breaking right now, severe storms on the move. >> multiple tornadoes touching down overnight. new video and details just coming in from the heartland. and in the west, new brush fires burning keep firefighters on the front lines throughout the night. caught on camera. an explosive train derailment causing nearby buildings to fall sending black smoke high in the air. this morning the search for the cause. speeding showdown. outrage on justin bieber's mansion-lined street as the ferrari blew by neighborhood kids and a star takes action. the new signs of boston strong. smiles at fenway park. and dreams come true at a high school prom.

good wednesday morning, everyone. we begin with the wild weather battering much of the country whipping through city after city with floods, dust and destructive tornadoes. >> and it's not over yet. another batch of severe storms is on tap today sweeping in from texas all the way to the upper midwest. abc's devin dwyer has the latest. >> reporter: raging california brush fires, extreme midwest floods, and dangerous tornadoes churning across the plains. an outbreak of extreme weather is sweeping across america. overnight, 20 reports of tornadoes from texas to michigan. [ sirens ] in flint, homes were destroyed, and trees snapped in half. a massive twister in kansas demolished buildings and tossed farm equipment like toys. and this is what one twister looked like from the inside, storm chasers revealing its deadly and destructive power. in california, dry conditions

and high winds are fueling brush fires. this one north of los angeles threatening an amusement park. >> anything that's burning at all like grasses, anything like that, we want to hop right on that. >> reporter: meanwhile, iowa is suffering from too much rain. most of its rivers now at risk of floods. workers in one county used pumps to shoot water through the air to keep this road clear. but the waters rose so fast in some places, it turned homes into islands. >> we knew we couldn't get out because the road was gone, and if we'd tried, we probably would have ended up part of the lake. >> reporter: the threat of severe weather today stretches from texas to minnesota and east to new york. more than 66 million americans are in its path. devin dwyer, abc news. >> devin, thank you. for more we turn to accuweather. >> meteorologist jim dickey shows us where we can expect to see the worst of it. >> good morning, john and diana. dangerous thunderstorms expected in the plains, once again, here

today tracking a pocket of cold air sliding into the four corners running into the warm humid air in places across the southeast. in the plains, right in that collision zone. in particular watching dodge city down on through the panhandles of texas and oklahoma, that's the highest chance of tornadoes but a t despread threa include kansas city, omaha up on into minneapolis. john and diana, back to you. >> all right, thanks, jim. you can count on the "gma" team to have the very latest information on this powerful overnight storm. this morning federal investigators will be back on the scene of a train derailment near baltimore. this happened after it collided with a garbage truck and exploded in a massive fireball. david kerley has the details. >> reporter: the train burst into flames after derailing, but as the fire intensifies watch this massive explosion. >> back up. >> reporter: two warehouses had their walls shredded, windows blown out in the surrounding area. people in a 20-block area told to stay away. >> i thought it was an earthquake because the house shook. it wasn't just like a normal boom.

>> when it went, i mean it knocked me down and my two other co-workers. >> reporter: here it is again, and that only intensified the fire. officials say a garbage truck that hauls dumpsters hit the train. the rail company says there are no dangerous inhalants. the cars carry acid. another car is filled with a hazardous chemical that can be exclusive. in missouri a train took out the supports for an overpass and rail lines snake through every major city and many neighborhoods. david kerley, abc news, rosedale, maryland. disneyland in california will be open for business as usual today following something of a scare. the area called mickey's toontown was evacuated yesterday after a small explosion in a trash can. police believe it was caused by dry ice in a bottle. no injuries or damages were caused. disney is the parent company of abc news. federal prosecutors have arrested seven people in what's being called the biggest international money

laundering scheme ever. they are accused of running an under world bank that handled $6 billi billion, mostly for drug dealers, identity thieves and child pornographers among others. this company based in costa rico run by an american, arrests made in new york, costa rica and spain. two staffers from the american embassy in venezuela are recovering after being shot. the shooting took place outside a strip club early yesterday after a fight broke out. the staffers haven't been identified. so far, police made no arrests. a developing story from mexico now where an american mother of seven is under arrest on suspicion of drug smuggling. 42-year-old yannira maldonado and her husband were on a bus back to arizona last week when mexican authorities say she attempted to bring 12 pounds of mar juan into the u.s. her family is convinced she's being framed. >> i'm 100% positive that she is innocent. she wouldn't have anything to do with illegal activities of any kind. >> he also claims mexican police were out for bribes.

authorities will present their evidence against her today and a judge will decide if she will be tried on friday. president obama and new jersey governor chris christie didn't have a perfect beach day for their return to the jersey shore, but a little rain didn't dampen their spirits. thye checked out the progress made since their last visit and abc's marci gonzalez was there. [ applause ] >> reporter: president obama alongside new jersey governor chris christie touring some of what's been rebuilt since superstorm sandy slammed into this area seven months ago. leaving behind $38 billion in damage in this state alone. >> you are stronger than the storm. after all you've dealt with, after all you've been through, the jersey shore is back, and it is open for business. >> reporter: back as the president promised it would be when he first toured the devastation last year. many of the boardwalks rebuilt, businesses re-opened. >> oh, my. >> reporter: and while many are thrilled that these beachside communities are recovering in

time for the busy summer season, there is still a lot of work left to do. >> for somebody who hasn't seen their home rebuilt yet or is still trying to get their business up and running again, after all those losses, we don't want them to think that somehow we checked the box and moved on. that's part of the reason i came back, to let people know we're going to keep on going until we finish. >> reporter: marci gonzalez, abc news, asbury park, new jersey. still to come thinking about putting your house on the market, we have some encouraging news. a teenager credited with averting another columbine. hear what he says tipped him off. but first, jcpenney's unusual ad. what do you see when you look at this?

it seems americans are in a home buying mood as home prices see the biggest boost in years. in april they jumped nearly 11% from the year before and that's the largest gain in nearly seven years. phoenix, san francisco and las vegas had the biggest price jumps with increases of more than 20%. >> well, that big news from the housing market and word that consumer confidence is at a five-year high propelled the dow to a fresh new high. it'll open at a record 15,409 after gaining 106 points yesterday. other indices up, as well. if you want to make money on wall street, turns out the day of the week to do it is tuesday. yesterday was the 20th tuesday in a row that the dow closed higher. while some analysts say this is just a coincidence, numbers show that over the past decade tuesday has been the best trading day of the week.

>> how about that. kellogg's agreed to pay a $4 million settlement in a class action suit over false advertising for frosted mini wheats. the company claimed the cereal improved children's cognitive functions. if approved the payout will be up to nearly three boxes of cereal. lance armstrong's admission he used performance enhancing drugs cost his charity a major sponsorship. nike will no longer make livestrong branded shoes or clothing, however, nike will directly contribute to the cancer foundation started back by armstrong in 1977. more moms are the sole bread winners. in 1960 they were the main source of income in just 11% of households. in a new pew study released overnight that number is now 40%. most of those families are headed though by single moms. >> all right this, is a strange one. take a look. there's the jcpenney billboard, it's a new one, and it advertises a new teapot.

but take another look here. that's not what most people see. they say this thing oddly looks like hitler. upon closer inspection, it still kind of does. jcpenney responded to the controversy on twitter saying it was unintended. and if they had designed a teapot to look like anything, they would have gone with a puppy. definitely a better call. >> when we did the tease, you said teapot. i thought it looked like a stick figure. >> i thought it was a teapot but when you look at it -- >> you look at the shaded one, i can kind of see that. >> a little bit. >> all right. see, there it is. i can kind of see that. at first glance really quickly. when we come back, they say they didn't think it was a big deal. parents under fire -- listen to this -- putting their daughter in a dog cage in the bed of their pickup truck. >> not good. plus, taking the phrase "pony up to the bar" to a whole new level. with greek nonfat yogurt, loaded with protein 0% fat that thick creamy texture, i was in trouble. look i'm in a committed relationship with activia and i've been happy and so has my digestive system.

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here to take your lettuce from drab to fab with new lean cuisine salad additions. just byol. first, thaw your dressing. next, steam your grilled chicken and veggies. then, dress it. add your crunchy toppings. and voila. enjoy. updating our top story now, millions of americans are bracing for another day of severe weather. after a powerful line of storms whipped across the center of the country, there were 20 reports

of tornadoes yesterday alone from texas to michigan. northern kansas bore the brunt of it getting slammed by several twisters that flattened a number of buildings. al right. checking out your road conditions, things could be difficult across the storm zone today and there will be showers and thunderstorms in both florida and the pacific northwest. if you're flying expect airport delays in kansas city, chicago, detroit, boston and minneapolis. new details about the plot to blow up an oregon high school and the person who tipped off police. >> 17-year-old grant acord made his first court appearance yesterday by video. police say they found chilling plans for an attack hidden with the bombs in his bedroom. acord allegedly wanted to blast music from his car, throw bombs throughout the school and then begin shooting. several students say they heard acord talking about the explosives but only one of them told his mother and she called 911. >> the tipping point for me was when i was, you know, just

worried about being in school, and i thought at that point, okay, this school is supposed to be a safe, secure environment. i should not have to worry about this kind of stuff. >> acord is being held on $2 million bail. friends are calling truman templeton, the person you just heard there, a hero for speaking up. a pennsylvania couple is facing child endangerment charges after letting their daughter ride in a cage with a dog in the back of the pickup truck. they were arrested when horrified drivers spotted the 10-year-old girl in the crate. the couple said the dog was making a fuss so they put their daughter in the back to help calm the dog down. >> i don't want the dog to suffer. that's animal cruelty to me. you know, i mean the dog crying like that. >> i just didn't think it would be an issue. >> i don't want the dog to suffer. >> all right. well, the father said there were two straps holding down cage. he insists he would never hurt his daughter. she's now in the custody of grandma. place say an autopsy will be needed to determine why a former college football star has been found dead. cullen finnerty was 30 years old. he quarterbacked grand valley

state university to three division 3 national titles between 2003 and 2006. dozens of the school's players went to try to help find him. finnerty's body was found last night in the woods in central michigan. his family suspects he may have suffered from some sort of mental episode before he disappeared on sunday. authorities don't believe any foul play was involved. well, some of the news from the top of the world this morning. 80-year-old japanese climber yuichiro miura remains the oldest person ever to reach the summit of mt. everest, and that's because an 81-year-old man from nepal was forced to abandon his summit attempt due to some bad weather. it all comes 60 years to the date after sir edmund hillary became the first man to conquer the mountain. this morning's sports update tells you all you need to know about last night's playoff action. here's espn. welcome to your "sportscenter" update. i'm jorge andres. game four of the eastern conference finals, miami heat against the indiana pacers, miami putting their postseason

road record of 5-0 on the line. pick it up, roy hibbert, the put-back. 23 points, 12 boards for him. 11th career postseason double-double. later lance getting the tough runner to fall. outscoring pacers in the paint, lebron james called for the foul. fouls out for the first time since last year's game four in the conference finals. 30 seconds to go. d. wade called for traveling and that would do it. the pacers, they go on to win it, 99-92. the series now tied at 2 apiece. to the ice we go. western conference semifinal game seven, sharks against the kings. kings on the rush. anze kopitar finding williams back door. he finds the back of the net. we've got five goals and four career game seven appearances. second goal of the game for him. third period is where we go. same score. sharks give the puck up to dan boyle. boyle ripping the slapshot and scored. take another look right through traffic. light the lamp and the sharks within one.

so under two minutes to play, same score, grabbing the loose puck, gets the shot to go but, quick, again, the great glove save. the kings, they win it 2-1 and advance to the conference finals. that's your "sportscenter" update. i'm jorge andres. have a great day. a unique outing for a guy and his pet pony. >> take a look at this video of a man and his pal wandering through a rhode island liquor store. apparently this wasn't a problem until the pony decided that he had to literally go right there on the floor. the owner got a little upset after being saddled with the mess. >> not something you want in your liquor store. >> what is a pony doing in the liquor store? >> coming up next -- "the pulse," police on a chat with justin bieber but he may be more afraid of the neighbor he faced at his front door. mash-up of two tweet treats. what in the world is a cronut? we'll have the answer next. in a sunshine state of mind?

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♪ as long as you love me we could be starving we could be homeless we could be broke ♪ time for "the pulse." this morning, there is no love for the biebs in his neighborhood. >> that's right. his own neighbors say he did something ingerous and now the l.a. sheriff's department is investigating. bieber is accused of racing through the gates of his community community in his ferrari close to children on the sidewalk. it got so heated that another high-profile neighbor took some action. >> yeah. former nfl star keyshawn johnson gave chase in his prius. johnson followed him to his house banging on his car window but bieber kept the window up and then scurried into his home. >> uh-huh. all right, the president had some explaining to do last night. take a look at the reason why. >> he stepped to the podium at the white house event, and he's even pointing at it. huge lipstick smear on his shirt collar. >> hello. >> but he had a good explanation. >> auntie, right there.

look at this. look at this. i just want everybody to witness. so i do not want to be in trouble with michelle. that's why i'm calling you out. right in front of everybody. >> nice stain there. the auntie he threw under the bus practically is aunt of "american idol" runner-up jessica sanchez. >> good call. nipping it in the bud. >> good idea, mr. president. move over, cupcakes. there's a new sweet treat taking over new york city. take a look at this. the cronut. >> this is insane. a croissant doughnut hybrid created by a bakery in manhattan. only 200 of the tasty treats are made every day leading to crazy long lines and scalping. some new yorkers paying up to 40 bucks for the $5 treat. >> wow. if you're lucky enough to get your paws on one, here's a few tips from the chef. use a serrated knife and eat it immediately. this delicate delicacy

only has a six-hour shelf life. >> please send a box to "america this morning" in care of john and diana. west 56th street. >> finally some free expression two-wheeled style is the only reason that we need it -- just needed to make it our "play of the day" and we warn you, you don't want to try this at home. >> urban freestyle bike rider tim noll does his thing. amazing. some of the coolest stuff you can do on a bike. >> flip, handstand, twirls, whatever else he is doing is stuff of legend. one blogger says he's so good most people trying to copy his stuff are still having trouble because noll perfected this stuff years ago, and no one has been able to come close. >> this guy would have been a champion diver, gymnast, whatever he decided to do. >> what he decides to do is bikes. >> probably make a lot more money than the bike thing. >> now he's been featured on national television. >> put him in a james bond movie. i want to see him go under those trucks again. >> he's going to do like an energy drink -- look at this guy. >> makes the new york city delivery guys look a little

lame. i thought they were pretty good until i saw him. >> not so exciting. >> for many so of you, local news is next. [ female announcer ] only aveeno® has an active naturals total soy formula that instantly brightens skin. and helps reduce the look of brown spots in just 4 weeks. for healthy radiant skin. try it for a month. then go ahead and try to spot a spot. aveeno® positively radiant. naturally beautiful results. here to take your lettuce from drab to fab with new lean cuisine salad additions. just byol. first, thaw your dressing. next, steam your grilled chicken and veggies. then, dress it. add your crunchy toppings. and voila. enjoy. and voila. i wanted to ask you a couple questions.card. i've got nothing to hide. my bill's due today and i haven't paid yet. you can pay up 'til midnight online or by phone the day it's due. got a witness to verify that? just you. you called me. ok, that checks out. at discover, we treat you like you'd treat you. get the it card with payment flexibility.

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>> live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> good morning, on this wednesday. our time is 4:28. it is great to have you with us. >> mike nicco has the forecast. >> good news. not so wet as yesterday. a few sprinkles. not the wide-spread drizzle we dealt with during the morning commute on tuesday. here is a look at what is going on from the camera, you can see the bay bridge there, we can see the clouds not so low. now, this afternoon, we will have low-to-upper 70's inland with sunshine and mostly sunny around the bay from 62 in south san francisco to 73 in san jose. we will top out near 70 in oakland and the coke we will be brand 60 with sunny conditions. is the commute starting well?

>> it is starting quite well. we have quite a bit of construction. at fairfield right now we have a transition road shut down westbound highway 12 to eastbound 80 until 5:00 a.m. this morning. we will take a jump to san jose and this is northbound and southbound 880 between highway 101 to the great mall parkway with lanes blocked until 5:00 a.m. a live look at the golden gate bridge you can see the couple of lanes are blocked with cones picked up now. southbound traffic from sausalito is locking clear. >> 4:29. developing news considering the eastern span of the bay bridge and caltran will give us a tour of a fixed installed on the bicycle path where a different set of bolts have broken. it is up if the air whether the new bridge will open on schedule. abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield has more on treasure i'll. >> more posts used to build the

new bridge have failed. these bolts were use the along the bicycle path discovered a year ago that this problem happened. caltran officials say it has been repaired. they plan to she us. they will take the media on a tour to show us the repair. still, it is unsettling to hear about a bolt problem given that belts on the actual bridge are not working. some of them are cracked and need $5 million to $10 million repair so this raises the question of the management of this project. another question, will the bridge open on time as scheduled on labor day weekend as the plan calls for? officials at this point do not know. >> the driver whose crash killed three people in colma will be arraigned on charges of felony hit and run