in the latest presidential polls. >> as the r rublicans scramble to win over undecided voters across south carolina, a new national poll shows ted cruz inching ahead of donald trump for the first time making it a statistical dead heat. >> marco rubio is holding on to third place and he's going into saturday's primary with a key endorsement from south carolina's popular governor. >> i is "your voice, your vote." we get the latest right now on the campaign trail from abc's ray raimundi starting with the republicans. >> reporter: the clash of the republican candidates now going into overdrive. the battleground, south carolina, where four of the six republican candidates participated in town hall for rums across two cable networks. attacked. >> reporter: republican front-runner donald trump all alone on msnbc where he attacked his fellow counterparts and defended his fiery temperament. >> in a year from now, people will respect what i did. you're so worried about being

what would you rather have me do, be nicic to everybody. >> reporter: over on cnn ted cruz and m mco rubio along with dr. ben carson got their chance to address questions from south carolina voters. cruz whipping out the hammer on trump after receiving a cease and desist letter. >> what did you think when you actually got the letter. >> i'll confess i laughed out loud and i don't think anyone is surprised that donald is threatening to sue anyone. >> reporter: rubio with a more personal message smiling from ear to ear from nikki haley's endorsement. >> tomorrow we'll be campaigning alongside an african-american republican senator. all three are doing that here in south carolina. >> reporter: on the democratic side, hillary clinton and bernie sanders are battling it out in nevada ahead of that state's caucuses this weekend, new polls show the race in nevada at a virtual dead heat.

nevada the democratic party is providing an unopened deck of cards at all 250 precinct locations. if there is a tie a single card, a vegas game of chance can break the tie possibly coming down to a high card draw. >> how very vegas. huge voter turnout expected there. ray, thank you. some of the repeplican hopefuls are siding with the obama administration. they think apple is wrong and refusing to hack an iphone for the fbi. >> the iphone was used by one of the san bernardino terrorists and the fbi feels it may have important data on . apple says that breaking the encryption would compromise the privacy of every iphone. the white house disagrees. >> they are not asking apple to redesign its product or to create a new back door to one of their products. they're simply asking for something that would have an impact on this one device. >> apple will appeal a federal

fbi and it could end up in the supreme court. several of the republican candidates say that apple has a valid concern but should comply. a major announcement from the white house this morning. president obama is going to cuba. sources tell abc news the historic trip is planned for next month. about 15 months after the administration began re-opening diplomatic relations with cuba. president obama will be the first president in 80 years to visit the island while in office. overnight republican presidential hopeful marco rubio calling the decision a mistake. and the president will not attend funeral services for the supreme court justice antonin scalia. the white house says the president and first lady will however pay respects tomorrow at the supreme court where scalia will lie in repose. vice president biden will attend the private funeral mass on saturday. in the meantime, retired supreme court justice sandra day o'connor is siding with

get to nomomate scalia's replacement. pope francis will be back at the vatican this morning after delivering a powerful message in mexico just yards from the u.s. border. as he wrapped up his five-day visit the pope appealed to governments to open their hearts to migrants and prayed for the thousands who died trying to reach the united states to escape poverty, violence and persecution. the mass was beamed lived across the border to 30,000 in a stadium in el paso. air strikes on isis banks in iraq and syria have destroyed more than $500 million in cash. the loss of all that cash is putting a severe strain on the terror group's finances. in fact, so much so that some isis fighters report their salaries have been cut by half. the air strikes have also taken a heavy toll on isis and its oil smuggling which provides major revenue for its operations. breaking overnight the turkish government officials now say that as syrian national was behind a car bomb attack in

least 28 people and injured dozens more. the explosion went off at a busy intersection during the height of the evening rush hour where two buses carrying military personnel weretoed at a traffic light. well, it rained in los angeles for the first time this month yesterday and will happen again. the storm system moving across the entire west coast. >> impressive system there. except for a little bit of rain in the northwest plains, that's about it for precipitation today. it'll be mild for the rest of the midwest with higher than usual temperatures but a little chilly in the east. still no rain or snow here so we'll take it. coming up a pair of health alerts for both men and women. plus, troubling news for gwyneth paltrow. the case of her alleged stalker now over. why the man was acquitted by a jury. but first baby-sitters nationwide experiencing a pay

the going rate is going up. i think when people hear about memory care they're scared, they think that it's sad. i think it's important for everyone to know that there is so much more to memory support than the stigmas you hearabout. that these residents still have lives and their lives still matter and that they are still living their lives. that they're not locked away and that they still have a lot to live for, you know, that they have people that care about them and they have people that love them and i love them, so their lives still matter.

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in southern california, a driver was crushed and killed when a transformer fell on to his pickup truck. police say he was distracted as he passed by another accident, lost control of his truck and smashed into a utility pole. two other transformers also came down causing a major power outage in the area. also in california, federal investigators now say corrosion along the exterior of a pipeline is the cause of that massive oil spill off the coast of santa barbara last year. preliminary findings indicate that the oil began gushing from a two-foot section of pipe. after pumps were shut down and restarted. those findings also note that the spill dumped nearly 143,000 gallons, that's much more than the original estimate of 100,000.

medical center in los angeles confirming it has paid about $17,000 in ransom to hackers who disabled its computer network. the ceo says that was the most efficient way to get the hospital's system running again. the hackers demanded the ransom be paid in bit coin because the online currency is difficult to trace. health alert this morning. another potential risk for women who wait until they're older to have kids. research found women who became pregnant at 40 or older were more likely to have a stroke later in life. for those women there was a 60% increase in the risk of a brain bleed. there is also a slight increase in heart disease. but experts say more research is necessary to confirm a direct link. a highly anticipated study finds testosterone gel treatment is no fountain of youth. the study revealed mostly modest improvements in the sex lives, walking strength and the mood of 800 men who participated.

researchers say their work isn't extensive enough to determine whether long-term use of testosterone gel raises the risk of heart attacks and prostate cancer as some studies indicate. and airline passengers could be in for more of a pinch than ever if planemaker airbus moves ahead with the idea. check it out. the company's diagram here for an underseat storage compartment to use it you'd obviously have to stand up, turn around and open it. but it would also severely cut down on legroom for the passenger behind you. the diagram is part of a new airbus patent application. >> okay. well, baby-sitters around the world, rejoice. on average your pay is going up. the national average for baby-sitting one child is $15.71 an hour. up 5% from last year and two children, the average rate is $18 an hour. those cosos are considerably higher and expensive cities like new york and san francisco. nearly 20% of sitters get tips

>> baby-sitters union is powerful. >> they deserve it, i have to say. >> they do. coming up lost and find, a dog finds best friends ready to help. the shocking case of police officers accused of sexual assault in their squad cars. the details just ahead. until i realized how much our digestive systems handle during winter. 90 stressful days juggling hectic schedules. over 40 meals of heavy comfort foods like baked mac & cheese. no wonder after all that our digestive systems can act up. so try the activia two week challenge! enjoying activia twice a day for two weeks may help reduce the frequency of bloating, gas, discomfort or rumbling. try it! it works in two weeks or it's free. dannon i've been claritin clear for 14 days. when your allergy symptoms start... ...doctors recommend taking one claritin every day of your allergy season... ...for continuous relief. with powerful, 24 hour... ...non-drowsy claritin, live claritin clear.

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nasty weather and strong accident.

through a pedestrian walkway in bangkok. once the ship finally stopped onlookers scrambled to take pictures. remarkably nobody on the walkway or ship suffered any injuries. it'll be pretty smooth sailing for drivers in most of the country this morning. but you may find the roads a little slippery in the northern plains. you're likely to find heavy snow on roads through the western mountains and wet road surfaces on the west coast. >> i see what you did there. smooth sailing. flying, airport delays likeliest in san francisco and los angeles. speaking of los angeles, a morning. two veteran police officers are under arrest charged with repeatedly raping four women while on duty over a three-year period. >> prosecutors say the two officers who worked as partners threatened the women with arrest if they didn't give in to their demands. the officers are set to appear in court today. the two face more than a dozen felony charges if convicted, they could be sentenced to life in prison. back on the east coast bill cosby is suing the woman whose

the lawsuit says she, her attorneys and mother as well as others broke confidentiality agreements signed more than a decade ago. the comedian has also claimed an agreement to settle her civil suit against him back then shielded him from criminal prosecution. a judge has denied his request for dismissal. a man accused of stalking gwyneth paltrow has been found not guilty despite tearful by the oscar winning actress a jury acquitted dante soiu. the 66-year-old was committed to a mental institution for sending paltrow letters and lewd messages. they saw no evidence that soiu meant to cause paltrow any harm, they say. a sponsor backlash following comments about home"home" sexuality by manny pacquiao. he said gay people are worse

nike called that ab horpts and immediately ended its relationship with pacquiao. others could follow nike's lead. two wisconsin tweens are grateful to be alive. the girls were halfway across a nearly mile-long railroad bridge when a train racac down the tracks. the bridge was not designed for pedestrians and they had nowhere to go. they survived by hanning off the trestle as the train passed. well, the family member ss -- family membered rescued was just as grateful as those girls. that's a golden retriever named skye. he fell into the 15-foot deep hole in state college, pennsylvania and was there for two nights. one firefighter climbed into the hole and got a makeshift harness in around skye and his colleagues on the surface pulled skye to safety. tail wagging and happy. >> very happy. you. yeah, a deer caught on

just a typical day browsing the aisles of a virginia liquor store. that's a smart door. pushed the door open, walked in and was quickly shown out the back door. apparently no damage done. no bottles broken. >> what was that campari he was after. >> looking for the henny. the nba gets back to business following its all-star break. highlights now from espn. i'm steve levy. one of the best rivalries if not the best in sports resumed on wednesday night. 20th ranked blue devils visiting fifth ranked north carolina and the game would not disappoint. a couple of heavyweight head coaches and then north carolina up six just over seven to go. grayson allen smothered at the rim by justin jackson. we go the other way, jackson crashing the glass and the put- put-back. eight and coach k wants to talk it over. duke would come back, down two. luke kennard corner three.

ten seconds left. north carolina had three time-outs, didn't use any of them. joel berry is blocked by derek thornton and that's the way this one ends. duke wins at north carolina by a single point. meanwhile, buddy heald, number three oklahoma visiting texas tech. just over two minutes to play. texas tech is down four. toddrick gotcher got that three. cuts it to one. here's oklahoma. keenan evans coming up with a texas tech steal, run of the floor and the bucket, red raiders up one. 14 seconds to go. oklahoma is down two. eisai yeah cousins on the drive trying for the lob to khadeem lattin off the mark. texas tech completes the upset and the fans rush the court. as they often do. that'll do it for us. be sure to tune in 7:00 a.m. eastern time for a fresh look at the night that was in sports on the one and only espn "sportscenter."

>> well, coming up, the power ball winning couple finally stepping forward and what they'll be spending their winnings on first. kanye west's latest outburst and who he's comparing himself to now.id arthritis like me, and you're talking to a rheumatologist about a biologic... this is humira. this is humira helping to relieve my pain and protect my joints from further damage. this is humira helping me reach for more. doctors have been prescribing humira for more than ten years. humira works for many adults. it targets and helps to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancersrs including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb,

or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. talk to your doctor and visit humira.com. this is humira at work. i've been on my feel all day. i'm bushed! yea me too.. excuse me...coming through! ride the gel wave of comfort with dr. scholls massaging gel insoles. they're proven to give you comfort. which helps you feel more energized ...all day long. i want what he has. so my kids don't have to forage, got two jobs to pay a mortgage, and i've also got a brain. life's short, talk is cheap. i'll be working while you sleep. still don't think i've got a brain? you think a resume's enough?

don't you want that kind of brain? a degree is a degree. you're gonna want someone like me. but only if you have a brain. time now to check "the pulse" starting with kanye west unplugged. >> it's been a busy week for kanye taking credit for taylor swift's claim and claims to be $53 million in debt and now we're hearing his backstage before his appearance on "snl." >> in the recording from "the new york post" we hear him threatening to leave the show and comparing himself to a saint. bro, by 50% stanley kubrick, apostle paul, picasso, [ bleep ]

by 50% more influential than any other human being. >> sources tell tmz kanye did eventually speak with "snl" executive producer lorne michaels who decided to put the set back together. >> whoa. crisis averted. there. the florida winners of last month's huge powerball jackpot realize that their lives will never be the same. the total jackpot was $1.6 billion. >> their share is more than half a billion dollars. although with a lump sum payment it is a mere 328 million before taxes and before coming forward they sought legal advice and established a trust for the money. >> they're still working on what's next. >> we're not going to go party, no. >> we're still going to live the same lives basically. i mean my truck is about to fall apart so i do need a vehicle. >> he'll retire and that's what

>> retirement, a new truck. pretty good. >> good ideas. >> the couple told no one they were holding on to the winning ticket. he by the way is 55. she's 70. they've been married since 1980 and can you believe this, they won with the numbers they've been playing nearly all the time. apparently she's a big lotto fan. >> yeah, she is and a fan of young men, as well, 19 when he got married to her. finally, a real mystery that has the neighbors in the suburb of portland, oregon, completely baffled. their question what exactly is causing this noise. [ screeching noise ] >> well, they've been hearing that loud shriek for the last couple of weeks. >> wow. >> several possible culprits have already been ruled out including trains on the track, water in gas lines, even wildlife. >> one resident says she thinks someone needs to get their car's brakes checked. the mystery does continue. >> see, i just don't know what

figure out what that sound is. >> it's annoying. >> all right. more news after this.pain, these feet served my country, carried the weight of a family, and walked a daughter down the aisle. but i couldn't bear my diabetic nerve pain any longer. so i talked to my doctor and he prescribed lyrica. nerve damage from diabetes causes diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is fda approved to treat this pain. from moderate to even severe diabetic nerve pain. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling or blurry vision. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs, and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you knkn how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. now i have less diabetic nerve pain.

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our top stories on this thursday morning for the first time ted cruz has a slight lead over donald trump in a national poll. marco rubio came in third as he picked up an endorsement from south carolina governor nikki haley ahead of saturday's primary there. and as part of his program to re-establish ties with cuba, president obama will go there next month, only one other president has visited cuba while in office and that was calvin coolidge back in 1928. and by the end of today pitchers and catchers for most major league baseball teams will have officially opened spring training. for those counting there's just day. and today's weather, sunny but chilly in the east, very warmer, though, than usual in the midwest. well, it doesn't matter what the weather conditions are, you can always count on your postal carrier to get the job done.

elements that give him the hardestttime. birds can apparently give him a tough time too. wabc's kimberly richardson explains. >> some people hear roosters. we wake up to it. >> reporter: it seems wild turkeys rule here in this picturesque cul-de-sac in hillsdale. if you shoo, them leave, right? >> no, they don't run. >> reporter: which is why we were here in the first place. >> it's ridiculous. >> reporter: helen is talking about what happened after wild turkeys, yes, we found them, surrounded a letter carrier's truck on tuesday. he was so upset, couldn't get out and called his boss for help. the postmaster dialed 911. this is the actual call. >> you're not going to believe this but i got a carrier that's being attacked by wild turkeys, won't let him deliver the mail. >> reporter: here on he practice nad drive, he wasn't attacked rather surrounded.

substitute and while folks got a really good laugh about this, they do admit the birds can be intimidating. >> i don't want to judge anybody. especially if you're not used to it. we're used to it. we see them every day. >> reporter: helen watches from her window. >> summer we don't see them. they're out there swimming or -- >> reporter: to be clear this isn't a 100% positive i.d. the gang we just spotted may not be the same one that stopped that mail carrier in his tracks. my gut tells me it is. >> my truck is in the driveway, they always peck at it. they don't peck at the metal part, just the tires they don't like. >> reporter: something tells me that mail carrier will proceed with caution next time he's here. in hillsdale. >> we've got loads of deer here also. >> reporter: we'll get to them next week. kimberly richardson channel 7, eyewitness news. >> we know where to go for thanksgiving dinner. >> there you go.

>> stay with us for "good morning america," everyone. this adorable panda at a research facility in china has mastered the tuck and roll move. watch as the bear demonstrates the move on a gentle, sloping hill. 3 3 good morning... 3 it's .... thursday, february 18-th i'm holly headrick. and i'm jay siltzer good morning. here is a look at current conditions across the region. your day planner shows temperatures warming by noon. coming up, i'll show you our 7- day forecast for both the mountains and upstate. 3 3 3

3 asheville police are investigating a motorcycle crash. it happened at the intersection of hendersonville road and airport road around 10:30 last night. witnesses say the motorcycle rider was speeding and looked confused. they say he was not wearing a helmet. we will bring you more on this developing story once details are released today. 3 3 we are learning new information in an asheville murder case. 9-1-1 calls were released, along with new court documents.(911 calls emailed to kelsay)255 eoc5-15i'm at 56 central. i just went to put some trash in the dumpster. there's some blood and there's someone in there. that call was made to police friday after the discovery of 62-year-old tina kessinger's