morning america," everyone. good morning columbia.

eric weisfeld. and i'm 33 rochelle dean. we're live from main and gervais. the time's now 5:00. it's a chillier start to your thursday... but for this time of the morning it's still not too bad. yeah... a little cooler than previous days this week but that could change 33 soon. lets turn things over to meteorologist jonathan

of the day. 33 we want to give you a quick traffic update as you head out and about this morning. and good news. there are no trouble spots to report on the roads in or around the capital city. we'll be sure to keep an eye on the roads and keep you updated 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. it's chance for

have their questions answered. republican presidential candidates donald trump, jeb bush and john kasich will all be in columbia tonight... taking part in a town hall hosted by c-n-n. that's at eight tonight... at the university of south carolina school of law auditorium. ahead of tonight's town hall... jeb bush will be busy reaching out to voters here in the capital city. he'll be holding a town hall at the columbia metropolitan convention center this morning at 11:45. bush will also be campaigning in florence and rock hill. it's going to be a family affair on the road for bush today. the g-o-p presidential hopeful let it slip that his mother... former first lady barbara bush... will be joining him on the campaign trail. she's expected to attend campaign events today and tomorrow here in south carolina. also close to home... ben carson. he has ltiple stops planned in orangeburg today. including a stop at south carolina state university today at noon. carson will be holding a town hall... visiting with medical

s-c state's football program. carson will also campaigning in the upstate today. carson, ted cruz and marco rubio will all be speaking at the conservative convention in greenville today. during his stop in greenville... cruz will also be speaking at the republican women's club... before continuing his campaign in easley. donald trump will be in kiawah island and gaffney. and john kasich will be in charleston, clemson and fort mill before tonight's town hall in columbia. marco rubio will be in anderson south carolina. and ahead of saturday's vote... he's getting a big boost here in south carolina. just one day after saying she may not back anyone before saturday's primary... governor nikki haley is announcing she's endorsing senator marco rubio. she made the announcement official at a rally in chapin.... taking a

33 g-o-p pridential candidate jeb bush says he is disappointed in haley's pick. bush said haley is a very good governor and if he were to win the nomination.... there will be a role for her in his campaign. it looks like democratic voters in nevada are torn going into saturday's caucus. a new c-n-n/o-r-c poll shows 48-percent of caucus-goers say they support hillary clinton... while 47-percent support bernie sanders. the two democratic presidential hopefuls will be looking to grow their lead... during town hall tonight... in las vegas. a reminder... this saturday... february 20th... is the repububcan presidential primary. the democratic presidential primary will take place next saturday... february 27th. stay with a-b-c columbia news for the latest on vote 20-16.

online and on air saturday. shifting gears this morning... two lexington county sheriff deputies and one reserve deputy are in stable condition this morning... after their vehicles cololded. officials say two lexington county sheriff's department vehicles were responding to a burglary in progress... when they collided into each other last nht on platt springs road... near old orangeburg road. all three deputies sustained non-life-threatening injuries. south carolina highway patrol is investigating that crash. and the daughters of a columbia man found murdered in his home are raising the reward hoping it will lead to new information about his death. it's been five months since charles kusko was found shot inside his home on budon court. the death was ruled a homicide by the richland county coroner's office. now kusko's daughters are increasing the reward for information on the case to five-thousand dollars

responsible. kusko's 33 daughters have created a "justice for charles" facebook page for people to share any tips on their father's death. anyone with information that could help investigators with this case is asked to call crimestoppers at one-triple- eight-crime s-c.33 still to come... our coverage of vote 20-16 continues. it's high stakes going into saturday's primary... with the potential for a neck-and-neck race between two presidential hopefuls.clear and cold this morning with more sunshine coming our way today. i'll let

33 sometimes being selfish isn't a bad thing. u-s-c women's basketball already has a share of its third straight s-e-c championship. tonight carolina can clinch it

against georgia. tim hill has more basketball for us now

minute to win it. 33 now to take a look at some of the other stories making headlines around the country... we're going to turn things over to rochelle. it's new poll numbers that could fuel the fire even further for a g-o-p feud.

33 still to come... south carolina has a lot of heart. how health officials are looking to keep residents happy and healthy during american heart month.clear and cold this morning with more sunshine coming our way today. i'll let you know what to

gervais. welcome duals throughout south carolina have the opportunity to participate in this heart health screenings and risk assessment today. it's taking place right across the street from us at the state house and will be in the first floor lobby from nine this morning until 11 a-m. the south carolina heart center will also be on hand to answer any questions you may have about advance screenings including coronary calcium scoring. and "molina healthcare" is also hosting a heart health event

providing free health screenings... glucose... h-i- v... and cholesterol screenings to attendees. plus... molina healthcare will be educating local residents on the importance of taking care of your heart and exercising. this is taking place at the north pointed states housing authority complex. it

and runs until five-thirty.33 33 33 we're checking out what will be making headlines later today. here's eric with your "look ahead." soon... people in need will have more access to free dental and eye care in the midlands. the united way is expanding its clinic at the richland county health department by more than five thousand feet. those receiving service say the new facility is a wish come true. for more 33 on the clinics services... you

columbia dot com.33 still to 33 come... it's a count down to saturdays republican primary. but first... we're taking a look at where candidates stand on some hot button issues.

from main and gervais. vote... the v-a is taking a fresh hit. investigators say a suicide hotline operated by the department of veterans affairs allowed crisis calls to go to voicemail. they add... callers who did get through... don't always receive the immediate help they need. it's instances like this that lead the republican candidates to call the current state of

such is the case with donald trump. according to his campaign site... the guiding principle of trump's plan would ensure veterans have convenient access to the best quality care. trump says he would... decrease wait times.. and allow veterans to get care at any doctor's office that accepts medicare. trump also plans to address veteran's "invisible wounds" by increasing funds for p-t- s-d... and job training. and in order to "make the v-a great again," trump plans to overhaul the current system... by firing corrupt executives and cleaning up v-a finances. ted cruz shares this view of v-a accountability. in addition, cruz wants to expand options for service member's health care to allow for more choices and more immediate service. governor nikki haley is backing marco rubio going into saturday's vote, saying... as a military wife of a combat veteran... "she wants a president who is going to have the backs of our military veterans and those in

he's looking to: -reform and modernize the v-a -open up job opportunities -and plan for higher education reform to help veterans. you can find more information on the candidates' stances on each of the candidate's campaign websites. coming up we'll review the remaining g-o-p candidates' stances on v-a reform. still to come... our coverage of vote 20-16 continues. including a closer look at the g-o-p front- runner... donald trump. stay

gervais. good it's a chillier start to your thursday... but for this time of the morning it's still not too bad. yeah... a little cooler than previous days this week but that could change soon. lets turn 33 things over to meteorologist jonathan kennedy for a look at

remainder of the day. 33 we want to give you a quick traffic update a ayou head out and about this morning. and good news. there are no trouble spots to report on the roads in or around the capital city. we'll be sure to keep an eye on the roads and keep you updated 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. it's chance for voters in the capital city to have their questions answered. republican presidential candidates donald trump, jeb bush and john kasich will all be in columbia tonight... taking part in a town hall hosted by c-n-n. that's at eight tonight... at the university of south carolina school of law auditorium.

hall.... donald trump has been busy criss-crossing the palmetto state. yesterday, he spent time sumter reaching out to voters. it was a packed house at yesterday's rally at the sumter county civic center. the building fits up to 32-hundred people, but there were plenty who didn't even get into the arena. and while the support was certainly there for trump... the g-o-p presidential candidate stressed the need for people to get out and vote saturday. 33 and the stakes may be higher than ever going into saturday's vote.e. for the first time... a national poll shows senator ted cruz leading the republican presidential field. a new n-b-c news....wall street journal poll reports 28-percent of republican voters are backing cruz. donald trump is close behind with 26-percent support. that two-point difference is within the

while some national polls show trump slipping behind... here in south carolina... polls still show trump ahead of cruz by 16-points. but even with a strong lead... his campaign isn't without its share of

ready profiles donald trump. 33 thanks jennifer. a reminder... this saturday...

republican presidential primary. the democratic presidential primary will take place next saturday... february 27th. stay with a-b-c columbia news for the latest on vote 20-16. we'll have live updates online and on air saturday. still to come... we all dream in gold. but only one can take home that highly coveted oscar. we're taking a closer look one of the movies up for best picture.clear and cold this morning with more sunshine coming our way today. i'll let you know what to expect next.

good morning. topping "america's money" -- the outlook on interest rate and good news for anyone with a credit card or auto loan. the federal reserve appears unlikely to raise rates at its meetings next week. >>it's concerned about the wild swings in the stock markets. take a look at this. a diagram of airbus' new idea of underseat storage. >> it could severely cut down on the leg room on the passenger behind you. and paying for baby-sitter is going up. >> watching one child is now $15.71 an hour. up 5% from last year.

nearly 20% of it issers get tips on top of their regular pay. >> they deserve it. it's not easy work. >> and that's "america's money." 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.

33 few recalls to pass along with you this morning... " goodman company" is recalling

conditioner heat pumps" and "room air conditioners" they say the power cords on the air conditioning and heating units can overheat posing a burn and fire hazard. consumers should immediately stop using these units and unplug them. for a free replacement power cord you can go to their website "amana"... "dash" .." p-t-a-c" dot com" and click on the recall info at the bottom right corner of the page for more information. and michaels is recalling their artificial poinsettias due to risk of mold exposure. the mold can be present on the stems and bushes... posing a risk of respiratory or other infections in consumers with compromised immune systems. consumers should immediately stop using the poinsettia flowers and return them to any michaels store for a full refund. and michaels is also recalling their holiday paper boxes due to risk of mold exposure. consumers are asked to immediately stop using the paper boxes and return them to any michaels store for a full

florida are waking up with a lot more green this morning... eric what can you tell us? it's been more than a month... but the florida winners of the one-point-five billion dollar powerball jackpot have finally come forward for their prize... the new millionaires are 55-year old... david kaltschidt... and 70-year- old... maureen smith of melbourne beach. the couple says they didn't watch the live powerball drawininon january 13th and didn't learn until the next morning that they had won. yesterday, they claimed their one-time lump sum jackpot of nearly 328 million dollars at lottery headquarters in tallahassee... and if you haven't heard... kanye west is claiming he is 53- million dollars in debt t-m-z says the 53-million actually represents kanye's investment dollars that are tied up in his music and fashion lines. but fans are showing up some support... and have started a "go-fund-me" campaign to help pay for the rappers "so called" debt. most of the gofundme

raised nothing... one fan though.... has collected over 8-hundred dollars. royalty is making their mark in the huffington post... if you read the post... you may have realized that catherine, duchess of cambridge made it to the bylines yesterday. she published a blog about her initiative called "young minds matter." it's focusing on mental health of young children. duchess catherine writes that mental health problems are still a taboo... even though unresolved mental issues among kids can devastate their lives later on. still to come... we're not "whining" about this celebration... it's a way for you to wind down from the work week ... next in your day in history. clear and cold this morning with more sunshine coming our way today. i'll let

live from main and gervais. 33 out the day in history. -twain publishes the adventures of huckleberry finn in 1885-first academy awards announced in 1929-ray charles records "what'd i say" at atlantic records in 1959 today is...

drink wine day.33 that's all the time that we have for the first hour of good morning columbia. but we're coming right back. so be sure to stay with us.

gervais. good morning, columbia. today is thursday, february 18. it's a chance for capital city voters to have their questions answered. what we can expect from tonight's town hall with the gop presidential hopefuls. plus looking out for some of our nation's bravests. on the heel's of the latest hit from the va, we're finding out how the presidential hopefuls ensure veterans get the respect they deserve. and apple reluctant to follow orders to unlock the pho of one of the san bernardino killers. more as investigators work to get into the mind of the shooter. "good morning, columbia" starts right now. captioning provided by

www.captionassociates.com. >> eric: glad you are starting your thursday with us. good morning, columbia. i'm eric weisfeld. >> rochelle: and i'm rochelle dean. we're live from main and gervais. the time's now 6:00. >> eric: great news is tomorrow is friday. it is chillier this morning. >> rochelle: you will need the coat and maybe you should dress in layers because as the day goes on you will get warmer and like a snake. that's my analogy. we will turn things over to jonathan who has a look at what you can expect. layers. >> rochelle: when you can shed your skin like the snake. >> jonathan: looking at temperatures right around freezing for us this morning, clear skies, wind are calm, nice view of the state house and

way of fog or rain, should be a nice start to your day today. no weather implications for your morning commute but you will need to slow down some where. temperatures at below freezing, many areas above freezing, 32 downtown, 30 in camden, that's our coldest spot. seeing a cold pocket of air locally obviously and wind are out of the north and northeast, that makes sense for us at the moment. 24 hour temperature change, 5 to 10 degrees warmer for most of us, you will feel it as you step outside. we were seeing temperatures around 40 yesterday, see maybe a little more c cl down, around freezing is where we willing end up. satellite nice and quiet, that's the good news for the short-term, long term it will

we will see near full sunshine today, yesterday it was in and out, but today any energy stirring up storms will be to our north, up near the allergen i mountains. winds out of the high west, from arizona, new mexico and to us, it's quiet, nothing happening and you seat the i-40 that runs across the u.s. we are looking at a nice set up for us, could be a little warmer, we love to see the warm air, we will see some of it this weekend. good news we will see sunshine and carry it out through today. i don't think anybody gets to 60, we will be close to 60 but i don't think we will quite get there today based on wind coming out of the north and northeast will keep things cooler but will be nice and dry for us, we will see nice warm air coming our way this weekend, another reason to look forward to the weekend.

friday eve and get ready for the sunshine. >> eric: and let's get ready for your roads, are they safe? >> rochelle: good news at the top of the hour, no trouble spots to report in and around the capital city. we're keeping our eyes on the road and if anything changes, we will update you for your morning commute. and as always, abc columbia wants to help you jump start your day. >> eric: we have a quick rundown of your top morning headlines. it's a chance for voters in the capital city to have their questions answered. republican presidential candidates donald trump, jeb bush and john kasich will all be in columbia tonight taking part in a town hall hosted by cnn. that's at 8:00 tonight at the university of south carolina school of law auditorium. ahead of tonight's town hall, jeb bush will be busy reaching out to voters here in the capital city. >> rochelle: he'll be holding a town hall at the columbia metropolitan convention center this morning at 11:45. bush will also be campaigning in florence and rock hill. it's going to be a family affair on the road for bush today.

it slip that his mother, former first lady barbara bush, will be joining him on the campaign trail. she's expected to attend campaign events today and tomorrow here in south carolina. rochelle: also close to home, ben carson. he has multiple stops planned in orangeburg today including a stop at south carolina state university today at noon. carson will be holding a town hall visiting with medical students and checking out south carolina state's football program. carson will also campaigning in the upstate today. >> eric: carson, ted cruz and marco rubio will all be speaking at the conservative convention in greenville today. during his stop in greenville cruz will also be speaking at the republican women's club before continuing his campaign in easley. donald trump will be in kiawah island and gaffney. and john kasich will be in charleston, clemson and fort mill before tonight's town hall in columbia. eric: marco rubio will be in anderson, south carolina. and ahead of saturday's vote, he's getting a big boost here in south carolina.

may not back anyone before saturday's primary, governor nikki haley is announcing she's endorsing senator marco rubio. she made the announcement official yesterday at a rally in chapin taking a line from her signature phrase. >> we say that every day is a great day in south carolina. ladies and gentlemen, if we elect marco rubio, every day will be a great day in america. eric: gop presidential candidate jeb bush says he is disappointed in haley's pick. bush said haley is a very good governor and if he were to win the nomination there will be a role for her in his campaign. eric: it looks like democratic voters in nevada are torn going into saturday's caucus. >> rochelle: a new cnn/orc poll shows 48% of caucus-goers say they support hillary clinton while 47% support bernie sanders. the two democratic presidential hopefuls will be looking to grow

tonight in las vegas. rochelle: a reminder, this saturday, february 20th, is the republican presidential primary. the democratic presidential primary will take place next saturday february 27th. stay with abc columbia news for the latest on vote 2016. we'll have live updates online and on air saturday. rochelle: shifting gears this morning, two lexington county sheriff deputies and one reserve deputy are in stable condition this morning after their vehicles collided. >> eric: officials say two lexington county sheriff's department vehicles were responding to a burglary in progress when they collided into each other last night on platt springs road near old orangeburg road. all three deputies sustained non-life-threatening injuries. south carolina highway patrol is inveveigating that crash. eric: sumter police need your help finding a missing teen who hasn't been heard from in more than a week. investigators say dominique mccray left his home after an argument with his mother on january 31st.

out to his father on february 6th but this morning his whereabouts are still unknown. if you have any information you're urged to call crimestoppers that number 1-888-crime-sc. eric: a group of richland county residents are meeting with county officials with a plan for flood recovery efforts. the "blue ribbon committee" will make recommendations to county council officials on how to best use anticipated flood relief funds. there will be a meeting today from two until four in the fourth floor conference room of the richland administration building. the meeting is open to the public, but space is limited. eric: still to come, it's a trip that's been a long time coming. >> rochelle: find out where the president will be heading next month. >> jonathan: a cold start to your morning, temperatures dipped below freezing for us. we'll see lots of sunshine, see how warm we will get. that's coming up next.

main and gervais. >> jonathan: 6:12 on thursday morning. a cold start. our temperature downtown dropped to 31, it will be freezing as you head out this morning. you are seeing clear skies throughout the day, temperatures cool this morning, i i willake us until lunchtime to get into the 50s and then we will top out near 58. not quite to 60, a lot of sunshine, relatively mild for us but the good news is we have warmer air coming in for the upcoming weekend but it's obviously not the weekend yet. >> rochelle: duly noted. thanks, jonathan. rochelle: here's a quick look at stories that are making headlines across the country. it's a historic event for president barack obama.

announce today that he is making a visit to cuba next month. president obama would be the first president to step foot on the island in nearly nine decades. the relations between washington and havana are improving after a half century of cold war opposition. rochelle: ceo of apple is saying an order from a federal magistrate could threaten the security of millions of i-phones. the magistrate has ordered apple to help the fbi hack into an i-phone linked to a shooter in the san bernardino massacre. white house spokesman, josh earnest, says the court isn'ttrying to get apple to "redesign its product or create a new backdoor," instead, earnest says the order would have an impact on this one device. rochelle: pope francis is on his way back to the vatican. he ended his five-day visit to mexico yesterday with a mass in a city along a border with the united states. pope francis prayed for thousands of migrants who have died trying to reach the u.s. he appealed for governments to

borders to what he calls a human tragedy that is forced migration. rochelle: the lady gamecocks are looking for a win at home. eric, what can you tell us about tonight's big game? >> eric: sometimes being selfish isn't a bad thing. usc women's basketball already has a share of its third straight sec championship. tonight carolina can clinch it outright with a win at home against georgia. tim hill has more basketball for us now in this morning's sports minute to win it. >> clemson basketball trying to stay in the conversation. doing his part and then some. 23 parts last night helps keep boston college win less in the acc. clemson wins 65-54. they are 9-5 in the conference. speaking of the conference, big game of the night, north carolina, duke, dominates 29

lead for most of the ball game,duke pulse the upset 74-73. and class 4a boys high school kicking off last night. irmo proves why they are ranked first, they win 65-42 over goose creek. that's your minute to win it. hope it gets your thursday off to a good start. >> eric: thanks, tim. eric: still to come, it's story time for richland one students. we're cracking open a book with south carolina ties. >> jonathan: and it will be a cold start this morning, we will see lots of sunshine. i will let you know what to expect for the rest of your day next.

gervais. rochelle: welcome back to good morning, columbia. your time 6:18, wore almost there, jonathan. >> jonathan: we're almost to bojangles. let's take a bite out of your morning menu, sponsored by bojangles'. the city of columbia wants you to open your mind by opening a book. >> rochelle: the city along with richland school district one kicked off their "together we can read" project yesterday. third grade students across the midlands will sit down to read "katie's cabbage," by 17-year-old summerville native, katie stagliano today. organizers say it's a great way

>> it's an opportunity to show richland one-third graders what they can be and do even at a young age. >> rochelle: this is the eighth year of the together we can read initiative. i went last year, you have gone before. always a different book and it's exciting to see the look on kids' faces reading to them. you are down there interacting one on one, that's the best part of the job, interacting with people one on one and it's a good cause. >> jonathan: it's great to get out there and read to the kid, reading will help kids in the wrong run. it sound so simple. >> rochelle: today may not be the best day to stay inside and read a book. >> jonathan: it's cool this morning, we will see the sun

before the sun comes up. 58 later this afternoon. it will take a while to get to the 58. as soon as the sun comes up, be prepared for a cold start. we'll be back around freezing tonight into tomorrow morning, into the 60s for tomorrow afternoon, smooth sailing for the weekend, lots of warm air, high in the low to mid-70s. >> rochelle: my thermostat doesn't know what to do, it's up, down, maybe this weekend i can turn it off. atlantic beach bikefest. officials say the department should have stationary license plate readers operational by memorial day. the readers will help alert officers when vehicles linked to crimes enter or leave the city. three people were killed in eight shootings during the 2014 bikefest.

last year. eric: it's another record year for exports in south carolina. state officials announced the state exported nearly $31 billion worth of goods last year. this is the sixth straight year exports set a record. south carolina leads the nation in motor vehicle exports. the state is also the nation's top exporter of tires exporting 28% of the national total. eric: and our state's tourism has grown to become a $19-billion industry. reports show that 2015 was also a record year in hotel occupancy. tourism officials say the state is starting a new marketing campaign called "satisfy your thirst." it's designed to draw visitors to businesses that make everything from beer to tea and from milk to moonshine. sounds good but milk and moonshine together isn't good for your stomach. >> rochelle: yes, that's cool they have that where you can find the best of everything in one spot. >> eric: we have it.

to the beach. i want it to be 80 and sunny. it's 31 right now. >> rochelle: pretty soon everybody will complain it's too hot. >> jonathan: oh, well. rochelle: still to come, it's a countdown to saturdays republican primary. but first we're taking a look at where candidates stand on some hot button issues. that's coming up next. stay with us, we are live from main and gervais. in today's "techbytes" a matter of principle not ability. >> apple is refusing to comply with a court order to break the inkrepgs of an iphone used by the san bernardino shooters. >> computer security experts said it's not difficult at all.

google is expanding its g-mail feature, access all their messages from a single screen. >> soon they will look out and filter like those gmail filter the world's first full-color high-resolution flexible smartphone >> it's called reflex. the phone allows users to flip through it. it's just a prototype as well. those are your "techbytes." >> have a good day. the flu virus. it's a really big deal. and with fever, aches, and chills, mom knows it needs a big solution: an antiviral. don't kid around with the flu, call your doctor within the first 48 hours of symptoms and ask about prescription tamiflu. attack the flu virus at its source with tamiflu, an antiviral that helps stop it from spreading in the body.

to treat the flu in people two weeks of age and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures, confusion, or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. anti-flu? go antiviral

33 countdown to saturday's republican primary is winding down. and ah eric: the countdown to saturday's republican primary is winding down. >> rochelle: and ahead of saturday's vote we want to take the time to look at where the gop candidates stand on some of the hot-button issues this election season. >> rochelle: our closer look at what's being done for some of our nation's bravest our veterans continues this morning. ahead of saturday's vote, the va is taking a fresh hit. investigators say a suicide hotline operated by the department of veterans affairs allowed crisis calls to go to voicemail. they add callers who did get through don't always receive the immediate help they need. it's instances like this that

to call the current state of the va unacceptable. rochelle: john kasich has been speaking to voters right here in south carolina on how he would help veterans, should he be elected president. during a presidential primary with senator tim scott, kasich said veterans should be able to get care at a wider range of clinics instead of just veterans affairs centers. and during a campaign stop in myrtle beach this month kasich pledged to pump $100 billion in spending for the military and would watch agencies like the va closely. rochelle: looking at jeb bush's campaign site the former florida governor has the most plans in store for the va. >> eric: it's a seven-step plan. just to highlight a few points, bush shares most of the candidate's views to improve the va by expanding veterans choice. he also wants to create more opportunities for veterans and improve health care for female veterans. eric: ben carson spent time in columbia yestery attending a veterans roundtable. carson says he would transform

by ensuring veterans receive: high quality health care and better education and employment. eric: the care of veterans is a pressing matter here in the palmetto state. according to the u.s. census there were 21.5 million military veterans in the u.s. in 2011 more than 400,000 of which live in south carolina. >> rochelle: you can find more information on the candidates' and where they stand on each of the candidate's campaign websites plus this wrap-up of the candidate's views on our website abccolumbia.com. this is a story we will continue to follow. every time there is a mention of something and then it becomes center stage for the debate. illegal immigration first and now we are spoiling into this.

people in south carolina. eric: still to come, our coverage of vote 2016 continues. >> rochelle: including a closer look at the gop front-runner donald trump.

main and gervais. >> eric: one half hour left to get your morning startled, we're glad you are getting it started here. good morning, columbia. i'm eric weisfeld. >> rochelle: and i'm rochelle dean. we're live from main and gervais. your time is 6:32. >> eric: we are late. it a little chilly. >> rochelle: we are heading to the weekend so it won't last long. let's turning things over to jonathan kennedy for what you can expect for the rest of the day. >> jonathan: many areas at and below freezing, so it will feel cold for some of us, we will need the jacket early on. we are seeing clear skies but those are working against us, the double edge sword seeing clear skies in the morning, not so great right now, if we had

but at least it's foreboding sunshine for later. saluda at 30. many spots to the east not too bad, 35 to 38 for some of those areas, 11 degrees colder for us here downtown. 5 to 10 degrees colder for everybody, that will be the case mainly due in part to the clear skies and light winds, that is the ideal set up to allow the heat to escape with minimal mixing in the air. calmest conditions, that's when you get the most cool air to develop. not a cloud in the sky, i think that will be the case through much of your day today. i'm expecting lots off sunshine to come our way. wind out of the north, that will bring dry air, not much cloud cover, even kind of moving out in north carolina as well, south carolina, no clouds, georgia, alabama, no clouds. dry conditions across the deep south. high pressure to our north, not stirring anything up but it will

the prevailing wind out of the north tend to bring us cool air especially where it will be cold in northeastern parts of the u.s. that will bring a slight cool down for us, all the disturbances back on the other side of the rockies, we aren't expecting any rain situation or rain scenario until the start of next week. we will stick with the dry conditions the next couple days, lots of sunshine in the forecast and it should be a nice weekend setting up for us as well. i think we will see a few more clouds here and there towards the latter end of the week but temperatures will be a little cooler than what you will see today, temperatures likely topping out in the mid to upper 50s this afternoon. i'm not sure anybody gets to 60 but we will be close. maybe enough sunshine and get to the 60 degrees mark but all in all not much difference, it will be mild today but warmer air this weekend. >> eric: and no rain. >> reporter: exactly, that's what we like. >> eric: let's check out the

conditions look. >> rochelle: we were doing good so far but looks like a few trouble spots out there that you may encounter eras you are heading out. south carolina highway patrol reporting a collision on i-26. >> eric: we will update you if anything else pops up for your commute. rochelle: ananas always, abc columbia wants to help you jump start your day. >> eric: we have a quick rundown of your top morning headlines. it's a chance for voters in the capital city to have their questions answered. republican presidential candidates donald trump, jeb bush and john kasich will all be in columbia tonight taking part in a town hall hosted by cnn. that's at 8:00 tonight at the university of south carolina school of law auditorium. eric: ahead of tonight's town hall donald trump has been busy criss-crossing the palmetto state. yesterday, he spent time sumter reaching out to voters. >> rochelle: indeed he did. it was a packed house at yesterday's rally at the sumter county civic center. the building fits up to 3200 people, but there were plenty

arena. look at that crowd. and while the support was certainly there for trump, the gop presidential candidate stressed the need for people to get out and vote saturday. >> if you have to assume your tide, assume your tide because saturday you have to get out and vote, right? >> rochelle: you heard him say it right there. and the stakes may be higher than ever going into saturday's vote. >> eric: and for the first time a national poll shows senator ted cruz leading the republican presidential field. a new nbc news wall street journal poll reports 28% of republican voters are backing cruz. donald trump is close behind with 26% support. that two-point difference is within the poll's margin of error. while some national polls show trump slipping behind, here in south carolina polls still show trump ahead of cruz by 16 points. >> rochelle: but even with a strong lead his campaign isn't without its share of criticism

donald trump. >> oh, we love south carolina. >> reporter: an unexpected candidate, billionaire businessman and reality tv star donald trump is running full steam ahead to be the next president of the united states. >> what a crowd, wow! >> reporter: leading almost every gop poll, trump has no political experience but is setting out to make america great again, his campaign slogan which supports giving tax relief to the middle class and building a wall paid for by mexico. >> when i announced that i was running june 16th, illegal immigration wasn't even a subject, if i didn't bring it up. >> i'm really a conservative, a common sense conservative. >> reporter: but despite his strong lead, some question if trump defies the conservatism of

>> reporter: the outspoken business connoisseur has come under fire for his profane language, call for banning muslims, and suggesting former president george w. bush is responsible for the attacks on 9/11. governor nikki haley called his remarks embarrassing. >> that was a sad day for america and that was a tough time for our president and to sit there and put him down in front of my daughter, i did not know what to say. >> reporter: and the current commander in chief also speaking out against donald trump. >> i continue to believe that mr. trump will not be president. and the reason is because i have a lot of faith in the american people. >> reporter: but despite the critics, trump finished first in the new hampshire primary and second in iowa and has a strong lead heading into the first in the south primary. rochelle: thanks, jennifer. a reminder this saturday february 20th is the republican presidential primary. >> eric: the democratic presidential primary will take place next saturday february 27th. stay with abc columbia newfor the latest on vote 2016. we'll have live updates online

eric: still to come, fun in the snow turns into an overnight stay. >> rochelle: we'll see what happens here. how some students are bearing the cold in a creative way. >> jonathan: clear skies and cold temperatures this morning. sun getting ready to come up, sunrise in 16 minutes, but it's a little cool day.

main and gervais. >> jonathan: 6:42, a cold start to your morning, clear skies, calm wind but chilly conditions. look for temperatures to be around freezing as you head out, should warm up a little bit as you head out the door, around 8:00 should be around 35 to 37

hopefully getting up towards 60 this afternoon. we will see a lot of sunshine, we will see how much warmth you end up with but the full sunshine to warm us up. >> eric: anything is better than most in the united states, not too cold for us. but for those up north it's a winter wonderland. and some are getting a little creative with the white stuff. >> jonathan: yeah, take a look at this igloo some students at new york's university of rochester decided to build. they even took it further by staying in the igloo overnight -- of course they did. it's an impressive 10 feet high and 12 feet wide snow sculpture. the students made sure to include a hole at the top to vent out excess body heat and keep the igloo from melting too early. >> eric: i would want the body heat to stay. >> jonathan: forget melting, i'm worried about hypothermia. eric: we're now going to turn our attention to your health. >> jonathan: rochelle dean has a look at what is making headlines in the medical community. good morning, rochelle. >> rochelle: good morning, jonathan. good morning, eric. if you're trying to be healthy by ditching the soda machine and stopping by starbucks, you may

a new study has found that some flavored coffee drinks can actually contain more sugar than soda. findings show they can contain up to 25 teaspoons of sugar. that's three times more sugar than there is in one can of soda and more than three times the maximum adult daily intake recommenend by the american heart association. starbucks says it is committing to reduce added sugar by 25% in their "indulgent drinks" by the end of 2020. rochelle: the fda has new guidelines for keeping the zika virus out of u.s. blood supply. the agency is asking people who recently traveled to affected countries to wait four weeks before donating blood. this also applies to everyone who had sexual contact with those travelers. most people affected by zika don't show any symptoms but doctors say the four-week wait should be enough time for their immune systems to clear the

from produce to tatoos? we're talking about a not so average grocery store coming soon.

main and gervais. >> rochelle: welcome back to good morning, columbia, your time is 6:48. whole foods is putting a spin on their new brand. they plan to open its first 365 stores later this year. the new brand of grocery stores will focus on millennials and will include other shops to

experience. whole foods website suggests those ststes known as "friends of 365" could include anything from record shops to tattoo parlors. rochelle: america's national parks are becoming the new hot destination spots. numbers show more people visited national park sites in 2015 than ever before. parks across the country hosted a record-breaking 307 million visits. the most popular spot was the great smoky mountains, with more than 10 million visits. the grand canyon hosted 5 million visitors in 2015, while yellowstone and the rocky mountains each saw more than 4 million tourists. getting out there and enjoying the wildlife. rochelle: comcast is now offering an apology along with a credit to customers impacted by monday's service outage. on demand video, as well as broadcast, local and cable tv channels were inaccessible for about 90 minutes for customers

a spokeswoman told cnn that customers will receive a credit for a day's worth of video service, which she guessed would be around $200. the spokeswoman added credits will vary depending on how customers were impacted. rochelle: let's turn things over to eric for a look at what's making headlines in hollywood. >> eric: a grammy bounce for some honorees, an easy job for an actor, and the return of a much-loved character. david daniel has it all in the hollywood minute. >> my very first holiday is off to a perfect start! hitchhikers! where ya headed? >> drive, pipsqueak! >> reporter: pee-wee herman is back and hitting the road! netflix has released the first full trailer for "pee-wee's big holiday," as paul reubens' eternally upbeat character sets out on the vacation of a lifetime. the movie premieres march 18th. reporter: the grammys paid off for some performers in more

spotify streams of lionel richie music rose 146% after the music-cares honoree was the focus of an all-star tribute, and streams of triple grammy winners alabama shakes went up 89%, according to the service. reporter: gerard butler has just one line to memorize for his latest role: "drivers, start your engines!" the actor has been cast as the grand marshal of sunday's daytona 500. the star of the upcoming movies "gods of egypt" and "london has fallen" will also ride around the track in a ceremonial car before the race begins. tough gig! with the hollywood minute, i'm david daniel. eric: still to come: forget the puppy chow, this fancy pup is getting treated to a fine meal for his brand new title. stay with us, we are live from

good morning. >> jonathan: 6:54, sup about 10 minutes away, we will start to warm up then. we will look for sunshine throughout the day, i think it will be hanging around for us through the weekend, nothing happening, clouds to the north but for us very minimal cloud cover is expected today or

sunny end of the work week. eric: a fancy pup is getting a taste of one of new york's finest restaurants. >> rochelle: he's a cutie-pie, check him out. the winner of the westminister dog show gets treated to a meal at new york's famed "sardi's restaurant" as a reward for being named best in show. this year's top dog is a three-year-old german short-haired pointer named c.j. he beat out more than 2700 other purebred pups at the show. cheering crowds nearly filled new york's madison square garden to watch judges determine the best of the best in the dog world. only dogs who have already earned american kennel club championships are allowed to compete. he's so cute. my husband and i were joking, my husband's name is curtis but his nickname is c. j. and the winner's last name is

too close! still to come: we're not "whining" about this celebration. >> eric: it's a way for you to wind down from the work week next in your day in history. >> jonathan: you should bundle

will come up later. >> jonathan: good thursday morning, a cold start right now, warming up into the upper 50s

today and tomorrow, highs around 60 or so, the weekend, no cold air in sight. we will see a few more cloud but gamecocks have their season, beautiful day for it. it will be in the 70s for saturday and sunday. >> rochelle: we are ending the work week with good temperatures, a little chilly today. >> eric: good news after that. rochelle: let's check out the day in history. narj twain publishes the adventures of huckleberry finn at 1885, the first academy awards announced in 1929 and ray charles records "what'd i say" at atlantic records in 1959. >> eric: today is crab-stuffed flounder day and national drink wine day. so i think i iretty much set up. >> rochelle: i think we know where we are going. >> eric: jonathan isn't invited, he doesn't like crab. >> rochelle: he can find something else on the menu.

>> eric: enjoy your thursday. "good morning, america" isisext. good morning, america. dead heat. a brand-new national poll shows ted cruz and donald trump tied as trump takes aim at jeb bush. >> this guy, why doesn't he just give up, go home. go home. go home to mom. >> and hillary clinton trying to avoid another upset striking a pose in "vogue" just two days until the next big showdown. breaking overnight, president obama will travel to cuba, the first president to visit in more than 80 years and the huge events in the works in havana from major league baseball to beyonce. the 18-year-old arrested posing as a doctor accused of treating patients now out on bail speaking out to abc news. the question that made him do this. kanye west caught on a hot mike. the talent's temper tantrum backstage at "snl." >> by 50%, dead or alive.