this morning, summer extremes. >> dangerous conditions on this first full day of the new season. 90-plus temperatures in 47 of the lower 48. while a deluge creates a disaster zone in minnesota. roads ripped apart. zoo animals carried down streams. closing arguments begin in just hours in jerry sandusky's sex abuse trial. experts predicting a quick verdict by the jury. alec baldwin takes to late-night to explain his headlinemaking fight with a photographer. and they're back. great white sharks returning on cue. detected off some of the country's most popular beaches.

good thursday morning, everyone. we begin with a blast of sticky, hot air melting the northeast. >> more record highs today, as temperatures climb even higher. flirting with the 100-degree mark. some cities will actually feel as hot as 110. >> warnings and advisories are from maine to west virginia. and it's not letting up until saturday. at least a dozen states remain under heat warnings this morning, as temperatures records are shattered from the midwest through the northeast. >> we're forecasting above-normal temperatures for most of the country, especially into the central states where there's been expanding drought. and especially in the southwest, which has been suffering through a very rough wildfire season. >> reporter: many chicago residents flocked to the beach for the third-straight day, hoping to find some relief. >> in the water. lands in the water. not just your feet land in the water. that's been nice and cold. >> reporter: in saginaw, michigan, an energy substation broke down, leaving residents in

many areas without power for several hours. >> just being in there. leave my windows open. and try not to do too much. >> reporter: farmers are wired that the heat and lack of rain will devastate their crops. in new york city, a thermometer on the roof of abc hit 120 degrees. officials in the big apple scrambled to get emergency cooling centers open. and parents are worried about their children who have one more week of school. many in classrooms that are not air conditioned. >> it would be nice to have a school where they could -- >> reporter: even the animals at the national zoo were finding ways to keep cool. tigers were thrown meat-flavored popsicles. and the el fonts use dirt, which works as a natural sunscreen. even hotter temperatures today before a bit of relief by the weekend. the extreme heat had people passing out at graduation ceremonies throughout the northeast. parents, graduates and spectators had to be treated for heat exhaustion, as temperatures

soared near 96 degrees near hartford, connecticut. 18 dlaambulances had to be call to 1 ceremony alone. knocks the homes off the foundations and ripped uf roads. alan hogland gives us a glimpse of the damage. >> by hind me, in some situations, it's taking a toll on cars. the whole front end of this car sunk into the ground. the back end is left sticking up in the air. >> rising waters swamped lake superior zoo, killing more than a dozen animals there. a polar bear was swept away. luckily, it was tranquilized and recaptured. >> unbelievable pictures there. now, to capitol hill, where a house committee voted to hold attorney general eric holder in

contempt of congress. the party line followed holder's refusal to turn over documents into a botched gun running program called fast and furious. president obama backed up holder, evoking executive privilege. if the house holds up the charge, a u.s. prosecutor who holder hired would be asked to consider criminal charges. the police chief where trayvon martin was killed has been fired. he was placed on leave that the gunman, george zimmerman was not charged. the announcement of his firing did not give a reason. but suggested he had lost the confidence of the community. jerry sandusky's child molestation case could be in the hands of the jury by this afternoon. jim avila tells why his lawyers decided there was no good reason to put him on the stand. >> reporter: too many things could go wrong, we were told, as demonstrated in sandusky's media interviews. this one with "the new york times."

>> if i say i'm not attracted to boys, that's not the truth. i'm attracted to young people. boys, girls. to confirm that sandusky was onboard, the judge called sandusky into chambers, where his right to testify was explained again. there, sandusky agreed not to take the stand, in front of attorneys from both sides and on the record in front of the judge. >> it's a very difficult decision for a lawyer. if you lose, the client sit there's and says, if i only could have told my story, maybe this wouldn't have happened. >> reporter: if sandusky is convicted on all counts, he would have a theoretical 500 years in jail to contemplate this quick decision. the jury gets the case next. jim avila, abc news, bellefonte, pennsylvania.

closing arguments are slated today for a case in norway. today, prosecutors will reveal whether they think he is insane or not. and a five-judge panel will decide his fate. here's a first for you. uruguay's national government wants to be the first in the world to sell marijuana. now, officials there want to take a bite out of drug-related crime by selling marijuana directly to adults who are registered to buy it. plus, they can make money by taxing it. marijuana for personal use is already legal in uruguay. time for the weather across the nation. look for showers from central pennsylvania into west virginia, tennessee and the carolinas. heavy rain in south florida. thunderstorms in texas and oklahoma. stormy from st. louis to cleveland. >> phoenix, climbing all the way to 109. mostly 90s across the south. >> got to beat the heat today. >> yes, we do. coming up, purchasing a part of paradise. we're going to tell you who is

buying anctual hawaiian island. plus, "reading rainbow." the classic show so many of us grew up with, gets a makeover for the ipad generation. and new

welcome back. the economy's going to twist some more. chairman ben bernanke says the federal reserve is continuing its operation twist, its program to drive down long-term interest rates and reduce borrowing costs. the fed acknowledges that the economic recovery is slowing. and bernanke says the bank is

ready to do more if employment doesn't improve. that wasn't enough for markets. tokyo's nikkei average gained 72 points today. hong kong's hang seng lost 196. in london, the ftse opened higher. on wall street, the dow slipped 13 points yesterday. the nasdaq index was up less than a point. car owners are more pleased with automakers than anytime in the last 25 years. they give lexus the highest marks for quality. the jp power survey. the one area they aren't happy is the new hands-free communication system. with all that cash on-hand, apple is going to give its store employees a raise, perhaps as much as 25%. sales clerks make $9 to 15 bucks an hour. and that was a major complaint of the workers during an internal review. apple store sales have more than doubled in the last three years. "reading rainbow" is coming

to the ipad. like the public tv show of the 1980s, the app aims at encouraging reading by children. and will include classic segments from that show. what do you get that man in your life who has everything? if he's the ceo of oracle, how about a hawaiian island. larry ellison is paying cash to buy 98% of lanai, the sixth-largest hawaiian island. oracle makes business software. and ellison is one of the wealthiest man in the world. it includes two resort hotels and golf courses. >> that's crazy. a pretty big island. not like a teeny island. >> long island -- >> buy long island. that would be expensive. next on this thursday morning, great white sharks returning to the beaches of a summer mecca. alec baldwin defending himself on late-night tv over the latest bust-up with a news photographer. and big news for college football fans.

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dove body wash with nutriummoisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin. more incredible images, now, from that flood disaster in duluth. they're calling it the duluth deluge. take a look at what's left on one of the roads there. totally ripped apart by flash flooding. this car didn't fair too well after that giant sinkhole opened up. and the atm, probably not dispensing any cash. >> those are unbelievable. >> from water. let's take a look at morning road conditions. rain soaking highways across south florida. slick ride from dallas to oklahoma city. and st. louis to chicago and cleveland. wet roads from central pennsylvania to the carolinas. >> if you are flying, airport delays can be expected in chicago, miami and dallas. a short list. alec baldwin made an

appearance on "the late show with david letterman," hoping to clear his name after a confrontation with a photographer. >> baldwin was in a playful mood. then, he dropped his drawers to show off his weight loss. baldwin told letterman, let's get to it, shall we? >> no one got punched. >> no one got punched? >> if i did, i would be in jail. >> the guy was too close. and he just shoved him. >> i pushed him out of the way because he almost hit me in the face with a camera. if i punched him, i'd be in jail. >> no charges have been filed. the photographer and his lawyer will explain they're side exclusively on "good morning america." check that out. and sharks are lurking in the waters off of cape cod. scientists who tagged great whites last year have picked up signals from two of them. experts are trying to better understand when the sharks leave and return. that will help officials decide

whether certain beaches should be closed to swimmers. a fire broke out on the san francisco warfront, keeping fi firefighters busy for hours. no injuries were reported. a health warning, now, about your purse. the consumer watchdog group found lead in handbags sold at stores. levels were highest in brightly-colored plastic and vinyl purses. the advice is to stick with leather or plastic bags. drinking alcohol during pregnancy night not be all that risky. researchers found 5-year-olds born to women who drank moderately when they were pregnant, one to eight drinks per week, fared about the same on tests of i.q., attention span and self-control, than children of mothers who abstain

completely. in sports, a decision sure to please all of your die-hard college football fans. there's finally a deal to begin a playoff system. the final games would rotate among the major bowl games, with the selection committee picking the peoples. the plan will be submitted to college presidents next tuesday. they are expected to endorse it. the first playoffs would begin in 2014. >> great idea. >> great news. i have one word. finally. and sports highlights, now, from our friends at espn news. >> good morning. i'm don bell with your "sportscenter" update. big night on the diamond. we go to washington, d.c. the nationals, taking on the rays. smoldering hot there. weather was brutal. stevens straussburg, just as brutal. bryce harper, rips a single to center. and around third. and he was safe.

1-0, nationals. now, it's time for tyler clippard. he's in the game. jose molina goes down swinging. nationals win, 3-2, your final score. jered weaver back on the found, after missing nearly a month due to a back issue. angels taking on the giants. first inning we go. weaver, gets gregor blanco looking. how about buster posey swinging on by. nate schierholtz. he's pretty good. two hits and strikes out three. and the angels, finding a way to get it done something kind of like that. kendrick morales, with a long home run. and again. back-to-back jacks. that's mark trumbo making it happen. angels win in shutout fashion. 6-0, your final score.

want to remind you, tonight, a big night. will the king finally get his ring? the heat and thunder, game five from miami. that's tonight on abc at 9:00 eastern. join us. check it out. >> heat can clinch tonight. >> been a great series. all right. >> if you're a heat fan. >> but the games have been great. a massachusetts woman blaming her gps for steering her on to a golf course. >> patricia mayo drove her buick into a sand trap. she said her navigation system told her to make the wrong turn. that leads you into obscure directions. police say she was drunk. they arrested her. this is her fourth drunk driving offense. police say she had the obvious signs. slurred speech, blood shot eyes and alcohol in the car. thankfully, no one was injured. but she's looking for a mulligan, as you said -- >> a mulligan. or she needs the rescue club. up next, a sizzling "pulse,"

on this first full day of summer. including a backyard slip and slide you need to see. >> fun. and hot yoga in one very unlikely place. we charge everything else... maybe it's time to recharge the human battery. only the beautyrest recharge sleep system combines the comfort of aircool memory foam layered on top of beautyrest pocketed coils to promote proper sleeping posture all night long. the revolutionary recharge sleep system from beautyrest... it's you, fully charged. get a free set of sheets when you buy a select beautyrest mattress. hurry, offer ends soon.

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gritty ♪ great song selection. >> appropriate, right? >> it is time to check "the pulse," stories that people are chatting about on this first full day of summer. today, that means a whole lot of heat. >> better believe it. the concrete of any big city, hardly the place to get refuge. but check it out. orgdzers made sure there was plenty of water and umbrellas to provide shade. >> when i think times square, i definitely think zen. >> yes. it's so -- i think jackhammer, people saying, get out of my way. a heat wave may not be the best time to take advantage of this offer. a luxury hotel in manhattan has what may be the city's first open-air bedroom. a five-star open-air camping experience on the 17th floor of a penthouse terrace. that might fly a little better in l.a. >> yeah. there's higher buildings in the

area. they certainly can see your ever move. guests can enjoy champagne and strawberries to s'mores. you can have it all for a cool 2,000 bucks a night. it is kind of cool. >> it is kind of cool. maybe going camping? >> do both. one of each. i'll let you know which one is better. another way to escape the heat. a do-it-yourself water slide, compete with a loop-de-loop and a second slide that goes through the loop. before he starts his descent. here he goes. >> i love it. there's no admission charge. no parking fee. no line. on the other hand, you have to think about lawyers' fees. somebody's bound to break a leg. can't we have a little fun? this is what it was like growing up in michigan. >> pretty awesome. >> that's great. an "a" for creation. >> i would love to have that in my backyard. for some of you, your leakal news is coming up next.

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updating the top stories. closing arguments today in the jerry sandusky child molestation case. the jury could get the case by afternoon. some analysts say the decision could come down quickly. the supreme court issues a ruling today in the constitutionality of the health care reform law could be among them. the decision must be released by the end of the month. and this first full day of summer will be a scorcher across the midwest and the northeast. heat warnings and advisories will be in effect in 11 states, from virginia to maine. >> scattered showers from central pennsylvania to knoxville. thunderstorms in texas and oklahoma. and around chicago, detroit and cleveland. and finally on this thursday morning, a dollar and a dream of a lifetime for a very lucky

group of co-workers. >> you got to love this one. after 15 years of buying tickets together, 20 employees have struck it rich to the tune of nearly $250 million. more from chris earl from our cedar rapids affiliate. >> reporter: just after 5:00 p.m. on wednesday, the charter bus carrying the winner of this month's $241 million powerball drawing pulled up to the union hall that represents the workers for the shipping department of quaker oats. this group had one more stop. with smiles and hand shakes surrounding them, the newly-minted millionaires had a day in a sun. if you ever wondered woo winning $5.6 million after taxes would be like, have a listen? >> laughing, to bawling. >> your mind's wondering, what are you going to do next? >> i haven't slept much at all. you can't shut your mind off. >> i've lost like eight pounds in the week.

>> i this have a feeling you may make up the eight pounds soon. >> we can't take them with us. there's only so much you can give everybody. >> reporter: the big question, will some of them return to work at quaker oats? the winners we spoke with all praise how the company has treated them. >> the best job i've ever had anywhere. >> reporter: with the final appearance on wednesday, the shipping 20 will look to blend back into the tapestry of the town. chris earl, abc news, cedar rapids, iowa. >> a lot of times the people win a large amount of money and don't know what they're going to do with it. >> 11 of the 20 are going to retire right away. coming up later on "good morning america," we're going to have much more on the alec baldwin scuffle with the photographer that took place here in new york. and a serious health