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 years vaccine. Why you should consider getting one if you havent. And, 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 americans are reeling from the vicious storms hammering the eastern twothirds of the country. Along the midatlantic, 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 without power, and roadways are flooded. And in the midwest blizzardlike conditions left a huge mess. Nearly a foot of wet, heavy snow blanketed roads and knocked out drivers planning to head out this morning need to be careful of dangerously icy conditions created by frigid temperatures overnight. The impact, nearly 1,200 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 devastating 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 midatlantic to the northeast. The downpours creating flash floods, washing away cars and creating a mess for the d. C. Area. I thinking like i called god to help me and prayed. Reporter in new york heavy winds overturned this truck on the George Washington bridge. This time lapse shows the storm moving into charlotte, north carolina. Strong winds toppling trees, more than 160,000 people without power across 7 states. Its the same system that spawned terrifying twisters. In virginia, a state of emergency in effect. A deadly tornado shredding homes, among the victims, a young child. The only thing we heard was a 2yearold 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. Let us get through this. Reporter and on the back side of this massive storm, blizzard conditions across the midwest. If you dont need to make the trip, dont make the trip today. 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 its not expected to be quite as heavy with the snow showers continuing around the great lakes and into the 30s. In the midatlantic and 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. Their final debate before super tuesday. After his landslide victory in nevada, donald trump is now tangling with mitt romney over his tax returns, but hes also trading jabs with the other gop candidates who are struggling to catch up. Its your voice, your vote. We get the latest from abcs Kenneth Moton. Good morning, kenneth. Reporter good morning, reena and kendis. It is a case of irony. Millionaire mitt romney was criticized in 2012 about his own tax returns but now hes making similar attacks against billionaire donald trump. Hours before Severe Weather ripped through virginia overnight, donald trump was on the ground rallying supporters, talking running mates. I do want somebody thats political because i want to get lots of great legislation that we all want passed. Reporter trump was a noshow for a republican town hall on fox news hosted by megyn kelly who had a very public feud with worked to take down trump. We are not going to allow the conservative movement to be defined about i a nominee who isnt 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 theres a quote bombshell in trumps taxes. When people decide they dont want to give you their taxes its usually because theres something they dont want you to see. Reporter trump went on the attack and tweeted mitt romney who totally blew an election that should have been won and whose tax returns made him look like a fool is now playing tough guy. Well, hello. Alpha kappa alpha. Reporter fewer fireworks from the democratic side. Hillary clinton made her case at the sisters of aka ahead of saturdays South Carolina primary. Bernie sanders who is struggling with black voters there moved on to super tuesday states drawing 9,000 people to his rally in tulsa, oklahoma. 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. All right, its coming down to the wire definitely for them. Abcs Kenneth Moton live in washington for us this morning, thank you. New developments this morning now in the standoff over president obamas pick for the supreme court. Sources tell abc news the president is considering a republican. Nevada governor Brian Sandoval as the nominee. Sandoval is a former federal judge who supports abortion rights. His nomination could be seen as an overture to republican lawmakers who vowed to block the president s choice. Top Senate Republicans 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 block a new law which advocates say will force clinics in the state to close. Provide abortions to have admitting privileges at hospitals within 30 miles. A Group Supporting abortion rights says it will take the case to the supreme court. Moving overseas now to syria where a ceasefire in the civil war is set to take effect saturday morning. It allows aid to reach remote areas. Here at home there are growing calls to establish a socalled safe zone in Northern Syria if the ceasefire fails. John kerry told top lawmakers that such a zone would require up to 30,000 u. S. Ground troops to maintain. A new isis video in the meantime threatens the lives of facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and jack dorsey, the head of twitter. The 25minute video is too disturbing to show. It includes 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. Exclusive with apple ceo tim cook speaking for the first time about apples legal showdown with the fbi. But first tearful testimony as erin andrews father says shes a shell of her former self after nude Photos Leaked online. And america, were no longer home to the most billionaires so can you guess which country has beat the u. S. . Make it a point to shop kohls. This thursday through monday . Because yes2you rewards members take an extra 20 off . And earn triple points no matter how you pay get a 5 reward for every 100 points. Plus everyone gets 10 kohls cash for every 50 spent you can earn and redeem rewards points and kohls cash throughout the store theres no better time to sign up . Anyone can its quick and its easy enroll, save and start racking up the points today kohls. Ive been claritin clear for 14 days. When your allergy symptoms start. Doctors recommend every day of your allergy season. For continuous relief. With powerful, 24 hour. Nondrowsy claritin, live claritin clear. Every day. Crisp garden vegetables. Philadelphia garden vegetable. Rich, creamy. And delicious. 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Because with humira clearer skin is possible. Those charging elephants in africa were chasing arizona senator jeff flake and some others during their trip to africa. Last week during a boat ride a hippo showed off teeth. The purpose of his trip was to learn more about wildlife poaching. Keshas legal battle. Abc news has obtained video denying that she ever had sexual relations with music producer dr. Luke. Kesha is suing claiming he sexually abused her and she wants out of her recording contract. The video was taken during a deposition five years ago. A judge ruled friday that kesha must follow through on the contract but she doesnt have to work with dr. Luke. Kesha has garnered support from other top singers 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 tearfully told the court that his daughter was a shell of her former self. He said all she did was cry after discovering a stalker had posted videos of her online. Andrews is suing David Michael barrett and the marriott for 75 million. Theyre mourning a loss of nate kerrigan, a veteran Law Enforcement out a highrisk eviction. Two other deputies were hurt which killed the homeowner. It was considered high risk after that homeowner posted online rants against the police. And in austin, texas, a Police Sniper who shot and killed an armed suspect will not be charged. Newly released video from a year ago shows 27yearold sawyer flash repeatedly firing at a Police Helicopter as it hovered over his house. Thats when the officer moved in and shot him in the head. His two young daughters were sleeping inside. Well, the u. S. Is no longer home to the most billionaires in the world. That distinction now goes to china now. According to a newly released annual list, 90 new chinese billionaires moved to china moved china into first place by a margin of 33 billionaires. Beijing is the city with the most billionaires with 100. Thats five more than new york. See, donald trump is going to say, i was right all along. Its china. China. Well, when we come back, the exclusive interview with apples ceo tim cook arguing that their well. And promising new information regarding this seasons flu vaccine. What you need to know. To pay a mortgage, and ive also got a brain. Lifes short, talk is cheap. Ill be working while you sleep. Still dont think ive got a brain . You think a resumes enough . Wholl step up when things get tough . Dont you want that kind of brain . A degree is a degree. Youre gonna want someone like me. But only if you have a brain. vo if you have type 2 diabetes, you may know what its like to deal with high. And low blood sugar. Januvia sitagliptin is a oncedaily pill that, along with diet and exercise, helps lower blood sugar. Januvia works when your blood sugar is high and works less when your blood sugar is low, because it works by enhancing your bodys own ability to lower blood sugar. Plus januvia, by itself, is not likely to cause weight gain hypoglycemia . Januvia should not be used in patients with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Tell your doctor if you have a history of pancreatitis. Serious side effects can happen, including pancreatitis which may be severe and lead to death. Stop taking januvia and call your doctor right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area which may be pancreatitis. Tell your doctor right away and stop taking januvia if you have an allergic reaction that causes swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, or affects your breathing or causes rash or hives. Kidney problems sometimes requiring dialysis have been reported. Some people may develop severe joint pain. Call your doctor if this happens. R using januvia with a sulfonylurea or insulin p may cause low blood sugar. To reduce the risk, your doctor may p prescribe a lower dose of the sulfonylurea or insulin. Your doctor may do blood tests before and during treatment to check your kidneys. If you have kidney problems a lower dose may be prescribed. Side effects may include upper respiratory tract infection, stuffy or runny nose, sore throat, and headache. For help lowering your blood januvia. Jane s always on the move. Luckily her light fit protein smoothie can keep up with her. Packed with 12grams of protein and no added sugar. So she can watch her calories and where she s going. Light fit feel free to enjoy. 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 thats been tearing up parts of the south and midatlantic states. That same system is creating dicey conditions for this watch out for icy or wet roads from the great lakes stretching south to northern tennessee. And if youre flying, likely to find airport delays today in detroit and boston. Well, now to that abc news exclusive. Apples ceo tim cooks first interview. Cook tells david muir that doing so would make hundreds of millions 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 think its bad news to write. We would never write it. We have never written it, and that is what is at stake here. The fbi though says it believes that syed farook used that phone to communicate with his wife his accomplice and im curious, do you struggle at all with the possibility there could be information on that phone that could reveal other plot, in planning the San Bernardino attack . David, if we knew a way to get the information on the phone that we havent already given, if we knew a way to do in that would not expose hundreds of millions of other people to issues, we would obviously do it. I want to get to what the fbi director james comey said. He said its not about a slippery quote but 14 were slaughtered and many more had their lives ruined. Many the phone holds the clue but we cant look the survivorses in the eye or ourselves if we dont follow any possible lead out there. Do you understand where hes coming from. I do and this is an incredibly complex issue to place a back door in the iphone. We believe it does put hundreds of millions of customers at risk. Theres probably more information about you on your phone than there is in your house. Our smartphones are loaded with our intimate conversations, ow financial data, our health with the location of our kids in many cases and so its not just about privacy, but its also about public safety. But this your quiet moments do you have any concern that you might be able to prevent a terrorist attack by breaking into that phone . David, some 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 are some things that just should never be created. Correct. Apple has until tomorrow to file its legal response to the case. In response to cooks comments the senior Government Official tells us the fbi wants apple to develop a way into the phone that will only be known to the company itself and no one else. As for cooks suggestion congress resolve the dispute the official claims that would take too long. Now to some encouraging news about this years flu vaccine. Its doing better than last years vaccine. Preliminary information from the finds it is 59 effective. A big improvement over last effectiveness. Health Officials Say that weve had a milder flu season this year, but they warn it has not peaked as yet. To a frightening scene caught on camera at a gas station in kentucky. An ecigarette battery exploded in a mans pocket. Josh hamilton was shocked when his pants burst into flames as he ran from the store in panic. A clerk followed him with a fire extinguisher and put out the flames. Hamilton suffered serious burns on his leg, but he is expected to be okay. Good to know hell be all right. Police in ohio are on the lookout for a man theyve dubbed the rogaine robber. The bald bandit is accused of stealing the hair growth drug from store shelves across the buckeye state. Cops say its likely hes trying to resell the stolen rogaine either online or at flea markets. They dont believe hes using any of the products on himself 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 didnt make the cut. Ness. But i really love it. Im on the move all day long. And sometimes, i just dont eat the way i should. So i drink boost to get the nutrition that im missing. Boost complete nutritional drink has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. All with a great taste. I dont plan on slowing down any time soon. Look for savings on boost in your sunday paper. Working on my feet all day gave me pain here. In my lower back but now, i step on this machine and get my number pwhich matches my dr. Scholls custom fit orthotic inserts. Now i get immediate relief from my foot pain. My lower back pain. Find a machine at drscholls. Com that s why she loves new light fit greek nonfat yogurt mousse. So fluffy and airy it s her new 80 calorie obsession. 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 returns to earth next tuesday. 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 doesnt mind the food but misses sitting down at a table to eat. He also talked about the think absolutely i feel i feel great, but, you know, there are challenges especially with radiation between the earth and mars that we need to work on, overcoming but its something i hope to see in my lifetime. I love his passion. By the way, nasa 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 scotts body held up to 11 months of space compared to mark whos been down here on the ground. Itll be a huge homecoming. Reaction ng to reactions getting used to the new button options. Those are them. The social media giant has completely revamped its Feedback System revamping its like button and expanding by adding the 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. Im just glad theres 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. Ive been drinking. Somebodys been drinking with that one. Okay, so we all have those Favorite Foods that we really dont like to share. Maybe a plate of french fries 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 id like to take a bite of that. Try snatching it away. Clearly that wont happen. See the foot that went up there. So the bigger one doesnt miss a advances. Hes going to smack him away. Doesnt want to share. Wow. That is one panda smackdown. That is how i am about pizza. Get your own. Your bamboo root is pizza. Yes. More news, folk, after this. Karl, dont you have friends coming over . Yeah, so . It stinks in here. Youve got to wash this whole room are you kidding . Wash it . Lets wash it with febreze. For all the things you cant wash, use. Febreze fabric refresher whoa hey mrs. Webber inhales hey, it smells nice in here and try pluggable febreze. To continuously eliminate odors for. Up to 45 days of freshness pluggable febreze and fabric refresher. Eucerin intensive repair doesnt just moisturize dry skin, it intensively repairs it. With a unique triple action formula that exfoliates hydrates and fortifies skin. Leaving it looking healthy and radiant. With intensive repair, from eucerin. This is the joy for me. I love bread i love bread. I now just manage it, so i dont deny myself bread, i have bread everyday. Thats the genius of this program. I lost 26 pounds and i have taking a look at our top story, donald trump firing back at mitt romney after romney challenged him to release his tax returns. Romney believes there may be a bombshell in trumps taxes. The republicans debate tonight in houston. A new isis video threatens Mark Zuckerberg and jack dorsey, the head of twitter. Isis says its responding to antiterror 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. Dry and warming up in the west. Snow showers around the great lakes. Mostly dry in the east and deep down in the south it looks like its going to be kind of nice. Not bad at awe. Finally this morning as we count down to sunday nights oscars we take a glimpse behind the scenes. And when it all comes down to it it revolves around whats 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 reporter holding the names. 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. Reporter inside that secret un undisclosed Location Security is tight. Theres a specialized alarm system by joe met yoe joe biometric locks, no Internet Access and theyre counted by hand. We make sure were 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, both are locked in a vault until oscar sunday when ruiz and cohen enter their code and take their briefcase. Each then traveling a different route to the oscar red carpet escorted by los angeles police. No matter what happens, at least one of us will get there. Reporter do you feel like 007 a little bit . I little bit. Reporter last year as a spoof they carried a third briefcase used by host Neil Patrick Harris and backstage they only hand the envelope to the presenter just seconds is this the hardest secret to keep . Its a big important secret. The reality is, theres a secret we keep forever and that is who got second. Reporter brandi hitt, abc news, los angeles. Ver intriguing. Abc is the place to be on oscar night, sunday at 7 00 eastern time, 4 pacific. Breaking this morning 90 minutes ago two people were car judge in Orange County convenience store. Deputies tell us why they think they were targeted as a pumped gas. A police chase ending with hundreds of dollars of stolen and weapon drawn into a carpet what the investigator tells us about the wallet