this morning, the supreme court rulings sink in. >> overnight, more celebrations as californians prepare for same-sex weddings. san francisco city hall lit up in the colors of the gay rights cause. we're live with new reaction from both sides. a nation waits. south africa gets word of nelson mandela's declining health. news that threatens to overshadow president obama's trip to the continent. we're live in africa. cutting ties. companies end multimillion-dollar deals with paula deen. but it's not all bad news for the southern cooking queen. and a pop star and his kids. a newly released video. christmas morning with michael jackson. and good thursday morning, everybody. it was an emotional night of

celebrating for same-sex couples and their supporters. >> the celebrations followed the momentous supreme court rulings on gay marriage. same-sex couples will once again be able to marry in california. >> and already-wed couples will soon have access to thousands of benefits they've previously been denied. abc's devin dwyer joining us this morning from washington with all the new developments. devin? >> reporter: good morning, john and diana. that's right. everybody's talking about the opinion written by justice anthony kennedy. he did not mince words. he said the defense of marriage act demeans gay couples, humiliates their children and violates the constitution. overnight gay and lesbian couples across the country, celebrated the way loving couples do, with kisses and hugs, toasts of champagne and some colorful dancing. an eruption of emotion on a landmark day at the supreme court, which struck down the federal defense of marriage act and let stand a lower court ruling that overturned california's ban on same-sex marriage.

84-year-old edie windsor brought the case against doma, seeking to validate her marriage to the love of her life, thea spyer. >> i think it's the end of teenagers falling in love and not knowing if there's a future for them. okay. it was love. >> reporter: it's also a future with federal benefits, from social security and veterans' benefits to family leave and income and estate taxes. married gay couples, now equal under the law. supporters of a traditional definition of marriage were disappointed. >> the supreme court, though they may think so, has not yet arisen to the level of god. >> we cannot legislate immorality and expect everyone to say it's okay. it's not okay. >> reporter: 35 states still ban same-sex marriage, laws that will remain in place. but the court's decision on prop 8, adds california to 12 states and d.c., which allow gay couples to wed. in san francisco city hall's rainbow lights signal the return of same-sex weddings soon. >> as soon as they lift that stay, marriages are on. >> reporter: the couples that brought the case --

>> will you please marry me? >> reporter: -- say they're ready to exchange vows. >> i'm just thrilled i actually get to marry the woman that i love. >> reporter: those marriages could begin in california as soon as next month. meanwhile, both sides agree the legal debate over marriage will continue. the supreme court did not rule on whether gay couples have a right to wed. john and diana? >> devin dwyer in washington. thank you. and devin mentioned edie windsor, whose case led to the defense of marriage act being overturned. when her wife died, windsor was hit with an estate tax of more than $300,000. >> she sued and she claimed that it was unfair since heterosexual married couples would not face that same tax. now that the supreme court has agreed, windsor stands to get back all of that money, plus interest. our other major story this morning, president obama is waking up in africa, kicking off a week-long tour of three different countries. >> the first family received a warm welcome as they arrived in senegal last night. the trip is being overshadowed by nelson mandela's declining health. >> we have two live reports this

morning. mary bruce is with the president in senegal. but let's get an update on nelson mandela from abc's alex marquardt in johannesburg. good morning, alex. >> reporter: good morning, john and diana. i'm standing in front of mandela's house, where well-wishers and admirers have been coming to pay their respects. we got word this morning from a presidential spokesman that mandela's health has deteriorated over the past 48 hours. he remains in critical condition at that hospital in pretoria. there was also a report in a local newspaper, that the chapel at that hospital has been prepared for mandela's death. but in perhaps what could be the strongest sign that mandela's death could be near, president jacob zuma canceled his trip to mozambique today. it will be zuma's job to announce to the nation that mandela has died. john? diana? >> alex marquardt in south africa. thank you for that. we turn, now, to abc's mary bruce who is traveling with president obama. mary, any plans for the president to visit mandela in the hospital? >> reporter: good morning, john and diana. the white house is deferring to

the mandela family to decide whether or not the civil rights leader is up for a visit from president obama. that decision has not yet been made. so, while it's possible that president obama could go and see mandela, given what we're hearing about his health, seems unlikely. >> all right. mary, what's ahead for the president today? >> reporter: the president has a packed day here in senegal. as you mentioned, while mandela's health is looming large over the visit, the president is moving along in his planned itinerary. today, he meets with the president of senegal and they have a joint press conference. later the president and the first lady will tour goree island off the coast of dakar. a powerful symbol of the inhumane slave trade here in africa. john and diana? >> abc's mary bruce, live in senegal this morning. thank you. in other news, former nsa analyst edward snowden may unwittingly be the newest pawn in an espionage war between the u.s. and russia. snowden is now in his fourth day at moscow airport. he's facing espionage charges here at home, just as an abc news review finds, in the past 16 months, at least 6 people have been accused or convicted of spying for the u.s. in russia.

meantime, ecuador's foreign minister says it may take as long as two months to decide whether to grant snowden asylum. a major developing story this morning. search crews scouring the waters off new zealand for six americans who disappeared more than three weeks ago. the americans, ages 17 to 73, were sailing to australia with a british man when they lost communication during a violent storm. repeated searches have found no sign of their boat. it was a schooner built in 1928. more breaking news from beijing, china, where an american ceo held captive by his employees is now free. chip starnes left the factory after reaching a deal with the workers' union overnight. starnes is the owner of a medical supply company based in florida. he'd been held since last friday. it's not rare in china for managers to be held by workers making demands. texas governor rick perry is stepping in after a lawmaker single-handedly stopped the state from passing some of the toughest abortion restrictions in the country.

perry called for a second special session, after state senator wendy davis led a filibuster that lasted nearly 13 hours. no food or water. no bathroom breaks. no sitting. no leaning. >> there was a point where i was afraid that physically, something would happen that would be outside my control. >> if this measure passes in the next session, as expected, it could shut down nearly every abortion clinic in texas. despite that, though, davis says she would do it again in a heartbeat. there will be plenty of star power at today's funeral for actor james gandolfini. his family hosted an invitation-only wake in new jersey last night, near where gandolfini grew up. many of the fans standing outside, held pictures of themselves with "the sopranos" star. gandolfini died last week while vacationing in rome. he was 51. looking at the weather across the nation. for the east, storms that threaten this thursday. they could be severe in the middle of the country. clear skies across most of the west, as well. >> and the big story there, the roasting temperatures. an intense heat wave taking hold for most of the interior west. and that's bad news for the wildfire crews in colorado and elsewhere.

the scorching temperatures are expected to continue throughout next week, as well. coming up, another blow to paula deen's business. what other companies are now pulling the plug on her products? from the gridiron to the jail cell. nfl star aaron hernandez is led away in handcuffs and charged with murder. how a chewed-up piece of gum is now a piece of evidence in this case. and an early exit for some big names. we're going to show you a stunning set of upsets at wimbledon and the unknowns moving on.

welcome back. paula deen has lost another chunk of her empire.

walmart ending its relationship with the southern chef over her admission that she used racist slurs in the past. and deen's name is being stripped by four restaurants owned by caesars. advanced sales of deen's latest book have soared 1,000%. and reverend jesse jackson said he would help her. the days of the sky-high gold prices are now over. it's trading at a three-year low. the price per ounce has plunged from $1,900 to $1,230 at last night's close. gold remains stable as interest rates rise. delta has been fined to fail to compensate passengers. it's the company's second violation in four years. women rule showbiz according to "forbes" man donna, lady

gaga, steven spielberg opinion and it's oprah winfrey who regained the top spot, despite an earnings drop. things are looking up for her tv network, own. >> back on top before long. >> girls rule the world. >> you do, huh? >> we do. when we come back, the king of pop's family album this morning. a rare, never-before-seen video of michael jackson at home with his kids. and then, boom at the beach. a potentially dangerous discovery is made at a popular beach resort. [ male announcer ] if you had a dollar, for every dollar car insurance companies say they'll save you by switching, you'd have like, a ton of dollars. but how're they saving you those dollars? a lot of companies might answer "um" or "no comment." then there's esurance. born online, raised by technology and majors in efficiency. so whatever they save, you save.

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were evacuated. the device was believed to have been left over from one of the two world wars. it was discovered tuesday and was likely exposed by superstorm sandy. and checking your road conditions now. you can expect them to be wet across the garden state and most of the eastern u.s. today. storms could cause problems again today right in the middle of the country. >> if you're flying, the rain and storms likely to force some delays along the east coast, from boston to atlanta and in detroit, as well. now, to the stunning case of aaron hernandez. he's being held in a boston area jail this morning facing life in prison for murder. >> his arrest yesterday and the days of speculation about his involvement in the death of a friend. and as abc's john schriffen reports, hernandez's former team, the new england patriots, were quick to cut ties with him. >> reporter: aaron hernandez's rapid fall from grace was clear when he was taken in handcuffs from his million-dollar home outside of boston. the 23-year-old former new england patriots star was a fan favorite. catching touchdowns from superstar quarterback tom brady.

>> touchdown, hernandez. >> reporter: in court, he was charged with killing his friend, odin lloyd, in an elaborate execution-style murder. prosecutors say hernandez and lloyd argued after leaving a club on friday night. monday, they say, hernandez and two friends drove lloyd to an industrial park. lloyd was shot five times. authorities say hernandez was the mastermind. hernandez has pleaded not guilty. but the patriots cut all ties with their former star. how bright was aaron hernandez's future in the nfl? >> aaron hernandez was one of the young stars. he had been one of the best players in his first three seasons in the league. >> reporter: if hernandez is convicted, he faces life in prison. massachusetts does not have the death penalty. john schriffen, abc news, attleborough, massachusetts. now, to los angeles. michael jackson's oldest son,

prince, took the stand in his family's lawsuit against the concert promoter aeg. he described growing up on the neverland ranch and showed videos from his childhood. in one christmas video, he asked his children what they wanted to do with their future. >> what do you want to do in the future? >> help the poor. >> you want to help the poor. very sweet. okay. what else? anything else? anything artistically? >> gymnastics. >> gymnastics? okay. very good. prince? >> i'd like to be a movie director and an architect. >> prince is the first family member to testify. the lawsuit blames aeg for hiring dr. conrad murray whose negligence they believe caused michael jackson's death. the friend who was on the phone with trayvon martin moments before he was shot and killed returns to the stand today in the george zimmerman trial. rachel jeantel said that martin thought he was being followed.

also from florida, this video showing a man going about his business. only problem is, while he was doing so, he should have been in court. he's facing charges stemming from several domestic incidents involving his neighbors. he calls the person in the video his neighbor from hell. the relationship soured after he was seen carrying out destructive acts, throwing eggs and killing his lawn with chemicals. the nba draft takes place tonight in new york. the cleveland cavaliers have the first overall pick. right now, we get some of last night's sports highlights from the guys at espn. >> he's stan. i'm neil. we're the "sportscenter" hosts from los angeles. >> brian cashman and alex rodriguez, working out their difference. the yankees got more bad news on wednesday. mark teixeira is done for the season. yankees hosting the rangers. a man on. nelson cruz off joba chamberlain. two-run shot for cruz. three, four, five, six hitters for texas.

cruz's 20th. rangers win it, 8-5. it's time for dodger baseball. kershaw/lincecum match-up in this game. and a.j. ellis, picking on lincecum. andre ethier would score. the dodgers win their fifth in a row, 4-2. kershaw gets the win. let's kick it to brazil and uruguay. brazil with a corner kick. and paulino heads it in. the home team into the final. they face spain or italy. >> that does it for us. hope you have a great thursday. >> indeed. no matter what happens today at wimbledon, it will be nothing like yesterday. first of all, defending men's champ, roger federer, he was sent packing. that ended his streak of reaching 36-straight grand slam quarterfinals. at the very least. >> on the women's side, two of the top three seeds, including

maria sharapova, lost. all that and seven players were forced out of the tournament by injuries. a wild day, to say the least. >> could be an upset this year. up next, "the pulse." forgetting the eggs and pancakes. try something new for breakfast. how about doughnuts like you have never seen before? >> pretty interesting. and it's not real-life couples being affected by the supreme court decision on same-sex marriage. what the dgts could do to some sitcom characters. we'll have that when we come back. . if you're seeing spots before your eyes, it's time

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a big change could be coming to "modern family." >> in light of the decision on gay marriage in california, one couple may be walking down the aisle. >> the creators are considering a wedding for mitch and cam. christopher lloyd say they took a pass on the commitment ceremony for the season. now that the door to a wedding has been opened, it might actually go through with it. a tasty pastry bringing treats together in interesting combinations. >> a japanese company is making doughnuts that look like sushi. luckily, these treats are not made out of raw fish. instead, they use different types of candy to fake them look like fish. a twitter user posted a picture after seeing them on store shelves on thailand. and that prompted tweets. >> i'm relieved there's no fish-centered doughnuts. they are good-looking, right? >> you can put one of those in your purse. and if you go on a date with someone that likes sushi and you

don't like sushi, you can have sushi and they'll never know the difference. finally, a race to yesteryear. that's our "play of the day." >> racing yesterday wasn't on horses. it was on these big-wheel bicycles known. the race was a culmination of a week-long gathering for enthusiasts. and they do it pretty well. >> why would i want to ride one of those? they look kind of cool. apparently it's a rough ride. those tires don't have air in them. and the old-time seats. you don't see those bikes when the tour de france starts on saturday. it's like a big tricycle. >> they look very elegant. >> they should be wearing a monocle and a top hat. >> you need to be drinking tea. pinkie up. monocle. >> do you have any gray poupon? for some of you, your local

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>> live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. good thursday morning. thank you for waking up and joining us. >> first, a check on thursday morning weather forecast. i assume it is less humid. >> the humidity will drop toward the afternoon. you will notice the dry air tomorrow. that is what will allow the temperatures to jump into triple digits. live doppler 7 hd shows good news for the cork -- morning commute. we are partly cloudy to mostly clear. a few clouds across san francisco. surging afternoon temperatures from 70 at the coast and mid-70's around civilian to mid-80's in san jose and around

80 in oakland. mid-80's in the north bay valley to mid-90's in the east bay valley. leyla gulen? >> we are starting off with construction and a stall on the bay bridge. in san jose we have a construction project that will wrap up at 6:00 a.m. southbound 880 to 280 two lanes are blocked. it is causing a bottleneck with slowing and tearing up on the map. if you are headed out give yourself extra moments. the drive along 24 is moving along swiftly from walnut creek to lafayette. the bay bridge toll plaza is looking clear and when you pass treasure island we will find a stall in number three lane. >> bay area same-sex marriage supporters are looking forward to the first weddings and the big pride event in the wake of the landmark ruling overturning prop 8. abc7 news reporter cornell bernard is in castro district

where people celebrated into the night. >> good morning, kristen. after the historic ruling, it was time to party. castro street has re-opened to traffic with a lot of street cleaning after a huge celebration like no other. spontaneous dancing broke out on castro street wednesday night as thousands save ored the ruling knocking doubt proposition 8. castro was jammed from market to 19th. not everyone is planning a wedding but many couples say they are very excited about the future. >> if i want to get married some day, i will be able to. it is a great feeling. i am happy for my friends who are same-sex couples and who will get married. we have a lot of weddings this morning so it means more to them given the