this breaking news this morning. the parents accused of abducting their two young sons and sailing to cuba, they are back in florida this morning and they are under arrest. josh and sharyn hakken and their two boys were spotted yesterday at a havana marina by a cnn reporter. cnn's victor blackwell is live in tampa this morning where the boys have been reunited with their grandparents. good morning, victor. >> good morning, john. those parents are in jail here in hillsboro county in florida. they face state charges, joshua hakken, the father, faces a federal count of flight to avoid prosecution. but we know now from the fbi and the local sheriff's office that what happened was the state department initially received the information that the hakkens had moved to cuba. had moved by boat to cuba and were there at the marina. it was cnn's patrick oppmann in havana who confirmed it. saw the boys. saw the boat. and actually spoke with joshua and sharyn hakken there. in havana. and after that, we're told that

authorities here, both state and federal authorities boarded a plane, flew to havana, and brought the kids and the parents home. they were kept separated on the plane. the major question politically was in the beginning, how would this happen? considering the inconsistent and unpredictable extradition history between the u.s. and cuba. would cuba cooperate? here's the answer from the fbi. >> in talking to the state department, and our coordination, you know, the u.s. officials with the government of cuba, they've been very supportive and they were very cooperative, and all our requests and trained to make sure that we got the family back safely. >> once that plane landed here in hillsboro county the boys were separated again from their parents, they went with their grandparents where they are this morning. the parents were taken to a jail a few hundred yards away from me where they were questioned for several hours. they're now at a different jail. we're expecting them to make their first appearance in court

pretty soon and we should learn more over the next 24 to 48 hours as the grandparents have said that they will make themselves and the two boys, chase and cole, available to talk about the last week, and their terrible ordeal. john? >> victor, we're wondering here, how do you explain to a 2-year-old and 4-year-old what's gone on? it's got to be so difficult. victor blackwell live for us in tampa. >> as victor said, it was cnn's patrick oppmann who first found the family in havana. he's in havana for us this morning. >> this is how we started our search for joshua and sharyn hakken. right now we're heading out to the marina hemingway, one of the larger marinas in cuba, where a lot of foreigners go to keep their boats here and where they stay when they're coming to cuba. to get past the marina security it helps to keep your camera out of view. the guards soon tell me to leave. we're being bothered now by the security they're asking us to leave. [ speaking spanish ]

we're outside the marina hemingway where there's a lot more security than when we were here earlier. then we were just able to drive in and immediately start looking for the hakkens' boat. we went back up in this area here and there are lots of boats from the united states but none that match the description we've gotten from police. we're going to the last boat slip that we saw the "salt." it really stood out because it was a much smaller boat, and as soon as we got there and started filming i saw josh hakken get out of the boat. he asked me who i was. i said i was an american reporter. he confirmed who he was and immediately got back in the boat. cuban authorities came out immediately, some of them packing pistols and told us that we needed to leave. but we were able to convince them before they kicked us out to allow me to go up without a camera and speak to josh hakken. they let us go up to the boat and he wouldn't speak to me but his wife confirmed to us that both their sons are with them. as she said, they're doing fine. patrick oppmann, cnn havana. >> terrific reporting from patrick. >> unbelievable. new developments this

morning in the tensions with north korea right now. one u.s. officials telling cnn the white house believes it is likely the north could test-fire a mobile ballistic missile at any time. and based on intelligence reports pyongyang has already completed the necessary preparations. jim clancy is live from seoul, south korea this morning. good morning, jim. what's the latest there? >> well, you know, we're sitting, we're watching, we're waiting. you know, it's amazing. we haven't heard a word from the north koreans about this. are they afraid this missile might fail? we do know that privately they voiced -- they were crestfallen, john, when the u.s. decided to cancel its own ballistic missile test from vandenberg air force base. the north koreans apparently wanted to see that happen. i talked with university of georgia professor han park. >> i suppose with some n.k., north korean, personnel. that's exactly what a sovereign

state should be doing, it's a u.s. right to test their weapons from their territories. that's exactly what we did. how come they're doing and we are not allowed to do? that's the kind of mentality north korea's coming from. >> all right. it may be that the north koreans had a propaganda campaign all set to go if that minuteman three went skyward and they were disappointed they didn't get to use it, john. >> interesting notion, jim. jim clancy for us in south korea, thanks so much. we're learning what may be behind a stabbing rampage on a texas college campus. 20-year-old suspect dylan quick is accused of injuring 14 people at lone star community college. officials say quick told investigators he planned the assault and that he has fantasized about stabbing people since he was in elementary school. cnn's ed lavandera liv in cypress, texas, where classes are resuming.

>> good morning, christine. disturbing details that investigators have released in this about their conversations with dylan quick in the moments after he was taken into custody. but it all came to a quick end, because of three students who jumped into action. investigators say dylan quick unleashed a rapid and frightening attack on 14 people, as he walked through a hallway of the lone star college campus in cypress, texas. kathy foe says it was surreal to watch the horrific scene unfold. she was in a classroom when she heard students screaming. how in the world does someone stab 14 people? >> he used his back pack as a shield and he gets close to the person, kind of bumps into them and stabs them at the same time. >> that quick. >> it was that quick, just and then out. and down the other way. >> this guy's walking and he's just leaving this trail of pain behind him, right? >> basically. he's just stabbing anyone in his way. there was no pattern. there was no method. it -- it was completely random.

>> reporter: 14 people were wounded in the surprising assault. four had to be airlifted to hospitals. for many, it was all over before they could figure out what had happened. the wounds were gruesome. a piece of a blade broke off in one victim's cheek. others were stabbed in the throat and face as students ran from the chaos a group of three students went after the attacker. one of them was steven maida. >> he said there's a guy stabbing girls in the face. i was like, all right, we got to go in there. see what i can do. >> reporter: he says he and two other students started chasing dylan quick through the building, and finally caught up with him outside by a parking lot. >> jumped back on him, and i didn't want to take a chance, i put him on his stomach, put his hands behind his back and that's when the first cop came and put the cuffs on him. >> when you guys get on top of him, what did he say? >> he said i give up right away. i give up. i was just on top of him. why did you do this? what made you want to stab these girls? >> reporter: maida said he

didn't get an answer but investigators said dylan quick said he's had fantasies of stabbing people since he was in elementary school and had planned this attack for some time. investigators also say dylan quick used a razor-type knife and has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. and christine, one of the things that really stood out to me in our conversation with cassidy, that first witness that you heard from, the young woman who is a nursing student here at lone star college, when she first emerged from her classroom, she heard several of the victims making frantic phone calls to loved ones. she was convinced that several of them did not think they were going to survive this attack and this morning there are still two of those victims that are in critical condition. christine? >> ed lavandera, thanks, reporting for us. >> let's bring in the harris county sheriff aid ran garcia whose department responded to the initial 911 call and detained the suspect. good morning. thank you so much. >> can you tell me if you have

any criminal record, any documented history of any mental illness? >> john, thank you for having me. first of all, let me just say that our prayers are here in harris county go out to the victims in this particular case to the staff and the faculty, to everyone affected. to your question, we don't have any information that dylan had any previous criminal history or anything to indicate that he would be prone to this type of violent behavior. >> we hear that he's been fantasizing of using a knife, stabbing people since elementary school. as you say, no documented history so no early warning signs that anyone should have been able to pick up? >> not that we know of at this particular point. maybe more information will come forward but at this point, there's nothing to indicate that there would be any red flags that would have alerted us to this type of a situation. but to that end, one of the things that we do want to encourage citizens here in harris county to do is to download their free mobile phone

apps called awatchharris county. it's a way for us to know about suspicious activity that may be planned, things that are occurring and that it could help us prevent these situations from occurring in the future. >> we're told that quick was well-known on campus. he's 20 years old. we're told, you know, some people on campus said he used to carry around a monkey sock puppet. can you tell us a little bit about his behavior on campus and what your investigation is revealing? >> again, everything is still in its early stages. all that we have right now is we're focused on the facts of the case. we have charged dylan with three counts of aggravated assault. we're focused on the recovery of the victims. and we know what you have already stated. that he has fantasized since elementary school about stabbing individuals, and that he has planned this particular incident apparently for quite some time. >> did he choose the victims on purpose or was it random, do you know?

>> apparently it's all random at this point. >> all right. sheriff adrian garcia, harris county, texas. thanks for bringing us up to speed this morning. >> zoraida has the rest of the top stories. >> good morning. happening now some streets around the nation's capital have just reopened after authorities had closed down several blocks there. the secret service and police were investigating a suspicious vehicle parked very close to the white house. it was reported just before 5:00 a.m. eastern time. we'll continue to follow that. also a powerful spring storm that blanketed a large part of the west grounded hundreds of flights out of denver and dropped hail on kansas and nebraska. it's slowly on the move this morning. where will it go next? and what will it be bringing with it? jennifer delgado is here to tell us. good morning. >> good morning, zoraida. you're right. it's moving very slowly right now. and along with it we're dealing with showers and thunderstorms, as well as that wintry mix. what you're seeing in pink, and more snow on the way for areas of you towards the north. lightning right now is really firing up from areas including dallas all the way over towards

parts of michigan. now, snow today. we're not done with it. this is going to go all the way through thursday. we're talking a foot of snowfall possible for areas like minneapolis and the same for green bay and in the purple, that is freezing rain. we're talking ice accumulation. it's going to be bad out there today. down towards the south the ice warnings will really come to an end as we go later into the afternoon. on a wider view, this afternoon, with the clash of the two air masses, we are going to be looking at severe storms from houston all the way over towards maryland with this boundary system. we are going to see a few more clouds around. but for new york city, partly sunny skies, high of 78 degrees. and then, for areas like d.c., getting very close to the 90 degree mark. but all the bad cold air is out towards the west. it almost looks like my graphic is having a weather glitch. it's not just mother nature playing around. being a little moody this morning. >> it's like flip flop. it should be the other way. >> it is. exactly. >> thank you very much.

jennifer delgado live for us. a busy day ahead for president obama this morning his budget for fiscal year 2014 will be released. copies will be delivered to capitol hill around 8:30 a.m. then at 11:00 eastern he'll address it in the rose garden. his budget will propose changes to social security and medicare, and it's going to call for new tax increases. and it's sure to be a topic of discussion tonight at the white house when the president hosts a dozen republican senators that are scheduled to go to dinner. and new this morning, former new york congressman anthony weiner is now planning a political comeback. weiner stepped down in 2011 after he was caught sending out sexually expolice it messages and photos on twitter. "the new york times" reports that weiner has spent $100,000 in polling for the new york mayor's race. weiner still has more than $4 million left in his campaign war chest and maintains the campaign office as well. and the uconn lady huskies are national champions again. freshman sensation brianna

stewart unstoppable last night scoring 18 of her 23 points in the first half. and the husband kiss routed louisville. look at this, 93-60. it was the most lop-sided win ever in the title game. uconn trying -- or tying that is, tennessee for the most women's basketball titles. eight apiece. >> they are so good. what a program. >> i know you were rooting for them. i kind of wanted louisville to win. >> upset already? >> it would have been fun. >> thank you, zoraida. ahead on "starting point" as the senate positions itself to vote on new gun control laws we may learn about a new compromise on background checks. does it stand a chance on capitol hill? part of an all-day look that issue right here on cnn. >> then, memphis soul takes over the white house. the president honors soul music and we have one of last night's musicians live. legend booker t. jones. you're watching "starting point."

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word those morning about a possible bipartisan deal in the senate that would expand federal background checks on gun sales. our dana bash telling us we will learn more about the details of this plan, which really will be a breakthrough at 11:00 eastern time when democratic senator joe manchin and republican senator pat toomey are scheduled to hold a news conference. >> a cnn poll shows nine out of ten americans support tougher background checks. they're part of a gun control bill that senate majority leader harry reid intends to bring to the senate floor tomorrow. >> and all day today on cnn we're taking an in-depth look at the legislation the debate and what's at stake here in our coverage "guns under fire: a cnn special report on background checks." brianna keilar is at the white house for us. good morning, brienne nap. >> good morning to you, john and

christine. you also have first lady michelle obama getting involved here. she'll be delivering remarks in chicago, her hometown which recently has been plagued by gun violence as the white house and newtown families urge congress to act on a gun bill. family members of some of the 26 students and teachers killed in the newtown, connecticut, shooting visited capitol hill. lobbying lawmakers to take up gun legislation. jillian soto, whose sister vicky, died at sandy hook elementary school, met with democrats and republicans. >> it's hard to even wrap your arms around this that this ever even happened. we're just taking it day by day. and you know, going to washington, and demanding something happen. >> thank you. >> reporter: the high-profile visit come as the senate's top democrat, harry reid, announced he will force a vote this week on whether to start debate on tougher gun laws. and they coincide with a week-long white house offensive. >> safer for our children, so let's do the right thing.

>> reporter: monday, president obama pressed the senate from connecticut with a campaign-style event. tuesday, at a white house event with law enforcement officials, vice president joe biden and attorney general eric holder applied more pressure, as a growing group of republicans say they plan to block the senate from even debating the democratic offered bill. >> won't even proceed. now maybe between now and the time it gets to the floor they will, as my mother will say, they will have seen the light. maybe that will change. what an embarrassing thing to say. >> reporter: democrats are hoping for support from at least a handful of republicans. like georgia's johnny isakson. he met with the newtown families tuesday and told cbs news that despite his opposition to the bill, he won't filibuster it. >> but i think it deserves a vote up or down. >> you're hearing that increasingly from a number of republican senators. but right now the holdup on a

bipartisan bill is background checks. yes, americans overwhelmingly support them. but republicans are concerned it will lead to a national gun registry that would allow the federal government to know exactly who owns guns, so that ultimately they might be taken away. christine and john, and the key here, of course, are those two senators, senators manchin and toomey who are having that press conference at 11:00 a.m. they've been talking about this issue. we'll see if they've been able to strike a deal. >> the details of that deal will be very, very revealing. thanks so much. in just about 20 minutes cnn's dana bash talks with former arizona congresswoman gabby giffords and her husband mark kelly. that, of course, about the status of guns in america. >> can't wait to see that. interesting, interesting preview yesterday. i want to see the rest. >> it's a great interview. ahead on "starting point," are apple and yahoo making a deal? what this could mean for fans of the iphone next. you're watching "starting point." before local farmers and employees became secret ingredients... before rock star chefs

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welcome back. "minding your business" this morning. stocks headed for a higher open. the dow hit a record high yesterday. you've heard me say it again and it happened yesterday. investors have their eye on the obama budget as well as minutes from the federal reserve march meeting. watching tech stocks, apple and yahoo reportedly talking about a bigger partnership on the iphone. that would mean more yahoo sports news and search content on apple devices. yahoo wants to get more involved in mobile, as you know. ceo marissa mayer called that a top priority. apple wants to reduce its dependence on google. and has your boss ever asked you to do something a little odd? this really cracks berman up. a new survey from career builder uncovered some strange stuff. here's some of our favorites.

a boss asked an employee if she knew of anyone who could hook him up with illegal substances. a boss asked an employee to go online and post false good comments about him. a boss asked an employee to come up with a science fair project for her daughter. one asked an employee to clip her dog's nails. another boss asked an employee to bail out a co-worker from jail. i saw an episode of mad men like that. despite all this, most people give their bosses a good grade. 65% of bosses get a "b" or better from their employees. and i went and i asked twitter and facebook, people who follow us on twitter and facebook some of their strange es i got a lot of strange ones. one woman said a boss asked her to sew up the fly of his pants because it was gapping in a meeting. while he was wearing the pants. >> that's an awful pickup line. >> another one asked -- asked a woman said would you call my wife and please make sure that it's okay we're friends? weird. >> my own personal favorite. there's a sars epidemic in toronto.

we want you to cover it. >> that was you. >> the world bracing for north korea to launch a missile test. is pyongyang really trying to start a war here? we're going to talk to ambassador jack pritchard. he's been to north korea eleven times. he knows that place really well. >> imagine winning $40,000 in the lottery only to realize it's actually $40 million. it happened to one lucky woman. her story right after the break. hwelcome back.. nice to see you again! hey! i almost didn't recognize you without the suit. well, this is my weekend suit. weekend getaways just got better. well, enjoy your round!

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welcome back to "starting point" everyone, i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. the world watching north korea very closely. a u.s. official telling cnn pyongyang could test-launch a mobile ballistic missile at any time. the obama administration calling north korea's harsh words rhetoric but still taking precautions. >> in general, again, we are taking prudent measures in response to the stepped up rhetoric and actions by the

north koreans. those have been reported on. some of the flights that we flew, the repositioning of missile defense assets, and the like, so those actions continue to be taken, and to ensure both the defense of the homeland as well as our allies. >> it now appears based on recent intelligence reports that pyongyang has already completed the necessary launch preparations there. ambassador jack pritchard is a former special enjoy for north korea peace negotiations. he's been to north korea several times. he was involved in korean peace negotiations for presidents clinton and george w. bush. thank you so much for being with us, ambassador. many people think this launch is imminent. it's bound to happen and it's bound to happen soon. so walk us through what happens when north korea does fire. >> well, there are a couple things to think about. two, which could be very bad for the north koreans. first, if they test-fire this missile which they're likely to do, now that they've fueled the

rockets, and if something goes wrong on the launch pad, it is a political failure on their part. second, potential problem they might have is that they have an errant missile which the united states believes is headed toward one of our allies or towards guam, and take steps to intercept it. both of those are very bad scenarios for north korea. but what we're seeing is the north koreans for the first time trying to flex some muscle in this last 30-day period. up to now, it's been very reactionary, a lot of rhetoric, bellicose behavior. but no particular actions. when you contrast that to what the united states has done in moving the "uss decatur," "uss mccain kwz, repositioning missile defense assets, overflights of b-2s, et cetera, the north koreans have -- are now attempting to respond with something tangible. this being a first test of the

musudan missile, capable of flying about maximum 4,000 kilometers. it's a big deal for them, but it keeps them in the news. and i think at this point that's exactly what the north koreans want. >> that's such a good point, sir. because what you've got is this untested, now testing leader 15 months leader of this country who sort of is backing himself into a corner. where is the way out for him to ratchet down all of this rhetoric and all of this action? some saying what's significant here is that he hasn't provided an off ramp or way out. i want to read you an op-ed in the "usa today." no one really knows what that will take but giving in to his provocations would be no more productive than rewarding a t n teenager's temper tantrum. one way or another he'll have to learn that he can't have his way. your thoughts? >> well, i think it's a good point. normally, had this not gone on as long as it had, the north

koreans might expect a south korean government to step up with some type of overture to bring things back to the -- to a more normal situation. however this has gone a little bit too far. there's a new president in south korea. she's probably not able to move quickly to repair the damage that's been done by the north koreans. nor should she want to. and nor should the united states. so that point is exactly what we're looking at, is what's the off ramp, a lot of analysts suggest that the north koreans are waiting for the end of the u.s. south korean military exercise so they can declare victory and hope for a return. but that's not going to be likely to happen any time soon. there needs to be some space and time for the united states and south korea before we reattempt any efforts to re-engage the north koreans. >> ambassador jack pritchard, thank you so much for being with us this morning. really appreciate it. >> you're welcome. >> man who has been to north

korea 11 times so he certainly knows of what he speaks. zoraida sambolin has the rest of the top stories. >> good morning. a tragic story in new jersey. a 6-year-old boy has died of a gunshot wound. that child was shot in the head by a 4-year-old play mate. the boys were playing in a yard on monday night when the 4-year-old went into his home and returned with a .22 caliber rifle. police say he fired a single shot. they are now trying to determine if someone there should be charged. and authorities in california have released 911 tapes from february of a big bear couple who were taken captive by former l.a. police officer christopher dorner. at the time, dorner was a target of a massive police manhunt. you remember. karen reynolds was still tied up when she managed to call 911 on her cell phone. listen. >> you guys were tied up? >> yeah, well, i got it. >> how long ago did he leave? >> 15 minutes. >> 15 minutes to a half hour. >> did he take your vehicle?

>> he took our keys. >> what keys? >> [ inaudible ] >> what color vehicle -- >> a purplish maroon color. >> very calm there. and after tying up karen reynolds and her husband jim, christopher dorner drove off in their truck. he later died in a standoff with police at a cabin in big bear. and police in tube low, mississippi, searching for a drive-by shooter who pumped a bullet into a 39-year-old asian elephant with the ringling brothers circus. the animal is expected to fully recover. she was being held in an enclosure outside that arena when the circus was performing yesterday morning when a bullet was fired into her shoulder. such a bizarre story. police say their leads are slim and they don't have a suspect right now. kentucky republican mitch mcconnell has called in the fbi to investigate what he calls watergate-type tactics by his political foes. >> as i indicated last week they

were attacking my wife's ethnicity. and apparently also bugging my headquarters. much like nixon and watergate. that's what the political left does these days. >> secret tapes from a strategy session at mcconnell's office revealed the minority leader was considering attacking then prospective candidate ashley judd over her religious views and battles with depression. the actress released a statement responding to what was said in the tapes calling it another example of the politics of personal destruction that embodied mitch mcconnell. leonard lauder has announced plans to donate 78 rare pieces of cubic artwork to the museum of art. it is valued at $1.1 billion. includes 33 works by pablo picasso. museum officials say the lauder collection covers a period that is currently underrepresented in its current exhibit. look at that, folks. >> because he owns it. >> yeah, there you go.

now everybody is going to get a chance to see it. winning the lottery. what could be better than that? maria carreiro thought she won $40,000 in a canadian lotto game. it turns out that her winning ticket was actually worth $40 million. one of maria's two daughters crying there. she was simply overcome with emotion. >> this still hasn't sunk in that my dad works so hard and we've been struggling so much, and it's just -- $40 million! that's so much money. >> but she's consoling her, right? >> this is the best part. >> mom is dancing a jig on the side. maria plans on buying herself and her daughters new homes and brand-new cars. first she is going to take the entire family to disney world. that is one heck of a story. right? 40,000 turns into 40 million. i bet you would love to advise them. >> i would. what i would say after they go to disney world and buy houses and cars most important thing is to think about growing the

money, not spending the money. when people win the lottery, they say how am i going to spend it? you fantasize how you spend it. spending money makes your money get less. you want to grow your money. you can buy companies, you can do big investments. you can make it last. >> you must be awesome at parties. >> yes. such a buzz killer. >> i'd like to see more dancing. >> 39 minutes after the hour, everyone. three months ago on the second anniversary of gabby giffords being shot, the former congresswoman and her husband mark kelly started americans for responsible solutions. the group's goal is to curb gun violence and act as a political counterweight to the nra. >> dana bash spent time with giffords and kelly at their home in arizona and she has this exclusive look at their political efforts and her personal battle to recover. dana joins us live from washington this morning. good morning. >> good morning, christine and john. beganby giffords still has a lot of trouble speaking. you'll see that that's very clear. but she's made considerable progress, especially in the last three months. those around her tell me it's because she's re-engaged in public policy and politics.

the sandy hook shooting in december spurred gabby giffords and husband mark kelly to take a stand. >> sandy brook. >> sandy hook. >> the brain damage from giffords' own gunshot wound makes it difficult for her to find words. even sandy hook. >> sandy brook. >> sandy hook. >> sandy brook. >> sandy hook. >> hook. sandy hook elementary. you know it's something we just can't -- you know, 20 first graders. >> just died. >> in their classrooms. >> awful. >> the couple originally called for a ban on assault weapons and limits to high capacity magazines. giffords made a dramatic plea to senators. >> be bold. be gourageous. americans are counting on you. >> but they now admit there are limits on what is politically realistic. if you were to name the number one thing that congress could do

to prevent the kind of violence that you were the victim of, what would it be? >> background checks. >> yeah. certainly. without a doubt. >> giffords has learned to navigate an ipad for e-mail with her left-hand, because her right hand is paralyzed. but most of her communicating with former colleagues, pressing them for new gun laws, goes through kelly. mostly on the phone. it's been written that there's irony that you are such a good spokesperson for new laws to curb gun violence, because you can't speak very well. >> yeah, i guess it's kind of, maybe -- maybe it's bad irony. i don't know. you know, it's something that -- >> stinks. >> it stinks. >> there is no question that gun culture is deeply ingrained in giffords. even after her near-fatal shooting she still owns a gun which her husband uses in target practice with her looking on.

>> what's it like to sit and hear the gunshots go off? does it -- does it startle you? >> no. no. >> well, i think that's because gabby doesn't remember the gunshot going off the day she was injured. right, you don't remember that? >> no. >> do you hope to be able to shoot a gun again? >> oh, i don't know. >> not a big priority in your life? >> not really. >> not at the top of the list. >> tonight including whether the 42-year-old giffords who was going through fertility treatments when she was shot may still try to have a child of her own. >> it's still amazing to see their daily battle. their struggle for recovery there. such an intimate look at that battle. we have a question for you right now, you were one of the first to report that there may be a breakthrough on a gun control deal on background checks. 11:00 today we're expecting a news conference, correct? >> that's right. the very same thing they were talking about, background checks. joe manchin, democrat from west

virginia, pat toomey republican from pennsylvania, we're told by sources they feel comfortable that they have a deal and what this would be if this announcement is at 11:00 a.m. would be to expand background checks which currently only happen at gun dealers, to gun shows and to internet sales. so it's not universal background checks, but as they will say, it's baby steps. and the other key thing here, is that they would require the seller to keep records of the checks. that has been kind of a rub on this. we expect to see that and the other thing i should say is that this is a very big breakthrough when it comes to those pushing for expanding gun restrictions. but, it is not, you know, it is not everything. and so what's going to happen is the senate is going to take it up, this whole issue, on thursday, tomorrow, and i was just also told that they're going to try to put this deal on the floor as an amendment first thing. so we could see a vote on this at the beginning but it is just going to be the beginning of the debate. we expect two weeks of debate on

a whole bunch of issues, some of which will be very tough votes for a lot of democrats, as well. >> not everything but dana a breakthrough indeed. and probably one that can get 60 votes. great reporting for us. thanks so much. >> next hour cnn's chris cuomo is going to give us an inside look at what happens when you try to buy a gun when he makes his own purchase. and then we'll talk with jillian soto whose sister was killed during the sandy hook massacre as well as chief jim johnson from baltimore county, maryland. ahead on "starting point," the masters gets under way tomorrow at augusta national. the masters champ already in tears. this is incredible video next in our "bleacher report." >> it's all about soul. the white house honors the legends of memphis soul including booker t. jones. he comes up live next. you're watching "starting point." could move from shelters into brand-new apartments... before rooftops were transformed into electrical generators... before an abandoned lot in brooklyn could become a vibrant neighborhood...

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one year later and he's still crying tears of joy. masters champion bubba watson broke down yesterday sharing a personal story about what he did after winning the green jacket. joe carter has more. in the "bleacher report."

>> he was crying like a baby. >> i think to be fair, he was crying because he was telling a story about his son. last year he became a new dad. that's why a lot of people like bubba watson because he's not afraid to be so real. last year we watched him win the masters like a man and afterwards cry like a baby. there he is gushing tears of joy with mom. one year later he's back in augusta, the defending champ and he's sharing a story about what he did with his infant son caleb just after winning the green jacket. >> i told him i was going to go home and wrap caleb up in it. but i -- >> out of respect. out of honor, i'll -- i'll finish. try to. out of respect and honor for augusta national and one of the greatest clubs we have, one of the greatest tournaments, out of

respect for them, i didn't do any of my funny antics that i normally would do. the only thing i did was wrap caleb up in it. >> that's a proud papa right there. now bubba is, of course, the defending champ so he got to pick the menu for the champions dinner. bubba went bubba. chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, mac and cheese. southern comfort food, bubba style. tiger woods is a past champion. he has won the masters four times before. this year he says he's feeling, quote, very balanced with his life and very comfortable with every aspect of his golf game. he's got three wins so far this year. he's ranked number one in the world again. and he's, of course, the overall favorite to win at augusta. the annual par three contest is this afternoon. it's always a family affair. current and past players bring out the kids, bring out the grand kids. rory mcilroy, he's bringing his girlfriend, tennis superstar caroline wozniacki is going to caddie for him today. you can check out a complete guide to this year's masters

tournament at bleacherreport.com. louisville men's basketball coach rick pitino made the flight from atlanta to new orleans to watch the lady cardinals take on uconn in the the lady cardinals take on uconn. the women's team did not fare as well as the men's. uconn dominated. i mean dominated from start to finish, cruised to a 93-60 win. the most lopsided win ever in a final. ush uconn and tennessee tied for the most women's national titles with eight each. >> go huskies. thank you so much. ahead on "starting point," the president honored music legends such as booker t. jones. talking to him next. you're watching "starting point " " boys and girls, llllet's get ready to bundlllllle... [ holding final syllable ]

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s. that is the memphis soul rocking the white house. the president and first lady hosted an all-star concert last night, featuring justin timber lake, cindi lauper, brooker t. jones. >> the president walked out with memphis soul sang "green onions." >> i just want everybody to know, it's now my second term so rather than hail to the chief, we're going with that. >> he can do what he wants now. joining us now, the legendary booker t.. i don't even know where to begin. a legendary night.

tell me, what was the highlight for you? >> oh, my goodness. there were so many highlights. the highlight, having the president sit next to me and sing quietly where no one could hear him. >> really? >> oh, yeah. he was having a go ahegood time. grooving along. >> how would you rate the president's musical ability? >> he's excellent. he does everything well. he's amazing. he's a go ahead sing od singer. >> you are a biased source since he loves your music so much clearly. the theme was memphis soul. what is memphis soul? what does it mean to you? >> a unique feeling in the music that creates simplicity, and it's a really relax ed music that's not complicated and easy

to feel and have a good time with. >> you are a trailblazer in this field. i want to play a clip of what president obama said about you and your contribution last night. >> okay. >> booker t. jones and steve crawford who are both here tonight helped form one of the city's first integrated bands. they weren't allowed to go to school together. they weren't always allowed to travel or eat together, but no one could stop them from playing bufk together. >> so a50 years in this business, you couldn't eat together with your whole band, couldn't travel together with the whole band. now performing at the white house together for a black president. what's that like? >> oh, that was an amazing experience. it was beautiful, glorious actually. everyone was relaxed. and we had such a wonderful time. it was just meant to be. one of the special evenings. >> interesting to think of the president starstruck. must have been a little starstruck with that cast of characters. >> you think so? >> who was more starstruck, the

president or the performers? >> the performers. the performers were really excited, really anxious to meet not only the president, but the first family, and everybody was really excited. >> we're watching justin timberlake in the president behind you, and everybody jamming behind you. and the president emceeing the jam session, it must have been something. >> i saw earlier somewhere else, they were showing that the first lady actually was singing and somebody put a microphone up to her. so we have her singing. >> she was jamming the whole time. dancing along. walking in, walking out. sitting in her seat. and she was having a great time up on stage. surprised to see her get up on stage. never did that before. >> so nice to see you after what would have been a fun last night. nice to see up. >> thank you for having me, christine. >> continuing to follow the

breaking news of two young brothers abducted to cuba, back on u.s. soil. how u.s. officials brought them back so quickly. >> and a one-on-one interview with richard branson. celebrating a huge corporate victory over major airlines. you're watching "starting point." ♪ you know my heart burns for you... ♪

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welcome back. i'm christine romans. >> and i'm john berman. while you were sleeping, two young boys abducted by their parents, taken to cuba, they are now home. we have the details. a student goes on a stabbing spree, injuring 14 people. was this a sick fantasy turned horrible reality? a break through on background checks for people who want to buy guns. what goes into the checks? chris cuomo puts them to the test when he goes to bough a gun. part of a day long coverage of guns under fire. an intelligence report says north korea could launch a missile at any moment. live in seoul. the implications of that, wednesday, april 10th.

"starting point" begins right now. >> our starting point, new this morning, parents accused of kidnapping their young sons and sailing to cuba, back on u.s. soil and under arrest. josh and sharyn hakken were spotted at a marina by a cnn reporter, cuba turned the family over to the u.s. and they were flown back overnight. victor blackwell live in tampa, florida, where the boys have been reunited with their grandparents. >> reporter: they are 2 and 4-year-old chase and cole headac hakken. their parents, josh and sharyn hakken are in jail. flown back by florida authorities and fbi authorities after flying to havana to retrieve them. on the plane, the parents separated from the boys. the boys immediately after arriving in hillsboro county, handed over to their

grandparents who were very grateful for the prayers they received from the community and around the country. also from the work of the local, state, federal, and cuban authorities, and this was a real quandary. a difficulty for many of the people trying to work out this relationship of extradition between the u.s. and the cuban officials, but the fbi said yesterday that this was not as difficult as some might have expected. listen. >> in talking to the state department and our coordination, you know, the u.s. officials with the government of cuba very supportive and cooperative with all of our requests to make sure we got the family back safely. >> reporter: and rare praise from the u.s. for cuban officials, this from the u.s. intersection in havana. we would like to express our appreciation to cuban authorities for the extensive cooperation to resolve this dangerous situation quickly.

part of a statement released today. there are state charges filed against the hakken parents and federal charge of flight to avoid prosecution. they are expected to make the first appearance on state charges tomorrow. >> thank you so much, victor blackwell. so interesting to see that cooperation between cuba and the u.s. in this case. new developments this morning in a stabbing rampage on a texas college campus. the suspect is accused of injuring 4 1 4 people. quick said that he fantasized about stabbing people since he was in elementary school. we have more from cypress, texas, where classes are resuming this morning, aren't they? >> reporter: they are, christine. students are pulling into the parking lot of the campus of lonestar college. disturbing details emerging, attacks happened in a matter of

minutes. all of the thanks to a group of three students -- because of three students it came to a quick end. investigators say dylan quick unleashed a rapid and frightening attack on 14 people as he walked through a hallway through the lonestar college campus. and kathy said it was surreal to watch the horrific scene unfold. she was in a classroom when she heard students crescreaming. >> he used his backpack as a shield and he gets close to the person, kind of bumps into them, stabs them at the same time. that quick and out and down the other way. >> reporter: this guy is walking and leaving this trail behind him. >> basically just stabbing anyone in his way. there was no pattern, no method. it was completely random. >> reporter: 14 people wounded in the surprising assault. four had to be air lifted to

hospitals. for many, it was all over before they could figure out what had happened. the wounds were gruesome, a piece of a blade broke off in one victim's cheek. others stabbed in the throat and face. as students ran from the chaos, a group of three students went after the attacker. one of them was steven mada. >> the next thing a guy stabbing girls in the face. all right, got to go in there, see what i can do. >> reporter: maida and two other students started chasing dylan quick in the building and caught up with him outside by a parking lot. >> i jumped back on him, and i didn't want to take a chance, put him on his stomach, put his hands behind his back and that's when the cop came and put the cuffs on him. >> reporter: when you got on top of him, what did you say? >> right away, give up, give up. i was like why did you do this? >> reporter: maida said he didn't get an answer. but investigators say dylan quick says he has had fantasies

of stabbing people since he was in elementary school and used a razor type knife. charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. christine, last we heard from hospital officials that several of the victims were improving, there are two victims in critical condition. >> some are stab wounds, some are slashes, we hope everyone recovers well. thank you, ed. and zoraida sambolin with the rest of the top stories. president obama has a busy day today. the 2014 budget will be released. his budget will propose changes to social security and medicare and call for new tax raes increases. sure to be a topic tonight when the president hosts a dozen

senators. chelsea clinton's mother-in-law could soon be mounting a run for congress. she has emerged as a possible candidate for pennsylvania's 13th democratic district. it is held by allison schwartz, now running for governor in the keystone state. beyonce and jay-z taking a lot of heat over their recent trip to cuba, but the u.s. treasury said the superstar couple didn't do anything wrong. the treasury department confirms that the trip was approved in advance by the u.s. government. the travel embargo prohibits americans from visiting cuba for tourism. but their visit was part for an international exchange program so it was a-okay. >> dana bash told that a bipartisan deal to expand

background checks on federal gun sales could be in the works. the first amendment that could be attached to gun control legislation that comes to the senate later this week. that deal struck between democratic senator joe manchin and pat toomey of pennsylvania. a news conference at 11:00 a.m. today. >> nine out of ten americans support tougher background checks. all day today, taking an in-depth look at what's a stake here in our coverage, guns under fire. a cnn special report on background checks. joined by chris cuomo who puts the background check to the test himself. >> good morning. >> good morning. you know, we all want to do something. that's what the polls show. the question, are we doing the right thing? that question raised because of the controversy with what we need to do, we often gloss over what we have to do when it comes to buying a gun. decided to show you myself. i went out, bought a shotgun,

learned a lot in the process. >> chris, mike, what can i do for you? >> looking for home protection shotgun. >> okay. i'll bring you down to the shotgun section. >> seems simple. but there is more to it than you might think. every purchase from a licensed dealer requires a federal background check. are you under indictment? no convicted after i felony? no. 27 personal questions, including criminal and mental health history, all requiring government confirmation, add potential state and city laws, thousands across the country and it could feel like an obstacle course. >> there is a background check for the rifle and if you have a pistol, there is a pistol license. >> reporter: this pales to? comparison to the pain the nation felt after newtown, connecticut. the most vulnerable victimized by dangerous weapons in the wrong, sick hands. cnn's latest poll shows people

want it to stop. calls to do something, resulting in demands for expanded background checks, despite the fact that they wouldn't have stopped the newtown shooter. >> we know that background checks can work, but the problem is loopholes in the current law lent so many people avoid background checks all together. >> gun control advocates want all gun sales, not just those by dealers, subject to background checks. >> this background check law that we're talking about is enforcing the law. >> colin goddard works for the brady center for gun violence. is he a gun violence victim, shot four times at virginia tech. >> how are you supposed to know if someone has a felony record, restraining order, dangerous mental illness without a background check? look at them really hard? >> reporter: checking all sales could lead to a national gun registry and maybe confiscation, the larger concern, making

harder to buy a gun lawfully may not stop massacres and handgun violence. before owning this long island gun story, owner mike marinello was a police officer for 11 years. in your experience, did that work? >> i never had a legal licensy use a pistol in a crime. >> reporter: the nearly 2 million pim deeople denied guns proof of its effectiveness. >> most of those were false positives, name looked like somebody else. records in there incomplete. the first thing you to have do is take the system have you, get it fixed, make it work. >> reporter: the big issue isn't the law, but enforcement. >> if somebody comes in, hell bent on buying a gun, we let them fill out the form and they fail. and in a perfect world, alcohol, tobacco, firearms will go arrest that person. this would make the state the

safest in the union if the current laws were enforced. >> reporter: in my case, the system worked. after 25 minutes of completing forms and waiting for approval, i had my shotgun. >> thank you very much. >> tell me, why did you choose a shotgun? >> it's pretty much all you can get right now, the list of weapons that are illegal is expanding all the time and a place like new york city, you have to register first to get anything, and it takes time, a waiting period. really only thing we could get. much more difficult than people suspect. >> i don't own a gun, i didn't own a gun, didn't have a license to own a gun. look, you are out there in the country and i will gift this to you. apparently, that's illegal as well, right? >> is that considered a straw purchase? was it a family member. a lot of intricacies. is this a family thing, friend thing? the law changes all the time.

the other interest, would you be able to have a weapon like this, no training. can you drive a car. very sophisticated very quickly and you have to remember, if you want to figure out how to stop the violence, we have to look beyond the guns, as hard as the political debate, a lot more than just weapons. >> and we're not talking about mental illness, that's a big piece of this thing, looking aat the background checks, stick with us, chris. i want to bring in two people that are deeply invested in the conversation. the sister of vicky who was a first grade teacher that lost her life protecting the newtown kids. and let's start with the latest news, chief johnson. it looks as though there could be consensus emerging here on background checks are later today. is that enough, your reaction to that?

>> certainly law enforcement, our leadership, awaiting to hear about the particular amendment or bill. we know in law enforcement, a national uniform background check will save lives. nearly 40% of all firearms, 6.6 million per year, done without a background check. >> this includes the deal, gun shows, private sales, but not family-to-family member sales in this case. there would be, as opposed to some loophole still, would this be enough? would it be progress? certainly reasonable exemptions are in several bills. frankly, a national universal background check will save lives. we need to improve the system, the data checked when the background is done and we're doing that across america. more needs to be done, along with amendments to once again

bring back the assault weapons ban in place in 1994 to 2004. let's put a capacity in these magazines. we know it will save lives. >> the political prognosticators say it's highly unlikely that we'll get a deal on assault weapons. let me put this question to you, jillian. your sister tragically killed at sandy hook elementary school. if the only deal we get out of congress is on these background checks, would you be satisfied with that? >> no. i would not be satisfied. and i would continue to speak out and let my voice be heard. that is not enough, that my sister died because someone walked in with an assault rifle and murdered her and 25 other people, and doing universal background checks is not enough. it is not justice for these families. >> there is politics and the reality of politics in washington, and worries, jillian

that momentum might be fading. it has only been four months and when have you so many family members like you, for whom the grief is so raw, that makes a big impact on members of congress. tell me about your meeting with members of congress and how it's been going? how the push from the families and even the president has been from your perspective? >> having the president behind us and supporting success a great thing. he's showing what we're doing is right. he stands for what we're doing. speaking out, and that's what we need continue to do. we're going to keep being here, and keep speaking out. we're going to call them, e-mail them, write them letters, make meetings, sit in their offices, sit outside their offices, until they talk to us. and they hear what we have to say. >> what's the reaction been? they listen and say they are going to do what they can. they don't tell us they are for

us, they are against us, they just listen. >> we showed a picture of you and the president, a silhouette. what was he telling through? >> he was just comforting me. i flew down to washington, air force one with him, and other sandy hook families, but i was the only one for my family able to make it, so it was a hard thing, hard to know i got this opportunity because my sister was murdered. and it was just nice to have the president there to comfort me and tell me that keep it up, keep staying strong and fight for the cause. >> i know, your strength is unreal. a real inspiration. all of us who have first graders look at you and think, you know, we love our teachers and it's -- that's still too close and too raw, we can't believe how strong you are to be out there, pushing. chief johnson, thank you. jillian, thanks. >> 17 minutes after the hour. ahead on "starting point," new information that north korea

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just in to cnn. new and dangerous developments in the korean peninsula. a senior pentagon official telling cnn the north may be preparing multiple missile launches that could happen at any moment without warning. jim clancy live from seoul in south korea. give us the latest.

>> you know, the world was focused on the two missiles, and we are now told there may be multiple launches, what's the significance of this? well, number one it shows that just like ease raised the rid rick to new levels, kim jong-un wants to show his actions are going to greater levels. raises the risk of an accident, raises the risk that one of these missiles could land on somebody's territory, might be shot down by some of the appearty missile batteries that have been positioned throughout the region, it raises the risk for more sanctions on north korea. a fragrant act on which kim jong-un is trying to shoot his way out of u.n. sanctions into what he considers a more favorable position for north korea. john. >> jim clancy in seoul, south

korea. awaiting the possibility of multiple missile launches at any minute by north koreans. >> ahead on "starting point," a rough job market for new grads. why are so many unable to find good jobs that require college degrees. i'll have the answer. could alec baldwin begin a new gig in the late-night lineup? that's trending, coming up next. [ thunder crashes ] [ female announcer ] some people like to pretend a flood could never happen to them. and that their homeowners insurance protects them.

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trending on cnn this morning, the three goodler. it is build as the first 3-d printing pen, as you can sort of see, the words and images jump

right off the page. holy cow. the 3doodler. >> it is so cool. >> coolest thing ever. it works with melting plastic that cools instantly to any shape you can dream up. the inventors use the fund-raising site kick starter to produce the 3doodler and ended up with over $2 million. it could be in stores by christmas with a retail price of $100. >> 3-d printing technology is so amazing. factories do it for complex parts for assembly lines. >> for your budding artist, like me. i would buy it for myself. >> i am all about -- >> oh, look how fun. >> 30 rock star alec baldwin, being mentioned as a possible replacement when jimmy fallon takes over the tonight show.

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welcome back. i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. what are we looking at there? >> happening any moment, president's 2014 budget will be delivered to the government printing office. >> lock at the drama. >> no drama like a government printing office. that man in the middle of the drama. >> zoraida sambolin with the rest of the day's top stories, while we keep our eyes focused on that room. >> look out. heavy snow, tornadoes, hail, that superstorm that made a mess out west, it's on the move.

where is it headed? jennifer delgado here to tell us. good morning. >> zoraida, another wild day today. showers and thunderstorms, up and down parts of the midsection of the u.s. you can see right now, streaming from michigan toward texas, a lot of lightning out there the area in pink, that is the wintry mix and that is going to make for very messy travel commute. look at the warnings for areas down toward the south. kansas, oklahoma, texas. those are in place until today. this afternoon, but the areas up toward the north, they are looking for some very big snow. we're talking a foot of snowfall for areas like minneapolis, as well as into green bay and warnings will be in place for the north through tomorrow morning. so it may say spring on the calendar, but, unfortunately, it feels more winterlike out there. today, we also have the severe weather threat. what you are looking at for areas including baltimore, maryland, down toward houston. a severe weather threat. that means some storms today

potentially could develop tornadoes and that is going to be in place, even for tomorrow as well this is why. we have the warm air on the south side. cold air in north. 80s, 40s, 30s, just plain old cold in the west and cold air shifting to the east. sflor aid zoraida, back to you. partly sunny in new york, and nearly 90 in d.c. wr we are loving that. breaking news. taking a look there we are laughing. this is the government printing office. the budget being delivered. a live look. those are the boxes i presume filled with the president's budget. yep. >> what are the chances of the budget passed as it is written in the boxes? >> minus infinity. >> let's go to briana keel ar standing by live. briana. >> hi there. taking a look at the budget here

obviously. the chance they will be passed as you see them, very nil. this is president obama's opening salvo in this discussion that he will be having about deficit reduction with republicans and, of course, with member of his own party, but today, this morning, president obama in the rose garden as his budget is officially unveiled. and he'll be talking about how deficit reduction is important but he'll say it's not the only thing that needs to be done it can't be done at the expense of education, job training, infrastructure, new areas of spending we are expected to see in the budget. because we have seen the outline in recent days. one of the big headlines that folks will be talking about today is the carrot to republicans. you may have heard referred to as chain cpi.

what the heck is that you may say? it is an adjustment to how social security benefits are doled out. something that republicans are happy that is in his proposal and many liberals are very upset about. it will reduce the spending to social security recipients, a huge driver of the deficit. reduce the spending by decreasing the cost of living adjustment. this will have a very real impact for a lot of seniors who rely on social security for their income. on a fixed income. this is where they get their money, just to do their household expenses. take a look, we have a chart to show the very real effects of this to folks on social security and how it would change over time. as seniors get older, as in the up years, age 80 to 85, 90, 95.

see how this would mean less money to social security recipients, over time compared to if the numbers were to stay as they are right now. this is something that republicans are happy about, and things in here, guys, the republicans unhappy about. tax increases, and they would agree to $600 billion in tax increases over ten years. mainly by limiting the mortgage interest deduction that so many people take and they get money back in their tax returns. i know a lot of people are thinking about that right now. this time of the year. so sort of something here that is upsetting both sides. as president obama prepares to officially unveil his budget today. >> briana, progressives do not like what they call social security benefit cuts. the president to appease the gop is hurting seniors. he does have in that proposal we're told, protections for the disabled, for the very elderly

and low income seniors, no change to social security benefits. that will be a battlefield with progressives and liberals over that chain cpi. a wonky mathematical way to try to close a budget deficit that would lead to smaller checks for some people. >> that's right and christine, you are exactly right. a lot of liberals who feel like it's an outright betrayal to do something like this. it is something that will really hurt seniors as well as other vulnerable americans and this will be a big battle. >> thank you, briana. let's go to zoraida for the rest of the day's news. >> we're expecting the president in the rose garden to have an address at 11:00 a.m. stay tuned for that here. take a look at this video mta setting off a powerful underground explosion underneath new york city. breaking through tough bedrock and making way for a huge subway expansion on manhattan's east side. it is set to cost 8.3 billion

and create six new miles of underground tunnels, being called the largest construction endeavor in u.s. history. >> that's a cool explosion. >> it is. it's a big explosion. >> so it could have been a miracle or life-saving aden lin rush. whatever the case, two brave daughters defied gravity to rescue their dad after he was accidentally pinned under a 3,000-pound tractor it happened monday in lebanon, oregon. jeff smith doesn't know how his 14 and 16-year-old daughters were able to lift the monster piece of equipment off his chest. >> brave girls, i mean, that's a lot of weight, just to think -- honestly, i don't know -- i'm a big guy, and i don't know if i could do that. >> i was saying god help me, i knew i obviously could not lift it myself. it was heavy. >> i know how they did it, it's called l-o-v-e. thanks to his daughters, jeff survived with a broken wrist and

minor cuts and bruises. >> and the ladies, now is the time to ask for a later curfew and keys to the car. >> my goodness. >> anything you want. >> saving dad's life. >> grateful to have their dad. >> 36 minutes after the hour. and after a battle that lasted half a decade, virgin airlines is offering flights out of newark direct to san francisco. flamboyant owner richard branson offering fares up to 40% lower than the major carriers. i caught up with richard branson yesterday and asked him about the need to overcome obstacles and the business horizon he faces every day. so explain to me why we're sitting on the runway in the front row of this airplane in newark, new jersey. >> well, we had a five-year battle to get out of newark to fly to san francisco and to los angeles.

major airlines blocked us, and only when american airlines wept bust that we managed to get some traction. >> the smile on your face is obvious. you like breaking down barriers. >> yeah, we love breaking down barriers, that's what virgin is all about. one of the kids just said to me, you splayed a dragon. the modern day goliath you trying to bring competition to big companies. >> done pretty well for yourself. virgin atlantic, virgin mobile, virgin finance, virgin records which you founded, virgin mega stores, virgin galactic, i'm sure i'm leaving out virgin cocktail wieners or something. you still consider yourself the underdog? >> in each sector that we are, we are obviously -- take virgin america, we're a minnow compared to united or american or delta.

so what we have to do, as happened today, we have to be the best airline in america, we were voted the best, united the worst. we have to be the best. >> would your company have this success if you were not so public? you are so out there. very, very public figure. people see you in a hot air balloon. without you, could virgin be as successful? >> i think in the building of a company, very important to have somebody who is willing to, you know -- cnn wants to do an interview, you say yes, don't say no. >> very wise decision, by the way. let's talk about space travel and virgin galactic. your goal is by 2014, to put people up in space who are willing to pay some $200,000 a ticket. private space travel by 2014. still realistic?

>> yeah, i think by the end of this year, our new space ship will have done a number of flights into space, so very, very close. and i think the first quarter of next year will be up and away. so, yeah, i have been talking about it a number of years, but we are almost finally there. one day, we'll take you from new york to australia in an hour and a half. you know, enormously exciting things in the future. and if you want to go to mars, maybe a one-way trip to mars. >> good frequent fl flier miles mars. >> yes, you can fly on any virgin airlines the rest of your life. >> when yahoo! stopped the policy of allowing employees to work from home, you found that perplexing and found it backward to no longer let employees work from home. >> i just think it was a mistake and particularly as a female ceo, she should realize that for

most moms, they can't bring their child into work, have them in a play pen at work, working at home, may be their only option. >> what are the biggest challenges to doing business in this economy, particularly in the u.s. and europe? >> companies like virgin have got to get out there and expand it in this kind of economy. >> even during the cutbacks? >> i think even more so. if we freeze like a rabbit in the headlights, no chance of the economy coming out. what you need is companies who have got resources to get out there, expand their airlines, expand their basic companies, and take on new people -- >> on facebook i asked if people had any questions for you. and the question was, what is the single piece of advice you would give to a budding

entrepreneur? >> well, i'm assuming that they have come up with a good idea. and that they feel that idea can make a difference to other people's lives. a real difference and if they have done that, then they have the gem of a business and then just surround yourselves with people who are better than you and get on, and my advice, i say it often, just do it. get on with it. and good luck. >> screw it just do it, richard branson. lest you think it's all success for richard branson. he recently lost a bet with another airline mogul and next month, on a flight in asia, he will have to work as a flight attendant, dressed as a female flight attendant. >> oh, to be on that flight. i like the first part of his advice, surround yourself by people who are better than you. which you clearly took. >> that's what i thought of. that's life for me at this

table. exactly. >> berman, i'm just teasing. ahead on "starting point," wings, beers, and waitresses with outfits that are barely there. one senator wants to own the term breastaurant. i have never heard that before, and it shocks me i just said it. but we rarely tap its true potential and just let it be itself. flowing freely into clean lakes, clear streams and along more fresh water coast line than any other state in the country. come realize water's true potential. dive in-to the waters of pure michigan. your trip begins at michigan.org. the battle of bataan, 1942. [ all ] fort benning, georgia, in 1999.

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welcome back. minding your business. stocks headed for a higher open after the dow closed at record high. business news about the president and his budget. he will unveil that at long last. here is what is out there. we are looking for a limit on high balanced retirement

accounts. the budget calls for removing the tax benefits on ir as or 401(k)s with balances over $3 million. it will save over $9 billion under ten years and less than .1% of people will be effective. a lot of people talking to their accountant about whether it could be them. and a new report from the left-leaning economic policy institute, says the class of 2013, 52% of their slightly older colleagues are working in jobs that don't require a bachelor's greg. 8% are unemployed, 18% underemployed. the best way to improve the situation is improve the overall labor market. the best way to improve the situation for everyone is improve the overall labor market. big sports move. the odds makers say tiger woods could end the five-year brought.

major championship in augusta. and, of course, the par three concept, a really fun day. friendly nine-hole competition, held every wednesday of master's week. they will tee it up officially tomorrow. here is how las vegas sees the real odds. tiger woods 3-1 favorite. rory mcilroy, 8-1, and phil mikkelson 10-1. they are called breastaurants, and fastest growing segment of the restaurant business. bikinis bar and grill. cans and twin peaks? this trademarked the term, officially making america's only breastaurant. >> i have been here for the last 20 minutes, that you look like the existence of this arrest runt is my fault. >> the way you focus in on this

story when it's up is the problem. >> all i want to make sure we report the news correctly. >> let me ask you this, zoraida sambolin. i have never been to a hooter's. can you say that? >> no. i have been to hooter's. i love their wings. >> i never knew it was a restaurant category. high-wire hijinks, a raccoon caught rocking a tightrope. >> this is better than restaurants. this coming up after the break. this is my family. this is joe. hi joe! hi there! earn a ton of extra hhonors points with the daily grand promotion and feel the hamptonality. departure. hertz gold plus rewards also offers ereturn-- our fastest way to return your car. just note your mileage and zap ! you're outta there ! we'll e-mail your receipt in a flash, too.

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it walks a tightrope wallenda style. >> usually you see them in your garbage, but when mav is knight looked out the kitchen window and saw what this raccoon was doing, she thought -- >> my eyes were playing funny with me. i rubbed my eyes. >> reporter: she saw a raccoon

use utility wires as a tightrope. >> very cleaver. >> she figured her husband might not believe her story, so she took out her phone to document it. >> keeps going, keeps going. >> reporter: going from a tree in mavis' yard to trees across the way. you can see plenty of trained animals walk a tightrope, like rodney the rat. and it took nine months nor ozzy to do this, and a circus can teach a get to walk a rope with a monkey on its back. but a wild raccoon? >> so clever. got actually some brains. >> reporter: raccoons have extreme extremely sensitive paws. one added the james bond theme. less 007, more flying wallenda. you know, nick wallenda, the daredevil who crossed niagara

falls last summer on a high wire. the trip took flying wallenda 25 minutes. it took flying raccoona one minute. flying wallenda held a balancing pole, flying raccoona clutched a second wire. >> oh, dear. >> reporter: flying wallenda required to wear a safety harness. no i harness for flying raccoona. >> my word. >> reporter: when wallenda made it to the other side, he pumped his fist and blew a kiss, but we swoon for the -drama raccoon. >> love it. ry starting point" back in a moment.

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try post shredded wheat. this has been medifacts for post shredded wheat. with the innovating and the transforming and the revolutionizing. it's enough to make you forget that you're flying five hundred miles an hour on a chair that just became a bed. you see, we're doing some changing of our own. ah, we can talk about it later. we're putting the wonder back into air travel, one innovation at a time. the new american is arriving.