home state tonight, he might be doing anything but celebrating. >> we're excited about tonight. >> reporter: in perhaps the mt important day of the campaign so far, senator marco rubio is talking to 7 and voters in his home it state. [ cheers ] he arrived in his hometown on monday and looked comfortable and confident in west miami beach. miami miami, but if he's disappointed like some he suggest he might, will he drop out of the race? >> no, we're g/ing to be campaigning tomorrow in utah and i would caution everybody about these polls. they're not being conducted the way that they once were. >> reporte some say that if you can't win your home state, you don't havee a prayer, and you're definitely not dropping out? >> that's not true, i mean, we have already won in minnesota and won in washington d.c., and

within a point of winning in virginia. >> reporter: republican frontrunner, donald trump, has the momentum and the lead so far s. he has been a harsh critic of rubio, trashing him as well. will rubio support himf he takes the nomination? >> i edge aid support for whoever takes 2, and i'm prepared to not walk away from that pledge. >> reporter: and rubio had much more to say about trump, and why feels harder and harder to wrap his mind around supporting trump, should trump get the nomination. this starts at 7:00. and we'll have much more on 7. right now, we're live in west miami-dade. sheldon fox, 7 news. >> lynn: now to the rest of the gop candidates who are also counting on a big night. d jeff lennox is in palm beach where donald trump will await the results tonight. >> reporter: donald trump is at

and he'll be talking to his supporters at 9:00 to the after the polls close across the country and in florida as well.l. over the past couple of weeks, donald trump has been on an al out brisk in the states that have primaries today. illinois, missouri, and ohio and florida. he is hoping to take out the ohio governor today. and here in florida, he's well he'd of the polls with marco rubio and hopes that it's rubio's last stand. can a abody stop donald trump? that's the question that they're asking. in north carolina, and john kasich is looking for a win today in his home state. and donald trump is hoping to lock it in ohio, hoping to take down caseic. >> ohio is going to make america great again.

again. >> we're going to win ohio and i feel very aood. i think that it's going to happen. >> reporter: the latest poll shows marco rubio far behind in his home statement but he's still hoping for a big surprise. trump has gone after rubio's record, calling him a politician. and ted cruz meanwhile sitting second in the delegates. hoping to make it an official two man race, cruz verse trump. >> we welcome you with open arms, because only one campaign has beaten donald trump. >> okay, and donald trump did pick up nine delegates earlier today and the two primaries, ohio, 66, and had florida has 99 delegates up for grabs today. on super tuesday two, and donald trump talking later tonight at

we'll be there as he takes the podium. jeff lennox, 7 news. >> reporter: all right, jeff, and while the republica side has a chance to become a two-man race after tonight, two candidates are duking it out on the democratic side. jessica holly is live in palm beach where hillary clinton will meet with supporters tonight. jessica. >> reporter: and hillary clinton is heavily favored to win in florida. xxvi delegates are up for grabs here, and when she hits the stage tonight, she hopes to be talking about a victory in the fight for florida. preps well underway in papa beach, setting the stage for hillary clinton, the frontrunner for the democratic nomination. just tuesday, but she has already had a busy week. >> i want people e o are democrats to look at this election and the strongest

most likely me. >> reporter: clinton in north carolina yesterday, among her last stops before taking the stage in the sunshine state. she is set to speakn the grand ballroom of the palm beach convention center at 9:00 a.m. today, more delegates are up for grabs than almost any other in the primary. clinton hoping that the final tabs in illinois, missouri, florida will leave bernie behind. andeanwhile, saers stumping in chicago today with hopes of gaining momentum on this super tuesday sequel. >> if there's a lge voter turnout, we're going to do just great here in ohio and missouri and hopefully in north carolina and florida. i think that i the states coming down the pike, we have great opportunities to win many of them, so really really good. => reporter: hillary clinton last name be able to seal the deal tonight if she does really well, but she could get a lot

of course we'll be here as she takes the stage tonight at 9:00. jessica holly, 7 news. >> lynn: jessica, thank you. >> danielle: well, south florida voters taking advantage of ever opportunity to cast their ballots. >> lynn: and you still have a few more hours to voice your choice. it's only 7 after 4:00 right now. rob rock, she's at a polling place in miami. robin? >> reporter: you don't have any excuse. the weather is perfect here at fire station number two. no les, and the only reason you might have for not coming out today, you have already voted or you're an independent voter. from miami beach -- >> this is the first time that i actually voted in a primary. >> reporter: to miami shores -- >> pompano beach. >> easy process, in and out really q qck --

>> i to the make sure that i reflect my family and what's important to us. >> reporter: head together polls for the sunshine state primary. this year, huge numbers taking advantage of early voting. so far, no major problems to report in either county. >> we have had no party early voters showing up this morning thing to vote for a particular candidate. and unfortunately we had to tell them they're ineligible to vote in this election. >> we have been working on this election for over a year, and we're anticipating that it's going to be a great run for t voters. >> reporter: and i mentioned folks who have already voted. the early and absentee numbers in miami-dade, combined, 188,093, and in broward, 157,295 have already voted. as you mentioneded at the beginning, there's still time to get out and cast that vote. reporting live in miami, robbin simmons, 7 news. >> danielle: that's right,

and we invite you to stay with us for complete election coverage. you can find all of the rests online on the voice your choice app. >> lynn: in other news tonight, a new view showing a deadly moment of impact. two people inside of a car whether it smashing through the wall of a publix. craig stevens has more. >> reporter: the driver lost control and hit a curb before smashing into a hollywood supermarket. and we're getting a look at the surveillance video. a publication early monday, the collision caused a bit of damage, and left a hole in the storefront of that publix. david moore was killed, and his passenger, roxanna via was brought to the hospital. and the police are trying to

made a role in this accident. at the news desk, craig stevens, 7 news. >> danielle: and in other news, a south florida bailiff busted and convicted of a heinous crime. facing charges of rape and attempted murder. he met a prostitute in west miami-dade. and he forced her to perform a sex act on him before stabbing her in the back. she was hospitalized for a week. as president obama prepares for his historic visit to cuba, s administration easing rules on travel to the island. >> lynn: also changes to cuba's use of the dollar. live in little halve havana with more on these had measures. >> reporter: not everybody is happy, and a protest is set for this weekend in light of president obama's restriction, the easing of restrictions on

let's go to them. the obama administration is allowing people having trips to the island instead of expensive group tours. the measure is expected to fill the direct u.s. flights to the island in addition, the administration is allowing u.s. banks to process cuban transactions that pass through the u.s. banking system. president obama is set to arrive in cuba on monday. he will be the first sitting pbesident to visit that island since calvin coolidge, back in the 1920s. the president has said that he hopes his visit kick starts business relations between the united states and cuba. >> the more that u.s. businesses are engaged in, the more we have people traveling there, the more cuban-americans are able to interact with family members that in some cases they haven't seen in decades. the more likely we are to see the kind of changes that all of

>> reporter: representative, ileana rossley releasing this statement this afternoon. u.s. policy must focus less on easing our regulations and more on putting pressure on the castro brothers to unclench its fists, which oppress the cuban people. again, there's a protest set for sunday, 11 a.m., here at 8th street and 13th avenue by those who are not happy about the easing ofome of these restrictions. we're live in little havana, i'm alex diprato, 7 news. >> danielle: and also on 7, the nun who is already known for being a saint is actually about to become one. and now we know when. pope francis announcing the date today w wn mother theresa will be a saint. she will be canonized on the anniversary of the eve of her death back in 1977.

her work with the poor in india and received the nobel peace prize in 1979. >> lynn: a police officer going to court, but not on the side that he'ss used to after this is caught on camera. >> danielle: a kayaker's ride on the rapids could have cost him his life, and now he's being told to pay in a differenth way. >> lynn: and a woman understands why she was confrontedo the police, up until she was thrown to the ground. >> danielle: and at 5:00, the nfl finally admitting something that doctors have been talking about for years. >> phil: hot day in south florida, and it could be hotter tomorrow. we may be flirting with record heat on wednesday.

of minutes. >> danielle: a cop will stay on florida's wewe coast. an officer trying to stop an argument when h% throws a woman to the ground. that woman admits to being in the wrong but says that the officer crossed the line. she said that this incident could have been resolved in a much different way. ashley jones explains what led up to it. >> we have an excellent case. they will do the right thing and do an excellent investigation. >> reporter: the mayor speaking out for the first time since this video surfaced on sunday. it shows a cape coral police

art before cosing 23-year-old britney to the ground. >> someone said that's uncalled for, and the officer said, she's faking it. >> reporter: fails spoke out hours after the arrest. and while she admits that she was intoxicated and asking f#r her car keys, she said nothing justifies the officer's behavior. >> if anything makes me mad abouthe video, not being thrown on the ground, he was nonchalantly, oh, my god, get over t. >> fails was arrested for public intoxication and she has filed a complaint, saying that excessive force was used. and the officer is on leave, pending investigation. while they won't release the name of that officer, they said that it's far too early to make any judgments. >> reporter: i know that we have an excellent tolerance. >> i wish that someone would

or at least come up and sepated me from what i was doing, as opposed to forcing me to the ground. >> reporter: and the cape coral police force has not commented on how long it will take. ashley jones, 7 news. >> reporter: coming up on 7 news at the 4:00 hour, people getting ready to take a final look at the home that they're buying and saying this. what neighbors have to say about it. >> lynn: and some residents of one community say a sign is downright trouble, while the leaders are determined --

>> lynn: we'll look at that. >> it's hot in south florida, mostly clear skies. after the morning fog, we have also seen some very fast moving

and we should remain dry tonight. it could be hotter than today. right now in miami, a temperature of 87 . that's the warmest it has been all day. 85, key west. and the wind is sea breeze, and showers are developing over deep southern miami-dade county. that's the high today. and tomorrow could be hotter. sitting in the atlantic, the area of low pressure in the nation's mid section with a trailing front. you can see the way that the wind is going to be moving over the next 24 hours. it's going to be drawing in a lot of tropical heat and

the upper 80s. here's the forecast, no advisories, biscayne bay, light chop, and for you in the florida keys, looking good, and out of the east, a light chop. next high tide in miami, 2:31, key largo, next high tide, just after 3:00 in the morning, and 4:49 in key west. clear skies, chance of fog developing overnight, tomorrow, plenty of sunshine, we continue to heat up. the average hh is 80 . and we continue to look, 87 and 88. here's the extended outlook. still looking hot for thursday, friday a high of 85. and saturday and sunday, we may see a few showers ahead of that front, and then temperatures should come back down to nice levels for monday and tuesday.

the official start of spring. that's your 7-on-7 forecast. >> phil, thank you. >> danielle: well, still ahead from the news station, neighborhoods across the south are dealing with floodwaters. highway water in one state could shut down a major highway. >> lynn: and then a driver heading the wrong way in an expressway.

deputy who is now her hero., >> danielle: that is 7 news first at 4:00, thank you for joining us. i'm danielle knox.x. >> lynn: i'm lynn martinez.

ahead. >> lynn: now at 4:30, a south florida officer on trial for more than a y yr after a slapdown on a homeless man is not only caught on camera, but went viral. hello again, everybody. that o oicer trying to arrest that homeless man. >> danielle: a some heated words would lead to violence. 7's vanessa medina, is in fort lauderdale where the trial is ununrway. vanessa. >> reporter: well, that homeless man is on the stand right now,

very different than he did a years ago. he looks sobber and no longer on the streets, and that florida police officer is hoping that the jury will acquit him of those charges, saying that he acted justly trying to kick that man out of that bus terminal four years ago. this man is victor ramirez, caught on cellphone video slapping a homeless man, february 22nd, 2015. ramirez claims that he was just doing his job, but prosecutors say that he cursed at the homeless man and pushed him and apped him for no apparent reason. the defense is hoping to prove the man was resisted and raised his arm, and it's actually, according to the defense attorney, a technique that they teach officers to use when necessary. the woman who reported this video testified in court today, this was during