ANCHOR SUPERS

HL1) LOCAL AIRPORTS IMPACT-TRX-VOTOPS

RIGHT NOW --

THREE LOCAL AIRPORTS ARE AT RISK OF BEING SHUT DOWN --

BECAUSE OF A POTENTIALLY DEVISTATING FEDERAL FINANCIAL CRISIS.

HL2) FORECAST-TRX-WX GFX

HL3) FIGHTER JETS GROUNDED-TRX-VOTOPS

AND -- AN ENTIRE FLEET OF U-S FIGHTER JETS -- GROUNDED, THIS MORNING.

AND THE PENTAGON IS EXPECTED TO SPEND A RECORD AMOUNT OF MONEY -- TO FIX THE ISSUE.

NEWS TODAY OPEN-CLIP

GOOD MORNING-1SHOT

GOOD MORNING!

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON NBC-2 NEWS TODAY.

I'M KELLY CRESWELL --

TODAY IS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23-RD.

WE'RE FOLLOWING SEVERAL DEVELOPING STORIES, AT THIS HOUR --

BUT FIRST, THERE'S SOME PATCHY FOG AROUND SWFL, THIS MORNING.

6:02 FIRST ALERT FORECAST ON THE 2'S-CLIP

6:02 FIRST ALERT FORECAST ON THE 2'S-WX WALL

Sunshine will prevail through our weekend, and temperatures will stay plenty warm too with daytime highs aimed for the mid 80s.

Areas of fog and low clouds that developed early this morning will eventually erode by the mid-morning hours, leaving us with sunny, warm, and breezy weather for the balance of our Saturday.

A couple isolated showers may form late in the day, but any spotty shower activity will be carried deep inland. Winds will be slightly west of south through the day with gusts reaching 20 mph, making for a fairly breezy day.

For those headed out to the beach this weekend, water temperatures have warmed quickly over the last few days with Fort Myers Beach up to 71°. Granted, that's still pretty chilly for water temperatures standards. For those planning to do some boating this weekend, watch out for low visibility due to sea fog, especially during the morning. Otherwise, the forecast for the waterways looks pretty nice. Seas and open waters will range from 2-3 feet with inland waters at a moderate chop.

Winds will continue to have a southerly component through the weekend, which will work to keep the warmth and humidity bottled up across Southwest Florida for the next few days.

It looks like our stretch warm, dry weather will continue through Monday, but then changes will arrive by Tuesday as a cold front slides into Southwest Florida. Scattered showers and cloudy skies will be a good bet through the day Tuesday, and some of the activity will even linger into our Wednesday.

Signs point to a big turnaround by the end of next week as a prolonged period of cooler weather dominates our forecast for the first week of March, and there's even a possibility this pattern will hold for the first two weeks of March!

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE NBC2 WEATHER STAFF.

POSSIBLE SEQUESTER-VO

ONCE AGAIN, IT'S A RACE AGAINST TIME ON CAPITAL HILL.

THIS TIME, WHAT IT MEANS---ACROSS THE BOARD CUTS IN FEDERAL SPENDING THAT WILL LEAD TO LAYOFFS, CUTS TO CRITICAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS, AND EVEN FOOD SHORTAGES.

IT'S ALL PART OF THE SO-CALLED "SEQUESTER"

THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE AFFECTED.

OFFICIALS SAY THAT COULD MEAN LONGER LINES AT AIRPORT SECURITY CHECKPOINTS.

FOOD INSPECTION PLANTS RUN BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAY ALSO BE FORCED TO SHUT DOWN LIMITING THE FOOD SUPPLY TO THE OPEN MARKET AND RAISING BEEF AND CHICKEN PRICES.

POSSIBLE SEQUESTER-SOTVO

08:13 " We have several friends that are getting furloughed so we're aware of it." Greg Cordasco, Traveling

MARCH FIRST IS WHEN THE CUTS WOULD TAKE EFFECT.

IF THEY GO THROUGH.GOVERNEMENT AGENCIES SAY THEY'LL WORK HARD TO KEEP THINGS AS NORMAL AS POSSIBLE AS LONG AS THEY CAN.

LOCAL AIRPORTS IMPACT-OTS-OC

HERE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA --

PAGE FIELD IS ONE OF THREE SWFL AIRPORTS THAT COULD LOSE ITS CONTROL TOWER OPERATIONS -- BECAUSE OF THOSE ANTICIPATED CUTS.

NAPLES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AND PUNTA GORDA AIRPORT ARE ALSO ON THE LIST.

WE SPOKE TO OFFICIALS AT THE NAPLES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT -- THEY SAY, THE CHANGES WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE AIRPORT AND COMMUNITY.

LOCAL AIRPORTS IMPACT-VO-CG-CG-CG

IF PRESIDENT OBAMA AND CONGRESS DON'T REACH A COMPROMISE-- 100 AIRPORTS COULD CLOSE ACROSS THE COUNTRY-- RIGHT NOW THAT MEANS ANY AIRPORT WITH LESS THAN 150THOUSAND FLIGHTS EACH YEAR.

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO FAA CUTTING JOBS AND NOT BEING ABLE TO OPERATE AS MANY CONTROL TOWERS.

IN A STATEMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAID SAFETY IS THEIR TOP PRIORITY AND THEY WILL ONLY ALLOW THE AMOUNT OF AIR TRAFFIC THEY CAN HANDLE--

SEQUESTER PKG PUSH-OC

AHEAD IN OUR NEXT HALF OUT --

WE'LL TELL YOU HOW THESE LOOMING CUTS CAN POTENTIALLY EFFECT EVERYTHING FROM NATIONAL PARK CUTBACKS -- TO HOW FUNCTIONAL OUR AIRPORTS ARE.

PC FATHER SON ARRESTED-SS-VO

THIS MORNING A PORT CHARLOTTE FATHER INVOVLED IN A FAMILY-RUN DRUG OPERATION SITS IN JAIL ON NO BOND.

CHARLOTTE DEPUTIES ARRESTED 61 YEAR OLD RAYMOND QUINTANA AND HIS 31 YEAR OLD SON ALSO NAMED RAYMOND FOR SELLING MARIJUANA OUT OF THEIR JARVIS STREET HOME ON FRIDAY.

DEPUTIES FOUND MORE THAN 13 THOUSAND DOLLARS, 142 GRAMS OF WEED AND FOUR GUNS.

QUINTANA'S 34 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO IS MENTALLY CHALLENGED WAS THERE WHEN THE DRUG DEALS HAPPENED.

PC FATHER SON ARRESTED-SOTVO

57:00-05 JUAN ROBLES, NEIGHBOR never seen any transaction nothing this is a very quiet neighborhood especially at night

YVONNE WEIR, NEIGHBOR "never saw anything like traffic coming in and out of there I have no idea why the police would even be attracted to the place"

THE MOTHER, 69 YEAR OLD MARIA QUINTANA, WAS HOME DURING THE BUST, BUT DEPUTIES ARE DELAYING HER ARREST BECAUSE THERE'S CURRENTLY NO OTHER CARETAKER FOR HER DAUGHTER.

STAND BY YOUR GUN-VO

AFTER BEING REVIEWED, A STATE TASK FORCED BELIEVES FLORIDA SHOULD KEEP ITS CONTROVERSIAL "STAND YOUR GROUND LAW.

REMEMBER --

THIS ALL STEMS FROM THE SHOOTING DEATH OF TRAYVON MARTIN.

GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, THE MAN CHARGED WITH HIS MURDER, DOES NOT PLAN TO USE STAND-YOUR-GROUND AS A DEFENSE.

BUT THE KILLING STARTED THE DIALOGUE ABOUT WHETHER YOU SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO USE DEADLY FORCE PROTECTING YOURSELF.

PEOPLE WHO DON'T THINK SO SAY THEY'RE NOT SURPRISED BY THE TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION --

STAND BY YOUR GUN-SOTVO

Lou Tomsik - Non-Gun Ownerthese are just people that can do whatever they want to do and their going to do it, your not going to stop them with a law.

Jon Dezendorf - Firearms Instructorwhen you are put in fear for your life or for grievance and bodily harm you should have the legal right to defend yourself. - 00:05

GEORGE ZIMMERMAN HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO SECOND DEGREE MURDER CHARGES IN THE MARTIN CASE.

PISTORIUS LATEST-OTS-VO

AFTER A DRAMATIC WEEK IN A SOUTH AFRICAN COURT ROOM, THE JUDGE ALLOWED OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC ATHLETE OSCAR PISTORIUS TO BOND OUT OF JAIL FRIDAY.

BAIL WAS SET AT 113-THOUSAND DOLLARS.

PISTORIUS ALSO HAD TO HAND OVER HIS PASSPORTS AND TURN IN ANY OTHER GUNS HE OWNS.

THE DECISION WAS MADE AFTER FOUR DAYS OF ARGUMENTS FROM THE PROSECUTION AND DEFENSE.

FIGHTER JETS GROUNDED-VO

THIS MORNING THE ENTIRE FLEET OF F-35 FIGHTER JETS ARE GROUNDED AFTER THE PENTAGON FOUND A SERIOUS PROBLEM DURING A ROUTINE INSPECTION.

INSPECTORS DISCOVERED A CRACKED ENGINE BLADE ON THE AIR FORCE VERSION OF THE F-35.

PLANES FROM ALL SERVICE BRANCHES WERE ORDERED GROUNDED UNTIL THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM IS DETERMINED.

SCHOOL SECURITY & MENTAL HEALTH-VO

SOME FLORIDA LAWMAKERS WANT COUNTIES TO DECIDE WHETHER TO BOOST CAMPUS SECURITY AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AT SCHOOLS.

BUT IT COULD COME AT A COST TO TAX PAYERS-- EVEN IF YOU *DON'T HAVE CHILDREN IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.

THE LEGISLATION IS CALLED THE SCHOOL SAFETY ACT.

IF APPROVED -- IT WOULD ALLOW COUNTIES TO TAX RESIDENTS - ON ASSESSED PROPERTY VALUES.

SCHOOL SECURITY & MENTAL HEALTH-2 SOTVO

diane smith/ alva

54:21 I think it's a good thing. But I think we need to find another way to do it other than taxes

katie hunt

53:08 it's definitely a really good idea. I think it's something we should definitely focus on

WITH THIS PROPOSAL, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WOULD BRING THE SPECIAL TAXING DISTRICT UP FOR A REFERENDUM.

SANIBEL FIRE-VO

A SANIBEL COMMUNITY IS RALLYING BEHIND ONE FAMILY AFTER A FIRE DESTROYED THEIR HOUSE.

TAKE A LOOK --

IT TOOK 30 FIREFIGHTERS TO PUT IT OUT.

EMBERS FROM A CHARCOAL GRILL SPARKED THE FIRE.

THE HOMEOWNER, BERT SMITH AND HIS SON GOT OUT O-K.

75 CRASH UPDATE-VO

THIS MORNING WE ARE LEARNING NEW INFORMATION ABOUT A CRASH THAT SHUT DOWN I-75 FRIDAY AFTERNOON NEAR THE LEE/COLLIER COUNTY BORDER.

TROOPERS TELL US 56 YEAR OLD KENNETH ROSS, FROM CANADA, CHANGED LANES AND CAUSED 23 YEAR OLD MANUEL ADRIAN AMADOR-SABIO TO LOSE CONTROL OF HIS TRUCK NEAR THE BONITA BEACH ROAD EXIT.

AMADOR-SABIO.FROM NAPLES WAS FLOWN TO LEE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AND IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION.

ROSS IS CHARGED WITH IMPROPER LANE CHANGE.

FORECAST TODAY'S DAYPLANNER-WX GFX

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE NBC2 WEATHER STAFF.

BREAK ONE AT 6:09:30

6:12 FIRST ALERT FORECAST ON THE 2'S-CLIP

6:12 FIRST ALERT FORECAST ON THE 2'S-WX WALL

Sunshine will prevail through our weekend, and temperatures will stay plenty warm too with daytime highs aimed for the mid 80s.

Areas of fog and low clouds that developed early this morning will eventually erode by the mid-morning hours, leaving us with sunny, warm, and breezy weather for the balance of our Saturday.

A couple isolated showers may form late in the day, but any spotty shower activity will be carried deep inland. Winds will be slightly west of south through the day with gusts reaching 20 mph, making for a fairly breezy day.

For those headed out to the beach this weekend, water temperatures have warmed quickly over the last few days with Fort Myers Beach up to 71°. Granted, that's still pretty chilly for water temperatures standards. For those planning to do some boating this weekend, watch out for low visibility due to sea fog, especially during the morning. Otherwise, the forecast for the waterways looks pretty nice. Seas and open waters will range from 2-3 feet with inland waters at a moderate chop.

Winds will continue to have a southerly component through the weekend, which will work to keep the warmth and humidity bottled up across Southwest Florida for the next few days.

It looks like our stretch warm, dry weather will continue through Monday, but then changes will arrive by Tuesday as a cold front slides into Southwest Florida. Scattered showers and cloudy skies will be a good bet through the day Tuesday, and some of the activity will even linger into our Wednesday.

Signs point to a big turnaround by the end of next week as a prolonged period of cooler weather dominates our forecast for the first week of March, and there's even a possibility this pattern will hold for the first two weeks of March!

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE NBC2 WEATHER STAFF.

SPORTS WRAP-PKG

MR. GREENTHUMB-PKG

BREAK TWO AT 6:19:30

6:22 FIRST ALERT FORECAST ON THE 2'S-CLIP

6:22 FIRST ALERT FORECAST ON THE 2'S-WX WALL

Sunshine will prevail through our weekend, and temperatures will stay plenty warm too with daytime highs aimed for the mid 80s.

Areas of fog and low clouds that developed early this morning will eventually erode by the mid-morning hours, leaving us with sunny, warm, and breezy weather for the balance of our Saturday.

A couple isolated showers may form late in the day, but any spotty shower activity will be carried deep inland. Winds will be slightly west of south through the day with gusts reaching 20 mph, making for a fairly breezy day.

For those headed out to the beach this weekend, water temperatures have warmed quickly over the last few days with Fort Myers Beach up to 71°. Granted, that's still pretty chilly for water temperatures standards. For those planning to do some boating this weekend, watch out for low visibility due to sea fog, especially during the morning. Otherwise, the forecast for the waterways looks pretty nice. Seas and open waters will range from 2-3 feet with inland waters at a moderate chop.

Winds will continue to have a southerly component through the weekend, which will work to keep the warmth and humidity bottled up across Southwest Florida for the next few days.

It looks like our stretch warm, dry weather will continue through Monday, but then changes will arrive by Tuesday as a cold front slides into Southwest Florida. Scattered showers and cloudy skies will be a good bet through the day Tuesday, and some of the activity will even linger into our Wednesday.

Signs point to a big turnaround by the end of next week as a prolonged period of cooler weather dominates our forecast for the first week of March, and there's even a possibility this pattern will hold for the first two weeks of March!

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE NBC2 WEATHER STAFF.

BIZ WEEK REVIEW-OC

TURNING TO YOUR BUSINESS NEWS --

BIZ WEEK REVIEW-PKG

IT WAS A SHORT.BUT VOLATILE.WEEK ON WALL STREET.ESPECIALLY FOR SHARES OF COMPANIES LIKE WAL-MART.AND THE OWNER OF THE OLIVE GARDEN AND RED LOBSTER CHAINS.WHICH SAID THAT RISING GASOLINE PRICES.HIGHER PAYROLL TAXES.AND LATER-THAN-USUAL FEDERAL TAX REFUNDS FORCED A DROP IN CONSUMER SPENDING

SO FAR THIS YEAR.TAKING A BITE OUT OF EARNINGS.

MINUTES FROM THE FEDERAL RESERVE'S LATEST MEETING SHOWED THAT SOME MEMBERS OF THE CENTRAL BANK HAVE REAL CONCERNS ABOUT

WHETHER THE FED'S BILLIONS IN BOND PURCHASES EVERY MONTH.ARE HELPING.OR COULD POTENTIALLY *HURT* THE ECONOMY.CAUSING HIGHER INFLATION AND BILLION IN LOSSES WHEN THE FED *SELLS* THOSE BONDS.

A MIXED BAG OF NEWS IN HOUSING.

SALES. AND PRICES.OF EXISTING HOMES ROSE IN JANUARY.BUT CONSTRUCTION OF *NEW* HOMES THAT SAME MONTH FELL SHARPLY. HOME BUILDERS SAY THEY'RE SEEING FEWER WOULD-BE BUYERS AHEAD OF THE ALL-IMPORTANT SPRING HOME-BUYING SEASON.

RIVAL RETAILERS OFFICE DEPOT AND OFFICE MAX MADE IT OFFICIAL.ANNOUNCING THEY'LL MERGE IN A ONE-POINT-TWO BILLION DOLLARS ALL-STOCK DEAL.COMBINING FORCES TO TAKE ON MARKET LEADER. STAPLES.

AND BOEING MET WITH FEDERAL AVIATION OFFICIALS THIS WEEK.SAYING IT'S FIGURED OUT A *FIX* FOR THOSE TROUBLED LITHIUM ION BATTERIES THAT GROUNDED ITS FLEET OF 787 DREAMLINERS BACK IN JANUARY. THE COMPANY HOPES TO GET THE OKAY TO PUT THOSE JETS BACK IN THE AIR BY THE END OF MARCH.

TOSS TO BREAK-1SHOT

YOU ARE WATCHING NBC TWO NEWS TODAY.

STRAIGHT AHEAD, YOUR TOP STORIES AND BREAKING NEWS OVERNIGHT.

BREAK THREE AT 6:27:15

HL1) WA NUCLEAR LEAK-TRX-VOTOPS

RIGHT NOW --

RADIOACTIVE WASTE IS LEAKING FROM A NUCLEAR RESERVATION, IN WASHINGTON.

NBC-2 TELLS YOU WHAT'S CAUSING THE POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS MESS --

HL2) FORECAST-TRX-WX GFX

HL3) LA ROBBERY ON CAM-TRX-VOTOPS

AND -- FRIGHTENING MOMENTS FOR TWO CASHIERS --

WHEN A THIEF BARGES INSIDE THEIR STORE -- AND DEMANDS THEM TO GIVE UP THE CASH.

BUT THEN -- THE STORY TAKES A TWIST.

NEWS TODAY OPEN-CLIP

GOOD MORNING-1SHOT

GOOD MORNING!

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON NBC-2 NEWS TODAY.

I'M KELLY CRESWELL --

TODAY IS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23-RD.

WE'RE FOLLOWING SEVERAL DEVELOPING STORIES, AT THIS HOUR --

BUT FIRST, THERE'S SOME PATCHY FOG AROUND SWFL, THIS MORNING.

6:32 FIRST ALERT FORECAST ON THE 2'S-CLIP

6:32 FIRST ALERT FORECAST ON THE 2'S-WX WALL

Sunshine will prevail through our weekend, and temperatures will stay plenty warm too with daytime highs aimed for the mid 80s.

Areas of fog and low clouds that developed early this morning will eventually erode by the mid-morning hours, leaving us with sunny, warm, and breezy weather for the balance of our Saturday.

A couple isolated showers may form late in the day, but any spotty shower activity will be carried deep inland. Winds will be slightly west of south through the day with gusts reaching 20 mph, making for a fairly breezy day.

For those headed out to the beach this weekend, water temperatures have warmed quickly over the last few days with Fort Myers Beach up to 71°. Granted, that's still pretty chilly for water temperatures standards. For those planning to do some boating this weekend, watch out for low visibility due to sea fog, especially during the morning. Otherwise, the forecast for the waterways looks pretty nice. Seas and open waters will range from 2-3 feet with inland waters at a moderate chop.

Winds will continue to have a southerly component through the weekend, which will work to keep the warmth and humidity bottled up across Southwest Florida for the next few days.

It looks like our stretch warm, dry weather will continue through Monday, but then changes will arrive by Tuesday as a cold front slides into Southwest Florida. Scattered showers and cloudy skies will be a good bet through the day Tuesday, and some of the activity will even linger into our Wednesday.

Signs point to a big turnaround by the end of next week as a prolonged period of cooler weather dominates our forecast for the first week of March, and there's even a possibility this pattern will hold for the first two weeks of March!

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE NBC2 WEATHER STAFF.

PISTORIUS LATEST-OC

OSCAR PISTORIUS IS OUT ON BAIL, THIS MORNING -- AFTER A WEEK OF BACK AND FORTH TESTOMONY IN THE ALLEGED PREMEDITATED MURDER OF HIS GIRLFRIEND, REEVA STEENKAMP.

THE WORLD HAS PAYED CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE EMOTIONAL -- AND SOMETIMES SUSPENSEFUL WEEK OF BOND HEARINGS.

PROSECUTORS HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CASE-- BUT SO DID PISTORIUS' ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED THAT DEADLY VALENTINES DAY MORNING.

PISTORIUS LATEST-PKG

nats

Four days of arguments-- and raw emotion-- came down to this.

Finally -- a ruling on whether Oscar Pistorius would be released on bail -- coming only after a two hour explanation by the judge:

SOT: 'I come to the conclusion that……

MICHELLE TRACK:.long dramatic pause.

SOT: The accused has made a case to be released on bail.'

. cheers!

Pistorius broke down sobbing, shaking. His family held hands in prayer.

sot Uncle: We are relieved by the fact that Oscar got bail today, but at the same time we are in mourning the death of Reeva with her family. We know the truth and that will prevail."

A friend of Reeva Steenkamp was also in court.

sot: "We pray that justice will prevail. We are still very sad and we need to remember that somebody lost their lives.

Pistorius -- looking composed as he left the courthouse -- was chased by a throng of photographers.

There are conditions to his freedom -- including a 114-thousand dollar bond.

Standup: Pistorius must ALSO surrender his passports. and Guns. Can't use alcohol or drugs. Can't return to his home -- the scene of the shooting. Has to ask permission to leave his town-- and must check in with police twice a week.

nats

The world was watching today. as it watched Pistorius make Olympic history last summer.

Outside the courthouse-- a crowd gathered.

Their views-- dramatically split.

Sot Maybe this happened in anger. But he's not a monster. He should be released on bail.

Sot: I don't think he deserves bail!

The judge today criticized prosecutors, and the flawed police testimony. But said that doesn't mean the state's case isn't strong!

He also expressed doubts about the defense -- saying he doesn't understand why Pistorius didn't make sure his girlfriend was in bed-- didn't ask who was in the bathroom.

He said if Pistorius felt so vulnerable, terrified, as he claimed, why would he run toward danger.

Today, a newly free Pistorius was running from cameras. still facing trial. and due back in court in June.

WA NUCLEAR LEAK-VO

THE GOVERNOR OF WASHINGTON ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY -- THERE'S NOW SIX STORAGE TANKS -- LEAKING RADIOACTIVE WASTE AT A NUCLEAR FACILITY.

THE FIRST LEAKING TANK AT THE HANFORD NUCLEAR RESERVATION WAS REVEALED LAST WEEK.

MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF RADIOACTIVE LIQUID ARE CONTAINED IN THOSE 177 UNDERGROUND TANKS.

THE WASTE MATERIAL IS LEFT OVER FROM DECADES OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS PRODUCTION.

FIGHTER JETS GROUNDED-TRX-VO

DEVELOPING, THIS MORNING --

THE PENTAGON IS GROUNDING ITS ENTIRE FLEET OF F-35 FIGHTER JETS -- AFTER A SERIOUS PROBLEM WAS FOUND DURING ROUTINE INSPECTION.

DURING THAT INSPECTION -- OFFIICALS DISCOVERED A CRACKED ENGINE BLADE -- WHICH PROMPTED THE DECISION.

CURRENTLY, THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS USE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE STEALTH FIGHTER JET.

FIGHTER JETS GROUNDED-SOTVO

"My department is committed to the development of the F-35. It's absolutely critical, absolutely critical that we get it right."

THE F-35 HAS DIFFERENT DESIGNS FOR CONVENTIONAL TAKEOFFS, CARRIER LAUNCHES AND HOVER LANDINGS.

BOEING LATEST-VOTOPS

MEANWHILE, THE PLAN TO GET ANOTHER SET UP PLANES FLYING IS STILL UP IN THE AIR.

BOEING EXECUTIVES MET WITH F-A-A OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON D-C ABOUT ITS GROUNDED FLEET OF 787 DREAMLINERS.

THEY'RE PROPOSING A FIX FOR THE PLANE'S TROUBLED BATTERIES THAT CAUSED A FIRE ONE PLANE AND SMOKE ON ANOTHER.

THE QUESTION THOUGH---WHETHER THE FAA WILL AGREE SINCE IT HASN'T BEEN DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE BATTERY FIRE.

SPENDING CUTS-OC

THE SEQUESTER IS LESS THAN A WEEK AWAY.

AND THIS MORNING -- THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS PREDICTING AN AIR-TRAVEL NIGHTMARE -- IF THERE'S NO POLITICAL DEAL TO STOP THE LOOMING FEDERAL SPENDING CUTS -- SET TO BEGIN ROLL OUT FRIDAY.

SOME SAY, THE ANNOUCENMENT WAS MADE THE PRESSURE REPUBLICANS INTO STRIKING A DEAL.

SPENDING CUTS-PKG

THE WARNING IS THAT FLIGHTS TO BIG CITIES LIKE NEW YORK AND CHICAGO COULD BE DELAYED 90 MINUTES. SEQUESTER THROWING MORE THAN A MILLION AMERICANS A DAY INTO A TRAVEL TAILSPIN.

OBAMA TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY RAY LaHOOD INSISTING: THAT'S NO SCARE TACTIC.

we are required to cut a billion dollars!!

LAHOOD SAYS HE'LL FURLOUGH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS AND CANCEL SHIFTS. FLYING WILL STAY SAFE, HE SAYS, BUT, BY APRIL, WILL BE SNARLED.

look it this is very painful for us because of our employees, but it's going to be very painful for flying public

HIS GOAL IS TO RATCHET UP THE PAIN ON REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS.

'TIL HE JOINED TEAM OBAMA, RAY LaHOOD WAS ONE.

"Republican! they're hoping i can influence some of the people in my own party"

PRESIDENT OBAMA SPELLED OUT WHAT HE'S DEMANDING FROM REPUBLICANS

we have more strategic cuts on programs we don't need and we close some tax loopholes that are taken advantage of only by the well-connected and the well-off

REPUBLICANS SAY THE PRESIDENT ALREADY WON TAX HIKES ON THE RICH

Oklahoma 1:12 - 1:21

"he just got six weeks ago revenue with no spending cuts and that was written into law. Fair enough. Now, it should be spending cuts with no revenue. that's the real balance.

BUT THE ADMINISTRATION KEPT UP THE PRESSURE. ANNOUNCING NATIONAL PARK CUTBACKS

"We might have to close some sites, we might have to reduce some hours

THAT MIGHT BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND POLITICIANS.

SPENDING CUTS-OC

STEVE HANDELSMAN WITH THAT REPORT --

SOME COMPANIES ARE ALREADY MAKING PLANS FOR AFTER THE SEQUESTER KICKS IN.

IT'S JUST THE LATEST IN WHAT MANY ARE CALLING -- A SERIES OF "MAN-MADE FINANCIAL CRISISES.

BRITAIN DOWNGRADE-VO

THERE'S SOMEWHAT OF A FINACIAL CRISIS GOING ON IN BRITAIN, RIGHT NOW.

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, BRITAIN'S SOVEREIGN DEBT RATING WAS DOWNGRADED, YESTERDAY.

RATINGS AGENCY -- MOODY'S, STRIPPED THE U-K OF ITS TRIPLE-A RATING -- THE HIGHEST RATING POSSIBLE.

SOME SAY THIS COULD BE A MAJOR BLOW TO THE COUNTRY'S BID TO RESTRUCTURE ITS DEBT.

BRITAIN DOWNGRADE-SOTVO

"Well I think this is a stark reminder of the debt problems that Britain faces and the clearest possible warning to anyone who thinks we can run away from dealing with those problems.

A DOWNGRADED RATING COULD MEAN HIGHER BORROWING COSTS FOR BRITAIN.

BRITAIN'S CURRENT FISCAL POLICY UHAS BEEN HAS BEEN TIGHT, BUT GROWTH HAS BEEN WEAK.

MORTGAGE RATE INCREASE-VO

THIS WEEK, WE SAW A RISE IN THE AVERAGE FIXED RATE FOR A 30-YEAR MORTGAGE.

ACCORDING TO FREDDIE MACK -- THE AVERAGE RATE ON A 30-YEAR LOAN INCREASED TO 3.56 PERCENT FROM 3.53 PERCENT.

HOWEVER -- THE AVERAGE RATE ON A 15 YEAR FIXED RATE MORTGAGE STAYED AT 2.77 PERCENT.

EXPERTS SAY -- INCREASED SALES ARE LIFTING HOME PRICES, ALONG WITH MAKING PEOPLE FEEL WEALTHIER WHICH MAKES THEM MORE LIKELY TO

JOHN KERRY JAPAN-VO

MEANWHILE --

NEWLY APPOINTED SECRETARY OF STATE -- JOHN KERRY -- MET WITH JAPAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER, YESTERDAY, IN WASHINGTON.

BOTH OFFICIALS HAD CLOSED-DOOR TALKS -- AFTER BOTH CHATTING WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA AND JAPAN'S PRIME MINISTER.

AFTER THOSE MEETINGS -- KERRY SPOKE TO THE PRESS, TELLING THEM, JAPAN IS A STRONG ALLY FOR THE U-S.

KERRY ALSO SPOKE ON JAPAN'S COOPERATION IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM --

MO BUS HITS POLE-VO

MEANWHILE -- THE MIDWEST IS WAKING UP TO LOTS OF SNOW, THIS MORNING.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS BUS -- STRUGGLING TO GET THROUGH STREETS, BLANKETED WITH SNOW.

AND THEN --- THIS HAPPENS.

THE STREETS WERE *SO ICY -- THE CITY BUS FISH-TAILED OUT OF CONTROL -- AND SLAMMED RIGHT INTO A LIGHT POLE.

SOME SAY, IT'S TOO SOON TO HAVE THE BUSSES RUNNING AGAIN.

MIDWEST SNOWSTORM-VOTOPS

OF COURSE -- THIS ALL COMING AFTER A MASSIVE WINTER STORM SWEPT THROUGH THE REGION.

IN CHICAGO, PEOPLE SPENT THE DAY TRYING TO DIG OUT FROM UNDER THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IN MORE THAN A YEAR.

THAT AREA RECEIVED UP TO 4-INCHES OF HEAVY SNOW -- THE HARDES HIT BEING THE NORTHERN SUBURUBS.

SOME NEIGHBORHOODS RESEMBLED A PICTURE -- AT NEAR STANDSTILL.

THIS MORNING -- THAT STORM IS HEADED TO THE NORTHEAST.

FORECAST WHAT'S TRENDING-WX GFX

BREAK FOUR AT 6:39:30

6:42 FIRST ALERT FORECAST ON THE 2'S-CLIP

CROSS TALK-2SHOT

6:42 FIRST ALERT FORECAST ON THE 2'S-WX WALL

Sunshine will prevail through our weekend, and temperatures will stay plenty warm too with daytime highs aimed for the mid 80s.

Areas of fog and low clouds that developed early this morning will eventually erode by the mid-morning hours, leaving us with sunny, warm, and breezy weather for the balance of our Saturday.

A couple isolated showers may form late in the day, but any spotty shower activity will be carried deep inland. Winds will be slightly west of south through the day with gusts reaching 20 mph, making for a fairly breezy day.

For those headed out to the beach this weekend, water temperatures have warmed quickly over the last few days with Fort Myers Beach up to 71°. Granted, that's still pretty chilly for water temperatures standards. For those planning to do some boating this weekend, watch out for low visibility due to sea fog, especially during the morning. Otherwise, the forecast for the waterways looks pretty nice. Seas and open waters will range from 2-3 feet with inland waters at a moderate chop.

Winds will continue to have a southerly component through the weekend, which will work to keep the warmth and humidity bottled up across Southwest Florida for the next few days.

It looks like our stretch warm, dry weather will continue through Monday, but then changes will arrive by Tuesday as a cold front slides into Southwest Florida. Scattered showers and cloudy skies will be a good bet through the day Tuesday, and some of the activity will even linger into our Wednesday.

Signs point to a big turnaround by the end of next week as a prolonged period of cooler weather dominates our forecast for the first week of March, and there's even a possibility this pattern will hold for the first two weeks of March!

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE NBC2 WEATHER STAFF.

ARMSTRONG LATEST-OC

LEGAL ISSUES CONTINUE, TODAY, FOR TROUBLED CYCLIST, LANCE ARMSTRONG.

THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS NOW JOINING A LAWSUIT -- ACCUSING THE ATHLETE OF USING PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS.

ARMSTRONG LATEST-PKG

MORE LEGAL TROUBLES FOR CYCLIST LANCE ARMSTRONG TODAY-

THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS NOW JOINING A LAWSUIT ACCUSING THE ATHLETE FOR USING PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS.

DANIELLE LEIGH IS IN WASHINGTON WITH MORE ON WHAT THIS NEW LEGAL THREAT COULD MEAN FOR ARMSTRONG.

THE GOVERNMENT IS BASICALLY ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE POSTAL SERVICE. WHICH PAID MILLIONS TO SUPPORT LANCE ARMSTRONG'S RACING TEAMS.

AND IF THE GOVERNMENT WINS. ARMSTRONG WOULD LIKELY FACE HUGE FINES.

ONCE CYCLING'S MOST DECORATED CHAMPION.

TODAY, LANCE ARMSTRONG IS IN A LEGAL RACE TO AVOID LOSING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

HIS LATEST ADVERSARY- THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

THE GOVERNMENT IS JOINING A LAWSUIT

FILED MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO BY ONE OF ARMSTRONG'S FORMER TEAM MATES.

FLOYD LANDIS.

LANDIS ACCUSES ARMSTRONG OF USING PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS AND PROVIDING THEM TO HIM AS WELL.

THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT WILL ARGUE ARMSTRONG DEFRAUDED THE GOVERNMENT

WHILE RACING FOR THE U-S POSTAL SERVICE TEAM A DECADE AGO.

"The postal service requires everyone who works for it not to use illegal drugs Armstrong, as it turns out was in fact doping."

AFTER DENYING DOPING ALLEGATIONS FOR YEARS-

ARMSTRONG ADMITTED TO CHEATING WITH ILLEGAL DRUGS FOR THE FIRST TIME

DURING AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW LAST MONTH WITH OPRAH WINFREY.

OPRAH: did you use performance enhancing drugs?

ARMSTRONG: yes

THE CIVIL LAWSUIT COULD MEAN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FINES FOR ARMSTRONG.

THE POSTAL SERVICE SPENT AT LEAST 30 MILLION SPONSORING HIS TEAMS.

BUT NBC LEGAL CORRESPONDENT PETE WILLIAMS EXPLAINS THE CASE IS NOT A SLAMDUNK.

"there is a question of how long ago this happened- whethere you can still sue over now- there is also a question of whether armstrong explicitly signed a contract with postal service or a more general contract?"

ARMSTRONG'S ATTORNEY ROBERT LUSKIN DENIES THE POSTAL SERVICE SUFFERED ANY REAL LOSSES.

HE SAYS IT ACTUALLY BENEFITED FROM THE RELATIONSHIP.

RECEIVING INCOME "TOTALING MORE THAN $100 MILLION."

ARMSTRONG LATEST-OC

DANIELLE LEIGH REPORTING --

KSC ATLANTIS PREPS-SOTOVO

THIS MORNING, CREWS AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER ARE PREPARING TO PUT SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS ON DISPLAY.

:31- 40

"In my mind it's gonna be, with the buildup and the show you'll see before you actually go out to view the orbiter, I think it'll be one of the most exciting things you can see here in the state of Florida."

RIGHT NOW -- THE MASSIVE SPACE SHUTTLE IS COVERED IN A SHRINK WRAP.

CONSTRUCTION ON A BALCONY-- BRINGING YOU CLOSE ENOUGH TO TOUCH THE SHUTTLE -- IS NEARING COMPLETION.

THE 100-MILLION DOLLAR EXHIBIT WILL FEATURE REAL ASTRONAUTS, VIRTUAL REALITY, AND A SHUTTLE LAUNCH EXPERIENCE.

EXECUTIVES SAY, THE EXHIBIT WILL OPEN DAYS EARLIER THAN EXPECTED.

THE NEW OPENING IS JUNE 29TH.

LA ROBBERY ON CAM-SOTVO

TWO GROCERY STORE WORKERS IN LOUSIANA ARE LUCKY THEIR SURVEILLENCE CAMERAS WERE ROLLOING -- WHEN A THIEF WALKED IN -- PULLED OUT A GUN, AND DEMANDED MONEY.

"Give me your money right now or I'll shoot you."

"It said. I want all your money out of your filing cabinet."

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED --

THE MAN WEARING THE BRIGHT VEST -- WALKED UP TO THE COUNTER., AND HANDED THE ATTENDANT A NOTE.

WHEN THE WORKER REFUSES --

HE PULLED OUT A GUN.

LA ROBBERY ON CAM-SOTVO

"He kept on saying give me the money out of the filing cabinet. Give me the

money out of the filing cabinet. I don't know what you're talking about."

THE SUSPECT THEN CAME BACK -- POINTING AND WAVING THE GUN.

THAT'S WHEN HER DAUGHTER FOUGHT BACK, WITH WORDS AND SIGNS.

IL ICE DOG RESCUE-VOTOPS

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS LITTLE GUY --

HE'S STUCK ON A PIECE OF FLOATING ICE ON LAKE MICHIGAN.

THE DOG WAS SEEN JUMPING FROM ONE ICE FRAGMENT TO ANOTHER, SOMETIMES FALLING INTO THE FRIGID WATER.

THAT'S WHEN A MAN WHO LIVES NEARBY PUT ON HIS WET SUIT AND GUIDED THE DOG TO LAND.

IT JUMPED INTO THE LAKE AND SWAM A SHORT DISTANCE TO SHORE.

IL ICE DOG RESCUE-SOTVO

He didn't want anybody touching him. So I just kind of rounded him up. You know, like cattle

THE DOG RAN AWAY AND WAS FINALLY CAPTURED.

A MAN CLAIMING TO BE THE DOG'S OWNER SAYS -- HE RAN AWAY NINE DAYS AGO.

THIS MORNING -- "PIFAS" IS RECOVERING AT AN ANIMAL CONTROL CENTER.

OFFICIALS SAY, HE'LL REOVER JUST FINE.

JAPAN SHRINKING BUILDING-VO

TRADITIONAL METHODS OF DEMOLISHING A BUILDING -- COULD BE A THING OF THE PAST.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.

IT'S A TIME LAPSE VIEW OF A BUILDING IN TOKYO -- THAT ENGINEERS ARE BRINGING DOWN, WITHOUT ANY NOISE OR DEBRIS.

THE 40-STORY HOTEL HAS GONE FROM 138 METERS TALL -- TO ABOUT 80 METERS.

JAPAN SHRINKING BUILDING-VOTOPS

THE SHRINKING SHOULD TAKE ABOUT 6 TO 7 MONTHS.

THE DOWNSIDE -- THERE'S CHEAPER WAYS TO TAKE DOWN THE BUILDING --

BUT IN THIS DENSELY POPULATED CITY, THIS IS A CLEANER AND MORE EFFICIENT OPTION --

AND OFFICIALS SAY, IT'S ONE THAT DOESN'T DISTURB THE NEIGHBORS.

TOSS TO BREAK-1SHOT

YOUR TIME RIGHT NOW--

BREAK FIVE AT 6:49:45

6:52 FIRST ALERT FORECAST ON THE 2'S-CLIP

6:52 FIRST ALERT FORECAST ON THE 2'S-WX WALL

Sunshine will prevail through our weekend, and temperatures will stay plenty warm too with daytime highs aimed for the mid 80s.

Areas of fog and low clouds that developed early this morning will eventually erode by the mid-morning hours, leaving us with sunny, warm, and breezy weather for the balance of our Saturday.

A couple isolated showers may form late in the day, but any spotty shower activity will be carried deep inland. Winds will be slightly west of south through the day with gusts reaching 20 mph, making for a fairly breezy day.

For those headed out to the beach this weekend, water temperatures have warmed quickly over the last few days with Fort Myers Beach up to 71°. Granted, that's still pretty chilly for water temperatures standards. For those planning to do some boating this weekend, watch out for low visibility due to sea fog, especially during the morning. Otherwise, the forecast for the waterways looks pretty nice. Seas and open waters will range from 2-3 feet with inland waters at a moderate chop.

Winds will continue to have a southerly component through the weekend, which will work to keep the warmth and humidity bottled up across Southwest Florida for the next few days.

It looks like our stretch warm, dry weather will continue through Monday, but then changes will arrive by Tuesday as a cold front slides into Southwest Florida. Scattered showers and cloudy skies will be a good bet through the day Tuesday, and some of the activity will even linger into our Wednesday.

Signs point to a big turnaround by the end of next week as a prolonged period of cooler weather dominates our forecast for the first week of March, and there's even a possibility this pattern will hold for the first two weeks of March!

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE NBC2 WEATHER STAFF.

OSCARS TOMORROW-OC

ALL THE STARS WILL ALIGN, TOMORROW FOR THE ANNUAL OSCARS AWARD CEREMONY.

AND THIS MORNING -- NO DETAIL IS BEING OVERLOOKED, INCLUDING THE SEATS.

OSCARS TOMORROW-PKG

FURNITURE HOLLYWOOD'S MOST GLAMOROUS WILL BE SITTING ON AT THE OSCARS GOVERNOR'S BALL.

DONNA ESPARZA IS THE BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR LUX LOUNGE EFR, WHICH IS CREATING MORE THAN 500 PIECES FOR THE EVENT.

S/ Donna Esparza / Lux Lounge EFR:22-30

"our designers from lux EFR they meet with the academy and start throwing ideas as far as concepts and fabric and design"

NATS STAPLING

THE DOWNTOWN LA FACTORY WAS BUSTLING JUST DAYS BEFORE THE BIG EVENT, ADJUSTING TO LAST MINUTE CHANGES.

S/ Lolita Lopez / Reporting:37-:46

"so what goes into making all of this furniture? 5000 man hours 1900 yards of fabric and six rounds of inspections by the academy"

TABLES.EVEN THE NEW TWIST DESIGNS.MUST HAVE PLENTY OF "GOWN ROOM". BENCHES AND CHAIRS MUST BE UPRIGHT BUT COMFORTABLE.

S/ Donna Esparza / Lux Lounge EFR:54-1:02

"does it feel good when you're sitting on it? Is it a good level as far as a lot of celebrities are not average height. they are tall"

AND ONE OF THE VERY "VANITY" CHAIRS WHERE YOUR FAVORITE STAR MAY SIT THAT NIGHT COULD BE YOURS. THE GROUP IS HOLDING A TWITTER CONTEST.

S/ Donna Esparza / Lux Lounge EFR 1:10-1:17

"you have to send us a picture of your ugly chair, hash tag ugly chair, and we will pick a winner the day of the oscars"

AND WHEN THE WHOLE THING IS OVER, THE REST OF THE PIECES COME BACK TO THE WAREHOUSE AND ARE REPURPOSED.MAYBE EVEN FOR YOUR NEXT PARTY.

REAL LIFE ARGO-VOTOPS-SS-OC

MEANWHILE --

THIS FILM, "ARGO" IS UP FOR THE BEST PICTURE AWARD, TOMORROW.

THE BEN AFFLECK DIRECTED FILM IS THE HISTORICAL RETELLING OF AN ESCAPE OF U.S. EMBASSY WORKERS FROM IRAN IN 1980.

THIS MAN -- MICHEAL SABA WAS AMONG THE 500 AMERICANS IN IRAQ AT THAT TIME -- AND HE SAYS, THE MOVIE RECALLED ALL THE ANXIETY HE FELT, WHILE BEING DETAINED.

HE EVENTUALLY ESCAPED BY TAXI.

SABA SAYS, HE'LL BE WATCHING TOMORROW NIGHT -- TO SEE IF THE FILM WILL WIN THE PRESTIGIOUS AWARD.

MICROSOFT HACKED-OTS-VO

NEW THIS MORNING --

YOU CAN ADD MICROSOFT TO THE LIST OF COMPANIES THAT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN HACKED.

THE SOFTWARE GIANT CONFIRMED YESTERDAY -- A SMALL NUMBER OF ITS COMPUTERS WERE INFECTED WITH MALWARE.

BUT MICROSOFT SAYS -- THERE'S IS NO EVIDENCE THAT ANY CUSTOMER DATA HAS BEEN AFFECTED.

THE SECURITY BREACH IS BEING DESCRIBED AS SIMILAR TO THE HACKING ATTACK DISCLOSED BY FACEBOOK LAST WEEK.

FLOTOUS JIMMY FALLON-VOTOPS

AND TAKE A LOOK AT FIRST LADY -- MICHELLE OBAMA.

SHE APPEARED ON "LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON" -- LAST NIGHT.

MRS. OBAMA APPEARS TO TOOK PART IN A DANCING SKIT --

AND EVEN WENT ON TO COMMENT ON HER FUTURE.

JIMMY ASKS HER IF SHE'D CONSIDER RUNNING FOR HER HUSBAND'S JOB IN 2016 -- AND MRS. OBAMA SAYS, THERE'S A DIFFERENT JOB SHE HAS HER EYE ON.

ROSA PARKS STATUE-dgdfg

AND FINALLY, THIS MORNING --

A STATUE OF A CIVIL RIGHTS ICON WAS DELIVERED TO WASHINGTON, LAST NIGHT.

THIS IS A LOOK AT CREWS DELIVERING A STATUE OF ROSA PARKS, TO THE CAPITOL.

PARKS HELPED SPARK THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN 1955 -- WHEN SHE REFUSED TO GIVE UP HER SEAT ON A BUS TO A WHITE PASSENGER.

THE STATUE WILL BE THE FIRST FULL-SIZE SCULPTURE OF AN AFRICAN AMERICAN TO BE DISPLAYED IN THE CAPITOL.

FINAL FORECAST-WX GFX

GOODBYE-2SHOT

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