it's a question parents of children often ask -- why does my child have autism. for years scientist thought the answer was only in the genes. but new research at stanford is shedding light on other triggers. >> using state records, scientists here at stanford identified 192 pairs of twins in california where at least one of the children had some form of autism. the children studied were from diverse backgrounds. scientists found that while genes twins share can increase the risk of getting autism, the genes shared in the womb and after birth may increase the risk even more. one author says the research shows both the environment and genetics play an equal role. >> what we think about our study -- it shows about roughly half is genetic and the other half is environmental. >> reporter: the study did continue identify specific environmental factors, but the doctor hopes his research will launch more studies into what happens in the womb and soon after birth that may increase a child's chance of developing autism. at the pacific autism center for education in santa c

newest possible cause of autism. environment trumps genes? wgn news @ 9 chicago police speaking out about this beating caught on tape in the wake of you asking for the public's help. good evening top story of violent crime gone viral live at police station in lakeview and >> police finished with a press conference and the last half- hour they say no indication tonight that the attack was in any way a hate crime also they say although it is helpful to the video is out there it makes people more aware of what is happening in their community is in no way indicative of what normally happens in a lake view they have appointed resources to work on the case because they are determined to find people responsible for the attack. a brutal beating caught on tape. outraged many in the city's lake view neighborhood tonight police talking. >> we will work to make sure the opera resources are in the area appropriate resources we have a rise in robberies >>to make sure the area is safe and continues to be safe >> at a town hall meeting the beating by a gang

up to 1.5 million americans now live with some degree of autism.rchers who are now starting their work in the living rooms and bedrooms of children with autism. abc's barbara pinto, tonight, on what they're looking for. >> reporter: this isn't housework. these are researchers at work, in the homes of children with autism. the wirth family is desperate for answers. oldest son, josh, was diagnosed right after his first birthday. >> it's devastating. i felt like somebody had died. everybody would tell us, oh, he's a future football player. he's going to get a scholarship to college. and then, you're told he has autism, and his future becomes so uncertain. >> reporter: so, the wirths enrolled in a study now tracking 1,200 families. when lisa got pregnant again, researchers recorded evevething she ate. medications she took. even the products she used to clean her home. >> what we believe is that autism is caused by a combination of genetic factors and maybe several genetic factors, with environmental factors that are coming together at critical periods

is diagnosed with autism. areas of the bay area, that number is much higher. >> one district has 1 in about every 66 students are diagnosed with autism. >> reporter: now, researchers at stanford are shedding new light what causes the disorder. using state records, scientists identified 192 pairs of twins in california where at least one of the children had some form of autism. the children studied were from diverse backgrounds. scientists found the environment they shared in the womb and afterwards may increase their risk for autism. studying twins for seven years shows the environments and genetics is part of the story. >> half is genetics and environmental. most specifically are shared environmental factors. >> reporter: while the environment may play a larger role than recently thought, it did not identify specific environmental factors. executive director, kurt oltz, is worried the study may lead some parents to believe what they did caused the autism. >> i think it's particularly good for parents to be aw

before, scientists estimated genes accounted for 90% of autism risk. and only 10% was attributed to nongenetic environmental factors. well, the study shows almost the opposite. >> all right. speed boy. all yours. >> kevin suspected there could be nongenetic factors in autism. his son, elliott was diagnosed several years ago. >> those of us who have children like this on the one side hope to find a cure. or at least a cause so that fewer children are subject to this. >> a new study suggests environmental factors must always be involved. nearly 200 set of twins were assessed. keep in mind that identical twins share the same set of genes so if one twin has a disorder, the other one will, too. >> so one has autism, the other one also has autism. >> based on past studies the doctor knew that wasn't always true with identical twins or from a tern nal twins sharing 50% of the genes but his study, the largest ever of twins proved in environmental factors played a larger role than previously thought. his study concluded genes account for 38% of the autism right

a effective treatment helping children with autism learn to live happy lives. but insurance plans consider that he had x, not a covered medical benefit. and say regulateors can't make them pay the bills related to this therapy. >> we believe they're trying to compel plans to pay for aba. >> just as select committee on autism was examining the problem, the department of managed health care announced it's reached a settlement with blue shield and anthem blue cross to begin covering aba with a license prod vider n cases there could be retroactive reimbursement. >> the whole intention to get patients the care they need, now. these legal and policy debates continue. >> parents sh not satisfied and say it's hard to find provide qlorz aren't licensed. >> networks have to be billed. i should haven't to go out to define a network. >> parents, many spent tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket are worried the reimbursements don't go back far enough. >> but they're going to do retroactive, it should be of the time of the grievance. >> and it will take months to see if

genes account for 38% of autism risk while the environment accounts for 62%. so what risk factors are they talking about? that is big unknown. what they seem to know is that something could be happening very early on or during the pregnancy. >> it affects the pregnancy, toxins during pregnancy, infections, things like this, i would start to look at. >> he would like to see more research to identify genetic and environmental triggers. >> more would be better. more funding more studies, better insurance coverage. >> lyanne melendez, "abc 7 news." >>> the study is published in the archives of general psychiatry. the author says researchers have been focusing on childhood vaccines as a cause of autism but there is little evidence to support. that he believes researchers should study other environmental factors. >> the author of a study of widely used drugs that called smokers to quit. chantix is prescribed for any more than any including to stop smoking. it may linked to heart approximate. smokers who used chantix had more cardiovascular problems that smokers than

with autism.e past, experts have been blaming most of the risk of autism on inherited genes but a recent stanford study found a higher-than-example rate of it in fraternal twins. researchers say factors in that could include stress, diet, infections and age of the woman when she gets pregnant. >> what we see in autism is not only explained by genetic factors as previously thought but environmental factors. environmental factors affect both twin individuals, okay? playing a significant role as well so it's a mixture of both factors. >> one in 100 children has autism. >>> canadians can't get number of william and kate apparently. the duke and duchess of cambridge arrived in the northwest territories late yesterday. they are going all over canada, folks. they were greeted by enthusiastic spectators at the local airport amid a steady rain. earlier in the day william took time out to demonstrate a helicopter emergency water landing near prince edward island. couple then took to the water together each

sally says it's difficult having a son with autism. >> it's an incredible, you know, emotional burden. >> reporter: regulators aren't making it easier. >> you get the response that we can help with this but it can be very protracted and limited. >> reporter: consumer advocates say part of the problem is that two different state agencies regulate insurers, the department of managed care overseeing hmos like anthem blue cross while the department of insurance regulates the rest of the insurance industry. the group consumer watchdog says each agency has different standards. when it comes to covering educational and behavioral treatments for autism, including the one known as aba. >> the department of healthcare has come up with the excuse that insurance companies don't have to pay for aba because the providers, the individuals providing the care, are not licensed in california. well, there is no license! >> it is a bit of a catch-22. >> reporter: lynn randolph of the department of managed care says those different standards are up to lawmakers to fix. >> the lecture has not recognized li

and a pregnant woman's use increases the risk of autism in her child.u are a parent you know that stages in a child's growth is very important but kids develop differently such as when they begin to walk or talk. a new study finds up to 18% of children are late talkers. researchers looked at whether language delay at age 2 could be linked to other behavioral problems. children who were late talkers had more behavioral and emotional problems than tots who were already talking. study authors concluded these findings support a wait and see approach for late talkers. >>> may help smokers try to shake the habit but they may face a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. researchers found that they had a higher risk of a serious cardiovascular event. ifieser said the study was too limited. >>> people all across the country are celebrating the nation's independence with parades, picnics and barbecues. we are going to find out why some parts of the country are scaling back. >>> and the world's largest low rise office building. did you know it is also the best pl

that environment could contribute to autism. they say factors could include stress, diet, infections, and the mother's age and health when she gets pregnant. >> 65 at the coast today. it was 98 degrees in our inland areas. the neighborhoods that will warm for your tuesday as eyewitness news continues. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> trying to think of which is better, the weather or the food. >> a lovely combo. >> i know what you're going to say, the weather. i know what you're going to say. >> i have a food coma happening. i think further of july is my new favorite holiday. good evening, this is the flag, it was pretty robust earlier today with a westerly at 24. that's a return of an on shore push, which means tomorrow morning as we all head back to work, we will have fog just hanging very tight to the coast trying to make it into the bay and peeling back to reveal sunshine and everybody is going pan out to have a warmer day. we start off with the clouds, but inbetween sunshine and temperatures on the increase with the fluxuating wi

coming up, a link between autism and anti-depressant. what a study has found and what this could mean for expectant mothers. >> and a tragic end to fourth of july fireworks. we have details on a drowning in the potomac. >> live in vienna, there is a church bandit. >> we are back now with a cruel crime in some of the most sacred places. >> someone is stealing purses and watches in places of worship in vienna. we are live now in vienna with the story. >> behind me here, one of the stories that was affected. here is a parishioner who had left her purse in an office. the office was unlocked. someone grab her wallet out of her purse and ran off. the church is looking to see if anything else is missing. you must be pretty low when you target people like this woman. her purse was taken from her church of the sunday morning during services while she worked with kids. >> i feel taken advantage of, obviously. >> at the police station today she asked us not to show her face. she is one of at least four victims at 3 the and the churches, all hit dur

the worths have no idea why josh, who is 5 now, has autism.her spencer does not. >> we are grateful that they're doing the study and hope that we are able to help give them some answers to find out what's going on. >> reporter: answers their family, and so many others, are hoping to find. barbara pinto, abc news, chicago. >> i can't imagine. >> so many parents feel paranoid about autistic diagnoses, and even paralyzed, because there's so much information out there. >> and misinformation too. >> exactly. we should say other experts have disputed this study saying they still feel that genes are the biggest driver when it comes to autism. >> that there is some kind of genetic link. it can be interesting that that family there had one child who did have autism but still there's many moms concerned about vaccinations which has been disproven many, many times. it continues. definitely evolving studieie there. >>> coming up, learning about t american life by learning a british game. >> how about this. they're from some of the roughest streets of sout

. >>> a real surprise in a new study about autism. how certain factors during pregnancy could trigger the condition. we'll be right back. ,, 3q take the finish challenge. i'm robin sue joss and my website is big red kitchen. i do believe in standards. cascade gel was a disappointment because you have dried on food stains. but when i took the finish challenge i realized, i don't need to settle. i like to make roast beef and it leaves a lot of baked on grease. so i threw it in the dishwasher, i did not pre-rinse. but when i open the dishwasher, everything was very shiny and no more gunk left on my dishes. i used to use cascade now i use finish quantum. take the finish challenge for yourself. if you don't see a difference, it's free. out of the porous caverns of grout takes the right tools, but it also takes a gentle, caring touch. before you can deep clean, you learn to get a feel for its trouble spots. and hey, if you can't listen to grout, you can't truly know its wants...its needs...its dreams. ♪call 1-800-steemer. dates back 115 yea

in fraternal twins and that suggests that environment could contribute to autism. they say phak torse could include stress, diet, infections, and the mother's age and health when she was pregnant. >>> a troubling report tonight about the country's best selling drug to stop smoking. the fda warned chantix can cause serious psychiatric side effects. now a new study finds it may cause heart problems, too. the doctor explains. >> today's study is worry? news for the more than 7 million americans who have taken chantix. a new analysis links the pill to a 72% increase in the risk of heart problems. john's hopkins led the research. >> it is causing the same problem we are trying to prevent. we need to prevent cardiac disease among smokers, not increase it. >> more than 8,000 patients, while a 72% increased risk sounds alarming, a tom panon notes that cardiovascular problems are still rare. occurring in only 1% of patients taking chantix. dr. gayle. >> we will continue to do a more in depth look, but today we have not seen evidence of important risks to the heart health of

. >> and genetics versus environment, a major discovery that could radically change the way autism is>> new prediction a huge sea of debris of the earthquake and tsunami will reach california. >> the race against weather, crews trying to clean up an oil spill threatening one of the most pristine waterways. >>> welcome back. here is a look at live doppler across the state. scattered showers and thunderstorms across southern california where they are going to stay. tahoe 85. triple-digits, sacramento, fresno, palm springs and vegas. l.a., 82. a little milder around san diego 72 and clouds in big sur. >>> it's 5:47. >> stanford researchers say environmental factors play a larger role in causing autism. the study suggests what happens during pregnancy may trigger the condition. lyanne melendez explains. >>> kevin has always suspected there could be non-genetic factors in autism. his son is six years old and was diagnosed several years ago. >> those of us that have children like this hope usually to find a cure or at least a cause so that fewer and fewer children are subject to this. >> re

. >> reporter: but out of desperation, she googled cannabis and autism, and realized she wasn't the onlyho had made the connection. other parents and autism parents found success with medical marijuana has a treatment for autistic children. that's all she needed to take the next step and get a medical marijuana card for joey. the first time she gave him a pot brownie, she said she saw immediate results. >> everything improved. right now he is given one brownie every two to three days. the other medications he was taking every single day, twice a day. >> reporter: she says medical marijuana not only gave him a big appetite, which we saw for ourselves as he munched almost nonstop on a bag of chips during her interview, it also helped his behavior, she says. >> he was calm, sociable, happy, more productive. >> reporter: we called dozens of pediatricians, psychiatrists and autism experts looking for someone who would be critical of her position. but no one wanted to tuck on camera. we finally found a stanford professor who is also on the american academy of pediatric substance abuse committe

factor in autism.ost of it was blamed on inheard genes but a new study found a higher-than-expected rate of autism in fraternal twins. that suggests that environment could contribute to autism. factors could include stress, diet, infections and the age of the mother when she gets pregnant. >>> a popular antismoking drug might increase heart disease. a new study finds healthy middle-aged smokers who use chantix have a 72% increased risk of heart attack or other serious heart problems. drugmaker pfizer disagrees with the findings. researchers admit the chances are small but significant because of the drug's widespread use. >>> will she tell all? maria shriver may be in line for a record-breaking advance if she decides to write a book about her marriage to arnold schwarzenegger. she filed for divorce last friday, about two months after the former governor admitted he fathered a child with their housekeeper. now there are some reports shriver is being offered a lucrative book deal, possibly more than the $

nuances for autism. >>> then as if snow and skis aren't rare enough. there was another big surprise out and about this fourth of july. >> i'm jeff ranieri, it cooled off a little bit today, and clear skies for those fireworks celebrations. 85 in san jose, 67 in the city fofan srancisco.an coascoe wntinue through te he t night, we'll call it cool here with phelenty of 60s coming bac. the possibility of thunderstorms in our forecast. right now, more pictures of this fourth of july. the celebration's happening near coyt tower in fisherman's wharf. ♪ [ woman ] sam begged and pleaded... so i sent him to camp. we'd earned lots of points with our new citi thankyou card... and i put them to good use. he told me about his bunkmates, and how he signs up for every activity. ♪ he even hangs out with the camp director. just like that. [ male announcer ] the new citi thankyou premier card gives you more ways to earn points. what's your story? citi can help you write it. sweetie i think you need a little extra fiber in your diet. fiber makes me sad. oh common. i dare

a couple of bay area universities make what some consider to be a breakthrough in autism research. san jose's joey chestnut maintains his title as the hot dog eating champ. some say, though, he didn't really win. we're going to have a look at the controversy coming up. that guy's stomach's got to hurt. a live look outside. a beautiful look at the bay i' 42. 4:42 now. >>> welcome back everyone. live look outside. this from the south bay this morning. i don't see the fireworks going off right now, though. seemed like a lot of folks were up late or early this morning shooting them off. still celebrating the fourth of july. 4:45. in the meantime it's back to the budget in washington this morning. congress returns from a shortened holiday break with less than a month before the government says we will default on our bills. today in the bay's tracie potts takes a look at what we can expect. ♪ by the dawn's early light >> reporter: the celebrations are over, today, back to work on the budget. >> you don't have to raise the debt s.e.a.l.ing to pay your debts. you got to get your spending u

the study found a higher than expected rate of autism in fraternal twins.new study didn't try to determine what factors increased the risk during pregnancy. however, experts say they could -- that include stress, diet and infection and a mother's -- diet, and infections and a mother's age. >>> if your child is not verbal, experts say don't panic yet. up to 18% of kids are so-called late talkers and most develop language skills by the time they enter kindergarten. the study looked at whether the language delay at age 2 do be -- could be linked to other problems later in childhood andadolescence they have found a slightly higher -- they found a slightly higher leal of behavioral and emotional problems to tots already talking. >>> now maryland's most powerful doppler radar and the forecast certified most accurate by weatherate. in it looked like the fireworks held on and the weather held on yesterday. that's good news. you know what? i think we will do it again today. we are looking at the satellite and radar. and most showers and thunderstorms pushing out to

could some common prescription medications taken by women be linked to autism in their babies?re's yet another worry for those folks. >> with increasing numbers of kids being diagnosed with autism, everybody's looking for the smoking gun, what is causing these increases in numbers. whenever you hear a story like this, definitely raises alarm. >>> also ahead, just months after their royal wedding could will and kate be planning their parenthood? it's the big headline this morning from their latest stop in canada. >> they're up in the northwest territories where you can imagine they get a lot of daylight. >> yes. >> so much daylight, almost 24 hours of daylight once you get that far north. as you say, there's questions about parenthood. you've g g to wonder the pressure on these two. >> i think there is, definitely. it would be exciting. >>> new developments in the search for the seven u.s. tourists still missing off the coast of mexico. the mexican navy says it's extending the search area in hopes of finding survivors. >> officials say with warm temperatures and a warm and calm

having autism. blamed >>> a mother's age and health may be a factor when it comes to kids having autism. now in the past experts have blamed most of the risks for autism on inhurted genes. but a stanford study finds a higher than expected rate of autism in fraternal twins. it could include stress, diet, infections, along with how old the woman is when she gets pregnant. >> it cannot only be explained by question knittic factors, but that basically sheer environmental factors. environmental factors affect both winning fetuses, playing a role as well. so it's a mixture of both factors. >> estimates are 1 in 100 children have autism disorder. >>> turns out talking on a cell phone may not give oudin service after all. a major review of previously published research finds that there is no convincing evidence of any link between cell phones and brain cancer. the review was done by the international agency for research on cancer and this comes just a month after the world health organization reported that

autism. the parents say their son went to bed after midnight but when they aswok this morning, he was gone. police are combing the neighborhood as well as streets around the pet smart store on cullman avenue. he may be wearing a black tee shirt, black shorts and black shoes. police say garza has a mental capability of a younger child and his speech is not easily understood. >>> a u.s. navy dive team is in mexico to begin searching for seven california fisherman missing in the sea of cortez in the cap sized boat they were last seen in. it's been eight days since it flipped over, killing a man and sending 35 others into the sea. most were rescued. now, the navy divers will try to determine if the bodies of the seven missing are still inside of the boat on the sea floor about 200 feet down. us us and mexican search teams looked across 4600 square miles without finding a trace of the missing men. >> her story is hopeful and harrowing. jaycee dugard has broken her silence about the 18 years philli

the other one also has autism barracks.>>reporter: based on past study this doctor knew that wasn't always true withdxñ identical twins. or with fraternal twins who share 50% of their genes. but his study the largest ever of twins proved environmental factors played a loorjer role than previously thought. his study concluded that genes account for 38 percent of autism risk. while the environment accounts for 62 percent. so what environmental risk factor are theyout? that's the big unknown. but what they seem to know is that something could be happening very early on or during the pregnancy. >> things affect the pregnancy, medication during pregnancy, toxin during pregnancy infection during pregnancy things like this i would start to look at. >>reporter: epstein would like to see more research that could identify both genetic and environmental triggers. >> more would be better. more funding. more study. better insurance coverage. l every day is a battle. >>reporter: lee ann, abc 7 news. >>> p.m. arson investigators are tryin

but out of desperation, she googled cannabis and autism and realized she wasn't the only one that made the connection. experts found success as a treatment for autistic children. that's all she needed to get a medical marijuana card for joey. the first time she gave him a pot brownie, she saw immediate results. >> everything is improved. right now he's given one brownie every two to three days. the other medications he was taking every single day twice a day. >> reporter: she says medical marijuana not only gave him a big appetite, which we saw for ourselves, it also helped his behavior. >> he was calm, sociable, happy, more productive. >> we called dozens of pediatricians and autism experts looking for someone who would be critical of hester perez's position, but no one wanted to talk on camera. we found this doctor, who is on the american academy of pediatric substance abuse committee. while he doesn't question motives for using marijuana to treat autism, he is concerned. >> parents have the best interest of their kids at heart and want to do what's best for their kids. but as a medi

. >>> new clues on what may cause autism. up next, we have two important new studios to look at. [ female announcer ] the healing power of touch can be even more powerful, with precise pain relieving cream. it blocks pain signals fast for relief precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol. >>> two new studies are offering more insight into the mystery of autism. elizabeth cohen joins us to help put the findings in perspective. why these two studies? why these two? there are always studies about autism. why these two? >> there were all these theories about vaccines and autism, and that has been debunked, and researchers are moving on to find out what does cause autism. there has been a study about genes, and perhaps it's not just genes, they found other factors, outside factors that may influence whether a kid gets autism. for instance, air pollution. they may have influence. parental age, the age the parents are at the time of conception, and the birth of the child, three areas researchers shoul

. >>> and a health report is out dealing with autism and pregnant moms. the risk is being posed if expectant moms are take antidepressants. now up to new york for the latest in business headlines. >> reporter: good morning. topping america's money, a warning about the greek bailout. the standard and pores says greece would be in default on the debts under the plan proposed by french banks. that could derail efforts for greece to repay its loans. after a weekend without parks and other holiday recreation, minnesotans are waking up without other services. the state government shut down after a stalemate over how to close a $5 billion budget gap. and get raid ready for another -- ready for another round of layoffs. international financing review says hundreds of bankers will lose their jobs in the next few weeks. this because there's been a sharp downturn in demand for services. and while royal visits and weddings are fun to watch, they are not without a price. britain's royal family cost taxpayers 52 million dollars last year but that's down 5.3% from befor

for children with autism.e shield and anthem blue cross agreed to begin coveraging aba with a licensed provider. many plans consider it educational, not a covered benefit. >> there is a problems families face are worse, not better. carriers continue to discriminate and reduce to provide coverage. >> there is an intention get patients care they need now while these legal and policy debates continue. >> if this does not improve, lawmakers say they'll inpro troo dus a proposal. >> the fed is poised for another economic rescue. and told congress today that high food and gas prices should ease in the next few months but if the lull per sifts, the fed is prepared to step into stimulate the economy. on wall street, stock prices took off in early trading. hour however, enthusiasm wore off by afternoon. and jet blue began offering flights for $4 between burbank and long beach to help people get across town this weekend of the 40 5 freeway in los angeles. >> coming up next, talking to shuttle astronauts on a final missi

. >>> environmental factors may play a bigger role than genetics when it comes to developing autism. researchers looked at nearly 200 pairs of twins both identical and fraternal where at least one sibling had an autism spectrum disorder. the study find genetics increased the risk of autism by 38% while environmental factors which could include parental age and low birthweight increased the risk by 58%. more research needs to be done into which environmental factors contributed to the risk. >>> the debate over raising the nation's debt limit resumes today on capitol hill. senators head back to work this afternoon head of schedule. >> white house members return wednesday. joel brown has more. >> reporter: the senate may be cutting its holiday recess short but it is unclear how much work will get done. republicans and democrats remain at odds over how to raise the nation adebt limit. the biggest sticking point is taxes. >> the last thing employers need is further disincentives to not hire people. and that's what the higher taxes would mean. >> while the g.o.p. wants tax hikes off the ta

environmental factors, which could include parent am age and low birth rate increased the risk of autism by 58bilities. doctors said more research needs to be done to determine which viemplettal factors contribute to that risk. >>> a satisfying life appears to be good for your heart. the study looked at 8,000 people and found those who were satisfied with their jobs, families and sex lives reduced their risk of heart disease by 13%. it applied to both men and women. >>> be sure to check in with wjz eyewitness news at 4, 5 and 6. he's part owner of myspace. what justin timberlake wants to dos with the online social networking site. join us for these stories and more at 4,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> let's take a look at the five-day forecast. it is really a good one. i mentioned that pop-up thunder shower. 90 tomorrow, 90 thursday. that's a great run of sun. you know it's summer weather the way it should be. >> don't miss tonight's prime-time lineup. it's another episode of wig whipping and -- "the good wife" and eyewitness news at 11. >>> the world's jump rope competition kicked whoever this weekend

. >>> well, some cases of autism could be linked to a certain type of antidepressant. a study published in "the archives of general psychiatry" just published found that the risk of autism doubled if the mother used an ssri class of antidepressant in the year before pregnancy. the study pointed out the number of autism cases that could be linked to the antidepressant is very small. >>> exxonmobil is conceding that the oil spill in montana is worse than it first estimated. exxon is promising to do whatever it can to clean up the estimated 42,000 gallons of oil that spilled over the weekend. it's unclear what caused the spill exactly. one theory blames the heavy water and melting snow causing floods downstream. >> and realtors warn -- >> you expect floods. a river like yellowstone floods all the time and we can't expect our pipelines to break every time a flood happens. >> regulators warned exxonmobil about safety violations along the line twice in the last year. the company says more than 280 people are involved in the cleanup and more than nine miles of absorbent boom

autism doctors and patient advocates it could have a significant impact on research into the disorderscientist says a breakthrough is near in discovering the relative fountain of youth. within his own lifetime, doctors could have all the tools to cure aging. he studied anti-aging medicines, gene and stem cell therapies could repair lifelong cell damage. critics called the theory pseudoscience. others say it's intriguing but yet to be tested. >> google has shut down the realtime search service. they want to integrate realtime with its own social networking project which is called google plus. >> pentagon is going high-tech and mark zuckerberg is going to be interviewed by bill gates. >> that is a lot of money up there. >> jane king joins us live from the new york stock exchange with more on all this. >> no doubt about it. the meeting of the minds, hundreds of executives headed to idaho for sun valley conference, henry bloget says bill gates will interview facebook mark zuckerberg and both were harvard dropouts with phenomenal start-ups on their resumes. trading this morning, coming bac

. >>> still ahead new treatment option for thousands of children with autism after settlement today between the state and two large health insurers. >> a scare on the runway, two planes rammed into each other on the tarmac. my wife the dentist allows only one mouthwash in our home. [ male announcer ] act for kids, with maximum fluoride for up to 40% fewer cavities act. stronger teeth and better checkups in every bottle. >>> a federal investigation is under way after two planes collide order tarmac at boston's airport. both planes were on the taxi way and preparing to fly out. the wing clipped the tail of a smaller aircraft that provides regional service for the same carrier. both planes were significantly damaged. the crash sheared off the wing tip of a boeing 767. take a listen to the conversation between pilots and air traffic controllers. >> we're going to have to wait here for a moment. i think we hit it. >> absolutely, we're going to hold. >> they say they have lost hydraulics and cannot move at this time. is there any leaking? >> affirmative we have severe damage

born to these moms were fine, but some did have autism.i-depress sanity, talk to your doctor because a lot of women really need these drugs. >> is there anything that a parent can do that they've determined that can minimize the risk of their child developing autism? >> right. all you can do at this point is look for the red flags. and then when you see a red flag, go to your pediatrician, catching it early really, really helps. as your baby ages. when they get to the point where they respond to their name. if they don't, that's a problem. if they're having difficulty forming conversations, babbling with you. if they do repettive movements, that's a reason to go to the pediatrici pediatrician. if you go to cnn.com, you can see more red flags. that's all parents can do at this point. >>> next up, a giant dust storm swallows a major u.s. city. chad myers joins us now. >> what happens last night over phoenix, arizona, was a couple of thunderstorms combining east of the city and rolling right through. when that happened, wind blew out of the t

a link discovered between anti depressants and autism. >> some of our early morning problem spots have cleared. we will of the latest in your traffic pulse >> welcome back. we have some fog and haze out there. we will wind up with a pretty decent day. upper 60's and low 70's. the humidity is coming down. some dry air is working its way in from pennsylvania. it will become less humid. high temperature around and 90. we will check the forecast going into the upcoming weekend. stay with us. >> prenatal exposure to certain anti depressants has been linked to increased risk of autism. researchers looked at medical records of autistic children and their mothers. women taking a certain drug or more than twice as likely to have a child later diagnosed as having an autism disorder. >> computer generated medical prescriptions have as many errors as those written by hand. it was created to help prevent mistakes. when researchers analyzed for thousands electronic prescriptions, they found one in 10 contained at least one error. the errors ranged from incorrect abbreviations to admitting how long a

. >>> still ahead new treatment option for thousands of children with autism after settlement today between the state and two large health insurers. >> a scare on the runway, two planes rammed into each other on the tarmac. -dad, why e you getting that? -that's my cereal. is there a prize in there? oh, there's prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur? [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios are the great tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats that can help lower cholesterol. stickers? uh-uh. a perhero? ♪ kinda. [ male announcer ] and we think that's the best prize of all. ♪ >> closed captioning brought to you by mancini sleepworld. >>> a federal investigation is under way after two planes collide order tarmac at boston's airport. both planes were on the taxi way and preparing to fly out. the wing clipped the tail of a smaller aircraft that provides regional service for the same carrier. both planes were significantly damaged. the crash sheared off the wing tip of a boeing 767. take a listen to the conversat

and also in the wake of this new report, the original vaccine autism paper. there's a lot of conversation that continues to be had. i have a lot of respect for people in the front lines trying to increase the health of the public. i don't know if it's benjamin franklin, brings us back, did he say health makes wealth? it might've been. the health of the commonwealth is actually important. thank you. [applause] >> what are you reading this summer, booktv wants to know. >> well, i'm reading the book about "the coldest winter," and quite frankly i've held onto this book not wanting to open up the pages to it. it goes over the korean war. and for most people who are for my with the korean war said you don't want to know. and what do they mean by that? well, i was in korea with the chinese, ashley surround the entire eighth army, and it was a nightmare. and fortunately this is over 60 years ago and to the best of my knowledge i haven't suffered two psychologically about that war. it pains me when i think of the number of americans that died in korea, and even becom

. >>> autism researchers say a study of twins released today will be a game changer in their field.he results show conditions during pregnancy may trigger autism in embryos with a genetic predisposition. since autism spectrum disorders include a wide range of conditions, researchers don't think there's a single cause for all of them. a second article on the same studty found the autism risk rose among mothers who took a popular antidepressant the years before pregnancy. doctors say the risk from antidepressants is small but noteworthy. >>> for the first time in more than a decade fourth of july visitors to lake tahoe were celebrating on the ski slopes. >> at alpine meadow, skiers have the liberty to ski in swimsuits. >> skiiers and snow borders are celebrating freedom on snow. >> happy fourth of july! >> enough said. snow, skis, bathing suit, sunscreen, enough said. >> it's fun. we've got live music. people like a harry man over there. natural hair. come on. it's pretty fun. everyone's just having fun. >> i hope you have sunscreen on. >> yeah, i do. i've been to emergency before. >>

of universities are teaming up to come up with what could be a real break through on the study of autismchers studied a large group of twins and found a mother's age and her health may play a larger role in whether a child has autism. before now it was thought that genetics played a major role. however, the study found a higher than expected rate of autism in fraternal twins, ones that don't share the same genes. experts say stress, diet, infections, even a mother's age and medications could increase the risk of autism in a child. >> 5:49. i want to check the forecast right now with christina, another warm one. are we having above average temperatures? >> oh, yes. when we talk about triple digits in the bay area, it is not a usual trend. as a matter of fact, we see our highs even inland in mid-80s this time of year. and that's what we can expect as we head through the second half of the work week and especially this weekend. temps are going to fall below their seasonal average. right now a live look at the bay bridge, the sun is coming up over the beautiful city of san francisco. if you

autism speaks 5k does kick off on july 4 at 7:30.n pennsylvania toe mac, maryland, intersection of river and falls road benefiting autism speaks and also topper will be out there to help kick things off. here's your next three days. the 90s tomorrow and we have scattered showers and thunderstorms. the fourth looking a lot better. not as wet, only isolated storms. here's your seven-day outlook. 90s on the fourth. in the upper 80s, maybe scattered showers and storms on tuesday. wednesday at this point does look dry. warming up into the low 90s. you notice temperatures, matt, you know upper 80s, low 90s. we can deal with that. the humidity might start to go up on sunday and monday. >> weather looking awfully good. no complaints from us. thanks annie. >> let's hope the nats are looking good as well. >> last night they got their first win for their new skipper and a special treat for nats fans, they get a double header today and tonight. so could the nats get win number two for davey johnson? plus, maria sharapova in the final for the fir

all right autism speaks 5k does kick off july 4. check in is at 7:30 in the morning in maryland.ersection of river and falls roads. it's benefiting autism speaks and topper will be out there monday morning to help kick things off. all right, here's how your saturday day planner shapes up. in the morning it will be a cool start. by 5:00, hot once again. a little hotter probably tomorrow compared to today. and here's your seven-day outlook. all right the heat is on on sunday near mid 90s. for the fourth low 90s and a better chance for showers and thunderstorms and tuesday, wednesday, scattered showers and storms are possible. regarding sunday's chance for storms, we have narrowed it down to the i-66 corridor. popup isolated, not everyone had see them. so you'll feel the humidity tomorrow. be prepared for that. >> a lot of folks think when you get older your sporting career is over. not tonight. and it's not often that i get to talk about a sports hero who is older than me, which is why i was doubly excited about this. a lot of fuss about davey johnson. you'll see what he did. plus

as for the meaning behind the camp's name -- >> there's autism spectrum. mean, you've got high functioning kids that they have more difficulty with social situations and some children, some individuals, who they're nonverbal. they're really in their own space. >> reporter: the experience for the campers and even the junior counselors is certainly invigorating. some of this includes -- >> feeling the spray of the ocean against your face, the smell of the saltwater. and exhilaration as you're traveling fast along that wave. >> reporter: for the instructors, it's not only about fostering confidence in the campers but more importantly, helping them connect with nature. >> i'm always struck with how -- how long the kids can stay in the water. from where i'm standing, i'm starting to get cold and they're just out there so thrilled. >> we're so focused on a routine, all of us are, particularly kids on the spectrum. it helps if you can just slow down a little bit and you put yourself in an environment where you're just -- you're really present. >> reporter: while

antidepressants during pregnancy may have a slightly higher rick of having autism. doctors say it is the first study showing a possible link between the drugs and autism and the findings should be considered preliminary. >>> a french writer plans to file a legal complaint accusing dominique strauss-kahn of raping her back in 2002. the woman said the former head of the international monetary fund attacked her when she went to interview him in paris. her lawyer says she has already discussed the incident publicly. strauss-kahn is currently charged with sexual assault against a manhattan hotel housekeeper. prosecutors revealed late last week that the housekeeper's credibility may be in question. strauss-kahn was freed on bail but the charges have not yet been dropped. >>> hackers attack a fox news twit are account and post updates claiming the president was assassinated. hackers broke into the twit are account early today and left six tweets claiming president obama had been shot in iowa. fox news calls the tweets malicious. of course, fox news owned by the parent comp

the results show genetics only account for 38% of risk of autism.while environmental factor make up 62% of the risk. similar studies suggest autism is inheritable. >>> the clock is ticking and if a deal isn't struck very soon some say the nation, possibly the globe could be pushed into a new financial crisis. consumer editor tom vacar explains how it would happen. >> august 2 is a real firm date. that the point and time we have to start making choices about which debts we pay. >> reporter: the first big crack comes in about 10 days. >> the rating agencies are going to put the u.s. on public notice of a potential downgrade. >> reporter: conly says the u.s. will continue to pay its bond and foreign debt but social security payments, veteran's benefits and other things might be deferred. >> the rating agencies will view that failure to pay the government's obligation as a default too. that will hurt the credit of uncle sam's treasuries. >> american banks and insurance companies and pension funds, and state funds, anyone that holds treasuries all of a s