zeroed in on about $2 trillion in total reductions. they would come from budget cuts, including tens of billions to medicare and medicaid, an i swore at her and hit the bed.c here's daniel, he's on one phone, he's texting with another, and he's also googling and e-mailing. daniel, you need a tech diet. >> i'm sorry. >> how much time to you spend on your phone and checking e-mails? >> i've got to go. i need to read my own book. >> so rude. >> do you feel technology is taking a toll on your family? you're not alone. >> your co-anchor. >> here's the bbc's david sillito. >> reporter: i went t meet jo hagan and her two daughters. they've been part of a study following how many hours they're checking e-mail, texting, chatting online. i asked jo to tot up her daily hours. >> i'd say at least ten hours. yep. it's a lot. >> reporter: and then there was 16-year-old jessica. >> how many hours? >> 18. yeah. yeah. it's the blackberry's fault, though. >> reporter: it seems their online habits aren't that unusual. the research claims 50.3%, around half of us, are online for four hours a day. 19%, 1 in 5 of us, for more than seven hours. and that 36% of us, around one-third of parents, feel family life is being disrupted by all of this. and this is far from being just an issue about teenagers. >> the reality is that if mom and dad are sitting at breakfast on the iphone, checking e-mails, then the kids are going to get a message that that's acceptable. >> reporter: meanwhile, back at the hagans', one final question. have you ever gone a week without any online contact? >> no. >> reporter: so while 1 in 6 of us have never been online, for jessica the idea of one day offline is science fiction. david sillito, bbc news. >> i love how she's figuringngt out. minus this hour. shut it all down. >> close the laptop. >> she's like, carry the one. 18 hours. >> right, 18 hours, is that all? there may be a problem if it's 18 hours. >> you have some experience telling people to cut back on the tech devices. >> this is true, based on a personal narrative. oh! >> shameless plug. >> it applies to more people than you might think. >> my book's coming up next. it's just called "the diet." how to cut back on stuff. >> you may not lose actual weight but you'll lose virtual weight. >> you'll gain your life back, i mean, real conversations. this morning on "world news now," legal bombshell. an orlando jury acquits casey anthony on murder charges after a sensational courtroom drama. >> the jurors' decision stunned courtroom observers just about everywhere. it's wednesday, july 6th. from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm daniel sieberg in for rob nelson. we may never know how casey anthony's daughter caylee died. but the jury's decision and how the attorneys presented their cases has everyone talking. the verdict stopped people in their tracks, quite literally as they read the headline off the electronic tickers in new york's times square, undoubtedly got some of this information through social media, through the television. talking about it wherever they were, at the office. >> we're hearing from a lot of our heroes on wnnfans.com. most people are saying they are completely floored by this verdict. it was sort of a guilty verdict in most people's minds. but that did not turn out to be the case. >> a lot of folks were seeking justice and feel like they came up empty-handed. we'll talk more about that later. >> much more coming up on that. also this half hour, the huge cheating scandal in the atlanta public school system. investigators say that it involves 200 educators accused of fixing wrong answers on students' standardized tests. it apparently went on for years. >> this is basically the teachers cheating on things here. >> which is completely shocking, 's really incredible. we'll be talking about that quite a bit. >> absolutely. >> i'm sure people have e eir opinions about that, too. and later on, the duke and duchess of cambridge make history again in canada, playing with people who call the very distant northwest territories their homeme one of the three territories up there in canada. i think at one point they actually played a little street hockey, which captured my heart. >> they're game for anything. they did the dragon boat thing, they've tested out different languages. i would like to hear catherine actually say something. that would be nice. >> apparently cozy together. touchy-feely. >> they're newlyweds, you can expect that for a little while. after being the center of a high-profile legal case, casey anthony could soon walk free, perhaps even this week. >> jurors found the young florida mother guilty on only a few minor charges and considering the time she's already served, freedom may be close at hand. diana alalar has been following the case and joins us now from orlando. diana? >> reporter: peggy and daniel, od morning. this was truly a stunnnng verdict and it really raises so many more questions. we may never know what happened to caylee. and why the jury decided her mother didn't murder her. >> as to the charge of first degree murder, verdict as to count one, we the jury find the defendant not guilty. >> reporter: as the verdict was read out loud, a sobbing casey anthony collapapd into her attorney's arms. but after rendering their verdict of not guilty on the most serious charges, the jury declined to explain how they arrived at that decision. >> the 12 jurors have declined to talk to you. >> reporter: so ends the nearly two-month trtrl and three years of speculation and high-stakes drama in the death of 2-year-old caylee anthony. she disappeared in 2008. her mother casey emerged as the prime suspect after it was revealed she waited 31 days to report her missing. caylee's remains were later discovered in a wooded area near the family home. casey's defense attorneys claim the toddler died in an accidental drowning and thth her grandfather george covered it up. a relieved jose baez said while there were no winners, justice had been done. >> casey did not murder caylee. it's that simple. and today our system of justice has not dishonored her memory by a false conviction. >> reporter: outside the court, spectators cried and shouted. >> not guilty! >> reporter: a little girl's memory still fresh in their minds. her mother acquitted in her death. so what's casey anthony looking at in terms of sentencing? four years in prison, minus the 2 1/2 years she's already served. her sentencing is this thursday. peggy, daniel? >> something we were talking about in the news room this morning, this is really one of the situations where they did not have enough evidence to convict her. however, that doesn't mean maybe the jurors suspected she might be guilty. they had to stick to the letter of the law. if the evidence wasn't there -- >> abc analyst dave abrahams said they could have thought she was 95% guilty but not all the way, if so they had to acquit her. >> a lot of people opinionated on this one. and just after this acquittal, one of the lead prosecutors announced he will retire at the end of the week after 30 years on the job. >> across the nation there's been intense interest in the case. hundreds of tourists in new york's times square were stopped dead in their tracks as they watched the verdict come in. >> she got -- literally got away with murder and walked away. >> i'm surprised. because all of the evidence, you know, pointed that she is guilty. >> i guess the defense made a good enough case about, you know, pulling their heartstrings. made it seem like she couldn't have been involved. >> not surprisingly there was also strong reaction to the bombshell verdict online. the top trends on google and twitter were all related to the case. it's really become -- social media's become the pulse of the nation in many ways. you can feel how people are reacting to this. >> in some ways it's really great because you can see if other people are agreeing for not. people are debating this out at wnnfans.com. so weigh in right now, let us know what you think. some people are once again saying they feel she got away with murder. >> it's a place where people can vent and share their opinions and we welcome you to do so at wnnfans.com, no matter what your thoughts are on this case. later this half hour, the unusual twists and turns in the casey anthony case that brought the trial so much attention. stay tuned for "america this morning" and "good morningng america" later on for more reaction and analysis to this verdict. now to another high-profile case, sex assault charges against dominique strauss-kahn could be dropped in new york as early as today. he is the focus of a new investigation, however, in france. the former international monetary fund chief is expected to meet with prosecutors in manhattan this morning. a french a ahor who had accused strauss-kahn of trying to rape her in 2003 has now filelea formal complaint in paris saying she wants to clear her name. >> she now appears to have reached the conclusion that if she doesn't bring charges against mr. strauss-kahn, everybody thinks she's just a liar. so she's probably being forced into believing that she has to go forward now or she will otherwise be treated as someone who is dishonest. >> strauss-kahn remains free on bail. the sex assault case stemming from allegations by a hotel maid has been on the brink of collapse since prosecutors questioned the alleged victim's credibility. the city of atlanta is in shock because of a scathing report that showowwidespread cheating in the public school system. perhaps the most disturbing revelation of all, nearly 200 teachers and principals are implicated. wsb's eric phillips reports now from atlanta. >> reporter: an 800-page report details how according to investigators, a culture of fear and a conspiracy of silence infected atlanta public schools for a decade when it came to correcting crct test answers. here are a few of the findings. changing of answers was often done at weekend gatherings at so-called erasure parties. children were denied special educational assistance because their falsely reported crtc scores were too high. and during testing teachers pointed to the correct answers while standing at the students' desks. >> total disappointment that the city isn't in better control of the schools and that our teachers and principals don't have more integrity. >> reporter: according to the report parks middle school had the most educators accused of cheating under the direction of then-principal christopher waller. the report says scores improved dramatically when waller arrived there. meanwhile, answers were allegedly being changed in 2006, '07, '08 and' 09, and that superintendent beverly hall knew or should have known about it. we went to dr. hall's home but no one answered the door. same thing at principal waller's atlanta home. the report also gives specific examples of teacher intimidation from those in leadership. it says dunbar elementary test coordinator lyra middlebrooks threatened teachers, if they told investigators what happened she could place a lien on their house or get them at their car. collier heights principal gwendolyn rogers repeptedly told teachers, if johnny doesn't know how to read, he better know how on test day. investigators are clear in this report dr. hall knew what was going on or should have known. in downtown atlanta, at atlanta public schools, eric phillips >> clearly a lot of pressure on teachers these days to get those results and performance-based statistics from their students, but no excuse. >> hopefully by the right method and not that one. great story, really good report there. taking a look at your wednesday weather now. stormy w wh gusty winds and hail from the dakotas to kansas city. also st. louis and chicago. off and on thunderstorms from new orleans to miami, memphis, nashville and the carolinas. are you celebrating u2? >> again, absolutely. >> this is like two for one now. thunderstorms and flash flooding in the southwest from the four corners region into california and nevada. >> 93 in albuquerque. 87 in salt lake city. mostly 80s from fargo to detroit. new york climbs to 90. atlanta 92. miami 87. i'm just stretching it out so i can hear more u2. first lady michelle obama got a big round of applause at last night's cubs/nationals game in washington. >> that's right. mrs. obama was there as part of her initiative to honor and support militaryryamilies. she escorted a group of nine children from military families onto the field and was on the mound when one of them threw out the ceremonial first pitch. >> i love that. i really like it that she's made that her cause. >> she was really into it, too. >> she was. looking good. go, first lady. we'll be right back, everyone, with more "world news now." introducing crest 3d white enamel renewal toothpaste. it not only removes up to 90% of surface stains in just two weeks, it also strengthens and rebuilds your enamel. new crest 3d white enamel renewal toothpaste. life opens up when you do. [ male announcer ] every day thousands of people are switching from tylenol to advil. to learn more and get your special offer, go to takeadvil.com. take action. take advil. returning to our top story now, the casey anthony verdict. as you know by now, anthony was acquitted of murdering her daughter but found guilty of lying to investigators. >> what does that mean for anthony and her family? here's abc's elizabeth vargas. >> reporter: huge crowds reacted angrily to news casey anthony will be free, perhaps within days. what is life going to be like for casey anthony when she gets out? >> i think it's going to be extremely difficult. she's lost everything. >> reporter: it didn't begin that way. there was her mother cindy anthony's frantic call to 911. >> my daughter was missing for a month. i just found her today but i can't find my granddaughter. >> reporter: and her grieving father george leading search parties for the missing toddler. even after police arrested casey she continued to have her parents' support. five months after caylee vanished her body is found in a swamp near her family's home. when her mother casey goes on trial for her murder, her explanation for what happened is to blame every other member of her own family. claiming her father and brother sexually abused her. that her mother left the ladder to the backyard pool open, allowing the toddler to climb in and drown. and that her father disposed of the little girl's body. never offering any proof. kathleen zelder is a criminal defense lawyer. casey anthony and her defense lawyers really used a scorched earth philosophy. every single member of the anthony family has been slandered or accused of horrific things. >> yeah. and it's awful that it happened that way. i don't know how the anthony family will ever recover from that. >> reporter: yet even then, casey anthony's mother stands by her, mouthing "i love you" to her daughter in court. even as her daughter shows no emotion as her father sobs and her mother seems to collapse with grief on the stand. >> not guilty. >> reporter: it was casey who cried at her acquittal of murder. and her parents who left the courtroom quietly. until her arrest, casey lived in her parents' home. >> she can never have the life back that she once had. her child is dead. and her parents have been injured. i don't know how you say to someone,e,'m sorry i accused you of sexually abusing me. >> i didn't mean it and can i come home now? >> she has been so reviled that people just aren't going to be able to change that view of her. she'll be back out. but she's going to live in a prison the rest of her life. >> of course the mystery remains 2-year-old caylee anthony. the little girl with the big brown eyes who loved swimming and winnie the pooh. whose case, whose tragic fate, touched and enraged so many. elizabeth vargas, abc news, new york.. >> now the jurors made up of seven women, five men, the only thing they found her guilty of was providing false information and lying to investigators. a lot of people said the child abuse charges should have been something she was found guty on. her daughter was missing for 31 days. >> when it comes to her family members, clearly this is a family torn up by tragedy on so many levels. her parents -- i don't even know how to relate to what they're going through at this point. just rough for so many of them. of course, so many people feeling emotions outside of that family too. >> understandably. it's been a very tough case. coming up, editors of "vanity fair" magazine hit a sour note. >> we're talking about how a pop singer, a very popular pop singer, disappointed them completely. details and the scoop coming up in "the skinny." ♪ skinny so skinny and time now for "the skinny." a little disclaimer here. we know that emotions are definitely raw about the whole casey anthony verdict. and we don't want to trivialize it by talking about celeb tweets. we did think this one was interesting. this is kim kardashian says she's stunned by the casey anthony trial. she said this on twitter. she has like a bajillion twitter followers. because she makes cash on it. this is what she posted. what casey anthony found not guilty i am speechless. this is where it gets interesting. somebody writes back and says -- >> why, your dad helped o.j. walk, her dad being robert kardashian, one of the lawyers who represented o.j. simpson, even though he knew he was guilty. some things never change, murderers go free. >> which is interesting because a lot of people are saying this is o.j. 2, this trial. >> that's what some people feel about it, looking for justice in some way. and then of course kim kardashian reacts to that. just because i was close to the o.j. trial can't i have my own opinion in the casey anthony case? so it's interesting that a celebrity feels they can say whatever they want and get offended when other people react to what they say. can't have it both ways. >> celebs sometimes think they're experts on everything. >> right. >> which can be amusing and we definitely use that here in "the skinny." >> yeah, we do. >> there you go. >> let's move on to another celebrity now, justin timberlake, who -- >> j.t. >> who became a minority owner in myspace, along with specific media. they're trying to come up with ways to revive myspace. i think this is a huge uphill battle for them. one of the ideas that's floating around is a talent competition of some kind. a little unclear how this would work, whether it would be online -- >> online "american idol," sort of thing? >> something like that, whether there would be a television componenento it as well remains to be seen. they've got to try something and it can only get better. myspace has been losing users and viewers for years. >> j.t. is bringing sexy back. i don't know if you've heard. >> that rumor is going around. >> i like -- pretty much everything he does turns out to be pretty cool. how about this. we can't believe, this is a couple alert we're talking about, a-rod who dates every babe on the face of the planet -- >> some of them cougars. >> he dated madonna for a while. most recently it's been cameron diaz. she's 38, a-rod's 35. take a look at the lady up there on your screen now. rumor has it he's going after christie brinkley. >> who is 57. >> rrow! i love it. good for her. after the peter cook debacle, she should have a young, hot boyfriend. >> right. evidently, according to o he new york daily news," he told a source he was unattached. >> to her. whenever we hear it's from a source, you know it's true. >> "new york daily news" sources? take them with a grain of salt. >> i would like to see christie brinkley say, take that, ex-husband, who cheated on me wi