health care reform passed, taking his campaign to the streets and manhattan, blocks from wall street. last night in los angeles president obama was playing his role as fund-raiser in chief. he appeared at several events in support of democratic national committee and senator barbara boxer. at one event the president was interrupted by protesters calling for the repeal of the military's don't ask, don't tell policy. he also touted the financial reform bill. in knoxville, tennessee, a witness to a hospital shooting spree says the gunman looked angry and depressed before his attack. he opened fire outside the facility yesterday, killing one woman and wounding two others. then he turned the gun on himself. police are searching for a motive. they say it doesn't appear the unnamed gunman was related to any of the victims. pretty incredible story here. technology bloggers got their hands on one of the not yet released next version iphone. the website said an apple software engineer lost it in a bar. the phone is slimmer, has a brighter screen and larger battery. it features a front-facing camera that can be used to make skype phone calls as well as a back have facing camera with l.e.d. flash. apple wrote asking for the iphone back. there is no word of the fate of that engineer. clearer skies are expected over kennedy space center this morning as the "discovery" crew tries for another landing. yesterday's attempt was scrubbed because of rain and overcast skies in florida. if weather poses a problem today nasa will consider landing the shuttle at its expensive backup site in california. they don't like to do that because it costs a lot of money. >> as you said yesterday, alan poindexter says he doesn't mind one more day. >> they love it. here's a look at your tuesday forecast. rainy and cool from san diego to seattle. up to 1 foot of snow in the sierras and cascades. windy in california, nevada, and arizona. thunderstorms from kansas to south dakota. rain and thunderstorms in orlando, orlando, chattanooga and charlotte. >> 75 in new orleans today. 82 for miami. near 70 in the northeast. 60s from omaha to indianapolis. mostly 70s across the rockies today. beautiful day there. 57 for seattle. 59 in sacramento. and a hot 91 in phoenix. it sounded like deja vu all over again at this year's boston marathon. >> 21-year-old robert share accurate is setting a course record. he became the first person to run the ledge gend dear marathon in under 2 hours 6 minutes, 82 seconds faster than the record set by a four-time winner who happens to have the same name. both from there kenya but they're not related. >> the nguyener has gone back home. he says he's going to buy cows with his prize money. >> that time is incredible. under 2 hours 6 minutes. it took me more than that to run half that distance in the new york city half marathon. >> now you have a fixed goal. that in ten years. >> that is never going to happen. >> 2020. >> no way. >> we'll be right back with 94 "world news now." hi, i'm catherine. as a real estate agent, i use febreze to prep my houses for sale. febreze fabric refresher is an essential component of my toolkit. when a house smells good, it gives a very positive impression on homebuyers. i also use it in my house because our couches were smelling more like dog than anything else. (laughing) it removes odours of sports, teenagers, (laughing) or cooking. i would not want to face a week without febreze fabric refresher. welcome back. it taggian prosecutors are trying to lengtden american exchange student amanda knox's prison sentence after her conviction on murder charges. >> it's happening as knox's attorney is working to clear her name. mark mullen reports on the international legal challenge. >> reporter: even with italian prosecutors moving to extend amanda knox's murder sentence from 26 years to life in prison for showing no remorse, knox's lawyers have filed a 200-page appeal with the italian court which they say should win her release. >> and given the sad and tragic and violent nature of this murder, one would think some evidence of amanda would be found in that room or on her person but it was not. >> reporter: with her italian boyfriend and another man, amanda knox was convicted of the stabbing murder and cover-up of knox's roommate, meredith kercher. though prosecutors conceded amanda knox did not plan the murder. >> amanda has veer wroe history of violence at all ever. your first crime is not a murder, it just doesn't happen. >> reporter: backed by a supportive family knox is fighting her conviction first by challenging the conconfession the family contends was forced. >> she was smacked in the back of the head, she was threatened, she was screamed at. >> reporter: defense lawyers also say they will challenge forensic tests, produce a new witness, and will stress that even the court concluded amanda did not have a motive to kill after jurors rejected every prosecution theory at trial. >> first that it was a satanic ritual kill, then it was a drug-fueled orgy gone awry, then convenient glance. >> reporter: knox's family says it won't rest until amanda's conviction is overturned. mark mullen for abc news. >> you've got defenders hoping the case will get overturned, you've got prosecutors hoping for a longer sentence. so there's that struggle now. the defenders are basically saying, there's no evidence amanda was even there that night. >> right. and of course, she is heading back to court. that's one thing that has been consistent throughout this trial. we've all watched it play out and they're saying she could be back to court as early as october. certainly be hearing more about that. the 15-year anniversary are the of the oklahoma city bombing and how the community is remembering the victims. >> some of those who made it out of the federal building alive are telling remarkable stories of survival. here's ryan owens. >> reporter: in oklahoma city, they remembered. >> my little brother tevin deandre garrett. >> reporter: by reading the names of those they lost. >> my grandpa nicky b. maroney. >> reporter: 168 names. including -- >> my business sister, miss bailey owens. >> reporter: a 1-year-old girl whose image is seared into our national consciousness. she died in the day care center. bailey would have, should have, turned sweet 16 this week. her mother transformed her grief into action. she now crusades to make federal buildings safer. their glass shatter-resistant. >> her destiny wasn't for nothing. it was so other people can maybe make a difference. other people can go home to hare families at night. >> reporter: chris nguyen was also in the day care center. doctors weren't sure the 5-year-old would live. today he's a sophomore at university of oklahoma. >> it kind of stuns me that the survivors made it through. >> reporter: patty hall wasn't supposed to make it either. the explosion broke 40 of her bones. today, she moves a bit slowly, but considers it a miracle she can walk. >> this day reminds me of when we lost so many wonderful, good people for such a lousy, no-good reason. >> reporter: there's another survival story here no less remarkable. it's the story of this city. oklahoma city didn't just rebuild, it revitalized its downtown. and managed to boom even during the recession. >> the history of this city and its people will be written by what came afterwards and by what is yet to come. >> reporter: a city with a bright future and a long memory. >> my sister jacy ray coine. >> fascinating to catch up with the people who were pivotal players. >> that picture of bailey, so iconic. i remember, one of those haunting images etched in your mind. >> people are donating to the cause. they say something like 200 children of parents who died or disabled in the bombing continue to get money from people who recognize they still need help. >> this was a gorgeous memorial. they did such a great job and other places like new york could take lessons in how to manage that after the fact. they entice you with an ipod or cash or free car if you fill out the form on one of those internet popup ads. >> some people insist they have won a lot through those popup offers. but as abc's becky worley shows us what happened to her by clicking on almost all the ads. >> reporter: contest. sweep stakes. play now. you could win. hundreds, thousands, millions. all the popups. all the spam. and the big question, can you actually win anything? to find out i decided to stop saying no and click yes to everything. no exceptions, just enter. first, a separate e-mail account to outsmart the spam. i thought that would do it. but almost all the contest websites want my phone number. so i bought a burner phone, a prepaid phone, just to see how many calls i got from entering into these contests. every entry form asks for my e-mail. many want my home address. some even require my income, birth date, and level of education. they want to know my kid's birthday? that's crazy. entering all day. several dozen sweepstakes. now, wait and see if i win. but does anybody win? >> $25,000 trip to france, a truck that we drive, appliances -- >> reporter: she's been entering contests for more than two decades. winning the tuxedo her son wore to prom. >> i enter 15 to 20 minutes every single day of the year for the rest of my life, probably. >> reporter: and she's a pro. she enters facebook contests, twitter contests, she's never given out her credit card to enter a contest, and always unchecked those tiny boxes hidden at the bottom of the screen. >> the company will sell your information to third party companies. and you give them permission to do that by filling out that entry form. >> reporter: but she avoids those sweepstakes that advertise with popup ads on highly trafficked websites. >> that sweepstakes may last a whole year. with one prize and 1 million people entering it. it's a waste of my time. >> reporter: i think they could have used some of wendy's tips. so far, no prizes. but lucky me, 53 new messages in my inbox. all spam. ten telemarketers calling with special offers. >> no, thank you for the offer, i'm going to pass. >> reporter: then i got hammered with text messages. standard messaging rates apply. >> i got four text messages in ten seconds. why? they want me to sign up for premium text subscriptions. these are sneaky monthly charges that show up on your cell phone bill. so while contest pros like wendy may reap the benefits of online sweepstakes, i'm still waiting for my million dollar check in the mail. and diligently deleting spam from my inbox. >> i should have told becky about my trick. my alter ego that you know. >> you made up a name, what is it? >> kathy st. croix. >> you have the e-mail sent to that address. assistance getting around their homes. there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little to no cost to you. stay tuned for this important medicare benefit information and free scooter guarantee. imagine... one scooter or power chair that could improve your may entitle you to pay little to nothing to own it. one company that can make it all happen ... your power chair will be paid in full. the scooter store. why should you call the scooter store today? because their mobility experts are 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"world news now" delivers your "morning papers." >> you indulge us for just one moment. let us brag about one of our own here on this shift. willis, get out here, would you? we've got something to talk about. >> huge, this is huge. >> this is huge. willis, i don't know if this makes you a good employee and sort of a not so bright human being? >> that's okay. >> willis has been at abc for like 31 years and we found out yesterday he was saluted by his boss for having never called in sick. >> rain, snow. >> never. >> illness, not one day. >> not once. >> but he never tells you that he had a twin. >> they take turns showing up at night. >> what is it, are you the smartest man alive or the dumbest? >> probably the dumbest. >> what did they give you for your years of service? he didn't get anything. >> my daughter got a trophy. >> at school. >> you're getting a handshake. >> you're getting our respect and admiration. >> i think that says a lot about you as a person. 31 years to never call in. >> it does, it says you're a real dope. >> there you go. >> well, congratulations. >> stick around for "papers" with us now. >> i'll wait over there. >> but don't leave, that would count as a sick day. >> we know he won't, don't we. okay, so this story, imagine being one of four kids. high school together, elementary school together, everything together your whole life. they decided that on top of all of that togetherness they're all going to go to the same college. isn't that crazy? >> joined at the hip. >> hartwick college in new york. they're all enrolling this fall. they said one sibling was the holdout but they decided they're all going to go together. it's funny, the one that was holding out was saying, i don't know if i want to be referenced as one of the quadruplets. the family says between the scholarships and discounts, the bill for four kids in college will only be $74,000 a year. >> that's not that bad with all those kids. i think i'd be getting sick of seeing my brothers and sisters. not if you're willis. >> there really is suffof such a thing as a naughty librarian. one in five librarians has had sex there at the library. now i don't know how scientific this is, not very scientific. this lost 1992 survey from this man working for the wilson library bulletin, a new defunct publication for libraries printed in the bronx. at the time, they not only did they refuse to print the results they fired him because of this. he put it on his blog 18 years later. 51% said they'd posed nude for money. 51% rented an x-rated video. now boarding. stranded passengers finally getting to their destinations. but there is concern the volatile volcano could release another ash cloud. then, memory loss. one man's struggle to reclaim his life and family after a rare form of amnesia robs him of his past. and, cancer research. could these old rottweilers hold the key to beating the disease? it's tuesday, april 20th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> oh, wow, it's tuesday, isn't it? >> it is tuesday. this morning, we're doing your rottweiler story. >> really interesting. these dogs, you wouldn't think rottweilers would offer much in the realm of cancer research. this is a cancer-prone breed. what this researcher found out about them could hold some answers about us. >> but it's only rottweilers? jake is not going to be -- >> jake is not. >> soft coated wheaten terrier? >> soft-coated wheaten terrier. they do not hold the key. >> i listen. >> we've talked about it train million times in the last two years. we'll talk about these rottweilers. interesting stuff this half hour. stick around for that. good morning this tuesday. i'm jeremy hubbard. >> i'm vinita nair. we begin with good news for passengers stranded for days because of that volcano. some flights took off from asia to southern europe. british air traffic controllers are keeping their main airports closed today because more ash is said to be drifted their way. >> the continent is divided into three zones. open skies, a caution zone, and a smaller no-fly zone. it is now day number six for stranded passengers and we have two reports beginning with sharyn alfonsi at new york's kennedy airport. >> reporter: o'hare airport, the first flight took off for europe. a plane full of lucky passengers finally headed to rome. >> been keeping my fingers crossed that this will happen. looks like it is so far. >> reporter: thousands of passengers remain stranded. the concourse at jfk looks like a campground. rows of cots, makeshift laundry lines, passed-out passengers. >> we've been stranded here now since thursday. sleeping in the airport. >> reporter: we met the kent family, getting a little fresh air. still wearing their i love new york shirts. but clearly not loving life inside the airplane. >> very noisy, you don't get much sleep, there's nothing to do. >> reporter: hundreds of stranded passengers are settling in for day six. the red cross delivering 1,800 blankets, 600 cots. >> i slept on the floor. >> have you had a shower? >> no. >> no shower? >> no shower. >> tough, huh? >> it's really hard because we don't have extra money to take a hotel reservation. >> reporter: and the only thing that seems to be taking flight -- boredom. >> kind of get up, do nothing, then spent the day going to a different terminal for a change of scene. >> you there's only so much of your parents you can take. >> reporter: while patience is in short supply, kindness is not. dozens of people like mrs. barton went to the airport looking for families they could help. the bartons opened their home to the kerrs from scotland, total strangers. >> we just thought that's the right thing to do and let's do it. >> i'm so grateful to them that we had this opportunity, because we would still probably be stuck. >> reporter: so many americans are still stranded overseas. with that part of the story, my colleague miguel marquez. >> despite the good news that planes will start getting out of here, there are thousands of passengers trapped all over the world. they won't get home for days and we talked to some of them. stuck in paris. mike and molly romano from omaha, nebraska, spent a romantic week in the south of france for their ten-year wedding anniversary. >> this morning we said, we need to be a little more aggressive. to see if we can get back in the states. >> reporter: now they really want to get home, for three little reasons. their kids. >> josephine is the oldest. rory is 4, he's the boy, and alice 2. >> reporter: just hearing the names gets you upset. their parents are taking care of them? >> they're in good hands for sure. i would like to get back home. >> reporter: this anniversary, one for the record books. we caught up with the watsons in france's northern port city of calais. they took the very long trip home to the uk. trains all the way. to romania, that alone was 20 hours. hungary, another to switzerland, finally paris, then calais. total travel time, 84 hours. that doesn't include the boat trip home. >> eat your heart out, agatha christie. >> reporter: in dubai, the story of the wedding that almost didn't happen. sean and natalie were traveling from australia to london to get hitched when they got stuck. with four hours' notice the hotel millennium turned its lobby into a reception hall, used a video link to bring in the minister, the pastry chef made a three-tier cake, and fellow stranded passengers sang "here comes the bride." after the nuptials natalie spoke to the groom's parents via skype. >> yes, it's wonderful. thank god for modern technology. >> reporter: as for the romanos from nebraska, they hit the equivalent of the travel lottery. they're booked on one of the first u.s.-bound flights out of here going to new york. next stop, omaha. miguel marquez, abc news, paris. the u.s. and iraq are claiming major victories after two top al qaeda leaders were killed in an air and ground assault. iraqi prime minister al maliki announced the killings of abu alling abouti and abu al masri. the two were in charge of al qaeda's operations in iraq. also from iraq a court ruling calling for recount of votes cast in baghdad's parliamentary election last month. over 2.5 million votes must be recounted. that can only delay the formation of a new government and may inflame violent sectarian intentions. right now neither prime minister al maliki nor his rival have enough support for a parliamentary majority. police in tennessee are searching for a motive of a deadly shooting spree at a hospital. a gunman opened fire outside the hospital's discharge area, killing one woman, wounding two others. he then turned the gun on himself, taking his own life. a taxi driver who drove the gunman to the hospital said he appeared ton angry and depressed. wall street giant goldman sachs releases its first quarter earnings report this morning even as it sets up its defense against a fraud investigation. in a letter to clients yesterday goldman vowed to fight fraud charges and said it doesn't condone misleading anyone about its investment moves. one analyst told us the company is gearing up for the legal equivalent of war. >> goldman doesn't play nice. everybody knows that. part of the reason they're in such a public relations quagmire is that they actually usually feel that they don't have to answer to anyone. >> one sign goldman is ready for a fight, it has hired high-power attorney greg craig. he was president obama's white house counsel. he directed former president clinton's defense against impeachment. we are learning more about the massive scope of the cyber attack against google late last year. this morning's "new york times" reports hackers were able to hit google's password system that controls access for millions of users including e-mail and business applications. the exact extent of the attack has been kept secret by google to now. security experts say with so much information stored in one place even a single instance of hacking could lead to disaster. disconcerting for people with gmail accounts and that sort of thing. >> which is almost everyone right now. >> a lot of people, yeah. here's a look at your tuesday forecast. stormy out west. cooler with rain from central california into oregon and washington. up to 1 foot of snow in the sierras and cascades. gusty winds in the southwest. strong thunderstorms from kansas to south dakota. rain and thunderstorms from florida to virginia. >> sunny near 70 for much of the northeast. 60s in detroit, chicago and kansas city. mostly 70s in the rockies. 50s from seattle to sacramento. two of the world's top tennis players have reached new heights. literally. >> yeah, robin soderling of sweden and spain's fernando velasco must have felt they were on top of the world. ahead of the barcelona open. look at this. they faced off yesterday in a high-altitude match on the terrace of "w" hotel. and as you can see, they kept things pretty calm. they just gently tapped the ball. >> you can't blame them at 21 floors up, who wants to lunge for a ball? >> doesn't look like there's much of a fence either. >> no. >> scary. we'll be right back. whoo! awake again? here would you go next if you had a hoveround power chair? the statue of liberty? the grand canyon? it's all possible ith a hoveround., tom: hi i'm tom kruse, inventor rand founder of hoveround., when we say you're free to see the world, we mean it. call today and get a free overound information kit, that includes a video and full color brochure. dennis celorie: "it's by far the best chair i've ever owned." terri: "last year, 9 out of 10 people got their hoveround for "little or no money." jim plunkitt: "no cost. absolutely no cost to me." breaking news...when you call today, we'll include a free hoveround collapsible grabber with the purchase of your power chair. it reaches, it grabs, it's collapsible and it's portable. it goes wherever you go. get it free while supplies last. call the number on your screen to get your free video, brochure and your free hoveround collapsible grabber. call the number on your screen. toyota is recalling its lexus, the suv that failed safety tests performed by "consumer reports" magazine. >> the automaker says it will fix stability control systems for the lexus gx-460 and similar models sold worldwide. the magazine told consumers not to buy that car after tests showed the suv was at risk of rollover accidents. the automaker says the gx-460 needs new stability control software. >> been a tough few months for toyota and as expected the company has agreed to pay a record $16 million fine to federal regulators while trying to repair its reputation. >> as diana alvear reports the fine is a big setback for the automaker. >> reporter: toyota's safety crisis has already cost the carmaker millions in lost revenue. now it will pay millions more in a civil fine levied by the national highway traffic safety administration. toyota has agreed to pay $16.4 million, the maximum penalty allowed under u.s. law. on its website the company said, we have acknowledged that we could have done a better job of sharing relevant information. we did not try to hide a defect to avoid dealing with a safety problem. documents show the company knew of concerns involving unintended acceleration and sticky gas pedals last september. but waited until january to notify ntsa. monday, transportation secretary ray lahood issued a statement saying, by failing to report known safety problems as it is required to do under the law, toyota put consumers at risk. i am pleased that toyota has accepted responsibility for violating its legal obligations to report any defects promptly. the company has recalled 6 million vehicles in all, related to sticky gas pedals and for problems with floor mats trapping the accelerator pedal which is blamed for at least five deaths and 17 injuries. sales are still strong but the company's once-sterling reputation for safety has been shattered. >> toyota once was considered an invincible brand. clearly they've taken a fall here. i think a lot of other automakers are going to pay a lot more attention to any issues that come up, any customers reporting problems. >> reporter: ntsa has announced toyota may face yet another fine for not reporting two separate defects related to acceleration. diana alvear, abc news. >> interesting when you compare how toyota dealt with this recall, meaning lexus, versus the sticky gas pedal problems with a lot of people saying that with lexus they acted so quickly, immediately launched their own investigation. toyota, we're now learning the other cars almost had a four-month delay. >> you'd like to think they learned from that mistake. it's funny how cyclical with car companies. toyota was so unstoppable for so long, now it seems ford is doing really well. who will do well next? i guess we'll find out. coming up, how you bring back memories that seem to be lost forever. >> trying to reverse one of the most serious forms of amnesia, one memory at a time. more than a year ago a blow to the head did more than just injure an arizona man. it knocked out his memory. >> he was diagnosed with a rare stubborn form of amnesia, making him forget about his loving family and his successful career. bob woodruff reports on his challenging road to recovery. >> reporter: these are scenes of a life captured on film. and played out in home videos. a couple getting married. raising kids. celebrating the holidays and taking family vacations. >> all right! >> reporter: precious and special memories, none of which the man who lived them can remember. >> these are things that i know i should remember. >> reporter: in fact, scott ballson has no memory of any part of his life story. it's all been erased. >> my first date. my first kiss with my wife. our wedding day. the birth of my children. all of those memories that everyone else in the whole world shares, except me. >> reporter: ballson has an extreme case of severe retrograde amnesia. >> the best word i can describe it is just being lost. >> reporter: his wife joan has laid out all their family photos in chronological order. >> it's hard to think it's not there. you just -- i just keep thinking that something, something's going to just trigger it. >> reporter: 46 years of memories disappeared. seemingly in an instant. >> i usually got to work about 6:00 a.m. >> reporter: 16 months ago, ballson went to work and slipped here in this bathroom in what he thinks was a puddle of cleaning oil. >> i remember my feet going above my head. that's the last actual memory that i can recall. >> reporter: ballson had suffered a blow to the back of his head and was treated for severe concussion. the doctors told his family he would be a little fuzzy but would recover within the week. >> that early concussion stage, those gaps in memory are normal, no one thought anything of it. >> reporter: four months after the accident scott had no memories and started to question his own sanity. >> one neurologist said, you probably need to see a psychiatrist. >> we go to one neurologist and they're like, i've never heard of anybody losing their entire life. >> reporter: that was when joan realized she had to start from scratch. but would scott be able to relearn the story of his life? >> this is grade school. >> reporter: to help scott move forward they must go backward in time. >> scott was born july 25th, 1962. he lived in the south suburbs of chicago with his family. >> basically, what i'm trying to do now is spend time reloading the information that has been lost on my computer, my brain. i've never seen this before. >> number 71. >> reporter: from the photos and old videos, he's learned a lot about who he was. >> northern's football program came of age. >> reporter: a college football star at northern illinois university. >> it's a dream come true. >> reporter: his team won the california bowl in 1983. >> to me, it's just important for me to know, you know, what i went through, and this is a small part of, you know, what i worked hard for. >> reporter: later, he was drafted by the nfl. and for three years was an offensive guard for the new england patriots and the cleveland browns. >> see, i have proof now that i played for the browns. >> that's right. >> okay? >> proof, we didn't photo shop you in there. >> reporter: in his former life, scott was a pilot. ran a successful private jet company. >> something he was very proud of. >> reporter: joan brought him to an airplane hangar to help him understand his past. >> it's not jolting my memory. this is all new. >> reporter: he is baffled but he says this kind of thing doesn't really bother him much. >> i don't remember being a pilot so it's not a huge loss. ♪ do the hokey pokey >> reporter: ten months after the accident, as the holidays approached, scott had to learn all about them. this is his first halloween. >> joan kind of explained to me what halloween means. the ghost and goblin thing. i'm looking at some of this stuff right now, and i don't know what to think of this. >> reporter: a year after the accident, at age 47, scott celebrated his one year old memory. ♪ happy birthday to you >> taking it one step at a time. that's all i can do, one day at a time. >> reporter: through it all, he says, he's refound the love of his life. >> just reliving those memories makes me appreciate the love that she has for me, which makes me just fall in love with her every single day. and without her, i never would have gotten through this. >> reporter: i'm bob woodruff in phoenix, arizona. >> devastating. it can happen in a minute. the problem, as we pointed out, that he can't run his company anymore. he really doesn't have a job. he is writing a book sort of documenting this struggle but he considers himself essentially a 1-year-old trying to have to start over learning everything again. >> one of the natural questions when you see that story is could that past as a football player, concussion, have had any role in that possibility of amnesia? >> we've heard about long-term effects so maybe. what researchers want to learn from old dogs. a ripe old age. and what it doesn't cover can cost you some money. that's why you should consider .. medicare supplement .insurance plan... insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. some of what medicare doesn't, so you could save... thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses. call now for this " free information kit and medicare guide. if you're turning 65 or you're already on medicare... you should know about this card -- see if it's right for you. all medicare supplement plans let you keep your own doctor, or hospital that accepts medicare. there are no networks r and no referrals needed. help protect yourself from some of what medicare doesn't pay... and save up to thousands of dollars in potential... medicare supplement .insurance plan... insured by unitedhealthcare # insurance company. call this toll-free number on your screen now... medicare guide and customized rate quote. one of jeremy's favorite artists there. finally this half hour, you can learn something new from old dogs especially rottweilers. >> the breed is especially prone to cancer except for a few dogs beating the odds. now a cancer specialist hopes to learn a lot from the dogs and help people. >> started in harrisburg, pennsylvania. and made my way west here to seattle. >> reporter: for dr. david waters, this is no normal road trip. he is crisscrossing the country looking for the answers to living long, healthy lives. his experts? these guys. blaine and mena and cocoa. >> we thought it was time to go face to face, muzzle to muzzle, if you will. and capture some firsthand observations. >> reporter: dr. waters, a cancer scientist, is checking in on some of the country's oldest living rottweilers. >> is this the special girl? hey, shelby. hi, girl. >> reporter: dogs that are at least 13 years old, equivalent to 100-year-old people. >> oh, that a girl. >> rottweilers are a very popular breed but like people, they're prone to cancer. the average rottweiler dies at 8 or 9 years of age of cancer. and these dogs have made it to 13 years and beyond. and have apparently a strong cancer resistance, and we want to find out why. >> reporter: dr. waters does a complete physical and neurological exam while collecting a complete life history from the owner. >> does she sleep quietly? >> very quietly. >> does she breathe quietly? >> she occasionally has a puppy dream. >> reporter: the first clues he's finding in his research may explain why female rottweilers, like female humans, live longer than males. they too have a female survival advantage rrts interesting finding is that if the females lose their ovaries during the first four years of life the survival advantage is completely erased. >> reporter: this matches up with a recent study on human women who underwent hysterectomy. women who lost their ovaries after the age of 50 lived longer than those who lost them before the age of 50. >> thank you for letting me visit you. >> reporter: his cross country tour has come to an end but his quest to better understand the root of successful longevity has only begun. >> what i'm really looking forward to with great excitement is getting back to my laboratory and reflecting and pawing through these observations. >> perhaps what he learns from those dogs will help us with humans. >> i'd heard that before, that the instinct to protect the young, your children, keeps them alive longer. a new threat in iceland this morning as a volcano gains more strength. the impact another ash cloud could have on passengers stranded for days. plus, fighting words. goldman sachs digs in for a battle with the government over risky investments. and, is braille becoming a lost language? how new technology is helping the blind. >> i don't feel blind when i'm on the computer. >> it's tuesday, april 20th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning and thanks for being with us on this tuesday. i'm vinita nair. >> i'm jeremy hubbard. the skies over europe slowly reopening this morning but there are warnings about a new ash cloud heading toward britain. we're seeing dramatic new images of lightning amid the lava and ash from the iceland volcano. >> but there are signs of hope for all those stranded travelers. john hendren joins us this morning from washington with more. john? >> reporter: good morning, jeremy and vinita. millions of travelers bound to and from europe remain stranded. but for all of them there is new hope. a minority, the truly lucky ones, are already on the move. this is a long-awaited sight. a plane leaving denver bound for frankfurt on the other side of the volcanic cloud in the sky that has shut down air traffic in northern europe, sending travelers on a five-day trip to nowhere. >> i am so happy we're getting out of here, yes, i am. >> reporter: european officials announced what they're calling a slow and progressive opening up of european air space. europe will be divided into three zones. open skies, a so-called caution zone where some flights will be permitted, and a much smaller no-fly zone than we've seen in recent days. >> we should see progressively more planes start to fly. >> reporter: around the globe, passengers got creative. in new york, families like the bartons opened up their homes to total strangers like the carr family, stranded en route from disney world and unable to afford a $400 a night hotel room. >> i'm so grateful to them that we had this opportunity because we would still probably be stuck. >> reporter: the travel freeze has had a global impact. in ken de, 10 million flowers, mostly roses, and millions of vegetables are ruined. in britain alone, 16 bone marrow transplants scheduled in the past few days cannot take place. and every day, new york has lost 12,000 tourists and the spending they bring. it isn't over yet. clearing a backlog of 7 million to 8 million passengers could take weeks. jeremy and vinita? >> john, thanes. the u.s. is claiming a major victory against al qaeda in iraq with the deaths of two top terror leaders. vice president joe biden called the deaths a potentially devastating blow to al qaeda. our senior security correspondent martha raddatz has details on the attacks. >> reporter: there's no question these are very significant deaths. the two men are abu al masri and abu al baghdadi. they were in charge of all al qaeda operations in iraq, replacing abu mussab al zarqawi, killed in 2006. taking out the two of them together could have a real effect. iraqis say they were killed by a rocket but a senior military official tells me they may have blown themselves up with a homemade bomb set off to avoid being taken alive. >> the pentagon says the success of the operation shows the growing capability of the iraqi security forces. president obama brings his case for fixing wall street to wall street's front door on thursday. he will deliver a speech here in new york on the need for financial reform. it comes as investment giant goldman sachs is stepping up its defense against those fraud charges. david muir has details. >> reporter: we learned of fighting words in a memo circulated inside investment giant goldman sachs. we believe the firm's actions were entirely appropriate and will take all steps necessary to defend the firm. those words come after those bombshell allegations that goldman duped clients into investing in a mortgage product put together by another one of goldman's own clients. hedge fund giant john paulson, who was allegedly looking to profit when that product then failed. federal regulators say investors lost $1 billion, while that hedge fund chief made $1 billion. in taking on goldman sachs, though, the s.e.c. is taking on wall street's giant. a bank with long, powerful tentacles. two recent treasury secretaries came from the bank. secretary robert rubin and secretary hank paulson. >> a lot of people out there are going to ask, with goldman is this just the first shoe to drop? >> regulators, the politicians, the public are out for scalps and goldman is the biggest scalp of all. >> reporter: goldman sachs knows that. over the weekend, a voice mail from goldman's ceo. the extensive media coverage on the s.e.c.'s complaint is certainly uncomfortable but given the anger directed at financial services, not completely surprising. inside the bank, a belief goldman is being made a scapegoat for the kind of product pushed by many of the big investment banks and there is concern over maintaining their most powerful commodity, their clients' trust. how many people within the bank truly knew about this investment? >> this was not a secret. what is interesting to see is whether the senior people knew details of how this deal was sold to investors. >> one legal scholar said this is going to be war. >> goldman doesn't play nice, everybody knows that. they actually usually feel they don't have to answer to anyone. >> reporter: we've now learned the only employee with goldman named in that s.e.c. complaint has taken some time off, though sources say he's still a goldman employee. in a sign of just how high these stakes are goldman has planned a conference call. that part not out of the ordinary. what is, that call will be made public. we'll be on it. david muir, abc news, new york. more headaches for toyota. the company's recalling 2010 lexus gx-460s to fix a potential stability control problem. toyota says its dealers can update software to alleviate roll-overs. last week "consumer reports" put the vehicle on its don't buy list because of the safety hazard. general motors is set to announce tomorrow it will fully repay the $6.7 billion taxpayer loan earlier than the promised payback date in june. the ceo is expected to make the details public during a visit to a plant in kansas city. the company has received a total of $52 billion in u.s. government aid with the $6.7 billion considered a loan. some political news this morning out of florida where governor charlie crist says he hasn't made up his mind whether to run for the senate as an independent. crist trails conservative republican marco rubio in primary poll busy double-digit margins. their race is seen as a test between moderate policies and those of a tea party-backed candidate. crist is considering his options. >> i can tell you i'm getting a lot of advice in that direction. i'm a listener so i'm certainly listening to it. >> crist must make up his mind by the end of the month. if he stays in the gop primary race and loses he can't run as an independent. here is a look at your weather for this tuesday. rainy from seattle to san diego. heavy snow in the sierras and cascades today. windy in the southwest. thunderstorms and severe weather in kansas, nebraska, south dakota, and colorado. heavy rain in south texas. and rain and thunderstorms in the southeast. >> 82 in miami. 65 in atlanta. 70 in new york. around 70 in kansas city, fargo, and minneapolis. 70s from boise to albuquerque. 50s along the pacific coast. and a hot 91 in phoenix. we're going to convince you to get a dog yet. because we keep running all these dog stories. >> ain't going to happen. >> well, maybe after you see this one. they say that these are the kinds of dogs that have a face only a mother can love. it didn't stop these dogs from sitting pretty in iowa. >> that's supposed to convince me? that face? >> they're cute. >> beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder at the 31st annual beautiful bulldog contest in des moines. this year a cutie named meatball took home the crown. he also gets a royal cape and a key to the city. >> they're cute, you've got to admit. >> they are pretty cute. >> meatball will get to strut his stuff in public once more, he will be the official mascot of the drake university relays. he's got an important task ahead. >> i'd be nervous if i was any animal and my name was meatball. >> what, you're afraid they'd turn you into a meatball? i don't think so, you couldn't do that to that cutie. we'll be right back with more "world news now." [ baby babbles ] [ indistinct talking on television ] what's that? [ inhales deeply ] that's last night's dinner. 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we know what it takes to get you your power chair it's our strength. it's our mission. and we back it up with the scooter store guarantee. if we qualify you and medicare denies your claim for a new powerchair or scooter, i'll give it to you absolutely free. i paid into medicare all my life, and when i needed it the benefit was there for me. the scooter store made it so easy. i didn't pay a penny out of pocket for my power chair. the scooter store got me back out in the world again. talk to. there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little to no cost to you. back to our top story, the far-reaching impact of the volcano in iceland. >> we're getting a close-up look at the mess in the crater. neal karlinsky takes us to the volcano in iceland. >> reporter: we're flying to the eye of the storm. approaching the eruption head-on and our close encounter with this angry mountain is about to get a lot closer. >> i don't want to be too close to it if there is an explosion. i don't want to be knocked down, obviously. we're getting ready to land now just due north of the volcano. as it's erupting. we're going to touchdown on some ash. i'm told we can spend about five minutes tops. it's going to be cold out there. >> reporter: we're just over 200 yards from the exploding crater. the surface of the volcano is firm as we step out. it's freezing cold, below zero, and the wind is deafening. we've just landed and i'm walking in thick ash mixed with ice. look where we are. the eruption is going on right here. it's incredible to see the power up close. it's actually hard to breathe here. it's so windy and cold, it almost feels like the eruption is sucking the oxygen away. we can be this close only because the wind is blowing directly away from us, giving us a clean view. our icelandic camerawoman rapa says her ears are freezing, but other than the cold, the eruption is strangely peaceful to watch. we don't feel anything. the hundreds of tremors going on within the volcano under our feet, even right here, we can't feel them. can't feel the explosions either. in fact, there's silence. all we can hear is the wind and the sound of the rotor from our helicopter. but you can just see the power of it. it's magnificent. our five minutes are up and we rush to the chopper. the engine's still going so we can get out quick. even though we were assured it was safe, there was a collective sigh of relief on board as we blasted our way off the mountain. after leaving the volcano my chest actually feels strange. my lungs feel almost as if they've been chilled by the bracing air. all that ash is falling on the sparsely populated southern flank of the volcano. >> starting to get a lot darker. >> reporter: turning daylight into a poisonous haze of tiny rock fragments. we met one old couple sitting down to smoked trout and pastry, determined to stay in their home despite the horror outside their window. we went to a rescue center at noon. there the sun is shining, he says. we decided to come back in. no place is the effect more clear than this barn. when we visited friday, they weren't sure the ash was coming. but they were taping up to be safe. saturday, the same farm was shrouded in a pitch-black, otherworldly haze. we couldn't make it far enough down the road to see their property, lost in the same blackout as this one. yesterday we met them again, should time shoveling out more than an inch of ash soaked by sleet and turned into a sticky paint that covered everything. you were telling me the other day it's your volcano, it's your beautiful volcano. do you feel sort of, i don't know, different about it now? >> yeah. i think it's a bad volcano. yeah. it's not my friend anymore. >> reporter: today, she was evacuated again. and the family farm is a disaster. there's a different feel to the ash in different areas. it's like cement in one spot. over here it's a little bit hard. but then soft underneath. then over here it's just fine, like sand, like a beach. deep. there's pavement under here. they showed me a few days ago. can't even get to it. >> the hot tub. >> the hot tub they showed us yesterday that had ash that was sort of muddy. look at this, it's solid now. the ash has dried on here like cement. i mean, they are going to have to sandblast this stuff off of here. >> reporter: many of these stoic and sturdy farmers won't leave. the question is, what will be left of this normally beautiful farm country when the mountain goes back to sleep? i'm neal karlinsky in iceland. >> it sort of looks the way you'd picture it looking after a nuclear bomb went off. and some of those communities, you know, already a harsh way of life before the volcano, even worse now. i have to wonder if you'd take the assignment of landing on top of the volcano. >> you have to wonder if neal was nervous. it sounded like he said to the pilot, you're sure this is safe to do? we've been talking about the stranded passengers. here in new york, some of them have been getting 15% off of hotels. >> yeah, well. >> in places like london they're gouging them. some are saying double the fare, also for trains, one of the stories early this morning. >> even in new york, 15% off is not much at a hotel. >> it's a drop in the bucket. in a moment, oprah winfrey's first comments about kitty kelley's big tell-all book. >> and mo'nique's brother apologizes for something very serious. starting out this morning with heart-breaking details of a story mo'nique chronicled when "precious" came out. you remember she said she was able to channel her character pretty well because she had been molested as a child by her own brother. that brother gerald was on oprah yesterday, and he confirmed the story. listen. >> i did inappropriately touch my sister in manners that were not comfortable for her. i abused and betrayed the trust of another sibling. my sister. my blood sister. and now that you've seen me and i'm apologizing to you, now let's bring our family back together. i'm sorry, mo'nique, i'm sorry, i'm sorry. >> it really was heart-breaking to watch. he said he himself was molested and was using drugs and alcohol at age 11. winfrey said mo'nique did not want to be part of the interview but she did give winfrey the blessing to do this show because if it could save one family it would be worth it. >> i think mo'nique in her interview, originally she said the only apology she'd gotten from him was him saying something along the lines of, if you think i did something wrong, i apologize. on this show he finally came out and said, i now understand i clearly did something wrong. >> very broken family. >> speaking of oprah winfrey, you know how kitty kelly did that biography? oprah is now talking about it. she called it the so-called biography. she was presenting an award to her best friend gayle king and she made comments about the biography. she basically said something like, the so-called biography has come out, this too shall pass, representing the fact that nothing in it is really what she thinks it should be. she says she bashed kelley's book, which includes reports that the daytime diva abused drugs. she questions the extent of winfrey's long-time claim of being sexually abused as a child, which everyone knows that's a big part what she talks about. keep in mind kitty kelley said she interviewed 850 people. she's well known, she did liz taylor's autobiography, she did sinatra's biography. i shouldn't say autobiography. biography as well. so right now, it's number three on amazon's best-seller list. oprah is saying -- >> take it with a grain of salt. >> right. >> yeah. a lot of people want to know about oprah's life, that's for sure. seems producers of the new bond movie are shaken and stirred and they don't know what to do and they're not going to put the movie out just yet. they were in production but it's been put on hold over uncertainty over the future of mgm studios. this is what, like the 23rd installment of the bond series. but mgm is $3.7 billion in debt. they're trying to sell or restructure the debt. the movie's supposed to be released in 2011 or '12. right now it's on hold. daniel craig says he has full faith this thing will resume. right now money troubles are putting it on the back shelf. >> i hope so. he's my favorite bond by far. >> he rocks, he's good. >> really good. add this story to the gag pile. sharon osbourne has 34dd implants. monday she was on the "today" show, talking about the implants, wants to get them reduced. rather than throw away these biological hazards, she says she's going to take the implants and use them as paper weights and give them to her husband. ozzy osbourne. >> it would work. that's a big paper weight. >> her quote was, they're better on his desk than on my chest. she says they are awful. >> i didn't realize they were that big. here's some stories to watch today on abc news. flights from large portions of europe are resuming helping thousands of stranded passengers. british air traffic controllers warn a new ash cloud from iceland's volcano could interfere today. federal reserve chairman ben bernanke testifies on capitol hill about lehman brothers' bankruptcy. he said the fed could not rescue the financial giant. the shuttle "discovery" is due to land later this morning in florida, weather permitting. the crew spent an extra day in orbit because of yesterday's rain at kennedy space center. it was once cutting-edge, now it is considered the latest victim of technology. the blind used to rely on braille every day to read and communicate. >> now fewer than 10% of the visually impaired use it. ctv reports on braille's future. >> reporter: it was a language invented almost 200 years ago. a system of reading and writing for the blind, using raised dots. braille has been shep shell's language since he was a child. >> i learned when i was 4 years old. it was very important when i was a youngster. >> reporter: surveys are showing 90% of those with visual impairment no longer use braille or never learn it, finding it difficult and outdated. as they turn to new technology. >> welcome to internet explorer. >> reporter: steven mckinney rarely uses braille, preferring a voice-adapted computer. >> i don't feel blind when i'm on the computer. >> reporter: there are also scanners that read books. >> heading west. >> reporter: and gps with audio to navigate cities. some fear braille is a dying skill. but others say braille is the only way to teach the structure of language. it's universal and it's portable. >> what braille does and always will do is provide the tools for literacy the way you and i use pen and paper today. and that's something that will always be there. >> reporter: the canadian national institute for the blind say those who learn braille are more likely to graduate from university and are twice as likely to be employed. even steven, who relies on technology to cope with his blindness, admits there are times that without braille he doesn't know what's in what. >> i would open it up and taste it to see what it is. i guess i'm having beans tonight. >> reporter: that's why shep shell believes braille will never disappear. >> i'm a great believer that all blind children should be taught braille. >> reporter: technology may expand communication, but he says technology will never replace a language that you can feel. ctv news, toronto. >> seems like it truly is becoming a lost language, a casualty of this technology. >> you think we're moving forward but in some ways moving back. >> that's the news for this half hour. you can always connect with us on facebook, become a fan of the show.