taking a swim. good thursday morning, everyone. we're going to start with that incredible homecoming overnight. 340 days in the making. >> early this morning astronaut scott kelly arrived in houston aboard a nasa jet from asia greeted by his girlfriend and two daughters plus his twin brother mark and his wife gabby giffords. >> getting used to gravity again after almost a year aboard the international space center. david kerley is there. good morning. david. >> reporter: what a trip it's been if would have been great to get here quicker. used to going 17,500 miles an hour but this airplane doesn't do quite that so took us some time. >> reporter: several years ago he let me get inside this soyuz capsule in houston. it is very tight in there. that's why he was so happy when they got on the ground in kazakhstan.

breathing in the frigid air. everyone in heavy coats and he said what's wrong with the air. it's so fresh. a record 340 days in space, the longest long duration space night for an american and now for scott kelly, a battery of medical tests comparing him to his twin brother, mark, a former astronaut. mark's been the baseline on earth for those 340 days, now we learn about bone density loss, muscle loss, radiation effects, eyesight, all these things that may have happened to scott during this long duration flight. >> it's the latest achievement in our nation ae's space program. it's in our dna of our country to explore and we must never stop doing this. >> reporter: of course, this is science. this is all aged at figuring out whether humans can go to mars, in essence, scott kelly, one of the first lab rats home celebrating with friends and family. back to you.

your spine so he's now two inches taller than his brother but apparently he'll shrink down to his regular height. >> by the time -- it's interesting to see the side-by-side photo of the two of then. he has seen more than 10,000 sunsets and sunrises in his 340 days up there in space. just absolutely incredible. we say welcome back home to commander kelly. let's move on now to politics and the battle to take down donald trump as he inches ever so closer to the republican nomination. >> thescrambling to stop trump with a seven-state run on super tuesday and former presidential candidate mitt romney leading the charge. it's "your voice, your vote." abc's lana zak has the latest. good morning, lana. >> good morning, reena and kendis. you know, listening to the rhetoric on the campaign trail, it's hard to tell if republicans are more concerned about hillary clinton or donald trump. with donald trump's high poll

and now a commanding lead in the delegate count republicans are working to stop the man on track to lead the gop. today mitt romney is expected to make his case against the front-runner. trump already on the attack tweeting looks like two-time failed candidate mitt romney is going to be telling republicans how to get elected. just four years ago the two men stood side by side. >> it's my honor, real honor and privilege to endorse mitt romney. >> reporter: and with ben carson, the only republican hinting at leaving the race ted cruz is encouraging the supporters of others to abandon their number one choice. >> if you've been supporting another candidate, we welcome you. >> reporter: cruz arguing he alone can stop a presidential clinton or a president trump. >> reporter: on the democratic

the air of nominee at a star-studded fund-raiser while bernie sanders argued it's not settled. >> she's not so inevitable today. >> reporter: and "the washington post" is reporting this morning the aide to clinton who helped set up her private e-mail server has been granted immunity by the fbi. the campaign says they are pleased he is cooperating. reena, kendis. >> that controversy does continue. big debate tonight, lana, thank you for joining us from washington. we want to get to more breaking news coming from asia. north korea specifically. lashing out. the communist country firing at least six short-range missiles from its east coast. an official with south korea says those missiles flew up to 90 miles into the sea of japan. the missiles were fired just hours after the united nations approved the toughest sanctions against the north in two decades. those new sanctions in response to the north's recent nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch, the state department is

protesters clashed outside the supreme court as the justice justices debated the most significant abortion case in nearly 25 years. at issue is a texas law strictly regulating abortion clinics forcing providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and making clinics meet standards for surgical centers. the death of justice antonin scalia leaves the court evenly split with justice anthony kennedy holding the swing vote. >> if the supreme court in this case upholds these laws it will be a victory for patient health and safety. >> this case is not about overturning roe versus wade. what this case -- the issue in this case is can texas enact valid patient regulations that improve safety and when over 210 women annually are hospitalized due to abortions, texas can. >> well, half the state's abortion clinics have closed and only about ten would remain if the law is allowed to take full effect.

kalamazoo, michigan, shooting continues her amazing recovery. abigail was thought to be dead following the shooting spree but now her family says the teen has ened her eyes and is even recognizing loved ones. she may be well enough to move to a rehab facility soon. a late winter storm is moving east. look at the radar. the storm bringing snow, rain and ice in missouri and illinois. that same system expected to bring one to three inches of snow to parts of the east coast tonight and into friday morning. well, still ahead a flight attendant aus cooed of setting a fire in a plane's bathroom midflight. a piece of an airplane wing discovered. could it be from malaysia flight 370. the american who found it. unwanted guest. i'd say so.

dip. well, this is a wild ride for a police officer in vermont. he was trying to get up an icy hill when this happened. his suv lost traction and started sliding backwards. it went for quite a ways and then take a look, fell off the road turning onto its side. the officer we're told is physically fine and the suv pulled up and was able to be driven back to the station. police in oklahoma city say it is too early to tell in the death of a gas industry heavyweight was intentional. aubrey mcclendon was killed in a fiery crash. his suv slammed into a concrete bridge embankment. he was not wearing a seat belt. his death followed his indictment for allegedly conspiring to rig bids for oil and natural gas leases. mcclendon denied any wrongdoing.

mozambique has been tentatively linked to malaysia flight 370. we've learned that an american says he found it. seattle resident blaine gibson says he chartered a boat to search a remote sand bar for debris and made similar searches in other parts of the world. it disappeared two years ago with 239 people on board. now to the latest twist in the legal battle of "dancing with the stars" host erin andrews. andrews has filed a $75 million lawsuit against a nashville, tennessee, marriott and the man who secretly recorded her nude in her hotel room. well, now a woman has tweeted that she saw a representative for that hotel watching the video on tuesday at a restaurant with friends. she says the group was actually discussing andrews' body and the rep commented that if it was going to cost him millions of dollars he was going to watch it. he apologized in a statement, he said he asked the group to stop viewing the videotape but said

had hoped. >> new data from the fbi says federal background sales are on pace for a record high and 2.5 million firearms checks were processed. fbi estimates that the number of checks will rise more than 6% this year. above last year's record of more than 23 million. when we come back, caught on camera, a group of people smashing cases, emptying out a gun store. arrests announced overnight. highway hazard. what caused this hole in a car's windshield.aking charge of their type 2 diabetes with non-insulin victoza . for a while, i took a pill to lower my blood sugar. but it didn't get me to my goal. so i asked my doctor about victoza . he said victoza works differently than pills. and comes in a pen. victoza is proven to lower blood sugar and a1c. it's taken once a day, any time.

but it may help you lose some weight. victoza works with your body to lower blood sugar in 3 ways: in the stomach, the liver, and the pancreas. vo: victoza is an injectable prescription medicine that may improve blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes when used with diet and exercise. it is not recommended as the first medication to treat diabetes and should not be used in people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. victoza has not been studied with mealtime insulin. victoza is not insulin. do not take victoza if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to victoza or any of its ingredients. symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include itching, rash, or difficulty breathing. tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. serious side effects may happen in people who take victoza , including inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). stop taking victoza and call your doctor right away

. well, the annual ceremonial start to the iditarod dog sled race run in anchorage. it was shortened from 11 to 3 miles. it is sunday. well, they might want to consider moving the event to the northern rockies where there will be plenty of mountain snow this morning. wet road conditions along the west coast and for most of the southeast and mid-atlantic. slippery conditions there in big ten country. well, if you're flying airport delays possible in the windy city of chicago and good luck at o'hare and midway. well, an american airlines flight attendant is out on bond accused of deliberately setting a fire aboard a plane in flight. >> investigators say jonathan

using a cigarette lighter to ignite paper towels as it came in for a landing and the fbi says he quickly put out the fire and then pretended that he had just discovered it. fortunately there were no injuries. well, police in houston have made several arrests after a brazen smash and grab caught on camera. ten robbers broke into a gun store in the middle of the night using a pickup truck to rip off the door. this he shattered glass cases and then grabbed more than 50 weapons includeing assault rifles. the entire heist took just one minute and 11 seconds. a close call near seattle. take a look at this windshield after it was hit by a flying tractor trailer tire, the driver and the passenger amazingly were not seriously hurt but they suffered dozens of cuts from the shattered glass. the couple was actually celebrating the purchase of the honda civic having just registered moments before, well, despite the damage they say they feel lucky to be alive.

can they saketake it back. a homeowner in florida got quite a surprise when he got home. a nine-foot alligator being hauled out of the backyard pool. it was in there during its own butterfly swimming and had broken through a screen and went for a dip. the homeowner found it in the pool and called in a trapper to deal with it. it was returned to its habitat before anyone was hur. the san antonio spurs are the second team to lock up an nba playoff spot, the first to the warriors. >> now hoops highlights from our guys at espn. >> i'm scott van pelt. once again in the fourth quarter it all went terribly wrong for the oklahoma city thunder as they were in los angeles taking on the clippers. it looked like the thunder had this one well within their grasp. but here come the clippers. they close this game on a 25-4 run. chris paul to deandre jordan. there's steve ballmer. he is an insane wealth in man.

again jordan, yes, the tip-in and makes the free throw and not a good free throw shooter but gave them a two-point lead. final ten seconds, russell westbrook. i have no idea what he was thinking. had plenty of time, could have gotten a better look, no and they let that big lead slip away. we're not supposed to root in this business but i would love to see boston college win a basketball team. their football team hasn't won a conference game. they got a lead late and after this miss, a wild scramble and looks like b.c. will win the game. but it's out of bounds with 1.1 on the clock which is enough time for coach got field to draw up a great play and somehow they lose. woen get rowan gets a wide-open one at the buzzer and boston college sees the victory slip out of their grasp. that's rough. they do have a home game against

their last chance to get a win. check out our new live "sportscenter" 7:00 eastern. president obama rolled out the white house red carpet for special guests. champions of college football. >> yes, the alabama crimson tide were back to celebrate their most recent title which they won in january. okay, so the frequency of their visits wasn't lost on the president. >> this is the fourth time i have hosted alabama here at the white house. so, clearly i brought you some good luck. in fact, you could call me obama. >> the president was given a number 16 jersey and helmet along with a football, of course, and some so-called experts say alabama has a good chance of being back at the white house next year. >> not ohio state. >> they could be too. you never know. and here's one that the president and the tide and plenty of others will be happy

right in front of the course's designer. tiger woods. >> this was cool. check out taylor crozier on an 1-yard par 3 hole. that ball gets on the green and drops right into the hole. woods was there celebrating with taylor and he was heard saying, are you kidding me right now? there he is. you know you're good if you impress tiger woods. >> totally. all right -- >> might have a future there. >> see him at the masters in five years or so. >> there you go. up next in "the pulse," sibling surprise. a teacher and student finding out they're sisters. >> ooh. the newest list of best

did your city make the list? my dad gave me those shares, you know. he ran that company. i get it. but you know i think you own too much. gotta manage your risk. an honest opinion is how edward jones makes sense of investing. how do you eat healthier, while you enjoy life and lose weight? now you can do it all with one simple plan.

our most advanced plan ever. join for free. hurry, join by march 3rd and get 1 month free. i've been claritin clear for 14 days. when your allergy symptoms start... ...doctors recommend taking one claritin every day of your allergy season... ...for continuous relief. with powerful, 24 hour... ...non-drowsy claritin, live claritin clear. every day. introducing the fusion of exceptional taste with the benefits of our probiotic yogurt. new activia fruit fusion, with the exclusive probiotic bifidus regularis. delicious and good for you. new activia fruit fusion. time now to check "the pulse" and a family get-together

>> two women in new york just discovered they're sisters. meet karen zempo and diane cook born seven years apart to the same mom each adopted by other families and after years of looking for their biological family, they were thrilled to finally receive a letter from the state adoption registry. >> we were just stunned. i mean you live your whole life as an only child and all of a sudden you have this sibling. >> here's what's messed up. at one point karen was diane's teacher and all these years they lived just 20 miles apart. they hope their story inspires others to find their roots. >> there's so much out there, ancestry.com and things where you can find your dna and genetic match to other people but this is incredible. >> really making a difference and fantastic. they've reunited. good news for fans of the tanner family who reunited, of course, so many of you binge-watched "fuller house."

"fuller house" for season two. >> the series, of course, follows d.j. tanner as she cares for her three kids with the help from her sister and bff. >> big names from the original series have already made cameos in season one but no sign of whether mary-kate and ashley olsen. the producer says he's still trying to get the twins back. >> we hope they do. we want to see what they've been up to. >> they're adults. >> u.s. news & world report out with its annual best places to live. >> it ranks 100 largest metropolitan areas based on affordability, job prospects and quality of life and coming in at number one, denver, colorado, the mile high city and of course the home of the super bowl champion broncos. >> number two, the capital of texas, austin, also fayetteville, arkansas, number three followed by raleigh-durham, north carolina and colorado springs, so the emphasis there is places where pot is legal apparently, colorado. >> colorado, two cities in the top five.

surprised san diego, d.c. not there. >> new york city not mentioned on that list. >> i wonder why.

we start with delicious, creamy, real milk that's then ultra filtered so fairlife has more protein and and only half the sugar. and never any artificial growth hormones. at fairlife, we believe in better. how do they make starburst taste so juicy? they use wicked small fighter jets to shoot the juiciness into every starburst. [ pilot ] it's about to get juicy. whoo! i feel so aliii... it takes guts.

crisp garden vegetables. no artificial flavors. philadelphia garden vegetable. rich, creamy... ...and delicious nothing else tastes like philadelphia . top stories on this thursday morning, astronaut scott kelly arriving in houston early this morning greeted by his family and vips including dr. jill biden who greeted him with apple pie. kelly will soon start a series of tests following his year-long stay in space. gop leaders and presidential keys are hoping it's not too late to stop donald trump. mitt romney is delivering a speech today to make his case against trump and some republican donors and conservative groups are planning to blanket the airwaves with anti-trump ads. >> north korea busy overnight firing a series of missiles. they came hours after the u.n. approved the toughest sanctions against the north in two decades.

the southeast, snow around the great lakes. well, finally this morning a medical mystery solved for months doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with a little california girl. >> yep, and that all changed when she blew her nose. she talked with kabc's eileen freer. >> reporter: khloe russell is back to doing handstands and cartwheels. >> i'm 100% better. >> reporter: the 5-year-old feeling better for the first time in six months. she says she no longer has to stop every five minutes to blow her notion. >> her nose started just out of this one side green, green, green, constantly and it stunk. >> while her mother caitlin powell says khloe never complained of pain she took her to three different doctors to try to figure out what was wrong. powell says all three doctors thought it was a sinus infection and prescribed antibiotics. >> ten days of medication, didn't work. we took her even to the dentist

>> reporter: then last weekend the mystery i will illness was solved. >> my brother was like, your nose, it's disgusting, blow your nose and so she blows it and out comes a safety pin. it's like this big. >> black and disintegrating. >> it was a huge object. like it was bigger than her nose. we were horrified. i was like, did you put this up there? so, she did. but she forgot to tell me. >> reporter: khloe reluctantly reveals she was building a castle with safety pins six months ago when one ended up in her nose. powell says she does not blame the doctors. the pin did not show up when they used a scope in her nostril. she says she's just happy it's out and the sips have disappeared. >> >>, beyond relief. >> khloe which, lesson learned. >> is it over? >> i think it's over. >> it's gone.

>> i wasn't either. that's what's making news in america this morning. >> need a kleenex. >> gross. barbara: search for answers continues after an officer-involved shooting in raleigh. naacp and pastors rally around the victim's family. john: north carolina's turn to get out and vote. early voting starts today. what you need to know. barbara: north korea firing back, the country's seemingly hostile response after being slapped with new sanctions. good morning, carolina, welcome on march 3. i'm barbara gibbs

stories in a moment but first meteorologist don schwenneker in the first alert storm center. don: good morning to you. we are starting off on thursday morning with dry conditions. it will be cool. the next 12 hours you can see the temperatures in the 20's by 6:00. by 8:00 we are in the 30's and 10:00 we are in the 40's and doesn't get much higher. 25 right now in roxboro, 30 chapel hill. 32 smithfield. 32 fayetteville. 30 goldsboro and 27 in louisburg. looking at the day ahead, 30 now and partly cloudy. by lunch partly sunny and 48. this afternoon clouds increase and temperatures below average. the clouds bring a chance of rain. we will talk about that in the seven-day and wind forecast in a bit. john: the naacp and local pastors are meeting today with attorneys for a man shot and killed by raleigh police.