umber store, where queen mattresses start at just $699. making news this morning, wild weather. >> twisters in the plains. a violent system bringing grapefruit-sized hail. plus, wildfires, burning. plus, newly-minted multimillionaires. the company that makes no money, now sold for 1 billion. melissa gilbert, rushed from "dancing with the stars," after what one judge called her best dance yet. and quick-thinking kids. a middle schooler jumps into action when their bus driver passes out. good morning, everyone. i'm meg oliver, in for paula

faris. >> and i'm rob nelson. for more than one part of the country today, today will be a battle with mother nature. the southern plains are bracing for severe storms, in the wake of funnel clouds that blew across western oklahoma. >> two fierce tornadoes touched down there. and along with that threat, hail the size of grapefruit, punching holes in cars and roofs. no serious injuries have been reported. along much of the east coast today, red flag warnings from north carolina all the way up to new england. thousands of acres are already burning. and on new york's long island, several homes have been destroyed and entire neighborhoods, now, have been evacuated. and in new jersey, bone-dry conditions and fierce winds have been threatening homes. doze dozens of people have joined firefighters to head off a disaster. now, march was confirmed as the hottest on record. each of the dots show a record

smashed. more than 15,000 in all. incredible number there. the weather service predicts a warmer than average summer for most of the country. we turn to the jet crash in virginia beach. the navy is handing out checks to the people who lost their homes when that jet slammed into their apartment complex. also, newly released recordings of the 911 calls they made after the fiery crash, revealed the terror of that moment. >> virginia beach 911. >> we just had a jet explode on birdneck. >> a what explode? >> they ejected from the plane. >> do you know if anybody's injured? >> what? >> do you know if anybody's injured? >> i have no idea. the place is on fire. i don't know. get everybody out there. >> the navy is using heavy-duty equipment to clear debris while the investigation continues. turning, now, to presidential politics. and the question is likely republican nominee mitt romney losing ground to president obama? our new poll seems to offer a simple answer, that is yes.

this is scott goldberg here from new york with the results. >> reporter: the poll says there's a number of reasons the president's chances are looking better. a good run of economic news has something to do with it. but what really stands out is the gender gap. the president has a huge lead among women. >> reporter: there are several political lifetimes to live between now and november. so, things could change. but if the election was hold today, president obama would have to like his chances. a new poll out this morning has the president leading mitt romney, his likely gop opponent, by seven points. last month, they were in a dead heat. the president's biggest advantage is women. they like him by a margin of 57% to 38% over romney, nearly 20 points. it's a giant gender gap democrats have been happy to talk about. >> the focus of the republican party, on turning back the clock for women, really is something that's unacceptable and shows

how callous and insensitive they are towards women's priorities. >> reporter: it's also something republicans are realizing can be a real problem. the romney campaign released a video featuring the candidate's wife, to broaden romney's appeal. >> i had more than five sons. i had six sons. and he would be as mischievous own as naughty as the other boys. >> reporter: it says overall, voters seem to like the president more. in that category, friendliness and likability, mr. obama leads romney by a full 38 points. so, how can romney turn things around? his strategy so far is to convince voters that the president is out of touch. and the super pac supporting romney reportedly is planning a major ad campaign to spread that message. >> scott goldberg, thanks for that report. and there's been another suspension stemming from the government waste scandal at the general services administration.

an eighth employee has been now placed on leave as that agency continues investigating its own lavish conference in las vegas a year and a half ago. the employee is deputy commissioner david foley, who actually gave an award to a colleague for producing a music video about the gsa's spending. for the first time we're hearing from the gunman who shot trayvon martin. on a new website, george zimmerman says, i've been forced to leave my home, my school, my employer, my family and unfortunately, my entire life. the site solicits donation for his legal fight. sources close to the investigation says charges could be filed against zimmermann with in days. suspects in a shooting rampage that terrorized the city's black community has confessed. jake england confessed to shooting three people. and 32-year-old alvin watts confessed to shooting two. they say england may have been motivated by revenge for his father's fatal shooting by a black man two years ago.

from north korea this morning, a denial that an upcoming satellite launch is cover for a nuclear missile test. that launch is thursday and next monday. it has several airlines rerouting flights over the philippines, which is along the anticipated flight path. north korean preparations for a possibly third nuclear test are only adding to the tensions. radioactive particles from japan's crippled nuclear reactor has turned up along the coast of california. it was found in sea weed beds. the levels of iodine are not likely harmful to humans. but sea creatures do eat the sea weed. and the effects on them is not known. time for a look at weather across the nation on this tuesday morning. western oklahoma could get hammered again with more severe storms. the gulf coast could also see some pretty dangerous weather today. it will be wet in san francisco. and that rain will move south to san diego later today. atlanta could see some showers

this afternoon. >> and temperatures in the midwest will be below normal for the first time in months. boston, new york and baltimore are in the 60s. albuquerque and salt lake city are pleasant in the 80s. phoenix is 92. it is better, actually, than winning the lottery. coming up next, facebook buys a popular app for $1 billion. making that company's 13 workers very, very rich. >> oh, boy. and they knew just what to do. young students stop the bus when the driver has a heart attack.

welcome back, everybody. there are a pair of billion dollar deals in silicon valley. facebook is buying instagram, the maker of a photo sharing app. price tag $1 billion. the company isn't two years old. hasn't turned a profit yet. and doesn't have much office furniture. but it has 30 million loyal users. he's now worth $400 million. some guys have all the luck. on top of that, microsoft is paying aol $1 billion, not for the company but for its patents. it has many patents, that are basic to the internet. they involve search, e-mail, instant messaging and customizing ads. overseas markets are worried

about the udz and european economies. tokyo's nikkei average slipped eight points today. hong kong's hang seng fell 216. in london, the ftse opened higher. on wall street, the dow lost 131 points yesterday, to finish below 13,000 for the first time in almost a month. the nasdaq index was off 33. surprising results from the auto survey. only about one-third of hybrid auto owners would buy one again. less than one-fourth would repeat. the reasons could include purchase price, performance and trading in for an electric vehicle. there's a new king of broadway, "the lion king." "lion king" has grossed nearly $900 million since its debut. its average ticket is priced higher and its theaters are bigger. "lion king" is produced by disney, the parent company of abc news. king of the hill. >> that's right. >> not bad. a lot of money. stick around. next on this tuesday, we'll hear

from the teen who saved a bus full of his fellow students. plus, the link between dental x-rays and brain tumors. is this what we're doing now?

i don't want a plunger anywhere near my coffee. not in my house. with maxwell house french roast, you let gravity do the work. [ male announcer ] maxwell house french roast. always good to the last drop.

a wind-driven wildfire has burned more than 200 acres in the miami area. the billowing black smoke could be seen for miles. dozens of firefighters were battling the blaze. it was only about 30% contained. there is a high danger of fire on the east coast because of this especially dry spring. and now, for a look at your morning road conditions. i-30 and i-40, in oklahoma city area could be wet and windy. snowy on i-95 in maine. there will be rain on i-5, from seattle to sacramento, and on i-80, from san francisco to sacramento. >> if you're flying, airport delays are possible in dallas and san francisco.

well, some middle schoolers in the seattle area are getting a lot of high praise this morning after springing into action when their bus driver passed out. >> unbelievable. the kids not only grabbed the wheel, they also performed cpr on the stricken driver. komo's keith eldridge reports from seattle. >> reporter: instead of reacting and panicked, middle school students jumped into action after their drive stopped breathing going down the road. that's jeremy wuitschick, leaping for the steering wheel. the bus is now slowly rolling to a stop. and the attention turns to the bus driver. >> 911. >> reporter: classmate, johnny wood, came to help, while the others got on the phone to 911. >> my bus driver, just passed out. we're right in front of the school. >> reporter: jeremy told me, he just acted without thinking. >> i was just acting on instinct. it was all happening really quickly. >> reporter: he credits the book

"absolute power" with what to do. >> i was reading a book with superheroes. and a guy was on the bus. and the guy was telling him to turn the ignition off. >> reporter: johnny told me he had recently taken a cpr class on what to do. >> i was doing chest compressions on his cress. >> reporter:r: the school administrator happened to be driving by and saw there was trouble. >> is he breathing? >> reporter: he took over cpr until police and paramedics arrived. he used to be the kids' principal and really credits them. >> 11-year-olds and 12-year-olds, are interesting creatures. in times of need, they come through. >> that was keith eldridge reporting. the driver was taken to the hospital and is said to be in grave condition. a full jury is expected to be seated in the murder trial of a man accused of killing three members of oscar winner jennifer hudson's family. he faces life in prison for the 2008 killings of hudson's mother, brother and nephew. potential jurors were questioned

about hudson's celebrity yesterday. ultimately, 14 people were selected. a canadian woman has been arrested here in new york on charges of stalking actor alec baldwin. the woman was taken into custody saturday night, outside of baldwin's apartment. it's actually the third time the same woman has tried to confront the actor in just the past two weeks. we know that this woman, mirlande wilson is not the winner of that $656 million jackpot. lottery officials say the real winner has come forward and choosing to remain anonymous. the winner who bought the ticket in illinois has not claimed their share of the prize. just out this morning, dental x-rays are linked to brain tumors. patients are more likely to dwon a common time of brain tumor if they've had bite wing dental x-rays once a year.

and the risk is five-times greater to those who had full-mouth x-rays prior to age 10. it suggests caution in how often patients have dental x-rays done. now, for sports news. in baseball, there are four undefeated teams. we get some highlights, now, from last night, from our friends over at espn. >> good morning. i'm jorge andres. this is your "sportscenter" update. let's go to camden yard. the orioles, hosting the yankees. no score for mark teixeira. he lines it to right for a base hit. derek jeter comes in to score. yankees up 1-0. bottom of the second. driving it to right for a home run. his second zinger of the year. we're tied at 1-1. top of the fourth, yankees lead 4-1. jeter going opposite field. and russell martin, coming in to

score. yankees, with a 4-1 lead. top of the fifth, first pitch for andruw jones. deep to left for a homer. his first homer of the season. yankees win, 6-2. how about the red sox and the blue jays? first 0-3 start in back-to-back seasons since 1933 for boston. jarrod saltalamacchia, ripping one to center. but colby rasmus, are you serious? making the amazing diving catch. top of the sixth now. red sox down 2-0. dustin pedroia, bye-bye. this shot to left center field. the sox down 2-1. in the ninth now. ryan sweeney, a grounder to right. batista shows home. and can't handle. donnell mcdonald scores.

red sox score three in the ninth and win 4-3. a special edition of the nba. the celtics taking on the heat. that's tonight at 7:00 p.m. eastern time. later, the knicks taking on the bulls at 9:30. you can see this on espn, espn3 and the watch espn app. >> thanks a lot, guys. coming up next this morning, "the pulse." it is the famous airport where jets takeoff and land literally feet from the beach. now, a serious injury caught on tape. we'll show it to you next. dance floor drama, after a we'll show it to you next. dance floor drama, after a contestant is rushed to the e.r. that i could smoke r for the first week... i'm like...yeah, ok... little did i know that one week later i wasn't smoking. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away.

tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. it helps to have people around you... they say, you're much bigger than this. and you are. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you.

welcome back, everybody. time to check "the pulse," beginning with a trip to the hospital, actually, for one of the contestants on "dancing with the stars." melissa gilbert, who got some of her best marks so far last night, left the set in an ambulance last night after banging her head on the floor. >> that's right. tom bergeron confirmed that gilbert had injured herself and was going to get checked out as a precaution. "the little house on the prairie" star has had back problems, including an operation a year ago. this is a surefire way to ruin a vacation. it comes to us from st. martin, where the thrill seekers ride the jet blast from planes on the runway right next to the beach. >> check her out.

in the red top. she tries to hang on. and she goes head-first into the curb. no other way to say it, that has to hurt. slow-motion makes it worse. we don't know the extent of her injuries. again, we hope she is okay. what a nasty injury that must have been. and you might remember abc's ryan owens reported from st. martin about the jets by the beach last november. tourists do go there to experience the power of those engines. ryan told us it was like nothing he had ever seen before. we'll have much more of this coming up later today on "good morning america." >> hard to watch. here's something else. an ugly incident between two baseball teams is getting attention. they were playing. but watch second base. >> here come the left fielder right there, who decks the runner on second. it's being called the worst cheap shot you'll ever see in baseball. >> the left fielder was suspended for the season. he has left school amid a storm

of online threats. >> easy to see why. cheap shot isn't cool. nor local news is coming up next. >> for everyone else. thank you so much, i appreciate it, i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money ? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense.

no. you quit? i'm trying nicoderm cq. [ male announcer ] nicoderm cq, the patch with 24-hour smart control technology, lets you celebrate a little win every time you say no to a cigarette. nicoderm cq. quit one day at a time. to our kraft natural cheese to make it creamier. so whatever you make isn't just good, it's amazing. ♪ life is amazing with the love that i've ♪

♪ found updating the top stories, a red flag warning day from north carolina into new england. extremely dry conditions and strong winds are fueling brush fires that have already burned thousands of acres. our just-released abc news poll shows president obama with a seven-point lead over likely republican nominee, mitt romney. romney trials mr. obama by nearly 20 points among women. and a north korean official is denying that an upcoming satellite launch is cover for a missile test. that launch is expected between thursday and next monday. and looking at weather today. mild but windy on the east coast. cooler than normal in the midwest. severe weather could threaten the gulf coast and oklahoma. and meanwhile, stormy in the pacific northwest. and finally from us this morning, we know the music, of course, can get us through the grueling workouts at the gym.

disco is still popular. but there's latin, house, and everything else. >> there is a new craze that combines working out with bally wood. and abc's john berman gave it a world. >> reporter: this is bondra. >> i'm addicted. >> reporter: bondra music, brought to the united states, via england, has the booming bass line, pounding drums and rhythmic vocals that make for a hypnotic dance carnival. what do you love about it? >> just moves my soul. makes you want to dance. >> reporter: what's the future of bondra? >> world domination. >> reporter: she dominates the bursting at the seams dance hall. but bondra has gone bigger. yet, where there's a craze, there's almost certain to be a

workout. >> america is big on health and fitness. so, i thought let me bring my dance to the fitness industry. >> reporter: serena james is the founder of masala bondra. and has moved the music from the dance floor to the workout world. thousands are doing it, wherever they can. even central park. so, what does d.j. rakea think about it in the gym? >> bondra's one other way to move your body. >> reporter: but this is where she prefers to see it. it certainly is fun. it is certainly not easy. at least not for everyone. a trip to the gym never sounded so good. and a night on the dance floor never burned so much. i'm john berman, in new york. >> keep your day job,