this morning, what was he thinking? >> the investigation that has washington buzzing. a police officer allegedly talks about shooting the first lady. name game. mitt romney's make-or-break pick for his number two. could condoleezza rice get the nod? solar storm. another massive eruption on the sun. unleashing a wave of energy headed right for earth. and from the barnyard to the beach. two goats learn to hang ten.

good friday morning, everybody. we have several stories developing right now. and we begin with an airline terror scare. >> the investigation is on into the incident that forced a delta flight from new york to madrid to make a midair u-turn. strange wires were found on flight 126, which turned around about 90 minutes into the thursday night flight, landing back at jfk, after an air marshal made the discovery in a laboratory. now, a bomb squad found nothing more than two pieces of a drinking straw less than two inches long with wires running through them. there were no explosives. and there's no explanation of what the wires were doing there. two passengers were questioned and have been released. also developing overnight, a violent confrontation in downtown los angeles. police in riot gear moved in to break up a crowd of about 200 occupy l.a. protesters. at least two cops were hurt and several arrests were made. one report says the confrontations stem from a

sidewalk chalk drawing demonstration. another story that's been developing overnight, a d.c. motorcycle police officer is on desk duty after apparently making a reference to shooting the first lady. we are told there was never any serious threat to michelle obama and the officer will likely not face any criminal charges. sources say the remarks, while offensive, appear to be an offhand comment, perhaps intended as a joke. and a political shocker this morning. the surprising name now being floated as the top choice as mitt romney's running mate. abc's tahman bradley has the details, now, from washington. >> reporter: the v.p. guessing game is heating up. there's now word of a surprise contender, condoleezza rice. according to the conservative website, drudge report, the former secretary of state has emerged as the top choice for mitt romney's running mate, as the candidate gets ready to make his picks known in the coming weeks. so far, the romney campaign has no comment on the report. rice has said she didn't want the job.

but this e-mail to supporters by the drudge report is stoking speculation. 2012 is perhaps a turning point for the united states. the upcoming elections loom as one of the most important in my lifetime. the rice pick might make sense, when romney's wife said the campaign could choose a woman. >> we've been looking at that. >> reporter: the possible selection of rice is also interesting, given the tough sell romney's had with african-american voters. earlier in the week, he vowed to repel obama's health care law at the naacp convention. romney is keeping the process top-secret. he's only confirmed one person on the list. >> marco rubio is being thoroughly vetted in our process. >> reporter: the republican is a rising star in the gop. and his cuban heritage could help with the hispanic voters. but the top tier is suspected to be tim pawlenty.

conservative voters could see one major issue with the selection of condoleezza rice. in 2008, she described herself as mildly pro-choice. rob and paula? >> things are getting interesting. tahman bradley live in washington. thanks, tahman. a word of warning this morning about a fast-moving scam. thousands of people already victims. they turned over their personal information, including social security and checking account numbers. those victims believed what they were told about an obama administration program to help pay utility bills. initial contacts were made over the phone, by texting, even in person. the fact is, there is no such program. now, we turn to that damaging report on the cover-up of sex abuse at penn state. much of the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the late coach, joe paterno, as the most powerful figure on penn state's campus. paterno persuaded school officials not to report jerry sandusky to the police. paterno's son says, the report

changes nothing. >> there's no facts involved in this. just new interpretations that really won't take away from anything he's done. >> but many others feel a little bit differently. nike, meanwhile, is removing paterno's name from its child development center at company headquarters. on top of that, former florida state coach, bobby bowden, second behind paterno in college wins, says the paterno statue on the penn state campus should come down. government activists in syria says a new massacre in syria has left more than 100 people dead. this amateur video uploaded to youtube appears to show heavy gunfire and shells pounding the central province of hamas last night. but neither the video nor the purported death toll at the hands of government forces can be verified. a northern california man says he has found some debris he thinks is from last year's

devastating tsunami in japan. that man found a yellow crate with the logo of japanese-made keirn beer. if it's real, it would be the first tsunami debris to reach california. the drought of 2012 is now the largest natural disaster in u.s. history. the agriculture department has declared natural disaster areas in more than 1,000 counties in 26 states. that's more than half the country. the declaration clears the way for affected farmers to get some federal aid. we knew it was bad. now, we know just how bad it is. also this morning, surging floodwaters are a huge problem in the state of texas, where about 20 children attending a houston-area sports day camp got trapped inside a building. the water level rose to at least waist-high until three boats came to rescue the stranded kids, instructors and parents, as well. it is time, now, for the weather across the country. you can expect severe storms

over the great lakes and the dakotas. heavy hammering by hail and gusty wind. heavy downpours along the gulf coast. and rain showers in the midwest. >> sizzling summer temps in the high 90s around boise and billings. 103 in phoenix. everywhere else, mostly high 80s and low 90s. >> i don't care what the weather is like, it's the weekend. >> friday. coming up, one industry where hiring is really flying high. and one of the great flameouts of the internet age. wait until you hear what a once red-hot website has just sold for. and later in "the pulse," "american idol" about to get another face-lift. who will be sitting in the judges' chairs now?

welcome back, everyone. the biggest home mortgage company in america will pay up over discrimination charges. wells fargo will pay at least $175 million to settle claims that tens of thousands of black and hispanic borrowers paid higher interest rates on their home loans and for steered to subprime mortgages because of the color of their skin. and growing questions for the head of another bank. ceo jamie dimon will face analysts this morning. the bank has lost 15% of its

market value in the past two months. things are really looking up when it comes to hiring in one particular field. a new airline industry forecast shows a huge demand for pilots and a possible shortage ahead. worldwide, almost 500,000 new pilots will be needed in the next two decades. but the rapid growth is raising concerns that airlines could hire less qualified pilots. and yahoo! is apologizing for a big security breach. the website confirms the e-mail afrds and passwords of about 450,000 users were stolen when hackers hit. a group claims it pulled off the attack to show how vthe passwor. the passwords were 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. and dig has found a buyer for a firesale price. just $500,000. that's pocket change in terms of the tech world. back in 2008, digg turned down

google's offer of $200 million. now, the social news site has been sold to online company betaworks. >> $200 million, gone. and finally, a funeral home like no other. it's in south carolina. the robinson funeral home which will soon feature a starbucks. the owner says it's just a new service for his clients, meant to give them a break and ease the pain of their loss. and if someone does not want a starbucks, they can have the same coffee that the business has always served. that seems a little weird. starbucks in a funeral home? >> yeah. don't really go together. >> business is business. >> yes, it is. when we come back, danger in the dental chair of all places. the children in harm's way when they go for routine care. and here comes the sun. the amazing solar flare on its way to earth, right now.

a couple of surfers are getting some second looks at a california beach. that's goatee and pismo riding the waves. the owner says he taught his goats to surf because he loves to ride the waves and thought they would like it, too. making things very interesting in california. little pismo just born in march, seems to really take to the board. >> he's not too bad at all. oh. >> that was really bad. now, for a look at your morning road conditions on this friday. it will likely be slow going in the south, especially along the gulf coast, thanks to some heavy rain in that area. other stormy trouble spots include the great lakes, the dakotas and inland areas of the west. >> if you are flying the friendly skies airport delays are possible in houston, las vegas, and minneapolis. all affected by the wet stuff. and one more note to pass along this morning. a huge solar storm is expected to arrive on earth early

tomorrow. nasa's camera trained on the sun shows the huge blast. >> looks very warm, doesn't it? forecasters say it expects minimal impact to communication systems and power grids. but it may spark auroras in southern canada and the morn united states. new news from the george zimmerman/trayvon martin shooting case. we're getting a first look at martin's sweatshirt, the one he was wearing on the night he was shot and killed by zimmerman. >> also, fbi interviews as zimmerman is portrayed as having a hero complex. newly-released documents show zimmerman being frustrated by petty crime being committed in his gated community. also this morning, a follow-up on congressman jesse jackson jr. a senior aide close to the illinois democrat tells abc news that he is not likely to return to congress until after labor day. it is still unclear where

jackson exactly is, while he's receiving treatment for what has been described as a, quote, mood disorder. a bizarre scene in a las vegas neighborhood after two chimps managed to escape from their owner's home. police were soon on the trail as the animals jumped over walls into people's backyard. the male chimp was shot dead after a police officer said he acted in a threatening manner. the female was tranquilized and returned home. the faithful are flocking to a baton rouge home where some say a statue of the virgin mary is bleeding. the homeowner was doing housework and he looked up and saw what he believed was flood dripping from the statue's face. is it actually bleeding? catholic priests have collected samples so the vatican can investigate. in sports news this morning, the second half of baseball's regular season gets under way this afternoon when arizona visits the chicago cubs. your home. >> wrigley field.

>> as for olympic warm-up games, some highlights, now, from espn. >> good morning. and welcome to your "sportscenter" update. i'm zubin mehenti, the latest dream team going for gold. lebron and company had to do it without blake griffin. lbj's jumping ability, never in question. seven in the first half, taking on the dominicans who had nine first half field goals. durant had eight himself in las vegas. back in '92, the year of the original dream team, kobe was the only member of the squad that was old enough to be a teenager. durant, best player on the floor, bar none thursday night. 21 in the first half. he was a mere 3 when the '92 team stormed through barcelona. team usa, up 23 at the half. third quarter, check this out. lebron, the nifty feed to derron

williams. one of his three assists. usa, rolling. and then, one of four u.s. players in double figures. that would be carmelo anthony. he had 13. tyson chandler, the only true big man on this team, making his presence felt. griffin is gone. anthony davis his replacement. last-second addition from downtown. usa wins 113-59. next up for the americans, both the men and women, the brazilian national team, monday. it's a doubleheader starting at 5:30 eastern. the women will be up first. then, the men, taking on brazil at 8:00 eastern time. both games can be seen on espn2. >> olympics, just two weeks away. well, abc news has uncovered a hidden danger in the dentist office that could turn deadly. a growing number of dentists are routinely sedating children, some as young as 18 months old, for routine procedures, saying

it's easier to treat them. but experts say some dentists don't know what they're doing. and at least 12 children around the country have died after getting dangerous doses of anesthesia and sedatives. now, we have an inspiring athletic accomplishment from a french swimmer. the quadruple amputee has swam across the strait of gibraltar. he uses specially-designed leg p prosthetics. >> that's amazing. hard to not be inspired by that. look at that. up next, "the pulse." you see the work of the artist being called little monet. the little kid that's raking in big bucks. the growing call for action after the made in america story that you heard right here on abc. stay with us.

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one u.s. sprinter called it, quote, just wrong. it does seem weird. i don't know if it's a national crisis. >> think they could get it done and get some new outfits in time? >> two weeks. take a look at this extraordinary artwork. and see if you can guess the age of the artist. a watercolor like this recently went for big bucks at auction. some say it reminds them of monet's work. >> now, take a look at the artist. a young british boy well on his way to becoming a millionaire. he first took a paint brush in hand when he was 5 years old. since then, he has sold more than 20 paintings, recently being paid $385,000. not bad for a 9-year-old. he's now being called the minimonet. >> that will pay for his college. and major changes coming to "american idol." steven tyler won't be returning.

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updating the top stories. a washington, d.c. police officer is on desk duty after making a reference to shooting the first lady. michelle obama was never in any danger. condoleezza rice is reportedly among the top choices for mitt romney's running mate. however, the former secretary of state has repeatedly said she has no interest in political office. and an air scare to force a delta flight to make a midair turnaround. the suspicious device, no explosives were found. a quick look at weather. drenching rain along the gulf coast. gusting and hail around the great lakes and the dakotas. showers and possible mudslides in parts of the west. and finally, it's midsummer.

i need to go on vacation. >> going too fast. >> yeah. and the presidential campaign isn't quite as fever pitch just yet. >> not until after labor day. but that doesn't mean this past week didn't private great material for the late-night comics. here's the proof in your "friday funnies." >> a natural-born showman, mitt romney. [ laughter ] and well, here's what i'm talking about. >> what's his secret? vision and leadership, of course. but mostly, women are responding to magic mitt. ♪ it's raining men hallelujah ♪ ♪ it's raining men amen ♪ >> mitt romney, happening for america. >> romney isn't very popular among african-american voters. in fact, diabetes is more popular among african-american voters. he did his best.

>> i submit to you this. if you want a president that will make things better in the african-american community, you are looking at him. [ laughter ] you take a look. >> well, vice president joe biden made a sex joke in his speech yesterday. he referred to the house he grew up in. they didn't have much money. and biden said the walls were very thin. and i wondered how my parents ever did it. do you get the feeling that every time biden speaks, president obama wishes biden's parents never did do it? >> this summer, don't miss your chance to see america's funniest number two. joe biden, v.p. of comedy. >> those walls were very thin. i wonder how the hell my parents did it. but that's a different story. >> the joe biden v.p. tour. you'll v.p. your pants laughing. >> i promise you. the president has