making news in america this morning, wild weather. today heavy rain could cause big problems in california while the bone-chilling cold and snow make a comeback in other parts of the country. mounting pressure, the firestorm over arizona's so-called anti-gay bill is getting more intense. why the entire nation is watching what the governor does and the late night tweet she just sent out. fortunate find. a couple unearths a real-life buried treasure. it is a rare discovery that could go down in the record books. saltwater slap. a woman gets too close to a whale's tail and is left red-faced. >> there's a fin. >> oh.

good morning. i'm marci gonzalez in for diana perez. >> and i'm john muller. we begin with yet another round of extreme weather. bone-chilling conditions for some, possible flooding and mud slides for others. >> the latest radar shows the double weather whammy. twin rainstorms brewing off the west coast and a polar blast ready to unload over much of the east. our coverage begins with abc's larry jacobs. >> reporter: spring is less than a month away, but during the last week of february in chicago, it'll feel like january with morning temperatures plunging below zero. hats and gloves are still selling in stores. >> showcasing what's left of the winter gear and appropriately displaying the summer gear. >> reporter: flood warnings and advisories are posted across illinois and indiana where ice jams are sending rivers over their banks. >> these chunks of ice out here, you know, are thick, and they're just destroying whatever they crossed. >> reporter: southern california is bracing for the worst downpours in months. homeowners in the foothills

outside los angeles are taking no chances because mud slides are a big threat. >> it just talked a little about doing what we can do at our home and maybe possibly sandbagging around the doorways, you know, just -- i think we'll be okay but -- >> reporter: with flood concerns from california to the midwest, americans from coast to coast cannot wait for this mean season to end. larry jacobs, abc news, new york. well, unfortunately, that means the season is not likely to end any time soon. >> accuweather's jim dickey is tracking those pacific storms and snow hitting the northeast this morning. good morning, jim. >> good morning, john and marci. a couple trouble spots we're dealing with across the country here today. first off across the northeast, new england, seeing some snowfall. it'll be light, but coming through the morning commute, cities like boston, d.c., new york city likely dealing with some delays through the morning hours. and with this brutal cold in place across the upper midwest, the northern plains, early morning temperatures, minus 13, minneapolis.

minus 3 in chicago. we won't get above zero in many of these spots as we head through the day, and rainfall is moving through the west that will last through the weekend. many cases too much of a good thing going to lead to flooding and some mud slides. john and marci, back to you. >> jim, thank you. to arizona now sparking a national uproar over contentious bill that could change the way gay people are treated. the legislation would allow businesses to refuse service to gays and the final decision is now in the hands of arizona's governor. we get more now from abc's tahman bradley. >> reporter: an explosion of passion and mounting pressure as arizona governor jan brewer makes her decision. the conservative republican is weighing whether to sign into law or veto a bill that would allow companies to discriminate against gays in the name of religious freedom. >> this is just wrong. what message are we sending? >> this is not about hate or bigotry of any sort but rather for the protection of religious rights. >> reporter: governor brewer has until saturday to make a decision. so far she has not shown her hand. overnight brewer tweeted, "i

assure you as always i will do the right thing for the state of arizona." it's a fiery debate. >> the homosexual community will say, you need to be tolerant of our lifestyle but that tolerance isn't reciprocated towards the religious community. >> it is discrimination couched behind the belief that i can hide behind my religious beliefs. >> reporter: the battle has gained national attention. several major u.s. companies have said the law would be bad for business. among them, marriott hotels, tech giant apple, which has plans to open a 2,000-job high-tech plant in the state and american airlines. former republican presidential nominee mitt romney chimed in tweeting "veto of sb1062 is right." even the nfl has its eyes on arizona with next year's super bowl set to be played in phoenix. the league says its policies emphasize tolerance and inclusiveness. brewer has vetoed similar bills in the past, and many national republicans hope she does it again because they see this as a political loser. tahman bradley, abc news, washington.

the u.s. has fined a foreign airline for how it responded to an accident. three people were killed and dozens injured when this asiana airlines jet clipped a seawall as it tried to land in san francisco last summer. federal authorities say the korean airline was slow to provide information and help to the families of the victims. the fine is $500,000. u.s. prosecutors will have to cool their heels before getting their hands on mexican drug lord joaquin guzman. guzman, also known as el chapo must stand trial in mexico on organized crime charges before any possible extradition to the u.s. guzman is being held of mexico's most secure prison, a move aimed at not repeating his escape in 2001. there are more arrests in a huge disability fraud case linked to 9/11. some of these people in handcuffs are retired police officers and firefighters. they're accused of filing disability claims saying they had psychiatric problems from the 9/11 attacks and other

on-the-job trauma. prosecutors say they bilked the government of $400 million. well, all u.s. forces could soon be out of afghanistan. president obama has ordered the pentagon to plan for a full american withdrawal by the end of this year if the afghans refuse to sign a security agreement. the u.s. has repeatedly pushed back the deadline. afghan president hamid karzai is not expected to sign, so it may be up to the winner of the country's upcoming elections. kerry kennedy is set to take the stand to defend herself against charges she drove under the influence of ambien. one of the prosecution's final witnesses may have helped kennedy's defense. a toxicology expert testified that she may not have realized she was impaired, which is what kennedy has insisted all along. well, experts say a giant solar flare that fired off the sun won't have much of an effect here on earth. it erupted yesterday afternoon on the sun's surface. >> now, the explosion of hot gases generated winds said to be over 4 million miles per hour. flares often disrupt satellite

communications, but this one was not directed at the earth. it could still cause some auroras near the poles tonight. move over, lebron james, the best-selling jersey in the nba belongs to a player who hasn't scored a basket yet. this season. plus, a child dies after being bitten by his pet. new details about the alarming disease he contracted and who the family blames for what happened. and canada controversy. the surprising reason president obama's new amba

welcome back. general motors is issuing a recall and an apology. the automaker admits it may have been too slow in recalling 1.6

million cars because of a safety issue. the faulty ignition switches are blamed for 31 crashes and 13 deaths. well, don't look for "consumer reports" overall top car at the gas station because it's the tesla model s, and it runs on a battery. they say the $90,000 electric sedan is a glimpse into the future. among the other top picks are the ram 1500, best pickup, the subaru forester, best small suv and honda accord, the number one midsize sedan. that bowl of cereal may be going up in price faster than it gets soggy. oat prices have nearly a five-year high mostly because of transportation costs and oil shipments are pushing oats off trains and this year's winter weather is not helping either. the best-selling jersey in pro basketball belongs to a guy who wasn't playing a week ago. the nba says there is high demand for the number 98 brooklyn nets jersey that jason collins will wear. >> yeah, that's right, and

collins himself hasn't worn that number yet. it wasn't ready for his first game. he is the first openly gay player in a major u.s. sport. when we come back, the baby who couldn't wait, born on a new york sidewalk. find of a lifetime. a couple stumbles across something in their yard and strikes gold literally. and some of us are sick of the snow, but two guys are embracing it in a viral video. instead of mailing everyone my vacation photos, i'm saving a ton of time by posting them to my wall. oh, i like that one. it's so quick! it's just like my car insurance. i saved 15% in just 15 minutes. i saved more than that in half the time. i unfriend you. that's not how it works. that's not how any of this works. [ male announcer ] 15 minutes for a quote isn't how it works anymore. with esurance, 7 1/2 minutes could save you on car insurance. welcome to the modern world. esurance. backed by allstate. click or call.

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the carolinas. also watch out for slippery conditions in parts of the northeast. a better bet if you're flying. new orleans is the only airport likely to experience delays. president obama has taken a lot of heat for everything from health care reform to the economy, but now some of his choices to represent the u.s. overseas are coming under fire. >> career diplomats say choosing big donors to be ambassadors would be okay if those nominees know at least a few basic details about their posts. there is growing backlash over the president's nomination of political donors to embassy posts. three recent picks are really raising eyebrows. the nominee for ambassador to argentina admitted he had never even visited. >> mr. mamet, have you been to argentina? >> senator, i haven't had the opportunity yet to be there. >> reporter: mamet raised more than $500,000 for the president's re-election. and the new nominee as ambassador to norway didn't know what form of government it has. >> why on earth did president obama nominate a guy who's never been to norway to be

the ambassador to norway in the first place. >> george tsunis who raised nearly $850,000 for the president's re-election campaign. >> oh. >> reporter: and colleen bell, a soap opera producer named to represent the u.s. in hungary had trouble with some basic questions. >> what are our strategic interests in hungary? >> well, we have a strategic interest in terms of what our key priorities. >> reporter: bell did raise $800,000 for the obama campaign. with these three most recent nominees knowing so little about their appointed countries, the board of the american foreign service association is considering the unusual move of publicly opposing them, something it hasn't done since 1993. still, the full senate is expected to approve all three nominees. well, a san diego couple suing one of the country's biggest pet stores after their 10-year-old son died from an infection he got from his pet rat. little aidan pankey died last summer less than two weeks after his grandmother bought the rat

from petco. the family says the petco was negligent by not adequately testing the rodent for disease. petco released a statement saying "we follow what we believe are the industry's strongest standards for companion animal health and welfare. we leave specific testing protocols to be determined by our vendors unless we identify a reason for concern. we're saddened by the pankey family's tragic loss." if you entrust your children to a school bus each morning, there is dramatic evidence this morning that they really are built for safety. a newly released video shows what happened inside a washington state bus when an suv plowed into it head-on a week ago. the two eighth graders and the driver suffered minor injuries. the suv's driver and passenger were hurt more seriously. all right, now to the latest example of a child who is ready to be born no matter what mom thought. it happened right here in new york city on one of manhattan's busiest avenues. polly mccourt was ready to head to the hospital but little isla

had other ideas. mom was forced to deliver right on the sidewalk as her doorman tried to help. >> he was trying desperately to hail a cab and a lady walked out five meters in front and hailed a cab and got into it. no, that's my cab. i want that cab. >> mom, baby and dad, they're all doing fine. several pedestrians offered scarves to keep the baby warm and one woman even gave the mom her coat and now the couple want to find her and thank her in person. >> is that a great story? >> sure is. we could learn more about the condition of a young university of miami football player who is being treated at a hospital. hunter knighton was taken in monday after a workout. he is said to be unconscious. >> we don't know any more details about his condition or exactly what happened to him. knighton didn't play last season. school officials say they are encouraged, though, by his prognosis. and new york knicks guard raymond felton free on bail after surrendering yesterday to face two

felony weapons possessions. felton turned himself in after his wife dropped off a loaded pistol saying that it belonged to him. she dropped it off at a police station and filed for divorce from felton last week. if convicted he faces years in prison. more basketball players to tell you about. this time on the court. >> we get the highlights from our guys at espn. >> good morning, america. he's stan. i'm neil. we're having great hair days. >> wichita state is having a great season. the shockers, in case you missed it, trying to get to 30-0. they would be the first to go 30-0 in the regular season before their conference tournament. taking on bradley, first half, shockers up 5. ron baker getting there. beats everybody down the floor. doesn't stop until the job is done. wichita state up 7 early. second half, they're up by 15. it's baker again. he had 15 points, 4 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 of 4 shockers in double figures. 30 up, none down, so wichita state will try to finish an

undefeated regular season saturday on espn. james harden leading the charge for the rockets against the kings. this game was in sacramento, which makes it even more embarrassing for the home team because they just got destroyed by houston and harden. harden scored 18 straight points in the first quarter. he goes for 40 right here when he -- step-back, bobby jack -- hits the three. we figured he was going to go for 50 plus and knock wichita state off the top spot on the show, but the lead was so big, the coach set him down at 43, and the rockets win, 129-103. >> wow. >> yeah, well, he had a beard. >> yeah. >> so there's a distinct advantage. >> so you think that's an advantage. right. back to you. >> don't shave. >> all right. what you're about to see is not an olympic sport in the winter, but it's good enough to be our "play of the day." >> it comes to you from duluth, minnesota, where a couple of college seniors did snow swimming last friday.

you can see they're decked out for it. speedos, caps, goggles, the whole deal. after a few bone-chilling seconds, they get smart and head back inside. >> didn't take long, huh? >> no. >> lasted a lot longer than any of us would have. up next "the pulse" where a picture by two world leaders get a lot of attention. can you figure out why? and face slap. a boat getting too close to a whale and a woman paying the price. dominique wilkins, are taking charge of their type 2 diabetes with non-insulin victoza. for a while, i took a pill to lower my blood sugar, but it didn't get me to my goal. so i asked my doctor about victoza. he said victoza works differently than pills, and comes in a pen.

and the needle is thin. victoza is an injectable prescription medicine that may improve blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes when used with diet and exercise. it is not recommended as the first medication to treat diabetes and should not be used in people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. victoza has not been studied with mealtime insulin. victoza is not insulin. do not take victoza if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to victoza or any of its ingredients. symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include swelling of face, lips, tongue or throat, fainting or dizziness, very rapid heartbeat, problems breathing or swallowing, severe rash or itching. tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. serious side effects may happen in people who take victoza including inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)

which may be fatal. stop taking victoza and call your doctor right away if you have signs of pancreatitis, such as severe pain that will not go away in your abdomen or from your abdomen to your back, with or without vomiting. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you have any medical conditions. taking victoza with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. the most common side effects are nausea, diarrhea, and headache. some side effects can lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. if your pill isn't giving you the control you need, ask your doctor about non-insulin victoza. it's covered by most health plans. ♪ since you've been gone, all that's left is a band of gold ♪ a golden story here to start your hump day "pulse."

a northern california couple stumbled across a fortune literally. these coins are some of what they found while taking a walk on their property. >> found out that the can that they used a stick to dig it out. they brought it back thinking it was full of paint because it was so heavy, and then when they got rid of some of the gunk and dirt, they discovered they had gold, the little pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. >> yeah, half a dozen pots of gold, in fact. there were more cans along the path. the face value of the coins is $27,000 but because the coins are rare, the hoard is worth more than 10 million bucks. walking really is good for you. the woman said, don't be above bending down to see what's in a can buried in the dirt. boy, was she right. >> amazing. they say they're planning on paying off their debts and give some money to charity. can you imagine just taking a walk and now you're $10 million richer. >> unbelievable. >> love it. all right. conspiracy theories are flying this morning after a photo of german chancellor angela merkel and israeli prime minister

benjamin netanyahu went viral. >> yeah, take a look at that. unfortunate shadow on merkel's face forming a mustache that some say looks hitler style. the photographer insists that netanyahu just happened to be pointing at the exact second the shot was snapped and i would have to think that's probably exactly what happened. all right, getting up close and personal with a whale. this happened this week in the water off of baja california. pretty amazing. >> a group of students right next to that whale when its fin comes out of the water, slaps one of them right in the head. the girl is fine and at least there's video so she can rewatch the whole thing as many times as she wants and probably needed to explain the bruise on her face. >> i would think that probably felt a little more than a tap. you know what they say, these humpback whales, they say that they actually smell really bad when they come out of the water because they have like barnacles on them and everything. so wonder how she was feeling and smelling after that. hello. >> not too good. all right. for some of you, your local news is next.

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live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. good wednesday morning at 4: 28. i am kristen sze. i am eric thomas were get your driving skills ready. you will need them. nice to see you. i noticed a couple of things this morning: there were slick streets from rain that has fallen during the overnight hours. it was light with no puddles. you can tell it had rained. in san francisco we have nothing but clouds. live doppler 7 hd shows the best chance of rain is at bodega bay along 116 at a reporting stations that is the only one reporting light rain in santa rosa. we have a wall of sprinkles-to-light rain for the

morning compute. be prepared for that. here is leyla gulen. we have a couple of problems already. you can see we have areas of green shaded with an indication that rain could be falling. we have debris this westbound 580 blocking one lane. in santa rosa, we have light sprinkles falling the whole area shaded in green. 101 starts to taper off toward san rafael to mill valley and across the golden gate bridge. it will come from the north. make sure you slow down. it could be slick. give yourself extra time. the fit of the two storms hitting the bay area is bringing rain. even before it is heavy, we have a taste of things to come. abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield is on the scene of a

tree that down in san bruno. the tree fell overnight and this is what they are worried they will see more of. the storm does have the potential to be messy. there are concerns there could be mudslides and possibly flooding and trees. the storms will bring much needed rain. that is the good news. it is not raining now in san bruno. we did not see rain coming from the east bay but do not let that fool you, grab the umbrella or the jacket. it is supposed to hit this afternoon. this morning do fought look outside see no rain and think you are okay because this afternoon we will get a good soaking. be prepared. people are getting ready for the storms across the peninsula. sandbags available in several areas including