>> and last night, the president spoke to the nation to defend his choices and also to announce that nato will take over the lead role tomorrow. emily schmidt is joining us from washington with all the details. good morning, emily. >> reporter: peggy and rob, good morning to you. before president obama used the word libya last night, he said the words international effort. and he said the world had had a responsibility to act. president obama, explaining the u.s. involvement in libya, said it was the right thing to do. >> the united states and the world faced a choice. gadhafi declared he would show no mercy to his own people. it was not in our national interest to let that happen. i refused to let that happen. >> reporter: mr. obama said in ten days, the coalition stopped moammar gadhafi's advance, doing so without u.s. ground troops and with a full transfer of power to nato tomorrow. in fact, just hours after the president's speech, secretary of state hillary clinton arrived in london, for an international conference about libya. but president obama said broadening the mission to include a regime change would be a mistake. >> we are now fighting on the side of the pro -- the anti-gadhafi rebels. we are paving the way for them. he should acknowledge that. >> reporter: libyan rebels have recaptured all of the area they lost over a week. they're within 60 miles of moammar gadhafi's hometown. this man said, god willing, the rebels will take sirte. >> wherever people long to be free, they will find a friend in the united states. >> reporter: critics say, that's too broad of a mission. >> america is now the policeman of the world again. as our executive defines when we have to go in. and i think that's a really dangerous position for us to be in as a nation. >> reporter: defense officials say the price tag for just the first week of military operations in libya topped $600 million. but president obama said last night, once nato takes over, the cost to taxpayers will be reduced significantly. peggy? >> all right. thank you so much. emily schmidt once again in washington this morning. we'll get answers from the president today, when he sits down with our diane sawyer. you can see diane's one-on-one interview with mr. obama this evening on "world news." and now, turning to the affects of political unrest in two other middle eastern countries. major changes could be coming to syria, where at least 61 people have been killed in anti-government protests there. the president is expected to announce that a state of emergency in effect for the past 50 years is being lifted. he is expected to undo other restrictions of political and civil liberties. it is another day of demonstrations in yemen. anti-government protesters were in the streets of the capital yesterday after the president changed his mind about stepping down by the end of the year. ali abdullah saleh is seen, though, as a key ally in the u.s. war on terror. more residents in the san francisco area are being forced to find another place to live as their homes continue to slide downhill. four houses in the rain-saturated hercules, california, have been deemed unsafe. several other homes were tagged there last week. the city is now considering declaring a state of emergency. now, for this morning's weather around from the nation. baseball-sized hail and heavy downpours in houston, new orleans and shreveport. some thunderstorms from miami to jacksonville. snowshowers in the dakotas and northern rockies. and rain and mountain snow in the pacific northwest. >> and 50s from seattle to colorado springs. 36 in fargo. 41 in minneapolis. and 49 in kansas city. a hot 85 degrees in miami. and 46 here in new york. unbelievable story here. the forecast for a ft. myers, florida, 17-year-old was pretty bright. an honors student at a private school. scholarship offers from several ivy league colleges, too. >> she seemed to have all of her ducks in a row until she is now accused of pistol-whipping her mother because she wanted a sports car. megan smith has the bizarre story. >> reporter: this certainly isn't a yearbook picture of 17-year-old rachel hachero. the honor student is accused of a very brutal, very bizarre crime. the county deputy says the teen wanted a 350 z convertible in a bad way. >> first, she came in and did her research on the car. found out all of the facts on the vehicle. found out she couldn't get approved by herself. >> reporter: shawn remembers rachel well. >> extremly determined. for a 17-year-old, she was pretty persistent. >> reporter: he tells us the teen came to the dealership with her eye on the convertible. but rachel couldn't get approved by herself for a loan. that's when she called her mom. >> i noticed she kind of got into an argument on the phone. then, she said she would be back. >> reporter: deputies say the teen left angry that her mother wouldn't sign for her. when she got home, they say she pulled out a gun, pistol-whipped her with a gun, and reportedly held her at gun point and made her drive to the dealership and sign for the car. >> mom was in a hurry. she just wanted to sign the paperwork and go. >> reporter: deputies say the mom was scared to call 911 and waited until the next day, while rachel was at school to alert deputies. according to the arrest report, the mother didn't want to press charges because she says her daughter is an honor student, who has been recently accepted to several ivy league colleges on scholarships. deputies seized the gun. they say it was stolen during a burglary last year. >> the gun was stolen from an airport police officer. ror. >> reporter: how she got it is still under investigation. the teen is facing serious charges. her mother wouldn't talk to us. >> wow. rachel has withdrawn from her prep school. but there's no word about her college acceptances or her scholarship offers. >> should be an impact there. and a hollywood, florida, homeowner is ruffling feathers in his upscale neighborhood, by refusing to remove his backyard chicken coop. >> steve kohn says his 15 chickens are pets. but his neighbors call them an unbearable nuisance and are now suing to have the birds removed from the property. >> we have feathers in our pool. when it's hot out in the afternoon, it smells like a farm. i can't live like this. and to be perfectly honest, there's no reason why i should live like this. >> they are beloved pets. they are a wonderful opportunity for my children to gain responsibility and care for them. they are a source of very fresh eggs. they are a source of fertilizer for all of my plants and trees. >> the judge in the case has visited the property. but she has yet to issue an order forcing the chickens to be removed. >> we'll have to see what happens in that case, for sure. coming up, more bad news. if you're stopping by the gas station this morning, prices are rising yet again. it's part of your business news coming up. and the latest on the nuclear crisis in japan. anger, now growing over how those in charge are dealing with the ongoing disaster. thanks ! ñwñ[= live claritin clear. and welcome back, everybody. time, now, for a check of market activities starting overseas. tokyo's nikkei average slipped 0.2% today. hong kong's hang seng is essentially unchanged. and in london, the ftse opened higher. on wall street, the dow dropped nearly 23 points yesterday. meanwhile, the nasdaq fell 12 points. well, another week, another increase in gas prices. the seventh-straight increase. the national average rose to $3.60 per gallon in the last week. that's up 3 cents from last week and 80 cents from a year ago. prices are at their highest level since september 2008. this, in part because of the turmoil in the middle east and also the japan earthquake. and that disaster in japan is also limiting your options if you're in the market for a new car. many buyers will have limited color choices for at least a month. that's because of plant damaged by the quake is the only source of a shine nay pigment used in many car paint colors. one of those colors is actually tuxedo black, available on the best-selling ford f-150. the supreme court hears arguments in the largest job discrimination lawsuit ever. the court will determine whether the case against walmart can go forward as a class-action suit that could involve as many as 1.5 million women. the plain tiffs argue that the walmart paid men more and promoted them faster. we are one month away from the royal wedding and the british have found another way to mark the day. >> the stamps of engagement portraits of prince william and kate middleton. they go on sail april 21st, one week before the big day. >> one month away. the count down is on. when we come back, a young man showing extraordinary poise and courtesy in a 911 call. and the flight that did not end as it was supposed to. take a look at that. everybody's okay, though. stick around for the story. today we'e going to surprise people with the taste of activia. that' good. #wow. this is really good. great flavor! it's eally creamy, it's really tasty. ooh! wow! jamie lee curtis! it's acivia! it' delicious. i am shocked. it's had to believe it')s that good for you. it's so goo. try the fabulous taste of activia today. taste it, love it, or it's free! and now discover activia dessert. in rich indulgent flavors #like strawberry cheesecake. try activia dessert today. ♪ activia , it was a mystery to me. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and with less pain, i can do re of what matters to me. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior or any swelling or affected breathing, or skin, or changes in eyesight, inclu blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands,gs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica aff you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. ask your doctor about lyrica today. that's why there's lubriderm® daily moisture. it contains the same nutrients naturally found in healthy skin. skin absorbs it better and it lasts for 24 hours. later gator. lubriderm. your moisture matched. constipated? phillips' caplets use magnesium, an ingredient that works more naturally with your colon than stimulant laxatives, for effective relief of constipation without cramps. thanks. [ professor ] good morning students. today, we're gonna... and now, for a look at morning road conditions. wet and flooded on i-10, and 20 from texas to florida. rain makes a slick ride from jacksonville to miami. also on i-40, from little rock to memphis. ice and snow on i-80 and 90 in the northern rockies. and wet on i-5, from seattle to portland. >> and if you're flying today, you can expect some possible airport delays in dallas, houston, new orleans and miami. well, it has been more than two weeks, now, since the earthquake and tsunami. and there's no end in sight for the problems, particularly at the damaged nuclear power plant. >> as you can imagine, there's a lot of finger-pointing in terms of how the disaster has been handled. diana alvear joins us now with more. >> reporter: rob and peggy, good morning. the news out of japan is getting worse and worse. workers are continuing to struggle to stabilize those nuclear reactors. but it's just not working. and now, there's a crisis in the nation, because of one big mistake on the part of the company. after weeks of uncertainty and confusion, many japanese have had enough. no more fukushima, they chant during a protest at the tokyo power company headquarters. this person says, we should not have had nuclear plants from the beginning. the sense of fear over the stricken fukushima facility is growing. traces of plutonium have been detected in the oil outside is of the plant. tepco says it's not from the plant. new video shows smoke billowing from reactors two and three, the very reactors that officials acknowledged have damaged fuel rods and may be partially melting down. highly radioactive water is spilling out into a ditch, spreading to reactors two and three. company officials have confirmed some of that liquid has seeped into sea water. tepco is also struggling to maintain its credibility. >> the water contains 10 million-times the usual level of radioactive substances. >> reporter: it was a mistake. tepco retracted its own report on sunday. but the government blasted the company. such a mistake is not something that should be forgiven or acceptable. and some experts say it might be time for tepco to let someone else take over. >> i think they should be removed from leadership. a team of top scientists put in charge, with the authority to call out the japanese military. >> reporter: trace amounts of radiation was detected on both the west coast and in one sample of rainwater from massachusetts. in both cases, officials say there's nothing the public should be concerned about. rob? peggy? >> all right. thank you. the pilot of a vintage plane and his passenger are just fine this morning, despite a mishap before an auto race in florida. take a look at this t-28 war bird. it was having mechanical difficulties. and the pilot tried to land back at the airport. no such luck. instead, the navy trainer crashed into the water. the pilot and passenger were rescued with only minor injuries. and the race went ahead as scheduled. with all of the excitement of march madness out there, it's a little tough to remember sometimes there's a women's ncaa basketball tournament going on, as well. we have highlights from last night, now, from espn news. >> good morning. cole wright with your espn news update. and with eight teams left, someone had to go to the final four. who would it be? gonzaga facing stanford in the elite eight. in the first half, gonzaga down eight. courtney vandersloot says let's make it a five-point affair. she had 25 big ones in this game. in the second half, almost loses the rock. she gets the short jumper to fall through. she had 23 and 12. later in the second, her sister, driving in the lane and in. stanford, they win this one, 83-60. notre dame, fighting irish, 0-20, all-time. pat summer and the lady vols up a pair. she scores. megan simmons is called for the foul. 8-4, notre dame, she went to the bench. time running out. on the clock before the half, taber spani gets the three ball. tennessee, they were down. under five left in this one. diggins, another three. notre dame up. diggins, 24 points. later on, it's deborah peters. irish up by ten. they celebrate the win. they win 73-59. they're going to indy. time for the magic and knicks. melo, he called this one a must-win on monday evening. ten seconds to go in the action. it's j. rich. jason richardson. you don't get nicknamed if you're not good. he buried the three to tie things at 100-100. 5.7 seconds to go. anthony, drives the lane. and this play, looks like one drawn up in the schoolyard. the tip, no good. we head to free hoops, also known as overtime. in the free frame, knicks up a pair. mr. big shot gets the ball ahead to anthony. he was finished, nicely. 39 points, 10 boards. the knicks win 113-106. that's going to do it for us here on espn news. don't forget, for more, check out "the highlight express." until then, i'm cole wright. hats off this morning to a youngster from the new york city suburb of darion, connecticut. >> this is incredible. back in january, 10-year-old tucker stoops called 911 when his babysitter had trouble breathing. >> the kid remained remarkably calm and even courteous. take a listen. >> hello. my babysitter is having a hard time breathing, i think. >> okay. how old are you? >> i'm 10 years old. >> okay. can she talk? >> um, no. she keeps -- >> was she eating or anything before like that? >> i don't think so. >> you're doing a great job. just stay on the line with me, okay? >> okay. >> just stay on the phone. okay? are you with your babysitter right now? >> yes. and excuse me, sir. >> yeah? >> can i call my dad? >> just stay on the phone, okay? the officers will help you call your dad. okay? >> yes, sir. >> unbelievable. wouldn't you love if that was your child? how proud you would be. >> so cool and calm. >> so polite, too. tucker and his younger sister who was home at the time, will be honored in darion on thursday. doctors say the babysitter would have died if the kids had waited a few more minutes to call for help. >> lucky babysitter. congrats to those kids. it's good to hear. coming up next, the stories we'll be following later today, including the march of libya's rebel forces. also, what are the nation's best hospitals? we'll get a new answer to that question today. j? j?j?j?j?j?j?j?j?j?j?j?j?j?j?j?j? my contacts are so annoying. they're itchy, dry and uncomfortable. i can't wait to take 'em out, throw 'em away and never see them again. [ male announcer ] know the feeling? get the contacts you've got to see to believe. acuvue® oasys brand contact lenses. feel how hydraclear® plus keeps your eyes exceptionally comfortable all day long. it feels like it disappeared on my eye. [ male announcer ] discover why it's the brand eye doctors trust most for comfort. and if you're not 100 percent satisfied, you get your money back. guaranteed. are they on? 'cause they don't feel like they are. [ male announcer ] acuvue® oasys brand. see what could be. you know what this is, cartwright? yes. nicorette mini. you carry them around everywhere. yes, i do carry them everywhere. because cravings are everywhere. no matter where crime takes me, nicorette mini's there, ready to take a craving for me like a real partner. ♪ would you take a craving for me, cartwright? what? how would i take a -- exactly. isn't it weird to eat your partner? don't over think the metaphor, cartwright. [ male announcer ] nicorette mini goes wherever you go, to help make quitting suck less. tough being the only girl. aw, there's the man of the house. who's this ? this is rufus. hey, rufus. he's actually pretty talented. you wanna see him do a trick ? ok. hey rufus. who do we love ? we love our bank. we love our bank. we love our bank. we love our bank. yes, yes. you really love your bank don't you. ally bank customers love our 24/7 customer care that allows you to talk to a real person anytime. ally. do you love your bank ? i had a heart problem. i was told to begin y aspirin regimen. i just didn't listen until i awoke withpains in my chest. i almost lost my life. my doctor's again ordered me to take aspirin. and i do. i make sure that h does it. [ male announcer ] aspirin is ot appropriate for everyone, so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. [ mike ] i encourage everyone !to listen to the doctor. and take it seriously. [ male announcer ] learn more p about protecting your heart at iamproheart.com. and now, a look ahead to the stories we'll be watching on this tuesday. aided by international firepower, rebels are advancing on the libyan capital of tripoli. secretary of state hillary clinton meets with opposition leaders in london, along with top officials from 30 european countries, to discuss libya. and the president of syria is expected to announce that 50 years of emergency rule in the country will be lifted. that's a concession to anti-government protests, which have rocked the repressive country for weeks. the supreme court will hear arguments today to decide if the largest job discrimination lawsuit ever can go forward. walmart is being sued by current and former female employees who claim they were paid less than men and not promoted as quickly. fresh from making his case for u.s. involvement in libya, president obama visits new york city today. he'll participate in the dedication of a building at the u.n., named for late u.s. commerce secretary, ron brown. thomson reuters is out today with its list of the best hospitals in the u.s., all based on patient care, efficiency and financial stability. half the winners are located in the midwest. and lebron james returns to cleveland tonight to take on his old team for the second time this season. james faced a bitter reception from the former fans as he helped miami beat the cavs. but he's aparentally not too concerned. quote, it can't get worse than it was. >> that's true. for some of you now, your local news is coming up next. >> for everybody else, we'll be back with a scary situation for a couple of kids in washington state. [ female announcer ] sometimes you need tomorrow to finish what you started today. for the aches and sleeplessness in between, there's motrin pm. no other medicine, not even advil pm, is more effective for pain and sleeplessness. motrin pm. >> ( beeping, beeping stops ) >> announcer: free is better. do your simple return for free with the federal free edition at turbotax.com. turbotax. the most trusted brand of tax software. depression is a serious medical condition. i feel like i have to wind myself up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, the lack of energy. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about pristiq®, a prescription medicine proven to treat depression. pristiq is thought to work by affecting the levels of two chemicals in the brain, serotonin and norepinephrine. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens or you have unusual changes in mood, behavior, or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens and young adults. pristiq is not approved for children under 18. do not take pristiq with maois. taking pristiq with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. tell your doctor about all your medications, including those for migraine, to avoid a potentially life-threatening condition. pristiq may cause or worsen high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or glaucoma. tell your doctor if you have heart disease or before you reduce or stop taking pristiq. side effects may include nausea, dizziness and sweating. for me, pristiq is a key in helping to treat my depression. ask your doctor about pristiq. now "good morning maryland." radioactive fallout believed to be from japan's nuclear reactors being detected across the united states even here in maryland. arguments begin in the u.s. supreme court regarding the largest class action sexual discrimination suit against wal- mart. proposed educational budget cuts has students protesting in the streets in a local community. we will tell you that and more ahead on this tuesday morning. thanks for joining us, i am megan pringle. >> i am charley crowson. let's say good morning to meteorologist justin berk. >> well above normal temperatures. look at the numbers. 23 in westminster. that's way below normal. and there's a widespread we have. 30 ellicott city and owings mills, 34 in edge mere and -- edgemere and we have a 15 degree spread between rock hall and westminster. in the middle, most of us are clear and cold. overall, we are checking out the temperatures that will try to respond to clear skies that allowed the temperatures to drop into the 20s but sunshine should warm us up to a high of 52. increasing clouds and a active storm pattern to talk about with wintery weather for the rest of the week. let's see what's happening on the roads with kim. >> reporter: thanks. we still do have a water main issue affecting the eastbound lanes of northern parkway between falls road and roland avenue. all lanes are open but you could see icy conditions. 695 at liberty road, traffic is off to a fantastic beginning. no problems or issues orincidents so far. as we look at the maps, everything is clear no reports of major issues on the i-95, 795 and 97 all clear. meg aband charley, back to you. >> thanks. traces of radioactive material from the