making news in this america this morning -- >> perfect storm in the southwest. low humidity, high temperatures and fierce winds. all of it fanning some of the flames of the biggest wildfires that we have ever seen. and turmoil at the airports. from a bomb scare to glitches have sidelined thousands of passengers. remarkable rory. he's the talk of the sports world this morning. winning the u.s. open. and making some ask, tiger who? good morning. there's little relief across the southwest where wildfires are racing across bone-dried land. >> in the first half of this year, the fires have burned nearly as much land as of all last year. >> red flag warnings meaning

extreme fire risks posted over the past few days for arizona, new mexico, texas, oklahoma, colorado, kansas and also utah. >> crossing a lot of state lines. two biggest blazes are in arizona. the monument fire southwest of tucson has been called the number one priority. as it forces new evacuations. john hendren has the latest. >> reporter: drought conditions are fanning wildfires. >> we need rain. we really need rain. >> reporter: three dozen massive wildfires are blazing through ten states, burning more than 1.2 million acres. among the hardest-hit states, texas and arizona. >> it's dry out. the smallest little fire with the wind, just like today, it doesn't take long for it to spread long. >> reporter: arizona senator john mccain blamed illegal immigrants for setting the flames. but the federal spokesman there

there's denying those claims. they're battling two major wild fires that have forced thousands from their homes. >> it looked like a war zone. it really does. >> reporter: in texas, fire has closed i-45, the highway that links dallas and houston. evacuated the town of midway. about 200 homes. >> the wind and humidity aren't working in our favor. we didn't see humidity recovery until late, late last night. we didn't get as much as we thought we would. >> reporter: authorities have evacuated fire-prone regions throughout the southwest but not everyone is listening. >> we ain't leaving until the fire's in the backyard for good. when we know it's going to hit the house, we'll leave. until then, we're staying. >> reporter: in arizona, the largest fire in state's history has blackened the size of rhode island. >> from fires to flooding, in the plains, the problem is just too much water. quite the opposite, over the weekend, water broke through earthened levees this along the missouri river. in nebraska, a flooding alert was issued for a nuclear power plant.

and airports across the country, there was some roughing going. >> some scary moments on a flight from dayton, ohio, after someone made a bomb threat. the plane landed safely at reagan airport. the woman had been held in a mental facility overnight. >> at united, a computer outage disrupted hundreds of flight. united's computers were down for five hours on friday, virtually shut down the airplane. us airways began sunday morning flights there were canceled. the two airlines' computer glitches were not related. now to the war in afghanistan and to president obama's promise that the troop withdrawal will start next week. david kerley explains. >> reporter: the president has a

tough call to make this week, how many troops to bring home next month from afghanistan. with more than half of americans saying the afghanistan war is not worth the cost, the president has a tough call this follow the military's advice or a war weary public. are you surprised with the poll numbers? >> no, i'm not too surprised. i mean, i think that when you look at the situation on the ground in afghanistan, it's bleak. >> reporter: and if americans don't want to be there, it seems the afghans may not want us there. with the afghan president charging in the past several days that our 100,000 american forces are on the verge of becoming occupiers. the outgoing american ambassador blasted president karzai today, speaking for many americans. >> when i hear some of your leaders call us occupiers, and likened to the brutal enemies of the afghan people, my people in turn are confused and they grow weary of our effort here. >> reporter: but the generals say they are finally making progress, and a rapid pullout could actually jeopardize what they have done so far.

so a modest pullout. in the military's mind would be a few thousand troops. with the americans souring on the war, and bin laden now dead, some are calling for a much larger number benistan. out of the afghanistan. the u.s. admitted that it's in talks with taliban. but secretary gates said that he doesn't believe that the enemy will get serious about talks until winter and that's why he wants to keep the pressure on and troops level high. and nato now acknowledges that civilians may have been killed in a mistaken air strike on libya's capital. nine people, including two people died in the attack. the foreign minister called for a global jihad on the west in response. nato blamed the accident on a weapons system failure. u.n. goodwill ambassador angelina jolie traveled to a tiny italian island, thanking them for taking in refugees. from libya and tunisia.20,000 r

people have poured into the town. tributes are coming in for the celebrated saxophonist player clarence clemons who died this weekend. he was known as the big man. a great musician. fans have been contributing to a makeshift memorial at the stone pony. he made saxophone and rock music cool. >> isn't that the truth? every once in a while they would pop up back there at the stone pony and surprise everyone, of course. now, for this morning's weather from all around the nation. severe storms are a threat from the plains to the carolinas. tornadoes are a possibility along with hail and flash flooding. northern new england could see a few showers. dry and warmer from seattle to los angeles. >> parts of the south could swelter in record-breaking heat with temperatures ten degrees hotter than usual. boston and new york are right around 80 degrees. sacramento is warmer than usual at 87. phoenix, 101 degrees.

the president spent a little bit of quality time with his daughters on father's day. he took his daughters to an ice cream shop. about 20 blocks from the white house. >> there hasn't been an official white house briefing just yet. but an informed source that the obamas ordered vanilla and cookie dough. all right, coming up -- it's happened again. the latest hack attack against an online network, putting customer data in the wrong hands. >> and we have seen people fighting to get inside the casey anthony murder trial. the lateest in this case coming r

the bailout for greece is now on hold. while protests continue, europe's finance ministers have put off a decision until next month. but first, the greek parliament must approve spending cuts. and time for a check now of market activity starting overseas. nikkei average gained 3 points. hong kong's hang seng was lower. the nasdaq index lost 27. the u.s. luxury auto name plate could be getting a makeover. the wall street journal reports that ford will spend $1 billion to develop new vehicles for its

struggling lincoln brand. a ford official characterized it as a quote, last chance for lincoln. first, it was playstation, then nintendo, now it's sega, its online database was hacked. they stole e-mail addresses. dates of birth and pass words. but no payment information. it's not known how many users were effected. grhe box offices this weekend. the adventure stars ryan reynolds in what could be the start of a franchise. it debut at number one with $53 million in sales. and mr. popper penguins had a frosty open with only $18 million. next on this monday morning -- the deadly danger in your backyard portable pools. just as risky as in-ground pools.

he did something that even tiger woods couldn't do, golf's newest phenomenon, we've got the latest here from the open. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. keeps you from getting soft. [ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! smoky eyes look amazing, but creating them? that's a whole different story. introducing new almay intense i-color smoky-i kit. first, sweep the smoky eye color across your lid. then add the crease- accentuating shade, and a highlight under your brow. only from almay. only for me. this 4th of july, celebrate the red, white, and blue

with ocean spray cranberry, white cranberry, and blueberry juice cocktails. how did you wear this stuff growing up? it's so itchy. thou art not funny. [ fife and drum corps plays ] we get double miles on every purchase, so me and the boys earned a trip to dc twice as fast! oh hi! we get double miles every time we use our card. and since double miles add up fast... one more chariot please. ...we can bring the whole gang! i cannot tell a lie. he did it. right... it's hard to beat double miles! read my lips -- no new axes! [ male announcer ] get the venture card from capital one, and earn double miles on every purchase, every day. go to capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? so, you're a democrat right? ♪ now the healing power of touch just got more powerful. introducing precise from the makers of tylenol. precise pain relieving cream works quickly to activate sensory receptors. it helps block pain signals fast

for relief you can feel precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol. looking at the main interstate connecting dallas and houston, it's at a standstill all because of one of the many wildfires burning from texas to arizona. this fire in east texas is the biggest that region has ever seen. and now for a look at other morning road conditions, we have some flooding along i-90 from south dakota to minnesota. rain can make i-95 slippery from richmond, virginia, to raleigh, north carolina. there could be snow on i-70 west of denver. and if you're flying, airport delays are possible in kansas city, minneapolis, chicago, denver and charlotte. defense attorneys for casey anthony put more forensic experts on the stand today. in her murder trial.

>> still undecided is whether casey will testify. we have this report from orlando on the grave risks involved. >> she's a woman of many faces. the doting mother. the stone-faced defendant. the party girl on the town. the frustrated prisoner. the accused murderer crying in court. but will jurors hear from her directly? and would it help her case? >> we know from testimony that casey told her girlfriend in a car one day, "i am such a good liar." so, it's a very big risk, by putting her on the stand, if the jury says, we're just hearing another lie. >> reporter: but if she doesn't take the stand, the defense will be hard-pressed to prove their claim, that little caylee drowned. >> this is a tragedy. >> reporter: and that casey didn't tell anyone, because after years of sexual abuse, lying was second nature. >> casey was raised to lie. when casey was 8 years old and her father came into her room

and began to touch her inappropriately. >> reporter: in high-profile murder cases, the defendant almost never testifies. experts say it's just too risky. the menendez brothers spoke out, blaming killing their parents on years of abuse. >> my dad had been molesting me. >> reporter: but in the end, they were sentenced to life in prison. what do you think the odds are that she will actually testify? >> i don't think she will testify. when it comes down to it. attorneys want to save her life. >> reporter: ultimately, the decision is casey's and hers alone. at this point, none of us know what she's thinking. a senseless murder at a family-run pharmacy on new york's long island, has left four people dead. a lone gunman entered the shop, killed two workers and two customers. in what was a robbery gone wrong. among them, was a part-time

worker who was to go to the prom and graduate from high school this week. a new warning for parents and caregivers, a child dies every five days in portable pools during a warm-weather months, even in water less than 18 inches deep. the study published, in the journal of pediatrics, find that those kiddie pools are as risky as in-ground pools. one of the most uplifting stories this morning comes from utah, where a homeless man got some life-changing news over the weekend, that he's inherited a significant amount of money from his brother's will. a private eye found him on saturday, pushing a shopping cart, filled with his possessions, he won't say how much he's getting, but he was quote, in shock after getting the news. a remarkable rebound of young golfer rory mcilroy. here's espn news. good morning, this is espn news update.

the u.s. open wasn't supposed to be memorable, no tiger woods. no golfer wants to hold on to that number one ranking. but rory mcilroy changed all of that. coming into the final day at congressional, holding an member, he blew that lead at the masters. this would be a different story. first hole sends a message, buries the putt. moves to 15 under. he's got a nine-stroke lead. 10th hole, tee shot. he was doing this all weekend. unflappable. that's going to have a little movement on it and will end up two feet away from the flag. he would birdie that. moves to 17 under. still eight shots ahead of the field and the field would try to reel in this man, but there was no reeling in runaway rory. look at what he does on the 16th. three feet away, birdies that. 17 under. nine-shot lead. two shots to go.

he's going to win it. 18th hole, the second northern irishman to win a u.s. open, he does it by eight strokes. breaking the record box. yankees and cubs, top of the 8th, nick swisher at the plate. three-run shot, seventh home run for swisher. the yankees win it, 10-4. royals and cardinals. albert pujols, historically great on father's day. he would have a home run. against the royals. however, top of the sixth, he would have a run-in with wilson benedict, didn't see him coming and he injured his wrist. more on that, x-rays expected on monday. game tied at 4. skip schumacher, his first home run against left-handed pitching. cardinals win it, 5-4. this has been your espn news update. for all of the latest in the sports world, tune in on the highlights express. who's golf's newest golden

boy, rory's the youngest u.s. open champ since 1993. the golf club in his town in northern ireland, allowed him to become a member when he was just 7 years old. but his dad started taking him when he was even younger. wished him happy father's day right at the end there. >> very neat. a new sad chapter in the downward spiral of amy winehouse, the british singer's canceled concerts in turkey and greece this weekend. she took the stage in serbia an hour late, behaved very strangely, she forgot the words to songs and she was then loudly booed. winehouse recently finished another week in rehab. >> might have to go back. all right, up next -- the first lady takes her daughters on an important trip overseas. >> and also, gabby giffords begins a brand-new phase of her recovery. only subway has a deal

this flat-out delicious -- the new $3 flatbread breakfast combo. [ moos ] a toasty 6-inch flatbread breakfast sandwich and a 16-ounce cup of freshly brewed seattle's best coffee. all for just $3. [ clucks ] build a breakfast of epic proportions, like the crispalicious bacon, egg, & cheese with everything from juicy tomatoes to zesty jalapenos, for a delicious way to start your day. the new subway $3 flatbread breakfast combo. build your better breakfast today. her morning begins with arthritis pain. that's a coffee and two pills. the afternoon tour begins with more pain and more pills. the evening guests arrive. back to sore knees. back to more pills. the day is done but hang on... her doctor recommended aleve. just 2 pills can keep arthritis pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is lara who chose 2 aleve and fewer pills for a day free of pain. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels.

and fewer pills for a day free of pain. as long as there's un, you and your family ca go have fun. because banana boat blocks up to 96% of harmful uva and uvb rays. so you can go, go, go, confident you're protected from sunburn and long-term skin damage. banana boat. we'vegot you covered.

so i took my heartburn pill and some antacids. we're having mexican tonight, so another pill then? unless we eat later, then pill later? if i get a snack now, pill now? skip the snack, pill later... aghh i've got heartburn in my head. [ male announcer ] stop the madness. take prilosec otc for frequent heartburn. one pill a day. twenty-four hours. zero heartburn. no heartburn in the first place. great. [ male announcer ] use as directed for 14 days. now, a look ahead at the stories that we'll be watching on this monday -- the fierce winds that have whipped up those wildfires across the west and southwest are expected to pick up again today. bone-dried conditions are feeding the flames. little rain, if any, in the forecast. united airlines and us airways expect airways expect normal operations today, after computer outages struck both carriers causing delays. united canceled dozen of flights.

because of what it called network connectivity issue. a top libyan official is calling for a global jihad against the west after a nato air strike mistakenly killed civilians. nato blames the deadly accident on a weapon system malfunction. first lady michelle obama arrives in africa this morning, her weeklong visit will focus on youth leadership and education. she's traveling with her daughters, niece, nephew as well as her mother. congresswoman gabby giffords traveled back home to houston after a trip to arizona, she's current attending outpatient therapy in houston. miss usa alyssa campanella is the 1-year-old aspiring

actress from new jersey but calls southern california home. a look back at a legend. ♪ [ slap! slap! slap! slap! slap! ] [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. nothing works faster. ♪ tum tum tum tum tums it's me? alright emma, i know it's not your favorite but it's time for your medicine, okay? you ready? one, two, three. [ both ] ♪ emma, emma bo-bemma

♪ banana-fana-fo-femma ♪ fee-fi-fo-femma ♪ em-ma very good sweety, how do you feel? good. yeah? you did a really good job, okay? let's go back to drawing. [ female announcer ] have you ever seen a glacier while sunbathing? why not? have you ever climbed a rock wall in the middle of the ocean? or tried something really wild? why not? it's all possible in the nation of why not. royal caribbean's floating nation where you're free to do anything you want. which may be nothing at all. royal caribbean international. visit royalcaribbean.com today. introducing honey bunches of oats, raisin medley. there's nothing like it! the only cereal with 1, 2, 3 kinds of raisins and crunchy multigrain flakes. you gotta try new honey bunches of oats raisin medley.

next on abc7 news at 4:30 -- breaking news. we're live with the latest on a sunnyvale apartment fire that has been burning for hours. a critical hears hours from now that could mean the only suspect arrested in the beating attack on giants fan bryan stow will be released from jail without any charges. mike says the heat is on. >> yeah, could you feel it yesterday? it is going to get warmer. i have the warmest temperatures so far this all right. as we mentioned earlier fans are remembering the big man, sax player clarence clemons who died over the weekend. >> he was a legendary sideman and also longtime friend to

bruce springsteen, so what made their partnership so special. rob nelson reports. >> reporter: at every concert, fans relished the moment when the boss would make his final introduction. >> last but not least, secretary of the brotherhood, clarence clemons on the saxophone. >> reporter: at 6'5", 270 pounds, clarence clemons was a giant on stage. and perhaps the only thing that outshined those booming sax solos -- ♪ was the uncommon brotherhood he shared with the e street band's bruce springsteen. after almost 40 years together, bruce and the big man, as he was known, were like an old married couple. >> it's love, respect and trust. you know, three qualities that every marriage should have. and it's based on that. >> reporter: back in the '70s, a racially integrated rock band was ground-breaking. but clemons became a star in his own right, jamming with presidents and pop stars.

in a statement last night, springsteen called the loss "immeasurable. with clarence at my side, my band and i were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music." >> clarence clemons, maybe the greatest saxophone player of all time. >> reporter: fans gathered outside the legendary new jersey bar where clemons and the boss forged their bond and still treated locals to surprise concerts. fans say a springsteen concert will never be the same. but they're thankful now for the memories of a man who once simply said he was born a rock & roll sax player. rob nelson, abc news. >> he wanted to be a football player. i think we're all glad that his career -- >> that he didn't. he'll definitely be missed. >> that's what's making news in america this morning. >> stay with us for "good morning america." see you back here tomorrow morning. >> maybe theig