forney, texas. that same weather system caused turbulence so severe that a united flight to houston was forced to make an emergency landing in louisiana. ambulances were waiting to help injured passengers when that jet finally did land in texas. seven people were hurt when the aircraft was hit by a sudden jolt. now that mitt romney has a virtual lock on the republican presidential nomination, he's turning his attention to taking on the president in the november election. >> getting a little nasty. they are swinging now. his republican rivals are saying, not so fast. abc's karen travers is in washington with details on this. good morning, karen. >> reporter: good morning rob. good morning, paula. imagine that for mitt romney, rick santorum is a pesky little nat who is going to be sticking around for a couple of weeks and he really just wants to ignore him. with his decisive sweep, mitt romney has fully pivoted to his

november showdown. at a speech in washington, romney blasted president obama. >> he wants us to re-elect him so we can find out what he'll actually do. with all the challenges the nation faces, this is not the time for president obama's hide and seek campaign. >> reporter: the president also seems antsy for the bell to ring to start the general election fight. he slammed romney for supporting the republican budget plans in congress. >> he even called it marvelous, which is a word you don't often hear when it comes to describing a budget. >> reporter: a new poll shows the president with his largest lead yet nationally. in 12 battleground states, he's leading romney by 9%. and if you dig deeper, even though they are in a dead heat among men, among women, it's a blowout. >> i know that our party has traditionally faced a gender gap, and i think the democratic party has done an effective job trying to mischaracterize our views. >> reporter: but rick santorum isn't ready to concede the nomination race just yet.

>> pennsylvania and half the other people in this country have yet to be heard. >> reporter: santorum staking his campaign on his home state, which votes in three weeks. he's in the lead in pennsylvania, but polls show romney is closing in. >> i think he's got to get out because he wants to preserve any little bit of political capital he might have left and a voice in the republican party. >> reporter: rick santorum may continue to criticize romney on the campaign trail, but don't expect romney to engage with him. this week marked a major shift in this race. and romney's focus is solely on president obama. rob and paula, back to you. >> karen, thank you. we are learn something grim new details about the circumstances surrounding the death of pop star whitney houston. the final autopsy report shows that white powder was found in the singer's hotel room and that she had cocaine throughout her system. drug paraphernalia was found on a bathroom counter nearby as well. an investigator noted signs of recent and prolonged cocaine use, including a hole in houston's nose. houston accidentally drowned in

a bathtub nearly three months ago. if there is one thing we and our viewers know about, it's lack of sleep. >> yes. >> sleep deprivation. >> that's the truth. >> there's major health news for our sleepless nation, which includes all of you. >> especially those who wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back asleep. a sleeping pill has been designed just for you. here's cecilia vega. >> i'm just so exhausted. it is now 1:45 in the morning, and i'm still awake. >> reporter: they are hardly alone. nearly half of all americans say they wake up in the middle of the night. nearly 1 in 3 have trouble falling back asleep, and they are more likely to be women. >> i'm tired. and most of the time i'm tired all the time. >> reporter: the reasonings for these middle of the night awakenings can range from sleep apnea to anxiety. but this tinily tablet may finally help insomniacs get some much-needed shut eye.

intermezzo is the only fda approved drug for people who wake up in the middle of the night, want to get back to sleep but don't want to be knocked out for hours. it's like hitting the snooze button. a pill that helps you sleep for four more hours. >> what kind of person might this help? >> this is meant for the patient who, say, gets up at 3:00 in the morning and just cannot go back to sleep. they can take this, which would help them go back to sleep. as a fairly rapid onset. >> reporter: it contains the same active ingredients as the popular drug ambien but it's a lower dose. it's also absorbed under the tongue and enters the body faster and works sooner. doctors say medication should always be a last resort. >> we prefer to handle insomnia in the middle of the night with behavioral changes. territory may not be the magic answer, but millions of sleepless women are desperate for something. >> i want to go to sleep and sleep solidly. >> reporter: and there are possible side effects. they may include behavioral problems, sleepwalking, even

driving impairment for up to three to four hours after taking the pill. that's why doctors say only take this pill if you have the time to sleep it off as much as four hours. cecilia vega, abc news, new york. >> good news for a lot of folks. that mystery maryland woman who claims to have one of the three winning mega millions lottery tickets is now pulling a greta garbo. she wants to be left alone. >> she appeared at a press conference with her attorney. her new attorney and probably quite wisely, she let him do all of the talking. >> you know where the ticket is now? >> no, sir, i do not. i cannot say with any certainty that this ticket exists. and i would caution anybody until it's presented to the lottery commissioner for processing that it does exist. >> the lawyer added at some point she'd make a claim for the prize. maryland lottery officials plan their own news conference today. >> strange, strange, strange. here's a look at your weather on this thursday morning.

showers and thunderstorms in the south today. severe storms along the gulf, though. winds could reach 70 miles an hour. more rain in the pacific northwest with major snow at higher elevations. but sunny elsewhere. a bit cooler along the great lakes and northeast. hot down in texas. >> boston and chicago, 53. baltimore, 62. minneapolis is going to be 60. dallas, 78. salt lake city, 66. seattle, 52. police in galveston, texas, are looking for a man they've dubbed the dancing burglar. caught on camera busting a move. >> the face isn't that clear but police hope someone will recognize his signature dance moves. he's one of three men accused of breaking into an amphibious tour vehicle, spraying the inside with a fire extinguisher and then stealing that extinguisher. to each his own. >> keep dancing, dude. we'll be right back. ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by hotwire.com.

celebs that controversy seems to follow. when they are in crisis mode, who do they call? abc's lara spencer knows a thing or two about crisis management and looks at abc's new show called "scandal." >> you have the money? >> yes, all $3 million. >> in "scandal," star kerry washington plays to win. >> we play to win, and we're fierce and badass. can i say badass on tv? >> she is the hard-charging crisis manager olivia pope. >> got it? >> dedicated to keeping her clients' image clean and, most importantly, out of jail. >> we're taking the case. >> she is a woman who won't take no for an answer. >> just to be clear, that was me threatening you. >> reporter: in real life,

scandal-ridden stars like mel gibson, halle berry, tiger woods and politicians like eliot spitzer and rod blagojevich have turned to the publicity firefighters working behind the scenes to help clean up their images. >> definitely keep an eye on the strauss situation. >> reporter: scandal is inspired by judy smith, an influential lawyer and crisis manager whose client list is a who's who of scandal. michael vick, the nfl quarterback who was convicted for his involvement in an illegal dogfighting ring. but her most notorious client was monica lewinsky. >> how do you manage the crisis of monica lewinsky and president clinton? >> what we really tried to focus on, what was at issue for her was really going to prison and making sure that that didn't happen. >> you're going to camp david to meet with the president. >> reporter: the team in "scandal" calls themselves gladiators in suits. >> once we take you on as a client, we will do whatever it

takes to fix your situation. >> reporter: smith says that though every case is different, she has a few rules of thumb that she thinks apply to every high-profile case. >> you have to want to apologize. you have to mean it. >> reporter: scandal is the brainchild of shonda rhymes who is known for creating characters with flaws that resonate with audiences. like those in the other shows she's created from "private practice" to "grey's anatomy." characters who work hard, love hard and fall hard as well. with shocking story lines rife with intrigue, "scandal" is as sizzling these real-life scandals that people just can't seem to stay out of. why do smart people do stupid things? >> smart people are no different than anybody else. they all have issues and problems, and sometimes they make bad choices and exercise bad judgment, like we all do. >> reporter: and when that happens and a scandal ensues, it's time to turn to the gladiators in suits.

i'm lara spencer in new york. >> "scandal" that show starts tonight on abc. coming up, taking one for your owner. >> and when we're talking about kilo there taking one means a bullet. it's straight ahead next. stay with us. >> announcer:

time now for our favorite story of the day. a frightening scene played out here on staten island when an attempted home invasion was stopped by a hero dog. >> the family's pit bull kilo came to the res crew. wabc's michelle charlesworth has this dog's tail. >> reporter: kilo, a 12-year-old 70-pound pit bull is alive and well. >> nothing like a dog. took the bullet for us. >> reporter: poor dog. his owner justin says the bleeding saturday night after the push-in and gunshots was so bad he was sure that he had lost him. and he's had kilo since he was a

puppy. >> my girlfriend just said hold him in your arms. let him die comfortably. that's when i was just -- >> and now he's fine. >> i thought the dog was going to die. i seen the shot in his head. i really thought he was going to die. >> what better story than having this hero, which i know he's the superdog. >> reporter: the veterinarian says this could have been fatal for kilo. >> so what happened was the bullet hit his head, traveled down here. missed his eye. >> so through the skin. >> right. and came out here. >> reporter: so what is life like now for a hero miracle dog on the mend? >> we've been giving him steaks. >> you're kidding me. >> no, like good food. he's eating like an animal. >> do you know you're a hero? >> he is, and he is a love, unless you're a bad guy. >> don't mess with kilo. >> x-rays indicated the bullet never came into the dog's brain

so he didn't suffer any brain damage in this but certainly is a good thing. well done, kilo. >> good job. good dog. >> stay with us. it will be time for your thursday morning papers. when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement nsurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to " 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying .up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp p medicare supplement insuranc. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare.

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>> announcer: "world news now" delivers your morning papers. >> okay. so this is something to think about next time you work at your computer and you use one of your little mice. these things, according to a new study, have three times the amount of germs than a toilet seat. >> your mouse is dirtier than your toilet? >> yes. and twice as dirty as the toilet handle. people eat at their desk and they have been to the glath room and bring those germs back. and not to be sexist, but men are far filthier than us females. 40% more bacteria. >> that i believe. >> so make sure you clean it

off. >> rub it down. >> rub the mouse. give it a little -- >> clean it off. >> three times worse than the toilet? everything we use every day. whether it's the mouse, your cell phone. we've done stories about how dirty those are. everything is just filthy. it's just a dirty world. >> and when i'm up in my office, typically on the computer eating. >> yeah, me, too. >> oh, man. all right. >> a little more just because i'm grossed out by that. >> thank you. more good news about a good night's sleet. a good night's sleep boosts our positive memories. researchers split some young adults up and some folks had a good night's sleep. others ha s had to stay away. then they had to look at positive images. puppies, flowers. good sleep enhances our emotionally positive memories. so basically, better sleep you will have better memories than if you suffer from insomnia and don't get that much sleep. on top of all the health

reasons, apparently your mind is just warmer and fuzzier and lovely on a good night's sleep. >> i have a terrible memory to begin with. i think i just need to sleep 24 hours straight. >> on this shift, you soon will. trust me. it's coming. peta, they want to say they punk'd the -- are you going to go to sleep? i'll ask you tomorrow and see if you remember these. >> peta just opened up -- moved into their new stadium and they bought a brick. and the brick says florida is still hosting incredible night games. help us reach the stars. cheer our marlins. but if you take the first letter from each of those words it spells out fishing hurts.com, their website redebts you to peta's anti-fishing page which tells you all about the harms of catch and release hobby fishing. i want some fried fish right now. >> peta is always up to something. good lord. let's end on a note everyone can relate to. van gogh is debuting a new kind of vodka.

this time, peanut butter and jelly flavored. they are known for

this morning on "world news now" -- the devastating toll of those tornadoes in the dallas-ft. worth area. >> disaster declarations have now been made, and the long, slow cleanup is only just getting started. it's thursday, april 5th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> and good thursday morning, everyone. i'm paula faris. >> i'm rob nelson. good morning, everybody. your heart really has to go out to those folks in north texas. their lives, of course, turned upside down by those devastating twisters. texas gove get an up-close view of that devastation later today. >> also this half hour, rob, a story i know you were in new orleans for about six years ago

when it all started. five former police officers in the big easy now sentenced to prison. all because of what they did in the aftermath of hurricane katrina. just an egregious story. we have some reaction to that coming up. >> absolutely. just a massive cover-up. shooting unarmed people on the infamous danziger bridge, september 4th. i believe here, and just a case symbolic of some of the deep corruption that police department has been dealing with for many, many years. a case six, seven years in the making. it is over. some harsh punishments handed out to those cops. also the largest retailer, walmart, reaching out to the inventors amongst us. wait until you see what some folks have come up with, all in hopes of getting their big idea on to the shelves of walmart. the question remains, what will they think of next? >> it looks like hungry hippos, didn't it? >> a little bit. this is actually for your kids baby teeth as they lose their teeth. >> we were talking about an invention i had. i just found it on amazon, though, so -- >> see, fresh out of your

millions. >> just means you get to work with me a little longer. >> i can deal with it. experts say the tornado which touched down near dallas had winds as high as 165 miles an hour. >> and many residents who lost everything are still, though, counting their blessings. abc's kristine dobbyn reports from forney, texas. >> reporter: it was a long day of cleanup here in forney. many of the homeowners got their first chance to see the damage to their homes. in this community alone, the national weather service says winds reached 150 miles an hour. the mayor declared his community a disaster. >> oh, wow! >> reporter: after tuesday's violent tornadoes, rescue crews in the dallas area continued to search through the damage and debris for anyone who might still be trapped. the powerful twisters left dozens of homes flattened and produced these incredible images of tractor trailers flying in the air. there have been reports of injuries, but fortunately so

far, no one has been killed. >> our outdoor sirens went off. we also have a system set up whereby folks can be notified by text, e-mail or phone. that system worked. >> reporter: the storm had a devastating toll with some residents returning home to find nothing. but many were just thankful to be alive. >> i can't tell you how grateful i am that we're all okay. >> reporter: 19-month-old abigail was at the babysitters in forney when the tornado hit. her dad who rushed to pick her up could not believe what he found. >> when i turned the corner, i looked and the house was not there. >> the children and the babysitter all survived. >> as you can see, bruises. they did a c.a.t. scan, and everything came back okay. >> reporter: many people spending their second night away from their homes. many displaced residents, the red cross has set up shelters in many of the hardest hit areas. a lot of them full overnight.

>> kristine, thank you. that same storm system caused more chaos, forcing a united airlines jet to make an emergency landing when the plane was hit by pretty severe turbulen turbulence. ambulances were waiting when the plane finally landed at its destination in houston. five passengers and two flight attendants were hurt in the chaos. and we are learning grim new details about the circumstances surrounding whitney houston's death. the final autopsy report shows that white powder was found in the singer's hotel room and that she had cocaine throughout her system. drug paraphernalia was also found on a bathroom counter nearby. an investigator also noted a hole in houston's nose listed under history of substance abuse. she had abrasions on the left side of her forehead. houston accidentally drowned in a bathtub nearly two months ago. a bitter chapter in the aftermath of hurricane katrina has come to a close. a federal judge imposed stiff prison sentences on five new orleans cops for a shooting on a bridge leading out of the city. six unarmed people walking to

find food in the days after the storm were shot. two of them fatally, after a case that took nearly seven years to bring to an end, the prosecutors and families say they are satisfied. >> when you do something, it should always be in mind that at some point in time it needs to withstand the light of day and withstand that scrutiny of a later time. and i think today's sentencings did just that. >> now none of the officers was convicted for murder or manslaughter. but for civil rights violations and for the elaborate cover-up that followed. their sentences range from 6 to 65 years, but all are expected to appeal. and later today, former penn state assistant football coach jerry sandusky is expected to appear in a pennsylvania courtroom. >> sandusky's attorney is asking the judge to dismiss all 52 child sex abuse charges against him claiming prosecutors don't have enough details or evidence to prove those charges. sandusky has been confined to his home since december. his trial is set to begin in

june. with the republican nomination virtually locked up now, mitt romney is focusing all of his attention on president obama. he's accusing the president of running a hide and seek campaign, saying he will not defend his first term and that he's withholding plans for a possible second. >> nancy pelosi famously said that we would have to pass obama care to find out what was in it. president obama has turned that advice into a campaign strategy. he wants us to re-elect him so we can find out what he'll actually do. >> reporter: romney is also accusing the president of forcing a government takeover of health care, perhaps overlooking the fact that mr. obama's health care law is very similar to what romney himself enacted as governor of massachusetts. former presidential candidate george mcgovern is in the hospital. doctors are testing the south dakota democrat to find out why he occasionally passes out. but mcgovern is 89 and refuses to take it easy. the longtime senator challenged

richard nixon for the white house back in 1972, but lost in a landslide. the illinois convenience store that sold one of those winning mega millions lottery tickets is getting its ceremonial check for 500 grand today. but in maryland, the mystery over another of those winning tickets is still deepening. an attorney for the baltimore woman who claims to have the ticket says he has not seen it and he doesn't even know if she has it. he also says all the hoopla surrounding her claims is causing a spike in her blood pressure. >> oh, poor woman. >> unavoidable spike had she not gone public with all the drama. that she has it. now can't find it. now she says it's hidden in the mcdonald's somewhere underneath the mcflurry machine. >> just hope it doesn't get lost in the fryer. oops. just got charred. got burned. >> her attorney, her lawyer is asking the media to stay away. >> we're not going anywhere. that's the rule. >> until you stop acting bizarre and tell us what actually happened, we're going to keep on

it. a washington state third grader who accidentally shot a classmate has now written a pretty striking letter of apology to her. >> she nearly died that february day but this week she finally left the hospital and there's hope that the letter will help heal both of the children. >> absolutely. keith eldredge of our seattle station komo has more. >> reporter: dear amina, i'm sorry i hurt you because i brought a gun to school. i did not mean for anybody to get hurt. so begins the letter written by the third-grade boy who let a gun in his backpack go off. >> he was ordered to write the letter by the court but it was a real good thing for him when he did it. >> why is that? >> he has guilt over what happened to amina. he never intended that to happen. >> reporter: the boy goes on to say, i wish no one got hurt. i wish you were out of the hospital playing basketball and going back to school. part of that wish came true as she walked out of the hospital. the boy watched it on the news. >> yeah, he watched that. that was a -- yesterday was a

good day to see that actually happen. it was good for him to see it because the guilt that he has over what happened to her has been terrible. started crying a little bit. he was happy to see she was out and able to go home. >> reporter: the boy is staying with him and has tutors and a counselor. he realizes that soon he may have to go to court to testify against his mother and her boyfriend, the two accused of letting him have access to the gun. >> he's upset about the possibility of having to testify, but he understands he may have to do it. >> interesting story there. at least some act of contrition on behalf of the young kid. >> i think just for the own psychology of each individual child that might be a step towards healing because you never know how kids are going to respond. how they're going to take something. >> it's true. see how that turns out. there's been no comment from the young victim's family. turning to weather. the annual hurricane forecast is out. and it predicts a below average atlantic hurricane season this year.

>> below average. i like that. they are calling for ten named storms, four of those are expected to become hurricanes and just two of those major hurricanes. hurricane season starts, of course, june 1st and runs all the way through november the 30th. fingers crossed for a quiet season for all of the country. >> those are predictions. >> yeah, that's all. wishful thinking. here's a look at the rest of the weather on this thursday morning. cooler, breezier morning in the northeast. warming up to above average later on. showers and thunderstorms in the south. most severe along the gulf coast. unsettled again in the pacific northwest. sunny and dry most everywhere else. >> cooler in the northeast, great lakes, 53 in boston and 51 in detroit. still warm along the east coast. 62 in baltimore. 77 in atlanta. dallas heats up to 78. and colorado springs rebounds up to 69. good for colorado springs. >> not bad. volunteer firefighters prepared for all sorts of emergencies, except maybe this. jeremiah had to deliver his own son miles from the hospital on

the side of a gravel road by a cattle farm. bracken just couldn't wait. >> jeremiah wrapped his son in his shirt and used the drawstring from his wife's pants to tie off the umbilical cord. an emergency dispatcher talked him through the delivery and jeremiah is hoping to thank her in person. >> that kid came fast. the baby was born less than an hour after the water broke. that kid was like, get me out of here. i'm ready for the world. >> never know what you're capable of until you're in that situation. good job, daddy. >> we'll take a moment out to make some money. we'll be right back with more "world news now" right after this. ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by colonial penn life insurance. [ female announcer ] to get a professional cleansing system

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welcome back, everybody. there is a major medical proposal that could impact all of us. we know that americans get more medical tests per person than anywhere else in the entire

world. >> health care costs in the u.s. have skyrocketed to more than $2 trillion a year. so a leading organization wants doctors to think before automatically ordering certain tests. dr. besser explains. >> reporter: think how many medical tests you undergo in your lifetime. x-rays, blood tests, c.a.t. scans, pap smears. dr. atul gawande compared to hospitals in texas. one hospital spent twice as much per patient. did more ultra sounds, bone density tests, cardiac stress tests and more surgeries. the patients in the hospital without the extra testing did just as well. and consumer reports gathered a group of doctors from nine medical specialties to say it's just too much. >> there are real harms to getting excess care and excess tests. >> reporter: sometimes they indkalt you're sick when you're not and you get treatment that has no benefit and plenty of complications. some of the 45 different tests

they say are done too often -- ekgs to look at your heart rhythm. pap smears to check for cervical cancer. chest x-raise before surgery. the study reminds doctors of one of medicine's cardinal rules -- first, do no harm. medical testing is a great thing when you need it. what is the test for? if it's being ordered, what's going to be done with the information. is there another way to get the information like a good physical or better questions? we have a list of all 45 tests that have been overused at abcnews.com. check it out and see if you've been overtested. dr. richard besser, abc news, new york. >> thanks to dr. richard besser for that. and i think what's telling is a stat, 80% of surveyed doctors said they order those tests not out of necessity but just to cover themselves for fear of getting sued or malpractice. >> and that -- i'm sure doctors are saying that's one of the ramifications of the insurance issue in this country when malpractice insurance is unbelievably high and so they say, look. rather than face a lawsuit, i'm

just going to whip those tests out. so that's another ripple effect of all of that. >> no easy fix to our health care system. >> no, there's not. coming up next, proof that the clothes you wear can make you smarter. >> i just want them to make me skinnier. >> you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: abc's "world news now" will continue after this from our abc stations. yes! yes! come on! oh. no! oh... bummer. [children shouting] hoops? yeah. sure. sure. announcer: moms everywhere are finding ways to keep kids active and healthy. works every time. announcer: get ideas. get involved. get going at letsmove.gov.

make you smarter. abc's alana zach joins us with the details. >> good morning. i am really enthusiastic about this study. after all, who wouldn't want to be a little bit smarter?

especially if all it takes is slipping on a little white coat. my mother said to always dress for success. and mom may have been more right than i ever knew. new research in the journal of experimental psychology claims that clothes can have a kind of placebo effect on your intelligence. it's called "enclothed cognition." >> it basically means that the clothes you wear direct your attention. they direct your focus. they affect how you approach the world around you. >> let me get this straight. dressing well affect the way other people perceive you but it changes the way you perceive yourself? >> absolutely. and so basically, in one of our studies we had people put on a lab coat and we told some people that it was a doctor's coat and when they put it on, they became more attentive. wearing a doctor's coat made you smarter. >> reporter: those wearing the coats made half as many errors on intelligence errors. but when researchers gave out those exact same coats and said that they were painter smocks,

there was no boost in test scores. >> this is dr. besser's lab coat. try it on. >> we decided to see if we could put this research to the test. they were probably just getting better at the game but maybe they were feeling more empowered. >> i feel a little bit better and stronger with the coat. >> reporter: and who would have guessed the funny source for this scientific inspiration. >> my mind was triggered by a simpsons video. they put all the kids, bart and lisa and all the kids into gray uniforms and they all became very quiet and stayed. and then the rain came out and it washed all the dye out. i couldn't resist applying simpson science to my life. i'm wearing a white blouse. what does this do for me? >> it makes you probably more innocent. probably a little more lighthearted. you take all these colors into account. you can sort of affect the way that it affects you. as long as you are paying attention to the colors that you are wearing.

>> we've all heard you are what you eat. maybe it turns out it's more accurate to say you are what you wear. at least where your brain is concerned. rob? paula? >> i'm just going to call you dr. nelson. >> and nurse faris.

♪ weird science "weird science" it was a great movie. remember that? >> yeah, a long time ago. >> attention all inventors out there. walmart has now launched an american idol-like contest to find the best new products out there. thousands have already started sending in their gadgets. >> i used to have a list a long time ago. the world's largest retailer is giving any entrepreneur a shot at winning virtual shelf space through walmart.com.

abc's jon berman gives us the game plan. >> reporter: what house doesn't need a safety dining utensil for dogs. >> i can't believe it but there wasn't a fork out there for dogs. >> reporter: what parent doesn't need a plastic hippopotamus to store your kids' teeth. >> as the teeth fall out, simply glue them into place. >> reporter: what hypochondriac doesn't need a germ resistant face mask that can also withstand pepper spray? inventions so creative, even thomas edison would give a bump her if he's not around, get one from the plastic hand this guy invented. these are just some of the 4,000-plus entries in walmart's get on the shelf campaign. they asked everyday at-home tinkerers to post videos of their best inventions. >> hi. this is richard. >> my name is larry herring. >> this is sam. >> you see everything from shorts made of towels to tools to avoid the agony of cleaning up after your dog. >> and position it under your

dog's tushy. >> it is honest american ingenuity at its best. lynn wright is a 58-year-old former day care worker in south carolina. >> i'm typing along and my wrist would always get tired. >> reporter: she had never invented anything but got out her sewing needle and came up with a wrist pillow. what's her dream now? >> get this on the market and maybe sell millions of them. >> reporter: walmart says it will give the winner of the contest a chance to sell the product on the mega retailer's shelves. at the very least, they deserve a fist bump. jon berman, abc news, new york. >> i have a trap door for rob. who needs the fake fist bump when you can just go like this. >> you the man. you the man. pay the doctors, boys. >> you can come back up. >> really? >> i was going to say -- >> i kind of like it down here. >> come on up, rob.

>> i was in my happy place. >> glad i don't have a skirt on today.

this morning on "world news now" -- the last word about the death of music superstar whitney houston. >> new details about her last moments in that beverly hills hotel and what else police found after she was already gone. it's thursday, april 5th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good thursday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm paula faris. after the final report was released, the coroner was particularly tight lipped about it. houston died in february, just before this year's grammy awards. the evidence, unfortunately, points to her long struggle with drug abuse. it also looks like she died face down in her tub.

>> i don't think anyone is surprised by these findings, but again, this is the final word on what killed her. another testimony to another life gone way too soon because of drugs and those demons you just can't beat. we'll get to that in a second. also in this half hour. as the masters golf tournament gets under way today in georgia, a controversy that seems to rear its ugly head about this time every year. what makes this gender debate different this year at augusta national? a story that blows my mind here. >> you know what? i actually don't have a problem with it, and i'll explain coming up. >> whoa. >> coming from a former sportscaster. >> and a woman. >> and a woman. i'll give you an explanation a little bit later. and what are the chances of a beatles reunion involving the sons of the fab four? many of them are saying they are up for it, and the critics are already saying it would only be a massive disappointment. we'll get into that a bit later in the half hour. >> some things you can never replicate. the beatles is probably one of them. but first, new details from the final coroner's report.

add to the mounting evidence that drug abuse did, in fact, play a major role in the death of whitney houston. >> white powder and drug paraphernalia were found not far from where houston died in the bathtub. kabc's leslie miller has more from los angeles. >> reporter: whitney houston's death has been ruled as accidental, and coroners officials cited heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors. the full coroner's report released says it was houston's assistant who found the singer face down in a hot tub of bath water about 12 inches deep. >> the report stands for itself. we've released it and both to beverly hills pd and the family. >> reporter: houston died on february 11th in room 434 at the beverly hilton hotel. now we know exactly what detectives found inside that room. a small spoon with a white crystal-like substance in it and a rolled up piece of white paper. remnants of a white powdery substance from out of a drawer and from the bottom of a mirror in the same drawer.

also collected, an ashtray filled with multiple cigarette butts and a plethora of medication bottles, although the coroner concluded the prescription drugs did not contribute to the singer's death. along with cocaine, toxicology tests found marijuana, xanax, the muscle relaxant flexoril and benadryl in her system. the coroner said it appeared houston used cocaine immediately prior to her collapse in the glath tub. houston battled addiction for years and was trying to make a comeback. for the first time since her death, houston's mother spoke out about the loss of her daughter. >> i'm very proud of my daughter. she's accomplished a great deal in the short time that she's had here. i'm proud of her for a lot of things. she was a very wonderful person. >> reporter: this is leslie miller reporting for abc news. >> sad, but not surprising. in other news, texas governor rick perry gets a firsthand look today at the heartbreaking tornado damage near dallas.

>> experts say the twister which touched down in forney probably had winds as high as 160 miles an hour. there were about 17 injuries around the state but not one death in this destruction. residents were quick to heed the early warnings, and many homes were unoccupied since most people were at work, thankfully, when the twisters hit. and that same storm system caused a frightening few minutes for passengers on board a united flight to the city of houston. the aircraft was hit by severe turbulence as it flew over the state of louisiana. it got so bad, in fact, the pilot had to make an emergency landing. with more on this, here's abc's jim avila. >> reporter: thousands of feet above the ground, out of nowhere, a jolt that injured five of the 145 passengers and two flight attendants aboard united flight 1727 when the plane hit sudden turbulence. the tampa to houston flight was nearing approach when over lake charles, louisiana, it hit leftover bumpy air from the terrible storms.

>> if you're walking around or the flight attendants have the cart out and you hit one of these large updrafts that is dangerous, you can get everybody thrown into the air who is not strapped down. >> reporter: the pilots had to declare an emergency for an immediate priority landing. at least three people were transported to the hospital. the faa says already this year a total of 12 passengers and crew have been hurt by turbulence. that's as many as were injured all of last year or 2010. this nasa video shows just how rough the ride can be. in-flight turbulence remains the leading cause of nonfatal injuries. nearly 300 people hurt since 1980. most of it caused by weather. often swift up or down drafts caused by thunderstorms shaking the plane like it hit a midair pot hole. more than 1 in 10 americans say they're afraid to fly. when they feel that first jolt of turbulence in midair, that often is what sets their heart and their body a-shaking. while turbulence causes injuries, experts say it has not

brought down an airliner in 50 years. the planes are built to bend in rough air. >> all our airliners in service worldwide are capable of handling far more than we're capable of handling either in the cockpit or cabin. they are really tough machines. >> reporter: that stormy weather over the southwest still wreaking havoc for air travelers. 30,000 passengers delayed. 100 planes could not take off because of hail damage, and american airlines alone had 400 flights canceled out of dallas. jim avila, abc news, washington. >> thanks to jim for that report. in afghanistan, a suicide bomber has killed at least 11 people, including three american soldiers. this photo shows u.s. troops laying on the ground just after the attack. the soldiers were sightseeing and taking pictures in a park in a relatively peaceful area in northern afghanistan. they'd been warned by locals not roam the city. and that's been the bomber approach on a motorcycle. the taliban is claiming full responsibility. and back here now, the former nursing student arrested

after the killing rampage in his california school has now officially been charged. one goh faces seven counts of murder and three of attempted murder. he also could be eligible for the death penalty. the school administrator who was his intended target says goh was not expelled, but he was very angry that his tuition was not and a georgia woman is claiming a scorned ex-boyfriend has been distributing a seminude picture of her in public places, complete with her name, address, even a phone number. she says the flyers have been found in gas stations, home improvement stores, even malls. now the woman says she's getting nonstop calls, texts and even home visits from men wanting to meet her. police are now investigating. nasty breakup there. >> don't ever have anything documented in photo form. >> keep it -- >> -- clean. >> keep it clean, folks. if you have a few extra bucks sitting around, you might want to buy your own zip code.

>> buford, wyoming, is the nation's smallest town between cheyenne and laramie. it comes with a convenience store. the minimum bid is 100 grand. the sale takes place today. that's more than just a couple bucks laying around. here's a look at your weather. milder across the great lakes and the northeast. slightly warmer than average. showers in the carolinas and south with heavier storms along the gulf coast. warm through the northern plains. texas dries out and heats up. but less muggy today. better hair day for all of us. more storms in the pacific northwest. >> i hate bad hair days. new york, 60. miami, 88. kansas city, 58. minneapolis, above average at 60. billings at 57. seattle, 52. a comfortable 73 out in albuquerque. well, speaking -- not speaking of sports, but on a sports note, i'm ready for baseball season. >> here we go. >> take me out to the ball game. a little hot dogs, nachos. >> all the heart healthy snacks

for you. >> many major league baseball games swinging into action today or tomorrow. last night, what an opening in south florida. >> the miami marlins unveiled their new $634 million ballpark with its massive retractable roof. as they hosted the world series champion st. louis cardinals. they even had the greatest right there, muhammad ali, to distribute the ceremonial first ball to the mound. >> too much hoopla, though. may have been too much hype for the new look miami marlins. no hit for seven innings. the cards ran them out. nothing like blowing your home debut with the brand new manager, ozzie guillen, as well. >> money well spent. >> very well spent. we'll be back with more "world news now" right after this. ♪ it's time to play ball >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by hoveround power chair.

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♪ ♪ ♪ because i'm a woman i've been informed that i may be out of a job after this segment. a an old-fashioned gender debate is hanging over the masters tournament. for years the club that hosts the masters has defied pressure to admit women. >> however, fate played a little trick since the new ceo of the tournament's largest sponsor is a woman. the question is what will the club do now? abc's josh elliott has a look inside the debate. >> reporter: this woman, already a trail blazer in the business world, could well blaze another trail directly through one of the world's most exclusive and secretive golf clubs. she is virginia rometty, the first woman ceo of ibm, a longtime masters sponsor. traditionally, the ibm ceo has been offered membership at augusta national, the home of

the masters. but the club has never admitted a woman. and augusta chairman billy payne refused to say whether rometty would be the first. >> one of the changes that hasn't happened to the club is the all-male membership. i'm wondering if you ever foresee that changing. >> all issues of membership have been subject to the private deliberations of the members. >> reporter: augusta national is so secretive it won't reveal the names of its members or even how many of them there are. reportedly, there are 300. all by invitation only. and while augusta won't admit to an official no-woman policy, the fact remains there have been no female members. so will virginia rometty break up the augusta national boys club? >> what we're seeing is 2012 crash land into augusta national. because augusta national wants this all boys club from the 1940s or '50s, and here comes the 21st century, and women are in charge of companies, and in

this case, a woman happens to be in charge of a company that sponsors the masters. >> reporter: rometty herself isn't talking. they wouldn't say whether she'd been offered a membership, wanted one or would even accept an iconic green jacket. augusta national has been able to withstand this pressure for years, but now this issue has a face on it. and not just any face, one of the most powerful executives in the country. now augusta national is nothing if not tradition bound. so it stands to reason, doesn't it, that they will be bound by their own traditions to give the ibm ceo a membership. if it is going to happen ever, it seems that it would happen here and now. josh elliott, abc news, new york. >> i don't have a problem with the all-male membership. they are a private golf course. if you go to a private school, an all-girls school or all-boys school, how is that gender discrimination? if you go to an all boys school and say, i want in. they are private. you can do what you want. they allow women to play golf.

how is it any different than going to a private institution, an all boys school and a woman wanting to enroll? it's private, is it not? >> it is a private club. you have to understand. there's an image issue here. number one. and number two, this is 2012. what century are we living in that there is any club out there that is only going to do all women? where do you draw the line? no blacks, no hispanics, no jews no, gays, should i ride the back of the bus on the way home? it's comparable and it's ridiculous to say as a woman that you don't support that. >> can i be in the boy scouts? do you want to be in the girl scouts? do you want to play in the wnba? i think we make too much -- we make a big deal out of it. >> we make a big deal out of issues of equality. >> this is not equality. it's the boy scouts or girl scouts. it's a private institution. it's an all girls school. it's an all boys school. women are allowed to play golf there, but they're just not allowed to become members. i don't see a huge deal, and i don't take offense to it. i don't feel any less of a woman

because of it. i don't feel like my rights have been somehow squandered or trampled on. it's the 21st century. it's -- let's just -- i don't want to be in the boy scouts. i'm fine being in the girl scouts. >> we'll be back with lighter news. and "the skinny." stick around, everybody. >> announcer: abc's "world news now" will continue after this from our abc

♪ skinny so skinny ♪ from gender strife to racial strife in "the skinny" today. >> so burger king, a little bit of -- we should say a whopper of a mistake. they are being flame broiled. you like that? i'm trying to lighten the mood. >> yeah, we need to. >> seriously. mary j. blige will be appearing in some commercials. and a clip of it was released and it went viral and you can guess some bad reaction to it. we want you to take a look real quick. ♪ crispy chicken fresh lettuce ♪ ♪ three cheeses fresh dressing ♪

♪ tasty flour tortilla ♪ ♪ crispy chicken >> so the black community said that it was stereotypical. of course, she's singing about a crispy fried chicken sandwich. burger king took it down because it was a music licensing issue. mary j. blige said it's not what the ad was intended for. she understood why fans were upset. >> i agree. but i don't know what she thought it was going to be. she's sitting there belting out tunes about chicken. i don't know what she thought it was going to be. that seemed to be a bad judgment on her part from the very start. doesn't stop there. tyler perry making headlines as well. he's claimings there some racial profiling in the city of atlanta. he's saying the two officers acted in a hostile way toward him during a traffic stop because he's african-american. and things only lightened up a little bit when a black officer showed up and apparently recognized him. then also went on facebook and made this position that racial

profiling should be treated in this country as a hate crime. that spawned a lot of discussion on facebook as well. so, you know, it's -- there's some tension out there. so let's get to more fun stuff. >> so jessica simpson is still pregnant with a very large baby. >> very large. >> she's full of amniotic fluid, she says. anyway, a friend of hers accidentally may have leaked the name of the baby, and it's a baby girl, and the name is allegedly zinfandel, as in white zinfandel, as in the wine which she may have been drinking when she got pregnant. >> what celebrities do with these babies names, i'll never understand. i don't get it at all. >> think about your kids and what kind of grief they're going to go through in elementary school. kevin bacon and kyra sedgwick may be closer than husband and wife.

some researchers uncovered these are distant cousins. he's 53, she's 46. they have two children together. they've been together more than 20 years. a pbs show says "finding your roots" says the two are indeed cousins. [ other merv ] welcome back to the cleaning games.

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♪ whether you are a fan or not, it's safe to say the beatles truly were one of a kind. however, paul mccartney's son says he's tossing around the idea of a new generation of beatles. >> i don't think there could be. just stick with what works. george harrison's son dhani and lennon's son are all musicians, as well as the sochb ringo. abc's dan harris looks at the possibility of beatles 2.0. >> reporter: there is no other rock band in the history of rock bands that's had an impact like the beatles.

it's almost impossible to overstate, although john lennon did when he quipped, we're more popular than jesus. after the beatles broke up, there was the lingering fantasy that they'd reunite. ♪ how i long for yesterday >> reporter: it never happened. now, however, paul mccartney's son james, himself a singer/songwriter, recently told the bbc that a next generation beatles might come together with a little help from his friends sean lennon and dhani harrison, also musicians. quote, sean seemed to be into it. dhani seemed to be into it. i'd be happy to do it." it's enough to make beatles obsessives like me start talking gibberish. ♪ hello, sir. about four years ago, i interviewed paul during which i blushed and giggled so much it was, frankly, embarrassing. but critics say a reunion of the beatles' offspring could be a letdown. >> given the weight of the world's expectations that

anything these four kids try to do together would probably be a disappointment. >> reporter: and for that reason, some breathed a sigh of relief when, soon after the story broke, james mccartney posted a message on facebook saying he was just thinking out loud. with a legacy this towering, perhaps best to just let it be. ♪ let it be let it be ♪ >> reporter: dan harris, abc news, new york. >> we were talking about the masters again. >> we haven't let it go. >> it's brewing. the whole show. it's a good debate. chime in on facebook. i want to see what people think out there. >> send rob a twitter. you can send me a tweet at paula faris. >> facebook or twitter. let us know. i think it's a good, healthy debate. >> let's hug it out. >> yeah, we'll hug it out. ♪ we are the world we are the children ♪ we'll be right back.

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