diana alvear outlines this growing dispute. hey, diana. >> reporter: rob and paula-g morning. i've seen my share of hearings, and this one by far was one of the nastiest i've ever seen. members of the congress blast add toernlg eric holder for "operation fast and furious." no scandal seemed too controversial to reference. at thursday's contentious capitol hill hearing on "operation fast and furious." >> my question for you is what's the difference between the case of joe paterno at penn state and the justice department under your leadership? >> reporter: members of the house oversight and government relations committee grilled attorney general eric holder. >> how many more border patrol agents would have had to die as a part of operation fast and furious for you to take responsibility? >> that kind of question i think is frankly and again, respectfully, i think that's beneath a member of congress. >> reporter: the atf's gun-running scheme was supposed to infiltrate and identify high-level drug runners and criminals. instead the agency lost track of hundreds of guns, some of which were recovered from crime scenes in both mexico and the u.s. including the scene of brian terry's murder in 2010. a u.s. border patrol agent. it was terry's death that led agents within the atf to blow the whistle on the botched operation by alerting congress. the fallout has led to calls for holder's ouster. >> the conclusion that i come to is there are some things in there that's being hidden that you don't want us to see. >> there's no attempt at any kind of cover-up. we're not going to be hiding behind any kind of privileges or anything. >> reporter: as for brian terry, his family is threatening a $25 million wrongful death lawsuit. and the government has six months to respond. rob? paula? >> let's just keep in mind, too, this whole story about mexico and the power and the violence of those drug cartels. the scary part is not how violent and wealthy they are. the scary part is it's the drug appetite from america that gives them the money that allows them to inflict the power and violence they do in mexico. that is the root issue. the drug problem in our country that funds the violence and c t cartels in mexico. a wisconsin woman is charged with selling phony facebook stock before the company actually went public. marianne olsen is accused of scamming at least five people by telling them she owned $1 million in restricted facebook stock. prosecutors say she paid a contractor $28,000 in the fake stock for work he did on her house. capitalizing, obviously, on the week's big financial moves. well, the rockies and great plains are getting slammed this morning by a powerful slow-moving storm. blizzard warnings and winter storm watches are in effect this morning from denver all the way to des moines. the snow is expected to come down for at least 36 hours straight, leaving up to two feet on the ground. and this could be denver's biggest snowstorm in nearly a decade. many schools are closed this morning. so far nearly 200 flights have been canceled at denver international airport. before the blizzard hit hundreds of workers were standing by with heavy equipment, ready to clear the runways and melt the ice. >> good luck to all our friends in the midwest. but so glad it's been mild here along the east coast this winter, unlike last year. so good luck, denver and all the folks out there. >> i just want to make a couple snow angels and i'll be okay. >> i'll book you a flight to denver. here's a look at the rest of your weather around the country. some 70-mile-an-hour winds, some hail and even a chance of tornadoes from wichita down to san antonio. rain storms in kansas city, st. louis, memphis, and new orleans. showers in south florida around ft. lauderdale and west palm beach. >> 70s in dallas and new orleans. mid 40s in new york, detroit, and omaha. a snowy 27 in colorado springs. 36 in billings. sacramento 60. and portland 40. well, frigid temps haven't been part of super bowl week in indianapolis, and that of course is a very good thing. but not so good if you're an ice sculpture. >> yeah, check out this 18-footer featuring some of new york's best-known landmarks. of course the statue of liberty and the empire state building. ironically, it's standing on massachusetts after in indianapolis. >> the whole thing was sponsored by metlife. that's why that company's building is in there, of course along with its mascot, the ever-lovable snoopy. pret cool. or actually pretty cold, you could say. i think that's incredibly like artistic and cool. i think it's amazing stuff. >> how do you make something like that? >> unbelievable. oh, man. hopefully it will be cold like the pats' defense. >> it's not happening. >> we'll be back with more "world news now" after this. >> it's going to be hot. tear it up. ♪ it's gonna be a good night ♪ we're gonna have a good time ♪ dial the exact dose. inject by pushing a button. no vials, syringes or coolers to carry. flexpen is insulin delivery my way. novolog mix 70/30 is an insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults with diabetes. do not inject if you do not plan to eat within 15 minutes to avoid low blood sugar. tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions, including if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. most common side effects include reactions at the injection site, weight gain, swelling of your hands and feet, and vision changes. other serious side effects include low blood sugar and low potassium in your blood. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions, body rash, trouble with breathing, fast heartbeat, sweating, or if you feel faint. i would have started flexpen sooner, but i thought it would cost more. turns out it's covered by my insurance plan. thanks to flexpen, vial and syringe are just a memory. ask your doctor about novolog mix 70/30 flexpen, covered by 90% of insurance plans, including medicare. find your co-pay at myflexpen.com. is to dig right in. but his dentist knows that to do that he needs to use the brush more dentists use. oral-b. trust the brush more dentists and hygienists use. oral-b. life opens up when you do. really interesting story this morning. medical news. and a potential breakthrough in treating depression. and get this, it comes from the world of drug abuse. a hallucinogenic substance that's pretty much used as a party drug. >> the new medicine seems to work when everything else has failed. abc's dr. richard besser has this story. >> the first anti-depressant i was on was paxil. then prozac. remeron -- >> reporter: like millions of americans, chris stevens was suffering from depression. and nothing worked. >> and you spend every day wishing that you weren't awake. >> reporter: chris's girlfriend was there for the worst times. >> it was always a worry for me when i come home, was he going to be alive? >> reporter: he had given up the idea of ever feeling better. until, help from the most unlikely of places. a party drug. sometimes called special k. doctors call it ketamine. but scientists have discovered that in a different form it has amazing potential. it took just one dose. >> immediately, i felt clear. i felt for the first time in months that i actually wanted to get up the next morning. >> i really think it has the potential to be the biggest change in the treatment of depression probably in the last 50 years. >> reporter: most drugs that fight depression target serotonin, which acts on just 5% of the connections in the brain. but ketamine acts on a chemical called glutamate, which has ten times as many pathways, rewiring the brain's capacity to feel. >> so what's wrong with going to a club tonight and saying i'm trying some ketamine? >> first off, it could kill you. >> reporter: but doctors are actively searching for drugs that could work in a similar way. chris has been taking an experimental drug that works like kechlt tamine for more than area pf. before he couldn't crawl out of bed most days. now he has hope, a life, a future. >> i can actually experience joy and relaxation. to take that deep, refreshing breath. >> reporter: dr. richard besser, abc news, new haven, connecticut. >> and our producer made a very good point on this. that what they use in the treatment is just a fraction of what you would get in the club taking the obviously much more potent form. so continuities taking the party pill itself but a much lessened form of it it. and chris and his girlfriend, they're engaged to get married next year. >> and most of the patients that are taking this new drug say it works almost instantly. again, it ends up targeting 5% of the brain. 5%. and as you heard from one of the doctors of psychiatry, could be the biggest breakthrough in 50 years. >> most anti-depressants take weeks to become effective. they say that can work like -- this drug can work like that. >> could be a game changer. >> big deal. big deal. >> straight ahead, one last time for the season. >> yes indeed. the patriots and the giants of course set for super bowl xlvi. and we've got our final football picks of the year. the big reveal, straight ahead. ♪ [ woman on p.a. ] now boarding trarack 6. ♪ do not leave b bags unatteed. [ male announcer ] maybe you see something spicious. bubut you don't want to get involved. it's nothing, you think. can you be sure? ♪ if you see somomething, say something. report suspicious activity to local authorities. hey, paula, happy anniversary. >> rob, i'm a little busy right now. >> i'm talking about the 20th anniversary. >> can't you see i'm busy? we've got a newscast to do in a little bit. >> oh, come on now. 20 years live overnight news. fun, smart, a little bit of attitude. >> now i know what you're talking about. the 20th anniversary of "world news now." and we should do a promo. >> now you're seeing the whole picture. >> and that's a great line to use in the promo. >> we need a promo. >> we do need a promo. >> hey. >> this has been the abc "world news now" 20th anniversary promo. sleep is overrated. ♪ i've seen it 40 times. it's that time on our friday morning, time to wrap up the "world news now" nfl picks competition 2012, playoff edition of course. here come our big super bowl selections. >> first a quick refresher for all of you, after the conference title games it was jack sheehan, our commish, leading the pack, followed by former broadcast producer david meyers and fireman bob. rob, you and i pretty much bottom feeders. >> yes indeed. well, the largest tv audience ever for a super bowl is expected to tune in on sunday. on top of that vegas expects to see about $100 million in bets. that's incredible. >> of course it's all about the new england patriots and the new york giants. we mentioned that just in case you've been under a rock or if you're not a big sports fan. but 's time for the picks, everybody. >> let's do this. our competition commissioner, the commish, captain jack sheehan, has picked them the whole way. and that is now changing. jack is going with of course his father's new york football giants. >> there you have it. david meyers tries to force a tie at the top. he's going with the pats. >> same thing with fireman bob. he's also got the pats. and while i'm at it i will go with the nfc champion new york giants and their new orleans native quarterback, eli manning. the saints still in this playoffs. >> well, i'm going to try to pull into a tie with rob because of the tom brady university of michigan ties. so i'm going with the new england patriots. >> never heard of that school. and for his last appearance of the season we're joined now by the commish, jack sheehan. here we are for the final time. >> final time. >> good season. >> it has been. it's been a great season. and because it's been such a great season it is now time for the first annual nfl lowlights of the season. we start with number 3. >> you've got a lot to choose from. >> roll number 3. the jets' season in total. they were going to make the super bowl. until the season happened. they only finished 8-8. forget about the super bowl. they didn't even bother making the playoffs. a locker room that was in disarray. let's move on. number 2. hit it. >> do we have to hear this again? ♪ o'er the land of the free >> oh, yeah. >> that looks like your grandmother. ♪ >> what's better than that? steven tyler at the afc title game. its with a disaster. kristen chenowith did a good job at the nfc title game. we get kelly clarkson on sunday. we'll see how that goes. and the number 1 lowlight of the season, you might remember chargers kicker nick novak. >> when you've got to go, you've got to go. >> he was hanging out by the gatorade a little too long. in the tour de france they call that a natural break. >> yes. >> that's what he was doing over there. congratulations to nick. he couldn't be here. so we'll send the trophy out to san diego or wherever he's at. >> he's moving those chains. >> there you go. sunday i'm on the record. giants 31, patriots 24. take that. >> really? >> oh, you've got them separated by a touchdown. >> that's very good. we like to see. and we should also point out that we're going to make a side bet here that the loser owes the winner the football grub of their choice on monday's show. >> i love wings. >> commish, great job as ever, my friend. >> thanks very much. appreciate it. >> go, giants. >> announcer: "world news now" delivers your "morning papers." all right. well, in this big facebook news week, let's end with some facebook news. a chicago-area couple actually let people on facebook decide the name of their child. they were going to do it the dad and their wife just their friends on facebook. then they opened it up to a whole poll called name my child. so when the little girl was born on tuesday, with 1310 votes, little madeline came into the world. the power of facebook is absolutely crazy. another example from your old stomping grounds, chicago. >> surprising it's not wrigley or something like that. speaking of facebook, it is as addictive as cigarettes. a new study from psychological studies. 250 people were interviewed. it says despite the reputationar to being addictive, alcohol and cigarettes generated lower levels of desire than the urge to check their social networks. >> i am a little bit addicted to facebook. i must admit it. it's a daily part of my life. not for you, though. >> no. i think we need to meet in the middle. happy meed medium. >> okay, we'll go forward. we'll end our week with the morning polka. >> oh, the polka. hit it. ♪ ♪ politics and foreign wars ♪ all the weather, all the scores ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ tapes that roll in way too slow ♪ ♪ stuff you saw on koppel's show ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ it's late at night, you're wide awake ♪ ♪ and you're not wearing pants ♪ so grab your "world news now" mug and everybody dance ♪ ♪ hey ♪ have some fun, be a pal ♪ every anchor guy and gal ♪ do the world news polka ♪ everybody ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ insomniacs only ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ who cares what the bosses think ♪ ♪ they're a goofy crew ♪ no clue ♪ and if your neighbors call the cops, here's all you have to do ♪ ♪ when they yell it's half past three ♪ ♪ tell them, hey, it's news to me ♪ ♪ that's the world news polka ♪ they make us work the graveyard shift ♪ ♪ that's why we go for broke ♪ so why not tune in abc and join our little joke ♪ ♪ ha, ha, ha ♪ five whole days every week ♪ we're here with a tongue in cheek ♪ ♪ and the world news polka ♪ not lip synced it's the world news ♪ ♪ da, da, da, da ♪ polka ♪ yeah this morning on "world news now," taking sides. the funding feud involving planned parenthood and the group known for pink ribbons, the susan g. komen foundation. >> it's turned into a heated debate nationwide over women's health, abortion politics, and money. it's friday february 3rd. good morning, everybody, on this tgi friday. our favorite -- my second favorite f word is friday. i'm rob nelson. good morning. >> your favorite f word is faris, right? >> exactly. you read my mind, paula. >> i'm paula faris, everybody. the komen foundation has avoided politics, but the decision to stop sending money to planned parenthood clinics led to a major political jolt. we're going to take a look at the money involved and who's supporting whom with their checkbooks. but this is very, very polarizing on both sides of the fence. >> this debate i think is just getting started a lot of ways and involves a lot of critical issues, as we said in the headlines. there's money here. there's health issues. and all the story in an election year. the abortion story plays a big role in that every time. also this morning, hidden risks in your kitchen. an investigation into kitchen fires linked to malfunctioning appliances. what you can do right now, though, to protect your lives and your property so your house does not end up looking in a scary scene like that. >> wow. >> ooh, scary. and all the money at stake for advertisers during sunday's super bowl. the commercials getting all the buzz just days before their debut on one of the biggest nights of television. i love the game, and i love the commercials just as much. >> and you're still standing by the pats even though you're risking your life by saying that here in new york, right? >> well, listen, this is a national show. not all of you out there are going for the giants. so i've got to stand for the rest of the country. >> you're not going to stand for the people who will be on the street waiting four. >> it is an east coast super bowl. >> yeah. before we get to all that stuff, a well-known breast kabser charity is facing a mounting backlash over its decision to cut ties with planned parenthood. >> locke al filts are voicing their protests and there's been a surge of criticism across social media. abc's claire shipman looks into the dispute. >> reporter: the ubiquitous pink ribbon is sporting a black eye. thousands of women saying they will no longer support the komen foundation or buy pink. women like monique benoit, who benefitted from a komen planned parenthood mammogram. >> it's very disturbing that the whole thing has become a political tool and that komen is buying into that. >> reporter: komen's ceo nancy brinker spent the day in combat-style crisis management, strongly denying it was political pressure over planned parenthood's abortion services that made them pull their money. >> scurrilous accusations being hurled at this organization are profoundly hurtful. >> reporter: brinker says there are simply better and more streamlined mammogram providers. meanwhile, planned parenthood, no stranger to controversy, under attack from republicans on capitol hill, found itself the beneficiary of a sympathetic fund-raising windfall, pulling in more than a million dollars, including a $250,000 donation from new york mayor michael bloomberg. >> we've heard from thousands of women in the last two days, and their concern like our concern is just making sure that no woman loses care because of this decision. >> reporter: the battle, surprisingly-s over a very small portion of komen's funds. last year komen gave 2,000 organizations $93 million. planned parenthood only got $680,000. that covers just 35,000 of the 750,000 screenings planned parenthood offers each year. but symbolism can be everything as the foundation is now learning. 22 democratic senators are asking komen to reverse its decision, and its site has been hacked by angry planned parenthood supporters. some women we talked with around the country are puzzled and disappointed. >> i think it's really a shame. i think that they're letting politics come in the way of people's health. >> reporter: but komen has gained some conservative support. the americans united for life organization has declared it's on board for this year's race. there's already been one high-level resignation from the komen foundation over this issue. we're told there may be more. for an organization that's always prided itself on being apolitical, it's certainly politics front and center. claire shipman, abc news, washington. >> and planned parenthood provides a ton of services. breast exams, pap tests, treatments for sexually transmitted diseases. those 22 senators you heard in that piece, they said it would be tragic if any woman lost access to these potentially life-saving screenings because of a politically motivated attack. >> but i believe they're also the nation's largest provider in abortions and already susan g. komen according to the "christian science monitor" has reported a 100% increase in donations received during the past two days. >> both sides are seeing a flow of cash, depending on which side -- >> right. and when you look at those dollars, we're not talking about an extraordinarily exorbitant amount of money that is donated to planned parenthood. >> no. it's not the cash. it's the ever hot-button issue of abortion in this country. and that's a debate that will rage on forever. so another example. well, now to a federal report on a recent salmonella outbreak linked only to a mexican-style fast food chain. we've now learned that the chain is taco bell, which has been linked to similar outbreaks over the past six years. it's apparently policy to keep the name secret in cold cases even though the most recent investigation involved dozens of illnesses. there are fears restaurants may refuse to cooperate in federal investigations. you still going to go to taco bell? >> oh, you know, i'm a fan of taco bell, but it is kind of scary. why wouldn't their name be released like everybody else? that's frightening we'd find out after the damage is done. an investigation into kitchen hazards in some household appliance ppz. >> for dpeelts on what you can do to protect yourself let's turn to abc's scott goldberg. good morning, scott. >> reporter: good morning, rob and paula. "consumer reports" magazine says modern appliances have become so complicated electronically that inside every appliance there are several opportunities for something to go wrong. and the magazine says in some cases tiny parts are starting big fires. in 2008 on the fourth of july it looked like bombs had been bursting in this kitchen. but the nickel family from suburban detroit says no one was cooking. the nichols say they were at a picnic when a neighbor saw their home on fire. >> when i walked in and saw the extent of the damage, i couldn't believe it. >> reporter: their insurance company called the fire an accident. the nichols blame it on their microwave. in north korea elizabeth lilboa said something last year went wrong with her dishwasher. >> the dishwasher caught fire. there's a burning plastic smell throughout the house. and smoke came pouring out of the vent. >> reporter: in both cases the victims say they did nothing wrong. and now "consumer reports" magazine is backing them up, reporting that only about half of all appliance fires can be blamed on human error. the rest of the time, the magazine says, the fires are caused by the appliances themselves. >> we're urging consumers to practice extreme caution here. >> reporter: "consumer reports" says to protect yourself you should register new appliances. so you get alerts if there's a recall. install smoke detectors on every floor of your home. install power cords so make sure they're not frayed, under a heat source or running under carpet. check wiring especially if you live in an ole home. and keep your kitchen clean, especially range hoods and dryer vents. the magazine also says you should check to see if you own any products that have been recalled. to do that go to the government website, recalls.gov. rob and paula? >> scary stuff. thanks, scott. now to politics. as mitt romney heads into tomorrow's republican caucuses in nevada with the lead in the polls and the endorsement of donald trump. with his usual showmanship style, the donald announced he is backing romney. yesterday at the hotel trump on the vegas strip. and romney now says he misspoke this week when he said he was not very concerned about poor people. and president obama seemed to have been talking about romney during the usually non-political national k prayer breakfast. the president said his christian faith influences his economic policies including his call for the aelt wealthy to pay more in taxes and his health care overhaul. >> they asked if the president sought trump's endorsement and he said i'm not going to comb over that. get this. roseanne barr is running for president. it ain't a joke, y'all. the actress comedian has now filed official paperwork to get the green party's nomination. barr says democrats and republicans are not working in the best interests of the american people. she wants to forgive all credit card and mortgage debt. okay, rosie. now we turn to indianapolis and a headline that's not involving -- that does not involve the giants or the patriots. our sister network espn reports that colts quarterback peyton manning has been medically cleared to play by two doctors. of course manning sat out this past season after neck surgery, leading to a dismal season for his colts. they say his neck is fine. now the nerves in his throwing arm need to regenerate to the point where he can return to the field. >> and then there's the andrew luck coming in with the draft and all of that. that's another discussion. as for the super bowl, madonna will perform at halftime on sunday. she told reporters that she's never worked so hard or been so nervous for any one performance. and madonna even busted out some salsa dancing. she said she was inspired to practice it after seeing giants receiver victor cruz celebrate his touchdowns. madonna also predicted her show will be a feast for the eyes and ears. >> great attention to detail has been paid to my wardrobe. there will be no wardrobe malfunctions. promise. >> she's had plenty of wardrobe malfunctions in the past, though. >> she admits she's a nervous wreck and plans to pray a lot before sunday's ten-minute performance. she says she's dedicating it to her late father, and she says that she dreams about this because she's a midwestern girl. i hope she epitomizes midwestern girls. she did grow up in michigan. >> yes, she did. >> i did, too. i think we're a little -- a little different? >> just a touch. >> just a touch. little bit. >> here's your friday forecast, everybody. a blizzard dumb pps up to two f of the white stuff to goodland, kansas and southwest nebraska. hail and some dangerous winds around san antonio. dallas, oklahoma city, and kansas in some rain from st. louis down to the big easy. >> 40s from k.c. to detroit. 37 in boston. 46 here in new york. 63 in atlanta. mild on the west coast. 60 in sacramento and 50 in seattle. well, now some folks right here in new york who are paying it forward you could say and doing it in a big way. they are the good people over at mohan's custom tailors. >> they are outfitting 15 recent graduates of a career development program with custom-made suits for upcoming job interviews. those suits are worth about $1,000 each. but they are giving them away for free. >> i know where i'm going after work. the shop's owner says it's a good way to return the goodwill that he received when he first came to the u.s. back in the '70s. bravo to those guys. >> and the suits are not cheap. >> no, they are not. >> especially this one. what did you pay for it? >> oh, two bucks. we'll be right back with more "world news now" right after this. >> two dollars. ♪ when you're looking for something ♪ ♪ it's in the suit that you wear ♪ ♪ [ other merv ] welcome back to the cleaning games. let's get a recap, merv. [ merv ] thanks, other merv. mr. clean magic eraser extra power was three times faster on permanent marker. elsewhere against dirt, it was a sweep, with scuffed sports equipment... had it coming. grungy phones... oh! super dirty! and grimy car rims... wow! that really works! ...all taking losses. it looks like mr. clean has won everything. the cleaning games are finished? and so are we. okay, but i just took a mortgage out on the cabinet. [ male announcer ] clean more, work less, with the mr. clean magic eraser extra power. welcome back, everybody. of course, it is a friday. >> you're happy about that. >> it's been a long week. >> it's time to close the book on another week. this one full, of course, of political antics. >> in addition to the usual suspects, donald trum. and a movie about sarah palin were in the mix. here now is our friday rewind. ♪ america ♪ america ♪ god shed his grace on thee >> and that's what you think romney's doing, is he's buying this election? >> yes. of course. >> where's he getting the money? >> moffettly fr mostl lly from . >> to the people in this room and the people all over florida, thank you for this great victory. >> i'm not concerned about the very poor. we have a safety net there. if it needs repair i'll fix it. >> i'd rather endorse a great candidate that's going to die great job with the election and become a great president. that would be number one option for me. >> you know what they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? lipstick. >> you hear people crying p you hear people, you know, just basically asking why. the fog was so dense that, you know, you could literally get out of the car and you could hold up your hand, you wouldn't see it. >> no danger to the public no, danger to our workers. >> did any radiation leak out? >> if there was any leakage at all, it would have been so minor. >> if his health deteriorates and can't carry on, maybe that will herald a time when the queen calls it a day and hands on to charles. >> it's almost as laughable as accusing fox news of, you know, being news. >> my teachers call me jean de la lune, jean of the moon. and i realize now that i never stopped dreaming. >> i think it was the late great w.c. fields who said never work with kids or animals. well, he can kiss my -- >> no, i do everything. jumping jacks, squats, lunges. >> uh-oh. >> a little boxing. >> does the president have to worry about the boxing part? >> sometimes when he sees me punching he kind of -- >> oh! >> i love that clip. and coming up, we have some stuff too later on to look forward to. the l.a. dodgers will hold meetings with potential buyers of that team. the house will vote on that insider trading bill that's already passed the senate yesterday. and in case you're wondering what's next politically, maine, minnesota, and wyoming, those are the next states at bat. >> and all you ladies need to work on that left hook. keep your men on edge, man. we'll be right back. sufrnlt sufrnlths. super bowl sunday is of course the super bowl of tv advertising too. every year the bar gets higher for coming up with unforgettable spots. >> and every year those spots get even more expensive. abc's diana alvear takes a look at the trends this year. ♪ oh, yeah >> how can i handle work on a day like today? >> reporter: ferris bueller? cheetahs? and cars. loads of cars. that can only mean one thing. the super bowl of commercials is here. at an average cost of $3.5 million, it's the most expensive 30 seconds on television. >> we have a late entry in the -- >> reporter: that means each second that this dog walks in skechers -- >> broderick? broderick? >> reporter: -- or matthew broderick makes hooky in his honda crv, it costs them more than $116,000. with a tab that steep, your ad better be unforgettable. no wonder humor is at the heart of most of them. >> oh, yeah, baby, let's get those keys and go. >> party's arrived. >> reporter: another factic, use what's hot, like audi-d turning to vampires to showcase their new l.e.d. lights. >> oh, nice. >> reporter: there's always sex appeal. david beckham's modeling his new line of underwear. watching online or on mobile devices. godaddy's tv ads will feature what's called a quick response code. scan it with your smartphone, and you'll go directly to the advertiser's web page. and coca-cola's polar bears will comment online on the action in the stadium live as it happens. and speaking of animals, they're usually surefire crowd pleasers. volkswagen's betting this tale of big dog versus beetle is a big winner with super bowl fans. diana alvear, abc news, los angeles. >> i love the commercials are as big as the game. this actually our facebook question of the day, too. which super bowl ad do you think will get the most attention sunday night? 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[ female announcer ] you can't pass mom's inspection with lots of pieces left behind. that's why there's charmin ultra strong. its diamondweave texture is soft and more durable so it holds up better. fewer pieces left behind. charmin ultra strong. ♪ yay, another sign that it's the weekend. this week in "insomniac theater" movies from remote corners of the earth. i'm going to preview "big miracle: a whale of a movie" in alaska. >> but first, "woman in black" in which the post-harry potter daniel radcliffe is september to a forgotten backwater of 19th century england. this movie actually based on a 1983 thriller novel by susan hill here. basically, he is a widowed lawyer whose very important client dies. so he goes back to set this will man's very important affairs. he goes back to his kind of crumbling estate to get his business affairs settled but finds out there's a presence in this estate that isn't quite human. and that's where things get very interesting. apparently, there's a secret here and they'll do anything to kind of keep him from finding out what it is. take a listen. [ dog growling ] ♪ >> ooh. spooky there. >> i don't want to see that. >> the previews look pretty scary for this but so far reviews are pretty mixed. only 65% on rotten tomatoes. people say it's kind of some mediocre acting by mr. radcliff here. it may be worth for a good easy scare. >> they're saying if you want to be freaked out that's the movie you go see. i'm previewing "big miracle." it's about a smalltown news reporter in alaska who's played by john krasinski from "office space," and i lovely volunteer, drew barrymore. she is a greenpeace activist named rachel. they're joined by rival world superpowers. and they want to save a family of majestic gray whales that are trapped by rapidly forming ice in the arctic circle. this was based on actual teents fr events from 1988. they say whale fans will blubber but even miracle flounders in its hunt for narrative focus. >> i seem to have lost three whales around here. anybody see them? anybody? let's take a look at these critters. hello down there. anybody home? >> oh, good to see sam malone. >> so the review from e! online gave it a c-plus. rotten tomato giving it a 66% favorable level. they say the romance on screen between drew barrymore and john krasinski a little forced and that the acting just mediocre. >> drew barrymore didn't knock them dead? this morning on "world news now" -- fast food secret. the federal investigation into a salmonella outbreak linked to taco bell restaurants that made dozens of people sick. >> the investigation has been going on for months now while the public never actually knew which restaurant was really involved. it's friday february 3rd. good friday morning, everyone. i'm paula faris. hope we can give you a jump start to your weekend. >> yes. the weekend is here. good feeling. and i'm rob nelson. good morning again, everybody. the salmonella outbreak was eventually traced to one of taco bell's suppliers, but the feds never disclosed which fast food franchise it was actually investigating in all this. consumer advocates now of course are demanding some answers. another big headline involves the los angeles elementary school teacher accused in an unspeakable case of child molestation. and now there are serious questions about a complaint made by a little girl way back in 1993, almost 20 years ago. nothing was done about it then. >> we reported on the story earlier this week. and that was our main question, how come nothing came out earlier about this guy? >> well, it did. >> apparently it did and no action was taken, leading to this. also this half hour, with blizzard warnings today in colorado and nebraska the nation's leading groundhogs had trouble agreeing yesterday on whether winter will in fact last another six weeks. it is a very strange season indeed. >> so if they dispute, maybe it just nullifies and we go right to summer? >> exactly. that would be great. i'd take that any day of the week. >> two negatives equal a positive -- wait, a negative and a positive. didn't make any sense. but first, new details about the salmonella investigation traced to taco bell. government officials knew the name of the restaurant when they were investigating the outbreak but refused to release it. >> now consumer advocates demand to know why. here's abc's chief investigative correspondent, brian ross. >> reporter: for the last three months federal health agencies have tried to keep secret an outbreak of salmonella at taco bell restaurants involving a supplier for one of its taco ingredients. 68 people in ten states became ill, and at least 20 of them were hospitalized. >> salmonella outbreak is always serious. absolutely. more people die in the united states of salmonella poisoning than of e. coli poisoning. >> reporter: yet in its public announcements about the salmonella outbreak the food and drug administration, the fda, and the centers for disease control, the cdc, referred only to a "restaurant chain a," serving mexican-style food, trying to keep the public from knowing it was taco bell. >> i have a right to know that because i may not want to shop there. i may not want to take my kid there. >> reporter: a food safety website run by attorney bill mouler finally figured out that taco bell was restaurant chain a, getting confirmation from taco bell itself. >> hiding the ball, you know, you always get caught. >> reporter: the same thing happened two years ago in another salmonella outbreak at taco bell, when it again was revealed to be the mysterious restaurant chain a. >> the focus and the attention that's been paid on this is making the regulators look bad. it's making the restaurant chain look bad. >> reporter: abc news found that in dozens of cases fda and cdc policy has been to keep the names secret in closed investigations. >> when there's no longer a hazard to public health, it's perfectly reasonable to protect the sources because you ensure further cooperation going into the future. >> reporter: but barbara pruitt of oregon says that is nonsense. she almost died from a case of salmonella three years ago. >> i don't feel that i should have to be jeopardized because someone can't let me know information that is currently and readily available. >> reporter: in a statement to abc news, taco bell said that the salmonella outbreak is completely over and that while it still does not know the source of the problem there is no health threat currently at its restaurants. it did not comment on why the name was kept secret by the government or whether that was something that they had requested. brian ross, abc news, new york. >> if someone owes us an explanation as to why that stayed secret. look in recent years all the government warnings about tainted cantaloupe, tainted spinach. they've come out before and said hey, stop the presses, don't eat this stuff. why would you not do the same, particularly in our fast food nation? >> yeah, the public has a right to know, definitely, especially something of this magnitude, where it can lead to fatalities. >> scary. scary, scary. do love a little burrito, though, can't lie about that. we turn to another food safety concern, and it actually involves a staple probably on your breakfast table. for the first time low levels of an illegal chemical have now been found in orange juice from florida. previous government tests had found the chemical in juice from brazil. but now the federal government insists the juice is safe to drink and that there are no plans for any kind of recall. also a follow-up to the shutdown of a southern california nuclear plant. unusual wear has been found on dozens of tubes that carry radioactive water at the san onofre plant. and those tubes are a little more than a year old. the disclosure comes justwo days after a tube ak at the plant's other unit. a reactor in that case had to be shut down. and a new development in the case of the former los angeles teacher accused of abusing two dozen students. authorities now say that teacher mark berndt was the target of a molestation investigation nearly 20 years ago. we get more from kabc's robert holguin. >> reporter: on the campus of miramonte elementary there's outrage over news that mark berndt had been accused of fondling a 9-year-old girl more than 16 years before he was arrested for lewd conduct with his students in south los angeles. >> there's like a lot of concern going on around here. this whole community is like ravished right now behind what's going on. >> reporter: the l.a. county sheriff's department confirmed that a 9-year-old girl accused berndt of fondling her back in september of 1993. >> the victim reported that while sitting in the classroom at a table the suspect, mark berndt, reached under the table towards her genitals, which were clothed, covered with clothing, and she pushed his hand away. >> reporter: sergeant dan scott says the girl waited two months before telling her mother about the alleged incident. a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office says berndt wasn't charged because there was not enough evidence to prove that a crime had occurred. lausd superintendent john deasy could not be reached for immediate comment but was quoted in the "l.a. times" as saying the district had no records of the investigation in 1994, which did little to reassure parents at miramonte. >> i feel like if they would have investigated him more in that situation not a lot of innocent souls would have been in this place right now. >> reporter: the 61-year-old berndt was arrested monday at his home in torrance. he was in court where his bail was set at $23 million. berndt is charged with 23 acts of lewd conduct with a child. prosecutors say he took photos of his students where they were blindfolded and gagged. in some cases he allegedly held spoons of semen to their mouths. and it is all alleged to have occurred in his classroom during regular school hours. robert holguin, abc news. >> so what kind of investigation do you need? the little girl goes to her mother. the mother goes to investigators. the investigators say let's pursue this. and then prosecution says no, we don't have enough evidence. >> i mean, you have to have -- >> insufficient evidence. what kind of evidence do you need? >> in our legal system it's not necessarily what really happened or what you know. it's about what you can prove. and if they couldn't prove it, that's kind of where things end. it's sad, and obviously it could have stopped this whole tragedy from happening. but that's -- that's the law. that's the way it works. >> that's really messed up. >> it's sad. well, we reported yesterday about an earlier withdrawal of u.s. troops from afghanistan. now we are learning that the defense secretary may have jumped the gun. about 68,000 troops will remain there next summer. but they will transition from a combat role to a support role. the transition would come a year earlier than previously planned. >> the boys aren't headed home just yet. they're just beginning this transition phase a little earlier. so we're clearing that up after some confusion yesterday. >> yes. now, in egypt two protesters were shot and killed by police during demonstrations following this week's huge riot following a soccer game. thousands took to the streets in cairo accusing security forces there of doing nothing to stop wednesday's violence. that violence ended up killing 74 people. volleys of tear gas by police were answered by protesters throwing rocks. many of their chants also called for egypt's military rulers to step down as that country continues its rough transition into democracy. in other news now, the u.s. is leading efforts to convince israel not to attack iran's nuclear site. the israelis say iran has already produced enough uranium to build four nuclear bombs. however, the obama administration is arguing forcefully against any israeli air strikes, saying they would only strengthen the iranian regime. the u.s. wants israel to hold off at least until new sanctions take effect later this year. but a lot of eyes on what could potentially happen, some say as early as spring, with israelis possibly attacking iran. well, now to the rockies and great plains, where a powerful slow-moving blizzard could dump two feet of snow. winter storm watches and blizzard warnings are in effect this morning from denver all the way to des moines, and they're not expected to be lifted until saturday. and many schools and businesses are closed this morning as well. so far more than 180 flights have been canceled at denver international airport. before the first flakes fell, crews had heavy equipment standing by to remove snow and melt ice on the runways. forecasters say it could be one of the heaviest snowstorms in denver's history. >> don't tell me you miss that kind of weather, chicago girl. please don't tell me. >> at least in colorado you can ski. in chicago -- >> you've been wishing a blizzard here in new york -- >> you're just trapped inside your house eating some chicago-style hot dogs and pizza. hibernating. >> that's how you get through a snowstorm. here's the rest of your friday forecast, everybody. look for hail and gusty winds around wichita. tulsa. san antonio and dallas. also some rain from kansas city to st. louis all the way down to new orleans. >> rain and 80 in miami. atlanta 63. baltimore 48. 53 in indianapolis where the super bowl is. 30s in fargo and minneapolis. phoenix 65. and salt lake city 43. >> glad they're playing in that dome in indy. nice and warm in there. >> lucas oil. >> yes. time for a little super bowl spirit. and what better way to get into it but with these beauties? oh, yeah, folks. those are chicken wing cupcakes. yes indeed. >> they're the creation of a baker in a suburb of albany, new york. it's a cornbread cupcake. >> yes. >> blue cheese frosting. >> yes. >> and of course that lovely-looking wing on top. blue cheese frosting? >> but it's on the cornbread. so it's not quite sweet. it's a little bit savory with a chicken wing. apparently they're not deboned either. so you do have to take that chicken wing up and eat it separately. they're apparently selling tons of those things along with more traditional cupcakes and cookies supporting either the giants or the pats -- >> send them to the show. we'll eat them. >> we will eat all of them. >> we're not turning down anything but our collar. >> that's right. we'll be back with more world news after this. ♪ ♪ whoa, my love [ degeneres ] what's more beautiful than a covergirl? two covergirls. get two miracles in one product. new tone rehab 2-in-1 foundation. covers spots, lines... and wrinkles. and helps improve skin tone over time. new tone rehab from easy... breezy... beautiful... covergirl! covergirl! having some chips. the run-up to super bowl sunday inspired a lot of curiosity this week. >> you got busted. >> i did totally. and a lot of searches on yahoo. but that big facebook ipo. big news of the week. >> take a sip. and a surprising number of people want to know about a dog who's about to retire. yahoo's web life editor heather cabot has the details. good morning, heather. >> happy friday, guys. heading into super bowl sunday, giants and patriots fans are going online this week to get the inside scoop on the most watched sporting event of the year. new england is running far ahead of new york when it comes to searches on yahoo. and that's especially the case for quarterback tom brady. he's getting twice the searches of giants' eli manning. but manning wins when it comes to the ladies. searches for eli are up 268% among women. and queries by women about eli's girlfriend are up 1200% this month. even with the main event just days away, some fans are still hoping to score seats in indianapolis. some are looking up contests to win tickets, and those searches are up more than 200% this week. the states with the most lookups for tickets are rhode island, indiana, and connecticut. and for those who will be watching on tv or online, that's most of us, we can tell that lots of people are preparing for super bowl parties, and they'll be serving lots of dips. and chips, the most popular right now on yahoo, buffalo chicken dip, spinach, and seven-layer dip. in other news this week, facebook's initial public offering made waves across the web. yahoo users wanted to understand more about what an ipo means and how it works. the death of muhammad ali's trainer angelo dundee also sparked interest on the web this week. dundee was the heavyweight champion's corner man in the most important fights of his career, including his first bout with sonny liston and joe frazier. and last, uggie the dog is getting lots of love this week from fans on the web. word that the canine star of the film "the artist" will retire set off lots of searches. but his fans will be able to see him perform at the academy awards later this month. have a great weekend, guys. back to you. >> all right, heather, thanks a lot for that. also what's trending right now is that mcdonald's is confirming that it's no longer using that pink slime chemical in its hamburgers. >> yummy yummy. >> it's formally known as ammonium hydroxide. sometimes you really don't want to know what's in your food. >> more chips, please. >> ah. see, paula, we got a little dog. it's my welcome gift to you. >> thank you very much. what should we name him? newsie. >> tired. tired of the dog. >> self- -- self- -- what am i trying to say? >> sleep deprived. >> i almost said self-deprecation. >> who might be taking regis philbin's place behind fellow new jersey native kelly ripa? >> are you leaving me? >> no. i wish. >> and ryan gosling, 24/7 a heartthrob on demand. it's all next in "the skinny." for cleaner air and your right to breathe it. for those who want to quit smoking and for those who need them to. we're fighting for clear skies over every city and healthy lungs throughout the country. the american lung sociation isn't just fighting for air. we're fighting for l the things that make it worth breathing. joinin us in the fight at figingforair.org. ♪ skinny ad news to start off w in "the skinny" this morning. the carter family here, famous for nick carter, for a member of the backstreet boys, as well as his little brother aaron, who went on to become a singer as well. well, their 25-year-old sister has passed away. she apparently died of a drug overdose. was under the influence of several prescription drugs according to police. she fell in the shower back on the morning of january 30th and then passed away at a later point. had a long history of mental illness according to some family members here. they found three drugs in her body during the autopsy. she'd actually moved from canada back to western new york to kind of kick the prescription drug habit but obviously did not. in the end was not able to do that. she leaves behind a husband as well as a young daughter. the family's coping different ways. also had a reality show as well, the carters there for a while. but a sad ending. another hollywood example of the toll drugs can take. we wish that family the best during what's sure to be a difficult couple of weeks for them. >> they say they're going to keep her facebook up page, too. >> as a tribute. >> absolutely. on a lighter note, if you are a time warner subscriber, i'm sure you've noticed on demand there's a ryan gosling channel. whoo, whoo. give it up for the month of february. ryan gosling and all his amazingly hot glory. he is kind of cute, don't you think? >> i don't really judge men like that. >> you don't have bromances? >> no. >> all this month you can watch some of his past movies, "the notebook," "crazy stupid love," "the ides of march," "lars and the real girl." ryan gosling on demand available through february 27th. i don't have time warner right now but -- >> oh, really? sorry. i guess you're out of luck. you just have to make do with your husband. >> yes. he's great. he's better. john, you're better than ryan gosling. >> good save. >> yes. >> could be the big entertainment story of the morning here. obviously, regis philbin left his show after 28 years back in november. now according to perezhilton.com there could be a new one about to take the seat. howie mandel could be the next one to sit next to kelly ripa. as you can imagine, these are unidentified sources, but it could be howie, who has filled in several times. he could be the next regis. stay tuned. >> but he won't ever shake her hand or hug her. he's a germophobe. >> he's a well-known germophobe. >> real quickly urk may have heard that jcpenney hired ellen degeneres to be its new spokeswoman. and 1 million moms.com is up in arms about this. they say it's funny jcpenney thinks hiring an openly homosexual person will help their business when most of their customers are traditional families. glaad coming to ellen's side. >> folks, get over it. 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[ female announcer ] plus, with trublend, you always get a perfect match. if you're a shade 1 here, you're a 1 here... and here. how easy breezy beautiful s that? trublend...from covergirl. hey, insomniacs. you're watching "world news now." >> sleep is overrated. ♪ groundhog, groundhog, show us the way ♪ we would like to accept the oscar for best promo. yes, we would. we'll be at the ceremony. thank you so much. thank you. such a good promo. we're so good. finally this half hour, meteorologists of course pride themselves on predicting long-term weather trends. well, some rodents yesterday were supposed to upstage all the scientists. >> supposed to. so much for groundhogs. but the groundhogs who claimed to predict when spring will come delivered a split decision. abc's scott goldberg has the story. good morning, scott. >> reporter: rob and paula, this morning there is a giant and growing rift in the groundhog community. some groundhogs say that spring is right around the corner. but the godfather of these rodent prognosticators in pennsylvania says we are in for another six weeks of winter. and the worst part of it is these two sides won't even have a chance to reconcile for another year. >> how do we wake up phil? >> reporter: in one of america's harder to explain traditions, a pennsylvania groundhog named punxsutawney phil saw his shadow. then men dressed like undertakers made a prediction. >> many shadows do i see. six more weeks of winter it must be! >> reporter: but hold on. the groundhog in new york, staten island chuck, saw no shadow, thus predicting an early spring and somehow the winner of the super bowl. >> go giants! go blue. >> reporter: in fact, the national climatic data center says there's no correlation between groundhog predictions and the actual weather. because if there were the groundhogs would know spring kind of started already. >> part of me is like is this real? >> reporter: yes, those are real cherry blossoms in washington, d.c. and yes, this really has been the warmest winter for much of the u.s. in more than 40 years. but it's been a brutal winter in europe, where the cold has killed more than 100 people and temperatures have plunged to historic lows. overnight in denver they say there could be as much snow as the city typically sees in one full winter month. groundhogs in denver won't be able to see anything. rob and paula? >> in case you saw michael bloomberg with those big gloves on yesterday, it's because last year the little guy bit him on his finger. so this year the mayor was a little more protected, had those gloves. same technique i took. >> mayor nelson. >> look at that. the top hat. gobbler's knob. >> i'm just glad that we cleared the air about that, that they actually really don't scientifically prove the weather. >> because so many people thought they did. >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now." informing insomniacs for two decades.