. >> reporter: carnival chartered busses to take people home. at least one of those buses became stranded on the way to new orleans. passenger jacob combs called cbs this morning to say his bus was sitting by the side of the road as he waited for yet one more rescue. well, he and other passengers finally made it to new orleans but many of those buses didn't arrive until 2:00 in the morning and their journey is not over. they still have to take charter flights to houston today. other people -- a few had their relatives pick them up in mow bee, and some of them went to hotels and checked in just to get some rest. they'll probably figure out where they'll go and how they're going to do it today. back to you. >> anna werner, thanks. the nightmare is over for the passengers but might just be starting for carnival. peter greenberg is with us this morning. first let me ask you about this ceo of carnival. some critics say he's not done enough. will he take some blame for t this? >> he probably will. mickey arison, he went to a basketball game the other

. >> carnival chartered 100 buses and 20 planes to get passengers home. the company is offering each passenger a full refund, $500 in cash and a free cruise in the future for those who are interested. take it. >>> fairfax county dealing with a bug problem and the white house has announced plans for this year's easter egg roll. shawn yancy has tonight's fox 5 top five. >> how about some good news. no. 5, the flu is finally easing its flip on the united states. according to the -- grip to the united states. according to the cdc influenza activity decreased across the country last week. no. 4, an alarming new report suggests alcohol may play a role in cancer deaths. the u.s. national cancer institute says research shows alcohol is to blame for one in every 30 cancer deaths each year and 15 of breast cancer deaths related to alcohol consumption. no. 3, get ready for the helicopters. fairfax county officials are taking to the skies to fight these little guys, inch worms. they will drop pesticides from the air. two drops are scheduled in april. residents in the

carnival chartered buses and planes to help get passengers back home. >> it feels so good, i just wanted to get home. >> reporter: carnival says cruise passengers are loyal and they are likely not to have a fall out. >> booking for summer or fall or next winter which the cruise lines are booking already, they are not going to slash the prices on those sailings. >> reporter: the triumph was towed to a shipyard where it will undergo repairs and no doubt a thorough cleaning. amber lee, ktvu news. >>> more detail mouse -- new details now, in addition to their apology, carnival is offering them another trip for free plus $500 in compensation. >>> san francisco police are hoping the public can help them find two men accused of attacks. one attack took place last month and one earlier this month. in each case the victim said a man approached them from the opposite direction and suddenly started punching them before running away. in six minutes another frightening attack in that same part of san francisco. it happened last night and it involved a hatchet. what the victims told police about their

carnival chartered buses and planes to help get passengers back home. >> it feels so good, i just wanted to get home. >> reporter: carnival says cruise passengers are loyal and they are likely not to have a fall out. >> booking for summer or fall or next winter which the cruise lines are booking already, they are not going to slash the prices on those sailings. >> reporter: the triumph was towed to a shipyard where it will undergo repairs and no doubt a thorough cleaning. amber lee, ktvu news. >>> more detail mouse -- new details now, in addition to their apology, carnival is offering them another trip for free plus $500 in compensation. >>> san francisco police are hoping the public can help them find two men accused of attacks. one attack took place last month and one earlier this month. in each case the victim said a man approached them from the opposite direction and suddenly started punching them before running away. in six minutes another frightening attack in that same part of san francisco. it happened last night and it involved a hatchet. what the victims told police about their

tomorrow. 20 jets have been chartered to take various cruise passengers home people have been asking why not put people up in hotels in mobile and fly out of mobile? carnival officials say because the air sport much bigger in new orleans they have more charter options and so... the people who are going to be utilizing those flights will overnight in new orleans. however those meeting families in mobile carnival is offering to put them up in hotels we're watching that ambulance pulling away. >> we're watching with you. >> from the port. >> we're watching with you. >> and -- yae. we don't know who is being treated inside. it looks like in -- an elderly female. we don't know what she's being treated for. but she is being carried away by the ambulance presumably heading towards a hospital here in mobile alabama. >> and you mentioned another passenger had a stroke. we know conditions were horrible foremost of the time these people have been stuck aboard but we did hear from a couple passengers saying the crew tried to make sure people had water and some food and they did their best but of course being without necessities for four days and no air conditioning ha

. >> last night carnival chartered 100 buses and 20 aircraft to bring people from here in mobile to their home port. the port they left from in galveston, texas. >> boy, that guy wants wine and a pizza. maybe he already started on that. he seems eager to go back on the ship. good to see you. thank you. >>> what happens when the passengers take the cruise line to court? it could happen. we've seen one lawsuit this hour. getting any more money from the company could be difficult. we'll take a look at the legal side of this story coming up now that one suit has been filed. plus, all kinds of stuff going on overhead. first a meteorite, then as troid. must be friday. we'll get the latest from nasa. in ameri today we're running out of a vital resource we need to compete on the global stage. what we need are people prepared for the careers of our new economy. by 2025 we could have 20 million jobs without enough college graduates to fill them. that's why at devry university, we're teaming up with companies like cisco to help make sure everyone's is ready with the know how we need for a new tomorr

. >> carnival chartered planes to get the passengers back home.he company is offering each passenger a full refund for this cruise. $500 in cash and free cruise in future for those still interested. >> i'd go tomorrow. fall off a bicycle, you don't never ride it again. if you fall off a horse you do it. automobile accident you still drive a car. >> triumph was towed to a shipyard on mobile bay to undergo mechanical repairs and thorough cleaning. vessel will be out of service until april. >>> politician with a billion dollar habit. it's not good. conspiracy theory about the object that exploded over russia today. grapevine is next. ♪ [ engine turns over ] [ male announcer ] we created the luxury crossover and kept turning the page, writing the next chapter for the rx and lexus. this is the pursuit of perfection. i'm maria, and i have diabetic nerve pain. i felt like my feet were going to sleep. it was like pins and needles sticking in your toes and in your feet. it progressed from there to burning like i was walking on hot coals. at that point, i k

. >> reporter: carnival chartered 100 buses and 20 planes to get passengers home.ompany is offering each passenger a full refund for this cruise, $500 in cash and a free cruise in the future for those who are still interested. >> i'd go tomorrow. if you fall off a bicycle, you don't never ride it again, you know. you fall off a horse, you do it. you have an automobile accident, you still drive. >> reporter: the triumph was towed to a shipyard in mobile bay where it will undergo mechanical repairs and thorough cleaning. officials say the vessel will remain out of service through april. jonathan serrie, fox news. new >>> former congressman jesse jackson jr. is facing federal charges. how much money prosecutors say he stole from his campaign and what he allegedly used money to buy. >> beyonce's second d.c. show sold out this morning in one minute, why experts say most fans never had a chance to get a ticket. >> later on the news edge dedicated fans camp out for days in the cold wet weather for a pair of shoes, why police want to be there when the shoes go on sale at 1

carnival chartered a total of 20 jets and 100 buses to bring the passengers from the cruise port whereright now in mobile, alabama, to various destinations. including new orleans, where those charter flights are going out of, and also houston and galveston, texas where the cruise originated. as for the passengers, everyone seemed relieved to be on dry land but when it came to the conditions they endured on the ship many passengers seemed to take it all in stride. listen. >> we got some stories on the internet how bad, there was, like, you know, stuff dripping down the walls and things like that. yes, there were places where there was. i definitely saw some very disgusting things but, i felt that, you know, under the circumstances, it could have been a lot worse. >> carnival officials minimizing some of the damage by offering to reimburse each passenger, not only for the cost of this cruise but also providing a credit towards a future cruise. and providing each passenger with $500 in cash in addition to reimbursing any additional travel expenses they incur on the ride home. lori: at lea

. >> reporter: carnival chartered a caravan of buses to transport people out of mobile. to add insult to injury at least one of those buses became stranded on the way to new orleans. passenger jacob coombs called "cbs this morning" en route to say his bus was sitting on the side of the road as he waited for yet one more rescue. we're told his bus and others did make it to new orleans, but many of the buses didn't make it there until 2:00 in the morning, and for those passengers, their journey isn't over. they have to get on charter flights this morning to go to houston and then finally onward toward home. some of them have to pick up cars at the port of galveston. so for many of these people the trip was not finally over but at least now they can look forward to getting back to home. back to you. >> anna werner, thanks. >>> the nightmare is over for passengers but might just be starting for carnival. cbs news travel editor peter greenberg is with us from abu dhabi. let me ask you about the ceo of carnival, some critics say he's not done enough. will he take some blame fo

carnival chartered 20 planes and one hundred buses for passengers who were on board the triumph. everyone seemed to be relieved to be on dry land when they got off the ship yet, but when it came to the conditions that they endured on board the triumph, many passengers seemed to take it all in stride. >> we got some stories on the internet about how bad, like there was some dripping down the walls and things like that. yes, there was maysess where there was and i definitely saw some very disgusting things, but i felt that under the circumstances it could have been a lot worse. >> reporter: carnival officials say they will reimburse each passenger the cost of this particular cruise, plus give them a credit for a future crews and $500 in cash as well as reimbursing all travel expenses. jon: that guy in the cubs jacket is used to travail, a baseball fan like that. [laughter] jon: what is next for the ship, jonathan? >> reporter: jon as you may have noticed behind me the ship that was my backdrop until about an hour ago has been towed away to the other side of mobile bay. the ship was

sleep at a hotel in new orleans then board charter flights over the course of friday, a lot of people have been asking why new orleans instead of mobile, carnival has more charter flight options out of the larger airport in new orleans, but for most passengers, disembarking off this cruise ship they will have to experience some long bus rides anywhere from 2 hours to new orleans to longer for those going to texas. >> this just, an ordeal for those 4200 people, it is just the beginning of an ordeal for carnival cruise lines. the liabilitiy. the -- i think the expense of the stock is down a couple points. and i think we're going to see even worse in theays ahead. jonathan se ri thank you very much. much more ahead, we'll talk with one of the passengers aboard this ship, ironically, named the triumph, we'll be talking with that passenger here later in the broadcast. lou: john boehner no longer taking president obama serious seriously. andrea and juan williams join us. >> mega-merger, world's largest airline closer to reality, we'll tell you what it means to the cost ofir travel. next. lou: american airline to become world's biggest carrier, aviati

carnival has chartered some buses, flights to take a passengers back to texas where that cruise began> and he's a gifted word class athlete who overcame tremendous odds. we know him, the owe him tick hero known as the blade runner for running on his prosthetic legs. now formally charged with murder. this news is shaking south africa to the core. oscar pistorius accused of killing his girlfriend. has cute tors will argue he planned to soot her on valentine's day. his agent rejects the allegation in the strongest terms. so he appeared in court today and he for the rather emotional. what was his plea? >> reporter: i think this was the first time this the enormity and seriousness of what's happening to oscar pistorius really sunk in. he was visibly disturbed, shaking uncontrollably when the judge named him the accused and he was also shocked to hear the prosecute the tors weren't just charge him with murder, but saying that they think they can get a conviction with a premeditated murder charge. that raises a lot of additional questions. remember, when this story first broke, there was the

carnival says they have more charter flight options.or passengers want to go fly home tomorrow, new orleans apparently offers more options for them. >> jonathan, is could be a long night for you in mobile waiting for the ship to come in. thanks very much. >>> with us, one of the passengers, brenda cologne, a passenger on board the triumph. brenda, before we get to the conditions on the ship, as i understand it, your aunt was onboard and was airlifted out. can you explain? >> she was actually taken by the coast guard from the triumph to another cruise, not by helicopter. she was taken to another boat for dialysis. >> because she needed kidney dialysis? >> that's correct. >> any word how these doing? >> she's doing great. she's back at home safe and sound. >> all right. let's talk about the ship because we get varying reports of the conditions there. you know, overflowing toilets, seeping raw sewage, bags of human waste in the hallway. what is your view of it? describe the conditions. >> well, all that is true. that did happen. it's still

. >> to make up for the misery, carnival has arranged for some passengers to fly home on chartered flights. >>> carnival has canceled 12 more planned voyages as it investigates just what happened here. this comes as the company admits the ship had been plagued by other mechanical problems in the weeks before. tony, over to you. >> thank you. and closer to home in alexandria, police continue to investigate the death of a 94-year-old man found inside his home. police are calling the death suspicious. melanie alnwick is live in alexandria where she has learned of other crimes on that street. >> reporter: good morning. we can tell you a man who lives in this house here complained to the city council about a crime spike in the neighborhood. he says his house had been burglarized several times. police report showed three home break ins on this 2700 block on holly street in the last two years. the suspect took large amounts of cash, collectible coins and jewelry. and now investigators do believe there may have been another burglary at this home yesterday. shortly before 7:00 when an adult residen

right, well, if it wasn't enough, "cbs this morning" is reporting that unwith of the buses chartered by carnival ran into some problems. what happened? >> reporter: right. one of the buses early this morning that was taking passengers to new orleans broke down on the side of the road. the passengers were stuck there for 45 minutes before another bus came by to take them to new orleans. >> well, that's no fun. i bet they can't wait to get home. ines ferre, a live shot of the ship as it sits in port at mobile, alabama. thank you. >>> a prominent olympic athlete in south africa denies that he murdered his girlfriend. sprinter oscar pistorius a south african sobbed as the charges were read in court today. the double amputee was formally charged with murder at pretoria magistrate's court. earlier he was seen leaving jail with a jacket over his head. in a statement a short time ago he disputed, quote, in the strongest terms that he killed his girlfriend reeva steenkamp. she was found shot to death at the athlete's home yesterday. >>> santa clara man accused of -- >> a santa clara man accused of threat

carnival has a fleet of charter buses standing by to take people on a seven hour bus ride to houston so people can catch flights to their final destinations from there or here's the second choice. passengers can take a two hour bus ride to new orleans and they can catch flights out of there tomorrow as well. so the ordeal will not be over for a while and we'll continue to watch this for our next 90 minutes. >> you got to feel for all those people on board the ship and their loved ones who have waited without answers. is carnival likely to face lawsuits after all this? >> well, lawsuits can be filed no matter, what but passengers may be in for a rude awakening because of the fine print on their ticket. it will likely limit carnival's liability. that's what experts are telling us. besides the 500 bucks, the transportation home and a free cruise in the future, if they want, most of them won't get much more unless they can show they became say ill during the ordeal and have punitive damages. more on this one coming up. >>> a developing story out of alexandria, virginia, an autopsy confir

these are someone00 buses that carnival cruise lines chartered to bring passengers from the port here in mobile, alabama to that original port where they departed from in galveston, texas. other passengers will be leaving aboard charter jets, some 20 charter jets from new orleans. company officials say they are going to pay for all of the travel expenses involved with getting each passenger home. carnival also says it will give each passenger a full refund for this cruise, credit towards a future cruise, and $500 in cash. bill? bill: mean time that sucker is sitting down there in mobile. what is next for that ship, jonathan? >> yeah. well the ntsb is boarding the ship and going to investigate what caused the sunday engine room fire that led to the loss of power. the ship will also undergo a mechanical overhaul here in mobile. and bill, as you can imagine, cleaning crews have their work cut out for them. bill: i bet they do. thank you, jonathan. good work, jonathan serrie in mobile. >> reporter: thank you. heather: a lot of work. a lot of work. we've seen pictures of everybody coming b

. >> reporter: carnival has arranged for some passengers to fly home on charter flights.ore than a dozen chartered buses are being provided to transport passengers to hotels in new orleans and downtown mobile. >> we'll get them in as quickly as we can, get them a hot shower and meal. that is what effect is going to want at that point. >> reporter: carnival has canceled a dozen more planned voyages. in new york, ainsley earhart, fox news. >> a lot of angry passengers on board right now. >> oh, yes. no doubt. >> we still have plenty ahead. your weather being traffic and all your top stories. >> fox 5 morning news at 4:30 starts now. >>> good morning. it is 4:30, let's take a pan around washington, d.c., shall we? pretty quiet. cold start to your day and also a little bit of scraping to do on your wind shield. i noticed that on mine this morning. it is february 14th. happy valentine's day. good morning. i'm sarah simmons. >> i'm wisdom martin. welcome to fox 5 morning news. let's bring in tucker barnes to find out what was happening on your windshield. >> about 8:00 last nig

. >>> the carnival cruise ship triumph is being thoughed back. the cruise line has chartered flights to return everyone top houston once they arrive. in the meantime passengers are complaining of overflowing toilets and hot conditions on board. some are choosing to sleep on the deck rather than in their cabinets. >>> four teenagers killed in san suv crash were cow sins in oakland -- cousins in oakland. in the tours say the teenager were heading home from watching a rugby tournament in las vegas when their vehicle hit a center divide. a fifth person survived the crash and is recovering in the hospital. >>> time now 4:44. a man suspected of trying to blow up a bank in oakland is in court today. 28-year-old matthew aaron lenaza was planning on detonating a car bomb in front of the bank of america. an under cover fbi agent poses as a taliban sympathizer helped him build the bomb which was a fake. he wanted to carry out a terrorist attack but civil rights groups say he is mentally ill and incapable of a plot on his own. >>> the man of killing a 13- year-old girl will be arraigned

the carnival triumph is expected to dock late tomorrow. the cruise line is arranging charter 4,000 passengers back to houston where they embarked. carnival says until then it is a priority in keeping everyone safe and comfortable. but passengers are sending texts to relatives that paint a different picture of current conditions. >> stuck in the middle of the ocean. no service, no power, no food. >> she said it was starting to get pretty rough. they were having to use bags and stuff to go to the bathroom. >> carnival had another ship stranded after an on board engine fire in 2010. some think carnival should have more safety inspections to prevent similar incidents. >>> time is 5:48. mark zuckerberg the ceo of facebook will be hosting a fundraiser for chris christie. christie and zuckerberg met when he donated $100 million to new jersey schools. but there will be protests outside his home. they are upset that governor christie cut money to new jersey's women's health programs. >>> right now it's 5:48. i want to go back over to sal who has covered a couple crashes. right now you

charter flights home. some are complaining that carnival's response to the emergency was slow and inadequate. but triumph's on-board crewmembers are getting high prize. -- praise. >> they had to walk around with rubber gloves, gas masks, and pick up all of these potty bags. >> they always had a smile on their famous. they helped you, no matter what. >> reporter: one thing apparentlies disagree on is whether to take up carnival's offer for a discounted cruise in the future. >> are you ready to do it again? >> yes. because certainly lightning can't strike twice. >> they can keep their offer. or i'll take it and frame it. jews >> reporter: because of the damage, carnival has canceled triumph's next 12 voyages. >> carnival admits the ship had mechanical problems weeks before the engine fire. >>> new at 4:00, fresh concerns surrounding the shooting of an officer during a training exercise. gigi barnett is in the newsroom with the investigation. >> baltimore city police were involved in the training. the fraternal order of police now says it's concerned that the facility was not fully staffed at th

some passengers cannot cash a break, a chartered bus take them to new orleans broke down this morning. the c.e.o. of carnival is offering reimbursement, a free cruise, and $500 and an apology. >> tonight on "20/20" a look at what went on during the eight day trip. troubles waters is the topic on "20/20," followed by abc7 news at 11. >> prosecutors in south africa will pursue premeditated murder charge against oscar pistorius. the double amputee who ran on blades was charged with murdering his girlfriend. the defendant sobbed in the courtroom yesterday. his girlfriend, 30-year-old model reeva steenkamp, was shot and killed inside his home. the statement if his family this morning says they dispute claims the oscar pistorius murdered his girlfriend. >> people who turned in guns in marin county and got vouchers can get cash now. the county ran out of cash but the shortfall is covered by private donations. the marin board of supervisor and the city council, so if you received a voucher you can redeem it for cash, today, at friends of marin center room until 8:00 tonight. >> we are headed to holiday weekend and m

carnival triumph. a loss of power and biohazard bags for bathrooms. adding insult to injury, one of the buses chartered to escort them back to new orleans, one of the charter buses broke down. >> we are tired. life gives you lemons. i guess you have to eat those lemons. i'm glad i'm home. i'm glad i'm on dry land. >> come on. really? it was sunday when the fire sparked live in them without power -- leaving them. food was hard to get. they're supposed to be getting a full refund and discounts on future cruises plus an additional $500 in compensation. >> i want to go on a cruise next week. not. this afternoon, the cosmic rock past earth and luckily, scientists predictions were spot on. >> terrifying moments in russia as a media right exploded and one dozen people were hurt and countless windows shattered. we have the latest next. >> suffering a significant setback on the eve of the final home game against duke. we will tell you all about it coming up in sports. >> a much colder weekend with >> more than 1000 people were hurt as a media right exploded over russia. shocking video shows it streaking over th

some passengers cannot cash a break, a chartered bus take them to new orleans broke down this morning. the c.e.o. of carnivals offering reimbursement, a free cruise, and $500 and an apology. >> tonight on "20/20" a look at what went on during the eight day trip. troubles waters is the topic on "20/20," followed by abc7 news at 11. >> prosecutors in south africa will pursue premeditated murder charge against oscar pistorius. the double amputee who ran on blades was charged with murdering his girlfriend. the defendant sobbed in the courtroom yesterday. his girlfriend, 30-year-old model reeva steenkamp, was shot and killed inside his home. the statement if his family this morning says they dispute claims the oscar pistorius murdered his girlfriend. >> people who turned in guns in marin county and got vouchers can get cash now. the county ran out of cash but the shortfall is covered by private donations. the marin board of supervisor and the city council, so if you received a voucher you can redeem it for cash, today, at friends of marin center room until 8:00 tonight. >> we are headed to holiday weekend and mik

getting off the carnival cruise ship was not the end of the nightmare for the passengers. one of the chartered buses carrying the passengers broke down. it was going from alabama to new orleans, riders were stuck for another hour before a bus picked them up. and an engine fire left the ship stranded. it got towed to land last night. >> we are driving on the highway, the bus starts slowing down and the bus pulls over and just breaks down. how long were you stuck there. about an hour. >> he had a smile on his face, so many delays on land and at sea. carnival will refund everyone the cost of the cruise plus a free the ticket to another cruise and $500 in catch. some people say, that is not enough. >> an east bay family is mourning the loss of a teenager that was struck and killed in antioch. the girl was crossing the intersection of hillcrest avenue when she was hit. she was air lifted to the hospital and later died. the driver stayed at the scene and as of now, neither drugs nor chol played a factor in the crash. >> still ahead, new detail on the case of an olympian accused of murdering his girl

charter flights home. >> some passengers are complaining that carnival's response to the emergency was slow and inadequate. but triumph's on-board crewmembers are getting high praise. >> they had to walk around with rubber gloves, gas masks and pick up these potty bags. >> they always had this smile on their face. they helped you, no matter what. >> reporter: one thing passengers disagreed on is whether to take up carnival's offer for a discounted cruise again. >> are you ready to do it again? >> yes. because surely lightning can't strike in the same place twice. >> they can have whatever they offer us, they can keep it. or i'll take it and frame it. >> reporter: because of the damage, carnival has canceled triumph's next 12 voyages. >> carnival admits the ship had mechanical problems, weeks before the engine fire. >>> well, preparing for snow. local crews are getting plows and trucks ready, in case of an accumulating snow. sunny and clear right now. you wouldn't think snow is in the forecast. but it could be another story in just a few hours, believe it or not. wjz's first warn weather team. meteorologis

charter flights home. >> reporter: some passengers are complaining that carnival's response to the emergency was slow and inadequate. but triumph's on-board crewmembers are getting high prize. >> -- praise. >> i think they should get hazardous pay. they had to run around with rubber gloves and pick up potty bags. >> they always had a smile on their face. they helped you no matter what. >> reporter: one things passengers disagree on is whether to take up carnival's offer for a discounted cruise in the future. >> are you ready to do it again? >> yes. because certainly lightning can't strike twice in the same place. >> whatever offer they have, they can keep it. or i'll take it and frame it. >> reporter: carnival has canceled triumph's next 12 voyages. >> and carnival now admits the ship had mechanical problems weeks before the engine fire. >>> incredible video out of eastern russia tonight. a meteor races through the sky, creating a sonic boom before crashing to the ground. [ explosion ] those were just two examples of the impact caught on tape this morning. it happened in the city about 900 miles east of

carnival has buses to take them to new orleans. as many as 1,500 are reserved. friday, 20 charter flights will take everyone back to houston. joe crouch and his friend didn't want to wait. they drove eight hours from texas to pick up their wives. >> i figure they've waited in enough lines already and been through enough, it would be a whole lot easier just to jump in the truck and drive eight hours back home. >> they say it's close to the harbor. >> reporter: fran thompson waits too. he drove here from kentucky on valentine's day to pick up his wife. he gave her the trip as a gift. >> this was my wife's first cruise. and i guarantee it will be her last. >> reporter: on board, there is only one working elevator, so passengers will have to carry off their own luggage. and there's a plan to get the elderly, children and people with special needs off first. there was a woman who had a stroke today on board. the coast guard was able to take her off. but for everyone else, this is going to be a long night and conceivably into the morning before the last person is off. brian? >> hey, jan

carnival also cancelled a dozen cruzes on the ship while repairs are done. it's also arranging for charter flights and hotel rooms for the passengers once they dock. >>> valentine's day arrives early for one group at a bay area zoo. the role visitors played in today's very formal celebration. >>> and you can be sure things are already heating up for valentine's day. meteorologist mark tells us just how warm it's going to get. . >>> there was a lot of love being spread tat california academy of sciences in san francisco the day before valentine's day. take a look at the heart-shaped valentine's. biologists were handing out toth academy colony of african penguins. each valentine had handwritten messages from visitors. as you can see the ping wins accepted them with their baeks and took them back to their necks. the penguins will either offer them to their mates or use the hearts to line their nests. for all of us planning ongoing big tomorrow, the perfect day. >> i think we got the forecast lined up just perfectly, gasia, with just some patchy fog in the morning but lots of suven shine for t

carnival has said it's made arrangements to get passengers home as soon as possible. 1,500 hotel rooms booked for thursday night and charterlights to houston friday. >> every decision we've made since sunday morning is to ensure the safety of our guests and to get them home as quickly as possible. >> reporter: he drove from texas to meet his fiancee who he says has been anything but comfortable. >> carnival gives you a number to call but the information they give you makes it sound like for the most part it's okay but when you actually hear from someone on the ship, you realize what kind of situation they're actually in. >> the final hours of a vacation nightmare, as "triumph" limps home. janet shamlian, nbc news, mobile. >>> still ahead for us on a wednesday night, our in-depth series, "guns in america." tonight tom brokaw joins us with a special report and an important voice in this argument we haven't heard from until now. >>> and later, third time is a charm for a very good dog who had a very big night. nexi um, the purple pill, um, helps provide many with day and night relief of heartburn symptoms caused by acid reflu

passengers of the carnival cruise ship "triumph" thought their ordeal was over on thursday, but for some finding their way home has been just as unforgiving. one of the businesses chartered to bring passengers to new orleans broke down. people didn't laugh, they cried. >> i don't know, if life gives you lemons, you have to eat the lemons sometimes. >> reporter: passengers returned to galveston on friday, they realized a special place and special people were in sight. >> yeah, i'm ready to go home. >> reporter: others weren't as forgiving. >> the last four hours have been hideous compared to the last seven days. hideous. >> reporter: a tough sentiment after an engine fire left the "triumph" bobbing endlessly in the gulf of mexico. at times not much to eat. >> we stood in lines for two hours and 53 minutes to get a cheeseburger. >> reporter: sandy barry, one of the passengers who made it safely home to chicago. >> bilge water everywhere, everywhere. i'm still wearing my flip-flops, because my shoes got destroyed. >> reporter: she says she will cruise again. others aren't ready to climb back aboard. >> they can take their free trip and put it where the sun doesn't shine. >>

. >> reporter: carnival says it's doing all it can to get the passengers back home safely, providing hotels, bus services and charter plane flights. they have also issued an apology. >> i know the conditions on board were very poor. i know it was very difficult. and i want to apologize again for subjecting our guests to that. we pride ourselves in providing our guests with a great vacation experience, and clearly we failed in this particular case. >> it's good to see some of those people making the best of a bad situation. the ship does remain in the port in mobile, alabama. it will be taken to a ship yard for an assessment. the national transportation safety board has opened an investigation and dozens of planned cruises aboard the triumph canceled. as you can imagine, it will likely be out of service for a while. allison? >> yes, it needs to be thoroughly checked out. thank you. >>> turning now to serious news, in south africa prosecutors say they'll pursue a premeditated murder charge against oscar pistorius. so far, they haven't explained why. the olympic sprinter learned of the charge during his first court app

carnival said it reserved more than 1500 hotel rooms in the area, as well as multiple charter flights from new orleans and houston. >> also new this morning and credible story out of russia. a meteor streaking into the skies over the ural mountains, causing shock waves then injured more than a thousand people. the ural mountains are about 900 east of moscow. this is new video of the events. the meteor which weighed about 10 t, into the earth's atmosphere a speed of at least 33,000 mi. per hour is shattered about 18-32 mi. above ground. of the hundreds that were injured dozens of them were hospitalized. >> you can hear the glass breaking. with this media by blowing up over russia. this happens as a asteroid is going to pass the word. it is the size of a football field. scientists are saying if they do not think the two are related is it is a cosmic coincidence. >> olympic sprinter oscar pistorius has formally been charged with the murder of his girlfriend. here is new video of him in court, where he wept openly as they said they would pursue charges of premeditated murder against him,

charter buses broke down. a woman from texas is the first of those passengers to sue carnival.s she feared for her life or serious illness because of the filthy conditions. she is suing for unspecified damages. >>> many of you might have a few drinks over this president's day weekend but tonight, a warning. coming up, how just a little bit of alcohol can put you at greater risk for cancer. >> in an exclusive kpix 5 investigation, we go undercover to see where those stolen bikes end up. through presidents' day, get 36 months interest-free financing and save up to $500 on beautyrest and posturepedic. get a sealy queen set for just $399. even get 3 years interest-free financing on tempur-pedic. plus, free delivery, set-up, and removal of your old set. keep more presidents in your wallet. this special financing offer ends presidents' day at sleep train. superior service best selection lowest price guaranteed. ♪ sleep train ♪ ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪ of alcohol can be good for your heart. but now we're learning even a >>> we have been told that moderate amounts of a

carnival says it's made arrangements to get passengers home as soon as possible. 1500 hotel rooms booked in new orleans and mobile for thursday night. and 20 charter flights head to houston on friday. >> every decision we've made since sunday morning is to ensure the safety of our guests and to get them home as quickly as possible. >> reporter: this man drove from texas to meet his fiancee who has been anything but comfortable. >> if they give you a number to call, when you call the number, the information they give you makes you think everything is okay. but then when you hear from someone on the ship, you know, you realize what kind of situation that they're in. >> reporter: the final hours of a vacation nightmare as triumph limps home. >> so what are the passengers getting for their trouble? so far we're hearing a full refund and a whopping $500 in cash. good luck with that. >>> a deal has been reached to create the worlg's biggest airline. american airlines parent company and us airways have both approved a deal for the two companies to merge. an official announcement is expected hours from now. let's take an early look at the markets with jef