making news in america this morning -- >> closing arguments. after a by stoor weekend in court, the casey anthony murder trial is set to go to the jury today. then, extreme holiday weather. ile authorities around the nation prep for high temperatures, many are looking for ways to escape the heat. some even hitting the slopes. capitol concert. after a dress s hearsal in washington, d.c., celebrities are ready for one of the nation's b bghtest shows. good morning. happy fourth of july. today, casey anthony's future will rest in the hands of her jury. three years after the 2-year-old daughter she's accused of murdering went missing. the endgame is finally here. >> this case haseen talk of the nation. and it delivered on the fireworks right down to the

closing arguments. abc has the story. >> reporter: casey anthony broke down as prosecutors told the jury she suffocated her 2-year-old daughter with duct tape. prosecutors portrayed casey as a lying, selfish party girl. >> she died because her mother decided that the life that she wanted was more important. >> reporter: the defense said little caylee anthony drowned accidentally and casey's father disposed of the body, but the defense suffered a big setback, when the judge ruled that they can't bring up the allegations that he molested his daughter. >> you hate her? if you think shehe a lying, no-good slut, then you'll start to look at this evidence in a different light. you'll start to -- oh, wait a minute. maybe i'm seeing something that's not there. >> reporter: tension in the courtroom was palpable. at one point, the defense called out the prosecution for laughing. >> this laughing guy right here. >> reporter: an irate judge

immediately halted the proceedings to allow both sides to review what was a blatant violation of the policy. >> i appear to be smiling behind my hand, i apologize. >> i also apologize for getting caught up in the moment as well. >> reporter: a stiff warning from the bench. >> if it happens again, the remedy will be exclusion of that attorney from further participation. >> reporter: if convicted of first-degree murder, casey anthony could be sentenced to death. she also faces child abuse and manslaughter charges. and we're now following a developing story from baja california, mexico, a tour boat is reported singh. 44 people were onboard. mostly americans. >> an unconfirmed report says that everyone was accounted for. new york prosecutors say

they don't know how they'll proceed against dominique strauss-kahn. he's been released from house arrest. >> reporter: >> questions have surfaced about the women's credibility. an allegation a source to the accuser's legal team told abc legal team is quote a complete fabrication. exxon and montana governor disagree on a oil spill. the spilled oil floated ten miles downstream. >> the governor said that the river flows through a lot of wild country. claims that exxon is guessing. exxon said it quickly detected the spill over the weekend and shut down the leaking pipeline. >> the animals that are there, we'll continue. prince william and kate wake up in canada's prince edward island this morning. the latest stopp on their north american adventure. >> the newlyweds have enjoyed an enthusiastic welcome. but a spot of protests, too.

the bbc is traveling with the royal couple. >> reporter: sunday morning arrival into quebec. this being the heart of french-speaking canada, a church service abroad ship with hymns in french, tricky. the central of the city was under tight control by police. antimonarch protesters in the main square were being challenged by police and escorted away. if there was any argument they were arrested. in an end, a group of several hundred of demonstrators were allocated in an area some distance away. william and kate came to the city hall. the welcome from those in the square was unquestionably well. speaking in french really matters here. he thanked them for his patience with his accent. said that he hoped that they got to know each other over the years to come.

in the distance, protesters jeered. but in the square, william's words were well received. the couple got the impression, a rather fleeting one, that there are parts of canada and sections of canadian society which ararnot supportive of the crown. montreal, a small but noisy protest by people who believe the british royal family should not have a special position in canada. it was a counterpoint but not an interruption. william and kate were busy attendndg a cookery class. french cooking, of course. but the newest royal couple is now monaco's prince albert and his bride, princess charlene. they were married on saturday. during a lavish religious ceremony. charlene, an olympic swimmer from south africa, wore an armani gown. among hundreds of guests were celebrities. and political figures from around the world. >> stunning bride. also stunning reversal in

thailand's politics. voters have delivered a sweeping victory to the former prime minister who ousted in a military coupe. now his sister who leads his party is set to become the country's first female leader. it isn't clear how the military will react. > e military is grooming a new type of commander to deal with domestic disasters like hurricane katrina. the officers, would be able to lead d th active duty and national guard troops. the change could save lives on a large scale in the event of a katrina-like disaster. fire crews in the desert southwest could get a break today with wetter weather in the forecast. conditions have improved so much in new mexico, that thousands were able to go back to their los alamos homes in a week. >> officials now say that the massive fire was caused when a tree fell across power lines. about 120,000 acres have gone up in flames. very lucky that it didn't get to the los alamos lab there.

you see all of the smoke still hanging around. taking a look at this morning's fourth of july weather. we do have severe storms that can dampen the fireworks in tennessee and ohio valley. hazy and hot in charlotte, dallas. northern plains could see thunderstorms and high winds. >> phoenix cool downs to 105. new york and boston are seasonable. it's the ninth day in a row that dallas will have temperatures above 100 degrees. hotter than usual in colorado springs. seattle's in the comfortable mid 70s. and coming up -- after 39 years of service the last vietnam-era draftee finally retires. taking a look back at the end of an era of this hero. the question wasn't if transformers 3 wouou dominate the fourth of july weekend box office, but by how much? that answer and much more coming up.

u.s. markets are closed today for the july 4th holidid. but last week was their best weekekn more than two years. the dow gained 648 points. and last week's good news in the u.s. is having a positive effect overseas. tokyo's nikkei average rose 9494 points. and in london the ftse opened higher. japan's recovery from the natural disasters earlier this year could aid america's economy.

many economists feel that japanese manufacturing, the auto industry is almost back to normal. we should soon start seeing better jobs numbers possibly as soon as the june jobs reports that comes out this week. other end of the economic ladder, paychecks for big bosses are heading back up again. the ceos of 200 top companies last year averaged almost $11 million per year, that's 23% more than the year before. compared that to the average worker salary of just under $50,000. after a 0.5% increase. doesn't quite seem fair. rafael nadal wasn't the only loser at wimbledon this weekend, after 43 years, the tennis broadcast is leaving nbc and is reportedly going to espn. both espn and abc are owned by disney. there's no official confirmation. a long-lost painting by leonardo da vinci, it's savior

of the world, it shows jesus christ with one hand raised in a blessing. art experts say it could fetch more than $200 million at auction. thererwas a transformation at the box office this weekend. the latest transformers film had the biggest domestic opening of the year. this "transformers" sequel took in $97 million. and "bad teacher" was left back in third with $14 million. when we come back -- the extreme weather across the nation on this fourth of july holiday weekend. >> and a look at the men's final at the wimbledon's all england club. quite a contest here between rafael nadal and novak djokovic. you can probably tell who won. you won't believe what he did after he won.

♪ [ female announcer ] nutri-grain -- one good decision... can lead to another. ♪ ♪ with real fruit, more of the whole grains your body needs, and a good source of fiber. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. i didn't understand it. 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 less pain means, i can feel better and do more of what matters. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions

or icidal 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, including blurry vision, or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. is best absorbed in small continuous amounts. only one calcium supplement does that in one daily dose. new citracal slow release... continuously releases calcium plus d for the efficient absorption my body needs.

citracal. ♪ americans serving overseas are taking part in an independence day cerememy, this includes the soldiers here from the army's 101st airborne division. >> this particular group of soldiers was sent to afghanistan as part of the surge. due to return home next month. now for a look at morning road conditions on this holiday. flooding could cause problems on i-95 from d.c. into the carolinas. it could be stormy along i-10 from houston to tallahassee. wet along i-90 in the dakotas. and minnesota. >> and if you're flying, airport delays are possible in atlanta, miami, charlotte, memphis, st. louis, minneapolis, phoenix and las vegas. apparently a tough day for travel. look out. >> all over the place. lot of fireworks displays are canceled in the south and southwest this fourth of july. >> the reason, hot, dry weather, which means potentially dangerous fire conditions. here's abc's matt gutman.

>> reporter: wild fires like this monster still burning near los alamos county. one reason, all of the way to s dia, canceled fireworks displays. all made worse by murderous heat and drought. dangerous temps of over 110 scorched the southwest. a record 118 in phoenix. and temps 100-plus bake in california. the mississippi valley right up to chicago, where these misting units were set up. in california, they packed the beach. >> it's supposed to be near 100 today. >> reporter: in the nation's capital, they cooled off in blic pools. >> it feels good. >> reporter: and get this, on crystal mountain in washington state, so much snow pack this week, they're celebrating the summer's hottest holiday on skis. >> loft tank tops. sunglasses. people are having a great time. hopefully, applying a lot of sun screen.

>> reporter: something they expect to have here in steamy south florida, they're working an more traditional celebration. >> the work is very hard. but hearing everyone cheer that makes it all worth well. >> reporter: matt gutman, abc news. a budget impasse shut down minnesota's government and public parks are closed this weekend. the minnesota zoo will stay open for the fourth of july after its ceo convinced a judge it can operate without government money for now. in all 22,000 state workers have been laid off. near syracuse, new york, a motorcycle rider died when he lost control of his bike and hit his head on the pavement. the tragic irony, he was taking part in a rally aimed at protesting helmet laws. troopers said that he would have been alive had he been wearing a helmet. other riders insists that riders should be allowed to choose whether they wear one. the u.s. army's losing a piece of its history. the last active soldier drafted during vietnam is now retiring.

commander sergeant major jeffrey mellinger was drafted in 1972. he thought that president nixon had personally written his notification letter. he went on parac3700 parachute. he was also the senior enlisted soldier in iraq and survived 27 roadside bombs. >> amazing career. >> incredible. moving on to sports now, novak djokovic is now the number one ranked men's tennis player in the world. he takes over the top spot from rafael nadal, the man he beat in the men's singles yesterday. >> what a game and what a finish. and then he ate the grass. djokovic was already assured of the number ranking even before he won at the all england club. it's been a stellar year for the 24-year-old serb. winning eight titles so far. a look at the rest of sunday sports highlights. at happened back here across the pond. for that we turn to espn's don bell. the final day of interleague play in baseball. yankees and mets.

jose reyes, out with an injury. bottom of the ninth, mets down, 2-1 marrian owe rivera looking for the close, but paulino drives in a run. pena, gardner comes up throwing. and, lucas duda. dead at the dish. so, we're headed to extras. two on, two out. everybody is safe. bases loaded for the mets. next batter now, it's pena. the mets win in walk-off fashion. 3-2 is your final score in 10. cliff lee and the phillies taking on the blue jays. cliff lee, 43 consecutive shutout innings. bottom of the eighth. 4-3, phils. that's a solo home run.

next batter, jose bautista, get up and get gone. 27th home run of the season. the jays go ahead 5-4. two batters later, edward encarcion. jays go on to win it, 7-4. >> that will do it for this espn news update. i'm don bell. coming up next -- the stories that we'll be following later today. the nation marks its 235 birthday. we're looking good for being 235 years old. >> that means it's time for the annual nathan's annual hot dog eating contest at coney island. we'll be right back. we'll be right back. the stronger the rapids, the more we loved it. took some wild risks when i was young. but i was still taking a risk with my cholesterol. anyone with high cholesterol may be at increased risk of heart attack. diet and exercise weren't enough for me. i stopped kidding myself.

i've been eating healthier, exercising more, and now i'm also taking lipitor. if you've been kidding yourself about high cholesterol, stop. along with diet, lipitor has been shown to lower bad cholesterol 39 to 60 percent. lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. [ female announcer ] lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. lets go... haha. if you have high cholesterol, you may be at increased risk of heart attack and stroke. don't kid yourself. talk to your doctor about your risk and about lipitor.

you can do this... get the ball, girl. hmmm, you can't do that. but you can do this. bengay pain relief + massage with penetrating nubs plus the powerful pain relief of bengay. love the nubs! with penetrating nubs plus the powerful pain relief of bengay. after your dishcloth? bounty extra soft can help. in this lab test bounty extra soft leaves this surface three times cleaner than a dishcloth. super clean. super soft. bounty extra soft. in the pink pack. why should i choose you? well, i'm your wife, and you need a ride to chili's. hey, you're good. who will you take to chili's $20 dinner for two? try our slow-smoked baby back ribs. ♪ chili's $20 for two ♪

now, a look ahead at the stories we'll be watching this monday. jurors in the casey anthony murder trial will get instructions from the judge and then begin deciding whether she's guilty of murdering her daughter. amanda knox, the american student convict d of murdering a roommate in italy, faces more legal challenges. she's trying to stop a distribution of a made for tv movie and her parents are in another courtroom accused of slander. americans everywhere will celebrate independence day with picnics and parades. >> wherever there's parade,

there will be a political cacaidates. today, gop presidential hopefuls will be marching in new hampshire and iowa. michele bachmann and newt gingrich will be in iowa. 300 people are taking part in naturalizational citizenship ceremony in seaworld, orlando, florida. the men and women will each have their own competition. the president of major league eating says, it's because so many women wanted to take part. coming up later on "good one of most dangerous sports in the world, free-'s diving into r that's diving into water as deep as possible on a single breath and completing a race course. taken to the next level with propelling scooters. for some of you your local news is next. and for everyone else, we'll be back with preparations for

one of the great fourth of july celebrations. greatest to fireworks displays. g. ave internal plumbi. but for some of us with overactive bladder, our pipes just don't work as well as they should. sometimes, i worry my pipes might leak. but i learned there's something more i can do. now, i take care with vesicare. once-daily vesicare can help control your bladder muscle and is proven to treat overactive bladder with symptoms of frequent urges and leaks day and night. if you have certain stomach or glaucoma problems, or trouble emptying your bladder, do not take vesicare.

vesicare may cause allergic reactions that may be serious. if you experience swelling of the face, lips, throat or tongue, stop taking vesicare and get emergency help. tell your doctor right away if you have severe abdominal pain, or become constipated for three or more days. vesicare may cause blurred vision, so use caution while driving or doing unsafe tasks. common side effects are dry mouth, constipation, and indigestion. so why wait ? ask your doctor today... ... about taking care with vesicare. discover aveeno positively radiant tinted moisturizers with scientifically proven soy complex give you sheer coverage instantly, then go on to evev skin tone in four weeks. aveeno tinted moisturizers.

up next at 4:30. civic center bart station will reopen at 8:00 this morning hours after bart police shot a man. a small plane makes an emergency landing on a bay area freeway. how authorities removed that plane coming up. mike will have the forecast. >> it looks like it's still going to be hot today. we have more heat in the forecast before a big time cooling tre and finally, one of the biggest parties takes place in washington, d.c., a star-studded concert is set for the capitol

lawn tomorrow night. >> but visitors didn't have to wait until then to be entertained. dress rehearsals were already under way on sunday. wjal in washington has more. >> welcome, america! >> reporter: even jimmy smits this year's host is already anticipating the fireworks. the third-time host said that the chills he gets being in thu is unlike anything else. >> to think about what the founding fathers put forward when they first wrote that document and what it all means and when you see the young people that come from walter reed and bethesda, that have made sacrifices to keep those words potent in our minds it's just -- it puts it all in perspective for it.

>> reporter: he's headlining the tribute to america with special guests, steve martin and josh groban, morning others. it's the sweet sounds that brought this family up for the weekend. >> to not go to the concert on the fourth of july would be insane not to do it. >> we heard a lot of good ststf about it. it's fun and exciting. >> it's wonderful. it's a great cultural thing to see. there's so much diversity and it's just overwhelming. >> reporter: for parents, a little living history. for kids, a chance for fun. >> i want to see the fireworks. >> reporter: how come? >> because i like the colors and how they explode in the sky. >> do you think we'll be able to see fireworks from the studio? >> because we'll be working. we'll enjoy it w wh everybodody else. that's what's making news in america this morni