ♪ ♪ as time went on it was easy to see ♪ ♪ i'm lowering my a1c! ♪ jardiance works twenty-four seven in your body to flush out some sugar. and for adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease, jardiance can lower the risk of cardiovascular death, too. serious side effects may include ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration that can lead to sudden worsening of kidney function, and genital yea

whit johnson joins us now from new york to tell us what's coming up at seven on good morning america. >> good morning. coming up on gma, the u.s. with its allies launching another round of strikes against houthi targets in yemen. this follows separate strikes against other iranian backed groups in syria and iraq after the killing of three american service members with the white house is saying about the risk of further escalation and back here in the u.s, millions on alert for life threatening and widespread flash flooding expected across parts of the west. our weather team tracking it all and count down to kickoff. mahomes versus purdy. we're framing the big picture and high stakes for the two quarterbacks on and off the field ahead of super bowl 58. it's all ahead right here on gma . >> there's new debate about whether things are better at a spot long known as an open air drug market. city officials say their changes, including a brand new skate park, are working at united nations plaza across from civic center. abc seven news reporter luz pena spoke to people who live nearby >> aro

whit johnson is here with more including ticket prices. good morning, whit. >> hey, michael.rning to you. the party really gets started this weekend as fans and players begin to arrive in las vegas. from an nfl interactive theme park to a visual takeover of all the led's along the strip, super bowl week is sure to be full of surprises. this morning las vegas is gearing up for a show unlike anything it's ever seen. super bowl lviii, from super stars to super fans, all about to descend on sin city. >> it's going to be beyond anybody else's wildest dreams. >> reporter: the defending super bowl champs, kansas city chiefs and the san francisco 49ers heading to vegas sunday a week ahead of their second super bowl matchup. on social media, chiefs quarterback patrick mahomes jokingly comparing the trip to the comedy, "the hangover" but insisting it's all business. >> i know it's vegas. it's a lot of fun. but for us it's a business trip. in the true sense. we're going there to play a football game. >> reporter: both teams will be nowhere near the action, staying in separate hotels 25

whit johnson might have a heart attack if his, our niners, go into overtime. >> no overtime.here are. lot of the vendors are getting in. pizza hut and little caesar's offering $7 off grub hub. this next one, domino's is really speaking to the swifties out there. you will get a bunch of goodies for just 1989. yep. mm-hmm. with the coupon code $13.87. to decode that. 13 is taylor's lucky number, plus 87 travis kelce's jersey number. we weren't going to do this without mentioning taylor. come on. >> a peanut butter deal, becky? >> it's true. save the celery. jiff peanut butter points out every year during the big game, americans eat a billion or more chicken wings. that leaves a lot of celery sticks langishing after sunday. all you have to do is google jiff save the celery campaign and you will see how you can sign up on super bowl sunday 4:30 p.m. eastern for a free jar of peanut butter to dip your celery in and not have to compost all of these leftovers. >> i don't even need celery. i just want a spoon for my peanut butter. okay, becky. thank you for sharing all those tips wit

and chiefs and niners aside let me say i am first and forecast a johnson family fan. >> whit: oh, willthat you sent here. okay, yes. nice. we've got some mccaffrey gear. i love this. options, oh, wait, there's a chiefs, okay, i see. travis kelce, yeah. yeah. my daughters are torn. will, you're the best. thank you so much. appreciate that. >>> coming up here on "gma" we are counting down to the big game, of course, from party prep and delicious snacks to the latest from our kid correspondent. we are on the field and in the kitchen when we come back and with friendship bracelets. there's challenges, and i love overcoming challenges. ♪ when better money habits® content first started coming out, it expanded what i could do for special olympics athletes with developmental needs. thousands of bank of america employees like scott spend countless hours volunteering to teach people how to reach their financial goals. it felt good. it felt like i could take on the whole world. biiiig moment here for charles who ate a big 'ole bowl of raisin bran crunch ...and packed a downright immaculate carry-

enough to move on something with ukraine assistance. >> whit: so much at stake, thank you so much. real quick, personally, congratulations to averi and her husband. they announced they are expecting. >> whit: it's official. yes, yes. congratulations. >> thank you, thank you so much for mentioning that, thank you. >> janai: love having you here to talk politics but celebrating personally. >> whit: growing our "good morning america" family. that's great. >> another ray of sunshine. >> whit: yes. congratulations, averi. >>> let's turn now to the weather, and we need a ray of sunshine. brittany bell telling us about the latest snowstorm coming in. >> brittany: also rain. i wish they could get more sunshine across california, but that is not the case. they are bracing for back-to-back storms after being hit by historic rain about a week and a half ago, so the first already falling across the pacific northwest and northern california bringing them showers. check out the latest flash flood alert. so, we have a slight risk of for flash flooding from redding towards los angeles. check out s