vel across a large swath of the country. making a mess of roads and runways from the midwest to new england. fresh signs that republicans could be coming together behind mitt romney as a new name says he wants to run. and the cell phone ring that brought a symphony to a screeching halt. this morning, we hear from the culprit, patron x.

cell phone off? >> my cell phone is always off. i have it on vibrate during the show so we're good. >> excellent. call ate rude awakening after a mild start to january. severe weather is bearing down on a huge part of the country. >> into new england making a mess of roadways and airport runways. thatman bradley shows us where the storm started. >> reporter: across the west cold air and blowing snow are making conditions miserable. from colorado to kentucky the roads are a slick, icy mess. in wisconsin, snow brought the evening commute to a standstill. gusty winds are causing snow to blow and drift. the weather is blamed for at least two deaths in iowa. chicago under a winter storm warning. they're expecting a wind chile near zero and up to six inches

of snow. >> we'll shovel it out, hope it goes away by monday. >> reporter: at the airports hundreds of flights have canceled. the weather in the last month has been unseasonably warm. chicago usually has 14 inches of snow by this time of the year. so far, only 1.7. the air has been kept north by the jet stream. it's finally come down south. >> the snow? it's pretty. it hasn't been on the ground long enough to have an effect on me yet. >> reporter: the storm is moving through the midwest with its eyes focusing on new england. tahman bradleys' abc news washington. we turn to washington this morning where pentagon officials have confirmed that a disturbing video from afghanistan is authentic. it shows u.s. marines

desecrating the body of taliban fighters. >> reporter: the marine corps has now identified these four marines as part of the third bah italian second marines. they have names of two of them. and are looking for ids of the others. they are highly trained scout snipers. they're seen urinating on dead bloody insurgents. one is heard saying have great day, buddy. u.s. officials condemned the tape. legion pan netd is a said i have seen the footage and found the behavior utterly deplorable. >> anyone engaging in that conduct must be held fully accountable. >> reporter: the marines could face charges with bringing discredit to the armed forces.

this is reminiscent of the scandal at abu graib prison in 2004. martha raddatz, abc news, the pentagon pentagon. the covert war with iran is ramping up this morning. the u.s. is using a secret back channel to communicate with iran. an influential iranian newspaper is calling for retaliation of the killing of a nuclear scientist earlier in the week. well mississippi is burning mad after the state's departing governor pardoned some 200 con viblgts, including four murders

sevening life sentences. lawmakers are scrambling to find ways to reverse their release. steve osunsami is in jackson. >> reporter: we have searched high and low for former governor haley barbour of mississippi. he's not spoke an public word since the release of some 200 prisoners. there's a fire storm of controversy here in mississippi. even though the courts have stepped in to try to put the pardons on hold, four convicted murders were set free and no one knows where they are. the victims of the families involved in those cases are furious. one person said she thought that governor barbour was a coward for not talking to the families directly. >> i can't understand how a man that has children of his own

could do this. >> reporter: the courts have now stepped in and put a pause on the process. they're asking on the 23rd the inmates who have been released, to return. but the mississippi attorney general who has been leading this effort says there's really not much he can do. they are free men. and are entitled to go where they please. steve osunsami, abc news jackson, mississippi. now we turn to the republican battle for south carolina. the first signs this morning of some coming together finally for mitt romney. conservatives are telling the opponents to tone down the criticism of romney's time as a venture capitalist. in a new ad newt gingrich is tapping his conservative credentials. and comedy central's steve

colbert said he's doing it. he's running for the president of south carolina. he'll not be on the ballot in the south carolina primary a week from tomorrow. >> you can write him in on the ballot if you really want to see him. president of the united states of south carolina. >> he always makes election season interesting. well done stephen. time for this morning's weather. there's snow in minneapolis. it's partly cloudy and cool in the south. and today's best weather will be in los angeles. the city of angels. >> it will reach the mid 40s in the northeast. new orleans only makes it to 49. 24 in omaha and indianapolis. 25 in the windy city. salt lake city's high will be 37. in honolulu a wonderful 78

degrees. >> it's always beautiful in hawaii. isn't it? >> you c paradise thist paradise this time of the year. and still ahead, a consumer alert. bed bath and beyond recalls a product said to be radio active. and why was heather locklear sent to a hospital overnight? and ais riot overng iphones. the crowd came armed w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w

w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w [ crowd yelling ] you are hearing it.

you're hearing the sounds of angry am fans this morning in beijing. customers actually egged this apple store and scuffled with security after they waited all night to buy the iphone 4-s. the store didn't open. the shoppers were told to go home. apple says the crowd was just too big and unruly and there were safety concerns. the crazy things people will do for an iphone. >> it's just a phone, folks. get a grip. apple is in another bull's eye this morning. teaming with target. the retailer is teaming up with them creating special ministores in several locations. target already sells s apple products such as ipads and ipods. they'll expand the range of apple products in those stores. can you keep track? ipad, ipod, iphone. mini. >> i still have my walkman. overseas markets were up. tokyo's nikkei average was up 114 points. hong kong's hang seng gained 109. in ftse the ftse opened

lower. on wall street, the dow rose 22 points yesterday. the nasdaq index picked up 14. more good news from the auto industry. the companies plan to add thousands of new jobs this year. not just u.s. companies but also foreign companies. the strong u.s. dollar and auto sales make production here a little more profitable. fixed mortgage rates are again at a record low. breaking records set just three weeks ago. 30-year loans are 3.89. a 15-year loan is 3.16. unfortunately, it's still hard to qualify for a mortgage. a consumer alert issued overnight. tissue holders have been pulled from store shelves because they are con tame nated with radiation. they've been distributed to bed bath & beyond. return them to the store for a full refund. there's no threat to human health. >> i was just in the market for one of those. a boutique tissue holder.

>> is there enough time? bed bath & beyond? >> never enough time. the scare of a life time for one elderly couple forced to rob a bank. but they outsmarted the suspect. and an update from the alaska town trying to dig out from under 18 feet of snow. we're right back. ut from under 18 feet of snow. we're right back.

my name is robin. i'm a wife, i'm a mom... and chantix worked for me. it's a medication i could take and still smoke while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. my inspiration for quitting

were my sons. they were my little cheering squad. [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. this morning, snow in the midwest is a headache. but nothing like this. 18 feet of snow is on the ground here in cordova, alaska. look at that picture. national guard troops will be back out shoveling today. some roofs are collapsing. businesses and schools have been closed all week. >> good luck, cordova. there also snow on the highways from western pennsylvania into the great lakes region as far south as nashville. snow on the interstates around minneapolis, northern new

edge roads are wet and slippery. i-95 is windy along the eastern seaboard. if you're flying, airport delays possible in boston, new york, washington, d.c., philadelphia. detroit and chicago. we turn to peru. today, the man long associated with the does appearance of natalee holloway will be sentenced today. >> not for the holloway case but for the murder of a peruvian woman murdered two years ago. he pledded edpleaded guilty on tuesday. the culmination of that case comes a day after holloway was declared dead by a judge. her father sought the declaration in order to be able to administer an estate, including a fund to pay for her college costs. it will now be used for her brother. in the city of new orleans, it was a deadly thursday. a car chase fold a home invasion in the eastern part of the city. when bullets stopped flying, nine people were shot, four fatally.

later at police head quarters, when the car involved in the chase was being searched, an officer found two live grenades inside the vehicle. the bomb squad dealt with them both. a suspect is in custody in arkansas. charged with attaching a fake bomb to a 73-year-old woman and forcing her to rob a bank. betty davis will be a guest later on today on "good morning america." and a followup involving the serious accident of sarah burke. she's had a successful operation to repair an artery that tore in her brain. doctors have hma. induced coma. to decrease the swelling and pressure on her brain following tuesday's accident. her family and husband are by her side. for some of last night's college hoops action, here's espn news. >> good morning, i'm zubin mehenti.

here with your espn news update. a crazy finish for the cameron crazies and duke. last night, taking on virginia. 43 straight on coach k court. first half quinn cook only had two for the blue devils. still in the first. mike scott, top five in the acc in points and rebounds showing you why. putting u.v. up three. hanging in in durham. tied at 38-38. steph curry. his dad and brother can shoot. they're both in the nba. he might be on his way, too. the triplets. that's miles. putting duke up by seven. virginia down by five. lewis misses. mitchell will not. the three-point game. ensuing duke possession. curry's got it. he's blocked by scott. loose ball. melee. virginia has a chance to tie. evans will spot up in the corner. virginia was 0 for 11 from downtown. any triple would have tied it. how about that? wide open.

off the mark. duke survives. 61-58. they've won 44 straight games at cameron indoor stadium. that's second in the country. kentucky's won 45 straight for coach cal at rupp arena. that is your espn news update. i'm zubin mehenti. have a great weekend. hollywood's second biggest night of the year coming up on sunday night. the golden globes. the town is in awards mode. >> clearly they are. the critics choice awards were held last night in l.a. with "the artist" taking on best picture honors. >> viola davis took home the award for best actress. >> and the best actor going to george clooney. for "the descendants." he gave a nice, big, fat smooch to brad pitt. you would do the same thing. coming up next, "the pulse." a symphony crowd turns on a patron whose cell phone went off during a show forcing the conductor to stop the music.

overnight, we heard from the culprit. and a buzzer beater this peewee player won't soon forget. it's all next. peewee player won't soon forget. coming up next. ] purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena® naturals. developed with dermatologists... it's clinically proven to remove 99% of dirt and toxins and purify pores. and with natural willowbark it contains no dyes, parabens or harsh sulfates. dirt and toxins do a vanishing act and my skin feels pure and healthy. [ female announcer ] purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena naturals. i have what science calls the "nightly stuffy nose thing": i can't breathe... so i can't sleep... and the next day i pay for it. i tried decongestants... i tossed & turned... i even vaporized! and then i fought back: with drug-free breathe right advanced. these nasal strips instantly opened my nose, like a breath of fresh air. i was breathing and sleeping better! [ female announcer ] exercise your right to breathe right... get two free strips at

breatheright.com. hey, it's your right to breathe right!

it's that time of the day, time to check "the pulse" and your pulse. stories you'll be talking about today. starting with a medical emergency for heather locklear. the former "melrose place" star

was taken by ambulance to the hospital after her sister called 911. sources say she had taken a dangerous mix of drugs and alcohol. >> back in november she ended a four-year on again off again relationship with jack wagner. thoughts with her this morning. by now, who doesn't know this ring? listen up. ♪ we all know that one. pretty annoying. that's what an audience at new york's philharmonic heard. tuesday night during a performance. and get this. it went on like that for six minutes. >> six minutes? eventually, the conductor brought the show to a halt. and chided the audience. but there was an explanation. >> patron x is a business executive in his 60s. he says his company changed him from a blackberry to an iphone and he had no idea that the alarm ringer would sound with the device shut off. the conductor has accepted the man's apology. >> that's happened to me several

times. you turn it off. you hear the alarm. >> so embarrassing. sign this kid up, as we get every closer to march madness. one of my favorite time of the year. >> love it. a game of peewee hoops in oregon. tied at 25-25 with one second left.the the right side of the screen. one little fella lets fly from just in front of the half court line, boom, nails the shot. game over. >> i'm sure you have done that a couple of times. >> every day. >> nothing like a buzzer beater on a friday morning to get your weekend jump-started. >> that kid is feeling good right about now. >> as he should, too. >> he's not much bigger than the ball. >> and he's on "america this morning." >> that's right, making national news, kid. we get 10% of your endorsement deal. remember that, guy. for some of you, your local news is coming up next. for everyone else, your week in comedy. we're right back.

(ringing) hello? hi! this is the sea calling. i'm talking to the sea? is this for real? (laughing) yeah! (laughing) what's what what what is what... i want you to close your eyes and imagine a place in the middle of me where the world revolves around you. can i go now? sure! cranberry juice? wake up! that's good morning, veggie style. hmmm. for half the calories plus veggie nutrition. could've had a v8.

d repeatedly in her home. what police are saying about suspects. >> what witnesses say a woman did to two children with her teeth inside a bookstore. mike will have the forecast. >> warm temperatures near record highs before a big cooling trend. updating the day's top news stories.

on this friday. the first major snowstorm this winter is making travel difficult in the great lakes region. hundreds of flights were canceled yesterday across the midwest. >> stay safe, everybody in the midwest. new tensions with iran this morning. the u.s. has reportedly used a secret back channel to warn iran that blocking oil shipments in the strait of hormuz would trigger a u.s. response. after 43 years on the air, "one life to live" will come to an end today. some of the characters will find a new home on "general hospital." >> looking at today's weather, it's calm out west. the snow moving out of the great lakes region and tennessee valley towards the northeast today. and let's start your friday and your weekend with a laugh, shall we? >> can't wait for this one. lots for the late night guys to pick from this week. from politics to all the new gadgets being unveiled at the consumer electronics show in las vegas. take a look. >> this year at the consumer electronics show, serve talking

about the voice-controlled tv. it's tv that you control with your voice. instead of the back-breaking work of pressing a button on the remote. this endless tedium and enormous exercise of going like that, you can now just yell, kardashians at the tv. be careful, if you yell khloe, you get animal planet. ha ha ha. >> romney has a tiny vulnerability. the years he spent as a heartless corporate raider at bain capital. but that's all the past. mitt will breeze to the white house as long as he never reminds voters what banein capital did. >> i like being able to fire people that provide services to me. [ needle scratching ] >> what? [ needle scratching ] i'm glad i had my turntable here.

>> if you're president of the united states, what would you do to make school better? >> i don't know what i'm going to do about education. i'm just saying more schools in the tricounty area. >> the tricounty area? what is the tricounty area? >> this place in "toy story." >> oh. you guys know the difference between a republican and a democrat? >> no. >> do you know what a republican is? >> the good guys on "star wars." >> exactly. do you know what a democrat is? >> a person who -- >> a doctor -- a doctor for your teeth. >> you need to go see the doctor for your teeth. the old democrat. >> that's really good, man. the kids say the best things. >> that's what's making news in america this morning. stay with us for "good moh@rn closed captioning by closed captioning services,inc