threatened her life. calls him insane. but admits her own struggle with addiction. so, where do the twin boys really belong? and hang on. a woman hangs on to the hood of a car. how did she hold on tight for 35 miles and survive? hello, everyone. we have a lot to get to this morning. starting out with more information about that terrorist attack against americans in germany. two service members killed. two others wounded at the frankfurt airport. german authorities now indicating that the gunman who fired on the american troops at close range was driven by islamic extremism. apparently he was yelling allah akbar. was he a lone wolf? or did he have help? >> we're going to answer the questions right away. and a look at serena williams health care. surgery for a life-threatening blood clot. why being so in shape may have put her at risk. and a college basketball team has been suspended for premarital sex. we'll have that story ahead. we begin with the latest from libya. gadhafi's war planes struck back hard at a key oil port in that country, that rebels had taken control of yesterday after a day-long battle. it's another sign that what has become a civil war there could drag on for some time. and lama hasan is in ben gaza. good morning, lama. >> reporter: you're absolutely right. it's the biggest and most significant battle since the uprising began two weeks ago. and mommar gadhafi is taking his fight straight to the rebels. today, mommar gadhafi's forces were back, launching more air strikes, targeting the air force in brega, next to the oil terminal. from the air, they are hitting t strategic assets hard, east of the capital tripoli. and on land, firing from a hilltop. after a day of fierce fighting in this eastern town, hundreds of armed rebels, members of the opposition, regain control. driving his forces out. meanwhile, pro-gadhafi forces seize three dutch marines as they were helping to evacuate their nationals. now, the netherlands are trying to negotiate their release. this, as humanitarian help is on the way, with two u.s. ships. and at least 800 marines are in the mediterranean waters. in a bizarre entrance on wednesday, the libyan leader drove himself in a golf cart for yet another long and rattles speech. the colonel remained defiant. saying it would be a bloody war. and thousands of libyans would die, if america and nato enter libya. and he is in denial, believing his people are still supporting him. while the opposition wants the u.s. to enforce a no-fly zone. but so far, the u.s. is resisting, saying that would be a big operation, in a big country. robin? >> all right, lama. thank you. now, to the latest on the shootings in germany that left two u.s. service members dead and another two wounded. the attacker is in custody. germany's top prosecutors took over the investigation this morning. a mood that indicates that authorities there believe that terrorism was involved. martha raddatz has the details and joins us from washington. good morning, martha. >> reporter: good morning, robin. it's an indication of how serious the attack was, that president obama made an unannounced visit to the briefing room. and a congressman has already called it a terrorist attack. at least a dozen u.s. air force security personnel were onboard this air force bus outside a terminal at the frankfurt international airport. they were coming from lakenheath, their base in england, on their way to ramstein air base in germany, to conduct what the military said were overseas contingency operations. likely in iraq, kuwait, or afghanistan. according to officials, the gunman walked up to the bus, pulled out a semiautomatic weapon, and began firing. over and over. and constantly shouting allahu akbar, arabic for god is great. he got off nine rounds, killing two servicemen and wounding two others. he was attacked by german and airport police. >> i'm saddened and i'm outraged by this attack. we will spare no effort in learning how this outrageous act took place. >> reporter: law enforcement officials say the shooter is 21-year-old arid uka, whose parents moved to germany decades ago from kosovo. an uncle described him to the associated press as a devout muslim, who worked at the airport. this morning, the german magazine, "der spiegel," said investigators have found a facebook page they believe is uka's, saying his favorite weapon is a sniper rifle. there's no indication that the shooter was part of a larger plot. but airport security has been beefed up, because an informant said al qaeda was planning to open fire in a public place. we're going to stay in washington now. today may be as close as we get to an official kickoff of the 2012 presidential race. with two republican contenders announcing their intentions later this afternoon. jon karl is in washington. before the afternoon announcements, the most tangible sign came from, of all places, fox news, when they said they're suspending their contracts with two of the potential candidates. former senator rick santorum. and the big fish this time, former house speaker newt gingrich. >> reporter: gingrich is certainly the big fish. he was the leader of the last republican revolution, back in 1994, becoming speaker of the house. you will hear gingrich saying over and over again, managing to lead the congress when it cut taxes and balanced the budget. i'm told this afternoon, he will announce he's considering a run for president. he's going to call it an explore phase. a formal announcement will come in about a month. but i'm told by people close to gingrich, he is running for president. >> fox says that's enough of a conflict that he has to be suspended. but they haven't suspended the contracts of sarah palin, john bolton, mike huckabee. why not? >> reporter: executives at fox see what most outside observers see. when it comes to huckabee and palin, there's no indication they are taking steps towards actually creating a campaign to run for president. >> finally, maybe the most official candidate later this afternoon, out of louisiana, the former governor, buddy roemer. used to be democrat. then, became republican. >> reporter: he hasn't been in political office for about two decades. a long shot. but his supporters say he will add a little cajun spice to the campaign. and if nothing else, george, he has a head start. >> jon, thanks very much. >> a little cajun spice. coming up on 7:08. we have new details this morning about legendary movie star, mickey rooney, and a shocking tale of alleged abuse at the hands of his own family. he told a senate panel he is one of the millions of elder abuse. he was denied basics, like food, medicine and that his daily life was unbearable. our claire shipman has more on this. >> reporter: good morning, robin. rooney's story floored lawmakers. he's accusing his stepson and stepdaughter who was taking care of rooney and his mother, leaving them barely enough money to survive. and at times, keeping a lock on their refrigerator. >> someday you'll learn that greatness is seizing an opportunity. >> reporter: from the silver screen, this may be the most important role of his career. >> for years i suffered silently. i didn't want to tell anybody. i couldn't muster the courage. and you have to have courage to -- i need help. even when i tried to speak up i was told to shut up. >> reporter: it's a hidden shame, elderly abuse, affecting as many as 3.5 million americans. and the tragedy unraveled behind the scenes. >> i felt scared, frustrated. and above all, when a man feels helpless, it's terrible. and i was helpless. >> reporter: even in this, he's grateful for his supporting cast. >> i'm also thankful to my family, friends and, i like to call them, fans. >> reporter: on his side, kimmy, rooney. >> this has been going on for a long, long time for him. >> reporter: as witnesses, inside the walls of his family, they felt paralyzed. >> i think my father knew we were aware what was going on. but until he was ready to make it stop, then and only then, could he make the move. >> reporter: his life, an incredible journey. most often tasked with making us smile. >> hot shot. >> reporter: but the real-life ending may be less glamorous. the triumph of courage over humiliation. >> if it can happen to me, oh, god willing and unwilling, it can happen to anyone. >> reporter: even as he forces us to focus on reality, though, he says he wants to get back to his old calling and lighten our hearts again. >> you think you're going to make -- >> reporter: and rooney has told his lawyers he wantses to get back to entertaining. and he's looking for new parts. >> he was there at the oscars. thank you, claire. on sunday. and i watched his testimony online yesterday. and just broke your heart listening to it. >> so, so powerful. you hope that by coming out, he's going to help. >> and others, too. there was another high-profile appearance. a much happier one in california. a surprise showing of apple's ceo, steve jobs, as the launch of the latest ipad. it was the first time he was seen since taking medical leave in january. he's undergone a liver transplant for pancreatic cancer. but as bill weir report, he was in fine form yesterday. >> reporter: he's our thomas edison, with a dash of willy wonka. only emerging from his workshop of wonders when he has something special to share. >> we've been working on this product for a while. and i just didn't want to miss today. >> reporter: after taking a medical leave, and with grim rumors flying, this is one of the rare times that steve jobs upstaged his own invention. much to the relief of the apple faithful, and shareholders, who enjoyed a $3 bump when he appeared. >> he's out and about. he's working. this is another sign that he's able to function, at least, to a considerable extent. >> and to give you some scale. this is what it looks like. again, you can just pick this thing up. it almost floats. >> reporter: apple sold 15 million ipads in just nine months last year. the most successful product launch ever. ipad 2 will hit stores in nine days. lighter, thinner, faster. with the same battery life and price, two wireless cameras to give you the option to shoot and edit movies. and to make the calls we've been dreaming about since "the jetsons." if anybody buys this, would they get calls from her? that's a sweetener right there. from all of the diversions, the ability to form a one-man band. jobs seemed most proud of the way this device is changing the way doctors heal, teachers teach, and autistic children grow. and after arriving to an ovation, he left the crowd with a poignant throat -- >> i want to thank everyone's families because they support us and let us do what we love to do. >> reporter: and then, he was gone. bill weir, abc news, san francisco. >> he said, he wasn't going to miss that. the new ipad looks pretty good. i wonder if bill's going to be in trouble at home. >> i thought the same thing, george. he might want to use that to call home. >> call home right now. we're going to call to juju chang with the news. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with a major vote in ohio, to restrict the rights of unionized public workers. despite ongoing protests at the capitol, the senate there has approved a bill that would ban strikes and penalize anyone who participates in a walkout. unlike the proposal in wisconsin, that's captured so many headlines, the ohio bill includes police and firefighters. it could become law as early as next week. now, a ratically different labor dispute. nfl players and owners have until midnight tonight to reach a new collective bargaining agreement or trigger the first work stoppage since 1987. real progress is reported. at issue, how to divide $9 billion in revenue and whether to extend the season to 18 games. a college basketball star has been suspended for the season, reportedly for having sex with his girlfriend. brigham young university will only say that center, brandon davi davies, violated the school's honor code. in their first game without davies, the third-ranked cougars were trounced by new mexico. but teammates are rallying around him. >> he told us everything. you know, he told us that he was, you know, sorry. and that he let us down. and we told him it's okay. you know? it's something that's life. and you make mistakes. and you got to play through it. >> a review is now under way to determine whether davies can even stay in the school. that's news at 7:15. the captain said, he's like a brother to us. >> a high price to pay for sticking to your principles. sam champion is in philadelphia this morning. getting an early jump on spring maybe there, sam? >> you know it, robin. george, juju, good morning. we're going to bring you the largest indoor flower show in the boards. let's jump to the boards. we have a shot of arctic air. it's spring in many places in the northeast. you're 20 degrees colder than yesterday. 3 below in boston. 15, it feels like in new york. 14 in washington, d.c. philadelphia, also feeling in the teens, as well. this is a cold shot of air one day only. we're looking at rain. it's fairly dry around the great lakes and the middle of the country today. we're looking at heavy rain thursday night into friday. little rock, paducah, cincinnati, indianapolis, memphis involved in this. it could be three inches of rain. that's going to keep flooding on the boards there. >> bright sunshine over had this morning. a beautiful time line for the sunrise. a few high, thin clouds moving overhead. it could be sunny, but do not let that deceive you. temperatures are in the 20's. even a few teens. 31 in lexington park. when you factor in the wind, it feels like the teens. on our way to the and we are live at the philadelphia flower show this morning. just as a little sneak peek, robin. all those lights behind me, the base of the eiffel tower re-created in here, for springtime in paris. we'll take you there. >> thank you. we need that. we need that today. it's so cold here in new york. thanks, sam. now, to serena williams and the surprising announcement that she was raced to the hospital, after the oscars on sunday, because of a blood clot in her lungs. so, how did one of the world's premiere athletes fall victim to something often associated to people with chronic health problems. we're going to talk to our dr. richard besser about that in a moment. but first, here's serena's story. she is one of the strongest athletes in the world. and with a total of 13 grand slam singles titles, serena williams is known for leaving her opponents in the dust. but hours after she posed for photographers at an oscars after-party on february 27th, a shocking announcement. the 29-year-old had been admitted to a los angeles hospital, receiving emergency treatment for complications due to a blood clot in her lungs. in a statement, williams' publicist says, thankfully everything was caught in time. with continued doctor visits to monitor her situation, she is recuperating at home under strict, medical supervision. and williams adds herself, this has been extremely hard, scary and disappointing. as many as 200,000 of these blood clots called pulmonary embolisms are diagnosed every year. it's what journalist david bloom died of while covering the iraq war in 2003. it's not an easy year for williams. two foot surgeries have kept her from playing competitively since july. >> after the muscles are kept after a procedure, or a long period of travel, that will cause the blood to stagnate. >> reporter: if we have learned anything from serena, it's how to overcome odds. >> my mom said, he who doubts loses. and you can't doubt yourself in anything. >> she is a champion. dr. b. is here to talk about what happened. we're at the smart screen. what are we talking about, rich? >> let me explain. a pulmonary embolism is a blood clot in the lungs. it will start somewhere else in the body. like here, in the leg. three things have to happen. you have to have damage to the blood vessel. slow blood flow. and a reason for the blood to clot more regularly. that clot can travel. your veins bring the blood back to your heart. in your heart, they head out from there, into your lungs. if this is a big clot, it can be deadly. it can block the flow to that lung, and you can die quickly. if it's small, it can cause not much problem at all. >> when we think about serena, she's just so fit. and you think about the risk factors. and you do see that, yes. the fact that she has had those recent surgeries. and she has not been able to really get around. and she's been traveling a great deal, too. >> those are really the big risk factors. the surgery can damage a blood vessel. and the immobilization can lead to stagnation that we were hearing about. heart diseases, cancer, obesity, smoking. those are the ones that are the most common risk factors. and there's medications, like birth control pills, that can also increase your risk. >> hereditary at all? >> if i was seeing her, i would think about that. young people, this is very uncommon. you can do blood tests to look for a genetic cause. >> what should you look for? >> you want to pick it up when it's in the leg. if you have swelling, leg pain, rapid onset, see your doctor about that. if it's gone to your lungs, you will see shortness of breath, chest pain, and cough. >> she says he's going to be back this summer, playing. >> she could be. she'll be on a blood thinner for at least six months. if it was small, it can cause no problem whatsoever. if it was larger, it may affect her stamina. you'll have to see over time what that looks like. >> if anybody can get back quickly, it's serena williams. we're thinking about her. rich, thanks so much. >> robin, thanks. coming up, charlie sheen's custody showdown. new allegations against charlie sheen. his wife wants the goddesses tested. and this show, an amazing car ride. 100 miles per hour. a woman held on to the hood of a minivan for 35 miles. and she survived. and how to dress up for will and kate's big day. it's all about the hats for the wedding in today's royal diary. look at those hats that kate is wearing. uh, laugh lines? 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