this morning, the final word on what killed whitney houston. >> new details from inside the hotel room. the pop star found facedown in the bath, with evidence of cocaine use not far away. the rough ride at 30,000 feet, forcing a plane to land, injuring half a dozen people. gross and grimy. which part of your work space is dirtier than a day let seat. and the pooch who ate his owner's ticket to the masters. but this determined owner got the ticket back.

good thursday morning, everyone. the new details from the coroner's 32-page reports only adds to the evidence that drugs played a major role in houston's untimely death. >> investigators reported that the singer had a hole in her nose, an indication she had been snorting cocaine for many years. the report is an account of whitney houston's final hours. it rules her death accidental. and it says that cocaine use as contributing factors. >> the report stands for itself. we've released it. and both to beverly hills p.d. and the family. >> reporter: the singer's assistant suggested she take a bath before a pregrammy party on february 11th. when the assistant returned, houston had drowned. water soaked the floor into the bedroom. we know exactly what detectives found nearby. in the bathroom, a small spoon with a white crystal-like

substance on it. a rolled up piece of white paper. remnants of a white, powdery substance. also directed an ashtray, filled with multiple cigarette butts and a plethora of medication bottled. the coroner concluded that prescription drugs did not contribute to the singer's death. a toxicology test found marijuana, xanax, flexeril and benadryl in her system. she battled a diction for years and was trying to make a comeback. the upcoming film "sparkle," features houston in a starring role. and for the first time since her daughter's death, cissy houston spoke out about her loss. >> i'm proud of my daughter. she accomplished a lot in the sport time she had here. she was a very wonderful person. >> that final coroner's report shows that houston was scalded

by that bath water. but no alcohol was found in her system. republican presidential hopefuls rick santorum, newt gingrich and ron paul insist they are still in the race for the white house. but front-runner, mitt romney, is moving on to the big showdown in november with president obama. abc's tahman bradley is in washington with details. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, paula. these campaigns are ready to go at it. one day after president obama launched a blistering assault on the gop, mitt romney speaking before the same audience, unloaded on the president. confident he has a firm grip on the republican nomination, mitt romney has sharpened his attacks on president obama. >> we've just got to get him out of office. he just doesn't understand what's happening in the country. >> reporter: romney accuses the president of disguising his intentions. >> he wants us to re-elect them so we can find out what he will actually do. with all of the challenges the nation faces, this is not the time for president obama's hide and seek campaign. >> reporter: it's not just romney on the attack.

the obama campaign seems eager for direct engagement with their likely republican opponent. even though the election is seven months away. not long after the former massachusetts governor made his remarks, the obama campaign launched this ad. >> he saw free enterprise as the villain and government as a solution. >> i believe deeply that the free market is the greatest force for economic progress in human history. >> reporter: earlier in the week, mr. obama lashed out at romney for supporting a congressional republican budget plan which he says would hurt the middle class and cut entitlement programs such as medicare. >> and he even called it marvelous, which is a word you don't often hear when it comes to describing a budget. >> reporter: mr. obama will focus on the economy today, by signing a bill that aims to make it easier for small companies to raise money from investors. romney campaigned in pennsylvania today, ahead of the state's presidential primary on april 24th. the latest poll shows romney trailing president obama

nationally. it also has romney behind mr. obama among women voters, paula? >> tahman bradley, live in washington, with that marvelous report. thanks, tahman. >> sure. and more political news this morning. texas governor, rick perry, gets a firsthand look today at the heartbreaking tornado damage near dallas. experts say the twister, which touched down in forney, probably had winds of 165 miles per hour. there were several injuries but not one death in all that destruction. officials say residents were quick to heed the early warnings. that same weather system forced a united airlines jet to make an emergency landing when the plane was hit by severe turbulence. ambulances were waiting when the tampa-to-houston flight arrived at its destination. five passengers and two flight attendants, though, were injured. a flight attendant from delta was pulled from a flight after a screener thought the man was acting erratically and not be fit to fly. the airline said there was no

security threat and that passengers had not boarded the plane. and the jetblue pilot who had a mid-air meltdown has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric exam. that means that clayton osbon will be moved to a federal facility for prisoners. the test will berm if osbon is competent to stand trial. a chapter after hurricane katrina has come to a final chapter. a judge had ordered a stiff sentence against fife police officers. six people walking to find food were shot. two of them died. the officers' sentences range from 6 to 65 years. but all are expected to appeal. what are the chances a hurricane like katrina would happen again this year? a forecast calls for a below-average season, predicting that we'll see ten named storms this year, with four of them turning into hurricanes. and just two of those will be major hurricanes, cat 3, 4 or 5. hurricane season starts june 1st

and runs to the end of november. knock on wood, plexiglas, or whatever. time for today's weather across the nation. a cooler, breezier morning in the northeast. showers and thunderstorms across the south. most severe along the gulf coast. texas dries out and heats up. but less muggy today. more rain in the pacific northwest, with major snow in higher elevations. sunny and dry most everywhere else. >> boston and chicago, 53. new york, 60. atlanta, 77. miami, 88. 60 in minneapolis. 78 in dallas. 67 in omaha. seattle, 52. a comfortable 73 in albuquerque. coming up, google shows off its newest invention. and reaction is mixed. you be the judge, next. plus, the bacteria bonanza on your desktop. which parts of your work space are dirtier than a toilet? >> that's disgusting. this guy showed off sweet

moves. all of it caught on a security camera. now, police want him locked up.

well, another wave of foreclosures may be on the horizon. analysts warn that banks are about to pick up the pace of claiming properties. the lenders had been holding back on foreclosures until a major government lawsuit was resolved. that happened in february. more foreclosures will keep housing prices low. overseas markets are lower because of worries about

europe's debt. and also disappointment over the federal reserve's plans. tokyo's nikkei average gave up 52 points today. hong kong's hang seng was down 241. in london, the ftse opened lower. and on wall street, the dow fell 125 points yesterday. big drop there. the nasdaq index lost 45 points. many of the new jobs being created are going to older workers. they're putting off retirement, often because their savings were hit hard because of the recession. other reasons are improved health. and also that a large part of the workforce is reaching or is simply beyond retirement age. well, the internet is gaga over google's goggles. the tech giant is sharing a prototype of its augmented eyeglasses. it can allow wearers to send and receive messages. there's a built-in camera. google plans to start testing them in public soon. the google glasses are being called creepy and nerdy. and there's worries that they

will make their distracted wearers susceptible to crime. >> gaga over google's goggles. also, some disturbing news this morning about your office computer. the mouse may have three-times as many germs as a toilet seat. the british study found that keyboards were the second-grubbiest item in the office. and that men's workstations were worse than women's. not a shocker there. the researchers blame it on workers who eat at their desks. i just finished -- >> sanitizer. >> we need that. i just finished eating last commercial. >> and a handle? >> don't want to think about that. >> sorry about that. next on this thursday, the woman who claims to have a $200 million lotto ticket holds a news conference and says very little. where's the ticket? also, help for you insomniacs out there. a new drug hits the market today. [ female announcer ] why shop at walgreens this easter?

so you can avoid this. this line is ridiculous. [ man on loudspeaker ] price check, aisle six. [ clears throat ] really? yup. [ female announcer ] just go to walgreens. short lines, great parking and all their easter favorites, like reese's peanut butter eggs, m&m's chocolate candies, starburst jelly beans and oreo cream-filled brownies. plus russell stover chocolate bunnies, toys and other easter delights. shopping simplified. with walgreens, there's a way. splenda® essentials™ no calorie sweetener with b vitamins, the first and only one to help support a healthy metabolism. three smart ways to sweeten. same great taste. splenda® essentials™.

sa(belhi.ings)te. good morning. big news. we're spreading the word about new honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry... and banana/blueberry. we're telling everyone. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. try some. mmm! two flavors. in harmony. yummy. four nutritious grains and two big fruit flavors to make your day bunches better. it's time to get real about what happens in the bathroom. and start talking about what you really want from your toilet paper. it's time to talk about clean. feeling clean is so important. i use quilted northern. quilted northern soft & strong. stronger than the leading rippled brand. for a confident clean.

♪ looking at this video, you might think it's an audition. but it's actually a call for help by the police department. they say this man they dubbed the dancing burglar, is one of three men who broke into an amphibious tour vehicle. sprayed the inside with the fire extinguisher and then stole the extinguisher. they're hoping somebody might recognize his signature moves. >> a smart criminal. now, for a look at your morning road conditions on this thursday. flood watch on i-10, from new orleans to jacksonville. and i-20, from mississippi to south carolina. wet on i-40, from memphis to nashville. and i-95 in florida. on the west coast, news caution from seattle to medford. >> if you're flying, delays are possible in atlanta, new orleans and memphis. that maryland woman who claims to have one of the three

winning megamillions lottery tickets is probably wishing she had never opened her mouth. >> i think she actually likes the drama. she says the ticket was safely inside the baltimore mcdonald's where she works. but her co-workers say that the ticket is part of an office pool. she has gone silent, letting her newly-hired lawyer do all the talking. >> do you know where the ticket is? >> no, sir, i do not. i cannot say with any certainty that this ticket exists. and i would caution anybody, until it's presented to the lottery commission for processing that it does exist. >> the attorney added he was hired to protect her in case she sued. maryland officials hold their own news conference today. if i won millions, i would be, hey, everybody. i won. >> that should be an interesting rebuttal. also today, more serious news. former penn state assistant football coach, jerry sandusky

is scheduled to make a rare appearance in a courtroom. he is asking the judge to dismiss all of the child abuse charges against sandusky. he is claiming that prosecutors don't have enough details or evidence to prove those charges. a 9-year-old boy in washington state who accidentally shot and seriously wounded a classmate has written a letter apologizing to that little girl. a judge ordered the boy to write the apology as part of his sentencing. the gun was in a backpack when it went off. here's part of that letter. >> dear amina. i'm sorry i hurt you because i brought a gun to school. i did not mean for anybody to get hurt. >> the boy's mother and her boyfriend face charges for allowing him to get that gun in the first place. and some medical news this morning. a new medicine for insomnia hits the market today. intermezzo is the first fda-approved drug for people who wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. that's the most common form of insomnia. it affects about 42% of

americans, in fact. intermezzo contains the same ingredients as ambien but at a lower dose. and it should only be taken by people who can sleep a full four hours before having to drive. >> four hours of sleep sounds magnificent. it could be a damp start to the masters golf tournament today in georgia, with a 60% chance of rain in the opening round. overshadowing the tournament is whether the club will, for the first time, offer membership to a woman. ibm, a big sponsor of the tournament, has a female ceo. and the club traditionally offers a membership to those in that position. and she's not saying anything either. the baseball season is finally and officially under way. we get the first game action from espn news. >> good morning. my name is todd grisham. this is your "sportscenter" update. baseball is back. miami, with a brand-new stadium. and baseball's all about tradition, which is why

carnevale girls bring the starter on the field. top of the first, two runners on. david freese, the world series mvp, driving in the first two runs. 2-0. top of the second, rafael furcal, with an rbi. it's 3-0. bottom of the second, kyle lohse had his mojo working. getting gaby sanchez to line out to end the inning. third inning, facing josh johnson. got him swinging. no hits through three innings. bottom of the fourth, lohse gets ramirez to ground into a 5-4-3 double-play. we go to the fifth inning. lohse, freezing sanchez. still has a no-no through five. sixth inning, john bach, see you later. grounded to the pitcher. we head to the seventh. no hits allowed by lohse until this by jose reyes.

part of that $191 million off-season spending spree by miami. lohse was fantastic. carlos stanton. straight away center field. but jon jay, great catch. lohse, 7 1/3 innings. cardinals win, 4-1. opening day baseball continues. apparently, it's a two-week deal. red sox face the tigers. and prince fielder, that's today at 1:00 on espn2. >> love baseball season. up next, "the pulse." the dog who is a major sports fan, so much that he ate his owner's cherished ticket to the masters. [ male announcer ] this one goes out to all the allergy muddlers. you know who you are. you can part a crowd, without saying a word.

you have yet to master the quiet sneeze. you stash tissues like a squirrel stashes nuts. well, muddlers, muddle no more. try zyrtec®. it gives you powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because zyrtec® starts working at hour 1 on the first day you take it. claritin® doesn't start working until hour 3. zyrtec®. love the air. and the family car to do an experiment. we put a week of her family's smelly stuff all in at once to prove that new febreze car vent clips could eliminate the odor. then we brought her family to our test facility to see if it worked. [ woman ] take a deep breath. tell me what you smell. something fresh. a beach. a clean house. my new car. [ woman ] go ahead and take your blindfolds off. oh! [ laughs ] look at all this garbage! [ male announcer ] introducing new febreze car. eliminates odors for continuous freshness so you can breathe happy. 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. esurance. insurance for the modern world. sears one day sale is this saturday, with friday preview. find the huge savings you've been hunting for throughout the store. plus, shop your way rewards members always get more. at sears. but sometimes i wonder... what's left behind? [ female announcer ] purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena® naturals. removes 99% of dirt and toxins without dyes, parabens or harsh sulfates. so skin feels pure and healthy. [ female announcer ] from neutrogena® naturals. ever since i can remember. my name is paul fabry, and i grow oranges in florida for tropicana. my grandpa taught me that there's no orange like a florida orange.

they're grown in just the right soil... with the perfect amount of sunshine. see, that's how you get that beautiful colour and ripeness. tropicana pure premium is made with 100% florida oranges. because the best oranges make the best juice. ♪ time to check "the pulse," stories you're going to be talking about today. starting with the georgia woman who has made a disturbing recovery. >> she says an ex-boyfriend has been distributing a seminude picture of her, complete with her name, address and phone number all over her town. she says the flyers have been found in gas stations, home improvement stores and the mall. >> she is getting nonstop calls, texts and home visits of men

wanting to meet her. don't take a racy photo and send it. now some stories about truly remarkable pets. a hero dog in new york is on the mend after taking a bullet for its owner. >> the dog was shot in the head, a wound that could have been fatal. but the 70-pound pit bull managed to survive. miraculously, no brain damage, either. >> a lucky pup. meet sierra, who's master, named russ, had won four tickets to the masters golf tournament. they looked like this, until sierra decided to eat them. when russ came home, only the strings were left. >> so, russ fed sierra some hide jen peroxide that made the dog throw up. he pieced together some tickets. and after some skepticism, the masters folks printed him four new ones. >> the dogs ate my tickets.

for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, how your invention ideas could end up being sold atwal mart. stay with us, everybody. [ director ] cut. cut! [ monica ] i thought we'd be on location for 3 days -- it's been 3 weeks. so i had to pick up some more things. good thing i've got the citi simplicity card. i don't get hit with a fee if i'm late with a payment... which is good because on this job, no! bigger! [ monica ] i may not be home for a while. [ male announcer ] the citi simplicity card. no late fees. no penalty rate. no worries. in absolute perfect physical condition and i had a heart attack right out of the clear blue... i'm on an aspirin regimen... and i take bayer chewables. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. he's my success story. [ laughs ]

[ female announcer ] improve the health of your skin with aveeno daily moisturizing lotion. the natural oatmeal formula improves skin's health in one day, with significant improvement in 2 weeks. i found a moisturizer for life. [ female announcer ] only from aveeno.

updating the top stories. the final coroner's report indicates that white powder and drug paraphernalia were found in the bathroom where whitney houston died. the report also says there was cocaine in her system. in afghanistan, a suicide bomber on a motorcycle killed 11 people, including 3 u.s. soldiers. the americans were sightseeing, and taking pictures in a park. the taliban has claimed responsibility. the tornado that touched down near dallas had winds of 165 miles per hour. they credited an early warning system with saving lives. more rain in the pacific northwest and all across the southeast. severe storms and strong winds in the gulf states later today. but sunny and mild, actually, for most of the nation. if you have ever had a great idea that you are sure would

make a pile of money, this story's for you. >> that's right. walmart is offering thousands of people with great ideas the chance to sell their products. abc's john berman has a look at all of the fascinating things they've already come up with. >> reporter: what house doesn't need a safety dining utensil for dogs. >> there wasn't a fork out there for dogs. >> reporter: what parent doesn't need a plastic hippopotamus to store your kids' teeth. what hypochondriac doesn't need a sealable germ face mask that can also withstand pepper spray in inventions so creative, even thomas edison would give a fist-pump. if he's not around, you can get one from the plastic hand this guy invented. >> you the man. >> reporter: these are just some of the 4,000-plus entries in walmart's get on the shelf campaign. they've asked everyday, at-home tinkering, to post videos of their best inventions.

>> hi, this is richard. >> my name is larry herring. >> this is sam. >> reporter: you see everything from shorts made of towels, to tools to avoid the agony of cleaning up after your dog. >> position it under your dog's tushy. >> reporter: it is honest american ingenuity at its best. lynn write is a 58-year-old former day care worker in south carolina. >> it happened a lot and my wrist would get tired. >> reporter: she had never invented anything. got out her sewing needle and came up with an idea for a wrist pillow. so, what's her dream now? >> get this on the market. and maybe sell millions of them. >> reporter: walmart says it will give the winner of the contest a chance to sell the products on the megaretailer's shelves. >> you're on fire. >> reporter: at the very least, they deserve a fist-bump. >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: john berman, abc news, new york. >> i just want to say, you the man. you don't need one of those. you're the man. >> oh, man.