i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez, in for paula faris. we begin with the deadly highway attacks that have mississippi drivers thinking twice before getting behind the wheel. >> two people have been murdered. and the killer play be driving what looks like an unmarked police car. abc's tahman bradley has the latest. >> reporter: police are urging drivers in mississippi state to be on alert. as police look for a shooter that may be posing as a police officer. this morning, local and state police, along with federal law enforcement, are launching a massive manhunt in mississippi to find this person, who may be pulling cars over by the side of the road and killing the drivers. >> we're going to hunt this person down. >> in these times, it's best to be precautious, if you're traveling. >> reporter: last tuesday, thomas schlender was driving along this remote stretch in northern mississippi. he was shot and killed. >> this is a violent end to a kind man's life. >> reporter: 50 miles away, lori ann causewell was found along another highway. there's no connection between the victims. the shootings have motorists on edge. >> it is a bad situation. i believe it could be a serial, as well. >> reporter: detectives say they're looking for a gold, unmarked crown victoria. police fear the shooter may be using flashing lights. authorities have these tips for scared drivers pulled over by what looks like a police car. >> put your flashers on. drive a safe speed and drive to a lighted, populated area. >> reporter: authorities are not sure if this is a serial killer. but they're not ruling anything out or taking any chances. tahman bradley, abc news. in other news this morning, abc news has obtained exclusive, new information about george zimmerman's medical condition right after the trayvon martin shooting. according to records, zimmermann had a closed praur, a broken nose, and gashes on the back of his head. dan abrams says the records are important, but not a smoking gun. >> if george zimmer man started the altercation and he's losing the fight and fears for his life, he does not have the legal right at that point to use deadly force. >> now, this report also shows that zimmerman declined hospitalization after the shooting. he also declined his own doctor's suggestion, that he see a specialist for a follow-up. it could be an emotional ending as the defense winds down the case in the john edwards' trial. on the witness list, edwards daughter, his former mistress and edwards himself. >> and lawyers have not indicated which if any of them will be called. scott goldberg is following the story. >> reporter: good morning. lawyers say he could call his daughter, cate, or his former mistress, rielle hunter, to the stand. they also could call edwards himself. it's a blockbuster day after they focused yesterday on technical issues. for all the emotions coming out of the john edwards trial, all that really matters are cold, hard details about cash. was it campaign money spent to cover up his affair with rielle hunter. and was the candidate trying to hide it from voters? his lawyers say no. and they say that edwards didn't know about the money, with records showing that some of it, $74,000, went into hunter's checking account. in all, hunter received nearly $1 million, most of it from heire heiress, bunny mellon. scott thomas was prepared to testify explicitly that edwards did not violate campaign finance laws. but the judge decided not to allow it. so, the question now is when will edwards daughter, cate, take the stand? she was close to her mother, elizabeth, who died of breast cancer. and can testify that her dad didn't want her mom to find out about the affair. >> all that makes her sympathetic to the jury. could humanize john edwards to the jury. >> reporter: when cate takes the stand, it could be the most emotional moment so far. earlier this month, she had to leave the courtroom, because it was too hard for her to hear how it affected her mother. >> what a trial it's been. the fbi has launched an investigation into potential wrongdoing on the part of jpmorgan chase, after last week's $2 billion trading loss. for now, shareholders are giving ceo, jamie dimon, a pass for the blunder. they've voted to let him keep his job. they also endored dimon's day package from last year. and the white house disclosure forms show president obama, in fact, has a jpmorgan chase checking account. and that account holds between $500,000 and 1 million bucks. last year, that account generated $1,002 in interest. jpmorgan chase is one of the best managed banks, despite that trading loss. now, to politics, where republicans have chosen mitt romney in nebraska and oregon. romney is expected to capture enough delegates to officially get the nomination by the end of this month. he campaigns today in the key battleground state of florida. and for the first time, former president george w. bush said he will back romney. his support was expected. now, the former president has confirmed that support in a comment to abc news. and a familiar face is returning to politics. former nebraska senator, and governor, bob kerrey, has won the primary to run for his old seat again. he beat out deb fischer. and a note this morning, stemming from president obama's health care law. it somes from franciscan university in ohio. the small catholic school says it is dropping all health insurance, rather than go along with the new rule requiring birth control coverage. the school says the coverage violates their belief and the sacredness of human life. investigators in arizona launched a new search in the desert near tucson, for little isabel celis, who has been missing for nearly a month. for the first time, police say they believe the 6-year-old was kidnapped. until now, they only said they believed isabel disappeared under suspicious circumstances. firefighters in arizona are facing another day of warm, windy weather as they battle several major wildfires that are still burning out of control. >> so far, the flames have burned through 13,000 acres. and firefighters are being told to keep an eye out for snakes in abandoned mine shafts. it's considered a slow start to the wildfire season, compared to last year. and with that, let's take a look at your weather from across the country on this wednesday morning. we have some dense morning fog here in the northeast, with hail and gusty winds from new york, up to vermont, new hampshire and maine. also, showers in the ohio valley, around cincinnati and louisville. thunderstorms in the southeast. and from houston to new orleans. >> 80s from dallas to miami. 77 in atlanta. and 68 here in new york. 77 also in chicago. and 82 in the twin cities. phoenix, though, heating up to a scorching 106 degrees. salt lake city, 85. and seattle, 75. >> that heat is not what they need in phoenix. coming up next after the break, health care costs. guess which direction they're now going. >> and paying with your credit card, it seems like we're doing a better job of it these days. your business news is next. also next, a brutal beating in ninininininininininininininii welcome back, everybody. well, health care is costing more this year. not a shocker. keeping a family of four healthy will cost about $21,000. that's an increase of nearly 7%, with about 40% now being paid by families themselves, not their insurance companies. and we're doing a better job of keeping up with our credit card payments. a smaller portion of accounts were three months or more overdue in the first quarter. but the average balance on a credit card is higher than a year ago, as americans become more confident about the economy. overseas markets took a dive over greece's failure to form a new government. tokyo's nikkei average fell 100 points today. hong kong's hang seng plunged 684. that's almost 3.5%. meanwhile, in london, the ftse opened lower, as well. on wall street, the dow lost another 63 points yesterday. the nasdaq index was off nine. a few more of us will be traveling for the upcoming memorial day weekend. aaa expects almost 35 million people to hit the road. $500,000 more than last year. they will stay a little closer to home this time around. 88% will drive. and fewer will take a plane this year than last. and facebook's initial public stock offering could help its cash-strapped home state. california expects the ipo will generate $1.5 billion and $2 billion in income taxes, as facebook employees sell shares. that's money california can use. >> tough times out there, for sure. just to be clear here, the big tech ipos, are no guarantee at all for shareholders, spending about $200 in ten shares, your investment in apple would be worth about 45,000 bucks today. >> amazon would be half as much in half the amount of time. you may as well put your money under the mattress instead of investing in aol because those shares did not keep pace with inflation. >> superstition. when we come back this morning, where the buffalo roam, literally. and the understatement of the morning. you think it's time to mow? one couple's home of nearly 40 years, in serious jeopardy. for months, i had this deep pain all over my body. it just wouldn't go away. 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 for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now i can plan my days and accomplish more. 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, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain, i'm feeling better now that i've found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain. the town of ashton, iowa, is not a place you want to be on foot about now. a third of about 250 buffalo managed to escape their pen sunday night. riders on horseback have chased them down and corralled most of them but not all. unlike cattle, those buffalo, well, they move surprisingly fast. >> that horse better get moving. >> home on the range. now, a look at the morning road conditions. wet on i-95, from portland, maine, to miami. i-90, from boston to buffalo. and i-70, across pennsylvania. thunderstorms make for a slick ride on i-71 is, from cincinnati to lexington. and i-10, from houston to new orleans. >> and if you are flying today, airport delays are possible on the east coast, in new york, boston and philadelphia. well, florida community's in shock this morning after a woman killed her four children and turned the gun on herself. >> such a sad story. police in port st. john, near cape canaveral, said a wounded kid ran for help. but their mother called them back home before firing the fatal shots. a few hours earlier, she sent a disturbing text message to a friend. >> the mother advised she wanted to be cremated with her children. and unfortunately, he did not see that text or read it on his phone until he woke up this morning, which was well after the incident had already occurred. >> the children range in age from 12 to 17. the mother, 33-year-old tanya thomas, had complained to police just last month about being kicked and punched by her son. also, police in tampa, on a manhunt for four men in a vicious attack of a serviceman near the deal air force pace. it shows johnny walking home alone. and a man walks up to him and punches him in the face. three others immediately joined in, brettally kicking and punching the defenseless victim. they took off with his wallet and his cell phone. >> hard to watch. dominick strauss-kahn is striking back against the new york city maid that accused him of sexual assault. he's filed a countersuit. the former head of the monetary fund, says the woman made a malicious and false accusation, when she claimed he assaulted her a year ago. a gainesville, florida, family, has had to abandon their house of 37 years because of a sink hole that's swallowed much of the backyard. the homeowners say they're glad nobody was there when all that ground gave way. florida is also where we start this morning, sports highlights. we get those from espn. >> good morning and welcome to your "sportscenter" update. i'm zubin mehenti. the miami heat have lost chris bosh. now, they've lost home court advantage in this round, against the indiana patzers. the heat down one, dwyane wade, no. lbj's got the rebound. he goes to the line. he's just a 58% free-throw shooter. in the final minute of a one-possession game, misses both. wow. heat down two. still, with a pulse. wade, backing in. got the step. just puts it up short. miami has one, last chance to tie. it's not lbj. it's not wade. it's mario chalmers. playing off the mark. pacers win 78-75. they're 3-1, on the road this postseason. elsewhere, in the west. clippers with one day of rest, taking on the spurs, who have been off for about eight days. blake griffin's sprained left knee was just fine. tony parker, to tim duncan. the dynamic duo, at it again. the double-double for the big fundamental. and the new issue, stephen jackson, to boris daiwa, for 17. they've won 15-straight postseason games. jackson, helping the cause. chris paul had just six points. he did have ten dimes. that one to griffin. it's a ten-point game. and way too much, as san antonio, duncan, gets it to go. san antonio, has won their first five postseason games this playoff season. the nba playoffs continue on espn thursday, speaking of the clippers and spurs. the series resumes with game two, at 9:30 eastern. that's preceded by the series between the heat and the pacers. well, prospective bridegrooms looking for the perfect engagement ring have lost out on a chance to wow their bride to be. >> to say the least. that's because the world's oldest and famous diamonds sold at sotheby's for $9.7 million. it weighs in at nearly 55 karats. the buyer's name is remains anonymous. >> rob nelson? >> that ain't close. coming up next this morning, "the pulse." a new attempt to get o.j. simpson out of jail. wait until you hear who is being blamed. and one more couple exits the "dancing with the stars" ballroom. the final three, just ahead. we charge everything else... maybe it's time to recharge the human battery. only the beautyrest recharge sleep system combines the comfort of aircool memory foam layered on top of beautyrest pocketed coils to promote proper sleeping posture 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"w" magazine. the photos by mario serenty. this hits newsstands by may 22nd. >> it's push for the movie "rock of ages." there will be more of cruise's photo shoots and comments on "good morning america." that beautiful man, he looks awful there. >> "top gun" 50. where does the time go. for some of you, your local news is coming up next. >> for everyone else, we'll be back with the results of "dancing with the stars." stay with us. people have doubts about taking aspirin for pain. but they haven't experienced extra strength bayer advanced aspirin. in fact, in a recent survey, 95% of people who tried it agreed that it relieved their headache fast. visit fastreliefchallenge.com today for a special trial offer. visit fastreliefchallenge.com when it comes to toilet paper, there's no such thing as too soft. i know what i like. i like feeling both clean and pampered. why should i compromise? quilted northern ultra plush®, now with the innerlux layer. for a comfortable, confident clean, or your money back. valley. morning fog in the northeast. hail and high winds in the northeast and new england. and finally from us this morning, heartbreaking news, at least for me. despite notching nearly perfect scores this week, my future wife, maria menounos, officially booted from "dancing with the stars." >> it's ripped your heart out. i'm sorry. but the three couples are heading for next monday's finals and are closely matched. the mirrorball is up for grabs here. here's abc's george pennacchio. >> maria and derek. >> reporter: maria menounos and derek hough made it to just one step away. >> i think we went out winners. i danced every single dance i could dance in this. he told me in the elevator today. that feels good. >> reporter: they started with the cha-cha, in week one, earning triple 7s. by week three, they rumbaed their way to triple 9s. and the dramatic paso doble in week seven, earned them their first perfect score of the season. >> i never thought i would make it this far, ever. and so, for me, every week was like, oh, wow. oh, gosh, we did it. yay. we're here another week. >> it's bittersweet but mainly just sweet. this entire season has been incredible. >> reporter: green bay packer, donald driver, classical singer, katherine jenkins, and telenovella star, william levy will battle it out in next week's finals, which include the popular freestyle routine. >> i don't know what the freestyle is. all i know is that i have to go work on it right now. so, hopefully, she makes it good. >> i didn't even think we'd be here standing here, talking about being in the finals. it's a real shock. >> no pressure at all. i'm always up for the challenge. i'm glad i'm able to get her to this point. she has a dream that she wants to win it all. if i can make her dream come true, i've done my job. >> you're going to see donald in a different light. he's going to surprise everybody. >> reporter: it begins monday. >> right here on abc. in los angeles, george pennacchio, for abc news. >> tough battle. >> next season, all-stars. should be good. that's what's making news in america this morning. p. >> stay with us for