this morning, a blockbuster day in washington. >> supreme court expected to hand down rulings in high-profile gay marriage cases within hours. the tension is building for both sides. we're live in washington. all-nighter. a fill burster in texas, drawing nationwide attention overnight. but there's conversation in her effort to stop one of the toughest abortion laws in the country. plus this -- >> he says to me, mommy, why can't you make them stop? why do they do this to me? >> an emotional halle berry on her daily battle with aggressive paparazzi. her daughter living in fear. and some kids learn a lesson in manners from this guy.

good wednesday morning, everyone. the supreme court, today, could hand down its most significant decision in generations. >> the high court waiting until the last day of its session to release its opinions on two, key cases that challenge the constitutionality on laws that ban gay marriage. >> devin dwyer is joining us from washington with the very latest. good morning, devin. >> good morning, john and diana. the justices will weigh in on marriage. and some 30 states ban same-sex unions. but public support for them is at an all-time high. a landmark day for the meaning of marriage. today, the supreme court could decide whether state and federal laws that exclude gay and lesbian couples are constitutional. in the spotlight, california's proposition 8, which defines marriage as only between one man and one woman. the decision could affect the single state. or establish a right to marry nationwide. its impact watched by some 40,000 children being raised by gay couples in california alone.

>> we look forward to the day when we will be treated equally, just like our neighbors' families. >> reporter: the justices will also rule on the defense of marriage act, and whether the government can deny tax and entitlement benefits to same-sex couples who are already wed. it serves a vital social interest. >> when the god of the bible created the institution, he didn't get our advice on it. he defined it. >> reporter: it's a high-stakes ending to an already controversial term. yesterday, a divided court struck down part of the 1965 voting rights out, as out of date and unconstitutional. the law had required federal election monitoring in several southern states with a history of discrimination. congress must ensure the law speaks to current conditions, said chief justice john roberts. but civil rights leaders say memories of segregation are still too fresh. >> what the supreme court did was to put a dagger in the very

heart of the voting rights act of 1965. >> reporter: however the court decides on marriage, more states are allowing gay couples to wed. this summer, we'll see rhode island, delaware and minnesota perform their first same-sex marriages. john and diana? >> devin, lots of backlash from the left and the right. people who agree and disagree with what the supreme court did with the voting rights act. any clues how they might come down on this one? >> reporter: they did. we got some hints on oral arguments in march how they might decide on the proposition 8 case. the judges seem skeptical on a universal right to marriage. it could be limited to california or a few other states. on the doma case, kennedy said he was skeptical it violated states' rights. all of this precludes that the justices may decide not to rule on either case at all and let the lower decision stand. >> devin dwyer, thank you. breaking news overnight from texas, where the senate has

approved one of the most restrictive abortion bills in the country. >> a controversial midnight vote turned into a gripping drama. hundreds of people filled the texas statehouse to see this. democratic state senator, wendy davis, speaking for nearly 13 hours. more than 150,000 people watching online. she followed very strict rules. >> no water. no leaning on the desk. no sitting. no facing the subject. >> the lieutenant governor forced davis to stop speaking, saying she had veered off topic. the senators took the vote and approved the bill, thinking they had seconds to spare. but the lieutenant governor says the vote came too late. and that bill is dead. edward snowden, the nsa leaker is apparently still in moscow this morning. the russians are not turning them over to the u.s., despite pressure. there is no scheduled flight to havana from moscow today, giving

u.s. authorities another day to press for snowden to come home. president obama and the first lady are heading to africa this morning on a trip that will take them to senegal, tanzania and south africa. this visit comes as nelson mandela's health is declining. but his daughter said her father opened his eyes and smiled when told that president obama would be visiting the country. and the president's trip follows his unveiling of his plan for climate change. he proposes the first gas emissions from u.s. power plants. republicans criticize the plan, saying it would kill jobs. al gore called it the best address on climate by any president ever. paper or plastic will not be a question for los angeles shoppers next year. the city council has banned plastic bags, making lament the largest city to do so. shoppers will have to bring

their own bags or pay 10 cents for a paper one. testimony resumes this morning in the george zimmerman murder trial, after a day filled with graphic images. for the first time, the jury and the public saw the crime scene photos of 17-year-old trayvon martin. so haunting, his parents were overwhelmed. >> reporter: the prosecution showed the jury of iconic items of a life cut short. the most powerful visual images in george zimmerman's second-degree murder trial, and that hoodie. and the pistol. and the prosecutors watched the jurors, six women, the bullet and the wul et wound. 17-year-old trayvon martin, covered by that yellow body blanket. both parents would walk out of court. >> the close-up on trayvon martin's face? >> it is. >> reporter: it seems too much even for zimmerman.

but the defense also using photos, arguing it was zimmermann who was attacked. >> you see the lumping. you see the lumps around the abrasions and in general on the back of his head. >> reporter: zimmerman has claimed self-defense. that evidence grabbed jurors' hearts. but the prosecution also wants their minds, and what they say zimmerman's history of looking for trouble. they want them to hear some of the 50 calls he made over the last 6 years. the vast majority, false alarms. >> i'm on the neighborhood watch. and there's two suspicious characters at the gate of my neighborhood. i have never seen them before. >> reporter: the defense says he was just a concerned citizen. the ruling on those tapes could come soon. matt gutman, abc news, sanford, florida. >> what a trial it's going to be. time for the weather across the nation. flash flooding is a concern in the midwest, where more violent storms could drop up to three inches of rain. thunderstorms in the southeast, and afternoon rain in the northeast, and new england. mostly sunny across the west.

>> hot, hot weather to tell you about. it's going to be 106 degrees in phoenix. by this weekend, this number could reach 118 degrees. most in the 80s and 90s today, except for the northwest. coming up, is your city home to the happiest workers in america? the new ratings are just out. and star power. an anti-paparazzi bill gets a big endorsement. halle berry takes her fight against photographers to lawmakers. quite an emotional plea. and a cereal mascot answers his critics. what

and welcome back. there's new proof this morning that the real estate market is lifting the economy. home prices in april for 12.1% higher than a year earlier. that's a double-digit gain. that's the biggest spike in seven years. and the number of homes sold is rising, too, with new home sales up another 2% in may. investors are hoping today will be a second up day on wall street. overnight, trading in asia, mostly followed the u.s. markets in positive territory. stocks have been sliding since the federal reserve said it would end its stimulus programs. but four reports out yesterday showed the economy is improving. carnival's long-time ceo is stepping down. profits at the world's largest cruise line company have fallen over the past two years. incidents including "triumph's" engine room fire and the costa concordia crash in 2011, have contributed to the decline. but he will remain chairman of the board. where do the happiest workers live? a new survey of worker satisfaction found that san jose

topped the list. san francisco right behind it. seattle is third. the rankings based on employer reviews of their pay, benefits and job prospects. those in the top three there, all software engineers. >> we have to move over there to be software engineers? yes. and we'll be happy. >> i'm happy now. >> you're being sarcastic? >> i really do. a hollywood-like heist. new details on how more than $1 million disappeared from a plane at one of the country's busiest airports. [ panting ] we're headed the same way, right? yeah. ♪ [ panting ] uh... after you. ♪ [ sighs ] [ male announcer ] it's all in how you get there. the srx, from cadillac. awarded best interior design of any luxury brand. lease this 2013 cadillac srx for around $399 per month,

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♪ backflips and cartwheels.mile? love, warmth. here, try this. mmmm, ok! ching! i like the fact that there's lots of different tastes going on. mmmm! breakfast i'm very impressed. this is a great cereal! honey bunches of oats. i hear you crunching. they're hoping that by tonight all that water will recede into a creek in the small town of newhartford, iowa. more than seven inches of rain fell in the area on monday. that forced flooding and people to evacuate. roads in iowa and across the midwest, could have problems today as more storms roll

through. afternoon commutes could also be wet, thanks to thunderstorms in the southeast and along the east coast. >> and if you're flying, the storms we mentioned could cause delays for you in chicago and detroit. this has all of the makings of a hollywood caper. >> an airplane, $93 million in cash, and disappearing. >> more than $1 million of that cash disappeared between switzerland and new york, bound for the federal reserve. abc's dan harris has more. >> clear. >> reporter: in movies like "ocean's 11, the heists have panache. they're so ambitious. then, there's the bold smash and grab jobs like the crooks who raided a mall on motorcycles. or this $900,000 row lax robbery at a mall in atlanta this week. the thieves pull out hammers, grab the watches and are gone in seconds. but the heist involving swissair flight 17 was more stealthy and

discreet. it involved three crates filled with $93 million in crash, put in a shipping container and loaded on the flight from zurich to jfk airport. somewhere along the way, somebody poked an arm-sized hole into one of the crates and grabbed 12 bundles of cash, worth $100,000. with 93 million bucks up for grabs, the robber or robbers snatched a mere $1.2 million. you think it's possible we had a thief with modest aims here. $1.2 million, that's for me. >> small, sophisticated, professional thief is more than satisfied with $1.2 million at today's profit. >> reporter: former nypd detective nick casal, said that the heists usually get caught. and he predicts the swissair bandit will, too. >> the perpetrator right now is

celebrating with a beer watching the show, he is going to get caught. >> reporter: enjoy your beer. dan harris, abc news, new york. >> an amazing story. passengers heading to the dominican republic trusting their good fortune this morning, after averting what could have been an in-flight disaster. this airbus a-330, getting ready for takeoff from britain's manchester airport, suffered an engine explosion on the runway. the pilot did a good job of keeping things together. a man is behind bars in new jersey for a violent robbery. what you're about to see is really hard to watch. the nanny cam was rolling when the man burst into the home and pounced on the woman, beating her. as the 3-year-old watched. the woman stopped screaming so her kids would not be harmed. the man left with her wedding ring and other jewelry. >> they will get that guy. halle berry took her battle to the california court with her paparazzi fight. the academy award winner has

plenty of run-ins with the photographers. we report them all the time. some involve her daughter. berry provided passionate testimony in support of a law that would limit the paparazzi's ability to photograph the children of celebrities. she got personal when talking about her daughter. >> as a mother, this is probably the most heartbreaking. she says to me, mommy, why can't you make them stop in why do they do this to me? why can't you do something, mommy. and i have to look at my 5-year-old and say, i have no rights to do anything. and i'm trying to teach a 5-year-old how to make sense of something that i have a hard time making sense of as a 46-year-old woman. >> the bill was passed by a committee but must clear other legislative hurdles. its opponents claim it would interfere with reporters and photographers gathering news. michael jackson's son, prince, expected to take the stand in the family lawsuit against aeg. the family claims that age

negligently hired dr. conrad murray to take care of jackson. chicago will salute its stanley cup champions the blackhawks with a parade and rally on friday. right now, though, it's time for baseball highlights, courtesy of those guys at espn. >> welcome into our espn studios. it's "sportscenter" here in los angeles. >> ucla, 118 championships. none in baseball. mississippi state, no championships in any sport. ucla had the pitching. and when they put three on the board, you know mississippi state was in trouble. pat right there, down the right field line. a run scores. it's 8-0. it's pretty much all west. david berg, he belongs to team shut it down. ucla, its first baseball title in school history. 8-0. mississippi state out. big leagues now. rangers and yankees. yu darvish throwing for texas.

jayson nix, will take this out. that's how darvish, second of the year. still tied at 3-3. drama. ichiro at the plate. as soon as ichiro hit it. time to bounce in the bronx. yankees take 4-3, over texas. dodgers trying to make it two in a row over the giants. dodgers up one. two on, two out. top nine. up three when the inning began. matt kemp, welcome back. oh. it's caught for dodger baseball. 6-5, l.a. that's all we got. thanks for watching. >> we actually had more. but that's all you get. >> that's all we get? >> he's teasing us. >> not very nice. coming up next, we have a whole lot more. we're going to give it to you in "the pulse." >> a primate showing kids who is boss. people are claiming that cap'n crunch is a fraud. not a real captain.

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and welcome back. time for "the pulse." and we start with the latest chapter in crunchgate, playing out online this morning. >> cereal mascot, cap'n crunch, held a press conference to address serious allegations that his three stripes on his jacket means he's not a captain, only a commander. the captain himself had this to say. >> you may notice other things about me. i have four fingers. my first mate's a dog. my eyebrows are attached to my hat, for crunch sakes.

>> he brings up a very valid point. whether a captain or commander, the captain has skippered the "s.s. guppy" since 1963. now, to a guy trying to take the high road. but when the toddlers wouldn't let up, he just went ape. >> oh. [ screams ] >> oh, yeah. >> awesome. >> nice. there we go. we see it again. the fed-up gorilla at the dallas zoo got even, putting the fear of god in those taunting kids, if only for a moment. certainly getting the last laugh, as he walked away giggling under his breath, for sure. >> you ain't so bad. >> who is ugly now, kids? for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, guess who is paying for breakfast in washington. we're going to give you one guess here. it ain't washington. it's you and me, the taxpayer. we're coming right back with more on that. (birds chirping)

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>> live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> thank you for joining us on this big day. >> it will be a historic day one way or the other. first up, we will get you a check on the weather forecast. >> good morning, good news for the early commuters. live doppler 7 hd does not show organized areas of wet weather. however, there is patchy drizzle. especially above 500' and maybe lower around the bay shore. that is what we will deal with. the exploritorium camera, the clouds will cause flight arrival delays on sfo. by the afternoon, all of us seeing sunshine and it will be muggy. 82 to 86 inland and 68 in san

francisco and 82 in san jose. leyla gulen? >> it is moist right now, and as we look at our traffic we have clear conditions and dry roads not seeing red or yellow but mostly green with construction to get you out the door. southbound 101 between embarcadero and shoreline we have a couple of lanes blocked until 5:00 a.m. but right now everything is top speed. we will go outside and look at the san mateo bridge see what is happening. is clear drive with stop speed as you make it from hayward to foster city is 14 minutes only. >> today is decision day in 2 1/2 hours. california will know whether same-sex couples can again marry in the state with possible ramifications across the country. this is the seen outside the united states court. the court is poised to issue the ruling on prop 8 and a federal

defense of marriage act this morning. abc7 news reporter cornell bernard is at san francisco city hall where it began nine years ago. >> the countdown is on. in a few short hours we will know the fate of prop 8 at city hall. a lot of people will gather and wait to see what happens. city hall is the epicenter for the battle over marriage equality. it began here nine years ago. emotions are running high. lots of couples hopeful that the ban on gay marriage will be struck down. a major player is former mayor and current lt. governor issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples many years ago. he is hopeful for victory. >> it is an exciting moment in time for those that matter the most: the people that have not been afforded