this morning, "your voice, your vote." >> our brand-new snapshot of the presidential race, as both sides launch new attacks. plus, why we may know mitt romney's v.p. choice by this weekend. breaking news. a medical emergency at the bottom of the world. an american in urgent need of evacuation from antarctica. shaken and stirred. an earthquake overnight in southern california. while, in the gulf, hurricane ernesto comes ashore. and a real-life yogi. a bear with a sweet tooth caught on tape, invading, what else? yeah. a candy store.

good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm sunny hostin, in for paula faris. we begin this wednesday, with a brand-new look at the race for the white house. our latest poll just out this morning, with less than three months until election day. >> crunch time. it is "your voice, your vote." and abc's tahman bradley joins us, now, from washington, with the very latest. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: hey. what's going on, rob and sunny? this poll shows the candidates have major work to do, as the race for the white house kicks into high gear. president obama and mitt romney face enormous hurdles. according to a new abc news/"washington post" poll, romney's favorability rating remains at a new now. 49% view him unfavorably. as for president obama, his numbers are up slightly. with a 53% favorable view. 43% unfavorable view. but his popularity is lower among registered voters.

the candidates are sparring over the economy. president obama says romney's tax plan takes from the poor and gives to the rich. >> it's like robin hood in reverse. it's romneyhood. >> reporter: romney hit back at a fund-raiser last night in illinois. saying president obama's out of ideas. >> he's out of excuses. and illinois needs to help me make sure that in november, we put him out of office. >> reporter: romney's also going after the president on welfare, targeting the obama administration's plan to let states seek a waiver of work requirements of the welfare reform law. >> under obama's plan, he wouldn't have to work or train for a job. they just send you a welfare check. >> reporter: the white house calls the ads blatantly dishonest. it will only grant waivers who can do a better job. former president clinton who signed the 1996 law, called the ad misleading and not true. saying that romney requested change in welfare reform laws when he was governor of

massachusetts. a v.p. announcement could be eminent. romney heads out on a swing states bus tour on saturday. and that could be a good moment for him to introduce his running mate. >> tahman bradley in washington. thanks so much. now, we turn to the latest on the wisconsin temple shooting. we learned overnight that the suspected gunman's former girlfriend had been arrested on weapons charges. a convicted felon, misty cook was found to have a weapon. and hundreds attended a vigil for those who died in the tragedy. they held candles and prayed for the victims, remembering them as peaceful people who dedicated their lives to their families and their faith. similar vigils are planned across the country for tonight. also, jared lee loughner has agreed to a plea deal for the deadly shooting outside a tucson shopping center. loughner admitted he did kill six people and wounded 12 others, including congresswoman

gabby giffords. in exchange for that guilty plea, he will avoid the death penalty. the plea comes as a relief for many who survived the shooting. >> i was thrilled to death and i still am. the idea we don't have to go through a trial. but until he makes the statement, we aren't sure. >> loughner will be sentenced in mid-november to seven-consecutive life terms, plus 140 years. police in new york have stepped up patrols around the broadway theater where mike tyson is performing after a threat posted on twitter. the tweets refer to a massacre similar to the one carried out at a movie theater in aurora, colorado. a subpoena from the nypd sur sueded the company to change its mind. at the hoover dam, a security scare when a man in a pickup truck failed to stop at a checkpoint.

when authorities raised the road, the driver peacefully stopped. it's unclear what charges the driver could face. hurricane ernesto is drenching the yucatan peninsula of blowing ashore overnight. the winds for 85 mip when ernesto made landfall. it is expected to cross yucatan by tonight. and then reemerge stronger in the southern gulf of mexico. an area that has offshore oil platforms. shelters were set up, hotels were filling up. and two cruise ships delayed their arrival. also, some breaking news from southern california overnight. a moderate earthquake has struck near yorba linda in northern orange county. it was followed by an aftershock just a few minutes later. the 4.4 jolt was felt widely across the region, from long

beach to downtown l.a. there's no reports of damage or injuries just yet. and with that, we take a look at weather across the country, on your wednesday morning. humpday. raleigh, atlanta, mobile and more or less. thunderstorms from the twin cities to omaha. moving later to chicago and indianapolis. that scorching heat in the plains, yep, it spreads west. >> 112 degrees in phoenix. 102 in dallas. 90s from the northern rockies to kansas city. mostly 80s in the midwest and northeast. and when we come back this morning, fire and gasoline. the huge refinely blaze about to trigger higher prices at the pump. also, a medical emergency for an american at the bottom of the world. now, rescuers are racing to the explorer. and later in the show, why egg mcmuffins aren't just for breakfast anymore.

welcome back, everybody. there is a positive, new sign for struggling homeowners out there. numbers out this morning show late payments on mortgages have dropped to a three-year low. the transunion credit agency says during the spring, just under 5.5% of american mortgage holders were behind on their payments by 60 days or more. with gas prices climbing week after week, a huge fire at one of the country's biggest oil refineries will likely push prices even hire.

the blaze was finally put out tuesday. but the damage is already done. analysts expect pump prices to top 4 bucks a gallon on the west coast. it looks like american airlines may be starting a new trend in the travel industry. american just launched a service that will deliver your luggage straight from your flight to your hotel or your home or wherever you're going, letting you skip the baggage claim line. it starts at $30 a bag. and other major airlines may follow suit. >> that's a fee i could support. i like that. straight to the hotel. all right. thank you, airlines. something good. next time that you really want to get your hands on an egg mcmuffin at midnight, you might be in luck. mcdonald's is testing breakfast after midnight. serving egg mcmuffins and other morning favorites all night long, along with burgers, fries and the rest. they're trying it out first at restaurants in the state of ohio. >> not here in new york? >> eventually, you know that. which will be great on this

shift. thank you, kindly. when we come back on this wednesday morning, our favorite story of the day. the drunk dialer who called exactly the wrong number when he was looking for a few more cold ones. two teams, four american women. one olympic gold up for grabs. we'll have all the olympic action. can we talk about toilet paper? when it comes to toilet paper, there's no such thing as too soft. as long as it still gets the job done. i know what i like. i like feeling both clean and pampered. why should i compromise? not only is quilted northern ultra plush® the only bath tissue with plushquilts®, it has the innerlux layer. three levels of softness and the gentle clean you want. clean comes first. and really soft is really important. quilted northern ultra plush®. for a comfortable, confident clean, or your money back.

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a quiet day at the beach turned out to be anything but in russia. check it out here. a convoy of about seven military tanks rolled along the shoreline of the baltic sea, just a few feet away from sunbathers who were sprawled out there on the sand. it may not be a strange sight in russia. much of the beachgoers seemed unphased. now, for a look at morning road conditions. a slick commute in the midwest,

around minneapolis, chicago and des moines. wet highways in the south, from the carolinas to the gulf coast. monsoon showers dampen roads in the four corners of the southwest. >> and it should be a great day for flying out there. weather-related airport delays are only expected in the city of minneapolis. returning to the news, now. and a breaking story from the bottom of the world. a rescue team is racing, racing to antarctica, where an american explorer is suffering from an medical emergency. >> the australian rescuers are heading to the u.s. mcmurdo research station in antarctica. officials are not giving anymore details about the emergency, expect they say they plan to evacuate the american expeditioner as soon as weather allows. it's winter there. and flights are usually only allowed in less severe weather. we'll bring you the latest later today on "good morning america." and in louisiana this morning, reports that the body of a missing college student has apparently been found.

mickey shunick was last seen riding away from a friend's house on her bicycle in mid-may. following a tip, police found human remains in a rural area about 45 miles from where shunick was last seen. now, they're waiting for results of forensic tests. a register sex offender has been charged with her kidnapping and murder. in lighter news this morning, when you've had one too many, designated driver's a really good idea. calling 911 for a ride, not so much. that is just what a man in tennessee did. police say allen brooks drunk-dialed 911. not once. not twice. not three times. nine times. dispatchers say one of those calls, the 67-year-old asked them to go on a beer run. >> i want to go to the store to get me a beer, i'll pay you. >> okay, sir. i can't take you to the store and get you a beer. >> yeah. you can come now. >> no, sir. you've got 911.

>> he told police he was trying to call a friend but dialed the wrong number. police say he admitted to what he called a little to drink. beer drinking, an olympic sport. it is day 12 at the olympics. and it's the all-american women beach volleyball finals. >> all-american, after misty may-treanor and kerri walsh, will face the team of april walk and jennifer kesy. it's the first time two u.s. teams have played for the gold. >> the gym nathsices competition is all over. it ended with mixed results for team usa. aly raisman took the gold for her floor routine.

and she took the bronze on the balance beam. but gabby douglas struggled again. also, jordyn wieber placed seventh on the floor. she is likely dealing with a stress fracture in her leg. >> and give the tough guy award to german weightlifter, maathth stein es. he eventually got up and walked off under his own power. he had some x-rays and didn't attempt another lift. that looks painful. >> that's why i don't weightlift. there are 16 medal events today. here's a check on the all-important medal count. china leads the u.s. by three medals overall. >> much further back are the host nation, great britain, and russia. today in london, the u.s. men's basketball team takes on australia in a quarterfinal game. it's the first day of the decathlon. >> very cool here.

back here at home, still baseball time. highlights, now, from espn. >> doug kezirian with your espn news update. since 2000, the yanks have a losing record at two baseball stadiums. one of which, comerica park. tigers hosted the yanks. nobody on for eric chavez. he's confused. umpire signals a homer. chavez finishes the trot. 2-2, in the fifth. miguel cabrera scores two. five dingers in eight games this season versus the yanks. bottom sixth. 4-2. jhonny peralta, with the groundout. you don't see this in the highlights very often. but the key is, after the play, with the bases empty, the ball goes around the horn. and cody eppley gets beaned in the head. he would be okay and stay in the

game. tigers win 6-5. their tenth-straight home win. angels and a's. mike trout celebrating his 21st birthday yesterday. more on him in a second. but c.j. wilson having some trouble with oakland's offense. home run for jonny gomes. then, gomes, up the middle. erick aybar, throw offline. scores another run. a's up 6-0. bottom sixth. derek norris flushes one to left. a two-run shot. a's would hit four homers in the game. up 8-0. 10-1. now, trout, bomb to center. youngest player in baseball history to have 20 homers and 30 steals. but oakland spoils trout's 21st birthday. that's your espn news update. i'm doug kazirian. it was one of the most impressive plays in baseball

this week. and it did not come from a player. the fan nabs a foul ball with baby in hand. >> the superdad caught the ball with ease, never loosening his grip on his child. and even mom didn't seem to mind. >> multitasking. i like it. well done. coming up next this morning, "the pulse," and a break-in at a chocolate shop by a four-legged thief. and hillary clinton hits the dance floor. we'll show you all her best moves. >> go ahead. i've been fo to win on golf's biggest stages. but when joint pain and stiffness from psoriatic arthritis hit, even the smallest things became difficult. i finally understood what serious joint pain is like. i talked to my rheumatologist and he prescribed enbrel. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, and stop joint damage. because enbrel, etanercept, suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred.

before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. [ phil ] get back to the things that matter most. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. [ doctor ] enbrel, the number one biolog medicine prescribed by rheumatologists. i'll give you money for gas. [ laughing ] not necessary. take the money. i'm not taking your money. besides i get great gas mileage. what's that? it's eassist. helps the engine run really efficiently. it captures energy that assists the engine... so i'm never guzzling gas. oh -- that's hippie talk.

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welcome back, everybody. time to check out "the pulse," this morning, the stories you'll be talking about today. starting with jones rivers' talent for self-promotion on full display at a costco in california. >> angry that the store would not sell her book, she went to the store and started selling the book herself. she handcuffed herself to a shopping cart. that's when police were called to escort her out. she gave her side of the story by phone. >> this is a store that sells 300 rolls of toilet paper at the same time. any customer that buys 300 rolls of toilet paper deserves a funny book to sit on the toilet and read. >> they did not sell the book

because parts of it were offensive. you'll likely see more of this on her reality show. something done for reality tv. i'm shocked. secretary of state hillary clinton is in the middle of an 11-day overseas trip with plenty of serious business. >> but she still found time to kick up her heels and have some fun. she was at an event hosted by the south african foreign minister. and even showed a move of her own. >> the secretary of state now. >> hillary having fun. >> in the club. and finally, that bear with the mighty large sweet tooth we mentioned at the top of the show. caught there on surveillance video in a shop in colorado. >> the owner said they thought a squirrel got inside. so, they watched the security tape and saw it wasn't a squirrel at all. >> somehow the bear got in and out between servings of peanut buttercups and other treats. chocolate is universal. >> oh, yes, it is.

for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll be look at the life of marvin hamlet, a singular talent. and i just found out my best friend is getting married in l.a. there's no way i'm missing that. then i heard about hotwire and i realized i could actually afford both trips. see, when really nice hotels have unsold rooms, they use hotwire to fill them. so i got my four-star hotels for half-price! >> men: ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e ♪ hotwire.com >> announcer: save big on car rentals too, from $12.95 a day. [ male announcer ] if it wasn't for a little thing called the computer, we might still be making mix tapes. find this. pause this. play this. eject this. write this. it's like the days before esurance express lane™.

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updating the top stories. the former girlfriend of suspected temple shooter has been arrested on a weapons charge. misty cook, a felon, was found to be in possession of a firearm. our new abc news poll shows the challenges the candidates face. 49% have an unfavorable view of mitt romney. and president obama is showing weaker numbers among men than women. southern california was jolted by a 4.4 earthquake late last night. so far, no reports of damage or injury. looking at today's weather. showers with heavy rain at times from raleigh down to new orleans. thunderstorms from indianapolis to minneapolis. another sizzling day in the plains and west. and some pop-up showers in the southwest. and finally from us this morning, the bright lights of broadway will dim tonight on

composer marvin hamlisch, who died suddenly yesterday. >> abc's george stephanopoulos has a look back at a truly amazing career. >> reporter: from "the sting's" jaunty ragtime, to this romantic theme from "ice castles." ♪ nobody does it half as good as you ♪ >> reporter: to the pop classic from james bond, "the spy who loved me," marvin hamlisch created the score of our lives. he was a man of superlatives. just 7 years old when he went to juilliard. one of only a handful of composers who won a grammy, a tony and a an oscar. he did that seven times. two by barbra streisand.

♪ you made bebeautiful in the end ♪ >> reporter: he was famous for his collaborations with everyone from streisand to liza mill nelly. and even abc news. hamlisch wrote the first theme for a show called "good morning america" ♪ one, singular sensation >> reporter: but it was his iconic score for "a chorus line," that won him the pulitzer prize and secured a place in the heart of america's song book. >> i love theater. i love it. love it. there's something magical about being in the theater. and there's something more magical about hearing applause. it's just wonderful. i can't possibly think of anything i love more. >> reporter: marvin hamlisch, a singular sensation. >> incredible body of work. >> oh. the legacy. >>