this morning, suicide plot foiled. >> the cia uncovers a plan to bring down u.s.-bound airliners using a new kind of underwear bomb. what is being done to keep travelers safe. another member of the president's cabinet says gay marriage is okay, forcing the white house to scramble, ahead of a key vote today. also this morning, cars that drive themselves. ready to hit real streets. the las vegas strip, in fact. so, when will you be able to buy one? and on the ballroom, threesomes on the dance floor. plus, another perfect score. good morning. i'm sunny hostin.

paula faris is on assignment. >> i'm rob nelson. good morning, everybody. there is still a threat this morning, since the master bombmaker behind this latest plot is still on the loose. >> and there's questions whether airport security in this country is capable of detecting this new threat. abc's tahman bradley is in washington with more. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, rob and sunny. officials say the plot was being run by the al qaeda group in yemen. the would-be bomber was found in yemen. the cia and usa counterterrorism partners thwarted an attempt by al qaeda. this morning, forensic experts are studying the bomb, trying to determine if it would have gotten through airport security. the plot was foiled. so, no flights were in danger. >> the u.s. government is saying it never came close because they had insider information, insider control. which implies they had somebody

on the inside that wasn't going to let it happen. >> reporter: authorities say this latest bomb improved on the so-called underwear bomb, containing no metal. similar to the device used by umar abdulmutallab, used to attempt to blow up an airliner in 2009. the most sophisticated equipment used may not have caught the device. >> what this means is there are still bombs that could get through u.s. security. >> reporter: al qaeda bombmaker ibrahim al asiri, operating out of yemen, once again was the mastermind of the plot. officials believe he is making other bombs aimed at u.s. aircraft. >> we're going to continue to do everything we can to prevent terrorists from carrying out their evil acts of violence. >> reporter: almost all airports use bomb-sniffing dogs and

random trace detection. but security officials privately worry that terrorists are designing bombs to beat those tactics. >> what should travelers know about safety, knowing these devices may escape detection? what's being done to protect planes? >> reporter: well, sunny, president obama was briefed on this plot in april. and since last week was the anniversary of osama bin laden's death, air marshals were sent to europe to protect u.s.-bound aircraft. some airports are receiving 100% coverage. and security stepped up across europe and here in the u.s., as officials examine their tactics. >> a sobering story. tahman bradley, live in washington. thank you, tahman. a developing story out of mississippi this morning, where the bodies of a missing mother and her oldest daughter have been positively identified. the fbi believes jo ann bain's two other daughters are with alleged kidnapper adam mayes, and are in grave danger.

mayes' search may be added to the fbi's ten-most wanted list. it is primary day in three states. but most of the national attention is focused on north carolina. voters in the tar heel state are deciding whether to pass a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage. reverend billy graham is among those urging passage. bill clinton is against it. president obama's vague stance on the issue is coming under renewed scrutiny after two cabinet members spoke out. first, vice president joe biden. and now, the nation's education secretary. >> do you believe that same-sex men and women, should be able to get legally married in the united states? >> yes, i do. >> on the republican side, mitt romney does favor a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, saying the policy should be set federally, not by the states. and romney got an important endorsement overnight, as republicans continue to close ranks. rick santorum officially endorsed his former rival. he said after romney visited him in pittsburgh last week,

santorum was in impressed with romney's understanding of the key issues. and he said to keep pressure on romney to hire more conservatives. john edwards intended to create a $50 million foundation for himself after losing presidential bid in 2008, according to testimony in his corruption trial. a one-time friend claimed edwards said it would be a chip shot for bunny mellon to fund it for him. edwards' defense in the trial hinges on his argument that he never directly asked bunny for money. among the next witnesses expected to becalled, edwards' mistress, rielle hunter. >> what a day in court that will be. now, to a royal guest of honor in our nation's capital. prince harry is getting a humanitarian award. colin powell presented harry the award for his charitable work with wounded soldiers. harry urged the americans and the british to work together to support the men and women of the military. time, now, for a look at weather from across the country. a chance of showers from the northeast to the deep south.

some scattered thunderstorms across much of new mexico and texas, with hail and gusty winds around loredo and san antonio. snow tapers off this morning in the colorado rockies. showers from fargo to minneapolis and green bay. >> 63 in the twin cities. 70s from omaha to detroit. 68 right here in new york. 81 in atlanta. 86 in new orleans. and 76 in dallas. phoenix climbs to 90. sacramento, 88. and seattle, 67. and coming up after the break, some business news this morning. the girl scouts and your sweet tooth, coming out with a new treat. and get this. it is not a cookie. and massive money troubles for oprah's struggling cable network, as lost $300 million. and the future is almost here. cars that drive themselves, being tested on streets and highways. so, when can you buy one of your own?

welcome back, everybody. well, looks like we are borr borrowing more again. americans used their credit cards more often in march and took out more education loans, as well. the increase in debt was the biggest in a decade. more borrowing is generally considered a healthy sign for the economy. exxon mobil is tops among the fortune 500 companies in the u.s., knocking walmart down to number two. apple, the world's most valuable company, is only 17th. but that's because the fortune list is based on sales, not profit.

exxon is also tops in profit. on that list, apple comes in third. overseas markets were feeling a little bit better today about europe's debt crisis. tokyo's nikkei average gained 63 points today. hong kong's hang seng lost 93 points. and in london, the ftse opened lower. on wall street, the dow slid 30 points yesterday. the nasdaq index picked up a single point. the world's biggest producer of pink slime is closing three of its four processing plants. about 650 bp iworkers will lose their jobs in texas, kansas and iowa. giant restaurants and grocery chains discontinued using the filler of disclosure. the company stands by its safety. safeway markets says it plans to buy pork from suppliers who cage the fowl in narrow. producers say it keeps the pigs from fighting and banning the cages will raise prices. you'll soon be able to buy

girl scout candy bars in three of the most popular cookie flavors. this story's for you, sunny. the candy bars will be sold in stores, not door-to-door by the young ladies. they will be targeted to adults, as well. nutrition experts say they're a little disappointed. but a samoa candy bar. i like it. google has the green light to sake its self-driving car on to the next level. real streets. nevada has issued its first licenses for the test cars. but state regulations still require two people in the cars during tests who can take control, of course, during an emergency. you will not be able to buy one, though, for about another three to five years. and the oprah winfrey network has lost a huge amount of money in its four years. more than $300 million. there are hopeful signs. the cable channel's ratings are up slightly, thanks in part to special programs that feature winfrey herself. and next year, own will be raising the fees it charges

cable operators. >> don't count oprah out yet. a rough start. we wish her luck. next on this tuesday morning, the college that accidentally told every stunt on campus that they were expelled. and the stunning video. a mom and young daughter, threatened at knifepoint. see if you do what the mom does. kate? ♪ will you marry me? ♪ yes. ♪ attention. he went to jared. [ female announcer ] create your own one-of-a-kind ring at jared this thursday through sunday and receive get set in diamonds rewards up to $1,000 toward a beautiful diamond setting when you buy your diamond at jared. choose from thousands of diamonds and hundreds of settings. oh! please return your fiancée to her original upright position. [ female announcer ] get up to a $1,000 reward at jared, the galleria of jewelry. a deep, throbbing, persistent ache. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia,

thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now i can do more of the things that i enjoy. lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain, i'm feeling better now that i've found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain. did somebody just...? impossible. ♪

yes. yes. yes. noooooooo! [ male announcer ] yep, subway broke the 200-calorie breakfast barrier with delicious subway fresh fit breakfast sandwiches. like the black forest ham, egg white & cheese on mornin' melt flatbread. subway. build your better breakfast. while most of the country is enjoying temperatures in the 70s on up, the colorado rockies, though, are covered in white. the foothills west of denver got up to eight inches of snow yesterday. but the latest snowfall comes too little, too late for this year's pretty slow ski season. and now, for a look at morning road conditions. wet on parts of i-95, from new england to d.c. and i-90, from boston to buffalo. thunderstorms could make for a slick ride on i-10, from

jacksonville to san antonio. and i-20, from atlanta to dallas. icy on i-70, west of denver. >> if you're flying today, airport delays are possible in chicago, houston, and atlanta. a negligence trial in philadelphia. >> it has to do with this fatal collision two summers ago, where a sightseeing boat was run over by a giant barge. in court, an attorney for their parents say, after the tour boats first had abandoned the vessel, a 16-year-old, as you can see here, tossed him her life jacket. from a texas courtroom, deion sanders' estranged wife has been ordered to stay away from the couple's home near dallas. the judge's order stems from a scuffle between the pair last month. deion sanders has been given temporary custody of the children. late last night, the former nfl

star tweeted, god so so good, don't ever doubt him. evangelista and the billionaire father have reached a settlement. details will be presented to a family judge in new york today. evangelista was asking for 46,000 bucks a month in child support from francois-henri pinault. the french businessman, now married to salma hayek, has a 5-year-old son, that was born after a 4-month relationship. the president of eastern michigan university, has sent an e-mail, apologizing for an e-mail that expelled most of the student body. the e-mail was supposed to go to students with poor grades. the school hires an outside company to send e-mail notices like this. >> a big oops there. the epidemic of obesity in this country is only getting worse. a cdc study shows that by 2030, 40% of americans will be obese.

that's up from about 30% today. and that the number of severely obese people will double to about 11%. all that comes with a huge cost. the cdc estimates an increase in obesity will raise health care costs another $555 billion. time, now, for sports. we get the latest highlights from espn news. >> good morning. i'm todd grisham. this is your "sportscenter" update. and boy, have the clippers and grizzlies entertained us this series. game four may have been the best of the bunch. under a minute to play. grizzlies down two. rudy gay hits the fadeaway jumper. five seconds to go. 87-87. chris paul for the win. and he didn't even shoot it. we go to overtime. under two minutes to play in o.t. gay, gets it to go off the glass. he had 23 points. now, under a minute left. chris paul, who has 27 on the

game, gives l.a. a six-point lead. last chance for the grizzlies. rudy gay for the three, to cut the lead to one. he misses. and the clippers take a 3-1 series lead. 101-97. things a lot less dramatic in the spurs/jazz series. san antonio going for the split on monday. the splitter with the dunk. and draws the foul. he would make the three-point play. the free throw, devin harris. jazz down five. a four-point game. manu ginobili gets a three. i said, manu ginobili hits the three. he had 17 points. spurs lead by 14. under a minute to go. paul millsap misses. al jefferson with the putback. he had 26 points. jazz within four. then, it all goes wrong. ginobili, all by himself. spurs win it, in a series sweep.

87-81. tomorrow, baseball. yankees and the surprising rays. you can see on espn, at 7:00 p.m. eastern time. enjoy. back to the news this morning. an attempted robbery is causing a firestorm, as much for the actions of the thief as for the actions of his victims. >> surveillance video shows that the man demanded her purse. but she ran away without her 4-year-old daugt per p the robber did rob her. the police say she acted properly. but some parents disagree. i think i may disagree. >> i think most importants in that moment don't leave the child. they think the child is the first priority. >> i suppose you never know what happens to people when they're confronted with a situation like that. but to leave a little girl by herself, with the robber? >> that will get a few folks talking. coming up next this morning, "the pulse," hollywood right here in the big apple. they're called the east coast

oscars, complete with red carpet and the fancy fashions. and the one-man musical phenomenon. [ man ] i think this is a good time to tell you: you're doing okay, mom. i can call you "mom," right? i know we haven't known each other very long, but you seem like a real keeper. you're not perfect. but you're trying. anyway, i want you to know how much i appreciate you. you know, right? how much i love you. you're doing okay, mom. like congestion, runny nose, itchy nose and sneezing can hit you year-round, indoors or out. prescription nasonex is clinically proven to help relieve nasal allergy symptoms any time of year. [ female announcer ] infections of the nose and throat

and slow wound healing may occur. do not use nasonex until your nose has healed from any sore, surgery or injury. eye problems, including glaucoma or cataracts may occur. have regular eye exams. nasonex can increase your risk of getting infections. avoid contact with infections like chicken pox or measles while using nasonex. side effects may include headache, viral infection, sore throat, nosebleeds, and coughing. nasonex is there for you, anytime of year. ask your doctor if nasonex is right for you. you know, from car insurance companies shouting,

"save 500 bucks over here!" "no, save 300 bucks over here!" "wait, save 400 bucks right here." with so many places offering so much buck-saving, where do you start? well, esurance was born online, raised by technology, and majors in efficiency. so they're actually built to save you money... and time... and whiplash. esurance. insurance for the modern world. click or call. esurance. insurance for the modern world. chili's lunch break combos are full of delicious choices, starting at just 6 bucks. choose from savory favorites or our new philly cheesesteak sandwich. layers of shaved steak and grilled peppers served with fries and a tasty soup or salad. chili's lunch break combos. welcome back, everybody. time to check "the pulse" this morning, starting with a fashionista's dream. like you. dream come true. >> the red carpet was on fire

here in new york last night. graced by some of hollywood's hottest stars and designers. we saw a parade of celebrities who turned out for the oscars of fashion. the metropolitan museum of art annual costume gala. and look at the celebrities and what they were wearing, rob. >> oh, there's my ex-wife, sofia vergara. she was in a markasa gown last night. >> one of the best dressed of the night. >> she could have on sweats. my other ex-wife. >> this is beyonce. she was wearing givenchy. she will end up on the best dressed list. i think there will be people, perhaps, thinking it's a fashion don't. i think it's fabulous. >> i have no problem with that dress. i recommend it highly. >> it was gorgeous.

there's a shot of her going up the stairs. >> really? >> and it's pretty shear in the back. and she looks phenomenal. >> she had a baby like five minutes ago. some sad news from the animal world. meow, the 39-pound cat featured in the news a few weeks ago has died. and he was only 2 years old. >> the orange and white cat in a santa fe, new mexico, shelter became a symbol for animal obesity for obvious reasons. just like their owners, pet obesity is a problem, too. it proved fatal for meow. his 39 pounds was the equivalent of 600 pounds for a human. >> that's terrible. >> that's a lot, yeah. you've heard of a one-man band. this guy is a one-man symphony. nick mckaig mimics the entire "star wars" theme using only his voice. take a listen. ♪ >> pretty impressive. the video's already gotten more

than 200,000 hits on youtube. may the force be with you this tuesday morning. what ? customers didn't like it. so why do banks do it ? hello ? hello ?! if your bank doesn't let you talk to a real person 24/7, you need an ally. hello ? ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. - dave, did you know your wife went to jared last week? - i'm not going to the cleaner's anymore, am i? - no, dave, you're not. - jared the galleria of jewelry has five times the selection of ordinary jewelry stores. - how did you know? [horn honks]

- that's why he went to jared. when it comes to toilet paper, there's no such thing as too soft. i know what i like. i like feeling both clean and pampered. why should i compromise? quilted northern ultra plush®, now with the innerlux layer. for a comfortable, confident clean, or your money back. ♪ got it all. here. have a good day, honey. i love you, ok. bye, mom. [ female announcer ] sam's mom is muddling through her allergies. what can she do? she can get answers at walgreens. with guidance and information to help her make informed choices for her allergy needs. like zyrtec -- with the strength of 24-hour rtec, you get relief from your worst allergy symptoms, indoors and out. right now, buy one and get one 50% off. ♪

find answers at walgreens. updating the top stories. experts are picking a apart a new sophisticateds al qaeda bomb to figure out if it would pass through security. the bomb plot was foiled before any planes were in damage. rick santorum has officially endorsed mitt romney. in an e-mail to his supporters, santorum urged them to back romney to defeat president obama. voters in north carolina will decide whether the state needs a constitutional amendment, defining marriage between a man and a woman. snow winds down in the rockies. showers in the upper midwest. a chance of showers and thunderstorms from the gulf coast, up here to the northeast. and finally from us this morning, the competition gets brutal in the ballroom tonight on "dancing with the stars." >> yes.

two couples face certain doom, as we enter the double elimination round. abc's george pennacchio has a look at the favorites. ♪ >> reporter: william levy and cheryl burke fox trotted their way to perfection. >> i never thought i would get a perfect score. when i saw the tens, i thought what? >> reporter: they came back with triple 9s for their routine. behind them was roshon fegan and chelsie hightower. a strong placement for the two who have been in the bottom two. >> it feels great. we worked really hard to get back to the top. and we're here. >> reporter: their trio dance included the most deari inbare move of the night. >> i did my -- to hit karina in the head. >> reporter: also tied for third, katherine jenkins and

mark ballas. they had a scary wardrobe malfunction during their chance trio cha-cha. >> when the boys rip it off, there shouldn't be a bit below the knee left. >> we think it was sabotaged. >> reporter: maria menounos and derek hough landed in third place. >> i was beside myself excited. i thought i was going to die. that was amazing. >> i'm not done yet. i know he's not done yet. and i thank you so much. just this far, has been incredible. >> reporter: all the excitement of last night will soon turn to sadness because tonight, there is a dreaded double elimination. in los angeles, george pennacchio, for abc news. >> all right. make your bet. what's your gut instinct on this? >> definitely -- who's going? >> yes. >> melissa gilbert's gone. >> you think so? >> maybe maria