making news in america this morning, some harrowing, new details. >> the couple taken hostage by christopher dorner is telling their story. they say they were kept at gun point and were sure they would be killed. also, the end is finally near for 4,200 people on that cruise ship in the gulf. we have a bird's-eye view of the ship expected back in port today. and oscar pistorius is under arrest for shooting his girlfriend. and miss america is on the move again. the pageant is leaving las vegas for a more traditional home. good morning, everybody.

happy valentine's day, as well. there are plenty of new details this morning about what's believed to be the last hours of suspected cop-killer christopher dorner's life. >> police say they did not purposefully set fire to the cabin where it's thought he died. and now, we've heard from the couple that dorner held hostage. >> did you think he was going to kill you then? >> not -- well -- >> when he had me laying on the ground, i really did. >> jim and karen reynolds have a harrowing tale to tell. >> he had his gun drawn the whole time. >> had the gun drawn. >> did you know it was him? >> oh, yes. as soon as i saw him. >> yes. >> extension cords. >> tied it around -- >> put pillowcases over our head. and through the mouth. around the back. >> reporter: the couple was able to untie themselves after dorner left. that's when they called 911 on a cell phone jim rends managed to stuff in a couch. that's all that's left of a cabin where the massive manhunt

for dorner came to an end. >> we believe the investigation is over at this point. we cannot absolutely positively confirm it's him. >> reporter: tests are being done on the body that was found inside the burned-out cabin. also, the san bernadino sheriff's department has identified its deputy believed to be one of dorner's victims. jeremiah mackay was 35, with a young daughter and son. and it was a farewell for officer michael crain. dorner is accused of gunning him down a week ago. >> every day got better. every day, we renewed our love. and i knew how much he loved me. >> and one, final note. the los angeles police department says it's unlikely that its $1 million reward will be paid to anyone. that's because dorner was not captured or convicted. the other big story we're following for you this morning, the fate of that crippled cruise

ship, "triumph." passengers and crew will arrive on solid ground today, after drifting in slum-like conditions since sunday when the ship first lost power. here's abc's matt gutman. >> reporter: stranded at sea. it is the holiday from hell for more than 4,000 aboard. brett's wife, bethany, is aboard. they spoke briefly before the phone cut out. >> all you hear on the phone calls is crying. >> reporter: with scant news from the ship or passengers, we flew 100 miles from shore to find the "triumph." carnival dispatched a third tow ship to get the ship to bart. >> we've seen boats out here and rigs. as far as cruise ships in distress, no. >> reporter: we saw no visible damage. but we did see curious passengers on deck, looking up at us.

deck chairs seem to have been converted into beds. but sleeping outside will be increasingly miserable during the voyage's final hours in the cold rain. for three days, not a single carnival cruise line representative appeared publicly. until president gerry cahill spoke tuesday. >> we're very, very sorry about what's taking place. >> reporter: this is the third time in a month this very ship has had engine trouble. "the triumph" had to limp back to port on its two previous voyages. the port of mobile is dealing with the delicate task of docking the boat. and the most delicate maneuver, for carnival, disembarking the passengers. the holiday that wasn't. matt gutman, abc news, mobile, alabama. a showdown in the senate is looming over president obama's choice of the next defense secretary. democratic leaders are expected to force a vote on the nomination of chuck hagel tomorrow. some republicans say they'll vote no unless the white house provides more information on the

benghazi attack. but hagel is expected to get the 60 votes needed for approval. and there's a delay in the vote to confirm john brennan as head of cia. the top democratic lawmaker is demanding more details about deadly drone strikes against terror targets. last week, brennan defended the strikes in his confirmation testimony. but also said he welcomed more discussion on the controversial program. meanwhile, the military has approved a new medal for members involved in drone strikes and cyber warfare. the new distinguished warfare medal outranks the bronze star, which is the fourth-highest medal for valor. and is usually awarded for heroic action on the battlefield. it recognizes the current realities of war. another drug tunnel between the u.s. and mexico has been shut down. this one discovered in southern arizona. police say the crude, hand-dug tunnel is about 68 feet long and 2 feet wide. more than 1,200 pounds of pot

was found inside. with that, a look at weather across the country on this valentine's day morning. south florida could see some thunderstorms. the rest of the east coast should be pretty pleasant. atlanta and new orleans dry out after four days of rain. ski resorts in the northern rockies get another foot of snow. >> temperatures in the northeast are leaning more towards spring than winter. boston in the mid-40s. warmer-than-usual in the southwest, with dallas close to 70. if you want a warm valentine's day, head to miami. it's 82 degrees. >> not a bad call. that's a sexy city. not a bad holiday. they've been staying out of the spotlight for a week. but today, the winners of virginia's $217 million powerball jackpot are coming forward. >> the lucky ticket was bought at a self-service lottery machine at richmond's airport, which means that the winner could have -- could have been anywhere. but it turns out that they were nearby all along. a virginia couple. >> that's a lot of roses.

>> a lot of money. >> enjoy it. coming up, the most dependable cars on the road. the new rankings that are just out. and they're making official today a major merger in the airline industry. but what does it mean to travelers? plus, some disappointing news for all the lady gaga's little monsters. she will not be on the stage again anytime soon.

welcome back, everybody. it is clear skies for another airline megamerger. we are expecting an announcement today that american airlines and u.s. airways will join, creating

the world's largest carrier. their boards approved the deal just yesterday. consolidation in the airline industry has created bigger, healthier companies. but it's also likely to mean higher fares on some routes and less service for small cities. a survey finds that cars are more dependable than ever. but some are better than others. j.d. power and associates ranked lexus first, porsche second, and lincoln third. two-thirds of the brands did better than in previous years. and although japanese autos had the edge, american makes are closing the gap. monster energy drinks are now food, not dietary supplements. the change in labeling on its cans means monster has to meet different federal guidelines. the labels will show ingredients and the caffeine contend. there's been questions in recent years about safety. as the largest maker of emergency drinks in the u.s., monster's move puts pressure on its competitors to do the same. we have a firm date for the

cool ranch doritos tacos at taco bell. the announcement made on facebook with these pictures. just about a year after the first doritos tacos went on sale, nacho cheese. that was the most successful product launch ever for taco bell. whose cheese? >> nacho cheese. >> we laugh at dumb things in the morning. tourism in atlantic city, the miss america pageant is returning to the boardwalk. >> that came as a surprise to the las vegas convention and visitors authority, which hosted the pageant for seven years. a formal announcement about the move is set for today. >> hmm. maybe i'll go this year. >> hi. when we come back, that breaking news about the blade runner. he's under arrest this morning for a death in his house. and the nation's top college

hoops team trying to avoid even more upsets this season. which was the latest to fall? ♪ i woke up to a new day ♪ every little thing gonna go my way ♪ [ female announcer ] we've added a touch of philadelphia cream cheese to our kraft natural shredded cheese so you can bring a creamier melt to any morning. ♪

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tyson grilled & ready chicken. made with all white meat, 98% fat free, and fully cooked. we'll take care of dinner, you take care of everything else. heavy rain and flooding in albany, georgia, caused this giant sink hole to open up. there was nothing close by and no major damage. for a look at your morning road conditions. it could be slippery around detroit with a few snowshowers. i-95 in south florida could be wet due to some thunderstorms later today. also, some light snow in the dakotas. and rainy around seattle and portland. >> and it's a good day for air travel with delays a possibility only in miami and chicago. and there is breaking news overnight from south africa about that country's most famous athlete. >> this is the gated community where oscar pistorius lives.

he is in custody after his girlfriend was shot to death by a burglar. there is speculation it may have been a valentine surprise gone wrong. pistorius was the first double-amputee to run in the olympics and reach the semifinal in the london games. our team in south africa will have the latest coming up on "good morning america." >> lots of questions there. a surprising, new government study finds the morning-after pill is more popular than ever before. about 11% of women say they've used plan b emergency contraception. that's up 4% from a decade ago. researchers believe the pill's increased popularity is because its easier to get. only girls younger than 17 need a prescription. lady gaga fans are disappointed this morning after a hip injury forced her to cancel the rest of her born this way tour. on tuesday, gaga announced she would postpone four dates. but tests on wednesday reveal she has a tear in her hip and will require surgery. the 26-year-old tweeted that

after her last performance, she couldn't walk. and she still can't walk. two years after a crazed gunman nearly claimed her life, former congresswoman gabby giffords is showing just how far she's come. giffords is featured in the new issue of "vogue" magazine, locking eyes with her husband, former astronaut, mark kelly. in the article, the couple talks about her push for gun control, one of the reasons they attended tuesday's state of the union address. president obama's trip to south carolina left some of his supporters in a state of confusion. the president said he would stop by a nearby restaurant to get barbecue on his way to the airport. crowds rushed to the restaurant to get a glimpse of him. but the motorcade went to the restaurant's other location. they have a souvenir to prove it. >> never pass up north carolina barbecue, no matter what. it has been a season of upsets, of course, in men's college basketball. last night, number six, syracuse, lost to unranked

uconn. as for the top two, highlights, now, from espn. >> welcome to your "sportscenter" update. i'm jorge andres. camden indoor going crazy. duke and unc. we pick it up. the filthy jam. nine points, eight boards for him. later, getting the steal. leggetts it back. draining the three. tar heels up ten. the filthy jam. 18 points, 12 boards for him. second half, doing work beyond the arc. duke with the first lead of the game. later, no-good "j." but again, 11 points in the contest. duke up by eight. a few minutes later, once more. this time, with the right

jumper. his 14th double-double in the game. 73-68. how about number one, indiana, taking on nebraska in big ten action. early second half is where we pick it up. finding christian wonford for the filthy jam. hoosiers up. for the filthiest 2 of his 13 on the night. and under eight minutes to go, cody zeller, the big hands doing work. 16 points, 12 boards for him. indiana, they win it, 76-47. that was your espn "sportscenter" update. i'm jorge andres. you guys have a good day. also, arkansas beat auburn last night. but it hardly mattered to one auburn student. >> check out steven bass hitting a half-court shot at halftime. that was good enough to earn the sophomore from tennessee $5,000

toward his tuition. your parents deeply thank you, steven. not bad. the u.s. parks service is more than a little embarrassed this morning after a contractor mistakenly cut down a perfectly healthy 100-plus-year-old tree. yikes. >> the tree was planted during the 1880s in downtown washington, d.c. it was not far from a sickly ash tree that was supposed to be removed. >> i've been working in that building on the sixth floor for 14 years and looking down on this tree. it's one of the most beautiful trees in d.c., i think. and i was just shocked. >> pretty incomprehensible how something like this can happen. we don't know how this can happen. we're working with the company to possibly seek damages. >> they say an investigation is now under way. >> hate when that happens. up next, "the pulse." our friend and colleague, robin roberts, talks about her recovery. and this guy, not quite

hanging ten. only because of what he's wearing while riding the waves. [ female announcer ] going to sleep may be easy, but when you wake up in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported.

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welcome back, everybody. time to check "the pulse," this morning, the stories you will be talking about today. just days before she returns to the "gma" anchor chair, our beloved robin roberts is gracing the cover of "people" magazine. there she is, radiant as ever. robin opened up about her recovery from a bone marrow transplant a few months back. telling the magazine, there were times she really felt she was dying. >> as we saw in her test run at "gma" last month, robin truly looks absolutely amazing. and she says she's feeling stronger and stronger as each day passes. she returns to the air next wednesday.

and it couldn't happen soon enough. >> everyone on the show and in this building, happy to see her back. that's for sure. welcome back. >> deserves all of the welcome she's getting. >> strong lady. >> that's for sure. call it cupid's curse on this valentine's day. the list of america's least faithful cities is now out. and maybe a few surprises. coming in third, houston is one of the country's meccas for -- >> why houston? it has to be somewhere where -- no one's going to find you there. >> it's a big city, though. who knows? >> second, also in the lone star state, austin. >> don't mess with texas. but messing around in texas is just fine. ♪ all my exes live in texas >> now, i know why. >> and topping the list, the nation's capital. washington, d.c. was listed the at least-faithful city for the second-consecutive year. >> that's not how you want to be

known. >> a bipartisan agreement on some things. when you think of water skiing, this is probably not what comes to mind. >> check out chuck patterson, hanging ten near santa barbara with the wrong equipment. he strapped on skis to ride the 30-foot waves, using the poles to help maintain his balance. patterson is believed to be the first person to ever attempt wave skiing. >> get that. now, once he lets go of the rope from the jet ski, he can hit speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. he's moving on those things. >> i have a hard time -- i have a hard time standing on water on anything. but two, tiny, little poles? >> brave folks. hard to imagine what's going through his mind. but guys who love it. they get out there and adore that stuff. the level of coordination and balance, i don't have. >> far beyond my pay grade. >> well done, dude. for some of you, your local

news is coming up next. >> for everyone else, we'll be right back on this valentine's day. [ ding ] oh, that's helpful! well, our company does that, too. actually, we invented that. it's like a sauna in here. helping you save, even if it's not with us -- now, that's progressive! call or click today. no mas pantalones! new honey bunches of oats greek yohere we go.ole grain. honey cornflakes and chunks of greek yogurt. cc1: i feel healthy. new honey bunches of oats greek. and i'm really happy that you're in my life, too. it's just like yours, mom! [ jane ] behind every open heart is a story. tell yours with my open hearts collection at kay jewelers. keep your heart open and love will always find its way in. ♪ every kiss begins with kay

updating the top stories. the husband and wife held hostage by christopher dorner say they thought he was going to kill them. jim and karen reynolds say in the end, though, dorner only took their car. the crippled carnival cruise ship, "triumph," is set to arrive in mobile, alabama. more than 4,000 passengers and crew have been stranded since sunday without power. and olympian oscar pistorius has been arrested after possibly shooting his girlfriend. pleasant on the east coast. south florida could see thunderstorms. warmer-than-usual in the center of the country. rainy in the pacific northwest, with some snow ahead for the northern rockies. and finally on this valentine's day, nothing says romance like a prenup. >> oh. and you won't believe what some

couples are putting in writing for their not so happily ever after. here's stacy stagger from our new york station. >> reporter: we talk a lot about the secret to a happy marriage. well, to some couples, it's no secret at all. in fact, it's spelled out here in black and white. >> it's all done with love. >> reporter: toni manties and her fiance have a prenup agreement that's nontraditional. >> the reason for it is to stay healthy. >> reporter: toni is not supposed to gain a certain amount of weight. and neither is gregg. >> if we were to get divorced, she gets an extra $10,000. and it's reciprocal if she goes over a certain weight. >> reporter: lest you think it's shallow, gregg added another clause. if you go over 190, she can have sex with whoever she wants? >> be my guest. it's my problem. >> reporter: and toni gets

something else, two date nights a month. >> it's a guideline. a fun guideline. >> i don't dislike my mother-in-law. but there were times when i would prefer not to be there. >> reporter: his lawyer says the lifestyle clauses in prenups aren't that all uncommon anymore, especially with the divorce rate being so high. >> it's a good opportunity to ask ourselves, what are the little pet peeves we might have on the front end? or even charming, endearing quirks that, down the road, might make me want to jump out of a window. >> reporter: but when is it all too much? >> after these two cats are gone, i don't want anymore. >> reporter: some say love is blind, marriage, a leap of faith. others, hoping for marital bliss. but entering into it with their eyes wide-open. i'm stacey sager, channel 7, eyewitness news. >> every couple's different. >> that's what's making news in america this morning. >> stay with us for "good morning america." have a great valentine's day.