workers have now entered unit one of that damaged nuclear plant in japan for the first time since right after the quake. they're installing six ventilation machines. it's all in an attempt to absorb radiation from air inside that building. that's a first step towards replacing cooling systems that were knocked now the that devastating quake and tsunami. and across the pacific in oregon, a massive fire at the scene train derailment. jumped the tracks. the flames were so fierce that firefighter his to battle them from across a highway. everyone within half a mile radius was evacuated for a time but nobody in that area or on the train was hurt. pretty incredible pictures though. >> thank goodness for that, no injuries. from fire to flood and a disaster facing a lot of folks along the mississippi river late last night, president obama declared an emergency for parts of tennessee, mississippi, and

kentucky. >> so now that will trigger some federal help for what looks to be the worst flooding since the 1920s. t.j. winick joins us with the latest. >> reporter: good morning, rob and peggy. the river nicknamed "big muddy" is making for big headaches across the midwest and the deep south. the army corps of engineers blew up a levee on sunday. still other towns along the mississippi, missouri and tennessee are sandbagging furiously as their water levels rise. >> try to pack up some more stuff as much as i can and pile it up in my car. >> reporter: in carruthers field missouri, building a secondary retaining wall along the river which is supposed to rest this weekend. >> we live on the river. the river's been a tremendous resource for us, and we're going to deal with mother nature as we can. >> reporter: homes on mud island and in harbor town, tennessee, could flood for the first time in history. worried homeowners like larry linneyman are moving everything off of their first floor. >> if the water gets up over the road then we're blocked on this

island. the other exit which is out this direction's already under water. >>. >> in poplar bluff, missouri. after she attempted to cross the washed out highway 53. the mississippi river is expected to rise to 48 feet near memphis just shy of a 74-year-old record. meteorologists predict may will be a long month and that flooding concerns in these areas won't fully ease until early june. rob and pegy. >> early june, weeks of this. take a look now at your thursday forecast. more rain along these swollen mississippi river from missouri all way up to minnesota. some lingering showers in new england and morning sprinkles from new york to philly. showers in south florida and some light snow in the cascades and northern rockies. >> 62348 billings. 74 in boise. upper 80s in sacramento. mostly 60s in the nation's midsection. 65 degrees here in new york. 70 in atlanta.

83 in miami. well, she may have a deadly bite but her bark is a lifesavior. >> why i love dogs. everybody does. pit bull in california has been honored with national hero dog award. diamond was just a puppy when a blaze broke out in her family's hayward home last october. diamond woke everybody in the house up. diamond found the girl and stayed with her until firefighters arrived. what a way to redeem her breed's reputation. very cool. >> it is true, though, about the breed's reputation. some people have pit bulls and say it is really, really unfair sort of hallmarked as a tough dog. >> bad stereotype for the dog. you go, diamond, saving lives. more news coming up after the break.

gunsmoke, bonanza. polar bears and puppy stories that we do we thought that we'd put this one in the show for you. >> thank you. a fight going on deep in the heart of texas. nothing do with oil, longhorns or cowboys. >> basically man versus hog. abc's ryan owens strapped in for an up close view on how the fight is being fought. >> reporter: heath polasik is ready for battle. his enemy, a most unusual one. his co-pilot -- >> going under the power lines?

>> wow. >> you have to be damn careful when do you that. >> reporter: a most unfortunate one. >> what i do is no different than you calling the exterminator out. >> reporter: in flying exterminator buzzes just boost treetops of west texas on the hunt of forerrell hogs. the pigs he's trying to kill are nothing short of a four-legged menace. estimate the lone star state is home to 3 million of them. >> right now the helicopter's the most effective way to kill the hogs. >> reporter: just how effective? >> i killed 86 in an hour on one landowner. >> wow. >> reporter: the whole state has a problem. >> you can see how rough it is. >> reporter: hogs have torn up so much of jerry stone's east texas ranch, he can barely drive on it. >> this whole area's just chewed up like this. >> reporter: they cause an estimated $400 million in damage

in this state every year. the animals have even invaded the pricey suburbs around dallas. look at what they did this to this yard. he is licensed by the state and only flies with a trained shooter. he says if texas allows any hunter into just any helicopter, people will die. >> if you bank it like this and the shooter reached out there to shoot the rotar blades are actually that way and if he shot out that way they will hit the rodear blade. this is a business for me, it is not a game. >> reporter: but it is a battle. one this flying exterminator is taking off again, this time worried, who else might be about to join the fight. brian os with abc news, abilene, texas. >> ooh and do not think just a texas issues. apparently california, michigan, even here in new york state as well, these ferrell hogs have been spotted. they think about 4 million of them around the country. >> millions.

which everybody will have an opinion about this but where did this all start? historians thought brought to this country from spain. >> and you saw the image they thought that was funny. in those pricey suburbs in dallas too. not just out there in the wilderness. they're at the walmart. at waffle house. >> from one big house to another. the waffle house. >> yeah coming up, bad boy jesse james spills his guts. >> what he is saying about his oscar-winning ex.

well, history buffs know jesse james as a legendary outlaw of the american sbheeft

but if you go back in history one year, another jesse james was all over the headlines. the reality tv star was caught cheating on sandra bullock. very infamous story there. >> oh, yeah, now he's moving on as he tellsow vicki mabrey. >> reporter: the former star of "monster garage." >> we can't outtrick ourselves. >> reporter: but even more famous as the husband who treated on sandra bullock. at the time he seemed like the most hated man in america. >> is it true you cheated on sandra. >> reporter: he says he dealt with childhood and anger management issues. when he emerged, we sat down for his first interview. you the perfect life. hut perfect wife. why did you throw it away? >> i don't know. you know during the midst of all of it and when i was doing, it one, i knew it was horrible. it made me feel horrible. and, two, i knew i would get caught eventually. >> reporter: shortly after that interview, james shut down west coast choppers, his motorcycle

business in california, and started a new life in austin, texas with, his three children, chandler, jesse and sonny. what do the kids think of it out here? they love it. >> reporter: yeah. >> yeah. they're like different kids. no tvs, went like way down. computer time and they're outside playing. >> reporter: sandra bullock also has a home in austin. he'd hoped to keep a relationship. so it was here in austin that jesse james started to write about his painful journey. his tough early life in long beach, his three marriages about how a welder became one of the most famous names in the world of motorcycles. he put it all in his new memoir "american outlaw." is the book going to redeem your image? >> i didn't write the book to make myself look better. i wrote it just the truth. >> reporter: and he has a new love kat von d.

a friend for many years. a star of tlc's "l.a. ink." do you think it was hurtful awe at all to sandra that you moved on so quickly? >> i can't worry about her anymore, you know? i think i have spent a good chunk of the last five, six years worries only about her and what she thinks and what i should do and like you know, controlling all my movements and everything else. and i don't think -- i think it's time to worry about jesse and making suriese's squleep he says he and kat plan to marry this summer. you are going to be faithful. >> yes. >> reporter: do you think you can. >> yes. >> reporter: mentoring young mechanics as co-owner of the austin speed shop. >> all i snead my welding helmet, a box full of welding rod and something to make and i'm like in heaven. >> reporter: he's still jesse james but a more mellow jesse that i've seen before. less wary, less angry.

more at ease. >> god or whoever you believe in must have thought i was pretty [ muted ] strong to lump that on me and if i could come out of, it if i could stand up and take all of it and i did all of it, every single bit of it, i didn't hide from any of it, i took it all on the chin and guess what i'm still standing. >> what option did he have besides take it. >> what was he taking? wasn't he the one who did the cheating that caused all the uproaring and also went on the howard stern show and howard stern in his typical fashion said who is better in the sack? by 100fold kat von d. give it a rest. >> further disrespect sandra bullock like that. >> not that we want to be judgmental. >> no, never, not on "world news now." i don't get people's interest in him anyway. >> seems like a hurtful thing. she had her big shiny moment and five days later to have that story come out. it was sad. >> she has her little boy now,

louie. >> he's a cute little boy. when we return a multimillion dollar cell phone. don't you want one? hoveround p? the statue of liberty? the grand canyon? it's all possible ith a hoveround., tom: hi i'm tom kruse, inventor rand founder of hoveround., when we say you're free to see the world, we mean it. call today and get a free overound information kit, that includes a video and full color brochure. dennis celorie: "it's by far the best chair i've ever owned." terri: "last year, 9 out of 10 people got their hoveround for "little or no money." jim plunkitt: "no cost. absolutely no cost to me." breaking news...when you call today, we'll include a free hoveround collapsible grabber with the purchase of your power chair. it reaches, it grabs, it's collapsible and it's portable. it goes wherever you go. get it free while supplies last. call the number on your screen to get your free video, brochure and your free hoveround collapsible grabber.

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dentists check most. looks like the twins are even again. new crest pro-health clinical toothpaste. life opens up when you do. >> announcer: "world news now" delivers your morning papers. obviously it's may, which means for a lot of young high school students around the country it is prom time and a very cool story out of "chicago sun-times p" tyler who say whole win the award for the sweetest prom gift of 2011 because since february he and his friend courtney having doob what for her his date? buy hand put together a prom dress. sewn this dress for his friend. it's full length p it's sky blue. kind of both, he and his friend grew up, interested in fashion. >> made her dress. >> met in chemistry lab.

>> that's so sweet. >> had kid made his date's prom dress. >> that's a real gentleman. i got dumped for prom. >> you are so bitter about that. >> i will not name names or anything but two weeks before prom, thanks so much. oregon woman wakes up -- this is an incredible story. this is a very rare syndrome but get this, she had dental surgery. she went under for the surgery, woke up with a british accent that has not gone away. she said she had swelling, some pain when she woke up and also had this accent. take a listen. >> you open your mouth, out comes this accent that they're not used to hearing. where are you from? i'm from oregon dpp you say ireland? no, oregon. like right here. >> she's from oregon. a british accent. >> isn't this crazy, sneeze never been to britain, snow british relatives. this is called -- a syndrome. an actual syndrome that you can get and they say that it sticks

around. it can be any different country. some people have romanian accents, spanish accents. it's a real syndrome. >> like 70 cases around the world but it's a real thing. crazy, crazy. when put her under she went way up. >> i like that british accent. >> you do a good accent. >> and i did watch the wedding. >> that's impress you. we've been there for our cell phones when you accidentally butl dial. it's in your pocket. i didn't call so-and-so. these group of criminals in clay, were sitting in the car discussing their robbery plans, and they butt dialed 911 in the car, and of course, they sent the police. they've all been busted and they're in jail. so criminals, try not to butt dial when you are talking about your crimes. >> right. if you don't want to be the victim of a butt dial, perhaps get one of these phones. we're talking about the motorola 8-tricks. a smartphone kind of james bond technology. you need your fingerprints to dial it. this next one, $3.2 million cell

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this morning on "world news now," no photos of osama bin laden's body will be released by the u.s. government. >> and today, critics are questioning the president's decision to keep those pictures top secret. it's thursday, may 5th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> happy cinco de mayo. good morning, everyone. i'm peggy bunker. >> and i'm rob nelson. we're getting word today about a heroic dog's role in bin laden's takedown and we've also uncovered a huge secret weapon used by the u.s. military during this mission. get this, a remarkable stealth helicopter. never seen one of those better. >> yeah, these details are coming out about this mission that are really kind of putting the spotlight on some of these

operations, really incredible details. also, agonizing searches for loved ones missing since last week's tornados of alabama. >> it's almost reminiscent of 9/11. people are putting up pictures and flyers around town. have you seen this one? have you seen that one this is unbelievable a week later. when an 8-year-old girl was told she would lose her arm to cancer, she found a new doctor herself who gave her a bionic arm that is now making medical history. >> it really is. >> very school and a brave little girl too as well. cool story that is coming up. but first president obama arrives at ground zero later today. >> this solemn victory lap comes of course as the white house has decided not to release photos of bin laden after he was shot to death. john hendren is joining us from washington with more. hi, john. >> reporter: good morning, rob and peggy. in the end, president obama decided the gruesome pictures were more peril than proof and

opted not to release photo evidence of the death of the leader of al qaeda. >> terrorists who started this war and who took so many innocent lives learn that america does not forget. america will ensure that justice is done. >> reporter: the president personally viewed the graphic pictures of osama bin laden's corpse with a gaping bullet wound in his forehead. he decided not to release them because he felt they were too likely to incite violence against u.s. troops and american citizens. white house spokesman jay carney said in his words, we don't trot out this stuff as trophies. >> dollar are going to be some folks who deny it. the fact of the matter is, you will not see bin laden walking on this earth again. >> reporter: the unannounced raid on pakistani's soil has seriously damaged relations with pakistan. >> certainly we have -- including the united states somebody points out that there are some the lapses from

pakistan site that means absfrents whole world. >> reporter: it doesn't help that cia director leon panetta told lawmakers on capitol hill pakistan was either involved with bin laden or incompetent. >> the bottom line is that you know, we got bin laden and i think we have to reveal to the rest of the world the fact that we were able to get him and kill him. >> reporter: the cia is now looking through what it calls a treasure trophe of information. ten computer hard drives. 100 thumb drives and ten cell phones with lots of numbers to track down. rob and peggy. >> all right, john, thanks. it turns out the team that took down bin laden included a dog. the canine reportedly repelled down from one of the helicopters. the dog was strapped to a navy s.e.a.l. tracked down someone who was hiding or even run after a suspect twice as fast as even a navy s.e.a.l. >> pretty incredible if you think about that. also while the white house decided not release photos of osama bin laden, today reuters

distributed graphic pictures that it said showed bin laden's son and two couriers that were killed in the raid. the photos are too graphic for us to broadcast in their entirety. so we're just showing you pieces of those photos the raid on bin laden's compound has revealed the military's super secret new weapon. before this the existence of a stealth chopper had only been pretty much a rumor but as brian ross discovered it flew navy s.e.a.l.s right there to bin laden's hideout. >> reporter: the last act of the navy s.e.a.l. team before they left the bin laden compound was to blow up the damaged helicopter that had to be left behind. setting off a huge fire and now we know why that was so important. aviation analysts say the remnants of the aircraft reveal they were part of the u.s. military's most closely guarded secrets, a stealth blackhawk helicopter whose existence was only rumored had never been seen in public before. >> this is the first time that we have seen operational stealth helicopter. >> reporter: the analysts say photos that emerged on the

internet reveal this is no ordinary helicopter. >> but one of the things that really stands is out they have a little disk over the rotors to baffle the sound. >> reporter: neighbors in abbottabad told abc news they did not hear the helicopter sunday night until they were directly overhead. this is what a standard blackhawk helicopter sounds like. this is the sound of an earlier experimental version of a stealth helicopter. >> it will be a vague sound. might be the sound of a helicopter that was going in the opposite direction. >> reporter: one key to the chopper's stealth nature is a secret, heavily code fabric-like material. >> probably people in the pentagon tonight that are probably concerned that pieces of the helicopter may be even now on their way to china because we know that china is trying to make stealth aircraft. >> reporter: the chinese military is known to have close relationships with the pakistani military. and the remaining large pieces

of the secret u.s. helicopter hidden under a tarp were trucked away by pakistani officials tuesday to an unknown destination. residents there also told abc news that just before the helicopters arrived, all electricity and cell phone service was knocked out. then came back right after the choppers left. a senior pentagon official said he would absolutely not comment on our report. brian ross, abc news, new york. >> very interesting. well, president obama will visit ground zero in new york this morning where most of the victims died on september 11th. he will lay a wreath at the site which is still a construction zone but he will make no remarks. afterward, the president will meet private we families of the victims and then with first responders. the president last visited the seventh anniversary of the attacks, that is when he was a candidate. in other news now, a man wanted in the bombing of a florida mosque has been shot and killed after he pulled a weapon during his arrest. samuel and matthew smith died at

a state narc northwest oklahoma, that's where he'd been listen in a tent p he was facing several charges in connection with the bombing of an islamic center in jacksonville, florida, last year. it's bane week now since so much of the south was ravaged by monster tornados. hundreds of people are still missing in what is the worst outbreak of twisters since the great depression. yunji de nies is in tuscaloosa, alabama, that's where the desperate search is far from over. >> reporter: doris smith came here looking for her friend and grandchildren. their house is gone and she is losing hope. >> i believe it took her with it. i really do. >> reporter: la toya brown's family knows that agony. this is the last place she was seen alive before the monster twister tore through their town. >> it's been rough. it's been real rough, you know. just thinking about where could she be? >> reporter: they are desperate calling everyone they can and

finding nothing. >> that lingering thought is always there. >> reporter: they hung her picture at red cross alongside that of rachel aldridge. herpsister has been papering the city. >> we just need to know where she is and she needs to come home. >> reporter: so far no news. throughout the south, the chaos of the storm has left an untold number of families searching for loved once. officials say hundreds are missing in alabama alone. in some places the damage is so extensive even a week later the only few allowed in are search-and-rescue teams. >> right here. >> reporter: they have miles to cover. when the canine them? , firefighters start digging through debris by hand. never knowing what lies beneath. >> see the streets that i rode that fire truck for 14 1/2 years and now they're all -- everybody's gone. >> reporter: but as the day comes to a close here amid the utter devastation, some rare good news. >> good news.

>> what? >> reporter: remember doris smith searching for her friend and grandchildren. >> they are alive. >> they are alive. >> everyone's alive. >> oh, thank the lord. thank the lord. >> reporter: and what an amazing moment to share with doris smith as she got that wonderful news that her friend and those grandchildren are going to be okay. still as you look across these debris fields, it's clear the folk here in the south have a long road ahead. yunji de nies, abc news, tuscaloosa, alabama. >> heartbreaking. the mississippi river is still rising to historic levels this morning as thousands of people now scramble to higher ground. in missouri, the receding black river continues to pose a major threat. national guardsmen pulled off a dramatic rescue though saving a 93-year-old woman who was trapped in her car by raging floodwaters in poplar bluff. they used cables to get her back to dry land. the big news is obviously osama bin laden but that part of the

country is going through unbelievable times. >> those images right here in our country that that going on. taking a look now at your thursday forecast. showers around minneapolis, chicago, des moines, st. louis and also kansas city. lingering rain in new england. a morning sprinkle from new york to philly. and showers in south florida. also in the northwest, from seattle to olympia. light snow in the cascades and snow in the northern rockies. >> 70s from boise to albuquerque. 62 in the twin cities. 67 in omaha. and 70 in kansas city. miami climbes to 83 and 65 here in new york. the alaska zoo is now looking for a new home for an orphaned polar bear and who wouldn't want this little cub? she was picked. by oil workers in alaska's north slope last week. she can come to my house. come on, look at that. >> you're a softy. >> right in my backyard. >> the couple of spots two months ago with her mom and a sibling. the alaska zoo already has two

polar bears and does not have room though for another one. >> oh the cub is four months old. weighs about 17 pounds. obviously it will not stay that way. >> more "world news now" coming up after the break. ♪ so every year my family throws this great reunion in austin. but this year, i can only afford one trip and i've always wanted to learn how to surf. austin's great -- just not for surfing. so i checked out hotwire. and by booking with them, i saved enough to swing both trips. see, hotwire checks the competition's rates every day so they can guarantee their low prices. that's how i got a 4-star hotel on the beach in san diego for half price. ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e ♪ hotwire.com

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welcome back. important medical news now for insomniac parents this morning especially those who bottle-feed their toddler. this study just published as children who are bottle-fed at 2. more likely to be more obese after they turned 5 years old. because there may be too many calories in formula. so we're talking about formula if the bottles but tough for parents here because most of us do bottle-feed bedtime, helps them go to sleep that sort of thing. but be careful. link to obesity. to a medical story now that seems to come right out of hollywood script. a young girl battling cancer was

facing the possibility of literally losing her arm. >> but that will not happen now because of new bionic technology. alison morrow has her story. >> reporter: ask 8-year-old jocelyn how she is doing today and you'd get a much different answer if you had asked her weeksing. >> i feel good. >> reporter: called osteosarcoma. losing her entire right arm, one option. >> that was the most devastating part when we thought she was going to lose her arm and you think through your mind of all of the thing that she won't be able to do. like tigyour shoes or anything radio and but mom heidi did some research and found out about moffitt and dr. douglas let'sin. >> this was like four days before her cancer surgery was scheduled. >> agreed a rare operation. replace her entire humorous. the long bone that connects her shoulder to her elbow with an

expandible prosthesis. >> none done at least in the united states of the whole humureal bone. >> somebody had to walk the moon and the first person had to walk that moon and i said there has got to be somebody, the first person do this arm for her. >> reporter: what makes her so-called bionic arm unique, it can grow as she does. >> either use a screwdriver or a magnet to turn the gear so as we turn the gears the two telescoping pieces expand upon each other. >> reporter: she's sure of a couple things now. like what she plans to do when she gets back home to iowa. >> i would like to play with my neighbor, my best friend haley. >> ah. >> cute limit girl. >> she's very sweet. >> they say and the most common cancerous bone tume noryouth, in the average age to get diagnosed is about 15 years old, so it does impact the young. >> obviously she's kind of wondering why she is the center of attention but a cute girl, very charismatic there. when we return temperatures are now in the low 40s this

morning in duluth, minnesota. >> grab your surfboards. hang ten in the balmy waters of lake superior. details on that and more when showhoe contin"world news now" t after this. [vibrates] g morning, sunshine. wakey, wakey. text me. [chattering] are your parents home later? we can hang. l.u.v.--love you. jk. holla back. holla back. holla back. are you with your friends? that's lame. we're in a huge fight right now. x.o. what'd you dream about? me? [overlapping] is it something i did? are you on your way to the mall? i'm lonely. nude pics. send me some. [beep] text me.

♪ >> surfing music. >> i can't even fake surf. >> i have no coord nation whatsoever. the music of "hawaii five-o" makes us think of hang ten. >> waikiki. spelling it phonetically. you're about to meet guys who hit the waves all winter and they're nowhere near huh's north shore. wdio and of all places duluth,

minnesota, has the story. >> oh, balmy. >> reporter: patience is a virtue especially when you're a surfer. waiting for the big storm, waiting for the right winds, and waiting for that perfect wave. >> winds start generating swell and then we have the added bonus of some nice, kind of local slightly offshore conditions here. >> you have to be patient with lake superior to get the whaefs they're good-quality conditions and we've had an exceptional year in year. >>. >> they learned to hang ten on the beaches of hawaii. where the waves were a little bigger, the rocks were a little smaller, and the water was much warmer. >> the air temps are 20 degrees or lower. so we're loving it. >> typically in the ocean you'll be 15 to 18 seconds between the waves and here they're like 7, 8 seconds between the waves so you really have to paddle hard radio and but not everyone gets their surfing start in the pacific.

wayne gatland picked up his skills a little closer to home high is first learned how to ride a board in the um pool and sort progressed up. it's a different way to get a workout and get outside and kind of blow off some steam. >> surfers not only learned to navigate the ups and downs of the waves but they learned to see beauty in these beautiful spring days. >> most see these conditions as crap, or don't want to go outside or don't want to go out but i see this the thrill of opportunity. >> you against nature. a free ride. there's nothing like it. >> a lot of our friends think that we're crazy because you have to paddle for 45 minutes to get a ten-second ride but something about harnessing the energy of the lake and you know these waves are generated by a storm and mother nature. when you do actually make that connection with the wave there is something about it that just seems to fuel it. >> how about that surfing in duluth, minnesota. would you ever do that? >> you know that i hate the cold weather. >> there you are.

that was really you out there. >> no way in the world. >> you don't look very happy. >> no. the shrinkage alone -- >> i was in the pool. i was in the pool!

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♪ >> you learn about your colleagues when this name comes up in newsroom. >> is it embarrassing they know all of the barry manilow songs. >> barry manilow to get you going this morning. he says he wrote when he was miserable and he wanted to cheer himself up. >> something to cheer up manilow's fans. his first original album in ten years is out next month. yea. he's performing in london right now and that's where david selleto of the bbc spoke with

him. ♪ ♪ and now you know i can't smile without you ♪ ♪ coca cobana >> i went to work to change music, you know? and the critics hated me but the public got me. ♪ could this be the magic at last ♪ >> reporter: 18 million records, 40 hit songs, and bucket fulls of ridicule. barry manilow knows what show business can be like and his new album is a warning to anyone who wants to be a pop star. ♪ bring on tomorrow for me >> when i saw the paparazzi going after britney spears and driving her crazy this young, talented, beautiful girl, driving her crazy, is that the price of fame? so i thought that would be an interesting thing to write about. >> reporter: are you -- some advice of how you handled it in

this album? >> no i'm telling the story and i'm hoping that the advice is watching out. ♪ i remember all my life >> reporter: at the height of manilow mania he admits he lost touch with reality for a while. ♪ 35 years of showbiz experience and the advice in the end, keep friends and family close and the songs -- do you set out to create songs where people think, hey, you are singing about my problems or my ups and downs? >> yeah that's my goal. i hope they're thinking i'm singing about their life, that's the goal of any artist, yeah. >> reporter: to touch people. >> uh-huh. make people feel. i've always you said know when it is all said and done they are not going to remember what you did. they're going to remember how you made them feel ♪ david selleto, bbc. >> that was like back in the

this morning on now," a final decision from the president regarding the pictures taken after osama bin laden was killed. >> why he refuses to release the photos, also why critics are speaking out. it's thursday, may 5th. >> announcer: from abc news this is "world news now." >> and happy cinco de mayo, everybody. >> yes. >> good morning, i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm peggy bunker. we are getting even more insight into the daily life of osama bin laden, hiding in his compound, relying upon others for groceries and other supplies. hear what a confidante is now revealing. we heard about the coke and pepsi that he liked to drink but interesting details now coming forward. >> fascinating what was going inside of that compound. also in the headlines this morning the baby who could not

eat until surgeons in miami transplanted seven organs into her body. the amazing operation and prognosis. unbelievable. >> yeah, incredible story. also later this half hour the huge advance down on the farm. why miniature cows could be the next best thing. miniature cows. oh, boy. >> all right. >> keep them in your house. >> all of the news of the day. but first before that, there was another major change in story of how events unfolded inside of bin laden's compound. this morning's "the new york times" say there was no firefight. the only shots fired came at the beginning of the raid. >> this latest detail comes as president obama decides not make public of those photos of bin laden's corpse. john hendren is joining us from washington with the latest. good morning, john. >> reporter: good morning, rob and peggy. to release or not to release, that was the debate for days. and many americans were surprised with what president obama decided. the killing of osama bin laden will not be televised. published or released in any way. president obama has decided not

to publicize photo evidence of the death of the leader of al qaeda. >> there are going to be some folks who deny it. the fact of the matter is you will not see bin laden walking on this earth again. >> reporter: the president personally viewed the graphic pictures of bin laden's corpse, a gaping bullet wound in his forehead. >> america does not forget. america will ensure that justice is done. >> reporter: in the end, he decided they were too likely to incite violence against u.s. troops and american citizens. some the photos show the al qaeda leader like in his compound at a u.s. base in afghanistan and on the deck of the aircraft carrier "the uss carl vinson" where he was dropped into the north arabian sea. >> we don't trot out this stuff as trophies. >> reporter: u.s. officials say they uncovered some intriguing facts. bin laden had dyed his beard and was ready to flee at a moment's notice. with 500 euros, around $800. sewn into his clothing along with two emergency phone numbers. >> he was a strategist and a thinker, not really a warrior.

>> reporter: abc news has also learned bin laden's 13-year-old daughter saw her father killed in front of her eyes and that she is now cooperating with pakistani investigators. so is her 29-year-old mother, who was shot in the leg trying to protect bin laden. there was little chance bin laden would have lived through the assault, as one u.s. official said unless he was standing there naked with his hands up they were taking him out. rob and peggy. >> and while the white house decided not release those photos of osama bin laden, today reuters distributed graphic pictures that it said showed bin laden's son and two couriers that were killed in the raid. the photos of too graphic for us to broadcast in their entirety. so we are just showing you pieces of those photos. we've seen the inside of that sprawling compound where bin laden was killed and now we're getting a glimpse of the private lives inside that secret world. nick schifrin reports now from a terrorist neighborhood in abbottabad. >> reporter: it is the world's most infamous hideout and we got a rare insight into the private

lives behind the walls, thanks to this man, a friend of the two brothers who ran bin laden's compound, his infamous couriers and closest advisers. he spoke on the condition we blurred his face. they interacted with very few people, he says. those inside stayed to themselves rarely venturing out not attending weddings or funerals. bin laden never left. adults whether friends or strangers weren't allowed to enter the walls. they never even responded, he says, if someone knocked on their door. only neighborhood children were welcomed. those who came to play with bin laden's and the couriers' kids. at least eight children lived within the walls. one child came for a visit and was given rabbits as a gift. life from the hideout was simple, they own two vehicles, both cheap suzukis. the couriers shopped at the mom and pop shelves. filled with items that you might filled with any items in the u.s.

on their shopping list this store, seven large pieces of bread and seven chickens each day. the confidante also told us about security measures. which for this area, are extremely rare and high-tech. the barbed wire that's on top of the walls was electrified and there were many cameras spread throughout the compound. and the whole time living just a short drive away from pakistan's equivalent of west point. we made the drive ourselves, past the mosque the brothers visited every day, past their neighborhood homes past a shop that was opened late. here we are about five minutes after we left the compound. this corner is the pakistani military academy. it was a terror hideout in plain sight. nick schifrin, abc news, abbottabad, pakistan. and back in the u.s. now, some good news for bernie madoff victims. the trustee in charge of storing investor's money says he's now ready to make the first payout. $272 million bucks.

irving beckards he's recovered about half of the $17 billion that madoff stole from his clients. if a bankruptcy judge approves the plan some 1,200 investors will get an average of $222,000 each. >> that's good news. now to a story that will affect a lot of us. apple made good on its promise and has released a software patch to protect user's privacy. the company found itself in hot water after users found that the devices stored information on their location for up to one year. well with this patch the data will be purged after about a week. the update is available through the itunes store. anytime also when the phone is synced up. the shuttle "endeavour" may be facing another launch delay. nasa says the switch box removed from the spaceship has a blown circuit and that the fix-it work is taking a little bit longer than expected. "endeavour" was supposed to blast off last friday. but fuel line heaters did not turn on during the final part the countdown. the problem was traced to that switch box. a 16-month-old girl from

texas is now checking out of a miami hospital after surviving a rare transplant. she was never able to eat on her own until surgeons gave her a rare transplant that involved seven organs. wplg's constance jones has the story. >> reporter: sleeping little delilah valdez has been through a lot these past few weeks. undergoing several organ transplants here at jackson memorial hospital. the 16-month-old girl from texas wasn't able to eat on her own. a condition she's had since birth. causing her to be underweight. it's called megacystis microcolon intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome. the only way she got her food was through a tube. but here at jackson, doctors performed a multiorgan transplant. replacing stomach, intestines, kidney and bladder. >> now we can actually give my daughter food. trying to feed her whatever she wants by orders of dr. tzakis. >> reporter: two months later,

she's much healthier and eating on her own, and although a little cranky, mom and dad says there's been definite changes in their little girl. >> she's more active, trying to live a normal -- a more normal life than before. >> she actually seems more happier. she's smiling a lot more. it's pretty weird. right before she was going in, she was actually smiling, laughing the whole way ever since from texas. >> that's great. that was constance jones reporting from the university of miami. delilah and her family expect to return to their hometown of san antonio, texas, a little bit later today. very cool. good to see. >> apparently what she loves to eat now is her chef boy ardee ravioli. >> i remember that as a kid. >> who didn't remember that? let's take a look at your weather. wet day from minnesota down to missouri. cooler and west from boston up north. new york and philadelphia have a dry out by the afternoon. showers in south florida. snow in the rockies and cascades and showers in washington state. >> near 60 in seattle.

70 in salt lake city and a hot 97 in phoenix. mostly 60s from fargo to indianapolis. 59 in boston. 69 in baltimore. 70s, meanwhile in atlanta, new orleans, and dallas. how about this. some california college students are showing their appreciation in a very big way, we mean big. >> a chapman university sorority just created a giant thank-you letter for all of the men and women serving in the military. get this, it's 30x90 feet and they're hoping it sets a new guinness world record. >> the students there correlated event with military appreciation month. a small token for our heroes putting their lives on the line every single day. good reminder. >> and that could not be more timely considering what we've seen the true heroes do with osama bin laden in the last couple of days. incredible. >> and say, hats off it our heroes. the men and women of our military. >> baddest dudes on the planet. >> we'll be right back with more "world news now."

welcome back. welcome back. the killing of osama bin laden has shined a very bright light on americans special operations forces. since late sunday we have learned a lot about the navy s.e.a.l.s and also about the elite team six. >> elite is the word. a secretive team of course but we're getting some clues about who they are. chris cuomo got some answers. >> reporter: bone shakers sports bar in virginia where navy s.e.a.l. team six trains. locals toasted someone they may never know by name, but who could easily be their neighbor. >> god bless the man who took the shot. he's go to live with that for the rest of his life. i'm proud of him. >> absolutely. >> i'm very proud of him. >> reporter: so who what do we know about what he is like?

we know the shooter is a he because all s.e.a.l.s are men. he's probably about 30 years old with a bachelor's and possibly a master's degree. he's most likely white and may have a wife and children. the s.e.a.l. who delivered that double tap to the head and chest of america's most hated enemy is a perfect physical specimen. >> they have gazelle legs. no waist. and huge upper body defiguration. >> reporter: but he is also most likely hiding beneath a slightly disheveled exterior. unlike other navy s.e.a.l.s the member team six who killed bin laden is most likely not the clean-cut action figure you might imagine. he probably uses modified grooming standards including a beard and longer hair designed to help him blend in in places like pakistan and afghanistan. >> if you've never met a navy s.e.a.l. and you ran into one in a bar, you probably still

wouldn't know he's a navy s.e.a.l. >> reporter: former s.e.a.l.s say this was definitely not his first mission. he may even have pieces of shrapnel or frag still in him from previous firefights but inside he has something special. a rare mental agility that allows him an unflinching nature in the most harrowing situations. >> basically as individuals egomaniacs that make music together. they need to be challenged all the time otherwise they get in trouble. >> reporter: and killing public enemy number one in just 40 minutes still won't keep him from getting a little good-natured ribbing. >> whoever was the lucky guy to make a squeeze to take him down, he was hard ass by his teammates that it could have been done in 20 minutes. there's always that bubble of pushing for better success. >> reporter: chris cuomo, abc news, new york. >> heroes, man. and i think people want to meet these guys so badly. it won't happen for 30, 40 years

we know that but i think a lot of women out there -- dudes want to salute them and women want to meet them. >> you see the rigorous training that they go through. some navy s.e.a.l.s have died in training. to get ready. some gunfire exercise. some pool exercises. >> perfect physical specimen, flawless. >> and how they blend in as well. you wouldn't expect them to have the long hair and beards. >> the guy who did the double tap who killed bin laden, how do you stay quiet knowing that you are like now a pivotal figure in history and the world wants to meet you that must be so hard. >> maybe one day after they retire because their identities there are so, so well protected. we'll keep you posted on this story as we continue those navy s.e.a.l.s. >> we're all impressed, guys. when we return the serious domestic abuse claims against mel gibson and why they've now been dropped. >> and also surprising words from sandra bullock's ex. you will not believe this, it is coming up next in "the skinny." you will not believe this, it is coming up next in "the skinny."

♪ ♪ skinny ♪ so skinny and time now for the "the skinny" and also a quick shout-out to our friends in kansas city. >> yes. >> carly and mckenzie, 99.7 the

point. they've been watching us every single morning and this facebook thing back and forth but they watch the show. we wanted to say hello. >> i think that guy has a little crush on you. that's my personal opinion. >> he's awfully cute. a classy guy who unlike jesse james. who by the way is promoting his book. calling the book "american outlaw," he's the ex of sandra bullock. as we all remember. >> cheated on her. >> she wins the oscar, five days later, this whole debacle unfolds. it's really, really awful. he's talking about who is better in the sack, his current fiancee kat von d, or sandra? why would he talk about this? >> why would he ask that question? >> he went to howard stern but you know if you go to howard stern you are going to reveal more than you want to reveal but anyway he says 100% kat von d is better in the sack. she's a vixen. if she ever treated on me i would forgive her and still love her. they're engaged to be married. take a listen to what he had to say. >> who is more fun in bed, sandra bullock or kat von d? >> that one is easy, a no-brainer.

>> yes, sir. >> 100%. >> 100%. >> she's a vixen, man. >> shut up, dude. >> you know what they say when you marry your mistress you create a job opening. >> that's very true. >> look out for that one. >> this guy will not win the pr battle. no one cares about jesse james. go, live your life. get this, too. developments in the mel gibson/oksana case. she's decided to drop all domestic violent cases against mel gibson. in court yesterday, she told the judge look i'm trying to extend an olive branch in this gesture she made the move to demonstrate to the court that she's a good parent who does not want this case drawn out any longer than it has to go so apparently the case still proceeds but in terms of the domestic violence she's clearing the path for him to walk on those charges. it's done. >> do i see dollar signs? >> speculation, you would think. that's right. >> what is going to there? hey how about this marie osmond? looking great lately. she has remarried and she remarried the man that she

married in 1982. take a look at the handsome couple. she wore the original dress that she wore for their first wedding. so she was married twice. this is her very first husband. and they just walked down the aisle. she did it on the anniversary of the birthdays of her late mother and also her late son michael. >> wow. >> look at them. an appearance from 26 years ago on "good morning america" of her and her new husband. >> and she still looks great and they fell in love again. >> 26 years. >> good for her. >> she's a rough time, good for her. >> the news here talking about the movie making about the gotti family, john travolta. who will play his wife in the movie? >> who? >> who is real real life kelly preston got the role. >> that's cute. >> look for them in the movie. >> love it and also mariah carey/nick cannon recently had twins and also spent $100,000 on their nursery. can you believe that? >> who doesn't? >> sidenote. name the twins moroccan scott and monroe. the girl's name is monroe. the little boy's name is moroccan. >> the little girl's name is named after marilyn monroe.

the boy was named after a part of mariah's apartment inspired aesthetically by morocco. at least have the money to pay for therapy.

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here's some stories to watch today on abc news. workers today returned to the damaged reactor at japan's fukushima daiichi plant since the first time since the explosion in march. absorb excess radiation so a new cooling system can be installed. president obama visits ground zero today. he has no plans to speak publicly about osama bin laden's death. also general motors releases its second earnings report today since it went public in november. profits where shareholders are expected to dramatically increase because of gm's boost in the market. taxpayers still own one-third of gm. finally this half hour, the newest trend in dairy cows. >> oh, yeah.

a hot trend. >> that's right. didn't know there was such a thing but apparently there is. >> a trend in cows. they're all of the rage apparently in an increase number of farms country. kcau has a very mooving story. >> reporter: from a distance this may seem like an ordinary cow but once you walk up aside it you realize it is a little bit smaller and it makes you want to ask, hey, cow, why you so small? the answer, these are a special breed of miniature cows. called mini herefords. have been breeding these cows for the past 16 years but why mini cows? >> smaller cows are easier to deal with than standard-sized cows. they eat less. take up less space. easier on the handler and your typical american these days is a smaller stake. >> reporter: ali and kenny peterson have sold their cows from all over the u.s. from california to massachusetts. many of the buyers had smaller farms which many cows are

perfect for. now the standard commercial cow's going to weigh anywhere from 1,200 to 1,800 pounds but miniature hereford will weigh about one-third. 600 to 800 pounds but this little guy is going for quality over quantity. >> we have a lot of repeat customers. once they've eaten this they want to keep eating it. these cow will flesh out and finish up faster than a standard animal does. >> reporter: the petersons own a total of 300 mini cows and every single one of them have their own name. the petersons breed and sell some of their livestock but some is for show. the couple has won multiple awards. including over 40 county championship belts so even though these cows are small they have reputation for big-time achievements. reporting with mini cows on the moove. channel 9 eyewitness news. >> it's hard to resist that moove jokes. >> they have an improved cow to calf weaning ratio and a greater rib-eye area. >> learning something every -- have you done any farm work yourself? >> oh, there i am. >> look at that.