making news in america this morning -- the worst-ever outbreak. >> of west nile virus, that is. new measures are being put in place to battle it this morning. also, looking for clues on what made a man walk into a washington office building and opening fire on a security guard. that guard now being called a hero. and wasting no time. thousands of young immigrants here illegally, line up coast-to-coast, all to get their hands on a temporary work permit. and big questions this morning. where is the winner in last night's big powerball lottery? he or she or they might be out there right now. good morning. i'm john muller. rob nelson is off this week. >> and i'm paula faris. we're going to get to those stories in just a moment.

but we begin this thursday morning with breaking news. a passenger jet diverted to an airport in iceland, reportedly because of a bomb threat. the flight in question took off from new york's jfk and was bound for moscow. >> a spokesman for the russian airline says the plane diverted the flight to iceland, after an anonymous caller claimed there was an explosive device onboard. that call coming in after the plane was already in the air. we'll have all of the latest details later on "good morning america." and now, to the killer west nile virus that is spreading across the country rampantly. turning up in 43 states and zeroing in on texas. the dallas area has been plagued with more than 200 cases of west nile and at least 10 fatalities. >> the city is now in attack mode. they're gearing up to begin aerial spraying for the first time in decades. abc's paul beban joins us, now, with the very latest. good morning, paul. >> reporter: good morning. in dallas, the situation is so

bad, the mayor has declared a state of emergency. >> just a killer, killer headache. just makes me feel like somebody has an ax in my head. it hurts really bad. >> reporter: that's how kathryn deville describes the pain of west nile virus. two weeks ago, the 42-year-old was in good health. but that's when her flu-like symptoms turned into something much worse. >> when i came in thursday for the spinal tap, i was like delirious and couldn't function. >> reporter: west nile usually affects the elderly or unhealthy. in fact, most people never even know they have it. some 80% experience no symptoms at all. 20% end up with a mix of high fever, headache, joint paint, vomiting and diarrhea. about 1% of the time the virus can be deadly, when it attacks the brain and spinal cord.

nationwide, the cdc reports 693 cases so far this year. 26 of them fatal. controversial aerial spraying is set to begin in and around dallas as early as tonight. the first time they've done that since 1966. >> i'm in a tight window because we have people dying. we have to have a sense of urgency to get this done now. that's the most important thing. >> reporter: texas is ground zero for this summer's outbreak. the state reporting half the nation's cases. >> anywhere you go, pretty much, they're everywhere. always biting. >> reporter: health officials everywhere are urging people to use mosquito repellent whenever they're outdoors. even if there is mosquito spraying in your area, they can't possibly kill them all. john and paula? >> paul beban, we thank you for that report. >> and they say 60% of the people who contract the virus can carry neurologic symptoms for five years. >> 80% of people can get it, no symptoms. >> that is good. moving to politics. president obama is back at the white house after a three-day bus tour in iowa. the first lady made a rare

appearance with her husband in dubuque. the president won in iowa in 2008. but polls show the race with mitt romney is very close in the state. mr. obama continued to hammer away at the republican plan to overhaul medicare. mitt romney, meantime, is charging that the obama campaign is fueled by, quote, division and attack and hatred, unquote. romney and his running mate, paul ryan, are going on the offensive about medicare. invited public scrutiny of their ideas. ryan proposed a plan that would replace medicare with a voucher-like program. investigators will be looking for clues this morning into the shooting at a conservative group's washington headquarters. police say a gunman entered the family research council's office yesterday, striking a security guard. floyd corkins may have said something about the group's policies before that shooting. >> we don't know enough yet about him or his circumstances to be able to determine his connection to this group or to the business or what he's -- mentally what he's doing or thinking. >> the security officer here is a hero, as far as i'm concerned.

he did his job. the person never made it past -- farther than the front door. >> the guard, leo johnson, was conscious and breathing after the shooting. he's said to be doing well at a washington area hospital. thousands of young immigrants in this country illegally, have lined up for a chance at working papers. >> the government estimates 1 million people will sign up for the program. the vast majority would be eligible for the program. abc's brandi hitt explains the program for us this morning. >> reporter: good morning, paula and john. young immigrants are not wasting any time. they waited hours in line, to start filling out applications. sharing some smiles and even some tears. thousands lined up in los angeles, waited hours in houston and camped out in chicago, for this moment. >> it's amazing. it feels like a dream. >> reporter: young, illegal immigrants from across the country are applying for new deferred action permits, to avoid deportation while obtaining a temporary work

permit. >> this is my country. this is my home. this is where i've grown. >> reporter: michael rosario came to the u.s. from mexico when he was 3 years old and is among the 1.7 million immigrants who qualify under this criteria. applicants must be under the age of 31, have arrived in the u.s. before age 16, and have no felony convictions. they must be a student, a high school graduate, have military service or a g.e.d. and proof of identity. the price tag to apply for the two-year extension is $465. >> this is a small step to getting us to the longer goal of immigration reform. >> reporter: president obama signed the executive order for the program in june, after the dream act failed to pass through congress. >> it is the right thing to do. >> reporter: back then, mitt romney said it was a short-term ploy for votes in november. >> i think you do what's right for the country. and you don't make policy based upon politics. >> reporter: that doesn't matter to these dreamers, who they say

are excited to tell their parents they can stop hiding. >> they can't wait until my work permit comes out. i'm hoping everything goes well. >> reporter: this marks the start of the application process. and each will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. john and paula, back to you. >> brandi, thank you. opponents are expected to file an appeal within days now that a judge has upheld pennsylvania's controversial new voter i.d. law. the republican-backed law requires all voters to show a valid i.d. democrats argue it will make it difficult or maybe impossible for thousands of people to vote. the trial for an army psychologist charged in the deadly ft. hood shooting is on hold. an appeals court is considering major hasan's objection to having his beard forcibly shaved. army officials say it violates regulations. and there's been more courtroom drama in the drew peterson murder trial. the judge in the case, again blasting prosecutors for doing

something he instructed them not to do. this time, the forensic pathologist was told not to discuss anything about the bathtub where the victim, peterson's third wife, kathleen savio, was found. but the pathologist did just that. quickly, there was one and only one jackpot winner in last night's $337 million powerball lottery. >> we know the lucky ticket was sold at a gas station in le pierre, michigan, near flint. we'll have more on the big drawing, coming up on "america this morning." >> can you imagine? >> yes, i can. time, now, for the weather across the nation. gusty winds, hail, flash floods, all around grand rapids, chicago, indianapolis, st. louis and tulsa. showers in oklahoma city, north texas and the gulf coast. thunderstorms in the southwest. heating up in the pacific northwest. >> 89 in seattle. 96 in portland. 90s from albuquerque to miami. 80s in the northeast. fall-like from fargo to minneapolis. only getting up to the 60s. i love fall weather. >> get the football ready.

i'm with you. coming up, a new way to pay at some major retailers. and the companies paying their ceos more than they pay in taxes. business is next. plus, a historymaking day in sports. mr. perfect in seattle. and the end of futility

welcome back, everyone. some big american companies are paying more to their ceos than they do to uncle sam in taxes. the institute for policy study says the list includes at&t, boeing and citigroup.

now, the 26 companies named by the group paid their ceos an average of more than $20 million last year while paid little or no federal tax on the same profits. the new look on the economy is one of the weakest since the great depression. while this recovery officially began in june 2009, the a.p. announces that unemployment has never been this high, this long, after a recession. and consumer spending and job growth are lagging badly. major retailers are joining forces to give you a new way to pay. companies including walmart, best buy, cvs and 7-eleven, say they're forming a payment network to let customers pay for purchases using, what else? their smartphones. and pilots for american airlines have won a temporary victory. a federal bankruptcy judge has stopped the airline from tossing out its contracts with union pilots that would have allowed american to slash their pay.

now, american, struggling to regroup from bankruptcy, says it will try again to cancel the contracts. ebay pulling a disappearing act an online wizardry. the online giant is banning the sale of love potions and the like. and psychic readings are out on ebay, all effective at the end of the month. i never knew they existed. i guess they're quite popular. >> love potions? really? >> love potion number nine. >> i didn't know those were for sale. >> put them in your coffee. you're all set. how many times does this happen to you? you sit down to enjoy a nice dinner at a restaurant and people pull out cell phones and start texting. >> a restaurant in los angeles, is offering 5% to all customers who leave their cell phones with the staff when they are seated. the owner says it's about creating an environment where people connect with each other instead of their devices. >> how often do you see that? >> very rude. >> yes, it is. when we come back, an update on the western wildfires. some new helping hands on the fire lines.

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phoenix is finally cooling down today to a more seasonable 102 degrees. but the haze may continue to cause problems. a blanket of dust and pollution that covered the city was so thick, it triggered flight delays at sky harbor airport. visibility was reduced to about two miles. >> 102, feels like a coast blast there. now, for a look at morning road conditions. drivers could face flash flooding from michigan to kentucky and oklahoma. showers could make for a slick ride from jacksonville to new orleans. wet roads on parts of the southwest. >> if you're flying, weather-related airport delays possible in chicago, detroit and phoenix. and another day of extreme heat out west will bring no relief to those battling the wildfires. 63 major fires are burning in a

dozen states this morning. and the number of acres burned is at a ten-year high. >> hundreds of people have been evacuated. some desperate to return home for needed medications after days away. animals have also been displaced. the season of wildfires is on track to be one of the worst in the west in decades. and california firefighters are getting a hand from the navy and the marines. three navy helicopters are dousing the flames in san diego county while other aircraft are helping to transport crews. state fire crews and military holding joint training every may at camp pendleton. some people in the news this morning, beginning with britain's prince philip who spent is night in a scottish hospital for a bladder infection. queen elizabeth's husband, who is 91, is expected to be released in a few days. this same problem forced him to spend five days in the hospital back in june. and michael j. fox is reportedly returning to the small screen in another leading role. sources say that the 51-year-old actor will star in a comedy

set to debut next year. after starring in "family ties" and "spin city," fox was diagnosed with parkinson's disease in 1991. he said a new drug regimen is helping him to take on more acting roles. now, sports and the history we mentioned earlier. details from espn. >> welcome to your "sportscenter" update. i'm jorge andres. a historic day for felix hernandez of the mariners. taking on the rays. top one, sam fuld. taking hernandez deep to right center. thames, right place, right time. making a running catch. top second, now. getting evan longoria to strike out. in the fourth, mariners lead 1-0. matt joyce, not so much. king felix, hot as of late, as he won his last six decisions. go to the sixth inning, two outs. sean rodriguez at the dish. not so much. all king felix's strikeouts came on offspeed pitches. top eight.

1-0, two out. pena swinging. hernandez strikes out the side. perfect through eight. let's go to the ninth inning. two outs. still 1-0. hernandez, a strike away from perfection. sean rodriguez, the victim. looking. a perfect game for felix. the third perfect game this season in major league baseball. the mariners go on to win 1-0. some soccer. the united states at azteca visiting mexico in a friendly. 80th minute, the backfield pass. it's michael orozco. the mexican-american with his first career goal with team usa. 98th minute, tim howard, making the save on hernandez. that would do it. the united states wins in mexico for the first time in 25 games. and don't forget, soccer fans, arsenal taking on

sunderland, 9:50 a.m. eastern time saturday on espn. it's been a summer of sharks in cape cod, massachusetts. a group of fishermen came across a ten-foot-long shark. probably a great white about three miles from shore. >> and they say the shark didn't seem to mind that they followed it for about 15 minutes. i'd get out of here. a scottish sailor says this photograph shows the loch ness monster for real. he saw the shape swimming for about ten minutes and then diving under the water. >> people have been trying to prove the loch ness monster exists for centuries. we'll have a lot more coming up on "good morning america." one of these days we'll get an exclusive with the loch ness monster. >> yes. up next, "the pulse." more details on the powerful jackpot and the lucky ticket out there right now. and by candlelight, remembering the king on the 35th anniversary of his death. mmmm, just how satisfying is every spoonful

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layered on top of beautyrest pocketed coils to promote proper sleeping posture all night long. the revolutionary recharge sleep system... from beautyrest. it's you, fully charged. time to check "the pulse," stories you'll be talking about today. and everyone else will be talking about powerball and who has the winning ticket. >> money, money, money. the jackpot ended up at a jaw-dropping $337 million. and we know there was at least one winning ticket in last night's drawing. it was sold at a gas station in le pierre, michigan, east of

flint. eight other tickets matching five numbers. but not the powerball. >> the winning numbers, 56, 27, 46, 6, 51, and the powerball, 21. perhaps the big winner would like to drive off in an elegant antique. maybe a 1936 mercedes-benz roadster. one of those is expected to fetch a record price when it goes on the auction block sunday. >> the benz was found in a connecticut barn after the owner died in 1989. it sat untouched for three decades. the experts called it the automotive equivalent of a picasso. could bring up to $16 million when it's up for bid. she's a beauty. today's the 35th anniversary of the death of elvis presley. presley's wife priscilla and lisa marie made a surprise appearance at a candlelight vigil at graceland. >> as many as 75,000 fans expected from all over the world for the vigil. the city of memphis hosts every year to mark elvis' death. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll be right back.

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next, a team from petaluma it quested to to win the little league world series. >> san francisco ethics commission will make its recommendation on whether ross mirkarimi should keep his job. more sunshine warmer today, update on whether any of those storms with will wander our and along the gulf coast. storms from grand rapids to louisville and tulsa. thunderstorms in the southwest and warm temps in the pacific northwest. it's why pilots say stay

strapped in our seats at all times. air turbulence can cause real injuries. >> abc's senior national correspondent jim avila bravely and courageously tested it out. >> reporter: it happens more than 70,000 times a year. pilot-reported moderate to severe turbulence. unstable air, caused by colliding winds and temperature change. three-quarters of all weather-related accidents caused by rough air, shaking up the cockpit and cabin. this is why the flight attendants are always pestering you to keep your seatbelts on. in-flight turbulence causes more injuries in the air than anything else. and airlines don't like it either. it's expensive, costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars per incident. our wild ride has just begun. i think we got one. i'm going to sit down. rough weather rarely brings a plane down. but it does cause a dozen serious injuries and $500 million in damage and delays a year. this turbulence animation shows how the unbelted can achieve weightlessness.

now, a breakthrough. for the first time, a new 3d radar installed in business and soon fleets of commercial jets. southwest already has it in 19 planes. it will allow pilots to spot lightning, hail and the bumps from more than 60 miles away. >> what it gives me is the information to make a better decision sooner. >> reporter: honeywell, the makers of the new radar, intentionally flew us into rough weather over north carolina. >> we are directly facing this. i know that there is hail, there's lightning. >> reporter: clouds billowing, cabin shaking, to demonstrate the new radar screen that actually identifies lightning cells and hail, flashing bright icons pilots cannot miss. >> it allows me to concentrate on deciding where to go, to have the smoothest, safest ride. >> reporter: here's to smoother flights. i'm going to sit down. jim avila, abc news, over wilmington, north carolina. >> taking one for the team, jim. >> he's got a tough stomach. that's what's making news in america this morning. >> stay with us for "good morning america." and have a great thursday.