making news in america this morning -- developing overnight. warships are in position, missiles primed. an attack on syria seems more imminent. a report from washington with the latest. and markets are taking notice of what's happening in syria. how uncertainty is starting to affect your money. the man who electrified a nation with a speech 50 years ago today. finish line drama. more proof that the race is never over until it's over. and good wednesday morning. the crisis in syria, heating up. triggering what's increasingly

appearing to be an imminent u.s. response. >> as the u.s. considers its military options, with each passing day, it looks more and more like a u.s. strike against the syrian government. it's just a matter of time. abc's devin dwyer has the latest from washington. good morning, devin. >> reporter: that's right. president obama's national security team met at the white house last night to discuss syria. the president has decided to take action. the only question, now, is how. this morning, the white house has absolute certainty that syria's bashar al assad poisoned his own people. >> there's no doubt who is responsible for this heinous use of chemical weapons in syria. the syrian regime. >> reporter: still, no decision on how the u.s. will respond. the white house, saying all options are on the table. the pentagon has identified potential targets for air strikes against syria. but officials say removing assad from power is not a goal. president obama has been working the phones with world leaders, while top aides are making the

case to members of congress. >> we don't need u.n. corroboration. but it would be nice to have it. >> reporter: the white house says u.s. intelligence alone is compelling. including intercepts between syrian commanders. syria says it will respond to any military strike by using all means. >> if bashar al assad didn't hesitate to use chemical weapons against his own civilians, what's to stop them from using them against sleeping turks, or israelis. that's the broader scenario. >> reporter: the conflict has rattled syria's neighbors and many americans. >> i think we should stay out. i'm retired military. i think the last two wars killed our economy. >> i'm convinced that chemicals were used by him. i don't know. what responsibility the u.s. has, i don't know that either. >> reporter: polls show most americans oppose u.s. intervention in syria. but top u.s. officials say there's a moral and legal

obligation to prevent chemical weapons from being used again. john and diana? >> devin, it seems like the military action is likely going to happen and will happen soon. any chance that the u.s. is going to wait for the u.n. to finish their investigation? >> reporter: the white house says that u.n. investigation is irrelevant. the white house says the mission of that u.n. team is simply to find out if kem wall weapons were used, not who used them. they say they already have enough evidence that chemical weapons were used here and that the assad regime used it. >> devin dwyer in washington for us. thank you. supporters may be responding with a threat of their own presemtive strike. the hacker aligned with is a sad, are bragging about taking over twitter and "the new york times." "the new york times" site was down more than 12 hours. learning this morning that a radioactive water leak at

japan's tsunami water-ravaged plant is more serious than thought. they've raised the severity rating from level one to level three. 80,000 gallons of water leaked last week and may have reached the sea from a rain gutter. the wildfire that's been burning its way through yosemite forest is now about 20% contained. so far, it's consumed 282-square miles, destroyed more than 100 structures and is threatening thousands more. the so-called rim fire has also sparked a scary side effect, ash raining down on the hetch hetchy reservoir, which has most of san francisco's drinking water. >> we have been monitoring water at all times. and we've seen no change in water quality. >> what makes this fire so tough to put out is it's burning a long time since the last time. so, vegetation is sick. it's considered the seventh-largest fire on record in california. across the pond, the investigation into the disappearance of madeleine mccann is gaining fresh momentum

in portugal. the 4-year-old british girl disappeared in 2007, while her family was on vacation there. scotland yard is going to interview 38 people. a psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people at the shooting rampage at ft. hood could find out if he will live or die. closing arguments are expected to begin this morning in the sentencing phase of major nidal hasan's trial. hearing how parents, husbands and wives of those who died are still struggling to cope. former patriots star aaron hernandez may have a big payday coming to him, even as he sits in jail accused of murder. the nfl trying to force the patriots to make good on a previous agreement to pay hernandez in $82,000 in off-season workout bonuses. he was cut from the team after the murder charge. protecting hernandez's rights is for the benefit of all players.

it will be another day of heat warnings and sweating across the middle of the country. the extreme heat forcing ends of school. kids were sent home early because the unair conditioned schools were too hot to stay inside. expect plenty of the same as temperatures remain high today. moving on to the maps now. clear skies across the nation's middle. plenty of scorchers out there. elsewhere, thunderstorms in the mid-atlantic region. we have heavy rain for the southwest and the rockies. showers for the northwest and in florida. >> it will be 90 in miami. 91 in new orleans. 92 in atlanta. 90s from the midwest all the way to the rockies and up to the canadian border. 77 in seattle, sounding nice. the mother of sarah murnaghan is looking forward to her daughter going to college and getting married. sarah came home from the hospital after a six-month stay yesterday. she underwent two lung transplants after her parents fought transplant laws.

in her first interview with cnn, she shared her plans for recovery. >> i'm not going for easy. >> you're not going for easy? >> i'm just going for possible. and what's in front of me right now. is possible. >> sarah is struggling with n stage cystic fibrosis. she has the disease but it will not infiltrate her new lung. forget the traditional fast food order. burger king has a new concoction you have to see. a preview of the celebration today in washington. and thousands are expected to remember martin luther king jr.'s famous words.

escalating tension in syria, again taking its toll on stocks with major losses already today overseas. in the u.s., all indices down at the closing bell yesterday. the dow lost 170 points. the nasdaq closed down 79 points. now, the price of oil, that shot up to its highest level in a year and a half, to $112 a barrel. gold, a classic haven for investors during troubled times, it's now up 20% since mid-june. gold edged up to $1,423 an ounce yesterday. a new school year getting under way, there's more and more word, now, that kids are voting with their taste buds against the federal lunch program. federal officials athey're aware that some school districts are dropping out of the program. and the reason is simple. kids don't like what's on the menu and are not buying it.

that's costing schools tens of thousands of dollars. saving tens of thousands of dollars are same-sex partners of walmart's employees. the nation's largest employer is extending its benefits package to domestic partners. gay rights advocates are praising the move as historic. burger king launching its latest to the fast food wars. a french fried burger. a patty topped with french fries. it will cost you about 360 calories and 19 grams of fat. i don't care. i want one anyway. >> i wonder what the formula was that they came up with four french fries. only four because we have to keep it at a dollar. >> four's not enough. >> i think it's great. might be why they did that. daredevils taking a leap of faith, 46 stories up. and all of it for a good cause. and alex baldwin in a street scuffle. the actor getting into a fight with a photographer once again. the pictures on how it all went

down. victory is seeing him find balance, watching a little girl become a little lady, and finding the courage to let her go. but what about the little victories? a smile... a confident glow... or a "thanks, mom." these are the victories we're famous for. famous brands, famously easy... famous footwear. victory is yours.

♪ hanes. a perfect fit for every body. now in colorful new styles. ♪ 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. hassle, time, paperwork, hair-tearing out, and yes, especially dollars.

esurance. now backed by allstate. click or call. a seven-alarm fire burning dangerously close to interstate 80 east of san francisco has now been contained. flames broke out on a grassy hillside in fairfield. then, spread quickly. the fire damaged or destroyed five homes, along with several trees and parked cars. thick, black smoke rising from the fire forced a two-lane closure of the interstate at the height of the evening rush hour. let's check out your morning road conditions in the east. parts of i-95 will get wet in thunderstorms in today. heavy in the southwest and in the rockies. >> if you're flying, expect some airport delays in washington, boston and phoenix. it's 50 years ago today, the reverend martin luther king delivered his i have a dream speech, calling for an end to racial injustice. >> president obama was only 2 years old at the time. but today, he embodies what was possible in dr. king's dream.

>> this is a live picture of the lincoln memorial, where president obama will lead the celebration for that landmark speech today. here's abc's tahman bradley. ♪ >> reporter: 50 years ago today, they poured into washington by the busloads. a march of tens of thousands. black and white, to the monument of the president who freed the slaves. their signs and voices, demanding racial equality. ♪ freedom road >> reporter: today, a celebration of progress at the lincoln memorial. and a call to action on new challenges. three american presidents, jimmy carter, bill clinton and barack obama will speak from the same steps where dr. martin luther king jr. delivered his historic speech. >> i have a dream today. >> reporter: organizers expect thousands to turn out to show that dr. king's dream still lives on. a day that will begin with prayer at the historic shiloh

baptist church, before another march to the national mall. >> we were over behind where dr. king's shoulder was. we were close enough to be able to hear all of the speeches. >> reporter: lynn french was just 16 years old when she attended the march on washington. she hopes today's speeches inspire younger generations to keep fighting for justice. >> what's disturbing is, to see that even with a black president, we still have a long way to go. >> reporter: congressman john lewis was there, too, then a young student organizer. one line from dr. king's speech still resonates today. >> let freedom reign. and i think people all across america, in our hearts, believe that freedom should reign for everybody. >> reporter: tahman bradley, abc news, washington. and this leads us to our facebook question of the day. we want to know, what cause would you march for today? we look forward to seeing your comments at atmfans.com.

>> and be sure to join abc news for live coverage as president on obama honors the 50-year anniversary. our coverage here begins at 2:30 eastern. it's a virus that may be to blame for killing more than 300 dolphins along the east coast. the worst deadly outbreak in more than 25 years. the bottlenose dolphins have been washing up on beaches from new york to north carolina since july 1st. most of the dolphins that were tested were infected with a disease similar to measles. marine experts say it could last until next spring. a 16-year-old boy who survived the first documented wolf attack in minnesota is now recovering at home. noah graham was on a camping trip when the gray wolf chomped down on its head. me wouldn't let go. he actually freed himself by prying open the wolf's jaws with his bare hands. he had a gash on his head. trappers killed the wolf. it's being tested for rabies. we'll hear from noah on "good morning america." >> what a story.

history at the u.s. open. a cinderella story is taking shape for an american player. >> here's neil and stan at espn with your sports. >> welcome to our "sportscenter" studios here in los angeles. i'm stan verrett, along with neil everett. dodgers had their ace on the mound tuesday. >> 'cause it's time for dodger baseball. clayton kershaw, his last ten starts a 1.10 e.r.a. against the cubs this season. and wouldn't you know it, up 2-0, on kershaw. seven hits, one earned. 3-2. yasiel puig. one on, two outs. bottom nine. he went two for five, that wasn't one of the two. kevin gregg gets the save. cubs 3-2 winners. from the u.s. open, 17-year-old victoria duval makes some history at the u.s. open, facing 2011 champion, samantha stosur. third set, 5-3. match point. stosur able to return the serve. duval hits it wide. ranked number 296 in the world.

she had never faced a top-20 player. got into the u.s. open as a qualifier. unseeded. but she's moving on. 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. really interesting story. nearly lost her father in the haiti earthquake in 2010. she was involved in an armed robbery when folks broke into her house when she was 7 years old. but she's moving on at the open. >> she's officially the darling of the open. have a great day. >> guys, thanks. some daredevil spirit and willingness to put it all on the line is the reason why this is our "play of the day." it happened in denver. >> a couple of guys took a flying leap off of a four seasons hotel. that makes me nervous. they floated down to a parking lot in what was called denver's first-ever b.a.s.e. jump event. >> and as you might have seen from the parachute, it was one of the stunts put on by red bull. it was a fund-raiser for a scholarship fund. >> all right. not too bad. >> did he catapult or something? it looked like he really sprang out.

>> you jump close to those things, you don't know what will happen. >> right. check out this close call at the finish line at the half ironman triathlon in brazil last weekend. here we go. a guy has the lead. and thinks he has the race won. and he stopped and starts celebrating before he actually gets to the finish line. he doesn't see the guy in second, steaming towards the finish line. the last second, he holds his challenger off and finishes first. the lesson here, do your celebrating after you win the race, not before. also, is it fair to hold off -- >> is that like an infraction? this guy never read the tortoise and the hare, by the way. and he's a showboat. my goodness. finish the race and celebrate. >> in my mind, he did not win. the other guy won. >> he should file a little protest or something. >> i agree. he was very gracious. if you see the video, he came up and shook his hand. still. >> don't showboat. up next, "the pulse." rumors swirling about a hollywood power couple. could it be over after 13 years of marriage?

and meet the big man on campus, who is only 11 years old. a mattress until you visit a sleep number store. when we actually lower the sleep number setting to get the sleep number bed to conform to them, it's amazing the transition that you see with people. oh, that feels really good.it's hugging my body. they just look at you like you cured all the problems they've ever had. we hear it all the time: "i didn't know a bed could feel like this." oh yeah. at our biggest sale of the year, every sleep number bed is on sale. queen mattresses now start at just $599. and for one week only, save an incredible 50% on the sleep number limited edition memory foam mattress sets-but only through labor day! the sleep number bed is more than just a mattress. you sleep on it, you'll understand. don't miss the biggest sale of the year on the bed that can change your life. the sleep number bed. special offer ends labor day. only at a sleep number store. sleep number. comfort individualized.

goglossophobia, is the fear of public speaking. ♪ ♪ the only thing we have to fear is... fear itself. ♪ ♪ you see the "mini" ion my chest? funny, yes? no. i'm huge. flavor? i'm bursting with it. creamy? i ooze it. rich. creamy. and 100% natural cheese. mini babybel. snack a little bigger.

time to check, "the pulse." and we start with an amazing young man. he's 11-year-old carson huey-you. he just started his freshman year at texas christian university. >> university is what john said. young carson scored 1770 on his s.a.t. do they even go that high up? he speaks mandarin and plays the piano. when it comes to classroom stuff, he says calculus and complicated sciences are what relaxes him. >> you say, oh, that makes sense now. just after going after it, going after it. it just kind of like that one moment of thought. >> my favorite part of the story coming up right here. carson's mom goes to school with

him every, single day. she expects him to graduate in four to five years. carson says he hopes to have his ph.d. before he's 20 years old. >> what a kid. my goodness. the latest battle between alec baldwin and the paparazzi has ended up in a draw. >> apparently fed up with being followed, baldwin slammed a photographer on to the hood of a parked car which happened to be an undercover police vehicle. >> witnesses say the shutterbug had been tailing the new parents, baldwin and his wife, hilaria, from the moment they left their home. baldwin and the photographer declined to press charges. the rumor mill is abuzz about one of hollywood's most enduring power couples. >> yeah. word that the 13-year marriage between michael douglas and catherine zeta-jones is over. douglas is expected to announce plans for a divorce any day now. and there are reports that they are already living apart. >> douglas is 68. jones is 43. she stood by him during his battle with throat cancer. and he supported her while she was treated for bipolar disorder. >> one of those iconic couples. >> we're sad to hear this

happening. for some, your local news is next.

married to morty kaufman. [ lee ] now that i'm getting older some things are harder to do. this is not a safe thing to do. be careful babe. there should be some way to make it easier. [ doorbell rings ] let's open it up and see what's cookin'. oh i like that. look at this. it's got a handle on it. i don't have to climb up. this yellow part up here really catches a lot of the dust. did you notice how clean it looks? morty are you listening? morty? [ morty ] i'm listening! i want you to know. the juicy dragon... they show funny videos to a giggly dragon. he laughs so hard that he cries super-juicy tears and they put 'em into starburst. a juicy dragon? [ female announcer ] starburst. unexplainably juicy.

>> live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> good morning at 4:28 on wednesday. nice to see you all after a few days off. >> the band is back together this morning. mike nicco has a look at the forecast. >> nice to see both of you. the radar is dry as far as rain. we have mist and drizzle and fog. the visibility in santa rosa is quarter-mile visibility and we have a very, very, low ceiling and this is how it looks from emeryville. you cannot see the top of the span of either bay bridge. a dip in temperatures today. it will be from 80 to 89 inland.

70 to eighth around the bay and 62 to 66 loan the coast into san francisco. leyla gulen? >> good morning, everyone. at 4:29 this is going to be the last day before the bay bridge closes. tonight at 8:00 we will see the bay bridge shut down for a few days. hopefully everyone has plan "b" in affect. we have construction on the northbound and southbound side of the nimitz. we will see construction crews blocking lanes. we are not seeing delaying and you are in decent condition to make it to the macarthur maze or the oakland airport. the bay bridge toll plaza shows traffic funneling well in the westbound direction with three lanes blocked until 5:00. >> we have a final morning commute on the old eastern span of the bay bridge. the five day shut down will transition us to the

long-awaited safer new span. abc7 news reporter matt keller has the final preparations. matt? >> the toll plaza will be empty tonight but at 8:00 the entire bay bridge will be closed down until tuesday. how do you get to san francisco or oakland without using the bay bridge? during the closure bart will run hourly service from 14 stations across the system. it is adding longer trains to accommodate the increase in passengers. a.c. transit will deliver passengers to four bart stations. san francisco bay ferry saw ridership triple dug the bart strike. it is adding service because of that. it could open before scheduled before 5:00 tuesday but it is not a sure thing. we have not closed the bridge yet so we do not know how quickly the construction will