there's breaking news on this wednesday morning. >> in mexico, new aftershocks overnight. startling the already shaken part of that country. and in france, new developments as police rush to find a killer before he strikes again. a big win for mitt romney in the critical state of illinois. so, what does it mean for rick santorum's hope of more delegates? also, an emergency landing in alaska strands passengers there for two days. the travel nightmare we learned about overnight. when you mess with nature, sometimes nature wins. one tree trimmer learned that lesson the hard way.

good wednesday morning, everyone. we're tracking a number of breaking stories right now, beginning with mexico. still shaking from that massive earthquake. there have been several, powerful aftershocks. one just hours ago. >> it is rattling nerves here north of the border, too. the epicenter of the 7.4 quake was between oaxaca and acapulco. spring break destinations. thousands are americans are there right now, including malia obama, on a school trip. she is okay. >> the quake was felt hundreds of miles away, with office buildings swaying, sending workers into the streets. children clinging to parents. a pedestrian bridge collapsed on to a bus. amazingly, there are reports that only a few people have been injured. and no one has died. >> hard to believe, isn't it? still, a frantic night is

turning into an uneasy morning, as mexicans brace for the possibility of even more aftershocks yet to come. and there's more breaking news in france, where police have surrounded the home of a suspect in monday's shooting at a jewish school. they say the suspect claims he's a member of al qaeda and is avenging the deaths of palestinian children. >> police brought in the suspect's mother to help negotiate a surrender. but she refused. three children and a rabbi were shot dead monday. and police fear the killer would strike again. here at home, we've been tracking the weather overnight. a slow-moving rainmaker continues to hover over the south and midwest. >> looking at radar right now.r after swamping the southern plains. the worst of the flooding moves into shreveport. >> it was accompanied by thunder so loud, people thought it was an earthquake. and rivers in east texas are cresting after rising up to 20 feet.

and to politics this morning, where mitt romney's campaign has regained the momentum after last night's easy and big win in the state of illinois. >> rick santorum came in a distant second to romney's 47% of the vote, giving him dozens more delegates in his march towards the nomination. and he's even sharpening his attacks on president obama. >> abc's tahman bradley joins us live, now, from washington, with more on this. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, rob and paula. even though mitt romney has been outspending rick santorum by a wide margin, santorum has managed to keep things close, even winning a few races. but not in illinois. this time, it was a big win for romney. mitt romney added to his delegate lead by winning a decisive victory in illinois. >> what a night. thank you, illinois. what a night. wow. >> reporter: this is romney's third, big state win in a row, after the candidate squeaks out victories in ohio and michigan. in his victory speech, romney shifted his attacks back to

president obama. >> after years of too many policies and not enough jobs, historic drops in energy and historic rise in gas prices, it's time to say these words. this word, enough. >> reporter: exit polls show that romney was lifted to victory by voters with households earning more than $100,000 a year. and voters who see him having the best chance to defeat president obama. the candidate continued to struggle with voters who described themselves as very conservative. they broke for rick santorum by a wide margin. santorum is hoping to rebound in louisiana on saturday. speaking in his home state of pennsylvania which votes next month, santorum vowed to keep fighting. >> we need someone who is going to pull up government by the roots and do something to eliminate the private sector in america. that's what we need. >> reporter: with romney holding a commanding lead in delegates, a romney strategist suggesting it may be time for the other candidates to drop out. he said romney himself made the

difficult choice to end his campaign four years ago so john mccain had time to rally the party. romney's won more than double the number of delegates that santorum has. but he's still not even halfway to the magic number he needs to clench the nomination. rob and paula? >> so far the exit polls haven't been extremely enthusiastic for romney. i'm curious what the exit polls in illinois, what they were saying about romney. >> reporter: they were the same, paula, in illinois. voters were unenthusiastic about both men. fewer than half said they strongly favored a candidate. gop voters are committed to defeating president obama. and they're looking for the candidate to do just that. >> all right. tahman bradley, in washington this morning. thanks for that report. president obama is kicking off a two-day trip to talk up his emergency policies. he visits a plant in washington. and an oil and gas plant in

new mexico. he will talk about his role in expanding production. hundreds turned out for a town hall meeting last night to voice their outrage of a shooting of an unarmed teenager by a neighborhood watch shooter in florida. they demanded that the shooter be arrested and the police chief step down. the ncaap leader said he is tire tired of being scared for our boys. it has happened again. airline passengers stuck on the ground. but this time, it was for two days. a united flight from san francisco to shanghai was diverted to anchorage after it was discovered that several lavatories were out of order. that was on sunday. united brought another plane on monday. but they finally boarded a third plane last night. >> imagine the frustration for those folks. man. >> at least they were some place tropical. >> yeah, right. time, now, for weather from across the country. in addition to the strong storms

and downpours from the gulf coast to the midwest, look for thick morning fog from new jersey to new england. showers from virginia into the carolinas and florida. and heavy mountain snow in idaho and the cascades. drenching rain from seattle to northern california. >> 44 in portland. 68 in sacramento. 74 in phoenix. mostly 60s from boise to minneapolis. a record 80 in chicago. and 70 in kansas city. miami hitting 83. and 73 in the big apple. all right. coming up after the break, the largest online dating sites teaming up to keep millions of their users safe. plus, is the new ipad really too hat to handle? the experts at "consumer reports" weigh in on the complaints of overheating. and get ready to rock. two iconic bands joining forces for a major summer tour. stay with us.

and welcome back, everybody. well, there is now confirmation, the new ipad is pretty hot. "consumer reports" says the tablet can actually get 12 to 13 degrees hotter than its predecessor when used heavily. users have complained that the ipad does reach 116 degrees. but the magazine says holding it for brief periods isn't a problem. apple tells abc news, the new ipad does operate within its specifications. well, welcome relief for u.s. drivers could be on the way. saudi's oil minister says high oil prices are unjustified. and if prices stay high, his country could boost production.

after his comments, oil prices came down, albeit briefly. but gas prices are at a record for this time of year. and mortgage rates may have hit bottom. they're heading back up but still very low. bankrate.com's average is above 4%, after three months in the 3s. other mortgage trackers are reporting similar increases. overseas markets were mostly down overnight because of trn about china's economy. tokyo's nikkei average lost 56 points today. hong kong's hang seng was off 25. in london, the ftse opened lower. and on wall street, the dow fell 69 points yesterday. the nasdaq index slipped just four. three of the biggest online dating sites will now screen for sex offenders and other predators. the agreement by match.com, e harmony and spark networks calls for the services to check their subscribers against national sex offender registries and make it easier to report abuses. that comes after a woman was raped by a man she met on

match.com. two iconic rock bands are hitting the road together. kiss and motley crew will kick things off on "jimmy kimmel life." motley crew's first tour was with kiss in 1986. tickets go on sale friday. rob, i will get our tickets. >> have fun. >> you're coming with me. don't bother checking your megamillions numbers this morning. at least not for the jackpot. it appears that no one picked the numbers in last night's drawing because the total is up to $290 million. the next drawing is friday. same day as those tickets go on sale for kiss. >> we can afford them. >> exactly. coming up next, news just in. a major supermarket chain pulls that texture beef known as pink slime. and a new reason to take aspirin. a secret weapon in the fight against cancer. [ female announcer ] you do so much...

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a big honor for kermit, miss piggy and the rest of the gang, after entertaining children for generations. the muppets have received their own star on the hollywood walk of fame. as you can see, sweet ums was there to help with the unveiling. the star can be found in front of the el capitan theater. now, for a look at your morning road conditions. wet on i-95, for richmond in the carolinas. flooding on i-20, from jackson, to dallas. i-10, across louisiana and i-40, in arkansas. rain soaks i-70, from st. louis to topeka. and i-5, in the pacific northwest. heavy snow on 84 and 90 in the cascades. >> if you're flying in the skies, airport delays in new orleans, memphis, kansas city, minneapolis, philly and d.c. and major health news this morning about a drug that's already in many medicine cabinets. >> new research finds that

aspirin may be a powerful weapon in the fight against cancer. here's abc's lisa stark. >> reporter: it's a daily ritual for millions of us. nearly one-third of middle-aged americans regularly pop an aspirin, to help prevent heart attacks and strokes. but these new studies strongly suggest this simple pill may also protect against another killer. >> this is the largest body of evidence that suggests there may be an effect of aspirin in reducing cancers. >> reporter: we already knew aspirin cut the risk of colon cancer. now, many other cancers may be added to the list, including stomach, lung, prostate, uterine and ovarian. those who took an aspirin every day appeared less likely to get cancer. to have their cancer spread. and to die from cancer. the study suggests it takes years of daily aspirin use to get an anti-cancer benefit. if you're on a low dose, at least five years. and even on higher doses, three

years of a pill, every day. doctors warn the research is not conclusive. other studies with people who took aspirin every other day showed no cancer benefit. and aspirin can have toxic side effects, including internal bleeding. the research brings us tantalizingly closer to determining if this age-old wonder drug may be a modern miracle worker. lisa stark, abc news, washington. >> talk to your doctor before starting any new regimen. no more so-called pink slime. ground beef at safeway supermarkets. we learned that this country's second-largest supermarket chain announced overnight it is no longer selling the product, which, of course, is made with low-quality beef scraps treated with ammonia. more than two-thirds of safeway stores had been selling pink slime before the public outcry, following abc's first report exposing its use. good news there. and we've apparently become a nation of grazers. snacking more than ever. government researchers say 90%

of us eat between meals these days. and we've doubled the number of daily snacks we ate 30 years ago. most of us are clearly not munching on healthy stuff. one-third of the empty calories we eat come from snacks. >> they're empty calories. but they taste so good. >> so good. it's looking more certain for quarterback tim tebow who pulled off a series of miraculous wins for the denver broncos will be traded away. the jets may be among his suitors. the broncos have officially signed peyton manning to a five-year, $96 million deal, one sign that changes are on the way. photos of tebow at broncos headquarters were gone before manning arrived. one more day before the ncaa tournament resumes. for pro hoops, we turn to espn news. >> i'm chris cotter with your espn news update. showdown in south beach. the suns and the heat. lebron james and dwyane wade, suns 9-2, since the all-star

break. telfair kicks it to shannon brown for three. the heat don't lose at home. so, they came back. down two. chalmers, the steal, ahead for dwyane wade and the dunk. we're tied at 90-90. under three to play. heat up two. chalmers drives. and again, dishes to wade for the acrobatic layup. and the foul. next heat possession, james. lebron's going to take it upon himself. 20 points in the game. hits the jumper. part of a 17-0, heat run. and miami was up seven. under a minute to go, james. scary moment here. collides with grant hill. they both hit the floor. take another look. lebron, right into hill's shoulder. struggles to get to his feet. but he would stay in the game. and the heat go on to win, 90-95. in the western conference. kevin durant and the thunder taking on the jazz.

through mohammed's legs. give you another look. he makes the basket, as well. otherwise he wouldn't have made the highlight. that puts the jazz up eight. the thunder would close the gap. russell westbrook hitting the three. too much paul millsap. he hits the fallaway. milsap had 20. and the jazz win 97-90. that's your "sportscenter" update. i'm chris conner. enjoy the rest of your day. coming up next, the harry potter star that's headed to prison. and how thin is too thin? one country's crackdown on the use of underweight models. with a vial and syringe. me, explaining what i was doing at breakfast. and me discovering novolog mix 70/30 flexpen. flexpen is pre-filled with your pre-mix insulin. dial the exact dose. inject by pushing a button. no vials, syringes or coolers to carry. flexpen is insulin delivery my way. volog mix 70/30 is an insulin used to control high blood sugar

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it's my right.... to breathe right! all right. it's time to check "the pulse," stories you're going to be talking about on this wednesday. lawmakers in israel have decided how thin is too thin when it comes to fashion models. >> they just passed a law banning the use of underweight models. smin with a body mass index of 18.5 or less will be prohibited from appearing in ads. the legislation, known as the photoshop law, requires agencies to say whether pictures have been digitally altered to make models look thinner. >> that's interesting. they have to fess up to airbrushing. violators of the law won't face criminal charges. but they could be sued. kudos. what is the situation? earlier reports said that mike

sorrentino was in rehab. but the situation had been resting up up at an undisclosed location. how did you say the situation, the accent? >> the situation tweeted, don't believe everything that you read or hear. he says, i'm getting into amazing shape for season six. >> uh-huh. right. no amount of wizardry can fix this. harry potter cast member, jamie waylon played vincent crabbe in six of the potter movies. a new video is making its rounds on the internet, showing a classic battle between man and tree. take a look at who wins. the modern-day paul bunion takes his ax to the towering evergreen and hacks away. >> that's going to make a mark. the tree comes down on his house. but most people have sided with the tree. one called it nature's revenge.

and another one suggested that the accident will give him a chance to remodel. >> can use the tree to remodel and build a new house. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, one of the biggest mysteries. ohh, i don't know... ummm... did you have to do that to me? what counts as romantic? is somebody watching me somewhere? like emptying the dishwasher? [ laughing ] is this your mother? ♪ ♪ the only moisturizer for me? cerave. [ male announcer ] cerave uses patented technology to restore your skin's protective barrier.

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updating the top stories. after an early-morning police raid, police in france are closing in on a suspect in monday's deadly shooting. the man is claiming to be a member of al qaeda and saying he will turn himself in later today. powerful aftershocks rattle mexico overnight, after that powerful 7.4 earthquake yesterday. few injuries and no deaths reported. mitt romney's campaign regains momentum after an easy win in illinois. he earn urged the party to fall in line behind his bid, saying, quote, we are almost there. today's weather, now. severe storms along the gulf coast. heavy rain into arkansas and kansas city. torrential downpours and heavy mountain snow out in the northwest. and finally, a new clue in

an enduring mystery. what really happened to amelia earhart? >> a major investigation is being launched this summer with the help of an unlikely detective, secretary of state, hillary clinton. with more on this, here's abc's dan harris. >> reporter: she is one of the most iconic women of the last century. she is one of the most powerful women of this century. and hillary clinton said she will try to help solve the mystery of what happened to amelia earhart, with a new search, based on a tantalizing clue in this grainy, old picture. >> there's, miss earhart. >> reporter: amelia earhart disappeared when trying to become the first woman to fly around the world. that was 1937. fast-forward 23 years. a 13-year-old hillary clinton writes a letter to nasa, asking to be an astronaut. they tell her, no girls allowed. >> nasa may have said i couldn't go into space. but nobody was there to tell

amelia earhart she couldn't do what she chose to do. >> reporter: as secretary of state, clinton publicly endorsed a renewed search for earhart, based on a clue in this old picture off of gardener island. look at what experts spotted. that blur where bit on the left there? could that possibly be the landing gear of earhart's lockheed electric? this summer, a search party, including the underwater explorer who helped find the "titanic" will go diving for answers. if they succeed, they will have solved a 75-year-old mystery and forever linked an american he heroine, and the girl she inspi inspired. >> look forward to that investigation. if they can shore it up in june or july. coming up later on "good morning america" today. it's getting hot in the kitchen. rachael