breaking news this morning. a sick american evacuated from the south pole. it's happening right now. plus, air emergency. cabin pressure drops in a jet over california. the plane's computers, thinking the plane was on the ground. lifesavers. the young heroes of the wisconsin massacre, who jumped into action when they saw that gun. now you see it. now, you don't. the disappearing act on mars. maybe the new rover isn't quite alone. and it's the summer of some close encounters. from the hotel to the backyard. getting up close to some big, bad wildlife.

good morning. i'm sunny hostin, in for paula faris. >> and i'm rob nelson. we begin with that story happening right now, a rescue mission taking place at the bottom of the world. with an american in need of some urgent medical care. a rescue plane has flown from new zealand to antarctica. >> the patient's identity and the medical problem hasn't been revealed. but they are said to be in stable condition and will be receiving medical care at a hospital in new zealand. we'll have much more on this developing story coming up on "good morning america." and some other news today. operations are back to normal at dallas-ft. worth airport, at a bomb scare. one terminal was closed. passengers were able to exit safely. and a security sweep of that plane did not turn up anything. but a more serious air scare took place in the skies above

california. an alaska airlines jet from ontario to seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in san jose, after the cabin pressure dropped due to the autopilot turning off. the meltdown forced the captain to take going down to 10,000 feet just to ease the pressure. >> the captain said, we're really sorry but we have a problem with the cabin pressure. but it's under control now. and i felt like the plane was going down. and sure enough, it was. >> the culprit in all this, a small, mechanical control near the landing gear that told the plane it was on the ground, not flying. alaska airlines pulled that jet for further inspection. new this morning, details of the u.s. navy coming to the rescue of an iranian ship. it was fully engulfed in flames in the waters off iran. the crew of the u.s. destroyer pulled ten people out of the water. eight of them iranians, and two pakistanis. they are being transported to a u.s. aircraft carrier and then

flown home. and rebels fighting government forces in syria appear to be retreating after days of punishing attacks in aleppo. the official news agency says president assad's soldiers have regained control of key neighbors in the city. we've learned new details in the wisconsin temple shooting. the fbi now says the gunman killed himself with a shot to the head after being wounded by a cop. authorities had earlier said, though, that wade michael page died from a police bullet. three shooting victims are still in the hospital in critical condition. also, two brave children are emerging as heroes from that terrible tragedy. amanat and abhay singh ran inside to warn others of the danger. >> as soon as we got in the kitchen, i started yelling. i'm, like, there's a guy with a gun. hide, hide. >> were you scared? >> yeah. >> what's it like to feel like a hero? tell me why you feel like a

hero. >> i feel proud because i saved lots of lives. >> pretty remarkable considering those kids are only 9 and 11 years old. and now, to the surging gas prices that you're likely experiencing. the average price per gallon has been steadily rising for weeks. and as abc's tahman bradley reports, a perfect storm of incidents is pushing them even higher. >> reporter: if you're planning to use the car for one last summer vacation, brace yourself. gas prices are expected to skyrocket. >> instead of a trip, we have to save up just for the gas. >> reporter: nationally, gas prices have climbed 27 cents a gallon in the past month. over the next few days, drivers out west could see gas prices go up 25 cents or more. >> oh, no. how do you expect people to manage? >> it is what it is. >> reporter: a string of refinery breakdowns across the country have sent fuel traders into a panic and prices soaring. a refinery fire near san francisco is being blamed on a shortage of hundreds of

thousands of barrels of oil. the west coast is already paying the price. >> to fill up my truck it takes $110, every time. >> reporter: the midwest is feeling the pain, too. in michigan, gas climbed 34 cents in one week, after pipeline ruptures between wisconsin and ill. equipment problems closed three refineries in illinois and inn. but jamie korg doesn't think the refineries are the problem. he blames the oil companies. >> this system is made to break. and when it breaks, because there's so little inventory, it lets the oil companies raise the prices really quickly and make a big profit. >> reporter: in a statement, a spokesman representing a trade group for oil companies say, we do not know what will happen. whatever the cause, the high prices are here to stay, at least through labor day, if not longer. tahman bradley, abc news. to presidential politics now and a moment of agreement, yes, agreement. between president obama and mitt romney.

it has to do with the boy scout's decision to exclude gays. the president who was the organization's honorary president says he does not agree with that policy. while mitt romney has not commented on it recently, back in 1994, he did say all people should be allowed to participate, regardless of their sexual orientation. this was a rare unscripted moment of the campaign trail. the romney motorcade rolled into a fund-raiser with an orthodox jewish wedding was set to take place. several guests took their attention from the bride and groom to chase after romney. and romney and crew were told they needed to leave quickly to start that wedding in time. there will be other elections. only one wedding day. scientists say last month was the hottest july ever on record. in some areas, the scorching temperatures are still not letting up any. >> and the heat wave continues today from texas into the wednesday. thunderstorms from the gulf coast, into the carolinas. severe storms with hail and high

winds from little rock and memphis, up to cleveland and pittsburgh. scattered afternoon showers in the northeast. >> triple-digits in southern california, phoenix and dallas. 90s across the rockies and southeast. the upper midwest only climbs into the 70s. and when we come back this morning, we'll tell you which star is wracking up the biggest paycheck of anyone on tv. you will not believe who it is and how much it is. and also, a real estate insider weighs in on just where we are in the housing recovery. and then, a surprise hotel guest. a bear who decided this resort is just right.

welcome back. as millions of students head to college, new numbers show the crushing burden of student debt is being felt by higher-income families. households making between $95,000 and $205,000 are seeing the biggest jump in the rate of student loan debt. "the wall street journal" says that group is also struggling with the sharp increase in their overall debt. mcdonald's is struggling, meanwhile, with a summer slump. key sales numbers dipped last month, with the worst showing in nine years. the biggest burger chain in the world says it is feeling the effects of this sluggish economy. and products like the new chicken mcbites didn't help. trouble for the golden arches could mean trouble ahead for the entire fast food industry.

also, ellal airlines had a computer glitch telling fares for a fraction of the normal cost. $1,600 fights from the u.s. to israel, were going for less than 400 bucks. the airline is now deciding whether or not to honor them. an influential expert says the housing market has, indeed, hit bottom. spencer wrathcough tells cnbc that five years from the housing recession, and 25% from the peak, things are turning around. home values started tumbling even before the final crisis of 2008. brace yourself for the next story. no one can believe this. the verdict is in. and here's someone who can afford any kind of house she would want. judge judy rules when it comes to making money on tv. "tv guide's" new list of highest-paid tv personalities,

puts -- i can't even talk. it puts the judge at the very top, earning a cool $45 million a year for her syndicated court show. i couldn't even get that out i'm so jealous. >> i'm speechless. i'm a lawyer. i need a judge show. >> we are on the wrong show, miss hostin. you go, judy. unbelievable. must be nice. when we come back this morning, a summer swim turns into a nightmare. a second child dies with killer amoeba living in a lake. and amateur space sleuths, on the case of a mysterious image from mars. [ male announcer ] this is rudy. his morning starts with arthritis pain. and two pills. afternoon's overhaul starts with more pain. more pills. triple checking hydraulics. the evening brings more pain. so, back to more pills. almost done, when... hang on. stan's doctor recommended aleve. it can keep pain away all day with fewer pills than tylenol.

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the acid that i'm eating could be causing damage to my teeth. the dentist recommended pronamel. he said that pronamel would help protect me from the effects of acid erosion. i feel like i'm doing the right thing for my teeth, and it feels good. car insurance companies say they'll save you by switching, you'd have like, a ton of dollars. but how are they saving you those dollars? a lot of companies might answer "um" or, "no comment." then there's esurance. born online, raised by technology, and majors in efficiency. so whatever they save, you save. hassle, time, paperwork, hair-tearing-out, and yes, especially dollars. esurance. insurance for the modern world. click or call. a resort in new mexico got a surprise guest. that's right. a black bear that strolled right into the lobby. surveillance video captures the

bear coming through an open door. it goes around the hotel, wandering the hotel on the first and second floors. luckily the bear didn't run into any humans. it checked out just before police arrived. >> i would have checked out long before that. now, for a look at morning road conditions. thunderstorms, soaked highways from the ohio valley and the great lakes. down to nashville, little rock. a slick ride across much of the gulf coast and southeast. roads could be wet at times in the colorado rockies and arizona. >> and if you're flying, airport delays are possible in chicago, detroit and memphis. and back to the news, now. a roadside in northeast, pennsylvania, was the scene of a dramatic car rescue. >> a woman's car was burning on its side. the driver had apparently fallen asleep and ran off the road. two men who were passing by came to the rescue. one used a knife to cut through the driver's seat and pull her to safety. she's recovering from serious injuries. and the men don't want to be called heroes. a killer amoeba is being

blamed for the death of a 9-year-old little boy in minnesota. jack was taken off life support after suffering from a rare brain infection. doctors believe he was infected while swimming at a lake near the twin cities. the amoeba enters through the nose and attacks the brain. a girl died from the same infection two years ago, after swimming in that very same lake. space enthusiasts are trying to unravel a martian mystery. here's one of the first images from the mars rover. take notice of that blotch along the horizon on the red planet. now, you see it. now, you don't. two hours later, the spot had vanished. others have suggested anything from a dust devil to simply dirt on the lens. there's just four days of competition left in the london

olympics. we start this morning's highlights, where else, but on the beach? >> that's where the team of misty may-treanor and kerri walsh jennings beat another pair of americans to win their third-straight beach volleyball gold medal. it was their last competitive match together. may-treanor is retiring from the sport. the u.s. men's basketball team is rolling right along. lebron, kobe and team are into the finals, after destroying australia by 30 points. next up, argentina, which the u.s. beat in a preliminary match this last monday by 29 points. and the u.s. women's soccer team fresh off their come-from-behind victory over canada, plays for the gold medal today. they take on japan with a score to settle. it was just last year that the japanese defeated the u.s. women in the world cup final. they say this is the game they wanted ever since. >> grudge match.

that should be good. day 13 of the games under way. here's the medal count. >> the u.s. is back on top ahead of china, by four medals overall. the russians, now in third. and here at home, the first full weekend of nfl preseason games gets under way tonight. the league's first female official will be a line judge in the packers/chargers game. >> about time for that. as for some baseball, though, those highlights from espn. >> good morning. randy scott here with your "sportscenter" update. we start in detroit because the tigers were dreaming of an 11-game home win streak. curtis granderson, former tiger, doing damage. top one, off of sanchez. that's to right. mark teixeira in. yankees take a 2-0 lead. but it would get worse for the tigers. better for the yankees. it's granderson. this gets out in a hurry. a three-run chop off of sanchez. granderson's first of the season.

first yankee outfielder to go back-to-back home run seasons, since dave winfield did it nearly 30 years ago. top seven, ichiro, grounding one. prince fielder, that's not going to get the job done. throw, laughable. bottom nine, 12-8. soriano trying to button up the save. and he does. gets brandon bosh swinging. yankees win 12-8. and detroit's home win streak is officially history. giants and cardinals. hunter pence. what a deadline acquisition he's been for the giants. top six, through the middle. guess who scores again. cabrera. later in the inning, giants up 5-0. and it got worse if you're a cardinals fan. brandon crawford, to left. brandon belt scores. 15-0, your final. the giants' 12th shutout of the

year. do not expect a shutout on "monday night football." a special thursday night edition. packers and chargers. kickoff expected a little after 8:00 eastern time. "monday night countdown" starts at 7:00 eastern, on espn, and the watch espn app. coming up next, "the pulse." and one of the roughest celebrity mug shots we have ever seen. and the backyard playground that turned out to be no fun for t[ mom ] thankt to be no fun for picking us up, sweetie. 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. it's called technology dad... here take two dollars. take the money. [ male announcer ] the all new 37 mpg highway chevy malibu eco. from conserving fuel, to the technology that makes it happen. chevy runs deep.

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all right. time to check "the pulse," this morning, the stories you'll be talking about today. and people are talking about this one. country singer, randy travis. and talking about him for not the best reasons whatsoever. >> yeah. check out this mugshot. police in a town about an hour north of dallas where he lives, says the 53-year-old was found naked and then was combative with the cops. >> when he walked out of jail, he was wearing scrubs but no shoes. just last february, he was arrested, then, too, for public intoxication. that time he was found in his car outside of a church with a bottle of wine. we hope he gets better. on to better news this morning. to a teenager who won 50,000 bucks and also the title of fastest texter in america. >> yes. it was the sixth annual texting

championship. and it was held in new york's times square yesterday. the contestants were tested in three skills, speed, accuracy, and dexterity. >> and for the second year in a row, 17-year-old austin wierschke was the winner. the money will go to pay for his college education. good move. he trained by sending friends nearly 500 texts every day. that's almost your record. >> pretty good. and finally, here's what happens when you can't wait around for the wildlife professionals. there you see a utah police deputy taking matters into his own hands, working to free a moose that was stuck in the chains of a backyard swingset. >> he used bolt cutters to clip the chain links. eventually, the animal was free. he said he called for the cops. but a wildlife specialist wouldn't be there for an hour. so, yeah. he did it himself.

>> pretty good moves. >> not the move i would have made. for some of you, your local news is next. >> stay with us. in fact, i'm already seeing your best friend, justin. ♪ i would've appreciated a proactive update on the status of our relationship. who do you think i am, tim? quicken loans? at quicken loans, we provide you with proactive updates on the status of your home loan. and our innovative online tools ensure that you're always in the loop. one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze.

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updating the top stories. a sick american has been flown from a u.s. science station in antarctica to new zealand. the patient's condition and their identity is still unknown. alaska airlines is taking a close look at a jet after it was forced to make an emergency landing in california. the plane suffered electrical problems and a quick change in cabin pressure. a sister and brother are being called heros in the wake of the temple shooting in wisconsin. after hearing the first shots, the children ran inside to warn others, likely saving many lives. a quick look at weather. thunderstorms from the carolinas to new orleans. severe storms from cleveland and chicago, down to memphis and little rock. some triple-digit heat from texas to california. and finally from us this morning, the u.s. and china are in a heated battle, of course, over those medals in london.

>> and china's been a powerhouse in the past several olympic games. how do they do it? abc's jeffrey kofman finds out. ♪ >> reporter: it's beginning to sound like a broken record at these olympics. the chinese anthem blasts out again. and again. and again. as its athletes ascend the podium. the cold war is over. but the u.s. and china are locked in an olympic gold war. while the u.s. medal haul has been consistent in recent years, china's has rocketed. from 5 golds in 1988, to 51 in 2008. how do they do it? this week, abc's gloria riviera in beijing visited one of the thousands of sports schools where future chinese olympians are already being groomed. this headmaster told abc news the secret to china's success. young athletes who train hard and can endure hardship.

hardship? look at the face of this girl as a coach stands on her legs. but the secret to china's medal success is not just early and relentless training. there's a strategy. they have taken a page from the old communists of east germany, who used to win buckets of medals. >> east germany understood olympic math. and the chinese get that, too. you take the sports where the medals are most plentiful and that's where you throw all your energy. >> reporter: diving, gymnastics, but also sports that most countries overlook. so far, china has won seven medals in shooting and seven in weightlifting. and, like its own synchronized swim team, practicing over and over as it goes for gold, china is stretching the limits as it strives to be the only superpower of sport. jeffrey kofman, abc news, at the olympic games in london. well, that's what's making news in america this morning.