>> good morning everyone. i am patti ann browne. >> i am heather childers. it is february 22nd. thank you for watching "fox & friends first". >> the midwest blanketed by a foot and a half of snow leading to at least two deaths so far. states of emergency have been declared in missouri and kansas. >> a mix of snow and freezing rain has delayed or canceled hundreds of flights left a lot of drivers struggling to stay on the roads as well. >> check this out lightening lit up the night sky in missouri as

the storm was winding down. >> incredible snow totals, ladies. we are calling it snow omg. maybe i am the only one laughing. a little levitt. it is a serious storm because we have had unfortunately some deaths. we are talking in some cases record snowfall in wichita, kansas. nashville kansas 18 inches, natoma kansas, 17 inches. you get the picture. over a foot of snow and really incredible. they haven't seen a snow like this in years. where is it now? the low pressure center is across the upper midwest and the great lakes. we are talking about a mixture over the ohio river valley toward the mid atlantic we can see freezing rain and sleet. a rain event across the

southeast. snow across the upper midwest then the wintery mix and heavy rain across the southeast. we could get several inches of rain and potential for severe weather today. not as great as the threat we saw yesterday but we will keep an eye out. travel forecast see the snow across the great lakes upper midwest and we are going to see the rain continue through saturday. we are going to watch potential for this little system to develop across the northeast. here is one of the computer models looking for a nor' easter saturday into sunday bringing perhaps a plentiful snow amount in new england. we will have to keep an eye on it keep you updated in the extreme weather center as we head into the weekend. >> snowomg. >> you have had quite the winter. >> never ending. >> the top five stories making

news at this hour a manhunt underway after a deadly drive-by shooting this happened on the vegas strip. cops say a group of men in a black range rover fired shots into a maserati causing it to crash into a taxi and then it burst into flames and the driver of the maserati diburst into flames. the range rover then fled. they are still on the lose. cops say it all started with a fight in an area hotel. dau four of the bail hearing expecting a ruling from the judge. lawyers for the double amputee argue he is too famous to be a flight risk and reserved bail for the trial. the storie foyers why yous wil does not admit any wrong doing

and it makes him more likely to flee. the lead investigator is facing murder charges. he and others shot at a mini bus the charges were dropped at first and then reinstated. the prosecution says it had no idea. >> drew peterson will spend the next 38 years behind bars for the murder of his third wife. for the 2007 death of kathleen sabio. she died in 2004. peterson says she drowned. his 4th wife space see in the case. they are relieved that justice is finally being served. >> drew peterson deserved to stay in jail forever, to die there. i know my sister is here with us now. he's going to go to hell and my sister is going to be watching him. >> peterson's attorneys vow to

appeal. >> a history of supporting terrorists so they can gain power. secretary of state john kerry may have the state department remove cuba from the list of states that sponsor communism. communist cuba has been on the list since 1992. the obama administration denies the report. it comes as lawmakers returned from cuba trying to secure the release of allen gross the contractor who has been held there since 2009. >> it is the end for a major hollywood couple. josh rolland and diane lane are calling it quits after 8 years. it's the second divorce for both stars. no children together. it is an amicable split. broland was arre-- brolin was arrested for public intoxication. >> who knew what and when? we may finally get some answers

on the benghazi terror attack. finally agreeing to release e-mails. this coming as the u.s. once again has been denied access to the suspect connected to the attack. peter doocy is live with more. >> by the time u.n. ambassador had the talking points on the infamous string of five sunday shows someone had taken out all language about al qaeda. now the administration is going to turn over a string of more than 70 e-mails showing exactly who advocated for that and who pushed the story line of the attack was spontaneous. egypt believed to have first hand knowledge of which terrorists participated in the murderings of four americans. in the state department yesterday questions about him were deferred. >> i think you are taking me into questions that are better directed at the fbi.

>> remember just a few weeks ago another man suspected of participating in the benghazi attack name was freed by lack of evidence by the tunisian government. they interviewed him very briefly. when the president's nominee for cia director was asked why the u.s. government didn't push harder sooner to gain access to that suspect john brennan said it was out of respect fortune nearbyian law. >> they didn't give us access and we didn't have any information from them. >> we work across the board. we worked to see if we can have the ability to ask them questions sometimes indirectly sometimes incorrectly. >> yesterday the senator lindsay gram graham is holding up until gets more answers about the benghazi attacks. >> peter doocy, live in washington. thank you.

it's time now for a look at whose talking. we are a week away from the looming budget cuts gone into effect. t there are republican leaders in congress for the sequestor. >> they want to reach a deal to halt the cuts. there is no deal in sight and despite now trying to blame republicans for the seek quest tore it was originally president obama's idea. >> that's what mayor rudy giuliani is talking about this morning he is outraged the potential impact. >> the damage it's going to do particularly for the military for defense his present secretary of defense -- >> i think he wants -- those are the cuts he wants. >> the only thing wasn'ted was

spending a trillion dollars a year more than we asked. no other president has ever done this kind of spending. nobody has ever been even close. this is borrowing enormous amounts of money our children are going to have to pay back. our children will have to see the disaster of the economy that shrinks as a result of this heavy debt. we are not meeting our responsibility of paying our bills. we are not meeting our responsibility of paying the things that we want to consume and we are moving it on to our children and grandchildren. no generation of americans has ever done it to the extent we are doing it. we should be ashamed of ourselves. >> yesterday white house spokesman jay carney called on republicans to compromise saying quote do not adopt positions that represent my way or the highway approach. >> something to brew on. it is friday it is one of my favorite topics a recap of the week's viral video to see which one you like best.

>> up first, remember this a hole in 9 that helped these seniors at the pga golf management program win a full contest. >> the next is a 5th grader who is the star of the high school varsity basketball team taking on players twice the size and coming out on top finally this baby elephant making a flash with tourists having fun in the ocean. and we of course want you to tell us which one of these viral videos is your favorite. send them you can tweet them to us or shoot us an emai atfoxfriendsfirst@foxnews.com. web site fox friends first.com. we will read those later on in the show. keeping track of your teens is about to get a whole lot easier. now you will be able to see their every move even when they are not in sight. >> regulation nation being taken to a whole new level. job hunters being told don't

bother applying if they smoke. we will tell you where. flush

a>> welcome back. four people facing charges in connection with one of the largest salmonella out breaks in history. they worked for peanut corporation of america. the company's filthy processing plant they were blamed for the 2009 peanut butter salmonella outbreak that killed 9 people. the charges include fraud conspiracy and obstruction for justice. the faa says we could have 30,000 drones above us by 2020. they are increasing them for

border enforcement. many are concerned it will lead to a surveillance society. >> sing the benefits of catering to girls. the company says sales sky rock rocketed by 25 percent last year to pull in a billion dollars all thanks to the new series called leg go friends which is meant for girls and it sold better than expected. i love leg goes, patti ann. >> me, too. >> for stories you can bank on we are already seeing the ripple effect of the payroll tax hike. they are not good. dennis kneel joining in now. >> the payroll tax for social security rose back up two points to 6.2 percent last month and americans are spending less as a result. almost half of the consumers expect to cut back. kmarts feeling the effect of the world's largest retailer. even cheaper products than

usual. burger king cutting the price of jr. whopper. craft is focusing on lower priced products. >> neil son meanwhile will start counting ratings for people watching on the internet. >> nielson rating system guided tv ad spending a billion dollars a year will measure the viewing with such video web sites as itunes and hulu. viewers are still watching just watching on a different screen. nielsen won't measure laptops but not yet the ipad. millions of ooishg waleyeballs watching the networks without being able to charge them. >> sometimes watching the ads are tricky. >> people aren't necessarily watching the commercials. the time 16 after the hour. next on "the rundown" is your diet making you fat? five reasons why it might be making you pack on the pounds.

talk about a shot in a million. a cheerleader makes a mass ket that would make michael jordan jealous. national average 3.28 that is unchanged since yesterday.

>> it's 20 after the hour. quick headlines now. jets quarterback tim tebow backing out of an appearance at the first baptist church of

dallas. the devout christian made it on twirt. he called the pastor and told him he had to quote avoid controversy. parents if you want to track your teens while they are out? the tracker app is in the testing phase for an troyed phones. it let's parents see their kid's location on a map and activate the phone's camera to record audio and video. critics say it invades privacy. >> the auto giant adding 450 new jobs in plant outside cleveland. the move is part of the $200 million project to increase production and sales of ford's fuel efficient echo boost engines. the company says it will use the factoring to build the engine as well. >> well, it is time now for your fox health fix.

anna kooiman is here with a roundup of the week's top medical stories. >> good morning heather and everyone at home. bad news if you got a flu shot. health officials say it wasn't as effective as they hoped especially in older americans. the centers for disease control said it only worked for about 9 percent of people over the age of 65. teens through adults fared some what better at 66 percent. despite the findings the cdc is still recommending that everyone over 6 months gets the flu shot. most of the country is reporting widespread flu activity. the southeast texas and the midwest are the exception. this is the peak time for flu season. 135 that's the number of medical tests treatments and other procedures doctors say you should now avoid or at least seriously question. for instance, the american academy of pediatrics says physicians should think twice about doing ct scans on kids with minor head injuries or abdominal pain. the group says they don't

usually increase diagnosis and raise the risk of cancer. recommendations if widely adopted would mean significant changes inpatient care and could save billions in healthcare costs. could your diet be making you fat? according to a new british survey nearly a third of women have seen a spike on the scale after going on a diet gaining an average of nearly 4 pounds. here is five reasons why. first a diet can throw your body out of balance because some are too strict and make your metabolism go out of whack. diets don't allow for wiggle room you have to go all in so you have to be willing to stop eating whatever is prohibited forever. whenever you start eating it again you will put the weight back on. the third reason diets can make you fat you have to eat foods you don't like. experts say that creates feelings of deprivation and resentment which may intensify cravings for the bad stuff. diets are filled with fake food. most are loaded with additional additives and make you feel like

eating more or something else. lastly diets permit foods you can't give up and it's impossible to indulge without derailing your results. for the latest health news go to fox news health.com. no diets. that's it. anna, thank you very much. >> the time now 24 after the hour. still to come more on the extreme weather that blanketed the midwest. less travelers from kansas to illinois at a standstill. >> still in the need for speed? headed to daytona international speedway to see what it is like to be a top nascar driver. >> first on this day in history back in 1980s a miracle on ice took place that's when the u.s. hockey team defeated the soviet union in the winter liolympics. [ dad ] find ?

a. alright, another one just like that. right in the old bucket. good toss! see that's much better! that was good. you had your shoulder pointed, you kept your eyes on your target. let's do it again -- watch me. just like that one... [ male announcer ] the durability of the volkswagen passat. pa down something he will be grateful for. good arm. that's the power of german engineering. ♪ back to you.

>> welcome back to "fox & friends first". i am hert childeled -- heather childers. >> i am patti ann browne. you are watching "fox & friends first". >> people digging out this morning after the massive snowstorm slammed the midwest. it is being blamed for two

deaths so far and caused dangerous conditions for drivers. >> the mix of snow and freezing rain making for icy roadways and whiteout conditions. states of emergency has been declared in hardest hit missouri and kansas. the storm is on the move and janice dean has more on that for us now. >> we are going to be dealing with another storm system not only to the northeast which we are going to talk about but another storm is going to hit the plains this weekend. on top of the foot, foot and a half in kansas you can get an additional 6 inches heading into the weekend. what was that groundhog thinking? the low pressure center across the upper midwest and the great lakes you have kind of a wintery mix moving in the mid atlantic and mainly rain across the southeast. so winter weather advisory posted for many states. we could get some snow, sleet or freezing rain. we have a freezing rain advisory for portions of western north carolina and then we have the wet side of this. the flooding threat. we could get several inches of

rain let's get thunderstorms maybe reaching severe limits. we will keep an eye on it not looking for a tornado outbreak but hail and damaging winds. take a look at the precipitation accumulation over the next 72-hours. we have another storm moving in the northwest. look we are going to see more snow. 3 to 6 inches easily. i think this is a little bit going over the edge. watching the heavy rains 2-3 inches here. look what we are dealing with in new england. some of the moisture leftover from the storm that hit the midwest will crawl up the coast and give us a coastal low. they got hit with a couple feet of snow and we think potential is there for more snow.

possibly 6-12 inches. winter is not over by any stretch of the imagination. patty and heather back to you. >> the tdefense wrapping up the case. >> the judge will make the decision this morning at 7:30 eastern time about bail. >> kitty has more live from london. >> we have seen the dpeens and prosecution giving their final arguments for this hearing. the magistrate going offer to make his decision a decision he describes as unenviable. the prosecution says he is a flight risk. he would go to such lengths to avoid a trial.

the defense says he's not a flight risk. it would be hard for him to fee. s they argue this is not a case of pre-meditated murder. they say oscar pistorius loves his girlfriend he tried to save her life and he did not intend to kill her. we are expecting a final decision within an hour or so. he should still face a full trial in months. >> live in london, thank you. >> time fnow for the top 5@5:30. we may learn what the obama administration knew right after the benghazi terror attack. they may confirm e-mails about the attack. they removed terms like al qaeda. it is expected an intelligence

committee will see the e-mails next week. >> susan rice used the talking points when she went on five talk shows and said the attack was not terrorism. 15 republican senators are urging president obama to withdrawal his nomination of chuck hagel for dpeens secretary. in their letter they warned it would be unprecedented for secretary of defense to take office without the broad base of bipartisan support and confidence needed to serve effectively in this critical position. the obama administration has stood firm behind hagel. >> if you smoke don't bother applying for a job at hospitals. they are going a step further than a smoke free campus. they will not hire any one who smoke tobacco. they already pay a sir charge on their health insurance.

>> a colorado man is lucky to be alive after being nearly buried alive by an avalanche. this a picture of anthony robinson getting dug out of the snow aldrins. he's smiling. what kept his spirit so high during this life or death situation. >> i thought of my wife my 18 month old son and god. >> ironically it was robinson's last run of the day. he even asked the guide if the trail was safe. >> what do you get when you combine gymnastics and basketball? the answer an amazing basketball shot you have to see this one to believe it. >> that is a cheerleader from william perry university making a front flip half court shot at half time.

she has been trying that shot all season but the first time she hit it on the court. >> this sunday the nascar season is already underway. it kicked off last weekend with the sprint unlimited. i went down to daytona beach florida to see what it is like behind the wheel. >> we are here at daytona international speedway for the kickoff of the sprint cup ke series. o >> the splint unlimited kicks off the season followed by speed week leading up to the daytona 500. a week of fun for the fans the driver vs. aloft work to do including a walk down the red carpet. >> it gives us confidence but daytona is a special place.

>> daytona 500 poll winner danica patrick are talk about their relationship off the track and rookie of the year continues. >> it's about learning about the weekend and getting better and better and better. >> we are excited. we feel really good about the race team. >> while the red carpet may be fun i wanted to know what it's like behind the wheel. >> look who we found, greg bissell veteran behind the wheel and potential cripple crown winner. >> you have to be in the right place at the right time i am lukey enough to be in that position but be a little bit short. you have to be there at the end. i am so pumped up i can't wait to get inside here. >> he got right in the right way. >> the door doesn't open very good. got to kind of squeeze down in it. that's just about it. >> then there's anyway.

so i swing my first leg up put it on the seat. brace yourself there you go lean all of the way forward. >> not adds graceful as you but i got in, right? >> but come race time pretty good just doesn't cut it especially when you are reaching speeds of up to 195 miles per hour. >> it takes a lot of skill and the right moves and everything. >> it is not just a driver that makes a difference on race day. it is the team behind the driver that can put him in front. from the tires to the hauler which is how everything gets from rice ace to race with the that is in place. that begins with the crew chief. what is the main thing you have to concentrate on on race weekend? >> preparation getting to the shop getting to the racetrack it is huge. >> this huge truck is how they do it with my buddy rider behind the wheel.

>> everything to make this race perform is kmarts, motors, radio equipment. >> and a washer in here. >> but business ill's crew isn't just on the ground. they are also in the sky. >> going on the roof and tell whae going on behind us. >> he played a key role getting him tlau this 7 car pileup in the 15th lap. eventually helping him cross the finish line in second place. >> kevin harvok leads. >> that was so much fun. you can tell. >> so exciting. thank you to everyone who made it possible to be a part of that. bissell sacame in 27th putting m in a good position for the race this sunday. good luck to him and the team. >> the time right now 38 after

the hour. would you want a teacher without the proper certification teach your child? >> 911 is usually or emergencies but for one little boy his bedtime was an emergency. [ female announcer ] pillsbury crescents are awesome. but when i cook up some beef, ketchup, relish and cheese, cover it with crescent dough and pow! cheeseburger crescent casserole. double awesome. pillsbury crescents. let the making begin. hi hi ♪(whistling tune) ♪("don't worry be happy") ♪(whistling tune) ♪("don't worry be happy") try running four.ning a restaurant is hard, fortunately we've got ink.

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we begin in guatemala where there is conflicting reports of one of mexico's most wanted drug lords have bes been killed. no bodies or confirmation of a gun fight in the wake of a clash between grudge gangs. up next to russia we are getting a draw dropping new look at a meteor that crashed there. this is dashcam video as the meteor is speeding toward earth.

there's a fireball as it gets closer and closer. it is mostly from broken windows and damage to buildings. archeologists found at least 130 human sacrificed bones that are 1200 years old. they were found in a field of a farm. researchers say the find is historic. more skulls than ever found at famous sacrificial temples in mexico. >> it is 43 after the hour. a n a new report finds more than half of the property owners in michigan did not pay their taxes last year. they had the highest property taxes. many homes 10 times more than theyre worth. a study found nearly 1 in 10 teachers did not have the proper credentials to be in the classroom. the problem was worse in under ter forming schools which is low income and latino.

budget shortfalls mismanagement and lack of qualified candidates. th >> that extreme weather continue to go hit the midwest this morning especially hard hit illino illinois>> anita ped yaw is life for us. >> good morning. it is coming down and it will be a mess for anybody that has to deal with this today. give you a look at the snowfall we are dealing with. at the kennedy expressway we have slush on the road but there are areas in chicago where you can't even see the white line. you are on your own out there pretty much. i was doing 25 miles an hour and i was blowing by some of the people. obviously it will take a while for the city to do a lot of stuff. right now we have people doing parking lot plowing getting snow off their car. here's good news for the folks

who have to deal with the snow, the kind of snow we are talking about is a light and fluffy snow it's not the heart attack snow that is very, very dangerous. it is something people need to plan ahead for because you have to clear off your car and then you want to be careful. what was interesting today is i saw lienting flash. initially i thought i was getting caught by one of the remembered light cameras because they are every where but it was lienting this morning. seeing that as well. anita pedia back to you life in the studio. >> it is a baby step as the clock ticks down until looming spending cuts go into effect. president obama reaching out to republican leaders in congress for the first time in weeks. doug luzader in live in washington with the latest. >> the real talk is the calendar. march 1st the last minute

negotiations are unlikely to change that. the president making phone calls to republican leaders house speaker john boehner minority leader mitch mcconnell all of the administration is encountering the gop. >> there is a responsibility here on the republican side to do what the president has done which is to hear what people are saying. please compromise. please be reasonable. please not adopt positions that represent them my way or the highway approach. >> and there is a white house effort to paint a doomsday scenario here with federal spending and cuts by 2-3 percent. there is food shortages. military readiness and many republicans will agree the cuts will hurt. others say the president insisted on new tax hikes

ignores other reductions that could replace these across the board sequestor cuts. >> if you were to pay federal employees about the same level you pay private employees that saves 32 billion a year. there are other places to cut. you can cut foreign aid in half and save 20 billion. we have a list of savings that we can send to the president if he is interested and we can do this without laying anybody off. >> the president travels to new port news, virginia big navy town to talk about the impact of the pentagon cuts specifically. >> doug luzader keep us updated. >> 47 after the hour. still ahead, 911 is for emergencies. but for one boy his bedtime was an emergency. do you eat healthy but maybe can't stop yourself from eating too much? look who is here nicki fitness with badge ets to keep your

portions in check. brian kill mead to see what's coming up on "fox & friends." >> getting ready for the show. 12 mrivents guys. let me tell you what's coming up over the next he three hours of the friday edition. >> time have you beening out he reaches out to mitch mcconnell as well as john boehner. jimmy johnson daryl waltrip and his brother michael who is taller live with us. we a why are gas prices going up? former ceo of shell oil might know. we are going to make margarita. one more thing happy birthday george washington. if you are watching please brush your teeth all coming up on "fox & friends."

>> welcome back. do you struggle to keep your

food portions under control? well we have fantastic gadgets to help keep your diet in check. joining us is fitness expert and author of slim nas ticks nicki fitness galore. thank you for joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> a lot of people struggle with this. we get these huge portions but that's not appropriate if you are trying to control your weight. >> it is not. the key to losing weight is to keep your gas tank your belly on half or quarter tank full. you never want to get completely full but never completely empty either. if you get empty will you eat the bad food or you will over eat. >> these are measure up bowls. >> they are great. they are not obvious. you can have guests over and you can measure up. the lines are inside they start at half a cup. >> you can easily figure it out but your guests might not know what you are doing. this way you can use them when you are at home. half cup is ice cream you can fill it up more if you have something healthier like a

salad. >> i have problem with cereal. a huge bowl of cereal. >> this is what you need to help control that. you know exactly how much you are putting in there at a time. >> on the go portion control. >> the secret is prepare on saturday and sunday prepare your peels more a week. these goals you can figure it out by this is half because it shows the cute little symbol there. the next one shows you this is three quarters right here. so there's a way to know without even having to look at measuring spoons. >> perfect. perfect. >> easy. easy to understand. on the go. >> these are cute for kids. >> these are great you want the whole family into the fitness. hard to tell your kids you can only have this boring snack in this zip-loc score raj bag. these are bright colors machine

washal. it able. >> want to get to this. i think i am going to buy one of these today. instead of guessing how much food you are eating or what the weight is, you can put it on this little scale and it tells you a lot. >> this scale is amazing. you have a little trick here. you type in the code 0070 and then you put your grapes in the bowl it will tell you it's 181 calories. you zero it out so it is not taking into account the bowl. >> you zero it out with the bowl whatever you are using. >> then you enter whatever type of food you are measuring. >> we have fruit salad and cherries, grapefruit. there's a lot of different things you can put on here. while you are cooking or on the go you have it all. >> you can put meat on there. i always try to guess. >> there's a post for everything

in here. whatever you are making for dinner you put it in there figure it out cook it and know that your family's health is in tact. >> no excuse. it takes the guesswork out of it. i put these on my twitter. if you are wondering where to find these nikkifitness.com. >> the sitime now 5 minutes unt the top of the hour. a sink hole causes havoc on the highway taking out the tires of 18 cars. >> nine hole in ones the basketball sensation or elephant. rica, 2004. the battle of bataan, 1942. [ all ] fort benning, georgia, in 1999. [ male announcer ] usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation

because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto-insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. we all work remotely so this is a big deal, our first full team gathering! i wanted to call on a few people. ashley, ashley marshall... here. since we're often all on the move, ashley suggested we use fedex office to hold packages for us. great job. [ applause ] thank you. and on a protocol note, i'd like to talk to tim hill about his tendency to use all caps in emails. [ shouting ] oh i'm sorry guys. ah sometimes the caps lock gets stuck on my keyboard. hey do you wanna get a drink later? [ male announcer ] hold packages at any fedex office location.

>> headlines. this ten-year-old boston boy called 911 because his how many told him to go to bed. and the dispatcher picked up he

quickly hung up. cops called back and sent an officer to the home to explain to the boy he cannot call 911 without an emergency. >> and a giant four foot sinkhole wreaking havoc in a road in new jersey. crews are still trying it figure out what caused this. it sunk 18 cars. >> and time for your brew on the question of the day responses. earlier in the show we did a recap of this week's videos that went view roll and asked which is your favorite. here's your favorites. >> bedazzler said. >> and elephant made said this was his favorite. >> that video, by the way, was also the favorite among those who voted on our poll, bringing had in 44% of the vote. runner-up the hole in 9, followed by the fifth grade basketball score.