severe storms slamming the south. sparks fly in louisiana, as a tornado touches down. homes and buildings destroyed as

pounding rains flood the gulf states. angie lassman is tracking what's next. new concerns over a middle east escalation. president biden warning iran may be planning to hit targets inside israel in retaliation for a strike that killed several iranian commanders. a ramadan celebration disrupted by gunfire in philadelphia. three people injured in the chaos. what we'relearning about the five people who were arrested. a grand reopening after unimaginable tragedy. the bowling alley at the center of a mass shooting in maine now welcoming back the community to the lanes. and an unusual sight near the new jersey shore. sheep on the lam. it's thursday, april 11, "early today" starts right now. good morning, glad you're with me. i'm frances rivera. we begin with a powerful storm slamming the gulf coast.

tornados ripping through parts of texas, louisiana and mississippi. tearing through neighborhoods and destroying homes. dozens of people had to be rescued. authorities confirming at least one person was killed in mississippi. the storm also brought torrential rain. some areas getting a month's worth of rain in a single day. powerful wind gusts over 70 miles per hour also snapping power lines, with more than 200,000 power outages being reported across the southeast this morning. and the threat is not over. nbc meteorologist angie lassman joa joins us with an update on these storms. >> that same storm system going to leave us with impacts. we saw how potent and active it was across the south. today a lot of folks on the eastern third of the country, up through the great lakes, illinois to basically nordflori will see the potential for stronger storms. west looks quiet right now. a couple of alerts up. not that many when it comes to flood watches, but we do have

flash flood warnings across parts of the south. we're also going to see the potential for another round of strong to severe storms. looks hike the best chance to see that is centered across parts of the northeast into the ohio valley. we'll see a couple of, the potential for strong wind gusts, maybe a couple tornados, and a few spots where we could see some large hail. we've also got 37 million people under wind alerts. those are stretched across again much of the southeast. but notice these winds 30-40 miles per hour. even close to 50 mile-per-hour wind gusts are expected through atlanta through friday. send it back over to you u frayou, frances. three people were shot near a ramadan event. mis police say more than 30 shots were fired into a crowd. five people were arrested. authorities do not believe this was a targeted attack but rather

a confrontation between two groups. one of the injured is a 15-year-old boy shot by police who said he was armed. all three are expected to survive. in gaza, israel has assassinated three sons of hamas' top political leader. he lives in qatar. the strike on the family happened in the central gaza strip. the idf claims the men were ha hamas operatives who were on their way to carry out an act of terror when their vehicle was struck. let's go live to claudio lavanga. good morning, claudio. what more do we know about this strike? >> reporter: good morning, frances. al aqsa tv aired the video that claims to show the moment ismail haniyeh learned over the phone about the killing of his three sons. he appears to respond that he thanks allah for the honor of having his children and

grandchildren martyred. three sons as well as three of ha his grandchildren were killed. now he confirmed the death of his three sons to al jazeera but also said this will not soften hamas' position in the ongoing negotiations. but it's absolutely no doubt that these are some of the highest profile fiegsgures that have been killed. and it comes at a time when there are growing fears that the war may escalate beyond gaza's borders. president biden warned that if iran may be planning a significant attack inside israel in response, or in retaliation of israel's airstrike against an iranian consulate building in syria, in damascus last week. but at least according to officials who spoke to nbc news, any retaliation against israel

may focus on thintelligence targets. >> thank you. more trouble for a kansas city chiefs star. dallas police have issued an arrest warrant for rashee rice. he is facing it's charges, including aggravated assault for the crash involving rice and his friends, allegedly racing on a dallas highway. rice was behind the wheel of the lamborghini. he and his friends walked aid way away from the scene. four people were injured in the crash. another state supreme court is taking up abortion. today justices in iowa will hear arguments regarding the state's fetal heartbeat law. if upheld, that law would ban abortions after cardiac activity can be detected. that can occur around six weeks of pregnancy and before many women know they're pregnant. a decision is expected by the end of june. all this as fallingoutout conti

from that arizona law. >> reporter: former president trump distancing himself from that arizona law on abortion. the former president criticizing arizona's revival of the civil war-era ban adding he won't sign a nationala national ban. and trocontroversial republican senate candidate, kari lake endorsed the law two yearsi ago. >> we will not be taking the lives of our unborn anymore. >> reporter: now saying she opposes it, saying voters will decide it in november, when it will likely be on the ballot. many arizona voters differing on

abortion abortion stances. >> i'm a christian, but i still believe it's a woman's right to choose. >> i don't think it's the right of the state to punish women. >> reporter: president biden addressing the ruling. >> what do you say to the people of arizona right now who are witnessing a law go in place that dates back to the civil war era. >> elect me, i'm in the 20th century, 21st century. >> arizona can be the first in the nation to defeat a radical pro-abortion amendment. it simply goes too far for arizona voters. >> reporter: meanwhile, groups are working to protect a woman's right to choose. >> after the decision came out yesterday we decided we needed to get out and be in as many places as we need to be. >> reporter: i see tears in your eyes. why? >> because i was in the

situation, and i can't imagine pim w women who are going to be in situations that can't get the care they need. >> reporter: we spoke to both sides, they're galvanized just like when roe versus wade was overturned. one said she wants to reflect 2024. >> the third time was not the charm. his hush money trial is set to begin on monday. meanwhile, the former trump organization's cfo was sentenced to five months for perjury. the biden administration is cracking down on forever chemicals in our drinking water, known as pfas.

they have been linked with a host of health problems, including cancer, thyroid disease and heart disease. the new rules cover six of these chemicals. water companies will have three years to monitor the chemical levels. if they exceed the standards, they have two years to fix it. meeting those standards could drive up your bill. the south deals with powerful storms, the northeast is expecting a warmup to end the week. let's bring back in nbc's meteorologist angie lassman. it's going to come with a few showers, angie? >> we're going to be impacted by the same storm system. mild temperatures to say the least. we've got cincinnati headed to the low 70s. knoxville will hit the mid-70s. a little cooler back to the west across parts of the great lakes and stretching farther south. new york ends up at 66 degrees tomorrow. look at this summer-like feel as we get into saturday, sunday and monday across a good chunk of

the country. nashville will head to the 80s on sunday and monday. 80s on tap for tupelo. atlanta will go from the mid-70s on saturday to the 80s on sunday and monday. feeling like summer, even though we're in spring for a big chunc atlanta. montgomery and jackson also dealing with showers and thunderstorms. plenty of sunshine for san antonio and houston today. and that's a look at your forecast, frances. >> angie, appreciate it. coming up, a major recall alert for ford drivers. first, we're back in a moment with a bowling alley ready to reunite with a community after an unimaginable tragedy. an unimaginable tragedy. u signs. so if you're frustrated with occasional bloating... ♪♪ [stomach noises] gas...

or abdominal discomfort... help stop the frustration and start taking align every day. align probiotic was specifically designed by gastroenterologists to help relieve your occasional digestive upsets. so you can enjoy life. when you feel the signs, it's time to try align. ♪♪ my doctor recommends all free clear for my laundry. it's free of dyes and perfumes. and doesn't leave behind irritating residue. for a clean that's gentle on skin, all you need is all free clear. this isn't charmin! no wonder i don't feel as clean. here's charmin ultra strong. ahhh! my bottom's been saved! with its diamond weave texture, charmin ultra strong cleans better with fewer sheets and less effort. enjoy the go with charmin. a bowling alley at the center of a tragedy six months

ago is finding a way to heal. the owners say they're ready to welcome the community back. >> reporter: justin grew up bowling here in lewiston, maine. when the owner announced he was closing in 2021, he bought it just in time. >> we were bowlerings and knew lot of the people here. >> reporter: last october, his passion project was upended when a gunman stormed the bowling alley and nearby bar, killing 18 people. what do you remember from that night? >> thinking that samantha had been murdered. >> reporter: samantha feared the same for her husband. >> and not knowing if he was alive. i didn't find out for hike two and a half hours if he was alive or not. >> reporter: even nearly six month later. >> mm-hm. >> reporter: the emotion's still so raw. >> mm-hm. yeah. >> reporter: heartache, guilt, nightmares and triggers have

plagued samantha and justin's days and nights. >> i didn't think that i'd ever be able to walk in here again, let alone reopen the business. >> reporter: but slowly a change of heart, and a feeling that lewiston needed just in time recreation. >> we have all new paint on the walls. >> reporter: it's now in the final stages of renovation, days away from reopening. >> the people that we lost loved this place. i could hear bob violet just telling me you can't give up. >> reporter: bob and lucy violet were killed while volunteering with the youth league just as they did every wednesday night. son john and his wife cassandra moved back to continue the legacy. >> i look back at the lanes over here, that's usually where the practice was. came in on a lot of wednesday nights with my own kids myself. so i try to remember the good things. >> we've spent a lot of hours in this bowling alley, years and

years and years. i feel close to them by being here. >> i hope my presence encourages others. and hopefully we can move forward. >> reporter: pressing on the only way they know how. lewiston strong. emilie ikeda, nbc news, lewiston, maine. still to come, margo robbie takes a chance on a new board game adaptation, and spike lee didn't have to search high and low for his newest star. right after this. newest star. right after this. more than just my armpits stink. that's why i use secret whole body deodorant. everywhere! we're all human, its okay to smell like one. (sniffs) i smell very human right now. which is totally normal. girl preach. but if it bothers you, 4/5 gynecologists would recommend whole body deodorant. which gives you 72 hour odor protection. from your pits to your bits. so you can use it on your... (spraying) secret whole body deodorant.

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mr. stapleton? big fan, love your music. no, that's stupid. >> hey, chris, one for the gram? sir gosling, that's cool. hey, chris?

hello? ♪ ♪ >> celebrities just like us. even ryan gosling is starstruck ahead of meeting chris stapleton in the latest promo for "saturday night live." gosling and stapleton are both marking their third go around in studio 8-h this weekend. this is going to be so good. we saw a little snippet. he made that cameo last week in kristen wiig's monologue. you can't beat it when it comes to ryan gosling. >> is there anything that he looks bad in? we'll see how he does. >> he'll be great. margo robbie is trading in her dolls for a top hat and symbol. it will be a collaboration with hasbro and her company. she's produced and starred in "barbie", the biggest film of 2023 and is also developing a

film version of the beloved pc game, the sims. and it just goes to show how versatile margo robbie is. the acting, producing, all of it. and now she's got her hands in this as well. >> i'm really curious how they're going to pull this off. a movie about monopoly? i don't know about this. but, when it comes to margo robbie, everything she touches is hit rally out of the box. out of the game box, too. now to the long-awaited team-up of spike and spice. variety reported that ice spice had m will make her debut in the japanese film "high and low". the grammy nominee has already started shooting along deside washington. can you imagine your debut on the big screen with a huge name?

like spike lee and denzel washington? >> those are pinch-me moments for sure. it's not her first time acting, of course, she's had some commercials, but this is a big deal. up next, ford issues another recall due to fire risks. and a frenchathlete reaching new heights with her record-breaking climb. her record-breaking climb. wn powerwh dish spray. it removes 99% of grease and grime in half the time. dawn powerwash has 3 cleaning boosters not found in traditional dish soaps that remove food and grease 5 times faster. and, because it cleans so well you can replace multiple cleaning products for counters, stoves, and even laundry stains. try dawn powerwash dish spray. brand power, helping you buy better.

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including difficulty breathing. tiktok plans to test a new feature called tiktok notes. it will allow users to share photos with captions similar to instagram. a french woman has broken a world rope-climbing record. she reached the second floor of the eiffel tower, climbing 361 feet in just 18 minutes. "early today" will be right back. e right back. nature's bounty hair growth. clinically shown to help grow thicker, fuller hair with just one capsule a day of advanced hair complex. conquer hair thinning... ...and fall in love with your hair all over again. only from nature's bounty. this isn't charmin! no wonder i don't feel as clean. here's charmin ultra strong. ahhh! my bottom's been saved! with its diamond weave texture, charmin ultra strong cleans better with fewer sheets and less effort. enjoy the go with charmin. when your gut is out of balance,

your body gives you signs. so if you're frustrated with occasional bloating... ♪♪ [stomach noises] gas... or abdominal discomfort... help stop the frustration and start taking align every day. align probiotic was specifically designed by gastroenterologists to help relieve your occasional digestive upsets. so you can enjoy life. when you feel the signs, it's time to try align. now to an unusual police chase in new jersey. officers springing into action to help herd a flock of run away sheep that were on the lam. here's ted greenberg from nbc

new york. >> come on, buddy. >> reporter: they're safely contained and no longer on the lam. >> my sheep had got a little too curious. >> reporter: an unusual sight bringing lower township police out to busy break water road tuesday morning. >> ngot a call from dispatch saying there was a herd of sheep in the roadway. >> reporter: the flock of nine belonged to stephanie and her family. luckily, the sheep did not wander far. >> come on. there they go. mommy's here. >> reporter: officers patrick aiken, kyle boyle and bill armrod took uh the task of herding them back home. >> they cooperated the whole time. yeah, we pretty much just followed them back to make sure they were safe. the four adults and five lambs had been allowed to roam outside their pen, because their pasture is flooded from recent rainstorms. >> they've been free ranging the last couple of days, and they've never left the property.

>> reporter: the family's property is completely surrounded by woods except for this spot right here. of course, the sheep managed to find it. and then made their exit. >> they're in time out. they're not allowed to roam free anymore. >> reporter: the sheep's safe return came with affection. a fuzzy photo shoot and some humor. >> we get a lot of weird calls, and when somebody called 911 and said there's a herd of sheep in the middle of the road -- >> we were so grateful that someone along the road on break water stopped and tried to keep the sheep out of the road. >> reporter: stephanie's kids are home schooled. the sheep part of the learning experience. the little adventure leading to a new lesson. >> we have to watch the sheep outside. >> reporter: the flock that high tailed it back home, thanks to some corralling by the cops. ted greenberg, news 4 new york. now to japan gifting 250 new

cherry trees to washington, d.c. to help replace those that will need to be removed later this spring. president biden sharing the news during a visit by japanese prime minister key sishida. it was meant to honor america's birthday in 2026. now a very different kind of flower blooming in michigan. this is the corpse flower. you can see the process unfold in time lapse. the bloom only happens every seven to ten years. that's a good thing some had say. the corpse flower getsts scent i

breaking right now at 5:00, traffic troubles on an east bay corrector of a semi truck crash. ve