have a great thursday. good 33 morning columbia. thanks for joining us. i'm rochelle dean and i'm meteorologist jonathan kennedy. we're live from main and gervais. the time's now 5:00. it's still a pretty cold start to the day... but good news, things seem to be gradually getting warmer as the week goes on. you'll still want

though. we want to 33 give you a quick traffic

about this morning.anangood news at the top of the hour... there are no incidents to report in or around the capital city. but as always we will continue to keep our eyes on the road and update you if anything pops up for your morning commute.a-b-c columbia wants to help you jump start your day.we have a quick rundown of your top morning headlines. so, let's get started. governor nikki haley and members of the south carolina domestic violence task force are set to meet today. they'll be holding a press conference at the state house at two. the governor plans to announce progress in addressing recommendations made by the task force. reports shows... south carolina ranks worst in the nation for deadly violence against women. our state has ranked in the top 10 in the nation... for the past 18-years. lawmakers will return to the statehouse tuesday to start this years session. ahead of the legislative session... the south carolina chamber of commerce has unveiled its 20- 16 agenda. they're laying out three priorities they want to see the general assembly take action on this year: -business licensing

infrastructure. they're asking the general assembly to tackle the long-debated issue of the state's roads and bridges. the 33 chamber is calling on the legislature to reform the department of transportation and find a solution to fund the roads... with a revenue stream of at least 600-million dollars for roads and bridges. as for business license reform... the chamber says they wants to see the general assembly create a more stream-lined system across the state. state superintenden t molly spearman says south carolina should give grants... instead of loans.. to poor, rural school districts to help them maintain buildings. lawmakers are under court order to come up with a plan

committee's recommendations include creating a low-interest loan program. spearman told a senate panel poor districts can't afford to pay back such loans. but she adds.... districts should not just be given money, either. a house panel is asking house members to give the department of social services more money for caseworkers. d-s-s has been one of the most scrutinized agencies on recent years, with child advocates saying the underfunded, poorly run agency was letting vulnerable and abused children through the cracks. the panel says it is pleased with director susan alford... who took over a year ago. it's an effort to shed light on the ongoing flood recovery efforts... following october's historic flooding. city of sumter mayor joe mcelveen, along with columbia mayor, steve benjamin, visited washington, d-c to request additional funding from white house officials.. as well as congressman jim clyburn. the historic flooding caused ovov six million dollars in

facilities. fema is currently reporting that more than 98-hundred applications have been received from the residents of sumter county, taling an estimated 11- point-six- million-dollars in damages. and improving conditions have caused s- c-e-and-g officials to fully close the spillgate on lake murray. officials report they have returned to normal operating conditions. significant upstream flows into the lake following recent rain showers... forced officials to released water from the saluda -hydro facility. three months have passed since the one thousand year flood. and residents are still busy taking steps to move forward. that's the case we find in the forest acres community. small businesses there have made it their mission to reopen for their customers. 33 burnette's cleaners and ed robinson laundry and dry

businesses getting back in the game. some have opened temporary spaces... like forest lake fabrics. they hope to be back in their old space... by the spring. some fourth and fifth graders are proving you're never too young to give back. students from a charlotte elementary school made it their mission to help resto@k the shelves in the homes of students at pine grove elementary... right here in columbia. some rivergate elementary students traveled more than 100-miles as part their "snack pack program," to help out... bringing along ramen noodles, apple sauce, fruit cups and all kinds of goodies. leaders at 33 the charlotte school say they hope to teach students at both schools a valuable lesson... and help out at the same time. and a richland one school is

for the help they received following the flood. students from bradley elementary school will do a "google hangout" to thank students in virginia for the 13-boxes of toys they donated last month. elementary school's principal says while 'toys for tots' has given to students there for the last two years... the generosity of the virginia high school allowed each student to be given two gifts this year. still to come... a possible nuclear weapons test sparking fear through the u-s. what the white house is saying about north korea's claim.a milder start today with mostly cloudy skies. expect more clouds and highs in the mid 50's this afternoon.

main and gervais. 33 here's a quick look at

headlines across the country. north korea's claim of a hydrogen bomb test has set off an alarm for nations across the globe. but the white house is disputing north korea's declaration.

latest. some south 33 some south carolina teams undefeated seasons hang in the balance. can clemson and u-s-c stay on top? our mike

your sports minute to win it. ha33 still to come... time to chow down. we're passing the plate... and taking a closer look at the start of restaurant week.a milder start

expect more clouds and highs in the mid 50's this afternoon.

main and gervais. welcome . that's right... it's restaurant week here in the midlands and it starts today. restaurant week gives all you food lovers the opportunity to sample new restaurants or visit old favorites while enjoying tasty food at a great value... and helping local businesses while you're at it. 33 restaurant week runs until the 17th so you still have plenty of time to take advantage of the yummy deals.... for a full list of restaurants that are taking part... you can visit our

com... 33 still to 33 come... we've got lotto fever on our minds... and finding out what people are saying they would do with the

gervais. 33 if you're disappointed that you're not waking up half a billion dollars richer

just yet. there's another chance to play coming your way. lottery officials say no one had the winning numbers for last night's powerball jackpot. which means now that total is growing... to an estimated 675-million dollars. that's a cash value of more than 413-million dollars. we caught up with some midlands players who told us where they would spend all that dough... should lady luck be on their side. and you may 33 know the saying... if you don't play... you can't win. the next drawing for the largest jackpot of any lottery game in u-s history... will take place this saturday. we're here 33 to tell you how you can increase those chances at winning that prize. first... experts say not to pick numbers based on your

anniversary. in fact, don't pick the numbers at all. 70 to 80 percent of powerball jackpot winning tickets have been computer picks. but if you insist on picking the numbers... try these... eight... 54... 14... 39... and 13. those are the most frequently drawn numbers in the past four years. another way to imporve your odds is to move to pennsylvania... where 16 jackpot winners have come from that state the past 13 years. still to come... the south carolina chamber of commerce has unveiled its 20-16 agenda. we're going to lay out this years top priorities for you next...a milder start today with mostly cloudy skies. expect more clouds and highs in the mid 50's this afternoon.

main and gervais. good 33 things seem to be gradually getting warmer as the week goes on. you'll still want to grab a jacket as you head

though. 33 we want to give you a quick traffic update as you head out and about this morning.and good news ... there are no incidents to report in or around the capital city. but as always we will continue to keep our eyes on the road and update you if anything pops up for your morning commute.a-b-c columbia wants to help you jump start your day.we have a quick rundown of your top morning headlines. so, let's get started. governor nikki haley and members of the south carolina domestic violence task force are set to meet today. they'll be holding a press conference at the state house at two. the governor plans to announce progress in addressing recommendations made by the task force. reports shows... south carolina ranks worst in the nation for deadly violence against women. our state has ranked in the top 10 in the nation... for the past 18-years. lawmakers will return to the statehouse tuesday to start this years session. ahead of the legislative session... the

commerce has unveiled its 20- 16 agenda. they're laying out three priorities they want to see the general assembly take action on this year: -business licensing -workforce development -and infrastructure. they're asking the general assembly to tackle the long-debated issue of the state's roads and bridges. 33 the chamber is calling on the legislature to reform the department of transportation and find a solution to fund the roads... with a revenue stream of at least 600-million dollars for roads and bridges. as for business license reform... the chamber says they want to see the general assembly create a more stream-lined system across the

t molly spearman says south carolina should give grants... instead of loans... to poor, rural school districts to help them maintain buildings. lawmakers are under court order to come up with a plan by the summer. a house committee's recommendations include creating a low-interest loan program. spearman told a senate panel poor districts can't afford to pay back such loans. but she adds... districts should not just be given money, either. a house panel is asking house members to give the department of social services more money for caseworkers. d-s-s has been one of the most scrutinized agencies on recent years, with child advocates saying the underfunded, poorly run agency was letting vulnerable and abused children through the cracks. the panel says it is pleased with director susan alford... who took over a year ago. it's an effort to shed light on the ongoing flood recovery efforts... following october's historic flooding. city of sumter mayor joe mcelveen, along with columbia mayor,

washington, d-c to request additional funding from white house officials.. as well as congressman jim clyburn. the historic flooding caused over six million dollars in damage to the city of sumters facilities. fema is currently reporting that more than 98-hundred applications have been received from the residents of sumter county, totaling an estimated 11- point-six- million-dollars in damages. and improving conditions have caused s- c-e-and-g officials to fully close the spillgate on lake murray. officials report they have returned to normal operating conditions. significant upstream flows into the lake following recent rain showers... forced officials to released water from the saluda -hydro facility. three months have passed since the one thousand year flood. and residents are still busy taking steps to move forward. that's the case we find in the forest acres community. small businesses there have made it their mission to reopen for

burnette's 33 cleaners and ed robinson laundry and dry cleaning are just a few of the businesses getting back in the game. some have opened temporary spaces... like forest lake fabrics. they hope to be back in their old space... by the spring. a service member has died following a motorcycle accident at shaw air force base. base officials say the accident happened in front of the base's sumter gate on u-s 378. the victim's name has not yet been released. on the crime beat... this morning richland county deputies are looking for three people they say robbed a columbia belk at gunpoint. investigators say tuesday night, four suspects took more than 700 dollars in merchandise from the store's northeast location on promenade place. deputies say the store's security officer was able to catch one of the suspects. if you have any information on this incident... call the richland

for a woman involved in jewelry store robberies in multiple states... including south carolina. in a news release... the f-b-i said the woman robbed a jared store at an outlet mall in mebane, north carolina on monday. officials say her m-o is always the same... that she tends to rob outlet stores... where she ties up the sales people at gunpoint... and then steals watches and diamonds. investigators estimate she's made off with nearly 400- thousand dollars in jewelry. still to come... remembering man's best friend. we're offering up some tips on how to keep your pets warm this winter.a milder start 33 today with mostly cloudy skies. expect more clouds and highs in the mid 50's this afternoon.

main and gervais. with good morning. topping "america's money" -- new concerns overnight about the floebl economy. >> the main chinese stock exchange shut down today. the second time this week because china's central bank again devalued the the currency. >> u.s. stock futured were dragged down. is a that wasn't very good the macy's. so the country's largest department store chain is cutting three dozen stores. >> they blame the strong dollar

yesterday's plunge in crude oil prices might be good news for you. with crude oil at its lowest point since the recession, analysts expect gas to drop another ten cents. >> the national average is holding steady. right around $2. >> that's great news if you're driving out there. that is "america's money." >> have a great day, everybody. sfx: rocket blasting off (ding) (dong) (ding) (ding) (ding) (ding) (ding) (ding) sfx: (countdown) 3, 2, 1 (ding) (ding) (ding)

eat up, buddy. you'll get it this time. yeah ok not too quick don't let go until i say so. i got you... start strong with the lasting energy of 100% you're doing it!

33 freezing temperatures 33 here in the midlands... it's important to remember to keep your pets safe and warm... that's right... experts say they could be in danger if they're left outside... as the cold air can cause chapped paws and itchy, flaking skin.. experts add that pets can develop hypothermia and frostbite from those blistering temperatures. if you cannot bring your pet indoors, they must have covered shelter with dry

blanket to trap heat. 33 still to 33 come... a popular video streaming servicicis going global... what these additions mean for the company. stay with us. we're

netflix is 33 going global... the streaming video service is now available in 130 more countries... including india, nigeria, poland, russia, saudi arabia and south korea. but several countries are still off-limits for now. the company says it's working to open its service in china...but will likely find challenges there. media content in china remains heavily censored by the government and many websites including google and facebook are blocked. and the start of the new year doesn't look so promising for macy's the department store giant says they are laying off more than 43-hundred employees nationwide. three- thousand of the jobs on the chopping block are sales associates at macy's and bloomingdale's stores. macy's blames the cuts

it called a "disappointing" 20-15. the retailer also plans to shut down 36- stores this year. chick-fil-a wants to help you kick off the new year in a healthier way. the fast food chain will start offering what it calls a "superfood side" later this month.. it's a blend of chopped kale and broccolini tossed in a maple vinaigrette dressing. it's topped with dried sour cherries and comes with a blend of roasted nuts. the "superfood side" has two sizes... a small containing 140 calories... and a large containing 170 calories. and it's more bad news for the restaurant chain... chipotle. they've been hit with a federal grand jury subpoena in the wake of a norovirus outbreak in california. the subpoena, is part of an investigation by the u-s food and drug administration's office of criminal investigations. it's requiring chipotle to hand over several documents related to the simi valley restaurant where about 100 people were sickened by the norovirus in

in the filing, the incident was isolated and it will cooperate fully with the federal investigation. music names a new queen... star wars makes history again... and comedy's most eligible bachelorette may be off the market. with more.. here's abc's brandi hitt with the latest in

still to 33 come... christmas may be over but it's still sneaking its way into the new year... a holiday carol hitting the charts... next in your day in history. stay with us.

gervais. let's check 33 out the day in history. -first u-s presidential election in 1789-"rudolph the red-nosed reindeer" is the # 1 song on the u-s pop charts in 1947. -truman announces the u-s has developed hydrogen bomb in 1953. today is... 33 international programmers' day... and national tempura day.33 that's all 33 the time that we have for the first hour of good morning columbia. but we're coming right back. so be sure to

from main and gervais. good morning, columbia. today is thursday, january 7. lawmakers are set to return to the state house next week. find out what the south carolina chamber of commerce is hoping they'll focus on in 2016. plus it's time to get out of the kitchen and out on the town. we're helping you make dinner plans for restaurant week. and looking for lady luck.

to play the largest jackpot in u.s. history. "good morning, columbia" starts right now. captioning provided by caption associates, llc www.captionassociates.com. rochelle: good morning, columbia. thank you for joining and waking up with us on this thursday morning. we're almost friday eve as we call it here. i'm rochelle dean >> jonathan: and i'm meteorologist jonathan kennedy. hate to break the news to you, you didn't win the lottery, we didn't win it, we're still here. >> rochelle: but i have my ticket where i won $4. >> jonathan: just the power ball, that's a 1:38 chance. >> rochelle: ready for saturday. >> jonathan: two more tickets for saturday. >> rochelle: if you need to get

>> jonathan: we haven't won the weather lottery. the good news is it's a little cloudy, that's not the good news, the good news is that will keep us much warmer to keep us warmer. we are seeing it come in from east to west. areas to the west cooler than us, but they will probably stablize when the cloud cover moves in, prevents them from cooling down any further. i don't think anybody hits freezing which is good news after being in the 20s. 24 hour temperature change, 15 to 20 degrees warmer as you wake upon this thursday. winds maintain out of the north and breezy in some places 10 to 20 miles a hour. especially newberry, gusting 10 miles a hour, temperatures in the mid-30s, bring our wind chill below freezing so it still feels cold, it's not technically as cold as it was, but it's still going to be a chilly start, want to have the jacket with you, get the kids bundled up.

extended period of time, it will be cold this morning. cloud cover from the east blanketing the state of south carolina, georgia not seeing as much, north carolina not seeing as much right now. the cloud cover doing us a big favor, keeping us much warmer. watching the system toward the central plains, snow across the rocky mountains, bringing much needed snow for the snow resorts, snow in chicago as well. everything east of the mississippi has been quiet the last couple days but that will likely change as we move through the next 24 hours or so. not particularly worried about this one, if you watch it evolve over time it breaks down as it crosses the river today. as it moves closer to home it's been so dry for us here, we will see the cloud cover and some invehicletion of moisture into air but not expecting a whole lot of rain in the forecast today or tonight.

upper 50s saturday, chance of scattered showers or two friday and another chance of rain saturday, a better chance of rain saturday. likely starting out around lunchtime and probably lasting through the night and should be back in the sunshine by the time we get to sunday. >> rochelle: our odds are better in the weather department than they are for the lottery. >> jonathan: yes, 60% chance of rain saturday and not that high for the lottery. >> rochelle: we'll keep our fingers crossed for both. rochelle: we want to give you a quick traffic update as you head out and about this morning. >> jonathan: good news, no incidents to report in and around the city and we'll keep you updated. abc columbia wants to help you jump start your day. >> rochelle: we have a quick rundown of your top morning headlines. so, let's get started. governor nikki haley and members of the south carolina domestic violence task force are set to meet today. they'll be holding a press conference at the state house at 2:00. the governor plans to announce progress in addressing

force. reports show south carolina ranks worst in the nation for deadly violence against women. our state has ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the past 18 years. rochelle: lawmakers will return to the statehouse tuesday to start this year's session. ahead of the legislative session the south carolina chamber of commerce has unveiled its 2016 agenda. they're laying out three priorities they want to see the general assembly take action on this year: business licensing, workforce development, and infrastructure. they're asking the general assembly to tackle the long-debated issue of the state's roads and bridges. >> if we don't get these main thoroughfares, which are our interstates which drive our commerce, we're gonna have big answers to come up with when these large manufacturers are setting up shop and trucks can't move up and down i-26.

that goes along with it. >> rochelle: the chamber is calling on the legislature to reform the department of transportation and find a solution to fund the roads with a revenue stream of at least $600 million for those roads and bridges. as for business license reform, the chamber says they wants to see the general assembly create a more streamlined system across the state. rochelle: state superintendent molly spearman says south carolina should give grants instead of loans to poor, rural school districts to help them maintain buildings. lawmakers are under court order to come up with a plan by the summer. a house committee's recommendation include creating a low-interest loan program. spearman told a senate panel poor districts can't afford to pay back such loans. but she adds districts should not just be given money, either. rochelle: a house panel is asking house members to give the department of social services more money for caseworkers. dss has been one of the most scrutinized agencies in recent years, with child advocates

run agency was letting vulnerable and abused children fall through the cracks. the panel says it is pleased with director susan alford who took over a year ago. rochelle: it's an effort to shed light on the ongoing flood recovery efforts following october's historic flooding. city of sumter mayor joe mcelveen, along with columbia mayor steve benjamin, visited washington, d.c., to request additional funding from white house officials as well as congressman jim clyburn. the historic flooding caused over $6 million in damage to the city of sumter's facilities. fema is currently reporting that more than 9800 applications have been received from the residents of sumter county, totaling an estimated $11.6 million in damages. rochelle: and improving conditions have caused sce&g officials to fully close the spillgate on lake murray. officials report they have returned to normal operating conditions. significant upstream flows into the lake following recent rain

release water from the saluda hydro facility. rochelle: three months have passed since the 1,000 year flood and residents are still busy taking steps to move forward. that's the case we find in the forest acres community. small businesses there have made it their mission to reopen for their customers. >> they were more patient, they were helpful, they stopped by to see if they could help us in any way. >> rochelle: burnette's cleaners and ed robinson laundry and dry cleaning are just a few of the businesses getting back in the game. some have opened temporary spaces like forest lake fabrics. they hope to be back in their old space by the spring. rochelle: some fourth and fifth graders are proving you're never too young to give back. students from a charlotte elementary school made it their mission to help restock the shelves in the homes of students at pine grove elementary right here in columbia. some rivergate elementary students traveled more than 100 miles as part their "snack pack

along ramen noodles, apple sauce, fruit cups and all kinds of goodies. >> it was amazinin getting to help people who are less fortunate than us. it was a little hard work to collect all the items. our goal was to collect a hundred plus items per classss >> but it was worth it. >> yes. >> rochelle: leaders at the charlotte school say they hope to teach students at both schools a valuable lesson and help out at the same time. rochelle: still to come, a possible nuclear weapons test sparking fear through the u.s. what the white house is saying about north korea's claim. >> jonathan: and a warmer start today. we will see mostly cloudy skies not only this morning but this afternoon, should bring us a mild day, even this afternoon with highs expected to top out in the mid-50s. i'll have the details next.

main and gervais. >> jonathan: 6:13 on your thursday more than. waking up with a miler start, mostly cloudy skies will keep us with most lows in the upper 30s and low 40s. even if we get into kind of the upper 30s it's a big improvement from the 20s we saw the last couple mornings. we'll start the heating process this afternoon, warm up to 56 degrees. with the lack of sunshine i don't expect us to get near 60, that's still a warmer day overall, the highs and lows. we'll stick with cloudy skies and nice and dry through tonight.

take what we can get. thanks, jonathan. rochelle: here's a quick look at stories that are making headlines across the country. north korea's claim of a hydrogen bomb test has set off an alarm for nations across the globe. but the white house is disputing north korea's declaration. the u.s., south korea and japan have agreed to launch what they're calling a "united and strong" international response to the apparent fourth nuclear test. the u.n. security council calls the test a clear violation of its resolutions and promises new sanctions. rochelle: president barack obama is set to hold a town hall tonight on guns in america. the president is mounting a final-year push to make gun control part of his legacy despite republican opposition. the executive action, announced earlier this week, includes expanding background checks on firearms sales. the administration is also hoping to provide more funding for mental health treatment, fbi staff and the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives agents. that town hall takes place

declining to send official representatives to that town hall. the nra says it sees no reason to take part in what it calls "a public relations spectacle organized by the white house." a cnn spokesperson says the proposed the idea of a town hall on guns. they add that the audience will be evenly divided between organizations that support the second amendment and groups that back gun regulation. mbers of the audience will be able to directly question the president at tonight's town hall. rochelle: after dozens of votes to overturn president obama's signature health care law, a repeal has finally made its way from capitol hill. the legislation approved by the house also cuts federal funding for planned parenthood. it passed the senate last year under special rules protecting it from a democratic filibuster and now heads to the white house and a certain veto. the gop doesn't have the power for an override.

carolina team's undefeated seasons hang in the balance. can clemson and usc stay on top? our mike gillespie has that and more in your sports minute to win it. >> just four days away the tigers and tide facing off in the national championship monday night in arizona but there's more than just a championship on the line, a perfect 15-0 season as well. >> everybody wants to be the best, everybody wants to be legendary. if you don't want to be the best you are cheating yourself. there's no point in just playing. everybody wants to be 15-0, the best ever. >> talking basketball, the carolina women putting their season on the line against vanderbilt. the key is using carolina's speed. >> we need to play fast, just get up and down the floor and let our speed get involved in the play so transition offense is something that we had been working on and trying to convert a lot more than we have.

basketball picking up a commitment from transferring center from texas a&m. that will do it for your sports minute to win it, i'm mike gillespie. >> rochelle: thanks, mike.e. still to come, time to chow down. we're passing the plate and taking a closer look at the art of restaurant week.

main and gervais.

good morning, columbia on this thursday morning, thanks for waking up with us, time right now is 6:20. >> jonathan: let's take a bite out of your morning menu, sponsored by bojangles'. bottoms up, columbia. the world beer festival is returning this month. "all about beer magazine" is hosting the annual event on january 23rd at the columbia metropolitan convention center. tickets are $40 in advance and $50 the day of the festival. and we're getting a taste of south carolinas cuisine. >> rochelle: that's right, it's restaurant week here in the midlands and it starts today. restaurant week gives all you food lovers the opportunity to sample new restaurants or visit old favorites while enjoying tasty foods at a great value and helping local businesses while you're at it. >> it helps boost our sales, it provides a great value to the stomer coming in and generally it's great for business, it's always been great for business. >> rochelle: restaurant week runs until the 17th so you still

advantage of the yummy deals. for a full list of restaurants that are taking part, you can visit our website abccolumbia.com what would you say your favorite crusine is? >> jonathan: going i tall yap. pasta is good, pizza is good, hard to mess up. >> rochelle: that's true. i don't know, i've heard stories, one of our photographers had bad spaghetti. even if you decide to go out tonight, the weather should be nice. >> jonathan: not as cold. we're starting out warmer, not overly warm, highs in the mid-50s, mid-40s tonight, waking up with a similar start tomorrow is what you are seeing and a chance of rain tomorrow but i'm not real impressed with the rain chance. things could change as it

but there's so much dry air the last couple days the rain chances, it will have to be a substantial system to get solid rain fall. saturday looks slightly different story, pretty good rain in the afternoon, highs in the 60s as the rain moves in. >> rochelle: that's why they say it changes like the weather. you know what else changes like the weather? >> jonathan: what? >> rochelle: the lottery. >> jonathan: i did not win. >> rochelle: still to come, we've got lotto fever on our minds. and finding out what people are saying they would do with the winnings. stay with us. we're live from main and gervais. in today's "techbytes" virt yule reality is the talk of the

>> they're take preorders to this sed set. it's good for games and movies. the price tag? 600 bucks. >> sony showed off the turntable. it allows users to convert old albums into digital audio fils that can then be stored on your computer. >> this expects to go on sale this pring. bmw thinking about replacing some of the oldest technology on a car. mirrors. >> a computer puts all of the video feeds together into one. >> just one catch. u.s. law still requires that cars have rearview mirrors. so we'll see how they work that out. >> oh, my gosh. >> those are your "techbytes." your body was made for better things than rheumatoid arthritis. before you and your rheumatologist move to a biologic,

xeljanz is a small pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. xeljanz can reduce joint pain and swelling in as little as two weeks, and help stop further joint damage. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections, lymphoma, and other cancers have happened. don't start xeljanz if you have an infection. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts, and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz, and monitor certain liver tests. tell your doctor if you were in a region where fungal infections are common, and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. xeljanz can reduce the symptoms of ra, even without methotrexate. ask your rheumatologist

>> rochelle: welcome back to good morning column by a-your if you're disappointed that you're not waking up half a billion dollars richer this morning, don't fret just yet. there's another chance to play coming your way. lottery officials say no one had the winning numbers for last night's powerball jackpot. which means now that total is

$675 million. yes, you heard me right. that's a cash value of more than $413 million. we caught up with some midlands players who told us where they would spend all that dough should lady luck be on their side. >> quit my job. >> pay off some student loans. >> i would definitely go take a nice long vacation. >> buy a boat. >> pay off my student loans. >> rochelle: i don't think there's much you couldn't do with the money. and you may know the saying: if you don't play, you can't win. the next drawing for the largest jackpot of any lottery game in u.s. history will take place this saturday. and we're here to tell you how you can increase those chances at winning tt prize. first experts say not to pick numbers based on your kids birthday or your wedding anniversary. in fact, don't pick the numbers at all. 70% to 80% of powerball jackpot winning tickets have been computer picks. but if you insist on picking the numbers, try these: 8, 54, 14, 39 and 13. those are the most frequently

years. another way to improve your odds is to move to pennsylvania where 16 jackpot winners have come from that state the past 13 years. i have a few calls to make to some family members out there. rochelle: still to come, the south carolina chamber of commerce has unveiled its 2016 agenda. we're going to lay out this years top priorities for you

rochelle: good morning, columbia. thank you for waking up with us and joining us on this thursday morning, friday eve. >> jonathan: and i'm meteorologist jonathan kennedy. we're live from main and gervais. your time is 6:32. >> rochelle: 6:32, we are at the bottom half hour of our show, the weather outside not too bad, not too cold.d. >> jonathan: chilly but not too bad. any improve. is a welcome sight. we are seeing cloud cover and that's keeping our temperatures up a tad. these areas from columbia and to the east much warmer than those

saluda 35. 36 newberry. 37 wind wereberry. certainly gluiest to see the 40s this time of the day. tuesday we were struggling to see months any portion of the day, highs only around 41 for a lot of locations. already an improvement where we were earlier this week. we will stick with the cool conditions throughout much of the day. more seasonable, actually a little above average this morning and most of us 15 to 20 degrees warmer than what you saw on wednesday, tuesday or monday morning. but it will be still overall a cool day when you compare it to where we have been over the last month or two. december was very warm. we saw a lot of 60 and 70 degree days. it will be warmer this morning but with the cloud cover and wind from the north still, a little bit of wind chill, feels like it's in the 20s for those counties to the west, not as bad for us.

out this morning but it will prevent us seeing more sunshine this afternoon. that will keep temperatures a little more mild, not as much of an extreme from high to low today. we will be seeing a 10 degree swing opposed to the 30 degree swing we saw. mild temperatures for the high and low. no rain in the forecast, we have rain off the coast as a stationary boundary hugging the atlantic coastline. that's not really going to muffin land, doesn't have enough oomph from the east. high pressure around d.c. that will be keeping wind out of the north and watching the rain to the west. that will be our main rain maker of the next couple days, no rain today, just cloud cover. we have a chance to see rain tomorrow. right now latest projections have a lot of it going toward the mountains there and not really super impressed how the system is going to be moving over the next 24 to 48 hours. we're likely to pick up moisture

will add to it, isolated showers tomorrow, better chance saturday and that could change through the projections for the next couple days. warmer forecasts, highs in the upper 50s and 60s. 60s for the weekend. sunday highs in the low 60s and mostly sunny skies and then sticking with the sunshine but cooler next week. >> rochelle: we can deal with that, if we dealt with this week we can -- >> jonathan: shouldn't be the extremes. >> rochelle: easy, breezy. now we know what to expect as the little ones head to the bus and you to work let give you a quick traffic update. >> jonathan: good news, no incidents to report but we will keep our eyes on the road and let you know if anything pops up. we want to help you jump start your day. >> rochelle: we have a quick rundown of your top morning headlines. so, let's get started. governor nikki haley and members of the south carolina domestic violence task force are set to meet today. they'll be holding a press conference at the state house at 2:00.

progress in addressing recommendations made by the task force. reports show south carolina ranks worst in the nation for deadly violence against women. our state has ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the past 18 years. rochelle: lawmakers will return to the statehouse tuesday to start this year's session. ahead of the legislative session the south carolina chamber of commerce has unveiled its 2016 agenda. they're laying out three priorities they want to see the general assembly take action on this year: business licensing, workforce development, and infrastructure. they're asking the general assembly to tackle the long-debated issue of the state's roads and bridges. >> if we don't get these main thoroughfares, which are our interstates which drive our commerce, we're gonna have big answers to come up with when these large manufacturers are

move up and down i-26, and all those that go along with it. >> rochelle: the chamber is calling on the legislature to reform the department of transportation and find a solution to fund the roads with a revenue stream of at least $600 million for those roads and bridges. as for business license reform, the chamber says they wantto see the general assembly create a more streamlined system across the state. rochelle: stateth superintendent molly spearman says south carolina should give grants instead of loans to poor, rural school districts to help them maintain buildings. lawmakers are under court order to come up with a plan by the summer. a house committee's recommendation includes creating a low-interest loan program. spearman told a senate panel poor districts can't afford to pay back such loans. but she adds districts should not just be given money, either.

d.c. to request additional funding from white house officials. the historic flooding caused over $6 million in summer. fema is reporting that more than 9800 applications have been received from the residents of sumter county totaling estimated $11.6 million in damage. rochelle: three months have passed since the 1,000 year flood and residents are still busy taking steps to move forward. that's the case we find in the forest acres community. small businesses there have made it their mission to reopen for their customers. >> people were very patient, they were very helpful, they stopped by to see if they could help us in any way. >> rochelle: burnette's cleaners and ed robinson laundry and dry cleaning are just a few of the businesses getting back in the game. some have opened temporary spaces like forest lake fabrics. they hope to be back in their old space by the spring. rochelle: a service member has died following a motorcycle

base officials say the accident happened in front of the base's sumter gate on us-378. the victim's name has not yet been released. rochelle: on the crime beat this morning, richland county deputies are looking for three people they say robbed a columbia belk at gunpoint. investigators say tuesday night, four suspects took more than $700 in merchandise from the store's northeast location on promenade place. deputies say the store's security officer was able to catch one of the suspects. if you have any information on this incident, call the ricland county sheriff's department. rochelle: and the fbi is looking for a woman involved in a jewelry store robberies in multiple states including south carolina. in a news release the fbi said the woman robbed a jared store at an outlet mall in north carolina, on monday. officials say her m.o. is always the same that she tends to rob outlet stores where she ties up the sales people at gunpoint and then steals watches and diamonds.

made off with nearly $400,000 in jewelry. rochelle: still to come, el nino-fueled storms slamming the west coast. we're taking a look at the damage left behind including a daring rescue. >> jonathan: and thankfully for us it's been much quieter for us. colder but milder with temperatures in the 40s for most of us. expect cloudy skies most of the day. i'll have your forecast next. stay with us, we are live from

>> people can do extra ordinary things on an ordinary income. >> protect your finances on "the 700 club" all this week. >> as you stretch that budget, you may in fact, break it. >> we can help you become a smarter spender, smarter saver. >> tackle it today. >> watch "the 700 club" five

finances all this week. >> jonathan: 6:43 on this thursday morning, we're waking up with a warmer start. temperatures will warm up today, probably a little warmer this afternoon than whererwe have been. cloud cover will keep us from

to 60. probably around 56 for the high, some areas cooler than that, but wind out of the north keep some of the cool air coming our way, trap some of the cloud cover. cloudy conditions today and tone. notice no chance of rain today or tonight. that is good news if you will be out and about, not the bitter cold we will be seeing, have been seeing but it will be a little warmer, not overly warm, we will have the jacket handy if you are out and about. windy, the wind chill still having an affect, certainly an improvement. >> rochelle: and it is winter, it's to be expected. >> jonathan: our first taste of winter this week so everybody is complaining. >> rochelle: but we were spoiled for a long time. yeah. we have been a lot luckier than these folks here. storm el nino is causing dangerous conditions for drivers in the state of california and one rescue mission was caught all on video.>> jonathan: yeah, take a look at these firefighters rescuing a

they had to work below the water line to get her out. the wowon was in the water for about 90 minutes. hospital for evaluation and was thankfully found to be in good condition. a lot of talk about. lnino, there's some direct correlation, but obviously it does rain in southern california. el nino gets a bad rap. >> rochelle:e: we can't blame everything on el nino. didn't win the lottery, blame it on el nino, everything. still to come, we're taking to the skies with some safety regulations for a popular present. stay with us.

gervais. >> rochelle: welcome back to good morning columbia, your time is 6:48. we are taking to the skies. owners of remote controlled drones have registered more than 180,000 of the aircraft in just the last two weeks. the faa made the drone registration mandatory back on december 21st. but the numbers aren't adding up with some consumer organizations estimating more than 400,000 drones were sold this holiday season alone. drone-registration costs $5 but the money is refundable for the people who register by january 20th. the faa is also keeping safety

week that tells consumers where they can and can't fly their drones. rochelle: from the skyways to the highway general motors is calling its newest plug-in car a "game changer." check out the 2017 chevy bolt. it's meant to be an affordable, long-range electric vehicle capable of taking a 200-mile trip without recharging. the car's expected sticker price will set you back $30,000 after tax incentives. rochelle: and no need to adjust your mirrors in bmw's new concept car. that's because there are none. the "i-eight" uses three cameras instead of rear and side-view mirrors. the video from the camera is married together to provide an extra-wide view of the road. the driver see the footage on a screen where a rear-view mirror would be. bmw says the technology eliminates blind spots and improves fuel efficiency. but don't get too excited right now, the car would be illegal to drive in the u.s. because federal safety rules require

mirrors. rochelle: being a single parent is challenging enough, and now a new study is suggesting why it may be even harder. with more, here's abc's dr. timothy johnson. >> dr. johnson: the buzz of the alarm clock, do you have to drag yourself out of bed? it might be because you're a particular kind of parent -- a single one. a new cdc study shows that when it comes to sleep, single mothers crave it, and are the most likely not to get it. researchers used a large national survey to look at sleep duration and quality, more than two in five single moms get less than seven hours of sleep a night. adults in two-parent families and adults living without children do better. even when they do get to sleep, single parents have worse sleep quality. that means roughly half of single parents said they frequently woke up feeling not well-rested. and they were more likely than two-parent households to take medications to fall asleep or

have bags under their eyes? actually there are things all of us can do to maximize sleep, experts call it sleep hygiene. sleep in a dark, quiet space, turn off electronics an hour before bed, and if you have little ones who won't sleep through the night, try giving yourself the same thing you give to them -- an occasional nap! with this medical minute, i'm dr. timothy johnson. rochelle: still to come: it's a day of firsts for one little prince. and the pictures that capture it are sure to put a smile on your face. that story is next.

main and gervais. >> jonathan: good thursday morning, your time 6:54. as we wake u u we are seeing cloud cover across the midlands and you see stationary boundary off the coast. cold air movingn from the north from the high pressure system, warm air from the ocean, it's a stale mate, i don't expect the rain to move in too much, high stays in control for the time being. watching this low pressure system, this rain going through parts of the nation's system. this will bring us our rain as we head into the weekend, the chance for rain, i'm not super

now but a chance for aew scattered showers, not today but friday into saturday. >> rochelle: we'll be prepare, thanks, jonathan. rochelle: even royalty can't avoid the toll of the school bell. check this out. britain's prince george looked happy for his first day at westacre montessori nursery school. kensington palace released these two pictures of prince william and kate's oldest child by the mural outside of the building. and it would seem the artwork earned his royal approval, one photo showing him pointing at it and smiling. what a doll baby. rochelle: still to come: christmas may be over but it's still sneaking its way into the new year. a holiday carol hitting the charts next in your day in history. >> jonathan: and a mild start for us to kickoff your thursday. again a few clouds today, we will see cloud throughout this afternoon as well as highs in the mid-50s. i'll tell you what you can expect for the rest of the day and week coming up.

main and gervais. >> people can do extra ordinary

>> protect your finances on "the 700 club" all this week. >> as you stretch that budget, you may in fact, break it. >> we can help you become a smarter spender, smarter saver. >> tackle it today. >> watch "the 700 club" five part series, protect your finances all this week. >> jonathan: good thursday morning, thanks for waking up with us on good morning columbia before 7:00. let's look at the forecast before we leave you, 56 for the high today, we're in the 40s,grab the jacket but not quite as cold as you head out today. a cloudy day today, no rain in the forecast, chance of a few showers tomorrow, 20% chance to round out the week friday and

another rain chance kind of a separate system saturday, see highs in the 60s both saturday and sunday but the sunshine comes back sunday and we will whip the lottery saturday. >> rochelle: it will be good for you. >> jonathan: i will win $780 million. >> rochelle: the rest of us won't have to wear ear muffs and scarves and follow you around. rochelle: let's check out the day in history. the first u.s. presidential election in 1789. "rudolph the red-nosed reindeer" is the #1 song on the u.s. pop charts in 1947. how did that happen after christmas? and truman announces the u.s. has developed hydrogen bomb in 1953. as you mentioned in the first hour, we talked about it. >> jonathan: north korea announced they had one. today is internationalprogrammers' day and national tempura day.