making news this morning -- mitt romney in the driver's seat. despite new attacks by newt gingrich, romney appears confident of a victory today in florida. enough, even, to break into song. >> you to know that song? ♪ oh beautiful forspacious skies ♪ a good reason to have cereal in the morning. milk does brain some good. and the world record attempt, 145 water-skiers and just one boat. probably something you have never seen before. good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. paula faris is off today. florida voters heading to the polls are expected to hand mitt romney an easy victory today.

but newt gingrich is vowing to fight on. it's "your voice, your vote." and the first winner take all contest of this hotly contested primary season. tahman bradley is tracking the candidates from washington. he has more. hey, tahman. >> reporter: hey, rob. mitt romney struck back hard in florida. they outspent gingrich 4 to 1 in the sunshine state. mitt romney wakes up this morning expecting a win. mitt romney feels so good, he's singing. ♪ america america >> reporter: polls show he's the heavy favorite to win today. in the florida primary. that hasn't stopped him from pounding newt gingrich. >> speaker gingrich is not feeling excited these days. i know, it's sad. he's been flailing around a bit. >> reporter: if romney cruises to victory today, it doesn't mean the race is over. though he lags behind in resources, newt gingrich vows to

fight on through the republican convention, as he told abc's jon karl. >> we're just getting started. >> reporter: romney mocked gingrich's vow to keep fighting. >> that's usually an indication that you think you're going to lose. when you say i'm going to go on no matter what happens. that's not a good sign. >> reporter: polls show con serb actives want the party to nominate someone other than romney. >> we're thinking about printing up a poster. over here, the george soros candidates. romney, obama. here, the american people's candidate, newt gingrich. >> reporter: gingrich is not the only romney rival staying in the race. rick santorum was back on the trail in minnesota after his daughter's health scare. ron paul plans to spend the day in colorado. and ne. rob?. >> if romney does win tonight, in florida, which is what everyone at this point does expect, how do the other candidates stop him? if they can? >> reporter: ron paul is focused on caucus states. the next two contests in early february are caucuses.

paul plans to make his stand there. newt gingrich will continue to hammer away at romney's conservative credentials. he's got some high-profile al allies helping him do that. he's got rick perry and herman cain out there for him. as well as michael reagan, ronald's son. the strategy is to keep things going until the august convention and have the party get together and pick the nominee. >> if mitt doesn't win, maybe "american idol" could be next. we'll see. thanks for that report. >> reporter: sure. >> and abc news has the florida primary covered. diane sawyer and george stephanopoulos will have it all tonight. donald trump is still exploring a presidential run, as an independent. his top political adviser telling abc news that he's been talking to campaign advisers on trump's behalf. he says trump's real preference support a republican candidate. we could have more information on the homecoming of

jessica buchanan. so far, her family is being pretty tight-lipped about her arrival after three months of captivity in somalia. diane sawyer talked to jessica's father yesterday. she asked him about jessica's health. >> it's okay. from what i understand. she's got some issues. nothing life-threatening at this point. i do know that they moved very frequently. she's into natural foods, a vegetarian. i understand her primary diet was animal milk and goat meat. >> asked what he wanted to say to his daughter the most, he said he would tell jessica he simple loves her. joe biden now admits he was against the navy s.e.a.l. raid that killed osama bin laden. biden said the only person in the room to give support to the raid was then cia director and now defense secretary leon panetta. after hearing everyone out, the

president left the meeting saying he would make the final decision. the big blue tarp was the answer from occupy washington protesters. they put it up just as police said they had to leave the encampment. police only reminded demonstrators it's illegal to sleep there. no one was arrested. on capitol hill, a massive infrastructure bill begins working its way through the house today. it would provide $260 billion over the next four years to maintain the nation's bridges, roads, and transit systems. it would give states greater power over how federal transportation aid is spent. in las vegas, the bacteria that causes legionnaire's disease was found in the luxor hotel. the hotel has founded a program to fix that problem by super heating the water. hey're facing lawsuits from

guests that got sick. a texas community that has another problem with water. they're out of it. they're trucking water into the town of spicewood beach. that's because the town's main well has dried up. thanks to the state's historic drought. time for the wross this cou across this country this morning. it will be spring like in the eastern parts of the country. showers from upstate new york to new england, cleveland to memphis, and little rock. some thunderstorms around new orleans, houston, dallas. a dusting of snow in northern minnesota, michigan, and idaho. rain from seattle to northern california. 71 in phoenix. kansas city up to 60. chicago, 51. a mild 56 here in new york. not bad at all. 66 in atlanta. 78 in miami. well, disappointment for early tax filers. some refunds will be late this year. we'll explain coming u plus, th plus, the giants get to indianapolis. one giant shares his extreme ex plus this morning, bueller is back. one of many commercials for the super bowl already out.

that's all ahead in "the pulse."

welcome back, everybody. carnival cruise line is revising its forecast for 2012, after the fallout caused by the "costa concordia" cruise ship accident earlier this month. carnival, which hone owns that line is expecting a loss of 48 to 51 cents a share. that's an annual loss of up to

an miss anticipation is mounting on whether facebook will go to an initial public offering tomorrow. it's expected to be valued at $100 billion. it would take until may before facebook stock begins trading on the stock exchange. tokyo's nikkei average logged its best january performance in 13 years. hong kong's hang seng up 230 points. on wall street, the dow lost 6 points yesterday. the nasdaq finished right where it started. and coffee giant starbucks has unveiled a plan to open 50 stores in india. the first store's expected to open by august. they currently operate 17,000 stores worldwide and is betting indians will want to experience the latte lifestyle. if you filed your federal tax return early this year, hoping to get your refund early, of course, guess what? you'll have to wait a week longer. the delay is due to new safeguards installed on the irs computer system. this only applies to those that

filed before january 26th. all ten of you. up next, we know about milk being good for your bones. it's also good for your brain. changes coming to the kennedy family's famous home on cape cod. okay, team! after age 40, we can start losing muscle -- 8% every 10 years. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. keeps you from getting soft. [ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! what do you do when you can no longer get around like you used to? when you fear losing your independence? who do you call? call hoveround now, to see if you qualify for america's premier power chair.

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are covered in up to 2 1/2 feet of to show. right now, a heavy band of lake-effect snow sat over the city of fulton for hours. making it tough for drivers the navigate all those slick roads. that snow won't stick around for too long. temperatures in the area hit the 50s tomorrow. for a look at this morning's road conditions. slick on i-95 north of both on the maine. wet on parts of i-70 from indianapolis to pittsburgh. over to new orleans from i. 10. icy on i-84 and 90 in the cascades. rain soaks i-5 from seattle to redding, california. if you're flying today, a

few airport delays to report. they're possible in houston and new orleans. in other news this morning, a woman in colorado has lots of questions to answer after abandoning her children last weekend. 25-year-old sarah hatfield left her 2 and 4-year-old sons inside a family van at a gas station. they were found when the van was about to get towed. wassband sas missing from her house. she was found 12 hours after walking off about a dozen miles away near a denver hospital. she was arrested. we turn to maine and the case of a little girl missing since september. police say the idea that ayla reynolds was abducted from her father's home is not supported by evidence. they believe the adults in the house know a lot more than

they're letting on. scott goldberg has more. >> reporter: in the basement of the home where ayla reynolds was last seen, they found blood that belongs to the 1-year-old who is missing for six weeks. >> it wasn't a small amount. so -- it's really scary. >> reporter: her mother says police told her it's more blood and that a small cut would produce. it turns the spotlight to justin dipietro. he reported her missing one morning after he woke up and she wasn't there. >> i can't comprehend it like i -- i don't want to it be real. >> reporter: just this weekend, ayla's parents where seen together for the first time since their daughter disappeared at a vigil. dipietro didn't want to talk. >> i'm not here to answer questions. i'm here to show support for the community -- >> for ayla. >> -- that is supporting ayla. >> reporter: he's not been named a suspect. a state police spokesman said they have not found one piece of evidence that supports an abduction. they don't believe dipietro, his mother, and one other adult there at the home at the time

she disappeared have told the full story. trista reynolds says she has questions, too, but she hasn't confronted the baby's father. >> it was amazing to have him by my side. to support ayla as her parents, her mom and dad. >> reporter: she's trying to stay optimisic. >> i really miss her.ter: ayla' released a statement on a website they started, urging anyone with information to come forward now and unburden yourself of the truth. scott goldberg, abc news, new york. in massachusetts, an iconic piece of kennedy family history could be soon open to public. the main house on the compound at hyannisport now belongs to an institute in the name of the late senator, ted kennedy. they plan to open the estate to visits by the public. other homes remain property of the family.

important medical news today. for the first time, doctors are seeing that statins work just as well for women as men. a new study shows it could reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in both sexes by 20%. some prior studies showed that statins, such as lipitor and crestor, were not as successful for women. it looks like milk can boost your brain power. a study from the university of maine found that people that consume dairy products almost daily perform better on memory tests than those that skip dairy. researchers believe certain nutrients in dairy stave off memory loss. it's media day in indianapolis at the giants and the patriots prepare for sunday's super bowl. the giants arrived at indy yesterday, a day later than the pats. one of the giants, linebacker and cancer survivor mark

herzlich tweeted this -- two years ago i was told i might never walk again. just walked off the plane in indy to play in the super bowl. take that, cancer. and he included an expletive for good measure. good morning, i'm ducis rodgers. let's start off in l.a. where three former rookies of the year met up. blake griffin, kevin durant, chris paul. thunder and clippers. durant with the three. the clippers go off at the end mo willialf. mo williams, three. chauncey billups will dial up long distance as well. 12 unanswered points in the final 1:15 of the first half. this is the play of the nba season so for. blake griffin, dunks all over kendrick perkins. perkins is 6'10", 270. griffin does not care. in the business we call that nasty. clippers win it, 112-100. how about the bulls taking on the struggling wizards? first quarter action.

derrick rose finishes at the cup. nifty move. bulls up 14-8. third quarter. rose. in the lane. bulls up 70-49. how about rose again? this is the derrick rose highlights. 35 points for him. the bulls win it by ten, 98-88. dwight howard and the struggling magic on the road taking on the sixers. third quarter action, andre iguodala. a season-high for him. the sixers outshot the magic 21-9 in the third quarter. that's williams putting the circumstances up 12. how about evan turner. 12 points off the bench. sixers win, 74-69. they're 11-2 at home on the season. for all your sports news, don't forget to check out the highlight express on espn news. 11:00 p.m. eastern every night. i'm ducis rodgers.

coming up next, "the pulse." and a look at some of the new super bowl ads. and the video you havee. 145 water-skiers and just one boat. to see. 145 water-skiers and just one boat. forty years ago, he wasn't looking for financial advice. back then he had something more important to do. he wasn't focused on his future. but fortunately, somebody else was. at usaa we provide retirement planning for our military, veterans and their families. now more than ever, it's important to get financial advice from people who share your military values. for our free usaa retirement guide, call 877-242-usaa.

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first up, that appearance by a different mitt romney in florida last night. looking relaxed and very confident. the former governor broke into song. ♪ for purple mountain's majesty above the fruited plain america america god shed his ♪ ♪ grace on thee >> nice singing voice, i guess, to some. that was "america the beautiful." before a very appreciative crowd of seniors. and we know now for certain why ferris bueller is taking another day off. after 26 years, in fact, a ten-second clip that appeared on youtube this week was indeed a tease for a big super bowl ad. >> i guess i'll be okay. >> i'm calling the studio, matthew, you're not shooting today. >> no, people are depending on me. movies bring so much joy. >> stop.

it's done. just get some rest. diva. >> he bought it. >> good to see you again, ferris. that clip goes on for 2:00, spoofing the original film. in case you didn't notice, it's actually all a c carmaker honda. we're getting a sneak peek of another super bowl ad this one wit david beckham sporting, well, almost nothing at all. he is promoting his body wear line for h & m. a cool record set. down in tasmania. 145 people setting the record for the most water-skiers being pulled by one boat. they were pulled for one nautical mile, more than 6,000 feet. it took over five miles of rope for all of them. the boat had a big boom off the back, over 300 feet wade, to keep all that rope from getting tangled. it was outfitted with special propellers.

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next t decision day the vote is expected to cost dozens jobs it >> walnut creek says enough is enough. what to do to end downtown brawls. >> meteorologist mike nicco has the forecast. >> a little drizzle. small chance of rain tomorrow. i'll have an update. >> frances has updating the day's top stories. mitt romney is taking a break from campaigns today. he's feeling so confident there

in florida. newt gingrich has five events scheduled. we could learn more today about the homecoming of former hostage jessica buchanan. she was held hostage in somalia. and the florida highway patrol is under fire for reopening an interstate just before the crash that killed ten people. know in idaho, northern minnesota, and michigan. showers from little rock to cleveland. and sleet in northern new england. finally from us this morning, you have come a long way baby. it's the tupperware lady like you have never seen her before. the number one sales person in the states is racking up sales. >> reporter: there's a bit of heavy lifting. >> this is load number six. >> reporter: and primping before

bobby becomes aunt barbara. >> hi, everyone. >> reporter: at 6'5" with heels and hair, aunt barbara else is tupperware. >> this is my favorite product. >> reporter: yep, tupperware, just like your mother or grandmother bought. hosts get free items depending on sale. >> you can flip a grilled cheese. i tonight, a little eye shadow. >> reporter: spatulas, containers, cheese graters come to life. >> her honesty. her enthusiasm. it's a complete sell. >> reporter: it's why she booked aunt barbara. >> she talks you into wants to buy more stuff. she entertains it. >> reporter: her own mom used to sell tupperware 45 years ago. not like this.

>> they're usually very boring. this was far from boring. >> reporter: why did bobby, a former social worker become aunt barbara? >> times are tough. you gotta make a couple bucks these days, you know. >> reporter: and he channels his own aunt barbara for the role. he's the biggest seller in new york america. >> it's item number 1293. >> reporter: more than $250,000 worth last year. he books six months to a year in advance. each party generates many encore performances. >> a lot of them are booking parties. i'll be back in the neighborhood again. >> good to meet you, aunt barbara. that's what's making news in america this morning. that's what's making news in america this morning. have a great tuesday, amev closed captioning by closed captioning services,inc >> reporter: i'm terry mcsweeney in downtown walnut creation.