iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Nearly six in 10 Americans back a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants, with narrow preference for prompt action on the issue. Partisan divisions are sharp, a factor likely to be reflected in the full Senate debate ahead.

Overall, 58 percent in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll support providing a way for undocumented immigrants to remain in the country legally “if they pay a fine and meet other requirements,” vs. 38 percent opposed. That’s similar to a 62-34 percent split last month.

A bare majority, 51 percent, also says Congress should pass a legal status law now, either alone or along with stricter border control. Forty-five percent instead say border control should come first -- as preferred by some Republicans in Congress -- or oppose action on either step.

Legal status and tighter border control both are included in a package approved Tuesday night by the Senate Judiciary Committee, with support from three of its eight Republican members and all 10 Democrats. Reflecting that outcome, this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, finds that 70 percent of Democrats support a path to legal status, as do 57 percent of independents -- dropping to 42 percent of Republicans.

Further, 52 percent of Republicans say Congress should pass border control first, or not act on either element of immigration reform. Forty-seven percent of independents share that view; it declines to 35 percent among Democrats.

All else equal, potential effects of the issue in 2014 congressional races look like a wash. People who oppose a path to legal status are more likely than its supporters to call the issue a red line in their vote preference -- but there are fewer of them, equalizing the overall effect. (Of course, all else in fact is not equal, given factors including the demographic and political makeup of congressional districts; turnout, including in primaries; the quality of opposing candidates; and the potential pull of other issues.)

Among groups, apart from partisanship, support for a path to legal status peaks among college post-graduates (72 percent), liberals (70 percent), Westerners (69 percent), nonwhites (68 percent) and 18- to 39-year olds (65 percent).

On gun control, another contentious issue, this poll finds extensive unhappiness with the Senate’s recent rejection of expanded background checks for gun purchasers; 67 percent say it was the wrong thing to do, with 58 percent feeling that way “strongly.” That’s not unexpected, since 86 percent favored expanded background checks in an ABC/Post poll in March.

Notably, even among people in gun-owning households, 62 percent say it was wrong for the Senate to reject extending background checks to cover online and gun-show purchases.

Forty-one Republican senators and five Democrats voted against the measure. Criticism in this survey is focused on the GOP: Among Americans who favored the measure, 64 percent chiefly blame its rejection on opposition led by congressional Republicans, vs. 17 percent who mainly blame President Obama for failing to secure the needed votes.

But backlash against the National Rifle Association, a prime opponent of the law, is muted. Forty-four percent of Americans say the NRA has too much influence over gun laws; that’s up by 6 points from January, but to a level it’s seen before.

Compared with immigration reform, the background-check issue appears to pose clearer electoral risk. Among the many critics of the Senate action, 55 percent say they could not support a candidate who voted against expanded background checks. It’s a red line for fewer on the other side of the issue, 46 percent, and, as noted, there are many fewer of them.

This ABC News/Washington Post poll was produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates of New York, N.Y., with sampling, data collection and tabulation by Abt-SRBI of New York, N.Y.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call(HARRISBURG, Penn.) -- Emily’s List is backing Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) in her bid for governor of Pennsylvania, making their first endorsement of the 2014 gubernatorial cycle.

The group, known for backing female Democratic candidates who support abortion rights, is supporting Schwartz in her bid against Republican Gov. Tom Corbett.

“Allyson Schwartz has an incredible track record of fighting for the women and families of Pennsylvania. Now it’s time for her to take that experience and dedication all the way to the governor’s mansion, where she will help get Pennsylvanians back to work, protect access to healthcare, and fight for seniors and veterans,” Stephanie Schriock, president of Emily’s List, said in a statement.

In her statement, Schriock noted that they have been supporting Schwartz for “more than a decade,” adding, “We’re thrilled to be a part of her campaign to become Pennsylvania’s first woman governor.”

Schwartz, the only female member of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, currently represents the 13th congressional district of Pennsylvania and is serving her fifth term. She represents Montgomery County and Northeast Philadelphia in Congress. Schwartz announced her gubernatorial campaign last month and, as Schriock noted, she would be the first female governor of the state.

Earlier this month Emily’s List launched a “Madam President” campaign with the goal of electing a female president in 2016.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

John Heller/WireImage(WASHINGTON) -- President Obama will nominate former campaign official Katherine Archuleta as director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on Thursday, according to a White House official.

Archuleta served as national political director for Obama's 2012 reelection campaign. She was the first Latina to serve in that role on a major presidential campaign, the White House said. Former OPM director John Berry's term expired last month.

Obama's appointment of Archuleta comes after the president faced pressure from Latino advocacy groups to appoint Hispanics to serve in his second-term cabinet. More than seven in 10 Latinos voted for Obama in last year's election, but the number of Latino cabinet members is set to fall from two to one.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar both left the administration this year. Thomas Perez, a former Justice Department official, was nominated to fill Solis' position at the Department of Labor.

The position of OPM director is not a cabinet-level role. The agency, however, does oversee the hiring of federal employees and the pension and insurance plans for federal retirees. That role has become increasingly important as the federal government grapples with across-the-board sequestration spending cuts. The $85 billion in cuts this year alone have caused agencies to furlough employees.

Before serving as the Obama campaign's political director in 2012, Archuleta was chief of staff to Solis at the Department of Labor. A Colorado native, she worked as a senior adviser to Denver's first Latino mayor, Federico Peña (D), from 2005 to 2009.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

iStockphoto/Thinkstock(LONDON) -- British authorities are debating whether to raise the country's threat level one day after a British soldier was hacked to death by suspects shouting jihadist slogans in southeast London.

Britain's top leaders held an emergency meeting Thursday in the equivalent of the White House Situation Room, deciding whether they believe the assault could lead to more attacks.

Counterterrorism police searched a home in northeast England, according to police in Lincolnshire, and officers were seen meticulously searching a parking garage and a lawn in Woolwich, where the attack took place. They also continue to interview the two suspects, who are in the hospital under arrest after they were both shot by armed police. It's unclear whether they are cooperating with authorities.

One of the alleged attackers was a British Christian who converted to Islam, according to Anjem Choudary, the former leader of the group Al Muhajiroun, a banned Islamist Organization.

Choudary told ABC News that the killer's name is Michael Adebolajo, who converted to Islam in 2003 and changed his name to Mujahid, meaning one who wages jihad.

Choudary said Adebolajo was never a member of Al Muhajiroun, but knew him because he attended the group's rallies from about 2005 to 2011.

After 2011, Choudary said, Adebolajo stopped attending rallies. Choudary said he has no idea what Adebolajo has been doing since, and he said that Adebolajo never suggested any antipathy to British soldiers or any willingness to commit violence.

"He was a very peaceful man," Choudary told ABC News. "Never saw any kind of violence streak in him. Very quiet, timid man, in fact."

After the attack, instead of fleeing the scene, Abedolajo and his alleged accomplice invited eyewitnesses to interview them on their camera phones. Abedolajo spoke to one eyewitness while holding two bloody knives. His hands were stained deep red and he used rhetoric similar to that used in martyrdom videos.

"We swear by almighty Allah, we will never stop fighting you until you leave us alone, your people will never be safe," Abedolajo said calmly, according to ITV News, which first obtained the video. "Tell them to bring our troops back so we -- so you -- can all live in peace."

The attack occurred a few hundred feet from an army barracks in Woolwich, home to the Princess of Wales' regiment and the King's Troop, a ceremonial unit. Authorities have increased security at the 10 army barracks across London, according to British officials.

British Prime Minister David Cameron praised the police response Thursday morning.

"This was not just an attack on Britain and the British way of life. It was also a betrayal of Islam," Cameron told reporters after chairing the meeting of senior government officials. "There is nothing in Islam that justifies this truly barbaric act."

Police and community leaders feared violent backlashes following the attack, especially in Woolwich, which has had a past history of racial tensions.

A few hundred members of the anti-immigrant and right-wing party the English Defense League poured into the area last night, wearing masks and throwing rocks at police. And police reported two separate attacks on Muslim centers in southern and eastern England.

Police in Essex, east of London, arrested a 43-year-old who was holding a knife outside of a Muslim prayer center Wednesday night. They charged him with attempted arson as well as suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, Essex police told ABC News.

And in Gillingham, Kent, which is south of London, another man was arrested Wednesday night outside a mosque on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage, Kent police told ABC News.

British Muslim organizations were quick to condemn the attack.

"We must come together, isolate those who believe that extremism and violence are acceptable, and work to ensure that they meet the full force of the law," Fiyaz Mughal, the director of Faith Matters, said in a statement. "We as the Muslim community will work against anyone who promotes such hatred."

Still, at a moment when much of the country was upset by a crime clearly designed to shock, there were signs of impressive bravery.

After the attack, a mother of two Ingrid Loyau-Kennett approached one of the attackers and engaged him in conversation. Loyau-Kennet can be seen in a photograph calmly talking to the man. He was holding a bloody knife and she appeared unafraid.

"I just talked to him. He looked like a normal guy. He wasn't high, he wasn't on drugs. A normal guy pissed off with the fact [as he said], 'Muslim women and children are dying in their countries by the hand of white men,'" she told ITV's Daybreak. "He was very, very close to me. He was almost touching me ...I asked him, what's the point. [He said] 'war in London.'"

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

SHAH MARAI/AFP/Getty Images(KABUL, Afghanistan) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai won't run in 2014. Actually, he can't. The flamboyant and often inscrutable leader is barred by his constitution from seeking a third term.

Karzai asserted that there is "no circumstance that will allow me to stay as president" when asked whether he'll try to get around term limits while on a visit to India Wednesday.

According to the Afghan president, he's actually ready for retirement after eight grueling years. But even more importantly, Karzai asked rhetorically, "Why would I ruin my legacy by staying on and taking an opportunity away from Afghanistan to become an institutionalized democracy?"

Despite his sometimes puzzling statements about U.S.-Afghan relations, Karzai is a known commodity to the West unlike other potential candidates.

The national elections are set for next April just as U.S. and NATO allies prepare to withdraw most of their military forces from Afghanistan. Washington and Kabul are still trying to hammer out a post-war agreement about what the U.S. role will be in Afghanistan after 2014.

As for how the country will manage without coalition forces to repel foreign and domestic militants, Karzai seemed unperturbed, predicting that Afghanistan is much different from Iraq because there are no sectarian tensions to deal with.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images(AMMAN, Jordan) -- Secretary Of State John Kerry is sending a message to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: either find a peaceful solution to the two-year civil war or be prepared to deal with the international community boosting aid to the foes of his regime.

Speaking ahead of the 11-nation "Friends of Syria" conference in Amman, Jordan Wednesday, the top U.S. envoy urged al-Assad, who has vowed not to surrender, to make "a commitment to find peace in his country."

Otherwise, Kerry warned that Washington and its allies will have no choice but to increase assistance to the Syrian opposition, which has thus far not included any weaponry.

Last week, Kerry and his Russian counterpart announced that the two nations would spearhead a conference in Geneva set for early June "to end the bloodshed which has cost tens of thousands of lives."

The plan is to involve both sides in the Syrian conflict as well as other members of the international community, although neither al-Assad nor Syrian rebels have committed to sending representatives to the summit.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Hemera Technologies/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Wall Street may be in for a wild ride Thursday after a sharp retreat for stocks in Japan. U.S. stock futures dropped after the Nikkei index in Tokyo plunged 7.3 percent overnight, its worst one-day loss in more than two years.

Global stock markets are in retreat, hammered by a one-two punch.

The first blow was struck when U.S. markets turned from gains to losses after the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve. The minutes showed that a number of officials were ready to taper off the aggressive policy of quantitative easing, with the monthly purchase of $85 billion in government bonds. The Fed’s recent moves had helped push up stock prices.

The second shoe to drop came from China. The HSBC Purchasing Managers Index fell this month, adding to signs of a fragile economic recovery for the world’s second-largest economy is losing steam.

HSBC economist Hongbin Qu in a statement said, “The cooling manufacturing activities in May reflected slower domestic demand and ongoing external headwinds.”

China’s economic growth slowed unexpectedly in the first quarter and forecasters have cut their growth outlook for the year.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Accustomed to their gas-guzzling companions, many Americans are hesitant to buy an electric or hybrid vehicle. But dealers and government incentives are luring drivers into the fold.

John O’Dell, senior green car editor for Edmunds.com, has leased a Nissan Leaf with his wife for the last two years. He said he is not sure he would lease an electric car if the federal tax credit of up to $7,500 were not available.

In O’Dell’s home state of California, he also received a state rebate of about $5,000.

“The state rebate made it even sweeter,” O’Dell said.

Plug-in cars comprised less than one percent of total vehicle sales in the U.S. in the first four months of the year, according to Hybridcars.com. But plug-in sales figures are double those of the first four months of last year, with help from discounts and incentives, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The drawbacks of an electric car include limited battery life or power per charge and lack of charging stations in some parts of the country.

But the financial incentives are appealing.

People who purchase an electric car in or after 2010 may be eligible for the federal tax credit of up to $7,500, depending on the capacity of the vehicle’s battery. (The federal tax credit amounts per vehicle are described on the website FuelEconomy.Gov.)

Electric car buyers who owe less than $7,500 in taxes won’t get a full $7,500 in tax credits even if their electric car purchase is eligible for that amount. But some dealers who lease these cars are giving drivers a discount of the full $7,500 from the lease price.

Various states have different tax incentives. Among Georgia’s offerings, for instance, is an income tax credit to people who buy or lease a new zero emissions vehicle. The tax credit is 20 percent of the vehicle cost, up to $5,000.

At the time O’Dell leased the Nissan Leaf, it had a MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) of about $36,000. Today, its MSRP is about $35,200 before federal tax savings.

While O’Dell’s commute is 110 miles round-trip, he can take advantage of a charging station by his office. He also happens to have a solar-powered home, so his electric bill is only about $45 a month. For longer trips, he uses one of his family’s other three cars.

“The car pretty much pays for itself every month,” O’Dell said of the Leaf. He said leasing an electric car worked “wonderfully” for him, but he knows not everyone in the country will have the same situation.
But as the price of electric cars falls and battery technology improves, O’Dell said it makes more sense to lease an electric car than to buy one.

“Batteries have a finite life and no one knows what that is yet,” he said.

These days, he said monthly lease deals for electric cars can be as low as $199 a month, such as for the Fiat 500 EV. Cars like the Fiat 500 EV are only available in California, marketed there to meet the state’s stringent emissions standards.

“A lot of these eclectic cars are not available nationally,” O’Dell said. “They’re expensive to build with a limited market.”

Cars like the Ford Focus and Tesla S are marketed nationally.

Eric Evarts, senior associate autos editor with Consumer Reports, agrees that it is better to lease an electric car than to buy one.

“I would say electric cars are the one thing where we would unequivocally recommend people lease,” Evarts said, “especially with some of these low subsidized rates, depending where you live.”

Evarts’ advice extends to hybrids like the Toyota Prius, though he said the Prius has been around since 2000 and has a longer track record and higher resale value.

Evarts cautions drivers considering a lease to consider what they plan to do after their lease ends, which is typically two years.

“You can extend the lease, but it tends to be that longer leases are less financially good deals,” Evarts said, adding that eventually repairs and updates like tire changes can lead to more expenses for a leased car.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Alex Wong/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The head of the nation's central bank told D.C. lawmakers Wednesday that he's leaving well enough alone so as not to derail the slow but steady economic recovery.

Appearing before a congressional Joint Economic Committee, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke declared that the economy is in better shape than it was at this time in 2012.

The Fed has kept interest rates at record low levels since December 2008 and Bernanke warned that raising them now could lead to slowing or ending the economic recovery and causing inflation to fall further.

Deflation might stall the economic recovery by driving down prices so low that businesses are unable to make a profit, forcing them to start laying off workers.

Speaking of unemployment, which stands at around 7.5 percent, Bernanke said it was important to keep seeing improvements in this area, especially since as many as eight million Americans, who have jobs, are only working part-time.

He maintained the Fed has no plans to stop buying $85 billion a month in mortgage-backed securities and Treasury bonds, a process that lowers long-term interest rates, including mortgage rates, which has stimulated a revival in the housing market.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

David Cannon/Getty Images(LONDON) -- Pro golfer Sergio Garcia is getting skewered over what some are calling blatant racist remarks aimed at Tiger Woods.

When jokingly asked Tuesday night if he would invite woods over for dinner at an upcoming tournament, Garcia said "we will have him round every night. We will serve fried chicken."

Woods swiftly responded on Twitter, tweeting "The comment that was made wasn't silly. It was wrong, hurtful and clearly inappropriate. I'm confident that there is real regret that the remark was made."

“My answer was totally out of place,” Garcia apologized at a press conference Wednesday. Garcia said he called Woods' agent to speak directly with him, but has not gotten through as of yet. The golfer added he does intend to apologize directly at some point.

There’s no love lost between the two golf titans. They have been battling on and off the green since the late 90s. Most recently the two squared off at the Players Championship when Garcia accused Woods of distracting him on while he was taking a shot.

“Of course he’s complaining about something,” Woods responded.

This isn't the first time Woods has been the victim of a remark considered racist. At the '97 Masters another pro golfer, Fuzzy Zoeller, was asked about Wood’s record run and responded with, “say congratulations, enjoy it and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve.”

Woods forgave Zoeller after he apologized.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Kirby Lee/Getty Images(LAS VEGAS) -- Outspoken former Major League Baseball star Jose Canseco is being investigated by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman.

The LVMPD said in a statement Wednesday, "Jose Conseco has been named as the suspect in this investigation. At this time no charges have been filed and our investigation remains ongoing."

Authorities said Canseco, 48, has agreed to be interviewed about the accusations.

Canseco maintained his innocence in a series of tweets that have since been deleted. In one tweet, Canseco named his accuser, asking her, "Will u take a polygraph cause I will."

Canseco, a prolific home run hitter who played much of his 17-year career with the Oakland A's, has freely admitted taking steroids to enhance his performance while alleging that many other stars during his playing days did the same.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Ida Mae Astute/ABC(NEW YORK) -- ABC’s Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts will write a memoir about her recent experience battling a rare blood disorder.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 52-year-old veteran anchor is working on the currently untitled book, which will be published by Grand Central Publishing in April 2014.

"I am humbled that many have an interest, and draw strength from my on-going journey," Roberts said in a statement. "I'm grateful for the prayers and well wishes of so many people. I’m thrilled that [publisher] Jamie Raab and Grand Central Publishing will help me tell my story."

This will be Roberts' second book. In 2007, From the Heart, 7 Rules to Live By, was published. The inspirational book later became a New York Times best-seller.

Roberts left the GMA anchor desk for five months after she underwent a bone marrow transplant to treat the blood disorder.  She returned last February.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Comstock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Before your trip to a tropical paradise, you may want to stop at Walmart or Target for the best sunscreen protection.

According to Consumer Reports, the top two sunscreens in their tests were Walmart's Equate Ultra Protection SPF 50 lotion and Target's Up & Up Sport SPF 50 spray, both inexpensive brands.

Consumer Reports says sunscreens should block both ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays, and should keep working after you've been in the water.

Consumer Reports warns that you can’t always rely on just the SPF number, which is just a measure of UVB ray protection. UVB rays cause sunburn and cancer, while UVA rays tan and age skin, and they contribute to skin cancer as well. The top rated sunscreens protected against both.

Consumer Reports’ sunscreen buying guide notes that top rated sunscreens actually change from year to year. The highest rated one in 2012 came in dead last this year.

“It's hard to explain the changes but our tests did find that there are better choices,” the buying guide reads. “New labeling and test requirements from the Food and Drug Administration could have led sunscreen makers to tweak ingredients, but several manufacturers told us they hadn't changed formulations since our last tests.”

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Pixland/Thinkstock(MONTGOMERY, Ala.) -- A mystery illness has sickened seven people in southeastern Alabama, killing two of them, according to the state Health Department, but it's not clear whether the patients -- or their symptoms -- are connected.

"At this time, there is no epidemiological link between these patients," an Alabama health department document states in bold type.

The patients' ages range from their mid-20s to their late 80s, Dr. Mary McIntyre, who is leading the investigation, told ABCNews.com in an email. Location aside, McIntyre said the patients had no commonalities other than that the "majority" of them had "co-morbidities like smoking, COPD, morbid obesity."

"Temporal clustering can make something look like an outbreak," said Dr. Richard Besser, chief health and medical editor for ABC News. "Good science will tell you whether it is."

The illnesses started with common flu-like symptoms -- shortness of breath, a cough and a fever. But both patients who died had come down with pneumonia, McIntyre said.

Besser said most pneumonia patients are never tested to determine what caused their infection, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could offer "state of the art" diagnostic testing to explain the Alabama cases. Health officials will also question the patients' families and friends to determine common exposures and whether the patients ever had contact with one another.

The first three cases were reported to the health department on May 16 because the patients were on ventilators but had no known cause for their illnesses, according to a health department document. The most recent case was reported May 19.

One of the patients tested positive for H1N1, the "swine flu" that began in spring 2009 and peaked the following October, according to a health department document. Another patient tested for a strain of influenza called AH3.

It's not yet clear whether either flu played a role in this cluster of illnesses, the document states. The five patients who are still living seem to be getting better, McIntyre said. One of them was released Tuesday.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

ULTRA F/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Though the practices of yoga and meditation have their roots in ancient cultures, they’ve both become modern day movements. More than 20 million Americans meditate regularly, according to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey. More than 13 million do yoga.

To explore the health benefits of meditation and yoga, Dr. Richard Besser, chief health and medical correspondent for ABC News, hosted a tweet chat Tuesday. He invited experts from top hospitals and research centers, including the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the University of Wisconsin, the Cleveland Clinic and Harvard Medical School, as well as respected yoga authorities from the Krapula Yoga Center in Stockbridge, Mass., and West Hartford Yoga in Connecticut.

Click here for the full transcript of the chat. Read on for the highlights.

What is meditation and what does the science say about its benefits for the brain and body?

Many forms of meditation evolved from ancient religious and spiritual traditions, said the NCCAM. Although practices vary today, most meditation techniques aim to train attention and awareness to help bring thoughts under control.

Studies show how helpful a regular meditation practice can be for relieving pain, anxiety and stress. Although a series of University of Wisconsin studies have found meditation can benefit patients with chronic inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, more research is needed to understand its role in the treatment of chronic health conditions.

What is yoga and how can a regular practice help me keep healthy?

There are more than 200 schools of yoga taught throughout the world. All of them aim to connect the mind and body through careful breathing and movement.

As with meditation, studies find that regularly doing downward dogs and warrior poses can help manage stress and anxiety. There’s even some evidence that yoga can help fight cancer-related fatigue, manage high-blood pressure and ease chronic pain, especially joint pain. For example, studies by the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle found that after several weeks of taking yoga classes, subjects reported fewer backaches and greater lower-back mobility.

Any advice for yoga newbies?

Don’t let an instructor push you past your comfort zone. Listen to your body. All our experts agreed that's the most important advice for yogis at any level.  If you’ve got any sort of chronic medical condition, are pregnant or haven’t done any sort of exercise in a while, it’s a good idea to check in with your doctor before taking up a yoga practice.

For people who are stressed out by tragic events in the news like the tornado that ripped through the Moore, Okla., can meditating help?  

Since meditation – and yoga for that matter –  promote relaxation, it can definitely help manage the emotions that bubble up after hearing bad or disturbing news. There’s some evidence that a few moments of quiet reflection is especially helpful for people who suffer from anxiety and depression to begin with. And the group dynamic of a yoga class can bring people together and not feel so alone after a tragedy.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio