u.s. he even called congress. treasure trove. the newly-released papers from osama bin laden, showing he still wanted to kill americans and plotted to assassinate the president. moving out. a florida family forced out of their home, as a sinkhole swallows their backyard, getting even bigger overnight. and michael's magic. the king of pop, a pitchman once again. about to be seen all over the world. good friday morning. i'm sunny hostin. >> and i'm rob nelson. we begin with late developments overnight that could resolve that ongoing diplomatic crisis. >> a chinese official now says chen guangcheng can apply to study abroad, which may provide a face-saving way for china and the u.s. to move forward. here's abc's tahman bradley. >> reporter: the stakes are high this morning as chinese activist

chen guangcheng fights for his freedom. chen left the u.s. embassy in beijing to be with his family. but now, fearing for his life, he's begging secretary of state hillary clinton for protection. my situation right now is very dangerous, chen tells a reporter. basically, right now i'm worried. the u.s. is scrambling to come up with a solution. >> we want to express our appreciation, for the outcome of this. >> reporter: the state department says u.s. officials in china have spoken to chen, who is currently being treated for injuries at chinese hospital. if the u.s. decides to help chen, it may be impossible to get him back from chinese authorities. diplomatic discussions are still ongoing. but some republicans believe the obama administration dropped the ball. >> if these reports are true, this is a dark day for freedom. and it's a day of shame for the obama administration. >> reporter: the united states was caught in the middle of the

crisis when the blind activist made a daring escape from house arrest and traveled to the u.s. embassy in beijing. when chen refused to leave the embassy, officials did not know his wife had apparently been beaten. >> an interrogator told her clearly if your husband did not walk out of the u.s. embassy, we will kill you. >> reporter: chen has become a symbol of human rights abuses in china. his supporters are sporting his dark trademark, dark sunglasses and posting them online. rob and sunny? >> tahman bradley, thanks for that report this morning. we're getting more insight into the mind of osama bin laden from just released letters written by the terror leader himself. they show bin laden was worried about al qaeda's reputation among muslims. and that he remained focused on killing americans until just before his death. with more on this, abc's karen travers. >> reporter: newly released documents show a frustrated

terror leader. one that was worried about the future of al qaeda. an analysis of the letters, show bin laden was angry at his seemingly unability to control the group's regional affiliates. especially the ones whose attacks claimed the lives of muslims. >> i'm reminded of the days of adolf hitler in the bunker in berlin, when he was giving orders to divisions and armies to move around. and the divisions and armies didn't exist. >> reporter: these documents provide a window into the state of al qaeda. >> that organization was under a great deal of stress. had been diminished. but remained a threat. and remains a threat. >> reporter: the bin laden documents also reveal that al qaeda wanted to assassinate president obama but not vice president biden, who they viewed as totally unprepared for the presidency. karen travers, abc news, washington. the mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks is to be arraigned tomorrow at guantanamo bay.

khalid sheikh mohammed and four others are expected to face murder and terrorism charges. five relatives of those who died in the attack, chosen by lottery, will be present to watch the arraignment in american. president obama, along with his top administration officials are launching a new campaign to keep student loan rates low for another year. mr. obama plans to speak to students and parents at a northern virginia high school later today. cabinet members will make their case across the country next week, ahead of that senate vote, which also will take place next week. now, to the john edwards trial, where one of his former top aides provided dramatic, new details about rielle hunter. john david said he was shocked when hunter knocked on his hotel room door and told him, she and the senator were very much in love. david said the next morning, edwards called to say he and hunter were not having an affair and that she was crazy. jurors also heard from an interior designer who helped to secretly funnel money to edwards' campaign. the widow of a man who released dozens of exotic

animals in ohio last fall will be reunited today with the surviving animals. marian thompson is getting two leopards, two primates and a bear from the columbus zoo. the animals were taken to the zoo after her husband set them free and killed himself. mrs. thompson plans to take the survivors back to her farm. and the skies will be a bit brighter this weekend. stargazers can feast their eyes on the biggest full moon of the year. it's called a supermoon. that's when the moon makes its closest approach to earth. appearing 14% and 13% bigger and brighter. the supermoon is said to occur tomorrow night at 11:35 eastern time. >> take it easy with the cinco de mayo parties to enjoy that view. time for a look at weather across the country on your friday morning. rain and mountain snow in the pacific northwest and in the northern rockies, as well. some dangerous winds, golf ball-sized hail and possible tornadoes threaten sioux falls,

omaha, chicago, cincinnati and nashville. severe weather in the northeast. thunderstorms around atlanta, birmingham and biloxi. >> 80s in new orleans and atlanta. 58 in boston. 70s in detroit, chicago and the twin cities. upper 80s from omaha to colorado springs. a hot 94 in phoenix. 71 in sacramento. and 55 in seattle. and one of your favorite stories of the day. fresh fallout from that airline decision to charge 100 bucks for carry-on bags. that's when we come back. then, the gloved one, teaming up again with pepsi. the megamoney deal with the estate of michael jackson. and this morning, the call of the wild. the elephant with a talent for music. @

welcome back, everybody. well, there is good news on the jobs front before today's release of the all-important april unemployment report. on thursday, we got another important indicator the number of people applying for jobless benefits declined again. in fact, it was the biggest tumble in nearly a year. when facebook goes public in two weeks, its stock will be priced between $28 and $35 a share, putting its value at almost $100 billion. typically, big banks buy all the shares during a hot ipo. but this ordinary investors may have a chance to buy some shares, as well. >> good news, for sure.

is there finally an iphone killer ready to hit the market? well, samsung unveiled their highly-anticipated galaxy smartphone today. it has a 4.8-inch touch screen, and a voice power assistant similar to siri. the samsung galaxy will launch in the u.s. later this year. expect to see more limited time offers at the golden arches. mcdonald's has announced it's ramping up the number of items only offered for a short time. this summer you'll see two. blueberry banana nut oatmeal and a chiller ice drink. and pepsi is teaming up again with michael jackson. his image and song will be used in a new global ad campaign, featuring special edition cans, contests and a chance to download. >> i'll bet it sells well. >> i want the can already. >> oh, yeah. a great-looking can. >> i want the can. >> a collector's item for sure.

coming up next, on this friday, as questions swirl around the suicide of junior seau, the nfl is facing a big, new lawsuit for not doing enough to protect its players. and that gaping backyard sinkhole, growing by the minute. ♪ daisy, do a dollop ♪ daisy, do-do a dollop our family-owned company makes daisy... with 100% natural farm-fresh cream. no artificial ingredients. no preservatives. and no added hormones. ♪ better with a dollop here ♪ fresher with a dollop there ♪ ♪ wholesome in every way ♪ daisy, do a dollop ♪ daisy, do-do a dollop we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much, i appreciate it, i'll be right back.

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♪ well, may the force be with you on may the 4th. that makes sense to you on this "star wars" day. the franchise debuted 35 years ago today. makes you feel old on this friday morning. now, for a look at morning road conditions. wet on i-95, from bothsen to d.c. i-90 in upstate new york. and i-80, from new york to omaha. rain also soaks i-70, from pittsburgh to st. louis.

and i-35, from minneapolis to kansas city. wet on i-5, from seattle to portland. and i-90 into billings. >> as you're flying today, some airport delays are possible in the following cities, chicago, new york, philly and d.c. air travelers are still reeling over spirit airlines' latest baggage fee hike. >> she's so worked up about this story. but it looks like the carrier's decision to charge 100 bucks for carry-on bags is just the tip of the iceberg. as steve osunsami tells us, that's not the only price hike fliers have to worry about. >> reporter: as if the airline fees weren't high enough, here comes spirit airlines with a new way to pick your pocket. starting in november, if you show up at the gate with a carry-on bag that won't fit under your seat, they'll charge you an extra $100 to store it in the overhead bins. >> that's crazy. that's crazy. >> reporter: have you thought about driving? >> i do think about driving. >> reporter: the airline's ceo has long blamed the extra bag

fees on customers who hog up overhead luggage space. and to give some sugar with this bitter pill, he once famously explained himself from inside an overhead bin. >> everybody wins. had we not implemented this, there's no telling what people would try to put in an overhead bin. >> reporter: it's just getting tougher for families to fly cheaply, especially from small and mid-sized u.s. cities that lost routes after airlines merged and then shut down regional flights to save cash. the government says memphis, huntsville, alabama, and cincinnati are now the three most expensive airports to fly through. the average ticket price through cincinnati is now $488, which adds up. our experts say families should consider driving to and from an airport in a bigger city that offers direct flights. >> even if you have to drive a bit further, you are going to get a cheaper fare, and you're going to experience less of a hassle. >> reporter: so, flyers beware. the headaches, those high prices and high fees aren't leaving us anytime soon. steve osunsami, abc news,

atlanta. now, to a bizarre story unfolding in canada. a pilot is in jail, suspected of hiding a key piece of evidence, after a woman he was hang gliding with fell to her death. police say the suspect swallowed a video memory card that could show what happened to the woman who died. now, they're watching his every move, waiting for that key evidence to show up. the verdict is in an emotional deadly hit-and-run-trial. a jury in minneapolis has found amy senser, who is married to an exnfl star, guilty on two of three felony counts. during the trial, her stepdaughter had testified senser came forward only after she threatened to go to the police. just days after former linebacker junior seau committed suicide, the nfl has been slapped with another lawsuit. it was filed by more than 100 players who say the league failed to properly protect them from concussions and brain injuries, a claim already made

by more than 1,500 other players. seau was not mentioned in the suit. but there is speculation his suicide may be linked to the injuries he suffered on the field. boston university researchers are reportedly asking to now study seau's brain. and one more note. something of a curse for the chargers team that went to the 1995 super bowl. junior seau's suicide, believe it or not, is the eighth death on that team. the third in just the past two years. sports fans and fashionistas are descending on louisville, kentucky, where the 138th kentucky derby takes place tomorrow. the thoroughbreds are getting a workout today. for more sports highlights, we turn to espn news. >> good morning. my name is todd grisham. this is your "sportscenter" update. the knicks really needed a win last night. second quarter, carmelo anthony. kicks it to landry fields for three. knicks up four. 3:30 left in the second.

same score, off the heat turnover. j.r. smith with the give, the go and the good. knicks would lead by four at the half. good news for them. but the heat come back. they're up by one. dwyane wade for three. i said, dwyane wade for three. 20 points for wade. and the heat, looking good. less than two minutes to go in the third. knicks down three. carmelo anthony. whoa. circus shot with bodies all over him. he would complete the three-point play to tie it at 51-51. he had 22 points. off the turnover, new york had 18 of them, dwyane wade with the finish. fourth quarter. lebron james misses. le wrong james rebounds. lebron james finishes. he had a fantastic fourth quarter. 17 points in the final frame. and then, j.r. smith. watch this. oh, sweet mercy. that was a ray of sunshine on a

cloudy day for the knicks. lebron james finished with 32 points and simply could not stop him down the stretch. and in less than seven minutes to go, dwyane wade, with two more of his 20. 8 of 17 shooting. the heat win it, 87-70. they lead the series, 3-0. friday, loaded with hoops. hawks and celtics. bulls and 76ers. lakers and nuggets. see them on espn and espn2. >> thanks, guys. an unnerving sight in central florida. a giant sinkhole on the verge of swallowing up an entire house. >> the hole suddenly opened up in a windamere backyard. the family had to scramble to remove their belongings after the hole devoured four trees. the family cannot go back inside because the house isn't safe. luckily, no one was hurt.

>> on the bright side, you can maybe put in a pool. >> yeah. i mean -- >> that is the next step. >> makes sense. up next, from bears to ostriches, animals on the loose. plus, the pride of the national zoo. the harmonica-playing pachyderm. living with the pain of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis... ...could mean living with joint damage. help stop the damage before it stops you... ...with humira. for many adults with moderate to severe ra,... ...humira's proven to help relieve pain and stop joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events can occur, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, blood, liver, and nervous system problems,... ...serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common.

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it's all happening ♪ well, animal lovers, this "pulse" is for you, for sure. we have them doing amazing things today. also getting a little too close for comfort. >> in california, a mother bear decided this would be a fine spring day to take her cubs for a visit to suburban los angeles. the trio climbed a tree in a front yard and stayed there for more than six hours, nodding off at times. by afternoon, the bears decided they had enough. and they just ambled back to their forest home. >> i would have stayed inside the house all day until they were gone. now, we turn to a flightless bird, taking flight. this wayward ostrich managed to make a mess of traffic in saudi arabia. it was spotted running through the streets, keeping pace with the cars, forcing drivers to swerve. one car slammed into the 400-pound bird. but it quickly got up and continued its mad dash. that's a resilient bird. they're strong creatures. >> at 400 pounds. >> not a lightweight.

and an elephant at the national zoo in washington has picked up a musical hobby. he plays the harmonica. it's apparently not to show off for the crowds, though, since she plays even when no one is around. the 36-year-old mom may be a natural. she likes to flap her ears against objects to make noise and rubs her legs up and down to repeat noises. >> all right. and ran burgundy would be proud. the best water skiing squirrel is the attraction at mayfest in ft. worth, texas. it's the festival's 40th anniversary. what better way to celebrate than with the world's best water what better way to celebrate than with the world's best water skiing squirrel? . ya know, your rates and fees aren't exactly competitive. who do you think i am, quicken loans? [ spokesman ] when you refinance your mortgage with quicken loans, you'll find that our rates and fees are extremely competitive. because the last thing you want is to spend too much on your mortgage.

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top stories now. there may be a resolution to the diplomatic crisis involving a chinese activist. the chinese government now says chen guangcheng would be allow to apply to study overseas. also, osama bin laden's last letters show the terror leader

was worried about the reputation of al qaeda among muslims. they also show bin laden remained focused on killing americans until the very end. the baseball career of pitching legend mariano rivero may be over. the yankees closer tore a ligament in his knee last night. severe storms from the plains to the ohio and tennessee valleys. stormy in the northeast. thunderstorms, meanwhile, from atlanta to biloxi. this should be fun. we're going to take it back to civics class this morning. we learned this week that one out of three u.s. citizens failed the civics portion of the test given to new immigrants. >> yes. and more than 97% of immigrants pass the test. but only about 65% of citizens know enough to pass. our affiliate in springfield, missouri, put it to a test in a community and even in their own newsroom. >> if i don't get these right? >> passing is more than 60%.

you know? >> i'll pass it then. >> i'll start with something easy. for how long do we elect the prry four years. >> who is the vice president of the united states? >> i have no idea. >> joe biden. >> what special group advises the president? here's a hint. you have them in your kitchen. what is the bill of rights? >> the first ten amendments to the constitution. >> name three rights of freedom given by the bill of rights. >> this is terrible. the right to house a soldier. >> which countries were our enemies during world war ii? >> it would be russia and the united states and british against germany and italy. >> and? >> there's another one? >> our unofficial survey results mirror the official one. more than 60% got at least 60%. how many supreme court justices are there? >> nine. >> i feel better than i did before i took it. i know a lot. >> we passed. >> oh, wow.

telling, huh? thank you for our reporter joining us for that story here. 63% could not name one of the state senators. 62% could not identify the governor of their own state. >> oh. >> usa. coming up later on "good morning america," she's one of the most visible women in hollywood. and she is not even a star. >> this 16-year-old makes a name for herself by posing with thousands of celebrities. we'll find out why, coming up on "good morning america." >> she must have a real active social life with all those photos. that's what's making news in america this morning. >> have a great friday. . you're watching the station that works for you "good morning maryland" at 4:30. two women shot in the church in ellicott city. another man found shot dead near the scene. re