making news in america this morning -- open debate. >> the republican candidates faced off one last time before saturday's big primary. the hot topic? newt gingrich's alleged open marriage. also this morning, reno on fire. flames are whipping out of control in nevada. winds gusting over 80 miles an hour. as thousands are forced to evacuate their homes. and speed roommating. just like speed dating. it's fast, it's uncomplicated, it helps you find exactly what you're looking for. good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson.

>> and i'm paula faris. the final stretch of the fight for south carolina has been a wild ride. a few days ago, it seemed like mitt romney would cruise to victory. >> newt gingrich stepped on the gas but ran into a land mine. his ex-wife. tahman bradley joins us with details on this drama. good morning to you, tahman. >> reporter: just as newt gingrich seemed to be coming on strong. a bomb shell from his ex-wife. gingrich may have his problems, but so does mitt romney. who finally looks vulnerable. on the final day of campaigning, in south carolina, mitt romney is trying to hold on to his lead there and his front-runner status. polls in the palmetto state show newt gingrich surging. with rick perry dropping out and endorsing gingrich, there was one less conservative on stage. and in the race. sparks flew at lasdebate. >> i think the destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country.

and i'm appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that. >> reporter: he was referring to the moderator's opening question about statements his ex-wife made about infidelity in an exclusive interview with brian ross. >> he was asking to have an open marriage. i refused. that i accept that he has somebody else in his life. >> and you said? >> no, no, that is not a marriage. >> reporter: gingrich denies the allegations. >> let me be quite clear. the story is false. >> reporter: also last night, rick santorum, who it turns out won the iowa caucuses, tried to position himself as the conservative alternative. to romney. >> i'm steady. i'm solid. i'm not going to go out and do things that you're going to worry about. >> reporter: r for his care for his career as an investor. >> i find it kind of strange on

a stage like this with republicans having to explain how these firms create jobs. >> reporter: mitt romney was asked if he would release several years of tax returns. he said maybe. the crowd booed. >> newt is having a surge. in some polls, as close as seven points. what can mitt romney do to slow newt down? >> reporter: well, the romney campaign is worried about gingrich. they're going after newt gingrich's claims of him creating jobs back in the '90s. as the speaker of the house. he's also slamming him on the closeness to ronald reagan. he said he read the reagan diaries, and he only saw one mention of newt gingrich. well, president obama is also running hard. yesterday, he appeared at four, high-rolling fundraisers in new york city. at one of them, he focused on the serious matter of foreign policy, saying the u.s. is safer now than three years ago. while at another at harlem's famous apollo theater, he seems

to be having a whole lot of fun. ♪ i [ applause ] ♪ am so in love with you >> he's got a pretty good singing voice. that excerpt from al green's "let's stay together" could be r the new anthem for the president's re-election campaign, "stay together." >> who knew he could sing? all right. in more serious news this morning, fire crews are scrambling to contain a wind-driven brush fire near reno this morning. they've saved 1,000 structures so far but have lost about 20. flames up to 40 feet high have consumed about 3,700 acres. one death is blamed so far. and the deadly storm that's pounding the pacific northwest has created a flooding disaster. three people have been killed, including a woman and her

20-month-old son who were swept away into a canal. 350,000 still in the dark near washington's puget sound. time now nor the weather from across the nation. you know -- it's not over yet in the pacific northwest. another 5 inches of drenching rain is expected and the biggest snowstorm of the season hits the upper midwest stretching east into pittsburgh. >> that storm brings some bone-chilling temps. along the northern u.s. border. plunging below zero in some spots. it's warming up in some spots. dallas topping out at the upper 70s, a full 15 degrees above normal. >> always so depressing to talk about texas because it's so much warmer there than here. >> welcome to new york. >> i think i need a vacation to texas. the people behind one of the internet's biggest file-sharing sites say they're unfairly under attack by the u.s. justice department. that site was shut down yesterday and the found sir the subject of an extradition proceeding. he's under arrest in new zealand

where he lives. here's pierre thomas with more. >> reporter: the battle over copyrights and control of the internet has escalated. it started when the justice department indicted two major companies, charges them with selling pirated music and other materials online. among those charged, the creators of megaupload. it accounts for 4% op internet use. megaupload runs online ads featuring a who's who of celebrities. kim kardashian. >> i love mega up load. >> i love mega upload. >> check it out. >> it's amazing. >> to p. diddy and alicia keys. after the announcement was made, there was an apparent cyber attack, with the justice department's website among those under assault. a group calling themselves anonymous claimed credit. pierre thomas, abc news, washington. here's a miracle pair you need to meet. the camp brothers, griffin and carter.

>> heeach of these boys was bor from the same mother but in two separate uteruses. there are only 75 documented cases of this in the world. ever. ever. >> when they were born in october, they weighed just 1 pound, 5 ounces. carter's gone home. his brother is expected to join him soon. >> i saw it on an episode of "grey's anatomy" a couple of years ago. now in real life. >> see, life imitating art. very good. the latest on the doomed cruise ship that is now quote a high risk of actually sinking. after filing for bankruptcy in 2009, how general motors is motoring back on top. and bad news for the football fans that enjoy the chicken wings while watching the big game. oh, you're not going to like this. we'll be right back. oh, you're not going to like this. we'll be right back.

well, overseas markets are up on good news from the united states, spain, and france. tokyo's nikkei average gained 127 points today. hong kong's hang seng was up 167. in london, the ftse opened higher. and on wall street, the dow rose 45 points yesterday. the nasdaq index added 19. well, general motors is motoring back on top. the company is once again the world's largest automaker. sales grew in every region moving more than 9 million vehicles last year alone. volkswagen was second. toyota, after a year of natural disasters, went from first to third. american airlines is hitting

a little bit of turbulence themselves. they contributed only $6.5 million to employee pension plans this week. $100 million was actually due. the parent company filed for bankruptcy earlier last year, but a government regulator says they have plenty of cash. "forbes" magazine says the best companies have the perks and opportunities that make employees happy. at the top is google, with the free cafeteria and bowling alley and more. hear lots of good things about that. the second is boston consulting group. third is the sas group. the cost of a super bowl staple is taking off this year. chicken wings are up over 52% this year. the most expensive ever. the cost of chicken feed is up. producers are losing money. and, after all, each chicken -- well, only has two wings. >> very good point. >> excellent point there. nothing better than a cold one and some chicken wings watching

the game. >> chicken wings and bleu cheese. celery. >> a slice of heaven. slice of heaven. the amazing rescue of a hiker who tumbled down the mountain. fallen unconscious. and what apple's latest announcement means for the future of your child's textbooks. we'll be right back. announcement means for the future of your child's textbooks. capital one's new cash rewards card

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would you like 50% more cash? no! but it's more money. [ male announcer ] the new capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? woah! [ giggles ] look at this. a harrowing ordeal on a rugged mountain in phoenix. a 22-year-old hiker fell ten feet, suffered multiple cuts and lost consciousness. he's in the stretcher being carried. he was flown to the base of the mountain where an ambulance was waiting. he's going to be okay. >> a lucky guy. rain and snow creating trouble spots today including i. 80 from omaha to cleveland. and interstate 5 south to

bakersfield. airports delays possible in see atting, chicago, minneapolis, detroit, and san francisco. we turn to the chipled cruise ship off italy. it shifted in the water again. that's forced them to suspend efforts to find the 21 passengers listed as missing. >> we're hearing from a new witness and new audio tapes from the moments after it happened. diana alvear joins us with more. >> reporter: the captain may be under fire for abandoning his ship. but he has a vocal supporter claims he's a hero. this is the woman italian authorities believe may provide key details in the "costa concordia" disaster. in this interview, 25-year-old domenica defended the captain, claiming he helped save 3,000

lives by steering the ship closer to land. she confirmed she was with schettino at the time of the wreck. she says he was still on board at 11:30 that night when she made it off the ship. that contradicts what other witnesses said, that he was on the dock hours before the others esca escaped. he first said he fell into the water. then he said he tripped and fell into a lifeboat. this call, recorded 45 minutes after the ship ran aground. [ speaking i tall than [ . >> yes, affirmative, we have a blackout on board. we are checking the situation.

>> reporter: as this conversation took place, panicked passengers were rushing to put on life jackets. divers may be running out of time. storms are forecast to come through that area that could sink the ship even further, rupturing the fuel tanks. rob? paula? >> thank you, diana. be sure to watch a special edition of "20/20" tonight, called "cruise ship confident l confidential." 10:00 eastern, 9:00 central. new changes may be under way to diagnose and treat autism. they're proe poedsing a narrower definition of autism and related disorders such as asperger's syndrome. apple is selling digital

texbooks. they run on the ipad. they'll be sold for about $15 or less. the company didn't mention programs to help schools or students by the ipads themselves. on a lighter note from the world of sports, here's mike yam from espn news with last night's highlights. good morning. we start on the nba hard wood. the lakers are latmatching up against the heat. james not feeling well early thursday. mike brown, his former coach, a pleasant interaction before the game. courtside, jeffrey lawyer ya. the owner of the marlins. the guy that helped up lebron james. not taking a whole lot of threes this season. burying that one. 8 and 8 for the king. shane battier, oh, nice pass from lebron. he hit three threes in the game. he had 11. miami, 9 of 18 as team from

beyond the arc. there's lebron again. heat in control. they shot 45% from the floor. kobe, having some struggles in this game. 8 of 21 from the field for 24 points. heat up by 16. fourth quarter, they're up by 18. more from lebron. complete frustration from the lakers bench. a 21-point game. kobe. just can't get much done. certainly can't be happy with that performance. the lakers lose, 989-87. that will do it for this sports update. back to you guys. thanks a lot. elephants are the symbol of the republican party. sometimes you have to ask an elephant who is going to win? >> an elephant from the ringling brothers circus made a pick. >> he went a different route. very independent elephant.

he's throwing his weight behind stephen colbert. makes you wonder if comedy central gave the elephant a few peanuts for making so much publici publicity. >> peanuts for the pachyderm all in honor of -- politics. up next, why deleting your facebook account might be the secret to happiness in. if you could pick one celebrity to cheat with, who would it be? the story is coming up next in the pulse.

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all right, time to check "the pulse" the stories you'll be talking about today. does facebook make you sad? a new study finds that the more you use facebook, the more you believe other people are much happier than you are and that life is simply unfair. it's the result of the carefully chosen photos. the solution? delete your facebook at and socialize in person. if things between you and your mate seem frosty lately, you're in the alone. >> turns out, january is the worst month for couples. two-thirds of the pairs a group

studies broke up. >> shorter days, miserable weather and the post holiday lack of cash cause cabin fever. more times indoors lead to more time to argue. >> i disagree. hope you survive the month. >> you, too. a poll question sure to kick up controversy this morning. the folks at the extramarital dating site ashleymadison.com asking subscribers, if you could cheat with a celebrity, who would it be? >> number five, jennifer aniston. number four, salma hayek. >> number three, mila kunis. number two, rihanna. number one, katy perry. >> plenty of the 25,000 people asked must have been dudes.

>> i'm just guessing. don't cheat. if you have to, pick some good ones. >> for some of you, your local news is coming up next. for others, a sign of the times as to how to find a roommate. what ? customers didn't like it. so why do banks do it ? hello ? hello ?! if your bank doesn't let you talk to a real person 24/7, you need an ally. hello ? ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. chili's lunch break combos are full of delicious choices, starting at just 6 bucks. choose from savory favorites or our new philly cheesesteak sandwich. layers of shaved steak and grilled peppers served with fries and a tasty soup or salad. chili's lunch break combos.

whose non-stop day starts with back pain...

and a choice. take advil now and maybe up to four in a day. or choose aleve and two pills for a day free of pain. way to go, coach. ♪ . next, drivers beware the protest aiming to shutdown san francisco's financial district. all you need to know on the areas to avoid. >> as we get rain the sierra is getting snow. what you can expect this weekend. meteorologist mike nicco continues tracking the storm. >> winter storm warning there, be careful a lot of snow on the way. two more chances of rain looks like it could fall during the game. >> sue hall keeping an eye own your

updating the day's top stories now. today is the last day of campaigning before the big south carolina primary on saturday. can newt gingrich keep his surge going after his ex-wife came forward with details of their marriage? at least 20 homes are destroyed in nevada. fire crews have saved about 800 others. efforts to search the cruise ship off the coast have been suspended this morning because the ship shifted in the water. 21 passengers are still missing. bitter cold in the midwest moving into the northeast. showers in the southeast. tote t toasty temps across the south. everything else is happening online these days. why not add one more. this is like finding someone to date. but just a little bit different.

>> it's the newest way to find someone to live with. it's called speed room nating. jamie ross has the details. >> reporter: they may look like four friends chatting. maybe later. tonight, they're strangers talking business. the question, can we room together? >> can we -- >> i condition. >> we want you -- >> reporter: this is speed roommating. hosted by spare room.com. >> we're looking at astoria. it's a possibility. we're looking for around the same price range. so -- >> reporter: crystal and danielle need a third roommate. alina needs a room. line up people with similar interests. get the deal done. matt hutchinson's events took off in the uk. >> we had people show up off the fly. needing somewhere to live. >> reporter: and people of all different backgrounds and ages.

a sign of the times. >> people can't afford the live the way they used to. i find myself in the same position. the money is not like it was. >> everything is to exorbitant now. >> reporter: here, you talk expenses and rent and let your instincts down the rest. >> here you are meeting a bunch of people. you get to pick and choose. >> and if you don't like the person, you know -- >> you knee right away. >> reporter: do crystal and danielle know? what do you think about elena? >> well -- no. we would have never met someone like her. we tried craigslist, we tried everything. >> i think we're ready to take cute pictures. >> roommates that drink together stay together. >> i guess so. mymy whole family is going to move in with you. we'll split the cost. >> that's what's make news in america thmo