>> stay tuned for "good morning america" and have a wonderful tuesday. making news in america this morning, mystery illness. fears mounting as doctors begin to see more more children affected by a seemingly strange and mysterious disease. medication concern. new research this morning with worrisome results involving the most commonly used drug by pregnant women. family freefall. a kodak moment turning deadly almost there when a deck collapses under a group of people. and scary surfer. a predator takes to the waves forcing a beach to close, but this is no shark. good tuesday morning. i'm marci gonzalez in for diana perez. i'm john muller. we begin with a mystery illness

affecting more than 20 children in california. the victims have polio-like symptoms. >> this morning one mother is describing what happened to her child. here's abc's brandi hitt. >> reporter: 4-year-old sophia jarvis was having trouble breathing. doctors thought she had asthma, but then she suffered weakness and paralysis in her left arm and leg. >> i'd like to say that sophia is still a healthy young girl who's thriving, and we were very lucky that it only affected her left arm. >> reporter: doctors say sophia is one of five children in california showing signs of a mysterious polio-like illness, and they are investigating as many as 25 more. their average age is 12. all are unable to move some or all of their limbs. >> we think it's probably a very small number of overall patients infected by this virus that will have neurology complications. >> reporter: all of the children had been vaccinated against

polio, and tests confirmed they did not have it. the disease was wiped out in the u.s. more than three decades ago, but it may be a similar type of virus, and doctors are being asked to report any suspected cases. health officials say polio-like viruses do not usually result in paralysis. sophia may be an exception. >> we're so grateful that sophia is with us today, and she's going to do amazing things. >> reporter: brandi hitt, abc news, los angeles. new concern this morning about women who take acetaminophen while they're pregnant. researchers say the commonly used painkiller that is found if tylenol may raise the risk of adht and other behavioral problems in their children years later. the ucla study found the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was even higher when acetaminophen was taken during more than one trimester. >> it can affect thyroid function in the fetus, and we know that the thyroid function and the levels of hormones in

the fetus are important in development of the brain. >> reporter: experts agree that more research is needed. they say women should not be afraid to take medication if necessary. well, our other big story, weather extremes from coast to coast. >> heavy rain could prove to be too much too fast for a parched west coast while it's the cold causing problems for other parts of the country. barreling in with a cold front in denver, a dust storm blankets the city skyline. that cold front dropping temps from 63 degrees to 32 in one hour. this morning a dangerous situation unfolding along the northeast illinois river. ice jams have already damaged at least one bridge forcing authorities to shut it down, and residents on the river banks growing desperate as the ice begins to break loose. >> i was walking up my sidewalk and all of a sudden it all lifted and just came in. and i thought -- i thought it was going to take the house out then. >> reporter: in duluth, minnesota, the relentless winter weather is proving too much for buildings. five stores at this mall forced

to close its doors after the roof started to crack under the heavy snow, while in the west, shovels and sandbags are being used to prepare for much-needed wet weather. the los angeles area could get more rain this week than it's seen in nearly eight months. >> not that much at once, but we do need the rain. >> and even with two storm systems on the way this week, that rain and snow not expected to help with california's extreme drought. well, today a judge in mexico expected to decide whether there's enough evidence to hold accused drug kingpin joaquin guzman for trial. guzman has formally been charged under a 2009 mexican indictment for cocaine trafficking. his lawyers have filed a petition to block any extradition requests that might come from the united states. and the u.s. signaling that they're no longer recognizing the president of ukraine. the country's leader there, viktor yanukovych, left the capital over the weekend presumably for his political base in the eastern part of ukraine. there's a warrant out for his arrest now. meanwhile, an alabama couple

describing a harrowing few days as they try to finalize adoptions for four children during the worst of that violence in kiev. arizona is once again the battleground over a controversial law which would have an impact far beyond the state's borders. at issue is whether business owners with strong religious beliefs can refuse service to gays and lesbians. critics say the pending law is clearly discriminatory and embarrassing to the state. even three conservative republican lawmakers who voted for the bill are urging the governor to veto it, so is senator john mccain. the kerry kennedy drug driving trial under way with motorists describing how kennedy served her lexus into a truck damaging the car and blowing a tire, but she kept on driving. her lawyer said she was sleep driving because she had accidentally taken a sleeping pill. several kennedy relatives including kerry's mother ethel were there to show support. a michigan democrat who's been a fixture on capitol hill for nearly 60 years has had enough. 87-year-old john dingell says he will not run for another term, partly because of the partisan

gridlock. but retirement may not be the end of the dingell game in washington. his wife debbie is said to be an early favorite to take the seat. all right, three ohio women who survived years of captivity at the hands of kidnapper ariel castro honored for their courage and spirit last night. >> amanda berry, gina dejesus and michelle knight were snatched off the streets of cleveland as teenagers. they were raped, tortured and chained until they were able to make enough noise to attract attention. well, the governor there awarded all three of them with courage medals. >> they rescued themselves, first by staying strong and by sticking together and then by literally breaking out into freedom. >> the governor called all three women extraordinary who emerged from a nightmare not as victims but as victors, he said. the women got a standing ovation lasting well over two minutes. >> all right. time now for the weather across the nation.

rain along the texas gulf coast. it will be heavy today. lighter showers from florida to the carolinas. some snow from wyoming to western kansas, and if you're in the west, you'll enjoy some sunny, dry conditions. >> frigid temperatures around the upper midwest and check out minneapolis with a high of only 6 degrees. 50s and 60s across the south. mostly 30s and 40s on the east coast. all right, so long to the slogan, one of the most iconic ad campaigns of the past 20 years now being dropped. >> and mystery at the mansion. the well-liked owner of the country's second largest home shot in the middle of the day. new details about what unfolded behind the gates of this sprawling estate. plus, caught on camera, a bus driver attacked by an irate passenger. what caused the woman to lose her temper.

welcome back. a surge on wall street has stocks close to an all-time high, as high as they could possibly be. a gain of just one point today by the s&p 500 means that average will cross into record territory. the dow and nasdaq posted solid gains yesterday. although both lost ground later on in the day. advances have basically erased those losses stocks suffered earlier this year. well, it's good news and bad news at the gas pump. the bad, aaa says prices have gone up 17 straight days rising about 15 cents during that time. the good news, those prices are still 34 cents a gallon below where they were a year ago, and prices are expected to remain below last year's levels. your grocery bill is also

going up, though. experts say for each $100 of your bill you can expect to spend 10 to 15 bucks extra at checkout. rising prices are being blamed on the severe drought in california. all right. it's the end of the road for one of the most well-known ads, got milk just got the boot. after 20 years of celebrity milk mustache, the milk industry is switching to milk life, a new slogan aimed at highlighting milk's protein benefits. the fast food breakfast battle is heating up. taco bell coming out swinging with the waffle taco. it's coming out in about a month and mcdonald's is eyeing expanded breakfast hours as a possible fix for slumping sales. we were talking about this earlier. have you ever walked into mcdonald's. you want an egg mcmuffin. it's 10:35 and you're like -- your only choice is a cheeseburger. >> sorry. you missed by five minutes. i like the idea of the expanded hours. >> why not 24 hours. right? >> hey, i'm all for it. >> i'm for it too. >> the waffle taco, though -- >> i'll try anything once. bring on the waffle taco. all right.

when we come back, hard fall. a deck collapses while a group tries to take a picture. why the family wants you to see this. and that's not a shark out there. nope, that big beast forced the lifeguards to shut down an entire beach. guards to shut down an entire beach. [ male announcer ] here's how the story ends. but let's go back to the beginning. the simple goodness of milk. and now, kraft singles have no artificial preservatives.

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almond breeze. almondiciously good! i dbefore i dosearch any projects on my home. i love my contractor, and i am so thankful to angie's list for bringing us together. find out why more than two million members count on angie's list. angie's list -- reviews you can trust. people aren't the only ones fed up with all the snow and ice covering much of the country. here are deer trying to cross the allegheny river in pennsylvania, got stuck on a chunk of ice and when we checked last, they were just making themselves comfortable. >> wow, what a shot. looking at the morning road conditions, a lot of rowet roadways from texas to the carolinas. watch out for icy conditions from wyoming into western kansas.

and if you're flying, airport delays are possible in denver, new orleans and houston. a huge castle-style mansion that serves as the setting for celebrity weddings and movies and tv shows is now a crime scene. >> police say the owner, gary melius was leaving the new york estate at lunchtime when ambushed by a masked gunman. melius was shot in the head. the gunman took off. so far the motive for this attack is still a mystery. >> i don't know who would ever want to hurt somebody so nice and generous and thoughtful. in shock. >> fortunately, that bullet just grazed melius. he is recovering. investigators are hoping hoping video that cover that 109,000 square foot estate can produce a suspect. new research finds that women as young as 35 may benefit from having their ovaries surgically removed if they carry either of the two brca genes. women with those genes are much more likely to develop breast and ovarian cancer. the surgery, researchers say, can reduce the risk of premature death up to 77%. and now to the sad passing

of movie funnyman harold ramis. a long list of movies he had a hand in, whether it's "animal house," "stripes," "ghostbusters" which ramis either wrote, produced or acted in. he died yesterday of a rare autoimmune disease. he was 69 years old. a burglar has been caught on camera preying on an elderly california couple in the middle of the night. surveillance video shows the intruder rummaging through the bedroom of this pasadena home. now, the homeowners are just off camera sleeping steps away from where he is. you can actually hear them snoring as the burglar casually empties the man's pants pockets. the terrified family didn't want to reveal their identity. >> we want our neighbors to know there is a person out there that's breaking in homes, it's not safe. you might get hurt. >> now, the burglar got away with a wallet and some other personal items. the couple set up the camera

after money went missing from their bedroom just a few weeks ago. a crazy scene from long, island, this happened on a local bus. >> a passenger was recording when a woman basically flipped out and assaulted the female driver. witnesses said the woman was angry because the driver apparently missed her stop. now, the driver stopped the bus and was taken to a hospital. the aggressive passenger is being sought by police. all right, a family in indiana suing the company that built their deck because of that. it collapsed under them just as they were going to take a photo last december. two dozen family members fell to the ground 15 feet below them, seven people had to be treated at the hospital. three are reportedly not walking yet. the company says it's not liable because the deck is over ten years old. >> scary stuff. and just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, a 12-foot crocodile makes the scene. that monster was spotted last weekend enjoying the surf in australia. it kept people onshore for most of saturday, but it was gone by sunday. still wouldn't take my chances in that water. >> yeah, you have to worry about sharks and now crocodiles too. >> fantastic. >> wow.

that's scary. okay, march madness, the ncaa tournament officially begins just three weeks from tonight. >> while we're talking about basketball, let's get some of last night's highlights from espn. good morning, america. welcome to "sportscenter." alongside stan verrett, i'm robert flores. stan, carmelo anthony keeps scoring, the knicks keep losing. >> that's a good way to sum up their season. so far, anthony has had scintillating offensive performances, had another one against the mavericks but as robert mentioned all for naught. tyson chandler with a steal. anthony for three. he had 44 points in this game. it's 108-108. the knicks came back from eight down very quickly, but check out the bounce that dirk nowitzki got. nowitzki didn't shoot it well. 0 for 5 from three-point range in the game but he gets the roll. he had 15. mavericks win it 110-108 in the seventh spot in the west right now. college game, good one between number four syracuse

taking on maryland. second half, trevor cooney gets blocked. he's on the floor, ball comes to him. heads-up play. he finds tyler ennis. orange have a ten-point lead. now, the lead is four. that's good. beating the shot clock, the lead back up to six, maryland down one, under 15 seconds to go. nick faust driving baseline, doesn't get the foul. syracuse get the rebound. they hang on for the win, 57-55. >> seems like every game syracuse, it's either a two-point win or a two-point loss. >> certainly this time, not a lot of room for error. >> that's all we got. >> back to you. >> thanks, guys. up next, "the pulse" where a celebrity couple is calling it quits after 20 years. plus, a teenager with a heart of gold. his viral video aimed at an olympic athlete.

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sort of saw this one coming. robin thicke and paula patton are calling it quits on their marriage. whether it was this performance at the vmas or that steamy video for "blurred lines." >> or even the photos showing thicke getting frisky with a fan. remember that one? the signs all appeared too apparent. the couple met in high school and they were married for almost nine years. they are the parents of a 3-year-old son. >> girl scout cookie season is upon us. hallelujah. if you're going to indulge anyway, though, you might want to try to do something kind of special this year. we have some ideas for you. >> for starters tag-a-longs can be turned into a delicious. peanut butter mousse cake. you can use samoas or caramel delites to do this ice cream cake drizzled with caramel and chocolate sauce. >> oh, my goodness. >> we saved the best for last, i think. the most popular girl scout cookie of all, thin mints transforms into a rich minty chocolate cheesecake. i need that. >> thin mint crust, nice. >> awesome, and all of these recipes are courtesy of epicurous.com. i'm going to have to check that out.

>> can you make one and bring it in? >> i may. do you bake? >> no. >> oh, all right. >> it's all on me. >> even if i did, i wouldn't admit it. >> and you wouldn't want to share. parents considering giving their toddlers too much too soon in the way of gadgets may want to rethink that strategy. >> this is what happens when they take away an ipad from 2-year-old ashlynn brooks. >> i want the ipad. >> poor baby. like it's the end of the world. now, ashlynn's parents say they let her use the ipad for educational purposes, but i don't know. maybe create a bit of a monster there. >> yeah, i think so. all right, a california kid who is really going for it when it comes to finding a date for his prom. >> 17-year-old dyer pettijohn of malibu posted a video in which he asks u.s. figure skater gracie gold to go to the big dance with him. in the video he lists the reasons he thinks he would be a

great date. >> you're gorgeous. my mom thinks i'm pretty. you're an olympic athlete. i made varsity. i live at the beach. you live at the beach. as you may have guessed, i am single. >> gold is from laguna beach, california. >> and she tweeted, "this melted my heart" with a link to the video. no word yet on whether or not she's going to go to the prom. his mom thinks he's pretty. >> i mean, that is really clever. and he seemed like a charming guy. >> yep. >> i'm surprised he didn't find a date, you know, at his school. i bet all the girls are crazy for this kid. >> going for the gold. >> literally. >> yeah, exactly. >> hometown girls. he's going for the superstar. >> i don't know how she's going to say no to that. >> i know. right? >> she's going to have to clear her schedule when she comes back from sochi. >> he lives in a beautiful part of the country. >> i know. for some of you your local news is next. for everyone else, we will

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live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 >> good morning at 4:28 on tuesday. thank you for joining us. >> first we have the weather forecast because yes, there is rain. it is headed our way. mike? >> it is headed our way. not here just yet. on live doppler 7 hd you can see what i am watching right now -- you look great, by the way -- and novato has a lot of fog. a quarter-mile visibility. you can see on 37, 101, indian valley road and novato boulevard, those are areas where you will have trouble getting an. across the entire area, that is the hotspot for fog so watch out up-and-down 101. >> we will talk about the

forecast by locking from the roof camera: it is quiet. there is a breeze. it is not too bad and not much of a wind chill. we have low clouds replaced by high and mid-level clouds. mid-60's to 70 around inland and bay. the coast is around 60 degrees. leyla gulen has the commute. >> at 4:29 we are start off quiet. but not so quiet behind he with a picture of the golden gate bridge. traffic is moving smooth into san francisco from sausalito. we could have a little bit of haze but all in all it looks to be decent in the northbound direction. you could see the construction crews picking up the cones. the bay bridge toll plaza shows traffic is light. as we make the commute arm from the maze interest san francisco just a few scant scars and the golden gate bridge away from

hayward to foster city will not take you long. in fact, it will only take you nine minutes. when we get that shot i will bring it to you and send it over to kristen sze and eric. we have breaking news from the south bay. one person is dead after a house four that left another person injured. abc7 news reporter matt keller has more on the investigation of the fire. matt? >> this is considered a crime scene because a person was found dead. san jose police and fire investigators are working to determine what started the fire and how that person died. we will show did you know toes from the san jose fire department. when they arrived they saw flames coming from a house in the back here on willard avenue. they arrived at 12:15. they say the fire was intense. >> we had a lot high flames shoot from the structure with a two story apartment building to the left of the main