this morning, firing up the culture wars. >> well, president obama's historic endorsement of same-sex marriage, further polarize a divided country. evil genius. the bombmaker that is targeting u.s.-bound planes. over a cliff. the video showing this bus full of tourists driving off the road and down a hill. and scent of a woman. a legendary french perfume names brad pitt its first male spokes model. good thursday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm sunny hostin, in for

paula faris. there had been rumblings about gay marriage from the administration in the past few days. first, from the vice president on sunday. then, the secretary of education a day later. >> but despite all that, president obama's support yesterday did come as a bombshell. abc's tahman bradley joins us with news of the continuing fallout. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, rob and sunny. for years, president obama has moved towards supporting same-sex marriage, but stopped short of outright backing it. until now. in an exclusive interview with abc news' robin roberts, president obama made history, becoming the first u.s. president to say this. >> i've just concluded, for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that i think same-sex couples should be able to get married. >> reporter: the announcement ended years of what the president described as an evolving stance of gay marriage. mr. obama said his family helped change his mind.

>> there's been times when michelle and i have been sitting around the dinner table. and we've been talking about their friends and their parents. and malia and sasha, it wouldn't dawn on them somehow that they're friends' parents would be treated differently. >> reporter: it's a shift in thinking. >> it's a surprise. shocking. we're all still in shock. >> pretty glad that he finally came out and said something clear and concise about it. >> reporter: but not everyone. >> i'm totally against it. it's not right. it's against my religious beliefs. it's against what i grew up believing. >> reporter: the president's likely republican opponent in the fall, mitt romney, said he disagrees with mr. obama's stance. >> marriage itself is a relationship between a man and a woman. and that's my own preference. >> reporter: president obama has faced heavy pressure to clarify his position. and his evolution comes at a politically beneficial time, heading into the fall campaign. >> if he did not come out in favor of same-sex marriage, he

risked something very important, which is his reputation for honesty and integrity. that's one of his core assets. >> reporter: despite his support, mr. obama says he thinks it's up to individual states to decide how to handle the issue. 31 states have said no to same-sex marriage. rob and sunny? >> tahman bradley in washington, thank you. overall, 52% of americans support gay marriage. and the divide is not just ideological but generational. most americans under the age of 40 support same-sex marriage. most over 65 oppose it. a majority of whites are supportive. but a majority of african-americans remain against it. and another number, president obama's tweet announcing his support has been retweeted more than 53,000 times. >> that's amazing. then, there's this. in the first 90 minutes after his endorsement, his re-election

campaign raised $1 million, believe it or not. we'll have much more of robin's interview coming up later on "good morning america." now, to breaking news just coming in from syria. two, powerful explosions rocked the capital of damascus during the morning rush hour. state tv is showing graphic images of the aftermath. dozens are dead and injured. syria is of course a nation in conflict. we'll keep an eye on this breaking story. we also have details on what al qaeda's top bombmaker is working on for the next attack against the u.s. the designs involve implanting bombs in people and pets. here's abc's chief investigative correspondent, brian ross. >> reporter: at the age of only 30. ibrahim al asiri, has now emerged as the most feared face of terror for american authorities. the master bombmaker, behind the efforts of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula, to blow up a u.s. passenger jet. >> represent the top counterterrorism threat to the

nation. >> reporter: u.s. authorities tell abc news, that al asiri's latest designs involve bombs surgically implanted in terrorists. as well as bombs, hidden in pets to be carried on aircraft. and in cameras, and external hard drives. >> he has an operational savvy to him that is useful for an al qaeda operative. >> reporter: a saudi citizen who studied chemistry in college, al asiri's parents say he became radicalized after the death of a brother. >> he hates western values. >> reporter: because of the threat of his group, the u.s. has vastly expanded its drone operations inside yemen. al asiri has survived at least one u.s. drone strike in the last year. >> we want to make sure that he doesn't have the opportunity, "a," to continue to do -- to build any device whatsoever. or impart his knowledge to anyone else. >> reporter: but al asiri and al qaeda's latest plot was

foiled. authorities tell abc news, there are several other plots aimed at u.s. airlines that are, at the very least, in the planning stages, if not further along. brian ross, abc news, new york. in other news this morning, the parents of a missing u.s. soldier have now gone public in the battle to bring their son home. bowe bergdahl was captured in pakistan. now, his parents say there's behind-the-scenes negotiations to trade their son for prisoners the u.s. is currently holding. the proposed deal has been in works for months and faces serious opposition in congress if it ever gets off the ground. the white house says russian president vladimir putin will not be visiting the u.s. next week after all. putin was supposed to attend a group of eight economic summit, that had been moved from chicago to camp david, in part to accommodate him. the newly inaugurated leader told president obama by phone, he needs to finish setting up his new cabinet.

vice president joe biden has made a special tv appearance, landing a hand to long-time "jeopardy!" host, alex trebek. biden delivered clues in the category called cars in america. the show is recorded from his white house office last month for teen tournament week. vice president make a lot of tv rounds lately. >> who doesn't love "jeopardy!" >> yeah. less controversial than the last one. time to look at weather across the nation on this thursday morning. it will be stormy across much of texas and southern new mexico. up to a half-foot of much-needed rain. flooding and damaging winds as well. showers in the northern rockies. the rain ends by afternoon from new england down to d.c. it will be drier in the carolinas. but showers across south florida. 87 in miami. 77 in atlanta. and 68 right here in new york. omaha gets up to 80. minneapolis, 75. and detroit, 64. a hot 91 in phoenix. 82 in sacramento. and mostly 60s from portland to billings. and when we come back this

morning, in the mail. the decision that will allow the post office to keep their famous pledge. and it turned out that ban on school bake sales was half-baked. we have an update.

welcome back, everybody. well, it is taking a while to find that right first job. a rutgers study out this morning says many recent college grads are settling for any job, rather than holding out for their dream

position. only one-fifth think they're on a firm career path. and less than half land a full-time job within a year of graduation. and your local post office may not be closing after all. the postal service is actually suspending plans to close 3,700 small stations. instead, they'll be cutting their hours. there's been, of course, some pretty strong local opposition to the closinclosings. and the agency hopes that congress will move quickly on a postal overall plan. and honda won't have to pay a hybrid owner $10,000 after all. a los angeles judge reversed the small claims judgment that honda had overstated the fuel economy. the car's owner says honda lost in the court of public opinion. and there's other small claims cases pending. overseas markets are pretty mixed today, as investors remain cautious about europe. tokyo's nikkei average lost 35 points today. hong kong's hang seng gave up 107. and in the london, the ftse opened higher. now, on wall street, the dow fell 97 points today.

that slide continues. the nasdaq index was off 12. the massachusetts school bake sale ban that sparked a nationwide debate has been overturned. state lawmakers voted instead of an amendment that allows local communities to decide whether to adopt the strict guidelines. those guidelines prohibit pizza, white bread and 2% milk. >> get the brownies and cupcakes. enjoy yourself. >> that's right. >> jog afterwards, please. coming up this morning, at the john edwards trial, prosecutors deliver a surprise about who will and who will not take the stand. and the monster wave and the extraordinary surfer who rode it to a new world record. [ sneezes ] ♪ [ male announcer ] it's happening right now at your local walgreens. pharmacists are going above and beyond... armed with expertise and advice...

♪ ...with one goal in mind... to better serve you... ♪ ...so nothing will get between you and the care you deserve. find your pharmacist at walgreens.com. ...so nothing will get between you and the care you deserve. 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. kiwi. soy milk. impulse buy. gift horse. king crab. rhubarb pie. lettuce shower. made by bees. toucan sam. that's not cheese. grass fed. curry. gingersnaps. soup can tower. 5% cash back. right now, get 5% cash back at grocery stores. it pays to discover. 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. well, you are looking at a cowabunga moment like none

other. that's garrett mcnamara, clinching the record for the biggest wave ever surfed. that wave off of portugal was 78 feet tall. mcnamara's feat was served by the folks at guinness. he will be live on "good morning america" later today. braver than i. now, for a look at your morning road conditions. flooding across south and west texas on parts of i-10, 20 and 35. heavy rain drenches i-25 in southern new mexico. it will be wet in the northeast on stretches of i-95, 91 and 90. and showers dampen i-75 and 95 in south florida. if you're flying, delays are possible in boston, and miami. a authorities believe that adam mayes has the two little girls with him. a relative says mayes believed

he might be the girls' biological father. jury deliberations are set to ve sum this morning in the triple-murder trial of jennifer hudson's former brother-in-law. william balfour is accused of killing hudson's mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew as an act of vengeance against his former wife. prosecutors in the john edwards corruption trial are expected to wrap up their case today without putting rielle hunter on the stand. edwards' former mistress is on the defense' witness list. so, she still may be called to testify in all of this. the government's case against edwards hinges on whether he used campaign funds to cover up their affair. $15 million settlement has been reached in a deadly boat accident off of philadelphia. the money will go to the families of two hungarian students killed when a river barge rammed into a sightseeing boat in 2010. the tug pilot pushing the barge had been on his cell phone with the radio turned down. a medical story this morning

for the millions that take medicine for ost owe porro sis. that finding may mean that women who at low risk for fractures can stop taking the drug after about three years. a small tour bus visiting a national park in taiwan suddenly veered off the road and went over a cliff. and it was all caught on camera. the images are frightening and disturbing, capturing the moment the bus rolled over and crashed. amazingly, it came to a full stop before plunging into the river below. all 15 people onboard suffered some injuries, though most were not seriously injured. >> lucky folks. time, now, for sports news this morning. you can fill in one more bracket in the nba playoffs. with more, here's espn news. >> good morning. i'm don bell with your "sportscenter" update. and it's time for a big-time match-up between the heat and knicks. second quarter we go. heat up by five.

mario chalmers, fighting dwyane wade. he split up the lane. later in the second, wade to bosh. sharing is caring. bosh, he made the free throw. heat lead 36-30. still in the second. heat up by eight. lebron, isolation. yeah, that's working out for him. heat lead 44-34. under a minute to go in the first half. wade, fouled and off the glass. it still goes. dwyane wade, feeling it on this night. finished with 19, including that powerful jam right there. later in the third, d. wade and lebron again. dwyane wade, 26 of 30 inside of 5 feet in this series. so, basically, he was living in the lane. carmelo anthony, game-high 35 points. but the knicks down 87-73. later in the fourth, lebron, fadeaway.

corner pocket. heat win 106-94. they will take on the indiana pacers in the semifinals of the eastern conference. now, on to baseball. angels and twins. pick it up in the top of the fifth. man on second. angels up 3-0. alberto callaspo to the wall. that will score one. albert pujols, two for five. angels win, 6-2. and speaking of the angel, want to remind you of "sunday night baseball." the halos hooking up with the texas rangesers. sunday night on espn at 8:00 p.m. eastern. well, during baseball season, sometimes everything just goes right when you're at the ballpark. and here's the latest example of that. >> i do like this story. tuesday night, the rockies/padres game in san diego. foul ball on the left side. boom, wait for it. that's right. right there. it landed right in that guy's beer. a ball in a cold one. >> let's face it, at that point, there's only one thing to do, chug, chug the beer.

like we said, everything is just about going right sometimes at the ballpark. >> that guy's multitalented. he can do a lot of things. good catch, good chug. >> very impressive. >> he's an athlete. well, up next, "the pulse." >> the new face of the fanciest french perfume is not a beautiful woman. >> no. it's this man, one of the sexiest men in the world. i've worked hard to build my family. and also to build my career. so i'm not about to always let my frequent bladder urges, or the worry my pipes might leak get in the way of my busy lifestyle. that's why i take care, with vesicare. once-daily vesicare can help control your bladder muscle and is proven to treat overactive bladder with symptoms of frequent urges and leaks day and night. if you have certain stomach or glaucoma problems, or trouble emptying your bladder, do not take vesicare. vesicare may cause allergic reactions that may be serious.

if you experience swelling of the face, lips, throat or tongue, stop taking vesicare and get emergency help. tell your doctor right away if you have severe abdominal pain, or become constipated for three or more days. vesicare may cause blurred vision, so use caution while driving or doing unsafe tasks. common side effects are dry mouth, constipation, and indigestion. i've worked hard to get to where i am... and i've got better places to go than always going to the bathroom. so take charge of your symptoms by talking to your doctor and go to vesicare.com for a free trial offer. - it's the moment when forever begins. kay jewelers presents neil lane bridal. - the setting has to be perfect. it's where the diamond lives. - hand-crafted rings with diamonds hand-selected by kay. 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. the calcium they take because they don't take it with food. switch to citracal maximum plus d. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption. 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.

welcome back, everybody. time to check "the pulse," the stories you'll be talking about today, beginning with a big advertising change for the classic french perfume chanel number 5. >> for the first time ever, a man will become the face of the iconic female fragrance. and, rob, as much as i would like to announce that face is yours, the new spokesman is actually, wow, brad pitt. he is scheduled to begin shooting the ads next month in london. >> the word is pitt will earn seven figures from chanel, which should come in handy, as partial payment for his upcoming wedding to long-time partner, angelina jolie. what a wedding that's going to be. all right. friends and fans were pretty worried that singer rihanna may

be partying just too hard. the caribbean-born singer was rushed to the hospital after the gala at the met museum here monday night. rihanna tweeted a photo of herself getting an i.v. >> last week, there were negative feelings after rihanna refused to attend a rehearsal for "snl" because she claimed she was fatigued and sick. >> we hope this isn't the beginning of a downward spiral. we've seen too many of them. >> let's hope. now that jessica simpson has finally given birth, she has a good reason to shed all of that baby weight. >> the 31-year-old star has struck a $3 million deal with weight watchers. since it will star in the company's national campaign, hoping to lose the reported 75 pounds she gained during her pregnancy. >> baby girl, maxwell drew, weighed almost ten pounds. that adds up to more than $40,000 for every lost pound. not a bad deal. >> i'll take that. >> we'll all that that. for some of you, your local news is coming up next.

>> for everyone else, we're coming back with a new business where people come to blah off steam. where people come to blah off steam. it's a real hit. excuse me, sir, how much are you charging for your popcorn? $4.00. $4.00. i'm just going to let the people have a choice. $1.00 for popcorn. come and get it. guess we'll make it two. you got it. progressive showed me my options, i'm showing you yours. $1.00, fresh popcorn. enjoy the show. you should have an option, just like with car insurance. that is a really great price.

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.

updating our top stories now. president barack obama is taking his just-announced support for same-sex marriage on a fund-raising tour, now, capped by a hollywood dinner at the home of george clooney tonight. breaking news from syria. two powerful explosions rocked the capital damascus during the morning rush hour. 1 report says 200 people have been killed. and prosecutors are set to wrap up their campaign finance violation case today against john edwards. they've been indicating they will finish up without calling his former mistress, rielle hunter to the stand. looking at today's weather. morning showers in the northeast and florida. flooding much of texas and southern new mexico. and finally this morning, have you ever been so angry or frustrated that you just want to

smash something? if so, you're definitely not alone. >> we've all been there. and now, at many spots across the country, you can break, shatter and demolish everything you can see without going to jail. here's abc's ryan owens. >> reporter: you are not watching a crime in progress. quite the contrary. this dallas man says you are watching his therapy. and it's all very legal. >> i can't afford going to the psychiatrist. but i can afford this. >> reporter: hugo paid $45 for 15 minutes in the anger room. he says it's worth every penny. >> stuff you want to do to other people, you can do here, without getting in trouble. >> reporter: this isn't just a guy thing. take this soccer mom who blew off steam as her family watched through that window of bullet-proof glass. ♪ i will survive

>> women come in with their relationship problems that they, of course, always ask for a mannequin. and our mannequins are mostly males. and they try to beat the crap out of them. >> reporter: the brains behind all this brawn is don in alexander. >> you can tear up stuff. we don't think you're crazy. we don't think anything's wrong with you. we let you go on about your day. >> reporter: donna says most of her clients are here to relieve stress that's purely professional. like this broker. >> no. >> reporter: who pretends his co-worker is on the phone. >> $550 per share. you [ bleep ]. >> reporter: still, the anger room does have its critics who say its glorifies violence. >> you can't tell me that you've never been mad. that you've never wanted to, once in your life, break something. if you have never felt like this, and maybe you're the person that may be crazy. i mean, i'm just saying. >> reporter: her customers agree. this business is all the