canceled. >> united says it expects to have all the inspections done by this afternoon or even sooner. u.s. and mexican authorities are now searching for a motive and suspects in a deadly attack on a pair of law enforcement agents. they were driving through northern mexico yesterday, when they came to a roadblock. and that's where gunmen, who may be linked to mexican drug cartels, then opened fire. one agent was killed, the other wounded. we'll have a live update from mexico city later today on "good morning america." there are new details about a brutal attack on a network correspondent in egypt. lara logan of cbs is recovering at home after being sexually assaulted and beaten in cairo last friday. before this latest incident, logan told charlie rose how she had just been detained a week earlier in egypt, and accused of being a spy. >> there was no question, after what we were subjected to, that we were not safe. and that we were now targeted. and one of the most dangerous

accusations that you can have leveled at you is that you're a spy or an agent for a foreign government. that's the kind of accusation that you have no defense and can easily get you killed. and you better take it seriously. and you better, at the very least, take a step back from that and think about how you're going to do this. >> logan was eventually rescued from her attackers by a group of women and about 20 egyptian soldiers. events in egypt have spurred anti-government protesters in libya for the first time. this morning, hundreds of demonstrators demanded the prime minister step down. and thousands of protesters took over a main square in the capital of bahrain, calling for government reform. bahrain is a key, u.s. ally and home to the navy's 5th fleet. president obama and congressional republicans are lining up for a collision over spending, with a government shutdown looming in just over two weeks now. in the house yesterday, republicans advanced a $61 billion spending plan that would finance the government through september. president obama, though,

threatened to veto, just hours after calling for some budgetary cooperation. >> this is a matter of everybodr having a serious conversation about where we want to go. and then, ultimately, getting in that boat at the same time, so it doesn't tip over. >> i've been inviting the president to have that conversation since he took office two years ago. through thbill moving through the house should be done by friday. but its future is anything but certain in the democratically-controlled senate. well, your household budget could be facing cutbacks, too. prices for everything, from sugar to shoes, could be on the rise. and the reasons begin thousands of miles away. emily schmidt is now joining us from washington with more details. good morning, emily. >> reporter: vinita, good morning to you. you don't have to be an economist to understand the latest economic numbers. in fact, all you need to do is throw on a cotton t-shirt, and run to the grocery store, maybe fill up your car with gas along the way. all of these things are going to cost you more, for reasons you may not expect. new numbers show things are looking up for american

consumers. but perhaps not the way they'd like. prices are up for food, gas, clothing, and expected to go even higher. hitting home on already-strapped budgets because of faraway events. >> we've had extremely strange weather patterns, the world over, where many crops have been destroyed. and we've actually seen a hit to the supply of food available. >> reporter: from droughts in china, to floods in australia, paired with higher demand for food around the world, the world bank warned yesterday global food prices are at dangerous levels. u.s. corn prices are up nearly 60%. so, cereal and meat will cost more. cotton, is at a 15-year high. increasing the cost of a pair of jeans by at least $4. underwear prices could jump as much as 30%. on top of that, gas prices have reached their highest-ever february level. >> they keep going up, definitely. i don't think it's going to stop. >> reporter: new retail sales numbers show

weaker-than-expected growth, in part, because of high energy prices. >> you put prices at the pump, together with prices on the grocery store, that puts a lot of limits on where you can spend elsewhere in the economy. >> reporter: and with many 2011 crops not even in the ground yet, economists say relief could be months away. >> nobody's going to bet on what's the production for 2011, until we actually harvest that. >> reporter: one market research group says if you want to save on clothes, you better buy now. they estimate prices could go up as much as 10% this spring. rob? >> not the news we like to hear. emily schmidt, in washington. thanks, emily. in other news, now, some controversial parts of the patriot act are now one step closer to being extended. the senate yesterday approved the 3 terrorism-fighting measures for another 90 days. now, a compromise on them must be reached with the house before those provisions expire at the end of the month. and now, for the morning's weather from around the nation. a fresh, wintry blast buries the cascades and sierras under three feet of snow.

rain and heavy mountain snow hit montana, idaho and utah. it's a soaker along the pacific coast, getting swamped from seattle to san francisco. and a warmup begins for the rest of the country. >> 47 here in new york. 41 in boston. 70s in dallas, new orleans and miami. 64 in kansas city. 44 in chicago. and just shy of 40 in the twin cities. phoenix climbs to 75. sacramento, 56. portland, 46. and now, to the big upset at the westminster dog show. for the very first time in the history of the event, a scottish deerhound has been named best in show. >> 5-year-old hickory lives on a virginia farm, where she enjoys chasing rabbits and deer. she was among seven pampered pooches to make it to the final round before clinching the coveted top prize. >> hickory's owners hope she gives them a litter of puppies some time this year. to show what an underdog she was, vegas oddsmakers had her 60-1. >> really? folks made some money.

>> yeah. a lot. when we come back, has coca-cola's top-secret formula been revealed? plus, on top of that, bernie madoff's life behind bars. does he take blame for losing billions of investors' money? his first interview is out this morning. and we'll update the battle of the brains. two humans and one computer. is watson unbeatable?

it is time, now, for a check of market activities, starting

overseas. tokyo's nikkei average rose 0.6% today. hong kong's hang seng climbed more than 1%. in london, the ftse opened higher. on wall street, the dow fell 41 points yesterday. the nasdaq dropped nearly 13 points. well, the heart of wall street could soon be controlled by a german company. the owner of the new york stock exchange has agreed to be acquired by the owner of the frankfurt stock exchange, in a $10 billion deal. the merger will face a major regulatory review from a range of u.s. and european agencies. fewer homeowners are late on their mortgage payments. new numbers show delinquencies fell below 6.5% between october it w and december. it was the fourth-straight decline. but experts do not expect the rate to drop this year because home prices are expected to fall. coca-cola's 125-year-old formula is still a secret. the company is denying the story from a national public radio show claiming to have found the recipe in an old newspaper.

coca-cola admits the formula, though, may have been a precursor to its big moneymaker. you may soon be able to get your favorite newspapers and magazines delivered to an ipad or iphone every day, week or month. apple has unveiled a service that allows publishers to sell subscriptions directly through their aps. it also applies to music services. "jeopardy" champions ken jennings and brad rutter have one last chance to redeem themselves tonight. they were literally crushed in the second round of "jeopardy's" man versus machine challenge. watson finished the game with a $25,000 lead. but the computer did miss final "jeopardy." the topic was u.s. cities. but watson gave the response, toronto. it was a pretty bad night for the humans. only 5 out of 30 questions answered correctly. >> i have a feeling watson has a pretty quick trigger finger also. coming up on this wednesday, bernard madoff's first interview. plus, some swear it's a cold killer. dr. richard besser weighs in on the use of zinc.

and the klepto cat, who has a habit of stealing from the neighbors. craves fuel. make sure you give it something that counts. i love quaker oatmeal, it's seriously a superfood. it's fuel that your body needs to get going. this stuff is a game changer. and now it's better than ever. it's got a heartier texture, and in some of your favorites, all natural flavors and 25% less sugar. i can't think of a better way to kick off your day. so i just have one question for you. are you eating quaker for breakfast? it was a mystery to me. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain.

and with less pain, i can do re of what matters to me. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior or any swelling or affected breathing, or skin, or changes in eyesight, inclu blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands,gs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica aff you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. ask your doctor about lyrica today. packed with two servings of veggies in every half cup of our now thicker, richer, healthy sauce.

new ragu has a great taste your family will love. ragu. feed our kids well. the 3-month-old panda at the atlanta zoo now has a name. he's called po, after the star of "the kung fu panda" movie. and that is why actor jack black, the voice for the character, was at the zoo, for the big unveiling. po wasn't there, however, because he's still in isolation with his mother. >> cute, little guy. now, a look at your morning road conditions today. wet on i-5, from seattle to san francisco and l.a. ice and snow on i-80, between sacramento and salt lake city. snow on i-84, from portland to boise. and on i-90, from seattle to spokane. and slippery on i-15, in the northern rockies. >> if you are flying today, you can expect some airport delays in seattle, san francisco, los angeles and salt lake city. bernard madoff has now broken his silence. speaking to a newspaper for the first time since his arrest more

than two years ago. >> the brain behind the devastating $65 billion ponzi scheme says banks should have suspected his fraud. >> "the new york times" report also details madoff's day-to-day life in prison, after so many years of living the high life. 30 months ago, bernard madoff had it all. homes, cars, boats, a happy family. now, his domain is a 12-square-foot cell, with a big window and a cell mate. in a sitdown interview with "the new york times," his first since his arrest in december 2008, he talks about his nearly two-decade-long fraud. he maintains that family members knew nothing. but he blames banks and hedge funds, saying they were quote, complicit in his fraud. telling "the times," quote, they had to know. but the attitude was sort of, if you're doing something wrong, we don't want to know.

asserting that they failed to properly check his filings. madoff says he's helping the trustee appointed to recover the $20 billion lost in investor cash. so far, about half that has been recovered. madoff's calls and e-mails are now monitored. and according to "the times," he appears thinner, frail, and burdened by the sadness from his son's suicide just before christmas. the media coverage of which, he calls, quote, disgraceful. in "the times" interview, madoff does admit his guilt, adding th crimes.use his crimes. brian ross will have much more on this later today on "good morning america." the colombia military has seized a sophisticated drug trafficking submarine. and they say it was able to carry cocaine from colombia to mexico. there were no drugs onboard. but authorities believe it was ready to be loaded. they did find some weapons onboard. but so far, no one has been arrested. one of the sons of north korean leader, kim jong-il, has reportedly been seen in public for the first time in five

years. of all places, at an eric clapton concert in singapore. the 29-year-old second son of the reclusive leader was wearing a black t-shirt. he was surrounded by plainclothes security guards who were trying to block cameras. if you're looking for a cure to the common cold, you may want the to try some zinc supplements. taking some within 24 hours of the onset can shorten a cold by the day. our dr. richard besser has some doubts, though. >> some of the studies show it works. but in those studies, some were taking a 10 milligram lozenge every hour and a half when they're awake. that's a lot of zinc. and many people experience the metallic taste, as well as the nausea. you have to weigh those benefits -- i mean, those problems against maybe a one-day shortening of your illness. >> the new study also claims that zinc will decrease the severity of your cold symptoms. and a different study says what many women already know. they are up during the night more than men.

in fact, it shows women are 2 1/2-times more likely to get up. the main reasons, no surprise here, caring for family members and breast-feeding. and the study claims that women who get up have longer sleep interruptions than men. sorry, vinita. >> i didn't need a study for that. time, now, for sports, including high-flying highlights from lebron james. we get those, now, from espn news. >> good morning. i'm don bell, with your espn news update. and we start with a big bat until the big ten. buckeye football star, terrelle pryor, watching his third-ranked ohio state team, take on michigan state. halfway through the second. draymond green, hits the tough three with the clock winding down. michigan state pulls within three. but too much william buford. he had 23 points. the jumper is good. ohio state goes on to win, 71-61. to the nba we go. heat up by 19. dwyane wade, the football pass. over to lebron james. so nice, we'll show you twice. beautiful play.

heat up, 33-12. next heat possession, wade. he had a franchise record 31 points in the first half. he finished with 41. heat up 23. in the fourth quarter, now, lebron, throws it to himself and rattles one home. the heat win 110-103. they've won 9 out of 11. to the ice we go. two top teams in the eastern conference. steven stamkos and the lightning, hosting the flyers. flyers up 2-1. powe on the break-away. hooked by stamkos. powe will get a penalty shot. here it is. and beats dwayne roloson. back of the net. later on, in a shoot-out, timo timonen, the stutter step on roloson. gets it to go. a 2-1 shoot-out lead. and martin st. louis trying to answer. and he can't. flyers go on to win, 4-3. that is your espn news update. i'm don bell. now, back to you in the studio.

a cagey cat burglar has been targeting a quiet neighborhood near san francisco, making off with everything that is literally not nailed down. >> dusty the cat ventures out of his san mateo home every night, and returns with quite an impressive take. dusty, who is known as klepto the cat, has stolen hundreds of items from neighbors, from bikinis to tighty whiteys. he's even stolen shoes. he does it one at a time. but neighbors know where to go when something turns up missing. >> like humans have tighty whiteys. that's just me, though. up next, a busy day for the pooch named best in show. we will update our top story. airline passengers in for delays this morning. stay with us. at subway ♪ [ male announcer ] only subway lets you build your better breakfast with all the flavors you choose. start off with an irresistible steak, egg & cheese, then make it your own! try it with warm and toasty tomato or turn up the zest factor with banana peppers and jalapeños.

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and find an arthritis treatment that works for you. ask your doctor about celebrex. and, go to celebrex.com to learn more about how you can move toward relief. celebrex. for a body in motion. now, a look ahead to the stories we'll be watching on this wednesday. passengers on united airlines could face delays and cancellations while the company inspects its entire fleet of 757s, to comply with federal safety regulations. protesters in libya and bahrain are calling for another day of anti-government protests, as events in egypt continue to echo around the middle east. senator john kerry is on a visit to pakistan today, hoping to smooth over growing tensions. u.s./pakistan relations have been strained over the arrest of an american diplomat, accused of killing two people in lahore. new white house press secretary, jay carney, briefs reporters today for the very first time.

the surviving pirate from the attacks on "the maersk alabama" will be arraigned today in new york. he pled guilty to kidnapping and hostage-taking. he was captured during the daring rescue of captain richard phillips two years ago. and top dog is making his way around new york city today. after clinching the westminster dog show last night, hickory, the scottish deerhound, is going to be appearing on a string of talk shows. >> probably has a lot to say. coming up on "good morning america," we hear from a woman who says the popular shoes designed to tone your body actually hurt her. she is suing the company. elisabeth leamy is here with safety recommendation. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, handing out the nation's highest civilian honor. thy lifestyle? well, you should also star enjoying activia or activia light. activia, for us? sure, it's for people who want to feel good inside. when you feel good, you're more likely to get out there and enjoy life! mmm! mmm! i like this resolution. mm-hmm!

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and finally this morning, the latest recipients of the nation's highest civilian honor. >> president obama has awarded the medal of freedom to 15 people, from all walks of life, recognized for significant contributions for world peace and kultder, among many other things. here's karen travers. >> reporter: this year's medal of freedom winners come from different backgrounds, experiences and generations. but president obama said they all share one, important thing. >> this year's medal of freedom recipients reveal the best of who we are and who we aspire to

be. >> reporter: today, the president honored a civil rights legend. >> to teach my children the story of courage, the story of john lewis will come to mind. >> reporter: a survivor of the holocaust. >> she has taught the world in a we discover the extent of our strength and the depth of our love. >> reporter: a former president. >> his humility and his decency, reflects the very best of the american spirit. >> reporter: and st. louis cardinal great stan musial, the first big leaguer to make six figures. >> even more shocking, he asked for a pay cut when he didn't perform up to his own expectations. >> reporter: there were emotional moment, as mr. obama described the extraordinary life of poet maya angelou. >> she has inspired countless others who have known injustice and misfortune in their own lives. >> reporter: and a few lighthearted moments, as well. for all the money warren buffett

has made in his lifetime, he's just as well-known for giving back to others. and his modesty. >> i should point out, he's so thrifty, i had to give him a white house tie. the last time he came here to visit. >> reporter: president obama said this is an event he looks forward to each year. a chance to meet with and honor extraordinary people. karen travers, abc news, washington. >> you saw the sports was not ignored, either. bill russell of the boston celtics. there, the tall guy. >> the president had to reach up a little bit on that one. that is what's making news on america this morning. >> get more news throughout the day at abcnews.com. >> have a great wednesday. ♪ i'm terry mcsweeney live in at the bay bridge toll plaza for

three real good reasons for the commuters to slow down: the wind, the rain, and the water on the ground. watch out. i'll tell you about it in a live report. >> here's a live look at the embarcadero this morning where the light rain is tapering right now but plenty of puddles left this morning and more will develop as showers and thunderstorms and snow is in the forecast. >> in san francisco, the north 101 connector to north 280 currently closed now until 7:45. it's wet, windy, there's flooding. live shot at san mateo and a lot of action. >> the berkeley city council rejects a resolution inviting two former quantanamo gay detainees to move to town. >> united's warning of delays and cancellations. >> we've had winds and