making news in america this morning, super bowl bound. the big game's matchup is set but not before some drama. >> don't you ever talk about me. >> while one player was all the talk overnight. breaking news overseas, a powerful earthquake damages homes and airports and rattles nerves on live tv. >> an earthquake going on, a very big earthquake, in fact. >> new video and information just coming in. thin ice. the delicate and daring rescue caught on camera. how a man and his dog ended up in this situation. and he's back. arnold is acting again in a must-see super bowl ad, and we have a sneak peek.

pretty bad arnold impersonation. sorry about that. >> marci, very good. >> they should have had you do that. >> no. >> good morning, everyone. i'm marci gonzalez in for diana perez. >> i'm john muller. great day of playoff football. high stakes action along with plenty of drama and trash talking. >> now the nfl brackets are fully filled in and super bowl xlviii's matchup is set. the seattle seahawks will meet the denver broncos after both teams battled it out on sunday. seattle seahawks fans known for being so loud they've caused earthquakes were out in force hoping to influence the game's outcome, and they did their best. it was a fairly close game until late in the fourth quarter. the 49ers saw their hopes for a return trip to the super bowl go up in flames with this end zone interception by the seahawks. >> picked off. this game is over. >> reporter: but the drama wasn't over just yet.

a little dust-up between niners receiver michael crabtree and seahawks quarterback richard sherman led to some serious postgame trash talk on live television. >> i'm the best cornerback in the game. when you try me with a sorry receiver like michael crabtree, that's the result you're going to get. don't you ever talk about me. >> reporter: both players quickly took to twitter over night william crabtree saying film don't lie. pull the tape of that game and show me where this guy is the best, #fake." sherman tweeted "a lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of a sheep." things were slightly more genteel here between the broncos and patriots. the broncos shut down new england's offense to not just 26 for the victory. winning the afc title is part of an amazing comeback for 37-year-old quarterback peyton manning, who sat out the entire 2011 season due to a series of neck surgeries. >> it's nice when you

put a lot of hard work into something and it pays dividends when you can win an afc championship and represent the afc in the super bowl. >> it's already being called the most evenly matched super bowl ever. oddsmakers are giving denver the edge, some by only one point, others as high as three. breaking overnight, millions of people across new zealand bracing for aftershocks after getting slapped by a powerful earthquake. the 6.3 magnitude quake struck hours ago hitting the lower north island knocking items off store shelves in the capital city of wellington played out on live television in the middle of a dog race. >> everything is shaking here, i'm afraid. looks like we might have a bit of an earthquake going on here, a very big earthquake, in fact, we've got a very large earthquake going here. the race is under way here. unfortunately, the monitor has fallen on me. >> a giant eagle sculpture was shaken loose at the wellington airport.

so far there have been no serious injuries or damages. this morning there are fresh concerns about the safety of american athletes at the olympic games. an islamic militant group is threatening an attack on the game. one u.s. senator said it is too dangerous to attend the events in sochi. abc's mary bruce has the latest now from washington. good morning, mary. >> reporter: good morning, marci. well, in a frightening new video, terrorists that have already struck in russia set their sights on those visiting the winter games in sochi. with the olympics just weeks away, fresh threats against tourists are raising concerns about american security. the terror group behind last month's attacks in volgograd, russia, posted this video claiming to show the suicide bombers responsible. the islamist militants are seen building their explosives and traveling to their target. they say this was just the beginning. the group warned they'll have a surprise package for tourists who come to the olympics. >> the long and the short of it is i think vladimir putin and the russian government will be very lucky if they're able to get through the olympics without

an incident. >> reporter: the state department has cautioned americans headed to the games to be on the lookout for terrorism. some athletes have even set up their own private security and emergency evacuation plans. one u.s. senator thinks it's too dangerous to go. >> i would not go, and i don't think i would send my family. >> reporter: but russian authorities insist the olympics will be safe. sochi has been transformed from a sleepy town to a virtual police state. [ speaking a foreign language ] >> translator: the job of the olympics host is to ensure security of the participants in the olympics and visitors. we will do whatever it takes. >> reporter: but u.s. officials say the russian government needs to be more cooperative. >> what we're finding is they're not giving us the full story about what are the threat streams. >> reporter: now, russian security will be tested today when the olympic torch relay goes through volgograd where the terrorists pulled off those deadly attacks. marci? >> all right, mary bruce live in washington. thank you. in neighboring ukraine protesters clashed with riot police overnight hurling rocks

and firebombs and setting fire to a barricade. police responded with stun grenades, tear gas and water cannons but were outnumbered by the protesters. the u.s. says the ukraine government is to blame for the rise in violence because it refuses to acknowledge that the protesters have legitimate complaints. all right, here at home, the arctic chill that plunged nearly everyone into a freeze two weeks ago has returned. >> in new hampshire forecasters are warning people to clear their sidewalks and driveways because when the chill comes, all that snow will turn to ice. so where will it hit, and how long will it last? accuweather's jim dickey joins us now with that forecast. good morning, jim. >> good morning, john and marci. we had a little reprieve from the brutal cold here the past week or so. that's coming to an end here today. the brutal cold is coming back. up here we she these purple shades, temperatures down below zero this morning and that's what's spreading southward. as we head forward and really

through the week it will be a cold one. cold front moving southward to allow the arctic air to move in out of canada. by tuesday, the cold punches all the way to the southeast and to the eastern seaboard. john and marci, back to you. >> jim, thank you. on the west coast a different story. dry weather that has left california in a state of emergency. a fire burning in the l.a. suburbs nearly under control. thousands have evacuated. they've been allowed back home, but the air quality now becoming unhealthy. this month is shaping up to be the driest january the state has ever seen. no rain expected for several more weeks. president obama says he doesn't think pot is any more dangerous than alcohol. he says he doesn't encourage people to smoke marijuana, and he's told his daughters it's a bad idea. the president says he's just concerned that many more poor and minority kids are busted for pot than are middle class kids. today is martin luther king day marking what would have been the civil rights leader's 85th birthday. >> the federal holiday honors his life and achievements and this year his daughter

bernice is calling on people to make it a no shots day and many will take part in community service including the president and mrs. obama. tracking your money and keeping your identity safe, what you should know before filing your taxes. plus, details in the diary. another mayor accuses chris christie's administration of using strong-arm tactics, and she's sharing her diary with authorizes to prove it. and sunday's showdown. we have your complete highlights from yesterday's championship games.

welcome back.

the near future is looking brighter for the u.s. economy. experts are predicting the best growth since 2005. they're expecting 3% growth in 2014, and some are even more optimistic. tax i.d. theft is on the rise with complaints nearly doubling. thieves are making off with your tax returns before you have a chance to file them. if they get your social security number, they can fill out a 1040 ez form online and steal your check. to avoid getting ripped off, file your tacks early and take them directly to the post office, not the mailbox. postal workers threatening to protest and boycott new postal service centers in dozens of staples stores and say they're staffed by low waged staples employees instead of union postal workers. the postal service has been trying to boost profits by forming partnerships with private companies. the award season favorite films took a backseat at the box office this weekend favoring newer releases.

"ride along" debuted at number one earning more than $41 million. the navy s.e.a.l. drama "lone survivor" came in second with just over 23 million followed by the animated film "the nut job." and seattle-based alaska airlines is cheering the seahawks' nfc title victory in its own special way. it sent out a tweet saying the seahawks are going to the super bowl. the first drink is on us on departing flights to celebrate. that perk is good for today only. cheers to that. >> cheers to that. that's all right for me. we come back on this monday. a dramatic rescue caught on tape. an afternoon walk for a man and his dog nearly turns tragic when they turn a wrong step on thin ice. and back to acting, arnold schwarzenegger like you've probably never seen him before. ♪ ♪ i think the sun might be shining ♪ ♪ just a little more bright ♪ ♪ i think the stars might be hanging ♪

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snowstorms triggering dangerous crashes across the midwest and northeast. four people hurt in a massive and fiery pileup on an indiana highway. nearly a dozen tractor trailers were involved in the initial crash, and a string of other accidents followed as drivers started to slow down to watch. scenes like that are a risk in the upper midwest where the snow and cold could turn the roads to ice. watch out for snow showers on the roads from west virginia up through new england. now, if you're flying, airport delays possible in chicago this evening when the snow arrives there. governor chris christie could be in for a chilly reception back home in new jersey after spending the weekend raising money in florida. >> now, while he was gone, the mayor of hoboken told u.s. attorneys that a member of his administration tried to strong-arm her into supporting a favorite project. hoboken mayor dawn zimmer says she gave prosecutors her journal for nearly two hours to read at the u.s. attorney's office. after the meeting which was requested by the prosecutors, zimmer issued a statement saying "i will provide any requested information and testify under

oath about the facts of what happened when the lieutenant governor came to hoboken and told me that sandy aid would be contingent on moving forward with a private development project." in an interview with cnn, zimmer claimed she met with lieutenant governor kim guadagno last may, who brought a message from governor chris christie himself. >> she came, lieutenant governor pulled me aside and said essentially you got to move forward with the rockefeller project. this project is really important to the governor. and she said that she had been with him on friday night and that this was a direct message from the governor. >> reporter: zimmer told msnbc her city received only $342,000 but the christie administration says hoboken was not denied a single grant. the christie administration is pushing back hard calling the charge outlandishly false. >> governor christie, do you have a few seconds? >> reporter: governor christie has not spoken about the accusations himself. he spent the weekend attending private fund-raisers for republicans in florida. now, tomorrow governor christie and his lieutenant governor will be inaugurated for the second

term after winning a landslide last november, probably not as festive a day as they expected. now to a frantic rescue on an icy lake in missouri after a man and his dog fell into the frigid water. the man fell through the ice while trying to save his chocolate lab. well, the dog was actually able to crawl back on to the ice, but firefighters had to step in to save the owner. it took just a few minutes to pull him to safety and he was reunited with his dog. we're told both of them are fine. a group of pilot whales stranded in a shallow waterway in florida are back out at sea this morning. 30 of them entered at low tide and couldn't get out. marine experts eventually herred them to safety but say they appear to be in poor health. all right. from greenville, south carolina, what 400 pounds of dynamite can do. the 14-story scott tower sank into a pile of rubble and cloud of smoke in a planned implosion there. the building went up in 1970 and served as housing for low-income seniors until structural flaws were

found there three years ago. a new project will be built in its place. that's a perfect implosion, by the way. >> uh-huh. >> it's perfect. look at the two sides. they kiss each other on the way down. >> really cool. they couldn't have planned it better. >> all thanks to that demolition expert there. all right. this morning, being called the most important alarm clock in the entire solar system, we're talking about the rosetta satellite, 500 million miles from earth is waking up and will begin chasing down and trying to land on a comet. did you get all that? the hope rosetta will help us understand and unlock some of the most important secrets of our solar system. two top u.s. athletes could soon make olympic history. lolo jones and lori williams have just been chosen to be part of the olympic bobsled team going to sochi. they will become the ninth and tenth americans to compete in both the summer and winter versions of the games. jones and williams were track and field competitors before they started training on the bobsled. all right, broncos quarterback peyton manning celebrating more than just the afc title this morning. >> he earned nearly $25,000 for

his at risk youth foundation each time he shouted "omaha" before the snap. there it is. eight companies based in the city of omaha teamed up to make the donation. manning won't say exactly what it means, only that it's a key part of his playcalling. >> pretty cool. all that money. keep on saying it. now a closer look at the playcalling. >> "sportscenter's" steve levi has the highlights from yesterday's games. >> good morning, i'm steve levy. finally after five long nfl months, we have our super bowl xlviii matchup in new jersey. it'll be the broncos and the seahawks. here's how they got there. first in denver against the patriots, peyton manning fakes the handoff, rolling out, finds jacob tamme open. touch much down. denver had a 7-0 lead. seven minutes off the clock. manning to thomas.

here are the patriots inside the denver 30. terrance knighton gets through. manning 400 yard, two touchdowns no picks and broncos win by ten. they'll represent the afc. as for the nfc, 49ers and seahawks. fourth quarter tied at 10. colin kaepernick buys himself some time and throwing, anquan boldin, touchdown, niners up, 17-10. it's 17-13. seattle on fourth and seven. 49ers jump offsides, free play. they don't need it. russell wilson to jermaine kearse. the decals pay off. seahawks, 20-17. kaepernick for michael crabtree in the end zone. richard sherman knocks the pass away. malcolm smith gets the interception on the deflection. that's how the seahawks come from behind and then hang on, 23-17. for all the super bowl coverage you could possibly imagine and maybe more, check out "sportscenter," the next live show 9:00 a.m. on espn. >> steve, thanks. up next "the pulse" where we recap this weekend's award shows

including a speech by matthew mcconaughey that left a lot of people confused. and a dash cam video going viral. it's not just because of a high-speed chase or a dramatic arrest. it's all because of a kind-hearted police officer. .... i've always tried to give it my best shot. these days i'm living with a higher risk of stroke due to afib, a type of irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. at first, i took warfarin, but i wondered, "could i up my game?" my doctor told me about eliquis. and three important reasons to take eliquis instead. one, in a clinical trial, eliquis was proven to reduce the risk of stroke better than warfarin. two, eliquis had less major bleeding than warfarin. and three... unlike warfarin, there's no routine blood testing. [ male announcer ] don't stop taking eliquis unless your doctor tells you to, as stopping increases your risk of having a stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have

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time to check "the pulse" beginning with the award season on a roll. sunday night the producers guild with what never happened before. >> now, best film honor was a dead heat. "gravity" and "12 years a slave" sharing the award. on saturday at the screen actors guild awards, "american hustle" took the top award and leading actor winner matthew mcconaughey described what thrilled him about acting. >> boy, when it does and it feels like they put a blindfold on you and put you on a spaceship and you go to neptune and better have the sprockets rolling because you'll behave as a man. that is a glorious feeling. >> did you get all that, marci? >> what in the world is he talking about? >> i'm a little confused myself. all right. coming up, the oscars here on abc on march 2nd. arnold schwarzenegger turned up over the weekend in some teaser ad for a bud light super bowl commercial. >> i'm stumped on this one too. >> uh-huh. >> here is the 66-year-old arnold terminator wearing a bad wig while playing ping-pong with himself.

we're not sure how this fits into the new promotion for bud light, whatever happens, but we're told arnold collected a $3 million paycheck. i'll put on that wig for only a mill. >> ah, what a bargain. >> see, i'm telling you. >> they'll call you next time. simple game fueled by compassion is tugging on heartstrings around the globe making it our "play of the day." a texas police officer was on patrol when he spotted a young boy playing with a football all by himself. >> all right. the sergeant's dash cam was rolling. he gets out of the squad car and approaches the 10-year-old. he then proceeds to have a catch with him. he tosses the ball around on the street for a few minutes. in a facebook post the rosenberg police department wrote "while a two-minute game of football might not mean anything to some, it could mean everything," and apparently it did. you know why, because they talked to the little boy, the news crews locally and everything, and they said he's not sure if he wants to be a

football player or a police officer. how about that? huge impression. >> too cool. for some of you, your local news is next. they can see the light of a single candle. your eyes are amazing. look after them with centrum silver. multivitamins with lutein and vitamins a, c, and e to support healthy eyes and packed with key nutrients to support your heart and brain, too. centrum silver. for the most amazing parts of you. centrum silver. with freshly bakedeve in whole grain bread.right then we add all-natural eggs... lean antibiotic-free ham... and vermont white cheddar. get 16 grams of protein and 23 grams of whole grain in the breakfast power sandwich. probably wasn't talking about dollars. pretty much everybody wants to keep those. ♪ most car insurance companies know this -- because they keep yelling about it. only they don't say how they're saving those dollars.

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good monday morning. it's 4:28 on this martin luther king day. thanks for joining us. i'm kristen sze. >> i'm eric thomas. and i think we're all getting a little tired of hearing that records may fall again, temperature records that is. let's check in with mike for a look at the forecast. >> what do you want me to say? >> i want you to say there's rain headed our way. that's what i want you to say. >> i'd be lying to you, because there's not, unfortunately. so we're starting off on a great note this monday morning, aren't we? good morning, everybody. near record highs today. yeah, they're possible. we came up short in many areas by just a couple of degrees yesterday and that's kind of what we're going to be dealing with again today. here's a look at live doppler 7. you can see a few high clouds out there but that's about it. you can see the marine layer offshore and i think it's going to stay there. as we look at downtown, let's

talk about temperatures in the mid-60s to about 70 degrees, near record warmth, but a clean day. it is not a spare the air day. let's get our monday morning commute started off. >> good morning to you, everyone. hope you had a good weekend. i know that i'm a little bit sad, but let's not talk about those things, shall we? let's talk about mass transit because we are running on a holiday schedule, saturday schedule for b.a.r.t., ace and muni. so if you do need to make it to work, you'll have to check your local transit agencies and make sure they're going to be running. as we take a look at our drive time traffic, heading over to the bay bridge, we still have areas of construction on the bay bridge, both in the east and the westbound direction. we will have lanes shut down in the westbound direction until 5:00, eastbound direction until 6:00. unfortunately we do have to talk about some of those sad things, like the quest for six is going to have to wait until next season. >> the 49ers are back home in the bay area this morning after their crushing defeat against

the seattle seahawks in last night's nfc championship game. the niners, well, they muzzled their division rivals in the first half but the seahawks spo responded in the second. all pro corner, former stanford cardinal, delivered the tip. malcolm smith with the pick. richard sherman with the tip. sending seattle to the super bowl in two weeks. the niners are back in the bay area following that tough loss to the seahawks. we were all hoping for a return to the super bowl but the team can hold its head up high about its play this season. matt keller is live in santa clara with more on that. matt? >> reporter: eric, it was a tough loss after a fun season. this sign here scribbled onto this posterboard may say it all for the fans who showed up last night to welcome the 49ers back to the team headquarters. it says don't be so hard on yourselves. 49er