making news in america this morning -- >> proof of the bin laden bump. new numbers overnight. president obama getting his highest approval rating in two years. and a new in-flight fright late last night, as a passenger goes for the emergency door. and first comments. arnold schwarzenegger opens up, speaking publicly about the very public split from his wife. good morning. new poll numbers overnight show that the president's approval rating is soaring. >> 60% approve of the job he's doing right now. that's up 47% from just six months ago. also, the poll found 53% now say he should be re-elected. >> and the poll was taken a week after osama bin laden was killed

by u.s. forces. now, one of bin laden's sons is speaking out about his father's death. emily schm emily schmidt is joining us from washington this morning with more. good morning, emily. >> reporter: peggy and rob, good morning. one of bin laden's sons has weighed in for the first time since his father's death. he called it an assassination that violated international law. but in the united states, the death of the terrorist leader is now drawing cheers. president obama's speeches have new references to a campaign promise now fulfilled. >> osama bin laden will never again threaten the united states of america. >> reporter: the line went over well at a texas fund-raiser last night. in a new associated press/gfk poll, shows the president's approval rating is its highest in two years. but the u.s. commander in eastern afghanistan says he h o bin laden will cause a change of strategy in afghanistan. >> bin laden, the leader of al qaeda. he was important to that

organization. but one man does not make this war on terrorism. >> reporter: in pakistan, this opposition politician says there's still no proof bin laden is dead. pakistan hasn't allowed the u.s. to interrogate three of bin laden's wives who lived with him in the compound. though the bin laden family called yesterday for their release. and pakistan hasn't given back a secret u.s. helicopter lost in the raid on bin laden's home. hinting it may show it to china first. despite the tensions, u.s. says talks will continue. >> we believe that it is very important to maintain a cooperative relationship with pakistan, precisely because it's in our national security interest to do so. >> reporter: you will remember that last week the white house opted not to release photos of osama bin laden's body to the public. but now, the cia is offering senators from two, key committees a chance to view the photos themselves. to do so, they must make an appointment. rob and peggy? >> interesting. lots of developments this morning.

emily schmidt, from washington. thank you so much. and the other big story on this wednesday morning, the city of memphis faces a major cleanup, now that the floodwaters are receding there. >> and the danger is far from over for other cities downstream. flood watches and warnings are now posted. >> hundreds of residents have already evacuated. and thousands of acres of farmland are now in jeopardy. t.j. winick reports, now, from memphis. >> reporter: 4 million people downriver from memphis are bracing for the mighty and now raging mississippi, moving at more than double its normal speed. >> the velocity is much faster than its typical. and also, a lot of the landmarks we're used to seeing are not here. >> reporter: the river crested at 47.85 feet in memphis early tuesday morning. while residents don't have to worry how high the water might get, they do have to worry about what's in it. electrical currents, chemicals, sewage, and dangerous reptiles, like water moccasin snakes. >> it's not water for swimming. it's not water for drinking. and i wouldn't want anybody to

go wading on it. >> reporter: the flood surge is on tunica, mississippi, where some families are in shelters. evacuated as the river swallows riverboat casinos and their homes. >> we love it here. we don't want to leave here. we want to go home. and we will do what it takes to stay there. >> reporter: further south in carter, mississippi, the jordan family's general store still displays the watermark of the 1927 floodwaters. the family's acres of planted cotton, soybeans and corn, soon to be wiped out. >> it's just all for nothing. >> reporter: in vidalia, louisiana, residents have been warned to start working on an evacuation plan. in new orleans, the river is expected to crest just three feet below the levees. and all this water is driving up the price of crude oil with production at certain oil refineries in the mississippi delta and shipping traffic on this waterway, under threat. rob and peggy? >> all right, t.j. thank you for that. here's a look at where the

high water is headed next. the river is expected to hit record levels, including a high of more than 57 feet in vicksburg, mississippi, before cresting eventually in new orleans. right now, the projeblgted date for that is may 24th, still two weeks away. as the texas/mexico border as a backdrop, president obama renewed his call for immigration reform. he told residents to urge their lawmakers to help the 11 million illegal immigrants become citizens. today, he's making it official. newt gingrich is in the 2012 presidential race. gingrich is now expected to formally announce his candidacy today on twitter. this is despite the fact that recent abc news polls showed him as trailing the president by 15 points. and one-time gop front-runner, donald trump, is sliding in the polls. a recent survey found only 8% of potential republican primary voters say they would back trump. this is down from 26% in april. in other news, now, judges in virginia have heard arguments

in two lawsuits challenging president obama's health care reform. they're the first of 31 such cases to reach this stage in federal appeals court. the suits contend requiring citizens to purchase health insurance is unconstitutional. the judges are expected to rule within weeks. and after weeks of divisive debate, the presbyterian church has voted to allow openly-gay people in same-sex relationships to be ordained. this vote, along with those of three other churches, reflects a growing acceptance of gay relationships in the protestant faiths. a great escape from the bronx zoo. two months after a cobra escaped, a peacock has vanished. the bird was spotted two times since it went missing monday. it managed to evade capture. the peacock is amassing fans on twitter. one fan says, bronx zoo could not contain all my fabulousness. >> i'm sure the peacock will not be able to hide out as long as the cobra. a bit more showy. >> a little more conspicuous.

he might have a problem. let's look at this morning's weather from around the country. we have some hail, gusty winds and a chance of tornados from texas, up to south dakota. the worst of it, from oklahoma city to wichita. thunderstorms, meanwhile, in the twin cities, chicago and indianapolis. up to a foot of snow in the colorado rockies. rain in the pacific northwest. and showers from west virginia to georgia. >> a hot 92 in atlanta. 72 in baltimore. and 69 here in new york city. heating up in the middle of the country. hitting the 80s, from minneapolis to dallas. 73 in sacramento. 59 degrees in salt lake city. and coming up after the break, higher prices at some of your favorite fast food chains. >> oh, boy. plus, a developing story overnight. yet another scare aboard an airliner, as a passenger goes for the emergency exit door. and on top of that, rocket man. how would you like to jet across the grand canyon? amazing. we'll be back.

toyota is recovering from the japanese earthquake ahead of schedule. the automaker says its global car production will return to normal two to three months sooner than expected. toyota has been hurt by parts shortages, caused by damage to suppliers' factories. overseas markets are mostly higher this morning, on strong earnings reports out of the u.s. tokyo's nikkei average closed 0.5% higher today. hong kong's hang seng was very slightly lower. and in london, the ftse opened higher. on wall street, meanwhile, the

dow gained 0.6% yesterday. the nasdaq index was also up. wendy's and arby's are the latest fast food chains that are going to raise prices to offset costs. going up are beef, bacon and cooking oil for those restaurants. the company that owns both of those chains also hope to start offering breakfast by the end of the year. this morning, we know more about the cell phone emergency alerts. after government officials made the official announcement yesterday. first up will be new york and washington, this year. and the rest of the country over the next few years. you'll be able to opt out, though, of some of the alerts, but not all of them. and the alerts will work even when phone systems are overloaded. and before you can buy lady gaga's next album, you may be able to hear some of the new songs on facebook's farmville game. the gagaville farm opens next tuesday. after you complete certain tasks, you'll be able to stream the songs a week before the album's releas album's release. how ubiquitous can you get when she's on farmville?

>> no kidding. she's going to be everywhere. coming up next on this tuesday, a new sign of recovery for japan. then, usually the tough guy, arnold schwarzenegger's touching first comments since the very public split from his wife. and they are the real-life "charlie's angels," tracking down criminals. you're going to meet these bail babes.

you know what i want? lipstick that makes house calls. i want someone to bring the make-up counter to me. i want to be the first to discover the latest. and get a little advice from my avon representative whenever i ask. this is beauty that delivers from avon. see how avon can deliver extra income for you. go to avon.com or call 800 for avon to become a representative. on t(both) literally! your photos right at your fingertips. okay. can you zoom in on this? oh! okay. this is my boyfriend. this is my mom and dad. robin, you okay? whatcha doin'? i'm dealing with a slight underwear malfunction. oh..you need hanes panties. they don't ride up. yes please. hey, wardrobe?

and now a word from hanes. hanes panties. so cute. and they don't ride up. it was a remarkable image from tsunami-devastated northern japan. a boat resting on top of a two-story building. well, this morning, the catamaran, once docked miles from here, and swept inland by the waves, was finally removed. some of the residents wanted to keep the boat on top of the building, as a reminder of the tragedy. and now, taking a look at morning road conditions. a flooded stretch of i-40 is closed from memphis to little rock. wet on i-20, from mississippi to loui on flooding on i-35, from minneapolis down to san antonio.

wet on i-80 and 90 in the midwest. and icy on i-80 from salt lake city to cheyenne. >> and if you're flying today, airport delays are possible in denver, kansas city, dallas, chicago and minneapolis. well, overnight, we got word of yet another in-flight incident involving an unruly passenger. this is the latest in a series of mid-air scares in recent days. >> officials say a man tried to open an emergency door on an orlando to boston flight last night. and off-duty police officer managed to subdue the passenger. he was arrested when the plane landed. those onboard say he appeared to be drunk. >> the flight attendants, they actually brought him to the back of the plane and put him between two, different people, so he couldn't get up or anything. he was wearing a bruins shirt. i'd actually seen him in orlando. he asked me to go to the bar with him. very intoxicated. meanwhile, a passenger who was arrested sunday in san francisco for trying to barge into the cockpit during an american airlines flight has been denied bail. prosecutors argue that the

yemen-born, california resident, is a danger to society. but so far, he's not been linked with any terror group. and his motive is still unknown. arnold schwarzenegger is making his first public comments since the news broke that he and maria shriver are splitting. during an awards ceremony in los angeles last night, schwarzenegger thanked friends and family for the outpouring of support that he's received in the past 24 hours. >> i just talked to maria, an hour ago before i came here. we both were saying the same thing. that we're amazed and extremely blessed, to be surrounded by so many wonderful people. we both love each other very much. we're very fortunate that we have four, extraordinary children. and we're taking one day at a time. >> the couple announced on monday that they have decided to separate after 25 years of marriage. they're calling her the granny bandit. police in fontana, california, are asking for help finding a robbery suspect, they say is a woman around 80 years old. they say she's armed and

dangerous. the granny bandit mugged two victims in store parking lots and then made her getaway. police say an elderly woman robbing people at gunpoint, is extremely unusual. a novel new way to catch crooks by surprise, bail babes. if you're on the run, these california ladies may be your undoing. they're hired by bail bond companies to track down suspects who skip bail. the fact they don't exactly look the part makes all this a lot easier for them to catch the fugitives off guard. the bail babes say a pair of pink handcuffs is all they need to get the job done. words of wisdom. >> how about that? well, an earthquake prediction made decades ago, has thousands of romans quaking today. a now-deceased scientist said a quake would rock rome on may 11th, 2011, and that is today. officials are going all-out to debunk the legend, reassuring residents that rome is not a high-risk seismic area. time for your sports news this morning.

here's adnan virk at espn news. >> good morning. after two, fabulous overtime games in the nba on monday night, just one game in the association. the atlanta hawks and the chicago bulls. fourth quarter, with the bulls up by one. derrick rose, the mvp, finds luol deng. he will cut to the hoop with the layup. and the bulls take a modest three-point advantage. later in the fourth, rose, drives, dishes to taj gibson. he'll score and get fouled. hits the free throw. the bulls were up by six. over six to play. rose, around the screen. layup and gets fouled. that was a one-man wrecking crew. the bulls up by nine. more from d. rose. he finished with 33 points and 9 assists, his eighth-career 30-point playoff game. as the bulls take a 3-2 series advantage, 95-83, the final. to hockey we go. nick lidstrom and the red wings trying to force game seven against the san jose sharks. that nasty tradition, still alive and well.

third period. kronwall, the shot. hey. redirected the pass by antti niemi. and henrik zetterberg, gets his second of the playoffs. to valtteri filppula. it's filppula and his hockey stick. fire it past antti niemi for the goal. flib filppula's second of the postseason. later, devin setoguchi. howard, a great glove stop. setoguchi, trying to get the goal. jimmy howard was much too much. detroit dominated play. howard made 24 saves, as the red wings win it 3-1. you're up to date for now. don't forget, for all of your highlights, join us for "the highlight express," here on espn news. ? it's down to the final four, after another famous face exits the ballroom floor for good. romeo was dismissed from "dancing with the stars" last night. kirstie alley, ralph macchio,

and chelsea kane battle it out next week. and ralph macchio and his partner, looking relieved there. romeo on his way out. >> i have my money on kirstie. >> she may be the fan favorite. a swiss daredevil has finally fulfilled his dream to fly over the grand canyon. >> take a look at this. yves rossy's stunt was completed yesterday. he used his custom-built jet suit, i have one of those at home, soaring 200 feet in the air. and parachuted safely to the canyon floor. >> just how you get to work at the studio. he's also rocketed over the english channel and the swiss alps. >> i would like to see how it looks from his perspective. >> has to be incredible video. and the parachute opening. >> i have some of those jet packs at home. i'll fire it up. up next, bristol palin's dramatic, new appearance. was it, in fact, plastic surgery? now, she's speaking out about it. also, more states bracing for possible tornadoes today.

those stories coming up. you do so much... [ fema] to stay healthy. but did you know fiber choice can help support your overall well-being? every tasty tablet has prebiotic fiber from fruits and veggies... that lets your good bacteria thrive and helps support your immune system. fiber choice. an easy way to defend your health everyday. learn more about prebiotics and get a free sample at fiberchoice.com. women have discovered the secret to a great day because they've discovered the power of aveeno daily moisturizing lotion. the only one that nourishes with active naturals oats, it's clinically proven to seal in moisture for a full 24 hours. so skin looks and feels beautiful all day. for a better day everyday. discover the power... [ female announcer ] ...of america's #1 daily moisturizing lotion, only from aveeno. and discover the power of active naturals.

and discover the power man: and all the pens are put down... woman: and everything there is to learn is learned. man: till the heroes retire and the monsters return to their dens... woman: and all the plots are wrapped up. man: till that day... boy: by hook or by crook... girl: by book or by nook... woman: i will read. imagine a day when we can eat what we want and sleep soundly through the night. prevacid®24hr prevents the acid that causes frequent heartburn all day, all night.

prevacid®24hr prevents the acid that causes frequent heartburn [ giggles ] hey, max. [ announcer ] you can help significantly extend your dog's healthy years. a groundbreaking 14-year study by purina... proves that puppy chow, then dog chow nutrition, fed properly over a lifetime, can help extend his lovable antics up to 1.8 healthy years. long live your buddy. [ laughs ] oh, max. long live your dog. purina dog chow. double dog dare you to try better-tasting than ever purina dog chow. we know your dog will love it. now, a look ahead to the top stories on this wednesday. the middle of the country is bracing for yet another round of severe weather from texas, all the way up to the canadian border. the highest threat of tornados stretches from oklahoma to kansas. residents of mississippi and louisiana brace for record flooding as the overflowing mississippi river rushes towards the gulf. the water has washed away crops, forced many residents to flee, also done major damage to the

casino business. the u.s. hikers held in iran since their 2009 arrest are back in court today. the lawyer for josh fattal and shane bauer, says there could be a verdict. sara shurd shourd, who was released on bail last year, refuses to return to iran. and peace corps volunteers who were raided while overseas will tell congress about their assault. the peace corps is promising reform. brian ross will have more later, coming up on "good morning america." a hearing is set in los angeles today for lindsay lohan. this time, she is not required to appear. the actress stands accused of stealing a pricey necklace. she is expected to be a no-show, leaving her attorney to enter a plea of no contest. and now, we know, before an "us weekly" profile hits newsstands, bristol palin says a recent change in her appearance was caused by corrective jaw surgery, not plastic surgery. her face appears thinner, with higher cheekbones and an angular jaw. it was for medical purposes. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, the dramatic health benefits of

meditation. to nagging questions like, "is this a cold or allergies?" and, "when should i switch out my toothbrush?" where she can get calcium for her bones and protection for her skin. at walgreens, you can find the answers to live a little healthier too. walgreens. there's a way to stay well. like walgreens on facebook and find out how to receive a coupon for $5 off nature made calcium. sounds like a mini-wheats day to me! and becka's science fair is on the 8th. she's presenting the solar system. hey, i've got just the wholegrain fiber to keep her full so she can stay focused. um, you rock. she'll be ready to rock. [ female announcer ] make your kids big days, mini-wheats days. packed with 100% whole grain fiber, kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal has what it takes to help keep your kids full so they can stay focused on the days that matter most. keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused.

tough being the only girl. aw, there's the man of the house. who's this ? this is rufus. hey, rufus. he's actually pretty talented. you wanna see him do a trick ? ok. hey rufus. who do we love ? we love our bank. we love our bank. we love our bank. we love our bank. yes, yes. you really love your bank don't you. ally bank customers love our 24/7 customer care that allows you to talk to a real person anytime. ally. do you love your bank ? with being fed on. we demand k9 advantix ii. it not only kills fleas and ticks, it repels most ticks before they can attach and snack on us. frontline plus kills but doesn't repel. any tick that isn't repelled or killed may attach and make a meal of us. so let's put our paws down in protest. no fetching, no friendship till we all get k9 advantix ii. join us at poochprotest.com. [ male announcer ] ask your veterinarian about k9 advantix ii.

coming up next at 4:30. new delay in the trial of two u.s. hikers. >> three people was killed at san jose university the shooter is reported dead. >> cooler weather for all of us and even colder over the weekend with more chances of rain. >> and frances dinglasan will have traffic. and finally this half hour, mind over matter. a powerful key to success that many americans are now turning to. >> more and more people are resorting to meditation, physically changing their brains

to achieve what they want. dan harris puts it to the test. >> reporter: meditation is now being used by the marines, by corporate executives, from general mills, to target, to google. and now, according to this new study, by roughly 3 million patients, on the recommendation of their doctors. dr. rex hoffman recommended meditation to his patient who had stage 2 lymphoma and was too claustrophobic to receive the treatments. >> my mind was able to control my heartbeat, my breathing, my relaxation. >> reporter: researchers say meditation doesn't just relax you. it can physically change your brain. earlier this year, a harvard study looked at people who took a mere eight-week course in meditation and found these two part of their brain, associated with self-awareness and compassion, actually grew. while this part, associated with stress, shrank. there's lots of different kinds of meditation. but the kinds most doctors

recommend, does not involve wearing robes, chantding, lighting incense, or joining a religious group. what it does involve is three, basic steps. step number one, sit comfortably. step number two, focus on your breath. feel it going in and out. step number three, when your mind wanders, which it will, a million times to things like, did i feed the dog? where are they keys? what am i having for dinner? every time your mind wanders, gently return to your breath. i've met corporate executives who said meditation makes them more effective. and one rock star who says it cured his stage fright. >> if i wasn't meditating, if i had so much stage fright, i might still be in my shell. >> reporter: i should also say there are more studies that show meditation can boost your immune system, lower your blood pressure and even make you nicer. dan harris, abc news, new york. >> make people nicer. i like that. >> i can't do it. i find it stressful. >> oh, come on.