stay tuned for "carson daly." thanks for watching, have a great night, hope to see you tomorrow! bye bye! [ cheers and applause ] ♪ ♪ this morning on "early today", a santorum sweep. rick santorum pulls off an unlikely double primary victory in the deep south. surprising survey. new poll numbers uncover at least one reason why americans would be willing to endure higher prices at the pump. and historic finish. a 25-year-old becomes the youngest musher to win the fabled iditarod doing shred youngest musher to win the fabled iditarod doing shred race. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello and good morning. i'm lynn berry.

welcome to our viewers across the nation, including the pacific time zone. i'm lynn berry. today we begin with a surprise win. before alabama and mississippi voted yesterday, not a single major poll had rick santorum in the lead. but last night he did win the republican primary races in both states. in alabama, santorum came in with 35% of the vote. while newt gingrich and mitt romney each got 29%. in mississippi, santorum eeked out a closer victory with 33%. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more on what this means for newt gingrich and mitt romney. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. despite what the polls were telling us maybe this should have been no surprise rick santorum won both stays because they are packed with evangelical voters, and that's his crowd. >> we did it again. >> reporter: rick santorum won mississippi with a third of the vote and alabama with 35%. speaking from louisiana, where

he promised another big win next week, santorum hinted newt gingrich should drop out of the race. >> the time is now for conservatives to pull together. the time is now to make sure, to make sure that we have the best chance to win this election. >> reporter: gingrich came in second in both states and gave no indication he's quitting. instead, he focused on mitt romney's failure to win the conservative southern vote. >> if you're the front-runner, if you're the front-runner and you keep coming in third, you're not much of a front-runner. >> the elite media's effort to convince the nation that mitt romney is inevitable just collapsed. >> reporter: romney didn't give a speech last night. in a statement he congratulated santorum and claimed delegates from mississippi and alabama put him closer to the nomination. romney is focused on missouri. santorum won missouri's nonbinding primary last month but romney said straw polls don't count.

>> we didn't participate as a campaing in iowa straw poll or florida straw poll. but when the delegates are at stake, that's when we go to work. >> reporter: just this morning they finished tallying the votes in hawaii. we won with just over a third of the vote. santorum came in second. interestingly, ron paul came in three. newt gingrich was last. >> tracie potts for us in washington. thank you. well, defense secretary leon panetta is in afghanistan this morning. panetta is starting an unannounced two-day visit in the wake of the shooting of 16 afghan civilians. more information is now emerging about the u.s. soldier accused in the killings. when a military search party found the staff sergeant, who still hasn't been identified, and asked about the shooting he said, "i did it." the soldier had reportedly been having marital problems and recently got a troubling letter or e-mail from his wife. president obama promises a complete investigation of the

killings, saying the u.s. will treat the case as seriously as if american citizens have been murdered. a new poll shows most americans would support u.s. military action against iran's nuclear program. the reuters/ipsis poll found 56% of americans say they would back u.s. military strikes if there was evidence iran was trying to build a nuclear weapon. and 62% of respondents said they would support israel if it took military actions against iran for that reason. and when people were asked about supporting an attack even if it led to higher gas prices, 53% said they would. now here's a look at other stories making news early today in america. an ohio police officer is under investigation after his own dashboard camera showed him yanking a woman out of her mini van, throwing her to the ground, and kneeling on her before arresting her. the alleged crime, running a stop sign. the officer later said he was trying to calm the situation after being pushed.

but prosecutors say the woman didn't even have a chance to act disorderly. in california, video shows a thief cleaning out store shelves filled with tide laundry detergent. the man loaded a shopping cart with nine bottles of the soap worth nearly $200. this is all part of a growing nationwide trend. in maryland, a mooving mystery. some decorated large concrete statues of cows that stand outside the state department of agriculture in honor of st. patrick's day. in past they have been dressed for christmas or to back the baltimore ravens. finally, a new orleans mom is making her 13-year-old girl wear a tee-shirt that reads, "hide your money, hide your clothes, hide everything because i'm a thief," after she was arrested for shoplifting. the girl said she now understands the punishment is being done out of love. tough love.

now for a look at your national and regional weather, here is nbc meteorologist bill karins. he rules with an iron fist as well. the 2-year-olds aren't getting anything past him. he stands outside your home. i cry too much. >> i gave up. lynn, about two hours ago we actually had an earthquake off the coast of japan. i want to update on that. there was no tsunami formed bit earthquake. 6.8. it was shallow depths. it wasn't quite strong enough. the tsunami advisory that was in effect for areas of japan and the coastline was only about two feet high, half a meter was the official advisory. so, again, tokyo and sendai. this was the location we had the big ones a year ago. that's why it got people's attention. usually 6.8 magnitude, anywhere in the sixes, happens 134 times during the year around the globe. it's not that big.

the big one that occurred was about an 8.0. those happen once a year. a big difference in the magnitude 6.8 and 8.0. west coast, rain moving through from san francisco to sacramento. low snow levels in the cascades, sierras. another chunk of moisture later today, tonight. more heavy rain is likely for the coastline of oregon. a chilly, damp weather pattern, very much like we expected over the winter months. of course now we're getting here in march. so the forecast for today, again, moisture comes in through the northwest and the coastline areas. as we go throughout the day, especially the afternoon and evening, snow levels relatively low. look at that. 58 in san francisco. more wet as we head towards

the weekend, los angeles marathon is on sunday. all eyes on that for rain. looks like one storm after another while the rest of the country is warm and beautiful. >> sorry, everyone. sorry. bill, thanks so much >> coming up, stocks surge, ganging up on china, and the end of an informational era. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, tough guy actor, sensitive director and now reality tv star? coming up, double overtime between the lakers and grizzlies. the craziest hockey goal of the year, and march madness begins with two remarkable comebacks. you're watching "early today."

good morning, and welcome back to "early today." i'm lynn berry. here are some of your top headlines this morning. the u.s. is reportedly considering giving the russians some secret data on american interceptor missiles in an effort to help protect europe from a missile attack by iran.

the possible deal would have russian radar stations participate in the european missile defense system. israel has made military strikes against gaza as the cease-fire along their border appears to be threatened. the attacks caused some damage but no serious casualties. in the swiss alps, 28 people were killed when a bus crushed into a wall in the mountains near the italian border. 22 of the dead are children from belgium returning from a school ski trip. five adults also died, just terrible. two dozen other students were injured in the accident. the world's tallest man has finally stopped growing at 8'3". doctors in virginia used surgery and medication to stop the excess production of growth hormones that made him a giant.

in alaska, dallas sevey is the youngest winner ever of the iditarod shred dog race. the 25-year-old covered 1,100 miles from anchorage to nome in just over nine days. >> and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 13,177 after zooming up 217 points yesterday. the s&p jumped 24 points. the nasdaq spiked 56. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo, the nikkei climbed 151 points, but in hong kong the hang seng lost 31. more signs of financial recovery and confidence gave markets their biggest gains of the year tuesday. a late day surge was sparked by jpmorgan chase announcing it will raise its dividend and buy back as much as $15 billion worth of stock. after the bell, all but four of 19 major u.s. banks got a clean bill of health from the federal reserve and permission to boost incentives. investors dumped shares of citigroup in late trade after

learning the nation's third largest bank was among those that did not pass the fed's stress tests. >> economic optimism pushed the nasdaq above 3,000 since the dot com bubble burst in 2000. earlier news that the fed predicted unemployment will continue falling adding to optimism a healthy increase in february's retail sales. urban outfitters was the exception, losing 5% on a weak earnings report. yesterday the u.s. asked the world trade organization to force china to ease restrictions on exports of raw materials. china's state-run news agency warned the move could trigger a backlash. former news international exec rebekah brooks was arrested and released on bail for the second time yesterday in connection with an ongoing phone hacking scandal at the defunct london tabloid. back here at home, the securities and exchange

commission charged two ameriprise financial advisers with insider trading one of them announced through alcoholics anonymous. finally, the end of an era. ed publisher of then khraoeu khroe bead ya britannica said the 2010 print edition of the iconic 32-volume set will be its last. coming up, orlando uses dwight howard's magic while they still can. lakers win in double overtime. and a pinball machine hockey goal. plus, byu makes comeback history in the first round of the ncaa basketball tournament. your early morning sports headlines are ahead. i'm here to remind everyone this is officially the last week of winter. it's not going to feel like it of course. your forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today".

good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." and in sports, last night march madness kicked off in style with two big comeback victories. here's nbc's fred roggin with an early look at all your sports headlines. good morning. this is what march madness is all about. no lead was safe as the tournament kicked off with two incredible comebacks. dayton, ohio, always a special event when the president and prime minister are on hand. mississippi state up 16. western kentucky came storming back. end of the game on a 22-5 run.

hilltoppers moved on with a stunning 59-58 win and will play top-ranked kentucky tomorrow. if you like that comeback, you'll like this. byu down 25 to iona and somehow, some way rallied the win. cougars clawed their way back in the second half and won 76-70. they have marquette next. nba, bucs and warriors pulled off the first big trade before tomorrow's deadline. milwaukee sent jackson to golden state for shooting guard ellis. dwight howard a member of the magic. he led orlando to an overtime win against miami. 24 points and 21 boards, the eighth time he had 20 and 20 this season. magic won it in overtime, 104-98. lakers and grizzlies didn't need just one overtime, they needed two. like the magic, they got a huge night from their big man. andrew bynum, season high 27. they won in double o.t., 116-111. nfl, with all eyes on peyton

manning, the chicago bears landed a pro bowl wide receiver. they traded for brandon marshall. finally, wild goal from the caps/islanders game. follow the bouncing puck. the shot was tipped. hit the boards behind the net, off the goalie's stomach and in. without a doubt, one of the strangest goals you will ever see. islanders could have used a few more of them. they lost it, 5-4. that's your early look at sports on "early today." i'm fred roggin. "early today" sports is brought to you by touch of gray. get rid of some gray, never all. what demi moore can't kick, and ochocinco spends ocho thousands on fans. your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, looking for something more than just your average american home? how about a whole town? you're watching "early today."

welcome back to "early today". we are watching another storm system moving on shore in the northwest. we have seen the moisture continuing through central california. san francisco to sacramento, tahoe, we're dealing with rain and snow at the highest elevations. temperatures are chilly too compared to the rest of the country. you're paying for the great weather everywhere else. even into tomorrow, not a lot of changes. we keep it dry for now in l.a. and san diego. it could change this weekend. if you're watching nbc 11 in san

jose, experience dream-like landscapes at wonderland at the san jose museum of art. that's your pacific event of the day. >> bill, thank you so much. now here's a look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. now that she is reportedly finished rehab, a report says demi moore has one more habit she needs to kick. that would be ashton kutcher. chicago sun times reports while kutcher made it clear he's moved on with his life, moore is said to be obsessed with winning him back. the report says friends, her daughter, and even ex-husband bruce willis have all tried to make her realize kutcher isn't coming back. elsewhere, tmz reports nfl receiver chad ochocinco sent out a tweet monday night offering a dinner to the first 200 people that showed up at sylvia's soul food restaurant in harlem. he spent 8,000 bucks on ribs, fried chicken, mac and cheese and red velvet cupcakes. i'm following him on twitter. finally e! network announced tuesday, of all people, clint

eastwood and family are coming to reality tv. mrs. eastwood and company will feature dina eastwood, clint's wife since 1996, their 15-year-old daughter morgan and 18-year-old francesca, eastwood's daughter with actress frances fisher. interesting. this comes to us from kusa, 9 news in denver, colorado, in buford, wyoming the whole town can be yours for a price. it's america's smallest town, population one and it's now up for auction. after moving from los angeles 30 years ago, he's retiring and heading elsewhere. asking price for the one-time railroad town which includes a gas station and three bedroom home, is going to start at just $100,000. quite the bargain. i'm lynn berry, and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

zookeepers and onlookers give a warm welcome to new polar friends. three polar bear cubs seem to be hogging all the attention these days at the moscow zoo. although the triplets were born in november they've just been able to romp and wrestle outside for all the viewers to enjoy. caregivers hope for continued success with their breeding program in an attempt to help the threatened species. thrillseekers in south africa are getting up close and personal with some massive predators. a wildlife ranch is offering a chance to go diving with enormous crocodiles. the risky ride is taken inside a

reinforced steel cage thankfully where visitors can explore the animals on land and under water. park officials say people from around the world are lining up for the experience. finally, the world's toughest hotel in london is modeled after a very unlikely landmark. at hotel alcatraz, guests must check in at exactly 6:30 p.m. they're given prison uniforms and have their mug shots taken. they spend their stay in a jail cell, watered and fed like a real inmate at the famed san francisco prison. the hotel conveniently coincides with the launch of a tv series about the prison. i don't know if that would be motivation to go except for someone like me. i don't know if you know but i have a fascination with prisons. >> i don't get people like you. i have no urge to go there. the least place i would ever want to go. >> i don't know if i want to stay, maybe go, stay for one night. just one night. >> i don't get you, lynn berry. time now for an early look

at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day here on nbc. the woman with whitey bulger during his 16 years on the run from authorities will be in a federal courthouse in boston where she reported will plead guilty to several charges as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. former illinois governor blagojevich will hold a final news conference before beginning a 14-year sentence for corruption. president obama and wife michelle host a state dinner in honor of prime minister david cameron and his wife samantha. all day long, you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories and others as they break on msnbc. and tonight be sure to watch brian williams with nbc "nightly news." and, finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. david gregory and chuck todd size up the gop race after rick santorum's winning night in the south. and actor george clooney talks with ann about the charitable causes that brought him to some of the world's most dangerous places. now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of

the day today on your nbc station. the day today on your nbc station. have a good one. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com