and he was doing what he wanted to do, hiding his emotions. and they built up and built up. >> reporter: classmates describe lane as an outcast who'd been bullied. it's unclear why he allegedly opened fire. but in late december he posted a poem on his facebook page that read, "he longed for one thing, the world to bow at his feet." and ended ominously, "die, all of you." that facebook posting is raising some questions about whether this tragedy could have been prevented. schools will remain closed today. reena ninan, abc news, chardon, ohio. >> scary. you know, rob, we had talked about listening to some of those students in the pierce, they're very familiar with the alleged shooter. but at the same time, he didn't even go to that school. he went to a different school for behavioral problems. and it's almost interesting to note as if they think he went to school with them. >> right. it's strange. but also strange, and unfortunately this had become such a familiar scene since columbine in '99 but there always seem to be clues on facebook, twitter, notepads, and how come no one picks up on this stuff and targets these kids and watches them? how could he get a gun into the school? now they're going to have that big debate, metal detectors, but don't want the schools to feel like prison. we've seen so many times it's amazing, some clues that get missed. these kids just don't randomly decide. there's always a build-up that we seem to ignore until this happens. it's frustrating. >> tragic. tragedy. now to a major sports headline. matt kenseth won the daytona 500 nascar race. that is one for the record books. heavy rain forced the sunday afternoon start to monday night. then racers spun out and smashed into a track jet dryer that holds 200 gallons of jet fuel. it took two hours to put out the fire and clean the fuel off the track. so the race didn't finish until 1:00 a.m. this morning. and danica patrick off to a rough start in her daytona debut, taking a hit just minutes after the race started. her green number 10 car ran onto the grass, then slid between two spinning cars. the crew got her back on the track but by then she was way behind. patrick finished 38th out of 43. >> a messy daytona this year. well, american drivers are shelling out even more to hit the road as gas prices hit a new record. we're now seeing the highest gas price ever for the month of february. the national average has soared to $3.72 a gallon. according to aaa, the price of gas has gone up, get this, for 32 straight days now. and those rising gas prices and questions about the economy in general could play a major role in today's republican primaries. both arizona and michigan have been hard hit by the rough economy out there. with more about this race, here is abc's david muir in suburban detroit. >> reporter: on the eve of what could be the most pivotal primary yet, mitt romney's making his closing arguments. but many say this is a case that should have been easier to make. >> all right. >> reporter: romney now in a fierce fight with rick santorum here that just months ago no one saw coming. >> conservatism is alive and well in missouri and minnesota! >> reporter: santorum swept three states. but romney appearing confident he's regaining his footing. >> this sure has been fun the last ten days or so. we started off, what 15 points down in the polls. now we're leading in the polls. thanks, you guys. >> reporter: inside the campaign they acknowledged to us it's very close. after a bruising battle here with many political observers arguing some of romney's wounds self-inflicted, that economic speech at detroit's ford field lost in a sea of 80,000 seats. >> anne drives a couple of cadillacs, actually. >> reporter: romney mentioning his wife's two cadillacs. then the visit to the daytona 500. when romney was asked if he follows nascar -- >> not as close as some of the most ardent fans, but i have some great friends that are nascar team owners. >> reporter: one of romney's senior strategists telling us this is the picture that the obama team would love to paint of romney, that he's out of touch. but they argue it's the president out of touch on the economy, with unemployment still above 8%. mitt romney desperately needs the rocket fuel that would come from a win here in his crucial home state of michigan. this campaign watching the poll numbers very closely. and while very tight, they are seeing some momentum where they want to see it, on mitt romney's side as they head into this crucial michigan primary. david muir, abc news, royal oak, michigan. >> and look for some interesting math tonight in michigan. they have a very interesting way of kind of doling out their delegates here. it is possible for a candidate to win the statewide vote and another candidate to win more delegates. those delegates are handed out on a proportional basis. there are a lot of interesting politics and calculations going on in that state over the next 24 hours. >> and kind of an interesting little concert there with kid rock. mitt romney sat down with him last week behind closed doors and kid rock said, look, if i help you out herend i come out and do a little concert, are you going to help me save michigan a little bit? >> detroit native kid rock. >> a little agreement there. >> you think mitt romney you think kid rock. that's what i like. it all just goes together. stay with abc news as we bring you tonight's primary results. diane sawyer and george stephanopoulos will be here when the winners are declared later tonight. and of course we'll have a lot of reaction on this tomorrow morning right here on "world news now." here's a look at your weather now. showers for much of the gulf coast. hail and gusty winds from oklahoma city to memphis. heavy rain in chicago, des moines, and iowa. blizzard warnings in some of the dakotas and northwest minnesota. up to two feet of snow in the rockies and cascades. >> 47 in seattle. 32 in billings. 50 in colorado springs. a mild 61 in kansas city. omaha 51. dallas 72. 84 in miami. 40s in the northeast. february is a crowded month for holidays. but as you maybe know, sword swallowers have squeezed it in. you may have missed world sword swallower's day. >> my favorite holiday, right next to arbor day. >> to mark saturday's event talented knifers as they call themselves were out in front of the ripley's believe it or not museum in los angeles. >> the holiday aims to help sword swallowers get recognition for their talent and for their contributions to medicine. it turns out swallowers helped develop -- say that word. >> endoscopendoscopy. >> endoscopy. i don't know what i was going to say. those tubes that go into your throat and into your stomach for a exam. it's not just a freak show out there. they're celebrating a medical advancement. it's good for those people. it's good. ♪ like a knife ♪ but it feels so right ♪ it cuts like a knife [ amy ] mr. greene? mr. greene? yeah? want my downy unstopables? laundry smells good for a long time. nmm mmn. really, you can have it! take it joe. ♪ downy unstopables [ sniffs ] see you around. hey kid, catch! wow! no thanks, mean joe. ♪ downy last time i'm doing this. ♪ who needs sleep ♪ tell me what that's for ♪ there's a guy who's been wake since the second world war ♪ on this show there's always plenty of good-natured banter about sleep and how to go about getting it. many of you are probably up watching us. i know my aunt cathy is because of her insomnia. >> you call it insomnia. we call it job security. but the fact is sleeping pills have never been more popular. and that's why a new study, which links sleeping pills and increased risk of death, is getting so much attention. abc's dr. richard besser has the details. >> reporter: over two years people who took sleeping pills were at least 3 1/2 times more likely to die. of all causes. than those who didn't take these pills. it's news that will hit home for the 10% of americans who took a sleeping pill at least one time in the past year. >> i would rather not be on a nightly pill. >> insomnia just seems to never go away. >> reporter: one concern -- sleeping pills could delay a critical diagnosis. >> the higher death rate seen in people using sleeping pills may well reflect the diseases that they have which bring the insomnia about. >> reporter: insomnia is not a disease. it's usually a symptom. it may be the first symptom of something more serious. like heart disease, fluid backing up in the chest cavity can wake you up. diabetes. getting up to go to the bathroom can be an early warning sign. asthma. breathing difficulties can make rest hard to come by. even cancer. hormonal changes and unexplained pain can keep you up at night. sleeping pills are powerful. they act on the same part of the brain that valium does. quieting activity. and ambien and drugs like it have been linked to worrying side effects like sleep-eating and sleep-driving. >> when night after night for two or three or four months, whatever, the patient can't sleep, then it's time to go have another look. >> reporter: so if you can't sleep, this is kind of a wake-up call. don't just ask for a prescription. you really need to understand why you can't sleep. dr. richard besser, abc news, new york. >> oh, man, i am not going to live a long life. truly. truly not. >> it's like any other study. they say there's a potential risk here, don't go crazy, don't jump off your medication, talk to your doctor first. >> right. not a ton of proof just yet. but something to think about for you insomniacs. coming up next, a new role for actor michael douglas. >> how he's helping the fbi as a real-life corporate crusader. you're watching "world news now." ♪ welcome back. the fbi is unveiling maybe its most unlikely crime fighter. he was once the personification of everything that brought about the nation's financial crisis. >> we are talking about the one and only gordon gekko of "wall street" fame, played of course by michael douglas. how he fits into the bureau's new strategy. more on that from c's pierre thomas. >> our next presenter was occupying wall street before it was cool. >> reporter: oscar night. and there's michael douglas starring as hollywood royalty. but less than 24 hours later douglas is taking on a new role. corporate crusader for the fbi. public service announcement based on his most iconic character. >> in the movie "wall street" i play gordon gekko. >> reporter: gordan gekko, the ruthless criminal corporate raider who slashed companies to shreds, ruining innocent lives, and infamously declaring -- >> greed, for lack of a better word, is good. >> reporter: douglas played gekko as a world-class villain. but he told the fox movie channel he's been shocked to see wannabe wall street hot shots turn gekko into a hero, someone they want to be. >> yeah, gordon gekko, you're the reason i got involved in wall street. you're the reason why i'm here. >> douglas wanted the world to know that gekko was a crook. >> reporter: the new psa is part of the fbi's crackdown on white-collar crime and insider trading. the bureau says securities and commodities fraud cases have jumped by 52% since 2008. and billions have been lost. the fbi currently has 18 pending cases. the fbi released undercover surveillance footage of white-collar stings so you can see firsthand just what greed looks like in a money-laundering and insider trading case. >> you're not fbi, you're not s.e.c., right? we're okay, right? >> cia. >> reporter: now gekko, i mean douglas, is asking wall street insiders to snitch on corporate bandits. >> if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. >> reporter: pierre thomas, abc news, washington. >> mm. it's funny how time changes a little bit. here he was this emblem of greed, and now the times have gotten so rough and the swindlers on wall street. but the real tragedy of that story is how big cell phones were back in the late '80s when "wall street" came out. do you remember when cell phones were that big? >> yes. in 1987, we were just talking about it. and how long it last, maybe about 15 minutes? >> that was about it. oh, greed is good they say. so is this show. so stay tuned for "morning papers," coming up next. [♪...] >> announcer: bank robbers stole $43 million in one year. but identity thieves? try 37 billion! and guess how identity thieves are getting some of that money. by taking over our bank accounts. they may not even need your social security number anymore. all an identity thief may need are a couple of pieces of information, like your mother's maiden name or the city you were born in, and they could add their name onto your bank accounts in order to make your money their money. [whoosh, clang] you need lifelock-- the only identity theft protection company that now monitors bank accounts for takeover fraud. we have the most comprehensive identity theft protection available, so call now. try lifelock's service risk-free for 60 days. if you're not satisfied within 60 days, simply notify lifelock and you won't pay. and now, keep your personal documents out of the wrong hands with this personal shredder, yours free with enrollment. call the number on your screen. [♪...] >> announcer: "world news now" delivers your "morning papers." certainly you may remember may 19th, 1992, one of the most tawdry cases to ever make the news. the joey buttafuoco case, long island lolita, he's having the affair, amy fisher shows up at the front door, shoots his -- the wife in the face. well, guess what? 20 years later and many surgeries later she just got married out in vegas. she has found love again. mary lou -- sorry, mary jo buttafuoco is now 57 years old. she got married in vegas over the weekend to a queens-born businessman. his name is stu. she's looki ining great all the years later. you may remember, amy was 17, she shoots the wife. later she became a stripper. he served time for statutory rape. the typical love story. but good to see mary jo has found love again. good for the buttafuocos getting back on track. and amy fisher's on a pole somewhere. god bless. >> we have a photo to show you and if you haven't seen it yet you are likely to see it in the next 24 hours because this picture has gone viral. this is a photo of a gay marine locked in a passionate welcome home kiss with his boyfriend. as i mentioned, it has sparked a ton of support from backers in the military's policy of allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the military. and since the shot, since then the shot has received tens of thousands of likes, shares, and comments. it's also on our facebook page. i just want to read you one comment that one person wrotar, "as a gay veteran that picture drew tears to my eyes. never in my wildest dreams did i ever think i would see this in my lifetime." touching. >> times have changed. and welcome home to that soldier. very cool. and also you may find this story interesting if you're rich folks out there. comes from the huffington post. basically, what it says is that rich people are more likely to take candy from children, to lie, to cheat, to endorse unethical behavior at work, and even cut off pedestrians while driving. this is a new study that was published monday in the proceedings of the national academy of sciences. it says the relative independence and the increased privacy of the wealthy sometimes causes them to act in unethical ways. people of lesser means tend to be nicer folks and to act in better ways. that's what they say. i mean, you know, there's a certain sense of entitlement sometimes among the rich that leads to some nasty behavior. but now it's quantified in this study. >> well, i could let you talk about that a little bit longer because i don't even know how to get into this next story. this next story. i'm just going to tell you, a plane allegedly dropped some poop on a new york couple's head after flying overhead. it's pretty disgusting, basically. a long island couple, they were enjoying a mild mid-winter evening last week when they felt some black liquid falling down. >> oh, lord. >> some spots. they thought it was maybe something else. but unfortunately, the police came out and determined that it was something coming out of an airplane. >> sewage leak from the this morning on "world news now," deadly shooting. new details about the gunfire in a suburban cleveland high school cafeteria and the teenage suspect. >> a campus administrator says the alleged shooter was not even a student at the school. it's tuesday february 28th. good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. if you tuned in yesterday, you saw that paula's voice was a little scratchy. little under the weather. so meg has graciously stepped in as paula recuperates. >> and let's hope she's feeling better. >> yeah. good to have you back. >> thank you. and we are learning overnight that the teenage suspect in that school shooting attended a school for students with behavioral or academic problems. we'll have the latest on the investigation and the students who were shot. >> sad story. also this morning the explosive scene last night at the daytona 500. what caused a fiery smashup involving a nascar driver's car and a truck loaded with what else but jet fuel? and later this half hour, an emotional ordeal for an actor who used to play tarzan and the wild animals he kept at his south florida home. why two tigers and a leopard were taken away from him. >> and he is not happy about that at all. tarzan is a little -- a little upset this morning. all right. before we get to that, classes are canceled today at that ohio school where the shooting took place last night. last night family and friends gathered at a local church to remember the student who died and of course to pray for those who survived. >> police say a quick-thinking assistant coach probably saved several lives by chasing the suspect from the school. abc's t.j. winick has the latest from suburban cleveland. t.j.? >> reporter: good morning, rob and meg. late into the evening police continued to execute search warrants at several homes in the area. the homes believed to be of relatives of the alleged shooter. here in the western suburbs of cleveland five students shot monday morning at chardon high school. one, 16-year-old daniel parmentour, did not survive. >> we have an active shooter at the high school. repeat, active gun shorshots at high school. >> reporter: the call came in at 7:38. nate mueller was in the cafeteria eating breakfast with friends when shots rang out. he says the alleged shooter was 17-year-old junior t.j. lane and that he was sitting by himself at a table behind the group. >> we heard a loud pop like a firecracker almost. and i turned around and i looked and he was standing above his table, you know, pointing his gun. and he took one more shot. >> reporter: he saw one friend fall on the table and another lying on the floor in a pool of blood. a third was trying to crawl away as another shot rang out and grazed nate's ear. >> it was terror. everything had just gone tunnel vision. you see glances of your friends laying all over the place. there's blood. there's people screaming. >> reporter: teachers locked their classrooms. students took cover. that's when a school football coach chased the suspect out of the building, where he escaped on foot. he was arrested just a short distance away. >> he didn't seem any different. he seemed just how he would be on a normal day. he didn't show any expression on his face. he was just -- he was just t.j. >> reporter: classmates say the alleged shooter was an outcast who had been bullied, but a motive at this time remains unclear. rob and meg? >> thank you, t.j. some kids at the school dispute that theory that he was bullied saying he was quiet but he did have a circle of friends. so it's even more baffling as to why he would exact this kind of violence on his school. >> troubling. our thoughts and prayers go out to that whole community and all of those students affected there. meantime, a scare for passengers aboard a flight last night at the newark airport. the united express jet was forced to make an emergency landing after the front landing gear got stuck. it landed rear wheels first and slid to a stop on the nose of the plane. passengers slid down the emergency chutes to get off, but no one was hurt. the runway was closed for an hour. >> hopefully, there was no fee to use the slide, knowing the airlines these days. in sports news now, matt kenseth has won his second daytona 500 nascar title. in a race that was delayed by rain for more than a day. then this. with 40 laps to go a car slid into a track trying -- sorry. track-drying truck. say that three times. which holds about 300 gallons of jet fuel. no one was hurt, but it did take about two hours to put out the fire and clean the fuel off the track. the race did not finish until 1:00 this morning. meanwhile, danica patrick had a bumpy ride in her daytona debut. the only woman driver on the track got caught up in an accident triggered by another car just minutes after the race started. her crew got her back up and running, but by that point she was already 62 laps behind the leader of the race. now to the deepening mystery zroungd a florida firefighter who vanished on a road trip to main. jerry predamo's wife says she's desperate for her husband to come back home, but according to investigators a safe return is not likely. abc's linsey davis reports from ma maine. >> reporter: for the family and friends searching for jerry predomo it was the worst kind of news. the 31-year-old florida firefighter and father of two mysteriously vanished 11 days ago. his car found in this walmart parking lot after he drove to bangor, maine to visit a friend. on sunday police searched this home. it belongs to the father of 24-year-old daniel porter. he had & his girlfriend cheyenne nowak may have been the last people to see perdomo. police were spotted removing a carpet and other items. porter and nowak left town after perdomo disappeared, bought a used car and abandon the one they'd been driving. police questioned them but have not called them suspects. >> you know, it's concerning but at this point we're going to keep putting flowers up and we're going to find him. >> reporter: perdomo's family spent the weekend searching snow covered woods near bangor's old city landfill roughly a mile from where perdomo's car was found. >> never in a million years did i think i'd be handing out missing posters of my brother. how can you sleep? >> i'm not the strong one. he is. i never thought i'd be in a situation like this. >> reporter: every day more questions. who was perdomo visiting her in maine? one woman has come forward anonymously saying he was visiting her. and what did nowak, the woman considered a person of interest, mean by this facebook post last thursday? "i'm sorry for your loss. i'm sorry your friend is missing. but i can do nothing further." you see, the missing sign right on the tree behind me. perdomo's wife says her husband made the 1600-mile drive all the way here to help out a friend. she says shortly after he arrived she lost contact with him. linsey davis, abc news, jackson, maine. >> talk about a lot of questions. who's the friend, these messages that are coming out. it's baffling. >> the couple's involvement is kind of weird. interesting too, a reporter from our abc station in orlando asked authorities if perdomo was a drug runner. they would not provide any details. they really wouldn't answer that question. perhaps speculation but perhaps also a clue. we just don't know. scary. all right. well, primary voters head to the polls today? arizona and michigan. a big tuesday in the gop race. mitt romney did get a boost last night at a rally just outside of detroit. that boost coming from the one and only kid rock. romney of course is hoping to avoid an embarrassing loss in his home state. in a series of robocalls rick santorum is urging democratic voters to choose him and send a strong message to romney. unlike arizona michigan is an open primary, meaning democrats can vote and some are going out there in hopes of switching up the race and casting a vote for santorum. we'll see in they do it. >> it's neck and neck in michigan, especially interesting to watch that one play out. meantime, one republican candidate is giving bleak assessment of u.s. involvement in afghanistan. newt gingrich says the violence there is just the tip of the iceberg and that it's not possible to fix afghanistan. he said, "these are people who have spent several thousand years hating foreigners," end quote. with more on the violence here's abc's muhammad lila in cairo. >> reporter: in the battle for last's peace yet another setback. a suicide bomber struck the jalalabad airport, one of the country's biggest, killing six afghans and injuring many more. one car exploded and another one entered the airport, this man says. "the speed of the vehicle was very high." and while afghans are left to count their dead, americans are receiving their own. >> it doesn't really hit home until somebody that you are related to or love. >> reporter: major robert marchanti is the latest u.s. casualty gunned down along with a colleague by an afghan officer inside one of the most fortified compounds in the country, a place the americans thought they were safe. the gunman is still on the loose. >> anyone who believes they can weaken our resolve through these cowardly attacks is severely mistaken. >> reporter: but the question now is how? for nearly a week angry afghans have been flooding the streets after korans were burned at a u.s. military base, something top commanders insist was an accident. since then four americans have been targeted and killed. all of them by afghans wearing uniforms. it begs an uneasy question. how can american soldiers trust their afghan counterparts when there could be enemies hiding among them? >> the only guarantee is time. we have been trying to clean our forces out of these bad elements. >> reporter: in response to the latest violence, nato, france, the uk, canada, and the u.s. have all pulled their advisers out of all afghan ministries. with no indication when they might return it's clear the next step in this conflict has to do more with trust than tactics. muhammad lila, abc news, kabul. >> and the obama administration insists that they are staying the course, they are not going to change the timetable for returning troops and bringing them home earlier. meantime, there's this new pew research poll that came out recently who say more than 50% of americans, they want that changed. >> absolutely. you have to think about the psychology of the soldiers here because the guy next to you may be the one that kills you. so without that trust, that you heard muhammad reference, that rattles any sense of safety you may have. but it's also worth pointing out there are plenty of afghan soldiers who we've trained who are protecting us and fighting alongside. it's a couple of bad apples that shouldn't spoil the cart. but what an awful situation. a fishing boat has received a cruise ship drifting in pirate infested waters off the coast of america. it's going to start towing it to shore. a fire in the generator room knocked out power to the costa alegia. just over 1,000 people are on board that ship including eight americans. the boat is a sister ship of the "costa concordia" which you all remember that image, crashed off the coast of italy last month killing 25 people. some still missing. >> sad there. let's move on to your tuesday forecast. up to two feet of mountain snow in the cascades and rockies. blizzard warnings frts dakotas to northwest minnesota. downpours in omaha, des moines, and chicago. storms from oklahoma city to kansas city. little rock and memphis. showers from new orleans to jacksonville. >> miami 84. atlanta 66. boston 45. 54 in indianapolis. 36 in the twin cities. 40s from seattle to salt lake city. all right. this is a really interesting story. a 19-year-old killer whale named kaet has just changed jobs. sea world transferred him yesterday from san antonio to san diego. the final leg of his journey was on the back of a flatbed truck. take a look at that. >> the 7,000-pound orca flew on a chartered c-130 cargo plane in a special water-filled tank. he was lifted from the truck in a sling and into the pool. keet actually lived in san diego until 2004. sea world regularly rotates the whales among its parks to encourage their social and even romantic interaction. >> can you imagine that plane ride? >> go ahead, whale, get your freak on. we'll be back with more "world news now" after this. ♪ ♪ home at last if you're one of those folks who gets heartburn and then treats day after day... well that's like checking on your burgers after they're burnt! [ male announcer ] treat your frequent heartburn by blocking the acid with prilosec otc. and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill a day. 24 hours. zero heartburn. what do you do when you can no longer get around like you used to? when you fear losing your independence? who do you call? call hoveround now, to see if you qualify for america's premier power chair. hi, i'm tom kruse, inventor and founder of hoveround. now you can do more, see more, enjoy life more. here's why hoveround makes it easier than any other power chair. hoveround is more maneuverable to get you through the tightest doors and hallways. more reliable. hoveround employees build your chair, deliver your chair, and will service your chair for as long as you own your chair. and most importantly, 9 out of 10 people got their hoveround for little or no cost. call now for your free dvd and information kit. and now every hoveround comes with this tote bag and cup holder for handy access to your favorite items. you don't really have to give up living because you don't have your legs. call now for your free consultation. and right now, get this limited edition hoveround america travel mug free with your hoveround delivery. call or log onto hoveround.com right now! welcome back, everybody. well, one of the more commonly used phrases in tv these days is of course "caught on camera." and let's admit it, sometimes what the cameras catch is some pretty fascinating stuff. >> absolutely. and it's not every day that we get to see someone's life saved on camera. that's exactly what emily cinovec of k-2 in portland, oregon has for us now. >> reporter: wes runs a printing business. he has for 35 years. >> this is a wild device. people are intimidated by it because it will cut through anything. >> reporter: even around all that equipment he's never had so much as a scratch. he's just sitting one day in his office chair that he, well, he died. >> i was -- i was dead. my heart was just shaking a little bit. >> reporter: don't believe me? check the tape. there's wes working at his desk. >> nothing. because you feel extremely tired. the lights go out. >> reporter: on the phone. and then slumping. he drops the phone. and this is when working within one wall of your wife really pays off. >> it sounded like a vacuum cleaner, but it went more like whoo, whoo, whoo. >> reporter: that's shirley, also known as the best hire wes ever made. she saw what was happening and knew to call 911 right away. >> we checked his pulse and couldn't find anything is when the -- the paramedics arrived. >> reporter: paramedics got there within four minutes and took over. first chest compressions. >> see, now he's traded off. now the trainee guy's working on me. >> reporter: and then the defibrillator. >> there's the first hit. >> reporter: wes had been down for 20 minutes when finally on a hail mary a third shock and his heart finally started beating. they got him to the hospital, where wes woke up the next day. grateful to that team of medics for fighting so hard and thankful for his wife, who got them there so fast. >> oh, yes. yes. i owe her big-time for this one. >> on my to-do list. hire my wife. wow. >> that's amazing. >> lucky guy. >> and when we were looking at it, how did she know? did she hear something, maybe the phone dropped? >> maybe the phone dropped or something like that. >> she came rushing in. >> walking by. whatever it was. guardian angel. >> nice to see. coming up, an emotional ordeal for an actor who once played tarzan. >> his three wild cats that he kept as pets were actually taken away from him. we'll explain why when we come right back. when some people struguggle with t their mortgage payments, they beco frozen, petrified. not knowing what to do, they do nothing, but the peop who take action, are far more likely to get the most positive outcome. making home affordable is a free government program. call now to talk one on one with a housing expert aboutut the options that are right for you. real help, real answers right now. ♪ ♪ he's a guitar man the music department strikes again. good song. well, something of a very bizarre story here. it involves a former actor who played tarzan in six movies. he was arrested yesterday for being a little too much like tarzan. >> all right. listen to this. florida game authorities seized three big cats from his property. as angela rozier of wpbf reports, the former lord of the jungle was none too pleased. >> now i can't do anything. >> reporter: steve sipik is worried about his help sxrd two tigers. this is a photo of one of them. they used to live here inside these cages at his lox ahatchee compound. but now the cages are empty. officials with the florida fish and wildlife removed the animals monday morning. >> we've given mr. sipik several opportunities for him to comply with the rules and regulation that's we have set forth as well as the federal government. and he has not been able to comply those rules. >> reporter: this is video sipik and his animals shot back in 2004. he says he was arrested monday morning for a number of reasons including two biting incidents, cage violations, and not having the proper license he needs to keep his wild cats on his loxahatchee compound. >> she needs help right now. she needs medication twice a day. and they took her away from me now. who's going to take care of her now? who? >> reporter: sipik admits he wasn't in compliance because the rules seemed to always change. >> so who do i listen to? if i exhibit, then fish and wildlife is fining me. if i don't exhibit, it's the other way around. no matter what i do, i can't do it right. i can't make it right. >> all righty, then. well, get this. he said -- he told the palm beach post he lets tigers sleep in his house saying when it's cold they are very warm to cuddle up to. >> snuggle time. that's a little scary. all right. we'll be right back. >> tarzan ain't quite right. 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. the prices are competitive. i can keep my own doctor. and i don't need a referral o see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare r supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits r your needs and budget. with all medicare supplement plans, there are virtually p no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep that accepts medicare. p your own doctor and hospital and best of all, these plans are... when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up. and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... as with all medicare supplement plans, you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts # medicare, call this toll-free number now. [ facilitator ] what do you smell? takes me outdoors. sort of a crisp, fresh feeling. [ facilitator ] go ahead and take your blindfold off. [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] the febreze set & refresh. breathe happy for 30 days, guaranteed. and then treats day after day... well that's like checking on your burgers after they're burnt! [ male announcer ] treat your frequent heartburn by blocking the acid with prilosec otc. and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill a day. 24 hours. zero heartburn. ♪ tonight ♪ we are young ♪ so let's set the world on fire ♪ ♪ we could burn brighter ♪ than the sun good to see whitney houston still on that list. well, footbally this half hour, the folks over at nielsen say that 39.3 million folks, including us, watched the oscars -- sunday night. right here on abc. that was up from just under 38 million last year. >> and "good morning america" anchor robin roberts was right in the thick of the action backstage looking great, i might add. >> yes, she did. >> check her out. >> reporter: hollywood's biggest stars and winners moments after they stepped off the oscar stage. and i had a front row seat. sean diddy combs stopped by ready to party with the winners from the best documentary, "undefeated," about a high school football team defying the odds. combs was one of the producers. >> it's their night. i'm really just here to support them. i'm background. i'm a background singer tonight. and i have big plans for these guys. yes. theyave never won an oscar with me on their team and hung out with me for 48 hours. >> just tell me when they announced that you were the oscar winner. what was the first thing that went through your mind? >> "undefeated." t.j. martin, dan lindsay, and rich neediermice. >> this is insane. i'm going to have a stroke. >> i was thinking we need to get down there really quickly. >> i caught up with "bridesma s "bridesmaids" stars rose byrne and melissa mccarthy. >> thank you. >> i can't believe i'm here. >> and then all this -- all six of us together. it feels kind of great. >> and also, melissa, your little bit with billy. i'm afraid -- >> i want to introduce to you a friend of mine. >> listen. listen. and then my parents are here. i'm like it's all over. >> the first one went up. i'm like -- so flexible. >> i'm flexible. i'm not that flexible. that would be -- i'd be in the hospital. >> such a funny skit. she's so good. in case you're wondering what still is the most watched awards show, the grammys still, 39.9 million folks tuned in to that. a lot of folks were curious about adele and whitney houston's death. and of course -- >> congratulations. i missed that part. >> that was the award for best overnight news show on abc. because we're the only show. stiff competition. >> all right. we'll be right back. >> stay with us, everybody. more from ab this morning on "world news now" -- your voice, your vote. mitt romney says he's going to win today's all-important republican primary in his home state. >> but rick santorum insists his conservative supporters will turn him into a big winner in michigan. it is tuesday february 28th. it is neck and neck in michigan. and it is going to be very interesting to watch. good morning, everyone. i'm meg oliver in for paula faris. >> get better, paula. i know you're under the weather. good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. republican voters pick their favorites today in two key states, michigan and arizona. both mitt romney and rick santorum are in damage control mode after making some pretty controversial comments. michigan's winner could determine the nomination, or at least finally maybe cement an actual front-runner who lasts longer than five minutes. for once. >> also this morning, she was a teenage singing sensation when a london tabloid hacked into her cell phone voicemail and made private information very public. now charlotte church has some choice words after a settlement and an apology. >> that money is not enough. she is still ticked off. and for good reason, too. later this half hour, knockoff designers are going to work pretty fast to copy some of your favorite fashions worn by celebrities of course at the oscars. what was your favorite? did you have a favorite? >> i liked gwyneth. i think she always looks classic. >> you liked the look? it was a light thing with kind of a cape thing. >> she had a cape on the red carpet and she took it off. there were some others, but i always think she looks good. >> i'm still trying to get over j. lo's dress. >> we'll talk about that later. >> we'll talk about that. but first, it is so close in the michigan race that rick santorum is urging democrats to vote for him today. >> it's an open primary in that state. should be interesting. plus, meanwhile, mitt romney is accusing santorum, though, of pulling a dirty campaign trick by backing the use of those infamous robocalls. with more about this crucial race, here's abc's karen travers from detroit. >> reporter: with the republican nomination on the line, it could be a nail-biter here in michigan. mitt romney brought to the campaign trail some major star power. fellow detroit native kid rock. ♪ i was born free the stakes couldn't be higher for romney in his home state. a loss in michigan would be a major setback. it would likely spark panic among the republican establishment about where this nomination race is heading. santorum tried to downplay expectations. >> this is not a place that frankly i thought we were going to be competing at the level that we're competing. >> reporter: but he kept up the pressure on mitt romney. >> the outsider acts pretty much like an insider when it comes to public policy. >> reporter: both candidates have been on the defensive over recent comments from the campaign trail. over the weekend santorum said that john f. kennedy's famous speech in 1960 about the separation of church and state made him want to throw up. he said he supports the concept but -- >> the separation of church and state that our founders believed in, which is what i described, has now been turned on its head. >> reporter: romney's tried to back-pedal from his recent recent comments about his wife's multiple cadillacs and how he's friends with nascar team owners. >> if people think there's something wrong with being successful in america, then they'd better vote for the other guy. >> reporter: but mitt romney hopes that voters don't actually do that. today's primary is a must-win for him and a chance for him to regain the front-runner momentum. karen travers, abc news, detroit. >> and a little bit more about the nuts and bolts of today. arizona pretty much a foregone conclusion. that's romney territory. he's going to do well there. michigan, though, the interesting thing is it's his home state and it's an open primary, meaning democrats can vote in this primary as well. and some democrats are urging, hey, get out there and pick santorum to kind of throw romney off the track a little bit, and they do this proportional doling out of their delegates, too. 30 at stake in the state of michigan. >> big democratic state, too. it's going to be really interesting to see. especially he's from the home state but he moved. he went to boston. and i think that's kind of hurting him a little in michigan. >> plus that whole let detroit go bankrupt thing did not help as well. either. stay tuned for tonight. stay right here with abc news. we'll bring you tonight's primary results. diane sawyer and george stephanopoulos will be here when winners are declared later tonight. and of course we'll have much reaction tomorrow morning on "world news now." the family of a teenager suspected of opening fire in the cafeteria of a suburban cleveland high school say they're devastated by the shooting. a spokesman says the family of t.j. lane is offering heartfelt and sincere condolences to the family whose son was killed yesterday. a teenager who knew lane says she was surprised to learn that he was a suspect. >> i sat in the seat in front of him when i rode the bus with him and his sister. and they would just talk, and he would smile. and he'd kind of laugh. not really laugh. but -- >> he'd chuckle. >> yeah. and he just seemed really sweet. didn't seem like there was anything wrong with him. >> lane was arrested about a half a mile away from the school near his car. he has not been formally charged in connection with the shooting. >> a sadly familiar scene. the death of a 10-year-old after a fight with another girl has now been ruled a homicide. joanna ramos took a blow to the head during a one-minute fight after school friday and died later that night. an autopsy has now revealed it was blunt force trauma that killed her. her grieving mother, as you can imagine, still very much in shock, while the parents of other childrent her school are still reeling as well. >> the way that she died, that's the only thing that is killing me. >> 11 years old. you wouldn't think that they would have that much force. >> classmates in long beach, california who watched the fight said they tried to stop it but were held back by other students. police are investigating and will make a recommendation to prosecutors, but they so far have made no arrests. a jet heading to newark liberty airport was forced to make an emergency landing last night after its front nose gear got stuck. the united express jet came down on its rear wheels and the nose of the plane. 71 passengers had to exit the aircraft via emergency chutes, but no one was hurt. the runway was shut down for an hour. overseas now where a french fishing boat has come to the aid of an italian cruise ship which had been adrift in the indian ocean. the crippled ship is now being towed to an island nearby. abc's lama hasan has the latest. >> reporter: fishing boats have just reached the "costa allegra" cruise ship. it had been drifting without power more than 200 miles from shore in an area of the indian ocean infested with somali pirates. more than 1,000 passengers and crew on board including eight americans. the commander of the italian coast guard told us, "they are not necessarily comfortable because the ship only has emergency power on board, but they are safe." the ship left madagascar on saturday. it was due in the seychelles on tuesday. but fire broke out in the electrical generator room. the ship's power was knocked out. it is the second disaster for the costa cruise line, owned by carnival, in just six weeks. who could forget these haunting images when the "costa concordia" ran aground, killing 25 people? for now passengers aboard the "costa allegra" are facing nothing more serious than discomfort. lama hasan, abc news, london. >> there are so many pirates in that area. so they're getting a military escort back to port. they're actually towing them in that way. >> i would hate to work for the pr department of the costa cruise ship line. oh, what an awful few months for them. could have been a lot worse, though. and apparently there were nine members of italy's military on board to help protect those passengers. so they're getting to port safely, let's hope. in other news on this tuesday morning homeland security chief janet napolitano is defending the war on drugs saying it is not a failure. napolitano told reporters in mexico city that the u.s. will start paying to deport mexican migrants by plane instead of dropping them off at the border. that way migrants won't be forcibly recruited by drug traffickers. drivers across the country are feeling even more of a pinch this morning as gas prices hit a new record. we're now seeing the highest price ever for the month of february. the national average jumped to $3.72 a gallon by aaa's count. the price of gas has gone up 32 straight days. and we're learning new details about the recall of generic birth control pills. abc news has learned it involves nearly 8 million pills made by glenmark. the company based in india says there's a packaging error and the pills were put in blister packs in the wrong order. the pills were distributed between september and december of last year. if they are taken out of order, they may not work. the woman behind a book series that captivated preschoolers for half a century has passed away. jan berenstain wrote and illustrated "the berenstain bears" with her late husband. the books, which spun off actually into an animated tv series and even some movies highlighted simple life lessons such as kindness and peer pressure. jan berenstain was 88 years old. her son said she was working on two books just days before she died. who did not grow up with those books? unbelievable. >> i'm reading them all the time. >> to your kids. >> absolutely. still going strong. >> great. let's take a look at your tuesday forecast. rain from seattle to northern california. up to two feet of snow in the cascades, rockies, and dakotas. moving later to minnesota, drenching rain from omaha to chicago. hail and high winds from oklahoma city to memphis. showers along the gulf coast. >> 75 in new orleans. 66 in atlanta. 47 here in new york. a wet 43 in chicago. 31 in fargo. phoenix hits 63. sacramento 57. all right. now, if we're going to talk about an energy booster you're going to see it on this show. two college students at purdue say they have invented an energy booster that is a good alternative to coffee. andrew and luke came up with kick energy powder after experimenting on themselves and their classmates. >> they say it contains some caffeine but also b vitamins, amino acids, and some natural herbs and is fda compliant. not bad. the powder can be added to any drink without really changing the flavor, and they're already selling it on amazon, as a matter of fact. could be a hit here on the overnight shift. that is for sure. so send some free samples, fellas, and we'll be right here. send enough for the entire staff. we'll be back on "world news" after this. ♪ i get no kick from champagne ♪ mere alcohol, it doesn't move me at all ♪ [ male announcer ] for a better-looking tomorrow. vicks nyquil cold & flu. the nighttime sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, fever, best sleep you ever got with a cold...medicine. ♪ >> announcer: attention, those on medicare with diabetes. you may be eligible for an upgraded meter. >> if you're tired of stabbing your fingertips to test your blood glucose, we have news that could change your life. if you're on medicare with diabetes, then you need to know there's an alternative method for checking your blood glucose every day. you don't need to stab your fingertips anymore. the embrace meter from diabetes care club is easier to use and nearly painless. and the best news is that diabetes care club would love to send you one of these meters. this method hurts less and because you can see and hear your results, it may be easier to understand. >> female voice: your blood glucose reading is 89. >> call now to find out why nearly a quarter of a million patients have joined diabetes care club. membership is free. so is the call. >> announcer: call diabetes care club at the number on your screen. >> talk to diabetes care club. you'll be glad you did. ♪ ♪ you're making me crazy ♪ you're driving me to insanity ♪ ♪ all the things you do ♪ in case you didn't know that song, that is charlotte church. i need my energy drink. charlotte church belting that song out there. the former teen singing sensation is the latest high-profile brit to settle invasion of privacy claims with rupert murdoch's media company. >> she's pretty upset. church and her family have been paid more than $950,000. but as gene kelly of the bbc reports, the money didn't stop church from blasting the company. ♪ r reporter: she's been famous from the age of 11. charlotte church was the young girl who grew up in the public eye. as she moved into her teens, media interest became more intense and more intrusive. the court heard how when she was 16 the "news of the world" began hacking her phone. it went on for years. they ran stories about her personal life, including her first boyfriend. some of her medical details were also published. >> what i have discovered as the litigation has gone on has sickened and disgusted me. nothing was deemed off limits by those who pursued me and my family just to make money for a multinational news corporation. someone in the newspaper thought that was okay. how can that be in any right-thinking society? >> reporter: the paper was said to have issued an ultimatum to her mother, maria. described as vulnerable with a complex medical history. she was coerced ton an interview in which she was asked about how she'd harmed herself and attempted suicide. >> these people were prepared to go to any lengths to prevent me exposing their behavior. not just in the deliberate destruction of documents over a number of years but also by trying to make this investigation into the industrial scale of their illegal activity into an interrogation of my mother's medical condition. in my opinion, they are not truly sorry, only sorry they got caught. >> reporter: the owners of "the news of the world" are writing a six-figure check. because some of the claimants haven't revealed how much they've received, it's impossible to do a running total of how much all this is costing the company. there are 180 more potential claims. june kelly, bbc news. >> write that check. you know? hey. that's the least they can do. and funny, too, the interesting thing here is murdoch just launched a new paper, "the sun on sunday," which replaced "news of the world." sold more than 3 million copies, which is better on average than the paper that's been shut down sold. so empire still going strong. there's an appetite for that crap. that's what feeds the beast. all right. let's talk a little bit about the oscars because coming up, what is everybody talking about? a little leg, baby. >> yeah. a big change on the menu for diabetic paula deen. stay with us. "the skinny's" next, y'all. ♪ skinny ♪ so skinny welcome back, everybody. in "the skinny" it's all the buzz since the oscars on sunday night. angelina jolie's right leg. she was up on stage. if you watched, you saw her kind of standing there, doing the pose with the leg out, look at me, i'm so sexy or whatever. it's taken on a life of its own now. this thing is everywhere. not only does it have its own twitter account now, with 20,000 people following her gam, but it's popped up on all kinds of things on the internet now. they had it in tiananmen square. they had it on the statue of liberty. there's that shot right there. they put her leg on that. just all these funny pictures emerging from the internet. >> everywhere. >> her leg made the space program. her leg's up there now. they put the dress -- both her legs popped out of the dress. so the internet's just having a field day with this thing. but can i just say, i'm going to echo what a lot of people said. i thought she looked way too thin. she's a beautiful woman, lips, smile, the whole thing, but her arms and legs looked really bony and skinny. i think she needs a burger. >> she said that's just her, her natural thing. >> that's her thing. yeah. >> but you know what i thought was funny was jim rash when he got up on stage. he didn't miss a beat. he went right into it. >> that's what helped spawn the whole joke. but the leg's getting a lot of attention. i don't know why. but it's everywhere. >> it is everywhere. >> yes. >> well, a famous cook, paula deen, she's famous for her fatty food. >> that's right. >> she's got southern roots. everybody loves it. but now she's saying she's going to go on the lighter side. and this is all coming out, caused a little bit of controversy because she was just recently diagnosed with diabetes a few years ago but she's just revealing that now and she's also a new spokesperson for a new diabetic drug. but she says she is going to try to teach america how to do things a little bit healthier. she's not giving up butter, though, rob. >> you can't kick it all. she said on one show, "i gave up sweet tea, and that's a lot for a southern girl." so it is. sorry it took diabetes to do it or to wake her up at least, to put some healthier stuff out there. i do love her cooking. sean young, folks on staff didn't remember her, which makes both of us feel old. but she's an actress. she looks different now, but of course famous from "ace ventura," famous from kevin costner with "no way out." apparently she tried to get in the governor's ball after the oscars and was placed on citizen's arrest because allegedly she slapped a security guard because she didn't have a ticket, tried to kind of bully her way in there. the guard obviously didn't take kind to that and ended up being put on citizen's arrest. she's had problems with drugs and alcohol over the years. so people who think she's not battling that again, but there was a little post-oscar incident with miss young. hope she's doing okay. >> speaking of skinny, uma thurman has got a little bump these days. she's expecting her third baby. congratulations to her. a little speculation over at new york fashion week, she was sitting in the front row with a blousy shirt on. so a lot of people were starting to wonder. she has two children with her former husband, ethan hawke. this is -- the father is her businessman boyfriend, arpat bousson. a friend says she's very excited, she's got a nice glow about her. >> for those of you who are big fans of "the office," james spader is out of there. one season he signed on to replace steve carell and apparently that is it. he's out of there after one season. sorry to see him go, short-lived stint, but james spader is moving on, packing up his, yep, office. [ female announcer ] think it's impossible to reduce the look of wrinkles after just one use? think again. [ female announcer ] with olay regenerist wrinkle revolution, it's possible to reduce the look of wrinkles in just 10 minutes. now you've seen it. experience it for yourself. [ female announcer ] olay regenerist. hey, insomniacs. you're watching "world news now." >> sleep is overrated. ♪ finally this half hour, so you want to wear what the stars were wearing on the red carpet at the oscars. well, good luck looking like angelina or j. lo. >> all right. dress makers are hard at work right now getting knockoff versions of the dresses to stores. sarina fazina of wfts in tampa tries this story on for size. >> georgette's. >> reporter: the minute tasha diaz walked into her family's dress shop, georgette's, she made a call to new york. >> tell them we have to have that gown, so get busy. >> reporter: to designer tadashi. >> your phone's been ringing off the hook. >> reporter: winner of best supporting actress octavia spencer wore what's called a ready to wear gown, and georgette's could get it within days. the others on the red carpet, you may be waiting just a little while. >> everyone thinks it's like tomorrow. it probably will take a minimum 2 1/2 to 3 months and then you'll start seeing replicas. the fabrics are always lesser quality than what you're seeing. instead of silks you're seeing acetates and rayons. so -- and also they can't copy it exactly. that would be copyright infringement. and that would not be a good thing. >> reporter: georgette's store is filled with copies of the gowns wore at the emmys and even the grammys. but nothing is quite like the red carpet. >> this is the piece de resistance. >> reporter: the biggest night of fashion, the mother and daughter team wait for all year long. >> on our next market trip, absolutely, we are going after the fashions that we saw last night. all those inspired looks. because that's what we'll be wearing come fall and holiday for next year. absolutely. >> reporter: the store carries many of the designers that look toward the red carpet already. but here's the bottom line. how much is it going to cost you to look like a star? >> anywhere between 300 to 600 dollars and you can have your own red carpet moment. >> mm. and you were saying your favorite was gwyneth paltrow. you liked her look last night. >> loved her look. and somebody else who i thought just looked stunning, giuliana rancic. and we often don't look at the hosts. robin roberts, you've got to look at her. >> i kind of liked your dress, meg. i've got to be honest. i was very impressed. >> post third child, i'll take it. i'm still trying to lose the baby weight. i will take that shot. >> it was not a bad -- you had a good time on the red carpet. we are impressed with you. yes indeed. that is the news for this half hour. don't miss our updates on facebook, wnnfans.com. >> and of course get your tweets on twitter. stay in touch online and on the air. coming up, more news. >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now." informing insomniacs for two "world news now." informing insomniacs for two decades. save spare chang for laundry( . everyone aan free file, choose a brand-name software right for ymu or use online fillable forms. like iaria and james, you'll get a refund in about 10 dadays. for taxes that are a lkt less taxing, visifreefile.irs.gov.