we begin with breaking news on this thursday morning. >> police officers in utah facing a barrage of bullets overnight. half a dozen officers shot. we're tracking the very latest developments. political punching bag. mitt romney taking new hits from all sides, as he looks to put a second state in his win column. plus, the end of the line for michele bachmann. and the bowl blowout in miami. touchdown after touchdown, west virginia over clemson. putting another bcs bowl game in the record books. good morning, everyone. i'm paula faris. >> and i'm rob nelson. we begin with several breaking stories we've been tracking overnight. >> first an attack on police officers in utah. a total of six officers shot.

>> the officers were targeted as they tried to serve a search warrant. it sounded like someone was firing a machine gun. all six officers are going to be fine. they were taken to the hospital with not life-threatening injuries. a suspect was also shot and taken to the hospital, as well. also overnight, a wave of deadly bombings in iraq. 23 people have been killed in the attacks on two shiite neighborhoods in baghdad. >> the fear is that attacks will step up now that u.s. troops and left. and it raises new questions about the ability of iraqcy security forces to maintain order in their own country. we turn to the battle for make-or-break votes in new hampshire. >> mitt romney is facing some of the fiercest attacks of the campaign so far. >> rick santorum's near-win in iowa brought him a critical cash infusion. more than 1 million bucks raised in just a day. >> and newt gingrich is fired

up. but is he ready to go negative? >> let's get more of all of this. tahman bradley is tracking the latest from washington. hi, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, rob and paula. mitt romney is looking to improve his standing among conservatives. so, he's heading to south carolina. the other candidates are trying to stop romney's momentum before tuesday's new hampshire primary. as the race for the republican nomination for president rolls through new hampshire, the effort to stop front-runner mitt romney is intensifying. >> governor romney is a moderate massachusetts republican, to the left of the vast majority of republicans. >> reporter: after a disappointing showing in the iowa caucuses, former house speaker newt gingrich appears to be on a crusade to stop romney. supporters of jon huntsman turned up the heat, as well. running this hard-hitting anti-romney ad. >> you think we can get more than an eight-vote margin here? >> reporter: with a double digit lead in the polls, romney's

looking ahead. traveling to south carolina today with senator john mccain. just four years ago, mccain called romney a flip-flopper. >> governor romney, we disagree on a lot of issues. but i agree. you are the candidate of change. >> reporter: that was then. and this is mccain now. >> honest, straight-talking. person of experience. >> reporter: south carolina votes next after new hampshire. and romney's hoping for a strong showing among the state's conservatives will ease concerns that he can unify the gop. rick santorum, who finished just eight votes behind romney in iowa, hope conservatives seeking an alternative will back him. >> a lot of momentum. we feel very, very good about things. >> reporter: republican donors have given santorum a boost. he's raised nearly $1 million in the 24 hours since the iowa caucuses. rob and paula? >> tahman, we know that romney is polling well in new hampshire. but what are his chances in south carolina with the state's more conservative voters? >> reporter: well, paula,

michele bachmann may have ended her campaign yesterday. but rick perry tweeted yesterday that he's going to south carolina. he's staying in the race, despite a dismal showing in the iowa caucuses. and perry will actually split votes with rick santorum among conservati conservatives. that will benefit romney. now, paula, romney doesn't have to finish first in south carolina. he needs to finish second or third and do well. but, paula, if he were to win south carolina, it could be a knockout blow. >> he's still waiting for that moment to become the convincing front-runner in all of this. big days ahead. >> tahman bradley in washington. thanks for getting up with us this morning. all the new twists and turns should make for an exciting debate this saturday night, moderated by diane sawyer and george stephanopoulos. it's right here on abc at 9:00 eastern, 6:00 pacific. don't miss it. and president obama goes to the pentagon today to unveil a new national defense strategy. reports say the new strategy will scale back the pentagon's

longstanding goal of being ready to fight two wars at the same time. the army will be cut to 490,000 soldiers over the decade. but the navy will maintain its 11 aircraft carriers. all the moves reflects some massive defense spending cuts which could rise into the hundreds of billions of dollars. and this coming sunday marks one year, believe it or not, since that shooting rampage that killed six people in tucson and gravely wounded gabby giffords. giffords will participate in a candlelight vigil at the university of arizona. her husband, mark kelly, will also take part. in addition 19 survivors wounded in that tragedy will also be honored. in los angeles, the man accused of setting those destructive fires made a brief court appearance yesterday. harley burkhart was charged with 37 felony counts which could send him to prison for life if convicted. the judge refused for burkhart's

face to be on camera. and one of l.a.'s top catholic leaders has resigned. he admits fathering two teenage children who now live with their mother in another state. his resignation was accepted by the pope yesterday. the church says it will help pay for the children's education. the l.a. arch diocese is the nation's largest catholic community. it is another chilly morning in florida. and humans aren't the only ones bundling up out there. zoo keepers are protecting animals that are used to more balmier weather. wort hogs are huddling under pine needles. and thousands of butterflies had to be brought indoors to stay warm. >> you're bundling up right now. >> i have my long johns on this morning. time, now, for the weather across the nation. the low florida temperatures rebound by this afternoon. up to 20 degrees warmer in the northeast. record highs from minneapolis to los angeles. up to eight inches of snow in

the cascades and northern rockies. rain from seattle to portland. showers in south texas. >> near 70 from dallas to miami. 56 in atlanta. 40 here in new york. detroit gets up to 36. mid-40s from fargo to indianapolis. 49 in seattle. 50 in salt lake city. and 73, sounds nice, out in phoenix. >> we're not going to see those temperatures for a long time here. >> don't hold your breath. business news is next. the irs announces it's giving all taxpayers a little more time this year. plus, a dramatic day at a middle school in texas. a student shot and kimmed by police in the hallway. we're now hearing from the boy's father. and the american soccer star, with a score you have to see. kicks to the opposite goal. we'll be right bac

welcome back, everyone. some bad news. if you pay with plastic and keep a balance on your card. the average credit card interest rate now is near a record high. more than 50%. but those with bad credit, get this, are paying an average of 25%. creditcard.com says fewer card issuers are imposing those rates. the consumer protection bureau has a new director. president obama defied a senate republican roadblock by making a recess appointment yesterday. and the president also plans to do another endaround congress today. to start a summer jobs program

for low-income youth across america. the we can't wait initiative was part of his now-dead jobs bill. the white house says it has commitments already for tens of thousands of jobs. overseas markets have been mixed today on worries about the european debt crisis. tokyo's nikkei average dropped 71 points today. hong kong's hang seng gained 86. in london, the ftse opened lower. in on wall street, the dow inched up 21 points yesterday. the nasdaq index went up one-third of a point. if you're one of those people that waits until the last minute to file your income taxes, relax a little bit. this year, you have an extra two days to april 17th. that's because this year's 15th is a sunday. and the next day is a holiday in the district of columbia. the holiday is emancipation day. you have an extra 48 hours to get the taxes into uncle sam. >> two whole days? how about two months? next on this thursday morning, what a week for the

major college bowl games. another exciting matchup. west virginia crushing clemson in the orange bowl. and police in california having no trouble finding this particular stolen car. [ female announcer ] splenda® no calorie sweetener is sweet... and more. if you replace 3 tablespoons of sugar a day with splenda®, you'll save 100 calories a day. that could help you lose up to 10 pounds in a year. and now get even more with splenda® essentials, the only line of sweeteners with a small boost of fiber, or antioxidants, or b vitamins in every packet. just another reason why you get more... when you sweeten with splenda®. ♪ when you sweeten with splenda®. mid grade dark roast forest fresh full tank brain freeze cake donettes rolling hot dogs bag of ice anti-freeze wash and dry diesel self-serve fix a flat jumper cables 5% cashback right now, get 5% cashback at gas stations. it pays to discover.

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all right. now, most cars are just towed away after an accident, right? not this one. that's because it somehow landed on the roof of a fresno apartment building. the driver allegedly stole the car. turned into fast, hit a tree stump. and he went flying on top of that roof. the driver was caught less than a mile away with a broken leg. no one else was hurt. let's look at your morning road conditions. icy on i-80 and 90 in western new york. and i-87 from albany to the canadian border. wet in south texas. rain drenches i-5, from seattle to portland. snow on parts of i-84 and 90 in

the cascades and northern rockies. >> and it's another good day for flying if you're hitting the skies. no weather-related airport delays. >> we don't see that often here. enjoy it. we turn to that tragedy that unfolded inside the hallways of a middle school in texas. >> an eighth grade student was shot dead after police in brownsville say he pointed a realistic-looking gun at officers. abc's duarte geraldino reports. >> reporter: 15-year-old j.d. gonzales was standing in the hallway when police in brownsville, texas, fatally shot him. investigators say the eighth grader was armed. but the teen's father believes they opened fire too quickly. >> they overreacted. but shouldn't have been one in the head. >> reporter: brownsville police thought the teen had what looked like a handgun. it turned out to be this pellet gun. >> fortunately, no one else was hurt in this incident. >> reporter: officers were called to the school in the start of the day.

the tense showdown was broadcast over the dispatch radio. >> holding a handgun. white shoes. blue jeans, red t-shirt. bald-headed. >> where is he? >> the office. the principal's office. we have visual from the front door. >> reporter: the school was on lockdown. students huddled under desks. officers say despite repeated orders, the teen refused to put the pellet gun down. then, in earshot of hundreds of students. >> take him out. shots fired. >> e.m.s. >> reporter: according to police, officers shot gonzales three times with rifles. two bullets hit him. then, they tried to save him. >> i heard gunfire. >> reporter: gonzales was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. >> that was unnecessary. he was a juvenile. he was a child. my child. i don't have anymore. >> reporter: in new york, duarte geraldino for abc news. and a final farewell, today, for those three, young girls who died along with their grandparents in a home fire on christmas morning in

connecticut. the girls' parents, along with firefighters who tried to save them, attended their wake here in new york yesterday. a family spokesperson thanks everyone for what she called their incredible outpouring of love. fireplace embers started the blaze at that home in connecticut. it's a new chapter for the soul survivor of another connecticut tragedy. dr. william pettitte is getting married. he's now engaged to a 34-year-old photographer. they reportedly met while she was taking pictures for his family foundation. in other news this morning, the number of twins born in the usa is skyrocketing. doubling over the past three decades. according to government figures, just 1 in 53 bifrts were twins back in 1980. but by 2009, that number had jumped to 1 in every 30 births. the study found the increase was largely a result of fertility treatment treatments, which are more prevalent among older moms. are you ready for some

football? there's only one game left in college football's bowl championship series. it won't be like last night's game. the reasons why, from espn news. >> good morning. cole wright here with your espn news update. orange bowl city. let's get after it. a pair of teams looking to share the record books. west virginia taking on clemson. both teams looking for a battle. geno smith to tavon austin for the sidelines. this play goes 27 yards for the score. west virginia, they take a 21-17 advantage. andre ellington runs. and fumbles. there's cook. i have plans to shape up a 99-yard touchdown. mr. cook, scooping and scoring after the t.d. the old mascot, the orange. you have to keep your head on a swivel when you're in a fight like this. he had to go to the garbage can. he was a little flustered. you might want to stay away from

that. very acidic. just like that. west virginia up 28-17. west virginia ball after a clemson pick. wvu up 35-20. smith to austin again. austin doing the deed. mountaineers rolling. more in the third. west virginia on top. smith to austin over the middle. and austin, right here, puts the clemson "d" in the rear-view mirror. fourth touchdown for the evening. he'll remember this day for a long time. west virginia opening this one. it's 63-20. fourth frame. let's go. geno smith. will milhouse. west virginia would go on to win this one 70-26. that sets an ncaa bowl record with 70 points. that will do it for your espn news update. don't forget, for the latest on the sports scene, tune into "the highlight express." >> next monday. lsu. tigers going to take it. now, from football from the other side of the ocean. we call it soccer, of course.

>> check out american goalie, tim howard, playing for his english club yesterday. his long clearance gets a little help from the wind. it ends up as his team's first goal of the game. look at that. >> the first goalie to do that in england. howard said he didn't celebrate out of respect for the other keeper. maybe he should have. howard's team wound up losing 2-1. >> you don't see that a lot. what a shot. >> you have to soak in the moment a little bit. up next, "the pulse." and a health scare for one of hollywood's power couples. and a special moment for a proposal that didn't quite go as planned. [ male announcer ] take the fixodent

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all right. welcome back, everybody. time to check "the pulse." beginning with mariah carey's plea for prayers for her apparently ailing husband. >> the singer tweeted a photo in a colorado hospital bed with hubby, nick cannon, saying he suffered from mild kidney failure. he has been transported to a los angeles hospital, in a private jet with carey and their 8-month-old twins. >> they sent out a tweet thanking fans for their concern. and adding, quote, you know me. i'll be all right. >> he is. next up, amazing and rare pictures from southern california of a unique family vacation. these orcas, also known as

killer whales, were first spotted sunday, not far from los angeles. >> since then, they've traveled up and down the coast on what one expert describes as a vacation, far from their usual waters. they've been feasting on a favorite meal, sea lions. >> they would have better meals to feast on. here's one that didn't quite work out as someone planned. kind of cringe doing this story. >> this is rough. this young romeo at a ucla basketball game just before christmas. at halftime, he got pretty brave. and with ring in hand, asked her to marry him. >> but that's when it all came off the rails. >> the answer? >> oh. >> oh. we should say that ucla claims this was actually not staged. if so, you've got to feel sorry for that guy. >> say yes and break it off later. >> show some class, lady.

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we are updating the day's top stories. republican presidential candidates spent their first full day in new hampshire ahead of tuesday's primary. a night of violence in ogden, utah, has sent six cops to the hospital. they were shot while trying to serve a search warrant. injuries are believed to be nonlife threatening. and congresswoman gabby giffords will be in tucson at the first anniversary of the attack that left her wounded. she will attend a vigil honoring the six people killed and the survivors. looking at today's weather. much milder on the east coast. showers in south texas. record highs across the midwest and west. and rain from seattle to portland. snow in the cascades and northern rockies. and finally this half hour, a belated 104th birthday to the young lady from kansas that you're about to meet. as you'll see, she is quite a basketball fan. >> and for her, hoops means one

team. k.u. the jayhawks. who she is finally seeing in person. kelly stegman of our topeka station reports. >> reporter: olive has been alive for every university of kansas basketball championships. starting with the team's first in 1908. coincidentally, the same year she was born. but -- >> i've never been inside that field house yet. >> reporter: until now, her 104th birthday. >> we're going to be right on the front row. >> and do what? >> and watch them. i'm not going to get out on the floor and play with them. >> reporter: this gift of a lifetime for her, all thanks to her nephew. >> oh, i think she'll really enjoy it. a little concerned about the noise. so, i brought some cotton balls. >> the noise. >> she says she's going to yell. so -- >> you know i will. >> reporter: bows in her hair and tattoos on her face. although, a shock at first. >> oh, my god.

that's crazy. >> reporter: are just adding to the jayhawks spirit she's had quite some time. >> well, to begin with k.u., because that's where my nieces and nephews is going. and if they was going to kansas state, it would have been the other way around. but the way it is, that's the way it is. >> reporter: and she'll be that k.u. fan as long as she's alive. joking, she hopes she'd even make it through the game. >> i lived this long. i guess i'll live a little longer. yeah. yeah. >> good to see another jayhawk. you heard olive mention she wanted to see kansas win. and she got her wish. >> kansas beat kansas state. maybe olive should make her way to more jayhawk games, as well. they're a good luck charm. she's feisty, too. that's what's making news in america this morning. >> and stay with us for "good morning america." have a wonderful thursday, everybody.