making news in america this morning -- palmetto state push. >> with the primary just days away, newt gingrich is closing in on mitt romney. also, tripped up. why the captain of the cruise liner said he didn't mean to abandon ship. he fell into the lifeboat. also this morning, second chances. the prisoners looking for redemption and finding it by helping others in need. good morning, everyone.

i'm paula faris. >> and i'm rob nelson. mitt romney is on the defensive this morning over how he handles his finances. the campaign now admits that he has accounts in the cayman islands. >> tahman bradley joins us with more. >> reporter: good morning, paula and rob. it's the bottom of the ninth inning in what could be the republican world series. every gop candidate who has won south carolina since 1980 has gone on to clinch the nomination. with the vote in south carolina only two days away, the race has turned bit person it's mitt romney versus the rest of the field. all of the candidates except romney took part in a personhood meeting. >> governor romney, also having become pro-life passed

romney-care with tax paid abortion. >> reporter: at one time, he supported abortion rights. he changed his position in 2005. >> this was a decision he made for a political convenience, not an issue of his heart. >> reporter: a cnn/"time" poll shows newt gingrich gaining ground in south carolina. >> if we win on saturday, think i'll be the nominee. >> reporter: with gingrich picking up steam, romney has opened a new line of attack. >> government doesn't create jobs. it's the private sector that creates jobs. congressmen taking responsibility or taking credit for helping create jobs is like al gore taking credit for the internet. >> reporter: with romney, a multimillionaire revealing this week he pays a tax rate of only 15%, romney says he pays twice

that. >> my goal is not to raise mitt romney's taxes. it's to let everybody pay romney's rate. >> reporter: he says he could release his taxes in april, but -- but the pressure may be too great for him to wait until then. he says he will release them in april. >> i think we could all handle a 15% tax rate. given the huge number of social conservatives in south carolina, how is it possible for romney to pull ten points ahead of his rivals? >> it's interesting. half of the votes on saturday could be christian evangelicals. but their support is split between candidates. >> should be interesting. thanks for that live report. not to be outdone by the republicans, the president is doing campaigning today himself. he'll be in orlando pushing u.s.

tourism. and then tonight, new york city for a round of fund-raising. the president has revealed his first tv ads. expect that ad on your tv as early as today. well, the pentagon is planning a new crackdown on sexual assaults in the military. defense secretary leon pan netd that says the underrecorded crime is a stain on the record. they want new training programs for people dealing with sexual assault victims. last year alone, nearly 32 0 00 sexual assaults were reported. they believe the real number is closer to 19,000. we turn to the cruise ship disaster off the coast of italy. the clock is ticking for search crews hoping to find more of the 21 people still listed as missing. >> meanwhile, that captain is claiming he didn't abandon ship.

we're joined by abc's scott goldberg. good morning, scott. >> reporter: good morning, rob and paula. if the weather cooperates, they'll start getting some of that 500,000 gallons of fuel off the ship. while rough seas kept crews out of the water and raised concerns that fuel might start leaking, back on land, the "costa concordia"'s first victim was identified. 38 year-old thshandor from hungy was the first victim identified. he was helping children get their life vests on. he went to his cab on the get his vie line and never came back. the captain is quoted as saying

he didn't leave the ship on purpose. he says he tripped and fell into a lifeboat which hauled him to safety while passengers and crew members fought for their life. this vid know shows the same boat passing even closer to the island. the cruise company blames him for going off course. when divers can get back on the ship, they'll be up to their shoulders in water and debris. the grim reality, they're no longer looking for survivors. officials are now saying 21 people are listed as missing, including the heils from the u.s. one woman that had been on the list turned up alive back home in germany. be sure to tune into a special edition of "20/20"

tomorrow night called "cruise ship confidential." new weather worries in the pacific northwest after all that snow. warmer weather is on the way and that raises the threat of flooding. seattle will see freezing rain today after getting hit by the worst storm since 1996. here's the rest of the weather. avalanche warnings are up for parts of the cascades. they could get another two feet of snow. sunny, mild, and dry in southern california. new orleans and mobile could see showers. >> the upper midwest is hit by the coldest air of the season. chicago will struggle to get above 10. denver is usually warm, in the low 60s. dallas, 70, miami and honolulu prez zant in the upper 70s. anything above 50 is pleasant.

>> i have had no luck getting the show to move to honolulu. i have had no luck. >> we're a team here. coming up after the break, how did a 65-year-old woman get a gun through security at major airport? and it's not exactly a kodak moment. the company files for chapter 11. and apple is set to make a major announcement today. but what will it be?

welcome back, everyone. overseas, markets are up on news

the international monetary fund plans to add $600 million to help europe. tokyo's nikkei average rose 89 points today. hong kong's hang seng was up 256. in london, the ftse opened higher. op wall street, the dow added 97 points. the nasdaq gained 42. the company kodak is refocusi refocusing. they announced late last night their plan to file for bankruptcy. they waited too long to acknowledge digital photography would replace film. for retarls, the weather outside is frightful. it's been too mild this winter. clothing stores are overstocked with warm weather. hardware stores are sitting on salt and shovels. not as many cold and flus as

last year. the internet protests may have been successful. more than a dozen people in congress have withdrawn support for the bill in congress right now. some law makers posted on facebook they heard protests from constituents as well. the washington monument is getting some help. a local investment banker is putting up half the $15 million that it will take to repair the icon after last summer's east coast earthquake. congress has already authorized the other $7.5 million. when we come back, the mysterious investigation into body parts found near california's famous sign. and the tennis player who made a racket at the australian open. we're right back. [ female announcer ] what makes florida's natural orange juice taste so uniquely fresh and delicious?

is it the rich florida soil? or the perfect blend of sunshine, rain, and temperature? maybe it's the fact that florida's natural oranges are never imported. they're raised right here in florida, and passed with care from our hands to yours. 100% pure. 100% florida. florida's natural.

nyquil (stuffy): just reading whatyour label.ing? 100% florida. wait! you relieve nasal congestion? tylenol: sure. don't you? tylenol (another bottle): hmmm...no... nyquil (stuffy): dude! anncr vo: tylenol cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion... nyquil cold & flu doesn't.

well, it turns out to be much ado about nothing. down in houston, reports of a tiger on the loose brugt firefighters to an abandoned hotel there. but it was a stuffed tiger. they took it down any way because too many drivers were stopping to take a look at it. now for a looked a morning road conditions. icy on i-5 near seattle. wet on i-80 from portland to san francisco. if you're flying today, airport delays possible in seattle, which is still snowy, san francisco, salt lake city, chicago, and detroit. well a dallas-based lawyer who carries a handgun for protection carried it too far. right on to an american airlines flight. >> she says the whole thing is an oversight. this morning, she's facing

felony charges. the biggest question, how did she get past airport security? >> reporter: it was a mad scramble at the dallas ft. worth airport after security skeerns spotd a gun in a carey on bag. by the time they went to pull the bag, it was gone. and so was the passenger. officers pulled security tapes to pinpoint the passenger. they shut down terminal "d" completely. they finally found their passenger. a 65-year-old woman on an american airlines jet bound for houston. it had already been pulled from the gate. it had to be called back. the woman, her bag, and a piston were taken off the jet. she reportedly told agents she had forgotten she had it. every other passenger was rescreened. that flight took off over an hour late. ten our flights were also delayed.

>> most of airport security is security theater. that's unfortunate. weapons and other items have gotten through. >> reporter: since 9/11, more than 25,000 security breaches at airports. including this one in newark, when a love-sick boyfriend snuck through a security exit to bid his girlfriend good-bye. thousands of passengers had to be recareened. tsa insists most of the breaches were minor. they've also come under attack for being too aggressive. as for the woman in texas, she faces state felony charges of carrying a weapon where it's prohibited. she also faces thousands of dollars in federal civil penalties. lisa stark, abc news. we turn to a bizarre story out west. more body parts have under the up not far from the famous

hollywood sign in l.a. police found two hands and two feet in a park. and a human head was found in plastic bag. the authorities are optimistic that the severed hands are good enough to get fingerprints. if you love the ipad, am is set to announce they're beefing up the ipad. the speculation is that it will make it easier to publish interactive text books. things aimed at students and teachers from kindergarten through high school. here's will selva at espn news. >> good morning. the mavericks have won the last ten regular lan-season meetings against the clippers. would that trend be reversed? that would have to happen without cp 3, out for the third game with a strained hammy.

blake griffin. dirk nowitzki would not be outdone. jason terry, though, would try to be the hero as well. three-pointer good. mavs up one. chauncey billups coming up being. a season-high 21 points. the clippers win. on can pus, undefeated murray state taking on morehead state. long, kounlt it. murray state down four. second half, murray down four. cannon, a missed three-pointer. murray state within two. still down two. go ahead, do your thing. murray state's first lead of the game. up one. pool with the jumper. murray state holds on the win. they're still undefeated. number 11 uconn taking on

cincinnati. former husky kemba walker watching. game tied at 67-67. shawn kilpatrick would answer back. uconn needing a miracle. they almost got it. he almost makes the miracle shot. cincy with the upset. and that will do it for that espn news update. i'm will selva. >> i bet you liked that upset. >> i did. here's what it looks like when it ain't going your way on the tennis court. that's marcos baghdatis down at the australian open, having a slight tantrum and taking it out on his tennis rackets. >> by the time it was over, he destroyed two rackets, two of which were in their plastic koefrs. he's been slapped with a fine.

over $$1200. and he lost. up next, does rob lowe have the down low on peyton manning's future? plus, why some movie goers are demanding a refund after seeing the award-winning movie "the artist." prescribed lipitor, doctor i won't go without it for my high cholesterol and my risk of heart attack. why kid myself? diet and exercise weren't lowering my cholesterol enough. now i'm eating healthier, exercising more, taking lipitor. numbers don't lie. my cholesterol's stayed down. lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. it's backed by over 19 years of research. [ female announcer ] lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant.

you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications, or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. [ man ] still love that wind in my face! talk to your doctor. don't kid yourself about the risk of heart attack and stroke. if lipitor's been working for you, stay with it. lipitor may be available for as little as $4 a month with the lipitor co-pay card. terms and conditions apply. learn more at lipitorforyou.com.

♪ eat well, live long ♪ have a good daisy, work out, get strong ♪ [ female announcer ] enjoy the fresh, 100% natural choice in cottage cheese. ♪ have a good daisy ♪ have a good daisy i've discovered gold. [ female announcer ] roc® retinol... the gold standard in anti-aging. clinically proven to give 10 years back to the look of skin. nothing's better than gold. [ female announcer ] roc® retinol correxion deep wrinkle night cream.

time to check "the pulse" the stories you'll be talking about today. have you heard the latest about gossip? it might serve a useful purpose? it has to be a certain kind. >> when people use gossip to warn about bad behavior in others, it lowers stress levels. you can do it if it helps others from beingtage advantage of. >> question this morning. >> jinx. >> does actor rob lowe have inside information about peyton manning? >> yesterday he tweeted he had been told that the quarterback was going retire. >> for all we know, he's a member of the colts for now, until they draft andrew luck. one of the year's hottest films, "the artist." scored big in the golden globes. >> some moviegoers want refunds.

they didn't know it was a silent film. the theater is happy to issue refunds to anybody that is unhappy. >> for some, local news is next. something with it... i'm just not sure what... what is it? oh just return it. returning gifts is easier than ever with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. plus i can pick it up for free. perfect because we have to get that outta this house. c'mon, it's not that... gahh, oh yeah that's gotta go... priority mail flat rate shipping starts at just $4.95. only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship and return.

i think we should see other people. in fact, i'm already seeing your best friend, justin. ♪ i would have appreciated a proactive update on the status of our relationship. who do you think i am, tim? quicken loans? at quicken loans, we provide you with proactive updates on the status of your home loan.

and our innovative online tools ensure that you're always in the loop. one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze. next the threatening digital image that brought law enforcement to google's mountain vie with a warrant. -- new questions on who really won in the hawkeye state. rain soon. >> evening commute the next couple of nights are going to be interesting.

updating the day's top snus stories. two days ahead of the south carolina primary, a new poll shows newt gingrich is cutting into the lead of the front-runner. the clock is ticking for the divers trying to rescue some of the people on the cruise ship disaster. and apple is set to announce today that it will offer new software for the ipad. today's weather, sunny and cold on the east coast ahead of snow. bitter cold in the mid wets. rain and snow in the pacific northwest. a lot of slick conditions. everybody, stay safe. finally this half hour, something good coming out of one of the country's most notorious state prisons. >> prisoners there are

refurbishing wheelchairs. stephanie ryan reports. >> you have to look at the story of these chairs. >> reporter: they come in here broken. >> some of them don't have wheels. arm pieces are missing. >> reporter: and the goal is simple. >> we're going to clean them up, take the rust out of it, take all the screws away and refurnish it. it will go good as new. >> reporter: piece by piece. prisoners deconstruct this mangled pile of old wheelchairs. eventually, they'll go the countries where folks can't afford them. >> you see some of the pictures, some of the recipients have callouss on their knees. some crawling on their hands or being dragged on a blanket. >> reporter: slowly, only a

handful a day, they're born again. like so many of the people here. >> when i first came here, i was mean, horrible. >> reporter: these days, the freedom they lost. >> first-degree murder. >> i got a life sentence of 50 years. >> i'm sentenced to 100 years as a habitual offender. >> it's like they got freedom. >> reporter: the more chairs they rebuild, the bigger their hearts grow. because they know one thing. >> when it gets to where it's going, it's going to help somebody else. make them happy. >> reporter: just like the story of the lives in leer, what started as a mess -- >> is turning out to be something beautiful, you know? >> doing good while doing time. >> so encouraging. that's what's making news in america this morning. >> have nga