this morning, state of emergency. >> the war on flu intensifies across the country. hospitals struggling to help everyone who needs it. and another victim. what the flu means to the fragile economy. face time. a first for the obama white house. the vice president meets today with the nra to discuss gun safety. trapped in ice. a race against time to save a pod of killer whales. their only access to air is a small hole there in the ice sheet. experts, now, rushing to the scene. and oscar's arrival. dreams will be made and broken this morning, as the academy award nominations are announced.

good thursday morning. i'm sunny hostin. >> and i'm rob nelson. experts in every state are scrambling to deal with a flood of flu patients. >> one city has declared a state of emergency. abc's tahman bradley has the very latest. >> reporter: doctors are calling it one of the fiercest outbreaks in a decade. this flu strain that started in october, instead of january, has spread to 41 states, hitting at least 2,200 people. >> i'm declaring a public health emergency in the city of boston. >> reporter: boston mass general is seeing unprecedented levels of patients. many of whom have to wait 24 hours to be admitted. in pennsylvania, one hospital had to set up a tent outside the emergency room to deal with flu patients. the situation is not much better in chicago, where overwhelmed hospitals diverted patients to less-crowded e.r.s. and in minnesota, they're dealing with 1,000 confirmed flu cases.

>> please, we implore you to stay home when you are sick. >> reporter: at least 18 children have died from the flu this season, including a 6-year-old in dallas, who was sent home from the hospital with a tylenol and never woke back up. >> went in there to check on her. she was gone. >> reporter: on the first day that a patient shows symptoms, the first sign is a fever as high as 104. even 106 degrees, with severe headaches and muscle pains. >> i was feeling dizzy still. and i couldn't breathe even worse. >> reporter: by day three, expect a sore throat, stuffy nose and a dry cough. >> i've never been hit by a mack truck. but i feel this is it. >> reporter: by day seven, an inflected person is no longer contagious. but symptoms such as fatigue and coughing can last for weeks. doctors say the only way to prevent further deaths from the flu is for people to get vaccinated. tahman bradley, abc news. and there's another impact of the flu outbreak.

it could also slow down the economic recovery. lost work time, even canceled meetings, add up to billions of dollars in costs to employers. at the white house, the vice president hosts a second day of meetings on gun control. joe biden, along with the attorney general and other top officials will meet with the nra and other groups who oppose more gun restrictions. the president says he wants new legislation ready to go by the end of the month. new york's governor is demanding even tougher gun laws in his state, which already has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the entire country. in a sometimes fiery speech, andrew cuomo called for closing loopholes on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines like the ones used in the sandy hook shooting. >> this is not taking away people's guns. i own a gun. i own a remmington shotgun. i've hunted. i've shot. that's not what this is about. it is about ending the

unnecessary risk of high-capacity assault rifles. that's what this is about. >> lawmakers in albany are already meeting behind closed doors to reach a deal on new gun laws that could be announced and voted on by the end of the week. three days of a preliminary hearing have wrapped up in the case of suspected gunman from aurora, james holmes. witnesses in the courtroom said holmes showed some emotion for the first time in court yesterday. they say he smirked and even smiled as disturbing self-portraits were revealed by prosecutors. defense attorneys who claim that holmes is mentally ill, did not call any witnesses. a judge is expected to rule tomorrow, whether there is enough evidence to put holmes on trial. and a controversial sheriff in arizona has launched a new plan to put 500 armed volunteers on patrol just outside of schools. joe arpaio is well-known for his

views on criminal justice. he says the armed posses are a way to prevent tragedies like the sandy hook shooting. critics say he's just interested in grabbing headlines. now, we turn to the white house, where four cabinet members are about to leave. hilda solis is the latest to step down after serving as the first hispanic woman cabinet secretary. and president obama is expected to nominate jack lew for budget secretary. and if he is confirmed, we could see a lot more of this. lew's looping signature on every, new greenback that is printed. it's been described as a slinky that lost its spring. but lew says he'll work at improving his penmanship if he gets the job. and secretary of state hillary clinton, another departing cabinet member, says that doesn't mean she's retiring. at her first official appearance after battling a blood clot,

clinton says she's just, quote, stepping off the fast track for a little while. a couple from a new york neighborhood devastated by hurricane sandy is waking up in a new home this morning. burt and jean had just invested their life savings into upgrading their house in sandy point. then, sandy struck and four feet of water poured in. a volunteer group stepped in to help and showed off their work yesterday. look at that. >> bet they're feeling good. always good to be back home. congrats to them. time, now, for a look at weather across the country this morning. severe storms are a threat in memphis, mobile and new orleans. there could even be an isolated tornado, as well. meanwhile, raining in chicago, st. louis and kansas city. wintry west of the rockies, with snow in the mountains. and rain from seattle to l.a. it's another day of spring-like temperatures along the east coast. much of florida will be in the 80s. warmer, too, in the midwest. fargo will be 37, instead of the usual 18. much cooler in l.a., with a high

in the mid-50s. when we come back this morning, why half the houses in america could be getting a huge break on their winter heating bills. good news. >> yes. then, a new token of our affection. you get to vote as monopoly dumps a classic playing piece for something shiny and new. and the biggest show in san diego today is in black and white. a baby panda meets his public.

welcome back, everybody. well, aig has had some second thoughts about suing the federal government over the bailout that saved the company.

the insurance giant has decided not to join a lawsuit that claims shareholders were hurt because aig got too little taxpayer money in the deal. aig, of course, was rescued with $182 billion taxpayer, in 2008. and has paid that back. plus $23 billion in profit for the american public. consumer protections are on the way to make sure homeowners can afford the mortgages they get. today, federal regulators will announce limits on interest-only loans. with stricter rules to verify borrowers' incomes. the steps take effect in a year. taking effect right now for homeowners who heat with natural gas, a big price plunge. warm temps and a supply glut has sent natural gas prices down 7% in just nine days. with the trend expected to continue. about half the country's homes

are heated with natural gas. as tax season starts, if you feel like you're drowning in paperwork, you're not far off. a new look at the u.s. tax code shows it's almost 4 million words long. gets changed hundreds of times a year. and it takes more than 6 billion hours a year for individuals and businesses to comply. wow. and 2013 is barely under way. but detroit is already looking ahead to 2063. the city has just unveiled a 50-year revitalization plan to deal with unemployment, abandoned homes and vacant land. detroit has lost 250,000 people in the last decade. and the blueprint will make it easier for new businesses to start up and create community gardens and parks. and after almost 80 years, monopoly is making a change. that playerscided to dump one move around the board. the iron, the thimble, the top hat, and so on. and the public gets to decide

which one goes, in a facebook vote. and will pick the replacement, from choices including a robot, a helicopter, and a guitar. >> like many others, i still like the little race car. that's my favorite. >> i know. the diamond ring is calling my name. >> oh. typical woman. yes. when we come back, a race against time to save a pod of killer whales. and it's ice that's now threatening their lives. and later in "the pulse," some upbeat news from our friend, robin, making plans for her return. there are a lot of warning lights and sounds vying for your attention. so we invented a warning you can feel. introducing the all-new cadillac xts. available with a patented safety alert seat. when there's danger you might not see, you're warned by a pulse in the seat. it's technology you won't find in a mercedes e-class. the all-new cadillac xts has arrived,

and it's bringing the future forward. it'and start talking aboutt whawhat you really wanthroom. from your toilet paper. it's time to talk about clean. feeling clean is so important. i use quilted northern. quilted northern soft and strong is stronger than the leading value brand, for a confident clean. ( ♪ ) for those nights when it's more than a bad dream, be ready. for the days when you get a sudden call from the school, be ready. for the times you need to double-check the temperature on the thermometer, be ready. when you have children's motrin on hand, you're ready. for high fever, nothing works faster or lasts longer than children's motrin. be ready with children's motrin. but there are foods that i had no idea had so much acid in them. my dentist said that the acid in fruit, or fruit juice or fruit teas softens the enamel so that then it can potentially erode.

once that enamel is gone, it's gone. my dentist recommended that i use pronamel to help harden that enamel so that it's not brushed away. pronamel protects your teeth from the effects of acid erosion. i don't have to cut out the things that i love in my diet. i can have the best of both worlds with pronamel. well, look up. that is the asteroid apothous that whizzed by overnight. the 1,000-foot-wide space rock is a comfortable 9 million miles above us. but when it comes by again in 2029, it will be a lot closer. close enough, to see with the naked eye.

that's why so many folks call it the doomsday asteroid. now, for a look at road conditions back here on earth. interstates will be wet around chicago, st. louis and kansas city. it will be rainy along i-5, from seattle to los angeles. stormy around new orleans. >> if you're flying today, airport delays are possible in chicago, memphis, new orleans, salt lake city, san francisco and l.a. and a crowd of whale watchers is keeping vigil on the frozen waters of canada's hudson bay over a pod of killer whales in grave trouble. >> the awesome sight captured on videotape is drawing experts around the globe. on the efforts to save those whales. >> reporter: the dramatic video shows about a dozen killer whales, gasping, even jumping for air through a tiny opening. they've been trapped under

thick, arctic ice for days, in a corner of northern quebec. a view from above, shows that small opening is in the middle of a giant ice field. so, the town's mayor sent an urgent plea, for the coast guard to send up an ice breaker to free them. but ottawa says, ice breakers are too far away and an unlikely option. but the attention caused by the viral video, has sent officials to send a crew of scientists and biologists to see what can be done. but time may be running out. >> the video is very dramatic. you see a very small body of water with some very agitated whales. >> reporter: local residents don't appear to have the proper tools to cut through the ice. and the patch of open water is shrinking in freezing temperatures, adding to the urgency. >> number one is food. how long can they go for? and number two, how smaller will be breathing hole get?

and number three, how long can they last? >> reporter: orcas aren't normally found here. a break in the weather could be the only difference between freedom or tragedy. richard madden, ctv news, ottawa. those whales are 12 miles from open water. government experts are expected to arrive there today to assess the situation. the ntsb is in new york this morning, investigating a ferry accident, which seriously injured 11 people. the packed commuter ferry was coming in from new jersey when it slammed into a dock in lower manhattan. passengers were sent flying. the ferry had just undergone a major overhaul that gave it new engines and a new propulsion system. the former penn state football coach jerry sandusky faces a new court hearing today. his lawyers want a new trial and will argue they didn't have enough time to prepare for the first one because prosecutors gave them a flood of material at the last minute.

sandusky was convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse last june. and now, we turn to an inspiring story of generosity from south florida. airport worker patrick morgan was just doing his job when he found an ipad with $13,000 in cash tucked inside. being an honest guy, morgan reported his find to police. as a reward, the ipad's owner gave morgan 60 bucks. but the good deed does not end there. morgan, then, gave that money to a needy co-worker and also to a homeless woman. we all agree, it could have been a little more than $60. but a good deed, nonetheless. time, now, for sports. and what a season for one l.a. basketball team, but not the one you might think. highlights from espn news. >> good morning. cole wright here with your "sportscenter" update. and the los angeles clippers, they've been red-hot, of late. winning 19 of the last 21. they struggled lately. lost 12 of 14.

paul drives. there's matt barnes on the receiving end. he had 19 points off the bench. clippers within three. fourth quarter, now. paul, to barnes. if it's not broke, why fix it? paul, 19 points, 16 assists. clippers up 85-83. we can't have a highlight without that guy. blake griffin. clippers go on to win, 99-93. tony parker and the spurs, hosting the struggling lakers. lakers under .500. three to go. kobe, antwan jamison. lakers within three. a three-point game. ginobili, with what looks to be the dagger. 108-102. that's what that made it. then, ten seconds to go. lakers within three. bryant shoots. no good. earl clark's try. would it be? huh-uh. he misses. lakers lose, spurs win, 108-105. that will do it for your "sportscenter" update. don't forget, for the latest around the sporting world, tune

into "the highlight express," weeknights and weekends at 11:00 eastern. it's show time at the san diego zoo today. it is 5-month-old panda cub meets the public for the first time, just hours from now, in fact. but reporters got this sneak peek at xiao liwu yesterday. >> he was born in july. and after 20 medical checkups, zoo keepers say he's ready for his close-up. he is the sixth panda born at the san diego zoo since 1999. up next this morning, "the pulse." and taking the plunge. taylor swift gives the peoples choice awards white an eyeful. it's a lion. it's a labrador. it's a labra-lion. and it has people calling 911. now from the maker of splenda sweeteners, discover nectresse.

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well, what a morning for hollywood, in your thursday "pulse." oscar season begins in just a few hours. >> "family guy" creator, seth macfarlane, will announce the nominations this morning, alongside emma stone. macfarlane is also hosting the big show next month. you can see the nominations live later this morning at 8:30 a.m. eastern time. and awards season is already in full swing. the golden globes are this weekend. and the people's choice awards were just last night, with "the hunger games" winning an armful of awards. >> jennifer lawrence won favorite movie actress. and sandra bullock, honored for her humanitarian work in new orleans. >> having lived there, she deserved that. congrats. but take a look at taylor.

>> despite a near slip, miss swift's dress is burning up the internet this morning. that dress seems to take everyone's mind off her latest breakup. and when police in norfolk, virginia, got a flood of calls about a baby lion on the loose, they called the local zoo to make sure none of their lions were missing. but then, they knew the culprit was this guy. >> charles is a labradoodle grooms to look like a lion. his owner calls him a labra-lion. and says it's not the first time the police have been called when he walks the dog, especially in the park near the zoo. >> i can see where that would freak people out. and it's great news to share from our friend and coe worker, robin roberts. >> he's recovering from a bone marrow transplant. but in the coming days, she will announced plans about her return to "good morning america." you can read robin's updates on goodmorningamerica.com.

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updating the top stories. a public health emergency has been declared in boston because the city's e.r.s are overwhelmed with people suffering from the flu. there's been 110-times the number of cases from last season. vice president joe biden meets with gun rights groups today, including the nra. it's his second day of talks, finding ways to tackle gun violence. and it could be tough to get around in east texas and the gulf states today. hundreds of roads are washed out. and flood warnings across the region. quick look at weather. a spring-like day in the northeast. west of the rockies, it's a winter day, with heavy snow in the mountains. and we have some rain today, from seattle to los angeles. and finally, disturbing, new numbers about binge drinking by young women. >> and there's a new app that

dramatically demonstrates the toll that booze could be taking. here's abc's sharyn alfonsi. >> reporter: holly used to be one of them. as a teenager, she admits she used to go on wild drinking brings with her friends. >> disgusting. and you are encouraging each other. >> reporter: holly's exploits among those featured if "faded." the cdc says 14 million women bring drink three times a month. drinking about six drinks each time. and the problem's worse overseas. the scottish government is attacking their growing female drinking problem with an app, offering this glimpse to women of what they'll look like if they keep drinking regularly. take your picture, say how much you drink and then see the results over years. baggy eyes, dry, dull skin, red spots and weight gain. that's just the side effects you see. so, why are more young women drinking here at home? >> for some people, they use it as a stress reliever because it is like self-medicating. >> reporter: some researchers place at least part of the blame on alcohol companies who market to women.

this ad encouraging women to sneak whiskey into the christmas cookies. this one for tequila. and then, there's the entire host of new products, like fruity, bright-colored drinks, known on some college campuses as chick beer. >> these are beverages that are clearly oriented to women. >> reporter: the alcoholic beverage industry disputes that. they say they market responsibly. and point out the teenage drinking is at about all-time low. and there's no evidence that specific products play any role in binge drinking. still, researchers say that for whatever the reason, teenage girls are now more likely to choose hard alcohol over beer. sobering reality. sharyn alfonsi, abc news, new york. >> sobering is the right word. that's what's making news in america this morning. >> have a terrific thursday. >> thanks for watching, everybody.