stunned by the deadly destruction as the midwest is hit hard by whiteout conditions. we have the latest on the storm track. privacy fight. ceo tim cook telling abc news that apple is standing firm against the government despite that order@to access a terrorist's iphone. >> this is not about one phone. this is about the future. >> the abc news exclusive interview just ahead. fighting the flu in the depths of the season. some encouraging news about this year's vaccine. why you should consider getting one if you haven't. oh, boy, pants on fire. a small explosion in a store caught on security camera and, no, that is not money burning a hole in his pocket. well, good thursday morning. millions of amenicans are reeling from the vicious storms hammering the eastern two-thirds of the country.

virginia is under a state of emergency this morning where tornadoes and thunderstorms have left at least four people dead. tens of thousands are still flooded. >> in the midwest blizzard-like conditions left a huge mess, nearly a foot of wet, heavy snow blanketedoads and knocked out power. drivers need to be careful of dangerously icy conditions created by frigid temperatures overnight. >> the impact nearly 200 flights in and out of chicago airports have been canceled so far which is likely to impact air travel across the country today. and on the ground the full effect of the devasting storms and the massive cleanup ahead are just starting to unfold. overnight, millions of americans hit hard as a deadly winter storm continues its march north. torrential rains flooding the mid-atlantic to the northeast. the downpours creating flash floods, washing away cars and creating a mess for the d.c.

>> i thinking i would ask god to help me and pray. >> reporter: in new york heavy winds overturned this truck on the george washington bridge. this time lapse showing it moving into charlotte, north carolina. strong winds toppling trees, hopes and power lines there. more than 160,000 people without power across 7 state, it's the same system that spawned terrifying twisters in virginia, a state of emergency in effect. a deadly tornado shredding young child. >> only thing we heard wasas 2-year-old baby was found in the woods. >> reporter: that baby and two@ others pronounced dead. >> this is devastating. >> reporter: across the region more than 30 tornadoes in the last day alone, first tearing across louisiana destroying this rv park. >> god let us be okay. >> reporter: and on the back side of this massive orm, midwest. >> don't need to make the trip

>> reporter: in parts of illinois and indiana, nearly whiteout conditions making travel extra difficult. and that area, by the way is in for more snow today. take a look but it's not expected to be quite as heavy. with the snow showers continuing around the great lakes and temperatures will move back up into the 30s. in the mid-atlantic in northeast plan on mostly dry conditions although temperatures will be a bit cooler. well, to politics now, the republicans preparing to face off in houston tonight. tuesday. >> after his landslide victory in nevada donald trump is now tangling with mitt romney over his tax returns but he's also trading jabs with the other gop candidates who are struggling to catch up. >> it's "your voice, your vote." we get the latest from abc's kenneth moton. good morning, kenneth. >> reporter: good morning, reena and kendis. it is a case of irony. millionaire mitt romney was criticized about his own tax returns but now he's making similar attacks against

hours before severe weather ripped through virginia overnight, donald trump was on the ground rallying supporters, talking running mates. >> i do want somebody that's political because i want to get lots of great legislation that we all want passed. >> reporter: trump was a no-show for a republican town hall on fox news hosd by megyn kelly who had a very public feud with theop front-runner. the candidates lined up as they worked to take down trump. >> we are not going to allow the conservative movement to be defined by a nominee who is not a conservative. >> reporter: all four promise to release tax returns this week after mitt romney called on them to do so. the 2012 gop nominee even said he believes there's a quote bombshell in trump's taxes. >> when people decide they don't want to give you your taxes it's usually because there's something they don't wan you to see. >> reporter: trump went on the attack and tweeted mitt romney who totally blew an election that should have been won and

look like a fool -- fewer fireworks from the democratic side. hillary clinton made her case ahead of saturday's sth carolina primary. bernie sanders who is struggling with black voters there med on to super tuesday states drawing 9,000 peoeoe to his rally in tulsa, oklahoma. as for trump's taxes he says there is no bombshell other than he pays a lot. the republicans will debate tonight on cnn in the super tuesday state of texas where the governor just endorsed his senator, ted cruz. reena and kendis. >> coming down to the wire, definitely for them, kenth moton live in washington for us this morning, thank you. new developments this morning now in the standoff over president obama's pick for thehe supreme court. sources tell abc news the president is considering a republican, brian sandoval as the nominee. he is a former federal judge who supports abortion rights, his nomination could be seen as an

president's choice. top senate republins will meet with the president next week. and access to abortion clinics may soon be limited in louisiana. a federal appeals court has refused to blolo a new law which advocates, say, will force clinics in the state to close. that law requires doctors who provide abortions to have mitting privileges at hospitals within 30 miles. a grouppp supporting abortion rights says it will take the case to the supreme court. moving overseas to syria where a cease-fire in the cil war is set to take effect saturday morning. it allows aid to reach remote areas. here attome growing calls to establish a so-called safe zone if the cease-fire fails. john kerry told lawmakers it would require up to 30,000 u.s. ground troops to maintain. a new isis video in the meantime, t`reatens the lives of

and jack dorsey, the head of twitter. 25-minute video is too disturb disturbing to show including pictures of the two men covered in bullet holes. isis says it is responding to efforts by facebook and twitter to suspend accounts and remove posts that promote terrorism. well, still ahead our exclusive with apple ceo tim cook speaking for the first time about apple's legal showdown with the fbi. >> but first teaul testimony as erin andrews' father says she's a shell of her former self after photos were leaked online. can you guess which country has beat the u.s.? 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 pots. plus - everyone gets

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those charging elephants in africa were chasing arizona senator and some otherss during their trip to africa. during a boat ride a hippo showed off teeth. his purpose was to learn more about poaching. kesha's legal battle. abc news obtained video denying she had sexual relations with music producer dr. luke. kesha is suing claiming he sexually abuseder and she wants out of her recording contract. the video was takenduring a deposition five years ago. a judge ruled friday kesha must follow through but doesn't have to work with dr. luke. kesha has garnered support from others including taylor swift, lady gaga and just last night adele. well, emotional testimony from the father of sportscaster erin andrews. andrews choked up as her dad told the court her daughter was a shell of her former self and

discovering a s slker had posted videos of her. she's suing barrett and the marriott for $75 million. a veteran law enforcement officer died while carrying out a high-risk eviction. two others were hurt which killed the homeowner. it was considered high risk after that homeowner posted online rants against the police. austin, texas, a police sniper who shot and killed an armed suspect will not be charged. newly released video from a year ago shows 27-year-old sauer flash repeatedly flying at a police helicopter as it hovered over his house. that's when the officer moved in d shot him in the head. his two young daughters were sleeps inside. well, the u.s. is no longer home to the most billionaires in the word. that distinction goes to china now. according to a newly released annual list, 90 new chinese

moved china into first place by a margin of 33 billionaires. beijing is the city with the most with 100. that's five more than new york. >> see, donald trump is going to say, i was right. all along. it's china. >> china. when we come back the exclusive interview with apple's ceo tim cook arguing that their battle with thebi isn't just over privacy, but security, as well. a promising new information regarding this season's flu vaccine. what you neeto know. so my kids don't have to forage, got two jobs to pay a mortgage, and i've also got a brain. life's short, talk is cheap. i'll be working while you sleep. still don't think i've got a brain? you think a resusu's enough? who'll step up when things get tough? don't you want that kind of brain? a degree is a degree. you're gonna want someone like me. but only if you have a brain.

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so, a passenger on board a plane captured this dark image of turbulent storm clouds swept up by a tornado that hit louisiana. the twister was part of that bigger deadly storm that's been tearing up parts of the south and mid-atlantic states. that same system is creing morning's commute. watch out for icy or wet roads from the great lakes stretching south to northern tennessee. and if you're flying, likely to find airport delays today in detroit and boston. well, now to that abc news exclusive. apple's ceo tim cook's first interview. cook tells david muir that doing so would make hundreds of millllns of customers vulnerable to hackers. >> yes. the only way we know would be to write a piece of software that we view as sort of the software equivalent of cancer.

we would never write it. we have never written it, and that is what is at stake here. >> thebi though says it believes that syed farook used that phone to communicate with his wife his accomplice and i'm curious, do you struggle at all with the possibility there could be information on that phone that could reveal other plot, other people who were involved in planning the san bernardino atck? >> david, if we knew a way to get the information on the phone that we haven't already given, if we knew a way to do in that would not expose hundreds of millions of othereople to issues, we would obviously do it. >> i wantt to get to what the fbi director james comey said. he said it's not about a slippery quote but 14 were slaughtered and many more had their lives ruined. many the phone holds the clue but we can't look the survivorses in the eye or ourselves if we don't follow any possible lead out there. do you understand where he's coming from.

incredibly complex issue to place a back door in the iphone. we believe it does put hundreds of millions of customers at risk. there's probably more information about you on your phone than there is in your house. our smartphones are loaded with our iimate conversations, ow financial data, our health records, they're also loaded with the location of our kids in many cases and so it's not just about privacy, but it' also about public safety. >> but this your qui moments do you have any concern that you might be able to prevent a terrorist attack by breaking into that phone? >> david, somom things are hard and some things are right and some things are both. this is one of those things. >> and in this case you believe there areeome things that just should never be created. >> correct. >> apple has until tomorrow to file its legal response to the case. in response to cook's comments the senior government official tells us the fbi wants apple to

that will only be known to the company itself and no one else. as for cook's suggestion congress resolve the dispute the official claims that would take too long. now to some encouraging news about this year's flu vavaine. it's dng better than last year's vaccine. preliminary information from the centers for disease control finds it is 59% effective. a big improvementver last year's results showing only 20% effectiveness. health officials say that we've had a milder flu season this year, but they warn it has not peaked as yet. to a frightening sne caught on camera at a gas station in kentucky. an e-garette battery exploded in a man's pocket. josh hamilton washocked when his pants burst into flames as he ran from the stoto in panic. a clerk followed him with a fire extinguisher and put out the hamilton suffered serious burns on his leg, but he is expected to be okay. right.

lookout for a man they've dubbed the rogaine robber. the bald bandit is accused of stealing the hair growth drug from store shelves across the buckeye state. cops say it's likely he's trying to resell the stolen rogaine either online or at flea markets. they don't believe he's using any of the products on himself despite his bald head. >> okay, well, coming up, coming back down to earth astronaut scott kelly ready to come home but not without helping us take a giant leap towards mars. fresh reaction to the news facebook reaction to our favorite options that didn't make the cut.ness. but i really love it. i'm on the move all day long... !nd sometimes, i just don't eat the way i should. so i drink boost to get the nutrition that i'm missing. boost complete nutritional drink has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitaminp d to support strong bones and 10 grams of proteinto help maintain muscle. all with a great taste.

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topping our look at the "the pulse" our conversation with the man who spent nearly a year in space. >> astronaut scott kelly is wrapping up his visit to the international space station and

>> okay, so among the insights he shared with our david kerley who covers transportation for us the monotony of being cooped up day after day, but there are the incredible sunsets and he doesn't mind the food but misses sitting down at aable to eat. he also talked about the possibility of a trip to mars. >> think absolutely i feel -- i feel g gat, but, you know, there are chahaenges especially with radiation between the earth and mars that we need to work on, overcoming but it's something g hope to see in my lifetime. >> i love his passion. by the way, nas scientists are exploring the possibility that lasers could shorten the trip to the red planet to just three days. >> wow, very cool. when kelly lands he and his twin brother mark of course, a retired astronaut will face a battery of tests to see how scott's body held up to 11 months of space compared to mark who's been down here on the

>> it'll be a huge homecoming. reactionng to reactions gettingg used to the newew button options. >> those are them. the social media giant has completely revamped itsts feedback system revamping its like button and expanding by adding the ability to love and you can also use a series of emojis including ha, ha and wow and sad face and what is sure to be the new favorite one, an angry reaction. >> i'm just glad there's no dislike button. i like the positivity than the negativity. there are some suggestions floating around ever since facebook made the move like this one that apparently says you are insufferable. >> you make me want to puke. >> how about cringe. this would work well for some of the things i see on my feed every day or how about simply drunk. >> drunk. >> i've been drinking. somebody's been drinking with that one. okay, so we all have those favorite foods that we really don't like to share.

you plan to consume till the last one is gone. >> that includes this panda. enjoying a fist food of bamboo root. the small one is thinking i'd like to take a bite of that. try snatching it away. clearly that won't happen. see the foot that went up there. so the bigger one doesn't miss a beat fighting off the younger's advances. >> wow. he's going to smack him away. doesn't want to share. >> wow. that is one pandasmackdown. >> that is how i am about pizza. get you own. >> your bamboo root is pizza. >> yes. >> mor news, folk, after this. karl, don't you have friends coming over? yeah, so? it stinks in here. you've got to wash this whole room are you kidding? wash it? let's wash iwith febreze. for all the things you can't wash, use... ...febreze fabric fresher whoa hey mrs. webber inhales hey, it smells nice in here and try pluggable febreze... ...to continuously eliminate odors for...

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taking a look at our top story, donald trump firing back at mitt romy after romney challenged him to release his tax returns. romney believes there may be a bombshell in trump's taxes. the republicans debate tonight in houston.

mark zuckerberg and jack dorsey, the head of twitter. isis says it's responding to anti-terror efforts by the two tech giants. nasty storms leave a path of destruction. tornadoes killing at least four people in virginia while nearly a foot of wind and snow cause flight cancellations and impassable roads in the midwest. looking at today's weather, dry and warming up in the west. snow showers aund the great lakes. mostly dry in the east and deep down in the south it looks like it's going to be kind of nice. >> not bad at awe. finally this morning as we count down to sunday night's oscars we take a glimpse behind the scenes. >> and when it all comes down to it it revolves around what's in the envelope. brandi hitt. >> reporter: they are the best secret keepers in hollywood. martha ruiz and brian cohen set to carry those famous briefcases. >> and the oscar goes to --

has there ever been a mistake. >> no. >> reporter: price waterhouse coopers has counted the oscar ballots. 6,261 sent out on paper and online. >> we control everything from the time they go out indicated with security codes and those come back to us. we then have those in an un undisclosed location. >> reporter: inside that secret undisclosed location security is tight. there's a specialized alarm system by joe metyoejoe biometric locks, no internet access and they're counted by hand. >> we make sure we're going through their pile, counting that and recounting that. we will stuff the envelope, close it, seal it with the red. >> reporter: those 24 winning envelopes and a duplicate set are then loaded into two brief briefcases like this, botot are locked in a vault until oscar sunday whenn ruiz and cohen enter their code and take their briefcase. each then traveling a different

escorted by los angeles police. >> no matter what happens, at least one of us will get there. >> reporter: do you feel likik 007 a little bit? >> i little bit. >> r rorter: last year as a spoof they carried a third briefcase usedy host neil patrick harris and backstage they only hand the envelope to the presenter just seconds before the announcement. is this the hardest secret to keep? >> it' a big important secret. the reality is, there's a secret we keep forever and that is who got second. >> reporter: brandi hitt, abc news, los angeles. >> very intriguing. abc is the place to be on oscar night, sunday at 7:00 eastern right now at 4:30 more gun violence in the streets of miami last night. >> that violence coming

investment in the murder of king carter. two teenagers behind barshis morning, headed t court. one pilot had to use a south`@lorida road as a runway. good morning, south florida. i'm eric yutzy. >> i'm jacey birch. it's cooler outside. let's talk to julie durda about this change in weather. >> it's so nice. what a relief we didn't have severe weather in south florida lifetime night. my fence finally blew completely down due to that gusty winds we're dealing with. currently we have very strong winds out of the northwest. remember a shift in the wind direction provides for comfortable conditions out there, and this is just the beginning of the change i think you're really going to like going into the weekend. 64 degrees in palm beach. 66 in miami. 67 inn homestead. these temperatures anywhere between seven and 11 degrees cooler than what we woke up to yesterday.