time, good morning columbia. thanks for joining us. i'm eric weisfeld. and i'm

time's now 5:00. good news 33 this morning... no rain... but you may want to grab your jacket before you head out the door. yeah... it's a very cool and windy start to this thursday. for more on what we can expect for the 33 remainder of the day... lets

kennedy. 33 we want to 33 give you a quick traffic update as you head out and about this morning. and good news. there are no trouble spots to report in or around the capital city. but as always we are keeping our eyes on the road and will continue to update you if anything changes 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. clean up will continue today after strong winds swept through the midlands yesesrday. it's a much quieter morning compared to this scene yesterday on assembly street. wind gust reached as much as 56-miles an hour yesterday... downing trees and knocking out power across richland and lexington counties. about two-thousand people were left in the dark because of those winds... but most power was restored in those counties last night. turning our attention to vote 20-16.... for the g-o-p presidential. hopefuls... it's full steam ahead to super tuesday.

presidential candidates will be taking the stage tonight in houston.... for the final presidential primary debate before super tuesday. you can catch all the action tonight on c-n-n... starting at 8:30. thirteen states will vote on super tuesday....march first.key states for the republicans that day include texas, georgia, and tennessee. for the democrats, key states include texas, georgia and colorado. but the democratic presidential hopefuls must first focus on votes here in south carolina... leading up to saturday's primary. hillary clinton has been busy campaigning in the capital city... courting potential women voters. clinton was the guest speaker yesterday at the alpha kappa alpha sorority,

and clinton 33 will continue to criss-cross the palmetto state today... with stops in kingstree, florence, myrtle beach and north charleston. her husband and former president... bill clinton... will also be out campaigning in south carolina today for his wife. he'll be attending "get out the vote" rallies... in rock hill, winnsboro... and right here in columbia. it's taking place at the health education complex and wellness center located on u-s-c's campus... today at 4:30. bernie sanders says he isn't writing off south carolina, even though he won't spend much time in the palmetto state in the days leading up to saturday's primary. sanders held a news conference in columbia yesterday, before heading to campaign in missouri.. he told reporters he's proud of the gains he's made in recent polls. sanders will be back campaigning in the midlands... tomorrow. columbia's top cop says crime is down in the city of columbia. chief skip

officers to discuss what progress has been made... and where it's still needed. according to holbrook car break in's and theft appear to be the highest crimes right now. holbrook also says they hope to have all officers wearing body cameras by mid- march. and there's a new effort to help prevent your information from being stolen in a cyber attack u-s-c president harris pastides and governor nikki haley announced the 'sc cyber' initiative... to beef up the states cyber-security efforts. the program will train people from state government education, and business in cyber security techniques. still to come... our coverage of vote 20-16 continues. we're talking about a former g-o-p presidential hopefuls caught in the cross-fire of the current republican front-runner.a cooler start with clear skies.expect lots of sunshine but also lots of

from main and gervais 33 here's a quick look at stories that are making headlines across the country. donald trump is on the attack after a former republican presidential hopeful suggests a "bombshell" is lurking for the billionaire businessman.

latest. 33 it's been a long time coming, but it looks like gamecock fans will have something to celebrate next month. eric, what us?

like this year's march madness will include carolina basketball for the first time in more than a decade. tim hill shows us the most recent

sports minute to win it. 33 still to come... it may be february... but we're taking a dip in the pool. it's a daring dive... all for a good

gervais. carolina" students and the public are invited to participate. but a minimum of 25-dollars must be raised in order to take part in the plunge. registration begins at five tonight and the plunging starts at six at maxcy gregg pool. 33 and south 33 carolina state university is gearing up to host its annual

summit" it's designed to impact young males within public education to improve... and to increase retention and academic success. todays summit is being geared towards elementary to middle school aged students. it's taking place at the martin luther king junior auditorium on the university's campus at 8:30

afternoon. 33 33 we're checking out what will be making headlines later today. here's eric with your "look ahead." at the state house... we're taking a look at the cash flow. the house budget-writing committee is advancing a spending plan that would give most state employees a one percent pay increase... provide 250- million dollars for roadwork... and cut income taxes by 130-million dollars. the committee plans to wrap up its work today... but the ways and means tentatively approved the seven-point-five billion dollar plan yesterday for state taxes... that spends an additional 300-million dollars on kindergarten through 12th-grade education. and when it comes to higher education... a house budget panel chairman is proposing borrowing roughly 200-million dollars to pay for maintenance at south carolina's public colleges. lawmakers say the state has

existing buildings from falling apart. it's a proposal that lawmakers say will be introduced when the budget debate moves to the house floor next month. 33 still to come... the glitz and glamor of this weekends oscars are upon us... but first... we're taking a look at a best picture nominee before celebs hit the red carpet. stay with us.

gervais. yeah... it's a very cool and windy start to this thursday. for more on what we can expect for the remainder of the day... lets turn things over to

kennedy. 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 in or around the capital city. but as always we are keeping our eyes on the road and will continue to update you if anything changes for your morning commute.. a-b-c columbia wants to help you jump start your day. we have

morning headlines. clean up will continue today after strong winds swept through the midlands yesterday. it's a much quieter morning... but check out these big swells caught off lake murray yesterday. wind gust reached as much as 56-miles an hour yesterday... downing trees and knocking out power across richland and lexington counties. about two- thousand people were left in the dark because of those nds... but most was restored in those counties last night. turning our attention to vote 20-16.... for the g-o-p presidential hopefuls... it's full steam ahead to super tuesday. the five remaining republican presidential candidates will be taking the stage tonight in houston.... for the final presidential primary debate before the march first vote. you can catch all the action tonight on c-n-n... starting at 8:30. thirteen states will vote on super tuesday....march first.key states for the republicans that day include texas,

the democrats, key states include texas, georgia and colorado. but the democratic presidential hopefuls must first focus on votes here in south carolina... leading up to saturday's primary. hillary clinton will continue to criss-cross the state today. she has campaign stops planned in kingstree, florence, myrtle beach and north charleston. and bernie sanders will be back campaigning in the midlands tomorrow with stops in orangeburg and right here in columbia. sanders is lagging behind clinton according to most south carolina polls but says he is not giving up the fight . our jennifer ready takes a

senator and his campaign 33 thank you jennifer. and just a reminder... that this saturday is the democratic primary. polls open at seven in the morning and close at seven in the evening. don't forget to bring your state issued i-d. and if you voted in the republican primary you cannot vote for a democrat this weekend. stay with a-b-c columbia for the latest on vote 20-16... on air and online. on the crime beat this morning... a cross man has been arrested... in connection with a drug investigation in orangeburg county. officials with the orangeburg county sheriff's office say 35-year-old isiah williams... has been charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana. the arrest comes as several resident has complained about suspected drug activity... just east of eutawville. officials say they will

as part of their investigation. and a parent monitoring their child's facebook account may have saved a teacher's life. kershaw county sheriff jim matthews says the parent came across a comment from cameron oreglia where he threatened to kill a teacher at lugoff-elgin high school. in a statement matthews says quote, "in todays climate where school shootings have become far too common, law enforcement can take no chances when a threat of this type is made."33 still to come... severe weather sweeps the south. we're taking a closer look at damage left behind... after tornadoes touch down in north carolina.a cooler start with clear skies.expect lots of sunshine but also lots of wind today.details next.live from

are good morning. topping "america's money" -- an alarming sign about stocks. >> trading for under $1 is at its highest point in 20 years. >> around 160 stocks open this morning at less than a buck, that's up 38% this year. >> a new survey of customer

high marks to nordstrom, costco. >> america's least favorite retailer, abe comby and fitch. china, a new list says 90 new chinese billionaires moved china into first place, 33 more than the u.s. beijing is the city with the most billionaires. new york city is second. >> and that's "america's money." >> have eat graya great day, everybody. make it a point to shop kohl's... this thursday through monday!... because yes2you rewards members take an extra 20% off!... and earn triple points - no matter how you pay! get a $5 reward for every 100 points. plus - everyone gets $10 kohl's cash for every $50 spent! you can earn and redeem rewards points and kohl's cash throughout the store! there's no better time to sign up!... anyone can - it's quick and it's easy! enroll, save and start racking up the points today!

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33 facing piiles of damage this morning... following a series of severe weather ripping

yeah... take a look at some of the damage in parts of central north carolina. at least four tornadoes are confirmed to have touched down in the state. residents had to duck and cover while the tornado warning was in effect. soft-ball size hail even fell in some of the same areas. 33 we're now 33 going to turn our attention to your health. rochelle dean has a look at what is making headlines in the medical community. you've heard it before... adults need to sleep at least seven hours a night. but a new study shows more than one third of us n't actually get the required amount of sleep with more... here's mary

minute. 33 still to 33 come... facebook is changing up the game... there's a new feature they think users are going to "love". stay with us. we're live from

amazon 479 million different items available on amazon's website... and determined the average price of an item was 26 to 86 dollars. amazon has yet to respond whether they're on the money or not. move over "like" button... there's some new competition on facebook. the social media giant announced yesterday they're expanding its users' ability to react to something on their news feeds. facebook used to only have a "thumbs up" button... if you wanted to "like" something. now if you hover your

button... you can choose from like... love... "ha-ha"... wow... sad or angry. the new options are already available world-wide. johnson and johnson is being ordered to pay 72-million dollars in damages in a lawsuit over its talcum powder. a suit was brought on by a family who alleges that one of their family members died of ovarian cancer caused by the company's product. plaintiffs in the case argue that johnson and johnson was aware of the dangers its talcum powder presented... and neglected to do anything about it. johnson and johnson has released a statement saying it stands by the safety of its talcum powder. the glitz and glam of the oscars are upon us... but before the big day, there's still a lot of preparation to be done... eric what can you tell us? crew members are already getting the red carpet ready for this weekends oscars awards show. the famous carpet will be vacuumed again... and again... and again... between now and oscar sunday. for the next three days things will be buzzing at hollywood and

carpet staff say rest assured... all wl be in place by sunday afternoon. and from the oscars red carpet to the oscars kitchen. we're getting a look at what it's like to eat like the celebrity's on the big day. chef wolfgang is crafting this years menu for the post-oscars governors ball. the team of chefs are creating 12-thousand dishes in just one and a half hours. celebs are getting 30 options to choose from including... sushi... smoked salmon... and alaskan king crab. and the desserts are all oscar-themed with this years highlightbeing a doughnut ball filled with raspberry champagne puree. still to come... we're celebrating a comfort food classic... it's sure to warm you up for these cool winter days ... next in the day in history. stay with us.

gervais. 33 let's check out the day in history. -african american congressman sworn in, in 1870- cassius clay dethrones heavyweight boxing champ sonny liston in 1964-the passion of the christ opens in the u.s. in 2004 today is... 33 national chocolate covered 33 peanuts day... and national chili day.33 that's all the time that we

good morning columbia. but we're coming right back. so be sure to stay with us.

gervais.

today is thursday, february 25. it's full steam ahead for super tuesday. what we can expect from the final gop debate before a slew of states head the polls next week. plus find out where the democratic presidential hopefuls will be reaching out to voters leading up to saturday's primary. this year's oscar theme may be "we all dream in gold," but a scandal over hollywood diversity has some "seeing red." we take a closer look at the controversy. "good morning, columbia" starts right now. captioning provided by caption associates, llc www.captionassociates.com. eric: trouble waking upon a thursday morning? we will get you there. thanks for joining us. i'm eric weisfeld. >> rochelle: and i'm rochelle dean. we're live from main and gervais. the time's now 6:00. >> eric: troubles waking up? step outside. >> rochelle: it will almost

this is the same time we both stepped out of the car at the same time and couldn't talk, we had to wait until we were coming in. >> jonathan: i thought you were calling yourself "trouble." it will be cooler, so grab a light jacket as you step outside. we saw a nice warm day yesterday, temperatures, that was about the only thing nice going on. we did see strong storms, very windy. 46 degrees as you are waking up. clear skies, that's good for us. we will see lots of sunshine. wind out of the west at 16. dewpoint 32, we have cooler air but drier air coming our way, that bodies well for sunshine through the next couple days as we see a nice change over of the air masses. unfortunately that brings us colder air, low to mid-40s for most of us. winds, they will be steady today, around 15 to 20 miles a

maybe even 40 miles a hour at times. a very windy afternoon coming our way, spellsly we will still see the wind, you can hear it howling outside of main and gervais. we are looking at a very dry set up, do notice a few showers toward georgia but that won't affect us at all today, lots of snow for the appalachean mountains, especially from knoxville to ashville and boone, but this big pocket of air will stay to our north. the front that brought us nasty weather today that is off the coast going through parts of cape cod and the gulf when you go south. sunshine today, cooler forecast, we saw upper 70s during the peak heating before the storms set in, today we will be in the mid-50s, 20 degree drop. it will be windy, not severe like the gusts with the thunderstorms but sustained wind of 25 to 30 to 35 miles a hour will make f a breezy day

>> eric: it's enough. >> rochelle: exactly. >> eric: let's check out the roadways. >> rochelle: we unfortunately do have trouble spots to tell you about youay encounter as you head out. south carolina highway patrol reporting a collision with a deer at peak exit. >> mile marker 87 in the westbound lanes. we will continue to update you if anything else pops upon your morning commute. rochelle: and as always, abc columbia wants to help you jump start your day. >> eric: we have a quick rundown of your top morning headlines. cleanup will continue today after strong winds swept through the midlands yesterday. >> rochelle: that's right. still windy but it's a much quieter morning compared to this scene yesterday on assembly street. wind gust reached as much as 56 miles an hour yesterday downing trees and knocking out lexington counties. about 2,000 people were left in the dark because of those winds but most power was restored in

rochelle: turning our attention to vote 2016 for the gop presidential hopefuls, it's full steam ahead to super tuesday. >> eric: the five remaining republican presidential candidates w wl be taking the stage totoght in houston for t t final presidential primary debate before super tuesday. you can catch all the action tonight on cnn starting at 8:30. 13 states will vote on super tuesday on march 1st. key states for the republicans that day include texas, georgia, and tennessee. for the democrats, key states include texas, georgia and colorado. but the democratic presidential hopefuls must first focus on votes here in south carolina leading up to saturday's primary. >> rochelle: hillary clinton has been busy campaigning in the capital city courting potential women voters. clinton was the guest speaker yesterday at the alpha kappa alpha sorority, inc. statewide luncheon. >> hold me accountable. i'm laying out my plans, my agenda, my hopes, my dreams.

you can go to my website and see what i am proposing, because i want an election about real you change that will make a difference in people's lives. >> rochelle: and clinton will continue to criss-cross the palmetto state today with stops in kingstree, florence, myrtle beach and north charleston. her husband and former president bill clinton will also be out campaigning in south carolina today for his wife. he'll be attending "get out the vote" rallies in rock hill, winnsboro and spartanburg. bernie sanders says he isn't writing off south carolina, even though he won't spend much time in the palmetto state in the days leading up to saturday's primary. >> eric: sanders held a news conference in columbia yesterday, before heading to campaign in missouri. he told reporters he's proud of the gains he's made in recent polls. sanders will be back campaigning in the midlands tomorrow. eric: columbia's top cop says crime is down in the city of columbia. chief skip holbrook met with his team of officers to discuss what

it's still needed. according to holbrook,@car breakin's and thefts appear to be the highest crime right now. holbrook also says they hope to have all officers wearing body cameras by mid-march. >> we're going to start almost immediately starting to roll some variations of the body-worn cameras out, but it's going to be quite an endeavor for us to equip 300 people with cameras just loggistically. >> eric: holbrook also praised the inter-agency cooperation during this past saturday's incident at columbiana centre. eric: there's a new effort to help prevent your information from being stolen in a cyber attack. >> rochelle: yes, very important here. usc president harris pastides and governor nikki haley announced the 'sc cyber' initiative to beef up the states cybersecurity efforts. the program will train people from state government, education, and business in cyber security techniques.

personal information personal. the debate over supreme court justice antonin scalia's successor continues. >> rochelle: but has the president found a way to break the senate gop blockade of his choices? >> jonathan: and expect a cooler start, seeing clearer skies, temperatures in the mid-40s but looks like we will see a lot of sunshine and a lot of wind later on.

main and gervais. >> jonathan: good morning, columbia. we're looking at a cooler start, temperatures in the mid-40s as

almost summer-like conditions yesterday but more sunshine and calmer conditions in the way of severe weather but it will still be windy. be prepared for the wind all day today. we are seeing gusts 25 miles a hour, it will be gusting up to 35, 40 today. we are expecting the winds to slack a little bit probably a little windy tonight. >> rochelle: thanks, jonathan. rochelle: here's a quick look at stories that are making headlines across the country. it looks like attorney general loretta lynch is supporting the federal government's demand that apple unlock a san bernardino terrorist's phone. lynch says judges have the authority to tell third parties to help government in its evidence search in criminal cases. meanwhile, apple ceo tim cook says it would be bad for america if his company complies with the fbi's demands and says he's prepared to take the fight over the phone to the u.s. supreme court.

nevada governor brian sandoval's name is the latest to surface as a possible supreme court nominee, his staff says he has not been contacted by the obama administration. the republican governor is a former federal judge. the nomination of a republican would be seen as an attempt by president barack obama to court the senate gop who say they will not hold hearings or vote on the president's pick rochelle: it's been a long time coming, but it looks like gamecock fans will have something to cheer about next month. eric, what can you tell us? >> eric: it's looking more and more like this year's march madness will include carolina basketball for the first time in more than a decade. tim hill shows us the most recent example why in this morning's sports minute to win it. >> good crowd on hand at the colonial arena, the tip off after 9:00. apparently usc are night owls.

tennessee at the break. usc gets four players in double figures including michael. the gamecocks cruise to win. >> based on the way the florida game unfolded in watching the joy in the eyes of our guys in the locker room after the game and then their approach the last two days, i just had a feeling that we would play well today. >> blustery day at founders park, wind blowing straight out. the first car ear home run. usc wins 16-4. came cox win. that's your minute to whip it. hope it gets your day off to a good start. eric: still to come: silent voices speaking up.

open mic all for a good cause. >> jonathan: waking up, temperatures in the mid-40s, we will see clear skies, it will be windy today. be prepared for that.

main and gervais. rochelle: welcome back to good morning, columbia. thanks for waking up with us on this thursday morning, your time is 6:17. >> jonathan: let's take a bite out of your morning menu,

and on the menu this morning: oysters. >> rochelle: sound good. >> jonathan: i won't say this right because i'm from north carolina. beaufort stew and chili. growing home southeast is holding its annual oysr roast today. tonight's dinner and silent auction is all for a good cause. proceeds will benefit leaphart place which provides a safe, stable and affordable housing for young homeless adults. the oyster roast takes place tonight from 6:00 until 10:00 at the carolina haven located just off hemlock drive. tickets are $30 and can be purchased at oysterroast.org. >> rochelle: sounds delicious. and that's not your only chance to give back today. voices so often ignored or silenced will take the mic for a show that promises to inspire and empower change. "silent voices" is an evening of talent performed by members of columbia's homeless community. you'll see dances and songs that tell their journey along with poem readings aimed at

associated with homelessness. our ben hoover will be co-emcee the event. tonight's event is at tapps art center in downtown. swing by at 6:00 for for a silent auction or show up before seven for the show. a $10 donation is suggested with all proceeds going directly to the performers. it should be an interesting time down there at tapps art center. a delicious morning for the oyster stew. >> jonathan: i have to be in the mood. i have friends who eat them all the time. >> rochelle: but stew sounds good. >> jonathan: thankfully we are not seeing severe weather but it will be windy, be prepared for that. no real stormy implications,

the upper 50s, lows 30s. 56 for your high tomorrow, cold friday flight as night but by the end of the weekend we will be in the upper 60s and 70s. rochelle: we're checking out what will be making headlines later today. >> jonathan: here's eric with your "look ahead." >> eric: south carolina roads remain a growing concern in the upstate and last night beaufort republican tom davis announced he is passing-on his four-week "roads filibuster." senator lee bright says the filibuster that davis began last may will continue with other senators expected to keep the pressure on from the podium. this approach by conservative republicans is to stress the need for reform to the state department of transportation before any new money is sent to the cash-strapped agency. eric: south carolina's chief justice is asking legislators to increase judges' salaries. chief justice costa pleicones says he's deeply concerned by the judiciary branch's dependence on court fines and

he's also asking the legislature for nearly $6 million to fund a 20% increase in judges' salaries. he adds that current salaries discourage the state's most qualified lawyers from seeking a judicial seat. so you have to pay. >> rochelle: you have to pay to play. thanks, eric. rochelle: still to come: our coverage of vote 2016 continues. we're taking a closer look at how the presidential hopefuls plan to help hard working americans get ahead. stay with us. we're live from main and gervais. in today's "techbytes," apple said to be working on an upgrade for security. >> reports say the company is developing ways that would make it impossible for the government to hack into a locked iphone using current method. >> reporter: such a move could set the stage for more legal

it looks like siri could be sooning to your mac. online reports claim that apple will unveil the new feature in june. >> siri has been ruledolled out for all of apple's devices. uber has launched a motorcycle service. a chance to select a two-wheel vehicle to ride on. >> the new program currently available only in thailand. despite a helmet requirement will likely never be available in the u.s. or, we hope so at some point. >> he looks happy about it. safety first. and those are your "techbytes." my moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis made a simple trip to the grocery store anything but simple. so finally, i had an important conversation with my dermatologist about humira. he explained that humira works inside my body to target and help block a specific source of

in clinical trials, most adults saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. ask your dermatologist about humira.

the 8 a.m. >> outspoken... >> you need a person of tremendous strength. >> unapologetic. >> well, you know i always expect to win. i want to win. and i've always had a nice habit of winning. >> and ahead in the polls. >> i have dealt with very tough hombres and very tough people, and i've come out on top. >> "the 700 club's"

republican presidential >> jonathan: we have all the severe weather moving away from us, we are seeing impact on the system, we saw blizzard across much of the midwest, tornadoes across much of the carolinas. we were under a tornado watch for much of the day but thankfully it won't be as stormy for us. i am hesitant to use the word calmer because we will see breezier conditions, sustained

gusts 35 to 45. highs cooler, only upper 50s with mostly sunny skies. >> eric: thank you, jathan. eric: the democratic presidential hopefuls have their sights set on south carolina going into saturday's primary. >> rochelle: that's right, and ahead of saturday's vote, we're continuing to take a closer look at where the candidates stand on some of the hot-button issues this election. today we're taking a closer look at employment in america. here in south carolina unemployment is holding steady. the department of employment and workforce says the state's jobless rate in december was 5.5%, the same as it was in november. but compare that to the national unemployment rate which is 4.9%. on hillary clinton's website the democratic presidential hopeful outlines how she says she plans to help hard-working americans get ahead and stay ahead. clinton says she will create jobs by investing in infrastructure, clean energy as well as scientific and medical research. clinton says she also plans to

families to increase their take home pay. tax relief is also in store for small businesses. clinton says she plans to put forth an agenda that would expand access to capital and cut "red tape" for small businesses. bernie sanders, on the other hand, says he's is looking to create 13 million jobs should he become president. >> eric: according to sander's campaign website, these jobs would be created through the "rebuild america act." the plan would invest $1 trillion over five years to help modernize our infrastructure and support more than 13 million jobs. sanders says this plan would be paid for by making corporations pay taxes on all profits that have been shifted offshore. each candidate also outlines plans that involve equal pay for women, 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave and show support for increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour. >> rochelle: you can find all of the candidates' stances on job creation on their websites. plus this wrap-up of the candidate's views on our website

a lot of issues taking center stage as we prepare for south carolina's primary. >> eric: sometimes you need a website to absorb it all. >> rochelle: so much information coming at you to retain. eric: still to come: we continue to take a closer look at the presidential hopefuls. >> rochelle: we're profiling vermont senator bernie sanders. stay with us.

live from main and gervais. eric: we are chewing right along in our final half hour, we're glad you are starting with us. >> rochelle: choo choo, i'm rochelle dean. >> eric: we've had way too much coffee. >> rochelle: we are ready for the weekend. >> eric: there is no being ready for the wind. >> rochelle: it will hit you as you head out the door. much of what we saw yesterday minus the rain. let's turn things over to jonathan kennedy what you can expect for the weather, one thing is hang onto the hat. >> jonathan: i saw people literally losing their hats,

cans flying around. >> rochelle: and plants. >> jonathan: today we won't see tornadoes but there will be plain wind blowing around. 45 degrees, 16 mile per hour winds out of the west, clear skies right now, we could see wind upwards of 45. we saw winds up of 55, 60 yesterday. i think it will be calmer but not by much. it will be windy, we are still changing over the air masses from a warm, humid one yesterday to more football-like pattern of cooler air, drier air. 45 right here in the capital city, wind out of the west-southwest around 15, 20 miles a hour, gusts up to 30, 35, it is very windy. you can hear the wind howling at the corner of main and gervais. a few rain cells here and there, not really storms, but that will be going by the way side, the

any precipitation, looking for good snow showers, right around the ohio valley into west virginia, southwest virginia, smoky mountains toward tennessee and north carolina. but for us a dry set up, not cold enough for snow but colder for us today. we saw highs near 80 yesterday, today mid to upper 80s for most of us and with the wind blowing it won't feel that warm. kind of get your mind set for the windy day today, at least it will be sunny, looking at a majority of sunshine throughout the day today, that's good to see and good to see we don't have strong storms the wind could still pose issues. >> eric: sun always helps. >> rochelle: it makes you feel it would be nice outside, give you the impression -- but when you head outside. >> eric: false confidence until the wind heighth you. let's see if it's a safe situation on the road. >> rochelle: there are trouble

a traffic advisory, it's located on i-26. >> eric: mile marker 110 in the eastbound lanes. we will continue to update you if anything else pops up for your morning commute. rochelle: and as always, abc columbia wants to help you jump start your day. >> eric: we have a quick rundown of your top morning headlines. cleanup will continue today after strong winds swept through the midlands yesterday. >> rochelle: you heard us talk about it but look at the video. check out these big swells caught off lake murray yesterday. wind gust reached as much as 56 miles an hour yesterday downing trees and knocking out power across richland and lexington counties. about 2,000 people were left in the dark because of those winds but most power was restored in those counties last night. rochelle: turning our attention to vote 2016 for the gop presidential hopefuls, it's full steam ahead to super tuesday. >> eric: the five remaining republican presidential candidates will be taking the stage tonight in houston for the final presidential primary

you can catch all the action tonight on cnn starting at 8:30. 13 states will vote on super tuesday on march 1st. key states for the republicans that day include texas, georgia, and tennessee. for the democrats, key states include texas, georgia and colorado. but the democratic presidential hopefuls must first focus on votes here in south carolina leading up to saturday's primary. >> rochelle: hillary clinton will continue to criss-cross the state today. she has campaign stops planned in kingstree, florence, myrtle beach and north charleston. and bernie sanders will be back campaigning in the midlands tomorrow with stops in orangeburg and right here in columbia. >> eric: sanders is lagging behind clinton according to most south carolina polls but says he is not giving up the fight. our jennifer ready takes a closer look at the vermont senator and his campaign. >> i think we are going to pull off one of the great political upsets. >> reporter: despite lagging poll numbers in south carolina, presidential hopeful bernie

super tuesday, continuing his pursuit of the nation's top job. >> we are in this race to win it. >> reporter: the self-proclaimed democratic socialist is putting up a competitive fight against front-runner hillary clinton, drastically winning new hampshire and narrowly finishing second in iowa and nevada. >> she is not the inevitable candidate, no. i think we have a real shot. >> reporter: in south carolina, days before the primary, sanders continues to fight for working families and stresses the need to tackle poverty by increasing the minimum wage and creating more jobs. >> in the richest country in the history of the world, we do not have to have children living in extreme poverty. >> reporter: but recently the clinton campaign has taken aim at sanders calling his is a one-issue campaign and at tuesday night's town hall sanders and clinton sparred over sanders' request for clinton to release speech transcripts she made to wall street banks. >> if people are going to ask for things, people should be on

will do it. >> secretary clinton said "i will do it if other people do it." well, i am very happy to release all my paid speeches to wall street. here it is, chris, there ain't none. >> reporter: sanders in his second term as a u.s. senator says he respects clinton but is setting his sights on winning the nomination. >> we have waged a very, very vigorous campaign, we have picked up a lot of support and we have closed the gap very significantly. >> eric: jennifer ready with that report. jennifer, thank you. and just a reminder that this saturday is the democratic primary. >> rochelle: polls open at 7:00 in the morning and close at 7:00 in the evening. don't forget to bring your state issued i.d. and if you voted in the republican primary, you cannot vote for a democrat this weekend. stay with abc columbia for the latest on vote 2016 on air and

>> rochelle: police are looking for a man. >> eric: he broke into a shed and stole a piece of machinery. anyone who knows anything, call the crime stoppers. also seeing these two entering the china wall on broad river road. they entered the back of the business, one suspect staying by the register while the other stole. if you have any information call crime stoppers. pretty brazen. >> rochelle: yes and hopefully people will recognize something. and crime stoppers is always anonymous. >> eric: and you can qualify for a reward. still to come, strong storms sweeping the south. >> rochelle: we are looking at the damage it has left behind. >> jonathan: some damage here at home, still seeing the wind from yesterday, seeing a much cooler set up but also a lot of sunshine.

expect the rest of your

main and gervais. >> jonathan: good thursday morning, waking up with more wind and cooler temperatures. the wind out of the west at around 15 to 20 miles a hour. right now we're seeing gusts up to 25 to 30 and see windier conditions as we get the air. it will be a warmish day, not as warm as yesterday, mid to upper 50s, so cooler than where we should be by february standard but sunny for us and calm and no threat of severe weather. >> eric: we don't need that. the storm system of deadly tornadoes that hit the east coast is now wreaking

damaging communities and taking more lives. >> jonathan: yeah, in virgina at least four people are dead and dozens are being treated for storm-related injuries. there are numerous reports of downed trees, fallen power lines and storm damage. active rescues still continue this morning in some of the hardest hit areas. at least eight people nationwide have died in the storms. 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. el salvador is getting creative in the fight against the zika virus. they're using a fish called sambo that eats the larvae of mosquitoes. this is stopping them from developing into adults that spread the virus. the fish are being distributed in el salvador to schools, homes and shops and placed in the water where mosquitoes are likely to lay their eggs. rochelle: your personal well-being may have something to do with where you live. and if you're looking for the happiest and healthiest city in the u.s. you'll have to travel to the deep south of naples, florida. according to healthways, naples has the highest "well-being" in the country. the organization also says

stress and depression and the most people who eat healthy. and for the second happiest and healthiest city in the u.s. is salinas, california. florida's sarasota metro area comes in at number 3. rochelle: we have a boil water advisory to pass along to you this morning. the city of columbia is advising the customers of nursery hill road in lexington county to boil their water for at least one full minute prior to drinking or cooking. also any residents near the affected area who have lost water or have low water pressure are advised to boil their water as well. officials say a 10-inch water line break is to blame. the city is working to fix the problem and, of course, abc columbia will be sure to update you when this advisory has been lifted. rochelle: still to come, picking up the pieces following october's historic flood. and one family who's finally returning home after everything was destroyed. >> jonathan: and a windy start to your day today, we will see

the thing we won't see is the warm air from yesterday. much cooler air today. i'll have details what to expect

main and gervais. jonathan: good thursday morning, just a little before 7:00 and we are starting to see cooler air and more of that wind, wind continues for us this

miles a hour in some instances, be prepared for that. it shouldn't have any impact. it could have impact especially if you are driving long distance, probably blowing the car around but for the most part most of us staying downtown in your every day commute will be okay, look out for downed trees, we have loosened up soil from the last few days, could have implications for that but a lot of the power outages are getting resolved. still have snow to the north and west, that won't bother us, look for a cooler forecast, not that cold but cooler. highs into 50s and sunshine. >> rochelle: thanks, jonathan. here's a look at some of the other headlines. south carolinians continue to pick up the pieces following october's historic flood. and to help those in need of repair sce&g is announcing a donation towards "plant it forward south carolina." this is organized to help south carolina farmers who suffered great loss from the floods. plan it forward south carolina

to the next planting season by providing reimbursements for the costs of seeds destroyed, crops and other losses. the donation announcement is taking place at south carolina state house lobby "rotunda" at 9:15 this morning. rochelle: and a woman who lost everything during the historic flooding can now say "home sweet home." and mean it. jennifer gneiser and her two son's were forced to leave their pine glen home after it was completely destroyed. now with new floors, doors and walls, thanks to the combined efforts of the st. bernard project, the united way and the mungo foundation jennifer says the home is a dream come true. >> to see it all put back, it's just really overwhelming. we have a home again. it's just things that we lost but we have our home. >> rochelle: so many things we take for granted.

believed everyone is entitled to a safe, comfortable home. rochelle: the subject of diversity continues to be a big topic prior to this weekends oscars. eric, what can you tell us? >> eric: for the second year in a row, none of the 20 actors nominated in the acting categories are diverse. abc's brandi hitt has a look at the controversy and how the academy is addressing the issue. >> the buzz surrounding this year's oscars isn't just about who is walking the red carpet, it's also who will not. >> i will not be at the academy awards and i won't be watching. >> we're not coming, not going. >> for a second year in a row all 20 of the nominees in the acting categories are white resparking the twitter hash tag oscar so white leading to protests and boycotts. he was passed over for an oscar nod only to winner earlier.

>> this is that watershed moment when the academy changes because they are being forced to change. >> the academy has now put forth new initiatives to double the number of women and minority voters by 2020 and increase on the board of governors. >> it's systematic that needs to be addressed. >> looking at 2014 and 2015 gives failing grades to every hollywood studio and most tv maker. >> our study makes it clear, hollywood is a straight, white, boys club. >> all eyes on chris rock who told essence magazine black women get paid less than every one in hollywood. every one is talking to jennifer lawrence, talk to gabrielle.

>> they say he has thrown out his monday log to address the topic. eric: still to come: it's this year's top dog. a particular breed is stealing americans hearts once again for the ultimate title. stay with us. we're live from main and gervais. the 8 a.m. >> outspoken... >> you need a person of tremendous strength. >> unapologetic. >> well, you know i always expect to win. i want to win. and i've always had a nice habit of winning. >> and ahead in the polls. >> i have dealt with very tough hombres and very

come out on top. >> "the 700 club's"

republican presidential >> eric: 6:54 is your time. it looks like the labrador retrievers has actually stolen american's hearts. >> rochelle: that's right, the american kennel club has declared the labrador retriever as america's most popular dog breed. and it looks like the lab is sitting and staying at the top of this list because this is the 25th year in a row that the lab has been named top dog. rounding out the top five most popular dog breeds: german shepherds, golden retrievers, bulldogs and beagles. good old snoopy there. >> eric: can't go wrong with any of them. >> rochelle: no you can't. eric: still to come: we're celebrating a comfort food classic. >> rochelle: it's sure to warm you up for these cool winter days next in the day in history. >> jonathan: and it is going to be cooler for us today, a windy day as well. keep it in mind as you are heading out. we will see a lot of sunshine but i'll tell you what to expect for the rest of the week and

main and gervais. >> jonathan: just before 7:00 on this thursday morning, waking up with dry conditions, we won't see any storms but it will be windy. keep it in mind heading out and about. give upon having a good hair day, it's will be gusting 35 to 40 miles a hour at times. we'll be mid to upper 50s through saturday and warm up to the end of the weekend, 66

absolutely perfect. highs in the 70s, monday, tuesday and wednesday with mostly sunny skies. >> rochelle: because we wait for the 70 degree temperatures, we are paying for it right now. rochelle: let's check out the day in history. the first african-american congressman sworn in, in 1870. clay dethrones heavyweight boxing champ sonny liston in 1964. and the passion of the christ opens in the u.s. in 2004. >> eric: today is national chocolate covered peanuts day and perfect for this, timing couldn't be better, national chili day. >> rochelle: i'm wondering where i can get some. at the end of the show, you want something hearty. >> eric: thank you for starting your thursday with us. "good morning, america" is next. >> rochelle: we'll be back at 12:30, as always we are online

have a great day. good morning, america. state of emergency. 53 tornadoes touch down from texas to virginia. at least eight dead as the outbreak rips apart homes. winds hit 83 miles an hour and a coast guard ship overturns trying to rescue a fishing boat. last chance, marco rubio and ted cruz fighting to stop donald trump's momentum ahead of tonight's big debate. >> if the donald wins the general election, who the heck knows what he'd do as president. >> as mitt romney goes after trump hinting a bombshell may be coming. abc news exclusive, david muir one-on-one with tim cook, the apple ceo answers questions for the first time about why he won't help the fbi break into the san bernardino shooter's phone. >> this case is not about the phone. this case is about the future. >> his message for victims' families and this morning, new