making news in america this morning -- >> still rising. an anxious night, as the mississippi river is just hours from cresting in memphis. will vital levees hold? also, the new worries. what will happen to the other cities downstream? also this morning, a major development in the bin laden investigation overnight. pakistan will allow the u.s. to question his wives. take a look at this. he's being called the fittest congressman, showing off his six pack for a cause. good morning, everyone. thanks for being with us today. the historic landmarks of memphis right now appear safe, is expected mississippi is expected to crest later this morning.

>> the city's extensive levee system kept floodwaters away from most neighborhoods. but some others may not be so lucky. you can see on this map, the red areas is where the rising waters are rushing towards the gulf. >> near new orleans, the river is six-times its normal size, now three miles across. with more on that, now, here is emily schmidt. >> reporter: in memphis, the mighty mississippi is living up to its name, spilling 2 1/2 miles out of its banks. >> it's also been called the wicked river. so, it's been pretty wicked for the last several days. >> reporter: the river is expected to crest today, just shy of the 1937 record. it follows record winter snow and heavy spring rain across states that drain into the mississippi. >> felt biblical. we had -- felt like 40 days and 40 nights of rain. what's weird is having this delayed effect. now that the weather's beautiful, one is waiting, still, though, for the floods to actually -- for the river to crest. >> reporter: hundreds of people are in shelters. in north haven, tennessee, four generations gathered in one house. now, the water's rising there,

too. >> we'll be on the island. if it continues to rise, we're basically on the island now. >> reporter: the army corps of engineers says one second of water flow, would fill a football field 44 stories high. despite the pressure, officials think the levees will hold. >> we're going to wait until the water goes down a whole lot more. then, we'll celebrate success. >> reporter: crests are expected in vicksburg, mississippi, tomorrow. baton rouge on thursday. they're pushing gas prices higher, because of worries flooding could impact refineries there. >> the water will be with us for quite some time. >> reporter: officials warn the cleanup will be putrid, expensive. what's worse, it won't begin for a while. tennessee governor says some of the neighborhoods may not have water begin to recede for at least two more weeks. rob and peggy? >> tough time for those folks. >> definitely, that's true. >> emily, thanks a lot. for elvis fans out there, the king's former home, it is safe.

graceland is built on a hill, far from the river, actually. and fans from around the world have been actually calling memphis city hall, to ask about the landmark mansion. again, it is okay. there is also danger in the flood zone from snakes and rodents. diane sawyer reports on the wildlife escaping to higher ground. that report coming up in a few minutes. now, to another big story this morning. american officials say that pakistan will now allow them to interview osama bin laden's widows some time soon. the three women, along with their eight children, were taken into custody when bin laden was killed. it's the first sign of cooperation between the two countries since that raid soured their relationship. meanwhile, overnight in libya, nato jets launched at least five air strikes on tripoli, where moammar gadhafi remains in control. government officials gave journalists a tour of at least one building they say was hit. so far, no signs of injuries. forces with gadhafi remain deadlocked with the rebels that

are trying to oust him. in japan this morning, about 100 evacuees were allowed to return to their homes in the exclusion zone around the cr crippled nuclear reactors. they arrived in chartered buses and were issued protective clothing and radiation monitors that were worn during the two-hour visit. and now, switching gears to washington. president obama will meet with senate democrats this afternoon and senate republicans on thursday, to discuss how to cut the government's deficit. but last night in new york, one top republican demanded trillions in cuts, even before all the talking begins. here's senior washington editor, rick klein. >> reporter: house speaker john boehner is escalating the battle over spending before it gets under way in ernest. now, there's two important points here. one, boehner says there will be no increase in the debt limit without significant spending cuts. the president's idea of a clean bill, that just increases the debt limit. that's off the table. second, boehner says any increase in the debt limit has to be matched by equal spending cuts. right now, the administration is

talking about $1.9 trillion additionally in the debt limit to get us through next year. considered that the government almost shut down just last month with just over $38.5 billion in cuts. that's how you get a sense of the scope of what we're talking about here. and the clock is very much ticking right now. we're just days away from reaching the current debt ceiling. the treasury can be creative. they can buy a few months without financial collapse. but we're fast approaching a clash that will make previous complications over spending look like child's play. rick klein, abc news. newt gingrich, who has faced some budget battles of his own, is now running for president. the former speak of the house made the announcement on facebook. that happened yesterday. gingrich is perhaps the best-known candidate in the republican field so far. he led a national gop resurgence in the 19 0s before resigning over ethics questions. the state of arizona is going to the nation's highest court over its controversial immigration law.

the governor will ask the supreme court to overturn a ruling that put most of the law on hold. the state lost an appeal before a lower court last month. a tiny, missouri town of just 109 people is celebrating a major designation by the census bureau. the town of plato is now the center of the u.s. population, based on 2010 census figures. that roughly means that half of americans live to the east. and half to the west. a stone pedestal marking the destination was unveiled yesterday. a town is honored every ten years, depending on how the population trends are moving. little small town pride. >> population 74, it says. >> 109. >> i like that. i like that. taking a look at this morning's weather from around the nation. thunderstorms, 70-mile-per-hour winds and large hail from fargo to minneapolis. also from cincinnati, down to columbia, south carolina. another foot of mountain snow in the northern rockies. and thunderstorms from southern oklahoma into north texas. also, showers from boston to portland, maine. >> 72 here in new york. while atlanta heats up to 90. new orleans, 88.

also hot in kansas city and omaha, with temperatures near 90. meanwhile, 52 in salt lake city. and mostly 70s from sacramento to albuquerque. >> all right. coming up, a major tech merger reported overnight. it could shake up the markets today. details coming up on that. plus, when can you expect to see those pump prices finally dip? and the story we've all been waiting for. >> speak for yourself. >> does your congressman look like this? one lawmaker bears arms and abs to send a message.

well, you may have to wait just a little longer for lower gas prices. crude oil prices are down. but there's a lag time until you see that reflected at the pump. but gas prices are holding fairly steady. up just a penny nationally this past week. and down a little in the midwest and in california. asian markets were slightly up, despite worries about greece's debt problems. tokyo's nikkei average was up about 0.25% today. in hong kong's hang seng gained about the same. in left-haondon, the ftse opene lower. on wall street, the dow was up about 0.5% today. the nasdaq index rose about the same amount. general motors plans to invest in fuel-efficient transmissions. the automaker is expected to announce later today that will it spend $2 billion in order to update 17 facilities in 8 states. that will add at least 4,000 jobs, some of them white collar. another big announcement is expected today in the technology sector. "the wall street journal" reports that microsoft is close

to a deal to buy the internet phone company, skype. the price would be between $7 billion and $8 billion, and give microsoft more of a presence in internet communications. federal officials will announce an emergency alert system for cell phones. some smartphone users in new york and washington will soon be able to get text message warnings about hurricanes, tornadoes, terrorism or other disasters. it should be running by the end of the year. and an american express study finds that more couples are arguing about money, now compared to last year. in fact, nine out of ten people try to avoid talking about money with their partners. nearly half argue about cash. and almost one in three have hidden a purchase from a partner. >> can i borrow ten bucks for breakfast? >> don't ask me about that one. not that i'm guilty. but it's very common. >> okay. i know what that smile means. next on this tuesday, honeymoon news, involving britain's newlyweds. plus, wildlife racing to higher ground. among them, deadly snakes and alligators, posing a new danger in the flood zone.

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and the first vacation memory that will last till roughly... forever. now, there's a first. tell us what you've always wanted to do, on facebook. [ ship horn blows ] and now, for a look at your morning road conditions on this tuesday. flooding keeps i-40 shut down, from memphis to little rock. wet on i-20, from memphis to louisiana. and on i-10, from new orleans to baton rouge. rain soaks i-94, from fargo, to chicago. and i-75, from cincinnati to knoxville. icy on parts of i-15, and 80 in the northern rockies. >> and if you're flying, airport delays are possible in charlotte, salt lake city, also minneapolis. low-lying neighborhoods in memphis are under water this morning, as the mississippi river crests 14 feet above flood stage. >> look at those pictures. those rising waters are also creating other lingering dangers. as diane sawyer reports, snake sightings have kept hotline

phones ringing off the hook. >> reporter: a vat of water moccasins, known as cotton mouths. venomous and aggressive when they get agitated. when they're upset and open their mouths, there's a white lining. that's where the word cotton mouth comes from. >> they can cause a fairly serious bite. but there's an enormous amount of tissue damage. >> reporter: riding along with director bob nations of shelby county preparedness, i ask him about all the treacherous and fleeing animals. have you seen alligators? >> there's a report of two over on the mississippi banks yesterday. water moccasins, we're getting a lot of reports on the snakes. >> reporter: that's the biggest -- that's the big problem in a way. isn't it? because they're going to be in people's homes, even when they go back. and it's not even the snakes. >> you're going to have spiders. the snakes. rats. >> reporter: fire ants. they float. they float in big pods on top of this water. >> exactly right.

>> reporter: and spend enough time, and you're bound to see some of the herds of deer looking for high and dry ground. on our way out of the water, we talked to the policeman, who seemed to be mysteriously motoring back and forth all around me when i was in. >> we did a circle over there. when you were talking, we pushed the snakes that way. >> reporter: you pushed the snakes away for me? >> yeah. >> reporter: this is one hell of a police force. and wildlife groups around tennessee have been fielding dozens of calls, from residents reporting those snakes and deer. issuing a special alert, warning residents to be especially wary that snakes may be seeking shelter in your home. for the residents, something more to worry about. not just the water they can see but what lies beneath. >> our thanks, now, to diane sawyer. we'll have much more live from the flood zone, later on "good in other n in other news this morning, the grim search for a serial

killer on new york's long island is even grimmer this morning. investigators say they suspect at least two serial killers were responsible for some of the ten sets of human remains they have found there since december. but some may be isolated cases. the remote stretch of beach where the remains have been found, appears to have been a dumping ground for some time. a day at the beach almost came to a tragic end for a member of the austrian national swim team. a 19-year-old got stuck in the sand after digging a huge hole with his teammates. the walls caved in on him, making it very tough to breathe. the only thing not buried was his head.o scuers three hours to pull him from the sand. at a yogurt shop from san diego had to be shut down indefinitely, after a car smashed right through the glass storefront. luckily, this happened just before the store was scheduled to open for the day. only one worker was inside, as you can see there from the video. no one was hurt. the driver was a 17-year-old boy with a learner's permit.

he apparently got confused and hit the gas instead of the brakes. >> got to love the young drivers. time for the latest from the nba playoffs. here's mike yam over at espn news. >> good morning. we start on the nba hardwood, where the memphis grizzlies have been the center of the basketball world, considering some of the things that they've been able to do. they played a pretty good one against kevin durant and the thunder. under 30 seconds to go in regulation. grizzlies down by three. mike conley jr., ties it at 96-96. he had 16 points. 2 of 12 from the floor. 15 seconds to go in overtime. the desperation triple. we're going to double-overtime. 30 seconds to go. thunder, down two. russell westbrook had a playoff career high 40 points. getting more basketball. in triple-overtime, who else? kevin durant. buckets. he had 35 points, 13 rebounds. tied series at 2-2 apiece. rajon rondo dislocated his

left elbow in game three. yeah, he's playing in game four. fourth quarter, lebron james, so good. ties it at 84-84. more from lebron. muscles his way into the lane. heat up by two. under a minute left. celtics trailing. paul pierce, needs the bucket. that's good for the tie. he had 27 to lead the celtics. we'll go to overtime. lebron james, so difficult to defend. oh. puts the heat up by two. next miami possession. there's more. that's chris bosh. 20 points for bosh. struggled in game number three. didn't struggle in game four, though. and lebron james, the finishing touches, as the miami heat take a 3-1 series lead. and that will do it for sports. i'm mike yam. the nation's youngest serving congressman is turning heads on capitol hill and beyond it. right here on our newsdesk, as

well. >> this is the reason why. come on, now. illinois representative aaron schock, appropriate name. he appears shirtless on the latest cover of "men's health" magazine, showing off his washboard abs. the single 29-year-old republican is trying to promote his challenge to americans to lose weight and get healthier. schock told "men's health," his routine starts at 6:30 in the morning on capitol hill. >> does he have your vote? >> he's very fit. >> that's a yes. >> he's very fit and inspiring all of us. there you go. >> oh. some royal honeymoon news this morning. we're learning that prince william and his new bride quietly left the u.k. yesterday, flying to a tropical paradise in the indian ocean, just ten days after their wedding. >> the islands that it could be. let the chasing begin. coming up, we'll fill you in on those stories, of course. plus, the latest legal challenge to president obama's health care law. plus, why arnold schwarzenegger and maria

shriver, after 25 years of marriage, are now separating. administering her medication, and just making her comfortable. one night britta told me about a tradition in denmark, "when a person dies," she said, "someone must open the window so the soul can depart." i smiled and squeezed her hand. "not tonight, britta. not tonight." ♪ with finding a better way for our clients to get a mortgage. maybe that's why j.d. power and associates ranked us "highest in customer satisfaction in the united states." so, we thought we'd take a little time to celebrate. ♪ ♪ all right, then, back to work helping clients. individual attention from our highly-trained mortgage professionals. one more way quicken loans

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women in custody since the raid on their compound. officials there are now saying they will yield the american demands to question the women. two lawsuits challenging the president's health care overhaul law will be heard today in a richmond, virginia, courtroom. the suits are expected to end up before the supreme court. and the president will renew his call for comprehensive immigration reform during a speech in el paso, texas, today. he will argue that overhauling the immigration law is vital to america's economic future and security needs. if you have $30 million to spare and a penchant for the pink panther, today could be your lucky day. this work of art is expected to fetch that much cash. the sculpture hits the auction block today at sotheby's in new york. block at sotheby's, in new york. for some of you, your local news is coming up next. >> for everyone else, we'll be back with the separation shocker out of hollywood. big news this morning about arnold schwarzenegger and maria shriver. no one saw it coming. >> no.

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>> all new. an "oprah show" event. oprah: 100 ultimate viewers. they each lost over -- drop the fat clothes! 100 pounds. new information about the man who tried to hijack a flight to sfo. and governor and first lady are leading separate lives. massive job cuts to be approved in one of the east bay school districts. >> looks like the rain is over for a-mile while but it comes back this weekend. before that we'll have a warming trend. >> join us ne and finally from us this morning, a long-time power couple has parted ways. >> this will be the talker today. after 25 years of marriage, arnold schwarzenegger and maria

shriver have now separated. shriver has reportedly moved out of the couple's southern california mansion. >> reporter: from the beginning, they were an unlikely pair. the republican movie star and the daughter of iconic democrats. the 63-year-old schwarzenegger and 55-year-old shriver were married in 1986. they have four children. and for years, lived at this private estate in brentwood. but the couple has confirmed they are parting ways. in a statement, the two said, after a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion and prayer, we came to this decision together. at this time, we are living apart, while we work on the future of our relationship. schwarzenegger finished his seven-year run as governor in january. at this commencement speech in 2009, he spoke jokingly about the keys to his success. >> number one, come to america. number two, work your butt off. and number three, marry a kennedy. >> reporter: during schwarzenegger's time as governor, shriver and the

children never moved to the governor's mansion in sacramento, choosing to stay in brentwood, instead. as first lady, shriver ran an annual women's conference. and at the most recent event in october, shriver was honored for her work. on the streets of brentwood, residents couldn't believe that the former first lady and former governor were separating. >> i was shocked. i thought they had a great marriage. i would never know there was any trouble at all. >> i've actually seen them out in person, at a restaurant. they seemed quite loving. they were together so many years. and a couple you thought had a stable, rock-solid relationship. >> that report from kabc's robert holguin. >> their 25th anniversary was two weeks ago. it went by without tweets from either of them. >> interesting, though. as we mentioned, four kids. and a lot of -- you know, the lives have overlapped. they're very