making news in america this morning -- breaking right now. another night of severe weather, heavy rain and wind, pounding the south. new pictures of flooded cars and buildings surrounded by water. plus, the cleanup after the tornadoes, spawned by the same system. banned for life. the nba comes down hard on clippers' owner, donald sterling, for his controversial comments. the reaction from around the league this morning. and what could be next for sterling. meat mystery solved. we knew taco bell's beef was mostly meat. now, we know what the rest of the recipe calls for. and live with robin. "gma" co-anchor, robin roberts, had some late-night laughs with jimmy kimmel.

good wednesday morning. we begin with breaking news. the same weather system that spawned deadly tornadoes is taking aim at other states and causing serious flooding. >> we'll take a look at the radar. a huge portion of the country expected to get a lot of rain today. people in the south are seeing the worst of it overnight. at least one person is dead in the florida panhandle from the flooding. torrential rain and dangerous lightning pounding that area. new video overnight showing highways and roads, turned into rivers. >> and take a look at these pictures from pensacola. this one shows a car dealership with the water reaching the hoods of some of the vehicles. and this one, also from pensacola, shows a burger king surrounded by floodwater. you see the water reaches up to the bottom of the windows of that restaurant. and they're just starting the long recovery process in the states where twisters touched down. at least 35 people have died in the severe storms from arkansas to tennessee. >> the area around tupelo, mississippi, was particularly hard-hit. and that's where we find abc's scott goldberg this morning. scott?

>> reporter: good morning, john and diana. fortunately, those forecasts calling for a possible third round of tornadoes in this part of the south changed. that didn't materialize. but that doesn't make the task ahead, the cleanup, any less daunting or the loss any less painful. the brutal system that has been carrying tornadoes across the south crawled into north carolina tuesday night. >> it's touching down. >> reporter: by then, the twisters were inflicting what they called moderate structural damage. >> there's just houses all over the road. >> reporter: this has been, by far, the largest outbreak of the year. nearly 120 tornadoes reported since sunday. dozens of deaths in six states. in mississippi, one twister had an early rating of ef-4, one notch below the top of the scale. in tupelo, the governor said, more than 130 homes were hit. >> it is amazing to see that amount of damage, residential damage, the number of trees, large trees, that have been destroyed. >> reporter: as it was happening, wtva meteorologist

matt laubhan was on the air, in tupelo, trying to warn viewers to hide. next thing he knew, he was telling his co-workers to run for cover. >> i tell people at home, at that point, you have to get to your safe place. we need to send everybody. and hopefully that would emphasize to people at home, that this was the instant you have to go. >> reporter: and yet, sometimes there's nothing you can do. among the dead in this outbreak, 21-year-old john servati on the swim team at the university of alabama in tuscaloosa. he was sheltering in his basement when a retaining wall fell on top of him. now, this weather system is moving east, spreading rain up and down the coast. and as you guys mentioned, bringing those bad floods to the florida panhandle. still, even though it looks pretty bad there, the system isn't expected to leave behind the same kind of mess it left here. john and diana? >> good news there. scott goldberg, live in tupelo, mississippi. thank you. and that weather system is now bringing heavy rains and

high winds to the northeast. >> accuweather's jim dickey is joining us with more on the track of the storm. jim? >> good morning, john and diana. another round of heavy thunderstorms expected today. now, the good news is not nearly the tornado threat we've been dealing with since the weekend. the storms today, mainly bringing just damaging winds. but also, torrential rainfall. as you see, numerous rounds, thunderstorms in these areas. plenty of soaking rainfall, flash flooding and river flooding, a major concern, for portions of pennsylvania and new jersey, all the way south and westward, to the gulf of mexico. john and dana, back to you. >> jim, thank you. abc news tracking the storms and flooding. we'll have the very latest coming up on "good morning america." now, to the other big story this morning. the aftermath of the racial controversy that threatened to engulf the nba. it led to the owner of the l.a. clippers to be banned from the league for life. and last night, the team made an emphatic statement in the best way possible. abc's tahman bradley reports. >> the los angeles clippers have

gone up 3-2 games. >> reporter: before and after the clippers' win last night, the nba's decision to ban donald sterling was met with widespread praise. >> it's a great day. >> the healing process has started. and so, we're going to keep growing and getting away from this. >> i hope that every bigot in this country sees what happened to mr. sterling. >> reporter: the stiff punishment was handed down by the nba commissioner, adam silver. >> effective immediately, i am banning mr. sterling for life. >> reporter: silver hit the clippers' owner with the penalty, after he admitted to the league making racist comments in a taped conversation with alleged girlfriend, v. stiviano. >> it bothers me that you want broadcast associating with black people. do you have to? >> reporter: under the ban, sterling is prohibited from attending nba games. banned from clippers' practice facilities. banned on any say on his team's decisions. and banned from contacting players.

sterling was also hit with a $2.5 million fine. it's the harshest punishment ever handed down to a professional sports team owner. basketball legend, magic johnson, whose mention of the sterling tape, says he hopes this ugly episode is over. >> i hope the fans now return to the clipper games. there will be no boycott and all those types of things that were planned. >> reporter: now, the ball is in the other nba owners' court. the commissioner will push them to force sterling to sell the clippers. tahman bradley, abc news, washington. one person not thrilled with the penalties against sterling is the woman heard on the tape that got him in trouble. v. stiviano has taken to wearing that visor since the story erupted. and last night, she made some political comments, including expressing a desire to become president. and to, quote, change the legislature. she also said she did not release the recording of sterling. we'll have much, much more on "good morning america." a security guard is in critical condition after a shooting at a fedex facility in the atlanta area.

police say 19-year-old geddy kramer shot six co-workers before turning the gun on himself. they say he also had a number of homemade bombs, which he did not use in the attack. now, they're trying to figure out what motivated kramer to attack others and kill himself. amanda knox is disputing the explanation by an italian court for reinstating her murder conviction. the new document states that knox herself delivered the fatal blow that killed her roommate, meredith kercher. and the motive is believed to be their deteriorating relationship. knox responded right away, saying, quote, the recent motivation document does not and cannot change the forensic evidence. i remain hopeful that the italian courts will once again recognize my innocence. chemical weapons watchdog groups says it will investigate claims that the syrian government used gas against rebels. there are accusations of at least separate chlorine gas attacks by president assad's forces in the last month that left scores of people dead. a british newspaper it has proof that assad is using chemical weapons. the agency coordinating the search for the missing malaysian

airlines jetliner is dismissing claims that a private surveyor may have found wreckage of flight 370. that potential debris was located in the bay of bengal, by a company called georesonance, thousands of miles from the primary search location. georesonance insists it's not claiming it found debris. but it believes an investigation is warranted. the senate is set to vote today on raising the minimum wage. the bill would increase the $7.25 minimum to $10.10 over 30 months. but the democratic proposal faces major opposition. and it's not expected to pass. a federal judge has thrown out wisconsin's voter identification law, saying it tends to exclude the poor and minorities. the law would have required voters to show state-issued i.d.s at the polls. but the judge ruled since poor and minority voters can't often afford i.d.s, the law would prevent them from voting. half of a $440 million mystery has been solved. now that a man and a woman from florida have claimed their mega millions jackpot. along with a lottery official,

the couple claimed their 207 million bucks. the check made out to their trust. they took the lump sum of nearly $116 million. the other winner in the march 18th drawing has yet to come forward. >> nope. i'm not jealous. not at all. >> wow. gosh, they look so happy. >> they do. all right. calling it quits. the royal breakup that's making waves across the pond and around the world. plus, safe in the swamp. a happy ending for a man and his kids who got off track during a hike. how and where they were finally found. and caught on camera. a woman takes a wrong step at a subway station.

forged out of bravery, sacrifice, and duty. from all corners of the country, a family for life. ♪ but whether they served in lands far away or communities close to home, some of these men and women may face difficult times or even crisis. but sometimes reaching out for help can be the most challenging and worthwhile mission of all. thankfully, friends, family, and communities are standing by their service members and veterans now more than ever.

♪ we're all in this together. when you recognize something isn't right, make the call to the veterans crisis line or military crisis line. during times of crisis, reach out and call. dial 1-800-273-8255 and press 1. at 15, i was addicted. by 40, i'll have lung disease. at 50, i'll die of a heart attack. dr. regina benjamin: cigarette smoke causes immediate damage that leads to health problems, even death. those who quit or die are being replaced by a new generation of smokers. i'm dr. regina benjamin, united states surgeon general. go to cdc.gov. learn how to make our next generation tobacco-free.

welcome back. some big trouble is reportedly looming for some big banks. credit suisse and france's largest bank are among the institutions that federal prosecutors are close to bringing criminal charges against, according to "the new york times." they're being investigated for offering tax shelters to americans and doing business with countries the u.s. has blacklisted. these would be the first criminal charges against wall street since the housing collapse. shares of twitter could be under pressure today, following the release of the company's new earnings report. analysts have concerns about twitter's ability to grow its user base. after it was released, twitter shares dropped nearly 20%, to just $38 each. last year, those were worth almost $75. apple has rolled out its mac books, dropping its starting price by 100 bucks. the updated models have powerful

processors and longer battery life. shoppers may be cutting back on spending. the average american is expected to spend about $163 alone this year. that is down $6 from last year. this year's big seller is gift cards. total spending is expected to reach $20 billion this year. when we come back, the mystery meat. taco bell reveals what's in the meat filling. a night to shine. a rare appearance by gabby giffords.

♪ ♪ have your next burger with a side of awesome. the one-of-a-kind, creamy blend of sweet and tangy. miracle whip and proud of it. [ male announcer ] kids today have superheroes and superheroes that fly. but what if we could go to a place where real superheroes lived? ones who moved mountains, lifted an entire people, and taught the whole world how to fly. come see america's greatest history attraction, the henry ford, and ignite the spark of imagination in all of us as we watch our heroes come alive in pure michigan. your trip begins at michigan.org.

bentaste-free andr, dissolves completely. and unlike other fibers, you'll only know you're taking fiber by the way good digestive health makes you look& and feel. benefiber. clearly healthy. take a look at these pictures coming in overnight from the florida panhandle. the city of pensacola was hit by more than a foot of rain in just a few hours. numerous drivers were trapped by the flooding waters. >> today, the heavy rain and strong winds could make travel difficult from i-95 up to mississippi. and there will also be dangerous

storms in the ohio valley. >> if you're flying, airport delays are possible in new orleans, atlanta, charlotte, washington, d.c., philadelphia. clayton locket, given a three-drug combination, didn't work. he began writhing on the gurney. >> the procedure was halted. but he died from a heart attack. anti-death penalty advocates say this is a perfect example of why capital punishment is wrong. >> it's rather ironic because the whole issue about the legal battle has been over the drugs themselves and whether or not they could be used in such an execution that would cause a quick death be compatible with -- that would not be a form of cruel and unusual punishment. >> a second execution which had been scheduled two hours later was postponed. the governor ordered an investigation into what went wrong. a minnesota homeowner who

shot and killed two teenagers has been convicted of premeditated murder. prosecutors say smith waited in his basement and intended to kill them. the 65-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. two northern california skydivers collided in midair, leaving one of them dead. the jumper who died was knocked unconscious and was unable to deploy his parachute. both men were extremely experienced and had jumped together many times before. the south carolina family lost in the wood without food and water, they're alive and well. rescuers found jerry kimbler after a hike went wrong. the only wilderness training he had was watching "survivor" on tv. but he did the best he could. now, to another survivor. former congresswoman gabby

giffords delivering an inspirational message. she received a standing ovation in washington. she addressed a group that elected democratic women, telling them to be passionate and courageous. >> but my spirit is strong as ever. i'm still fighting to make the world a better place. and you can, too. get involved with your community. be a leader, set an example. strong women get things done. >> giffords also told the crowd that she's getting better and working hard with lots of speech therapy and physical therapy, along with some yoga. a woman is recovering after taking a dangerous spill at a subway station. she simply walks off the edge, falling on to the tracks below, hitting the electrified third rail. she did suffer some burns. other riders ran to help her. and emergency crews only took a

couple of minutes to pull her out of danger. moving on to some sports now. it was almost difficult to realize that the l.a. clippers were still involved in the nba playoffs, given everything that's been going on around the team. >> as we mentioned earlier, they put the distractions aside last night and beat the golden state warriors. the win means the clippers can advance to the next round with a win tomorrow night. one team moving on is the washington wizards. they took down the bulls last night, winning their series in five games. this is just the third time since 1979 that the wizards' franchise has advanced to the playoffs. congratulations to them. next stop for them is the eastern conference semifinals. meanwhile, on the ice, the philadelphia flyers, using a three-goal outburst in the second period last night, to force a game seven against the rangers. >> the teams don't have time to rest. they have to play game seven tonight in new york. it's one of three deciders on tonight's schedule. quick turnaround for them. coming up next in "the pulse," the prince, back on the market. and late-night laughs with

robin roberts. the "gma" co-anchor making a robin roberts. the "gma" co-anchor making a stop at "jimmy kimmel live." thime you rent a dvd, don't bother rewinding it. the way i see it, it's the next guy's problem. oh, larry. she thinks i'm crazy. mm-hmm. but would a crazy person save 15% on car insurance in just 15 minutes? [ chuckles ] [ male announcer ] 15 minutes for a quote is crazy. with esurance, 7½ minutes could save you on car insurance. welcome to the modern world. esurance. backed by allstate. click or call. welcome to the modern world. oh no. who are you? daddy, this is blair, he booked this room with priceline express deals and saved a ton. i got everything i wanted. i always do. he seemed nice. i've quit for 75 days. 15 days, but not in a row. for the first time, you can use nicorette even if you slip up, so you can reach your goal. now, quit on your own terms

with nicorette or nicoderm cq. that's why we reimagined the range using a tri-ring burner. from the lowest simmer to the hottest sear, perfection is yours... almost. ge. reimagining home.

♪ i came in like a wrecking ball ♪ time to check, "the pulse," now. and we start with renewed hopes for the young ladies of the world. >> looks like prince harry back on the market. reports say harry and his girlfriend, cressida bonas have broken up. >> reports say harry thought she was too needy. harry and big brother, will, are expected to be in memphis this weekend for a friend's wedding. next up, taco bell, out with something of an explanation. the mexican fast food giant has started to saying its meat is 88% beef. >> that, as you imagine, has

other people asking what's the other 22%? >> on the website, the company lists everything in the 12%. admitting that some have weird names. but all are safe. and they've all been approved by the fda. taco bell? what do you think? >> i don't know. can i pronounce that? >> just eat. >> 88 cents a pop. they can't really be all-beef. there's a reason animals don't live in your home are called wildlife. >> a florida hiker who thought he would pose with a squirrel, learned the lesson the hard way when it pounced. >> it ended up clinging on to the back of his t-shirt. the hiker said he was running for his life. his mom, who was the photographer, collapsed in laughter. >> that would spook me out. >> it's funny to look at. >> i'm glad it's him not me. >> and running for his life from a squirrel. come on. >> all right. that's all i'm going to say. don't want a squirrel attacking you. >> you don't think so? >> no. another nighttime television

appearance by our good friend robin roberts, this time shooting the breeze with jimmy kimmel. >> she stayed up late to talk about her fascinating new memoir. it focusing on her battle with mds and the life-saving bone marrow transplant from her big sister, sally-ann. >> what do you do when someone gives you the gift of life, like that? >> you're screwed. >> i have to wash her car for life. >> oh, you won't watch my dog for the weekend? i gave you my bone marrow. >> that's right. >> kimmel showed off a picture of robin in the hospital wearing a hoodie he sent her. she said laughing while watching his show was a big help for her. kimmel took credit, joking it was he who had saved her life. >> naturally. it was her sister and everybody else and all the prayers. she is doing great. and, boy, it must be such a feeling. >> yes. and it's wonderful to see her in a different setting, where she can just let loose.

it's great to watch her. hilarious. wonderful, as usual. if it doesn't work fast... you're on to the next thing. clinically proven neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. it targets fine lines and wrinkles with the fastest retinol formula available. you'll see younger looking skin in just one week. one week? this one's a keeper. rapid wrinkle repair. and for dark spots rapid tone repair. from neutrogena®.

and for dark spots town after town,,. one sidewalk blends into another. but there is a place where every street is different. every corner plays a new song. every day is a festival. where store fronts, cafe's and artists all say... mix it up. take another taste. linger a little longer. ann arbor does it up different. ann arbor does it pure michigan. your trip begins at michigan.org

live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> it is 4:28. i am kristen sze. >> i am eric thomas. >> this could be the hottest day of the week? >> yes probably along the coast into san francisco but inland, one more time tomorrow. live doppler 7 hd shows no wind but hayward is eight and santa rosa at seven miles per hour which is needed to push the cooler air into the house. by the afternoon the sunshine is going to bake us 83 to 91 and 93 inland and the coast will be warm, too, at 76 to 81 a good 20 to 30 degree warmer than the ocean water. that is the forecast. how the commute? >> i saw flags that were not

blowing out in the wind. we have construction. over 80 westbound between highway four to powell we will have lanes blocked until 5:00 this morning. the bay bridge toll plaza shows it is moving along well with not too manny cars. beyond the tolls and to the first tower we will have lanes shut down with cones picked up at 5:00 a.m. breaking news from the south bay, firefighters are battling a house fire near downtown san jose. matt? this was a bad flight for the man who lives here. he went to the hospital at midnight with strep throat and he got back and his basement caught on fire at the home.

a first alarm response was called and four fighters cut a hole in the roof to let off the heat. they kept it from spreading, a relief to the neighbors. >> that is the main concern. from their house to my house with my daughter and i was concerned about my family. three people live in the home but no one was injured because all three went to the hospital because of the strep throat. it is believed to be accidental. they will be here another hour to make sure all the hotspots are out and the structure is secure. >> three are recovering from burns after an explosion at a san leandro homeless encampment near the tracks. a man and woman were taken to