>> sofia. >> i'm thinking he already has the best-elected official in these united states. so maybe mayor tufts could continue to serve, i don't know, at least until kindergarten starts, anyway. that's it for us. thanks for watching. "early start" begins now. on the hot seat, the head of the irs faces questions on why military sex scandals, a danger to national security. surreal and extensive damage. people in the areas hardest hit by tornadoes in texas, not allowed back home this morning. >> and powerful frenzy. will you turn your $2 into more than half a billion dollars. this is the second-biggest pot in powerball history. >> are we playing? >> we're playing. good morning, everyone, welcome

to "early start," i'm john bermen. >> i'm zoraida sambolin, it's friday, may 17th, 5:00 a.m. in the east. developing this morning, the man fired from the irs over a scandal targeting conservatives will be on the hot seat today, steven miller, the acting head of the irs was forced out this weekend, today a house committee will grill him about why he did not tell congress about the political targeting, here's cnn with the very latest. >> reporter: three days after the white house counsel's office was first notified of the irs targeting conservative groups, the man forced to resign sat before the house ways and means committee. >> let me report on this year's filing season. >> it was a friendly encounter. a routine update on the agency's proposed budget. >> my testimony outlines recent

accomplishments. >> today he returns to the full committee to a different atmosphere, miller will be pressed by lawmakers on the information his agency gathered, not the tax checks. >> it's important that appear and come forward truthfully, openly and give us the real answers. >> president obama has tried to put out this fire. expressing outrage. vowing to hold people at the irs accountable. and quickly appointing a new acting commissioner who starts on the job next week. >> we've got to make sure that it is doing its job scrupulously and without even a hint of bias. >> his top aides are all appearing on news shows, doing damage control. >> the president took swift decisive action. >> the fact of the matter is that this administration has a record on transparency. >> while the president is trying to shift attention to his other priorities. a trip to baltimore will focus on middle class jobs. it follows thursday's meeting on

sexual abuse in the military and a visit with the turkish prime minister where syria was at the top of the agenda. but a dark cloud hangs over this white house and critics at a tea party rally are keeping up the pressure. >> this is run-away government at its worst. who knows who they'll target next. >> dan lothian, cnn, washington. this question, are we at a crisis point for sexual assault in the military? in pretty blunt language, the president called the growing number of sexual assaults, shameful and disgraceful and a danger to national security and he ordered a pentagon official to somehow crack down. it comes amid a series of high-profile cases of alleged sexual abuse. here's pentagon correspondent, barbara starr. >> another embarrassment for the u.s. military. this time, at fort campbell, kentucky, home of the 101st

airborne division. lieutenant colonel, darren hoss, the officer in charge of sexual assault prevention, was removed from his job after being arrested for violating a protective order to stay away from his estranged wife. >> hi, this is major darren hoss, from bag ram, afghanistan. >> he had sent greetings to his wife while serving in afghanistan in 2010. the incident came to light just hours after president obama met with top brass about sexual assaults in the military. >> there's no silver bullet to solving this problem. this is going to require a sustained effort. over a long period of time. >> the fort campbell firing was the third in two weeks of peerm assigned to military sexual assault prevention jobs. at fort hood, texas, a sergeant first class is under criminal investigation by the army by pandering. a pentagon official says he may have forced someone into

prostitution. other allegations, abuse of sexual contact, and maltreatment of subordinates and last week, an air force colonel was arrested on sexual battery charges for allegedly groping a woman near the pentagon where he worked in sexual assault prevention. on capitol hill, pressure is mounting for historic changes in military law. senator kirsten gillenbrand is introducing legislation, so in sex assault cases where there may be jail time, the decision to prosecute is taken away from commanders, and given to military attorneys. many feel prosecutors from outside a unit will be more vigorous. >> we believe enough is enough. it's time to change this system that has been held over since george washington. that is simply not working today for the men and women who are serving. >> defense secretary chuck hagel has ordered the retraining of key personnel involved in sexual

assault prevention programs. but with a number of cases of sexual assaults and rapes on the rise in the military, key commanders are acknowledging they just are not sure what to do to solve the problem. barbara starr, cnn, the pentagon. our thanks to barbara. it is six minutes past the hour. people in the neighborhoods hardest hit by the tornados in texas aren't even be allowed back to survey damage in their homes this morning. the national weather service says at least 16 tornadoes touched down. and those who have seen the scope of the damage firsthand say it is surreal and it is extensive. among them is victor blackwell, live from granbury texas and i was reading there are seven people missing this morning? >> still seven people missing this morning. zoraida and the search, we're told by the sheriff here in hood county continued overnight. a recovery effort, not especially any more a rescue effort. i was in the rancho brazos

neighborhood yesterday. and our job is to relay what is happening on the ground. and when you're standing there, it doesn't matter how wide the lens is, hd or 3-d, when you see what you're seeing behind me multiplied by 100, 110, 120, it's difficult to relay and i think what really is striking is the mix of the industrial and the common. the christmas lights entangled with aluminium siding and the children's teddy bears covered by shingles from roofs. some of these houses have been swept right off of the foundation. i spoke with a commissioner here who says many of the questions he's received and you asked me yesterday at this time, how much warning was there for people. there was some warning, and they ran to their hallways, but if the entire house is blown away, then standing in the hallway is just as good as standing by a window. we know that the number of people who have been killed, that number still at six. but with this now going into a

recovery mission to found the seven unaccounted for, that number could rise, zoraida. >> and victor you just mentioned the six people who died. and we want to remember them. do we know anything about them? >> their names have been released. we know that two of them have the same last name. but we have not been confirmed for us at least that they were married or their specific relation to one another. but their ages range from the early 30s, to the early 80s. most of them over the age of 60. zoraida? >> victor blackwell live on the ground, thank you very much. to find out how you can help the victims of the texas storms, you can visit our impact your world page at cnn.com/impact. russia is sending advanced anti-ship cruise missiles to syria. a sign u.s. officials say that illustrates moscow's support for president bashar al assad's regime. "the new york times" reports that the missiles have advanced radar capabilities that can help

the syrian regime stop foreign forces from establishing no-fly zones or carrying out limited air strikes. the surviving boston marathon bombing suspect left a note about his motive. law enforcement found that note from dzhokhar tsarnaev on the boat where he was discovered hiding. they say he wrote that the bombings were retribution for u.s. attacks on muslims in afghanistan and iraq. and he referred to the boston victims as collateral damage. tsarnaev told police that an attack on one muslim was an attack on all muslims. and be sure to watch anderson cooper's special report "back to boston" tonight right here on cnn at 10:00 p.m. eastern. cnn has learned that u.s. marshals lost track of the two members of the federal witness security program who were identified as known or suspected terrorists. according to the report, one of the former witnesses is known to

be living outside of the u.s. the report says the marshals failed to inform the authorities who run the no-fly watch list about suspected terrorists within the witness program. potentially giving them access to commercial flights across the united states. police in new orleans have arrested a second suspect at a shooting in a parade on mother's day, it's believed he and the first suspect were involved in gang activities. scott was charged with 20 accounts of attempted second degree murder during his first court appearance on thursday. he's being held on $10 million bail. three people who, who were injured are still in critical condition this morning. do you feel lucky? dreamers from coast to coast are busy buying lottery tickets, the jackpot for tomorrow night's powerball lottery drawing has grown to half a billion dollars. we can report that is in fact a lot of money. the second largest jackpot in powerball history. the third biggest overall. >> news flash. the powerball prize is $550

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welcome back to early start, it's 14 minutes past the hour. remember 9 internet sensation known as kai, the hatchet-wielding hitchhiker? he's behind bars in philadelphia this morning. 24-year-old caleb lawrence mcgillvy gained fame for his colorful, profanity-laced story

of how he saved a woman in california. do you remember that? now this man is facing murder charges. the homeless man who prefers to think of himself as home-free, is accused of beating and killing a new jersey lawyer that he met at times square. >> strange end to a strange story. >> it is bizarre. >> michael jackson's nephew coming to his uncle's defense after a dancer who once defended jackson accuses him of being a pedophile and sex offender. taj jackson reveals on twitter that he was abused by another offender and that michael jackson was his support system. dancer/choreographer wade robison accused jackson of performing sexual acts on him. federal investigators are trying to find the source of a pair of threatening letters laced with deadly ricin, sent to targets in spokane, washington. the letters were intercepted by postal screeners. one was addressed to the spokane post office, and the other was

addressed to a federal judge. the postal workers' union says the letters were both postmarked on tuesday, luckily no one was hurt. new developments this morning, federal and state investigators in texas cannot figure out the cause of the deadly fire and explosion at the fertilizer plant last month. they've not ruled out the possibility that the fire was intentionally set. 15 people were killed, dozens injured, remember buildings in that 37-block area of the small town of west were damaged or destroyed. >> we're going to leave no stone unturned to make sure that everything we can do to determine what caused this fire and ultimately the explosion, was reviewed and investigated. >> last week, a paramedic who responded to the scene was arrested for possession of pipe bomb components, he's pleaded not guilty. the u.s. attorney's office will not say whether he might have been connected to the blast. so in this morning's edition of cry me a river, bernie madoff

says he can't sleep. the convicted ponzi schemer who is serving a 150-year prison sentence, tells cnn money in a prison phone interview, he is haunted by his son's suicide. the 75-year-old madoff says he only works a few hours a day in prison. so he has lots of time to think about his crime and the collateral damage. i apologize for being so light at the beginning of that story. how about this for the ultimate short-cut? in an effort to alleviate traffic congestion by his motorcade, russian president vladimir putin will commute to work by helicopter. reports say workers have completed construction on a heli pad at the kremlin so putin can use a chopper to go from home to work every day. >> who says that putin is not a man of the people? traveling light, one airline says you deserve a reward. how boarding just got a little bit easier for you. plus, putting on a brave face, anger as a disney heroine

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is now providing answers families need. siemens. answers. 21 minutes past the hour, good morning to you, wall street taking a break from its record run, but is it just temporary? >> let's hope so. and good news for american airlines, giving its customers a good reason to travel light. christine romans with all of that and more.

>> good friday morning. let's start with the stock market. stock futures are pointing higher. the markets hit a pause yesterday after housing and jobless claims numbers were deep. the dow is up 16% so far this year. the nasdaq is up 14%. the s&p 500 up 15%, those are fantastic returns, this has been the among the best bull markets in 100 years, i got the chart to show you how the bull market stacks up against all the top bull markets since 1928. the s&p 500 index, the closest gauge of stocks in your 401(k) is up 145% since 2009. some bulls did better but others are saying maybe it's running out of steam. we're showing you an airport for a reason. american airlines is rewarding passengers who travel light. the carrier says it will now allow early boarding for passengers who don't stash any items in the overhead bins. >> listen to me. >> this is zoraida's dream, this applies to travelers aboard the

plane carrying items small enough to fit under the seat in front of them. to insure that packed flights will arrive on time. southwest, if you, you can check your first and second bag for free. because they don't want to clutter up the plane, they want to get things going, get you off on time. they really want you to put your things in the checked baggage. disney responding to complaints about the sexy new makeover of its "brave" character. we told but this this week. an online petition got over 200,000 signatures. disney says it's not getting rid of merida's new look but it will only appear on a limited run of products, including backpacks and pajamas, the original merida will be available on a variety of products. disney took a ton of heat over this reimagined merida, it features a different hairdo, a less rounded face, a more revealing neckline and no bow and arrow in sight.

>> this affected a lot of people. we spoke to the director of "brave" who is really upset. saying the original character was supposed to be the anti-princess and disney was screwing up the whole thing. >> they put all the princesses together and suddenly merida showed up a little more glamorous than she used to be and people who are big fans is the whole point of her is that she's not the that disney princess. >> i am keeping my mouth shut on this one. >> wow, that's different. 24 minutes after the hour. coming up -- some heartbr k heartbreaking news. we'll take you inside the jodi arias sentencing. and incredible video you can't miss, how one man saved two people from this -- look at this inferno. we're back right after this. one... more... step! [ mom ] my little girl...she loves to help out on big jobs.

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a desperate search under way right now. seven people still missing after 16 tornadoes ripped through northern texas. and heartbreaking pleas, the court hears from two siblings of the man jodi arias is convicted of killing. an amazing rescue caught on camera. a man pulls two people from a burning car, honestly, wait until you see this. welcome back to "early start," i'm john bermen. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. we're going to begin with the staggering, almost surreal tornado damage in north texas. six people dead, seven people still missing and people say it

could be days, maybe a week before they'll get to see what if anything is left of their homes. the national weather service confirms at least 16 tornadoes, 16 now touched down in the area. many of the homes we're told were absolutely unsalvageable. and will have to be torn down. to find out how you can help. contact our world page at cnn.com. defense witnesses scheduled to testify on behalf of jodi arias have been pushed back to monday, but not before two siblings of the man she killed delivered highly emotional statements to the court. cnn's casey wayan reports. >> steven alexander was in the u.s. army in 2008 when he found out his brother, traverse had been murdered, as his killer, an emotional jodi arias sat and watched, as steven told jurors about the unanswered questions that haunt him to this day.

>> how much did he suffer. how much did he scream. what was he saying? what was the last thing he saw? before his eyes closed? what was his final thought in his head? >> next, sister samantha alexander approached the podium, crying even before she spoke. travis was our strength. our constant beacon of hope. our motivation. his presence has been ripped from our lives. >> defense witnesses are expected to speak about several mitigating factors that could spare arias' life. including her lack of a criminal past. her past efforts to convert to the mormon faith and her talent as an artist. >> this is a girl right here. that you pledged when you were selected as jurors, that after

hearing or after possibly convicting her of first-degree murder and finding aggravating factors, that you would consider giving miss arias life. >> in a trial full of gripping moments, one of the last is likely to come from jodi arias herself. next week. when she's expected to beg for mercy from a jury that has already convicted her of an especially cruel first-degree murder. casey wians, cnn, phoenix. learning new information about cleveland kidnapping and rape suspect, ariel castro and his love of dogs. last night it was reported about a chihuahua found in the car the night castro was arrested. two other dogs were found inside the house, they've been cleaned up, spayed and neutered. the fbi is asking the cleveland dog warden to hang onto the dogs for a while, so they ask ask the women who were held as hostages

if they want to claim the dogs as pets. the kidnap survivors fund has taken in $480,000. the trust was established by members of the cleveland city council. 5100 individual donations have come in from all 50 states, plus washington, d.c., even several foreign countries. to make a donation to the cleveland courage funds, go to clevelandfoundation.org/courage. the internet celebrity who gained fame as kai, the hatchet-wielding hitchhiker is behind bars in philadelphia this morning accused of murder. the homeless hitchhiker appeared on late-night talk shows this this year for his colorful rants about coming to the rescue of a woman by hitting her attacker with a hatchet. but now he's on the other side of the law. charged with the brutal beating death of a new jersey lawyer. >> from heroic hitchhiker to alleged murderer. >> smash, smash, smash.

>> kale ep mcgillvy, better known as kai, the hatchet-wielding hitchhiker is behind bars in philadelphia, accused of beating a new jersey lawyer to death inside his home. earlier this year kai skyrocketed to viral video stardom after this rambling tv interview captured the lively hitchhiker describing how he saved two victims from a deranged attacker. >> so [ bleep ] ran up behind him with a hatchet, smach, smach, smach. >> the interview amassed hundreds of views on the internet. four months after being hailed a hero, the homeless hitchhiker became the subject of a massive manhunt for allegedly killing a new jersey attorney. >> this man was well known and that doesn't mean that he did not or could not be become involved in a crime. >> on the run since monday, kai

took this picture. his long hair cut off, police say to try and conceal his identity. police say galphi drove to new york city to pick kai up last saturday and spent the weekend at galphi's home. kai's last post on facebook seems to indicate that their encounter was sexual in nature. until more is known, the internet's infamous hitchhiker is off the streets and behind bars. crazy story. the beating victim was a well-respected attorney with more than 40 years experience in new jersey. horrible. new hope for immigration reform this morning. a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the house have reached a tentative deal this breakthrough came after a two-hour private meeting. sources say the final sticking point is whether illegal immigrants or undocumented immigrants in the u.s. who gained legal status under the bill can participate in the president's new health care law which republicans want to appeal. the agreement still needs to be drafted into legislation. video you need too see this

morning -- incredible, a surveillance camera showing the moment a runaway car crashes into a motel parking lot. brian booir has the story from ft. lauderdale. >> there was something, she hit something, maybe the accelerator, i don't know what she did, but she flew into that car. >> a car wizzing down a1a in ft. lauderdale going the wrong way, slams into a parked vehicle, pushing it into a hotel pool. >> i thought maybe she was just in a hurry to get out of the way when she saw the cars coming. but i don't think she knew where she was going. >> where she was going, it was caught on cam remarks first by an apartment complex. watch the white car speeding northbound in the southbound lanes of the highway. the black car is pulling into a parking spot. a head-on collision narrowly avoided. >> laying 0 on the ground. >> bill mack owns the building. >> she kept coming here along here.

and went right up into the sidewalk here. and kept going and hit the meter, the traffic light box and a pole. kind of went a few feet off the ground. airborne. and hit the car, parked car by the motel and drove it into the pool. >> the second surveillance cameras belonged to the hotel where the car ends up in the pool. they picked run away car up as it smashes into the traffic box and then rams a parked car never even tapping the brakes. so the fence, these giant potted plants, not even this half-foot curb, any sort of match for the car which comes careening. it took a crane to lift the car out and the pool? just a mess. only way to clean it? drain the whole thing. in the end, this driver ended up in the hospital. she's lucky, though, no one was killed. including her.

all right that was brandon beyer from our affiliate wsvn reporting for us this morning. more dramatic video, a raging inferno following a car accident and rescue in kansas. two men unconscious inside a corvette, crashed by a truck, rescued by a passer-by. jim russell said it was all adrenaline that helped him and another man pull the victims out. he recorded video of the fire that destroyed both vehicles, both men are doing great this morning. a couple of alleged car thieves making the police's job all too easy. police in fresno, california say one of the suspects butt-dialed 911. the whole episode was recorded by the emergency dispatcher. during the course of the 35-minute call, the suspects talk about smoking marijuana, how they will break into the car. listen. >> i just want to smoke weed so bad right now. give me a bolt and give me the

hammer just in case. smash. we'll go back and search in a little bit and search the whole thing. >> criminal genius at work. >> stupid criminal file. soon enough, one of the suspects noticed they were being followed by police who pulled them over and swiftly took them into custody. >> i wonder if butt-dialing is a good defense in california? ahead, controversy over these photos taking a swanky new york apartment building. is this art? or is this invasion of privacy? and that heartwarming surprise for a little girl at last night's tampa bay rays game. this will put a smile on your face this morning. [ female announcer ] there's one thing

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didn't know they were being photographed. in the 1954 classic, "rear window" jimmy stewart took photos of his neighbors in another building in part because he was bored. now a new york photographer says he took photos of people living across the street for art. from his second-floor apartment, photographer arnie swensen was able to peer inside the apartments of residents living across the street without their knowledge. the result? intimate moments captured in photos. a couple eating breakfast. a man taking a nap. a woman in a rocking chair. and now some of the photos' subjects are furious about having their privacy violated. >> in my case it was my bedroom. so you know, i change here, i do a lot of things here. and to know that somebody was not only looking at me, but photographing me. >> muriel says she felt

extremely vulnerable because she has a young child. >> a biggest concern is that a 60-year-old man was observing us. >> even more infuriating for the unwilling subjects, swensen could profit big-time for these photos, they're being sold for up to $8400 each. the photographer would not be interviewed, but said this in a statement -- for my subjects, there is no question of privacy. they are performing behind a transparent discriminate on a stage of their own creation, with the curtain raised high. and the owner of the gallery where the photos are being shown says that the photographer was extremely careful not to reveal the identity of his subjects. >> somebody has asked me, have the people of these photographs come into this gallery, i would have no idea, no one would. arnie was very cognizant of that. >> privacy experts say the residents may actually have little legal recourse. >> they have to be able to prove

that the pictures are identifiable. that's the starting point for a lawsuit in new york. i don't see it in most of these pictures. >> so the question is, can the people in the photos sue the artist for selling their images? attorney paul callan who you saw in the piece says new york does have a criminal statute to protect people from being filmed for sexual purposes. about you that clearly is not involved in this situation. paul says, a subject could sue if their face was identifiable, but he doesn't even think that's applicable in this case. >> it still feels like such an invasion of privacy. >> someone asked me, imagine the photos that he didn't sell. imagine the pictures that he might have taken or what he actually saw. kind of creepy, right? >> it is very creepy. all right. 44 minutes past the hour. a pizza delivery man is accused of making really special deliveries -- cocaine. new york police say 45-year-old ra moment rodriguez made 19 sales to an undercover officer in full papa john's gear. in one case, they say a pizza

box contained a kilo of cocaine for $27,500. another man identified as jonathan martinez also face drug charges, police say rodriguez set up a meeting for martinez with an undercover officer. getting caught with his hand in a cookie jar just made a suburban chicago man $4.8 million richer. ricardo cerezo cleaned out a cookie jar filled with a few months' worth of lottery tickets, he took them to his local convenience store to scan them and one of them popped up a big winner. >> when i realized we had all six numbers, it was that shocking moment of, whoa, can this really be? so i called my son over and i asked him to double check this. and he looks it through and goes yup, it looks like a winner. >> yeah! >> so that stroke of luck, i hate that man, that stroke of luck couldn't come at a better time. his home was on the verge of

foreclosure. >> $4.8 million. that is fantastic. >> the lesson here -- check your cookie jars, everyone. so take a look at the new waffle taco. taco bell is testing it out in three california stores. for 89 cents you get a sausage patty, scrambled eggs folded into a waffle. and wash it down with mountain dew mixed with orange juice. >> i would have that for breakfast. >> if you happen to want to send it over, we'll take it. we'll sample for you. coming up, powerball madness across the nation, this jackpot is unbelievable, how high is it? the big question is, how high will it go. all business purchases.

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the man fired from the irs over a scandal for targeting conservatives, he is testifying today. this will be a big day. steven miller, the acting head of the irs was forced out this week. and today a house committee will grill him about why he didn't tell congress about the political targeting. president obama's top lieutenants will take over as interim head of the irs. and president obama summoning his top pentagon brass to the white house to address this growing problem of sexual assaults in the military. he's ordering them to come up with a plan to stem all of the abuse. this comes as the head of a sexual assault prevention unit at fort bell, kentucky, was arrested, lieutenant colonel darren, charged with violating a court order to leave his wife alone. the third military official in two weeks to be relieved of duty over an allegation of sexual misconduct. a trouble development overnight, russia is sending advanced anti-ship cruise missiles to syria. u.s. officials say it's a sign that shows moscow's support for

president bashar al assad's regime. "the new york times" reports that the missiles have advanced radar capabilities that can help the syrian regime stop foreign forces from establishing no-fly zones. can also stop limited air strikes. potentially or supply syria's opposition. stop supply of syria's opposition from the air. a new outbreak of lotto fever causing the powerball jackpot to swell to $550 million for tomorrow night's drawing. that's $550 million, folks. >> that's a swollen jackpot. >> the second biggest prize in powerball history and third largest lottery jackpot overall. and people are not done buying so who knows, right? >> lines will be forming early this morning. >> bracing toor more severe weather this weekend. this could be serious. it is the center of the country that may be under the gun this time. meteorologist jennifer delgado joins us from the cnn weather center. >> good morning, guys, you're right, millions of people could be under the gun this weekend as more severe weather is expected to arrive. let's start off with images

coming out of texas. this is out of granbury. we know now, reportedly there were 16 tornadoes, this is according to the national weather service. dallas office yesterday. and the one in granbury was actually an ef-4, that's winds, 166-200 miles per hour. that's why we saw the homes being taken off the frame. to make things worse for areas in texas to the south of dallas, including granbury, looking at showers and thunderstorms there, a lot of that is going to come to an end around noon and some scattered shower and thunderstorm activity across areas including tennessee, as well as into northern parts of mississippi and the east coast looking pretty quiet for this morning. but a lot of the action as i said is really going to heat up for saturday, sunday and monday. and we're talking about a real potential for more tornadoes to just like what we saw out of texas. here it is on saturday, the area in gold and then another slight risk on sunday as well as into monday. and we're also talking about even straight-line winds, not

even talking about just tornadoes, but for today, sunshine is going to be building through parts of the central part of the u.s. and then severe storms anywhere you're seeing and northern parts of mississippi. high temperatures today will generally be in the 80s and the 90s, and certainly it's going to be a lot warmer down towards the south and it will be quite humid for areas like texas as well as along the coastline. for new york today, high of 72 degrees. >> nice. all right jennifer, thanks so much. coming up, the special first pitch at last night's tampa bay rays game. how a surprise catcher threw this little girl a big curve. wait until you find out who he is. this is for real this time. step seven point two one two. verify and lock. command is locked. five seconds. three, two, one.

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welcome back to "early start," trending this morning, a nice surprise of fans of "the office" despite denials that michael scott would not be part of the season finale -- >> michael! >> michael. >> i can't believe you came. >> okay. so after steve carell did show up last night, he originally left the series after season seven to concentrate on making movies. the former head of the dunder-mifflin office closed for good. this will make your heart melt. a dad secretly returns from serving in afghanistan,

surprising his little girl right after she throws out the first pitch at a tampa bay rays game. and get this, look at this he's the catcher. elena adams said she thought there was something weird about how he caught the ball and lieutenant colonel will adams lifted his mask. he was stationed in afghanistan for most of the past two years. folks, that's a beautiful moment that we get to enjoy, tears flowed after the pitch and rays fans gave the whole family a standing ovation. >> good for them. >> what a picture. >> that is wonderful. check out other top cnn trends, head to cnn.com/trends. "early start" continues right now. that's sweet. on hot seat -- the fired head of the irs testifies today about why conservative groups were targeted by his agency. and whether he lied about it. >> shameful? and disgraceful.

the president calling the military sex scandals a danger to national security. surreal and extensive damage -- people in the areas hardest hit by tornados in texas not even allowed back home this morning and the search is under way still for seven people who are missing. we have a lot of powerball frenzy as well, more than half a billion dollars simply up for grabs. the second biggest pot in powerball a history. do you have your ticket yet? >> heading out. just after the show. good morning, everyone, welcome to "early start," i'm john bermen. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. it's friday, may 17th. developing this morning, the man fired from the irs over a scandal targeting conservatives. he's going to face a lot of tough questions today. steven miller, the acting head of the irs was forced out this

conservative groups. steve miller, the acting commissioner forced to resign sat before the house ways and means subcommittee but wasn't talking then about the scandal. it was a friendly encounter. >> thank you, chairman. >> reporter: a routine update on the proposed budget. today he returns before the full committee to a much different atmosphere. rocked by scandal miller will be pressed by lawmakers on the information his agency gathered, not tax checks. >> it's important he appear and come forward truthfully, openly and give us real answers to the extent he knows. >> reporter: president obama tried to put out the fire, expressing outrage, vowing to hold people at the irs accountable and quickly appointing a new acting commissioner who starts next week. >> we've got to make sure that

it is doing its job scrupulously without bias. >> reporter: his top aids are doing damage control. >> quick action. >> the fact is this administration has a record on transparency. >> reporter: while the president is trying to shift attention to his other priorities. a trip to baltimore today will focus on middle class jobs. it follows thursday's meeting on sexual abuse in the military and a visit with the turkish prime minister where syria was at the top of the agenda. a dark cloud hangs over this white house. critics at a tea party rally are keeping up pressure. >> this is runaway government at its worst. who knows who they will target next? >> reporter: dan lothian, cnn, washington. there is a growing crisis in the military this morning. in blunt language the president calls the rising number of sexual assaults shameful and

disgraceful and a danger to national security. he's ordering officials to crack down amid a series of high profile cases of alleged sexual abuse involving service members assigned to prevent those crimes. here's correspondent barbara star. >> reporter: another embarrassment for the u.s. military. this time at fort campbell, home of the 101st airborne division. lieutenant colonel darren haas was removed from his job in sexual prevention after being accused of violating a protective order to stay away from his wife. he had sent greetings to his wife while serving in afghanistan in 2010. the incident came to light just hours after president obama met with top brass about sexual assault in the military. >> there is no silver bullet to

solving in problem. this is going to require a sustained effort over a long period of time. >> reporter: the fort campbell firing was the third in two weeks of personnel assigned to military sexual assault prevention jobs. at ft. hood, texas, a sergeant first class is under criminal investigation by the army for pandering. a pentagon official says he may have forced someone into prostitution. other allegations -- abuse of sexual contact and maltreatment of subordinates. last week, jeffrey krusinski was arrested on sexual battery charges for allegedly groping a woman near the pentagon where he worked in sexual assault prevention. on capitol hill, pressure is mounting for historic changes in military law. senator gillebrand is introducing legislation so in sex assault cases the decision

to prosecute is taken away from commanders and given to military attorneys. many feel prosecutors from outside the unit will be more vigorous. >> we believe enough is enough. it's time to change the system that's been held over since george washington. it's simply not working for the men and women serving. >> reporter: defense secretary chuck hagel ordered the retraining of key personnel involved in sexual assault prevention programs. but with a number of cases of sexual assaults and rapes on the rise in the military, key commanders are acknowledging they just are not sure what to do to solve the problem. barbara starr, cnn, the pentagon. >> thanks to barbara. the search is on for seven people still missing after those devastating tornadoes touched down in texas. the national weather service says at least 16 tornadoes touched down. people aren't being allowed back to survey the damage now.

those who have seen the damage tell us it is surreal and extensive. victor blackwell is live for us in hard hit branbury, texas. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, john. even with wide lenses and big screens and hd it is nearly impossible to relay all the devastation in this community where those six people were killed by tornadoes on wednesday night. the winds have picked up here. we have seen lightning and heard thunder. rain certainly would hamper the search for those still missing in that community. sheriff roger deed has seen tornado damage in hood county before. but it is more than damage. this is catastrophic. >> i have seen bad. this is about as bad as it gets. >> reporter: this is the rancho

brazos community in granbury, texas. once small houses and mobile homes but now they are a scramble of glass and metal and a reminder of how quickly life can change. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: the national weather service estimates more than a dozen tornadoes touched down wednesday in north texas. it appears at least one stayed a while. >> they usually go street to street or jumps neighborhood to neighborhood. in this case, this neighborhood of 110 homes, it seems to sit down on top of it. >> i feel really an empty feeling in my stomach. the fact is this was someone's home. >> reporter: when there are so many homes and cars damaged and just completely destroyed like this h one, you can see that the air conditioning unit off the foundation. the windows bursted out. this house will have to be de demoli demolished. it is easy to get lost in how large it is. then you see something like this. just a child's drawing, red,

pink and blue hearts. children lived in this community. they have lost their homes. some of them maybe have lost family members. these are families that have to start over. this is more than just pictures of devastation on television. people now have to find a way to build a new normal for their lives. for their children. there is so much wok to do and with optimism sheriff deeds believes they will rebuild. >> we are taking care of business, taking care of the people and we'll continue to do so. >> 61 of the homes in that community were habitat for humanity homes where people had to put in sweat equity to own their first home. i spoke with the disaster relief manager for the organization and they have said they will step forward and help those families, those homeowners rebuild. john? >> such amazing, tragic pictures you showed us in the piece.

six people are confirmed dead so far. do we have their identities yet? >> reporter: their names have been released by the sheriff in hood county. they are mostly over the age of 60. the youngest person, early 30s. but 60 to 82. two people with the same last name. their relationship has not yet been confirmed for us. we are hoping to learn more about those six. >> victor blackwell for us in granbury, texas. thanks so much. to find out how you can help victims of the storms visit the impact your world page at cnn.com/impact. >> breaks your heart. eight minutes past the hour. a troubling development vent. russia is sending anti-ship cruise missiles to syria, a sign, u.s. officials say, showing russia's support for the assad regime. the missiles have advanced radar capabilities to help the syrian regime stop foreign forces from

establishing no fly zones, carrying out air strikes or securing syria's opposition from the sea. >> the surviving boston marathon bombing suspect left a note about motive. law enforcement found tsarnaev's note on the boat where he was hiding. he wrote the bombings were retribution for u.s. attacks on muslims in iraq. he referred to the boston victims as collateral damage. tsarnaev said an attack on one muslim was an attack on all muslims. watch anderson cooper's special report "back to boston, moments of impact" tonight at 10:00 p.m. eastern. a justice department investigation finds u.s. marshalls lost track of two former members of the federal witness security program who were identified as known or suspected terrorists. a new report says one of the former witnesses is now known to be living outside the united states. the other is believed to be out of the country. it says the marshall service failed to inform authorities who run the no-fly watch list about

terrorists giving them access to commercial flights in the united states. >> police in new orleans arrested a second suspect in a mother's day shooting. it is believed he and the first suspect were involved in gang activity. scott was charged with 20 counts of attempted second degree murder during his court appearance thursday. he's being held on $10 million bail. three people who were shot remain in critical condition this morning. >> if you are feeling lucky your timing is perfect. the pou ball jackpot is now more than half a billion. that's the largest in powerball history, the third biggest overall. powerball is at $550 million. the rival mega millions jackpot is $190 million. that's ahead of tonight's drawing. i would be fine with $190 million. >> i'll take it. not bad. better than turtle wax. coming up an internet

sensation who rose to fame for a daring rescue is now charged with murder. what the hatchet wielding hitchhiker is now accused of doing. >> and we have the latest on the jodi arias sentencing. the breernd sister of her victim, travis alexander, give emotional pleas. ♪ [ slap! ] [ slap! slap! slap! slap! ] ow! ow! [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium-rich tums starts working so fast

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welcome back. 14 minutes past the hour. the internet celebrity known as kai the hatchet-wielding hitchhiker is now infamous after being accused of murder. he appeared on late night talk shows this year for colorful rants about coming to the rescue of a woman by hitting her attacker with the back of a hatchet. now he's on the other side of the law, charged with the brutal beating death e of a new jersey lawyer. >> reporter: from hero to all e alleged murderer. >> smash, smash, smash. >> reporter: kai, the hatchet wielding hitchhiker is behind bars in philadelphia, accused of beating a new jersey lawyer to death inside his home. earlier this year kai skyrocketed to viral video stardom after this rambling tv

interview captured the lively hitchhiker describing how he saved two victims from a deranged attacker. >> so came from behind with a hatchet, smash, smash, smash. >> reporter: that interview amassed close to 4 h million views on youtube. kai even made a hilarious cameo on jimmy kimmel. >> hey, you're that dude with the hatchet. >> reporter: four months later the homeless hitchhiker became the subject of a massive man hunt for allegedly killing 73-year-old new jersey attorney joseph galfi, jr. >> this man was well known. that doesn't mean he did not or could not become involved in a crime. >> reporter: on the run since monday kai took this picture. his long hair cut off, police say to try and conceal his identity. thursday night police tracked him down at a philadelphia bus station. it's still unclear how galfi and the hitchhiker know each other.

police say galfi drove to pick kai up and spent the weekend at his home. kai's last facebook post says it was sexual in nature. until more is known the internet's hitchhiker is off the streets and behind bars. that beating victim was a well respected attorney with more than 40 years of experience in new jersey. >> federal and state kbra investigators in texas do not know the cause of the deadly explosion at a fertilizer plant. they have not ruled out that the fire was intentionally set. 15 people were killed by the powerful explosion. dozens were injured in the buildings levelled in the small town of west. many homes damaged or destroyed. bern aie madoff says he can sleep. he's consumed with guilt over his son's suicide.

he can't sleep in his north carolina prison cell. h he's serving a 150-year term for the massive fraud. he says he only works a few hours a day and has plenty of time to think about the collateral damage he caused. >> 17 minutes past the hour. new delays in the jodi arias e murder trial. defense witnesses scheduled to testify on her behalf have been pushed back to monday. not before two siblings of the man she killed delivered emotional victim impact statements to the court. >> reporter: steven alexander was in the u.s. army in 2008 when he found out his brother travis was murdered. as his killer, an emotional jodi arias watched, he talked about the questions that haunt him to this day. >> how much did he suffer? how much did he scream? what was he saying? what was the last thing he saw

before his eyes closed? what was his final thought in his head? >> reporter: next, sister samantha alexander approached the podium crying even before she spoke. >> travis was our strength. our constant beacon of hope. our motivation. and his presence has been ripped from our lives. >> reporter: defense witnesses are expected to speak about several emit investigating factors that could spare arias's life including her lack of criminal past, past efforts to convert to the mormon faith and talent as an artist. >> this is a girl right now that you plenled when you were selected as jurors that after hearing or after possibly convicting her of first-degree murder and finding aggravating factors that you would consider

giving ms. arias life. >> reporter: in a trial full of gripping moments one of the last could come from jodi arias next week when she's expected to beg for mercy from a jury that already convict her of an especially cruel first-degree hurd. casey wian, phoenix. up next, how a man tricked his own girlfriend into taking an abortion pill. >> we'll get a check on the financial markets. is the dow's record run about to hit the skidses? dry mouth may start off as an irritant. it'll cause cavities, bad breath. patients will try and deal with it by drinking water. water will work for a few seconds but if you're not drinking it, it's going to get dry again. i recommend biotene. all the biotene products like the oral rinse...the sprays have enzymes in them. the whole formulation just works very well. it leaves the mouth feeling fresh. if i'm happy with the results and my patients are happy with the results, i don't need to look any farther.

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welcome back, everyone. minding your business this morning. price swings on wall street and on main street. >> christine, let's start with stocks. >> things are looking good this morning. a bright note in terms of futureses now. we expect maybe a higher day for

stocks. markets hit the pause yesterday from the record run. weaker housing and jobless claims data. the fed officials are debating when the fed should stop propping up the economy. that makes stock investors nervous. they have had an incredible run here. the dow was up 16% so far this year. the nasdaq is up 14%. the s&p 500, 15%. the s&p 500 is the gauge i really watch for your 401(k). the stocks in your 401(k) most likely reflect what's happening in the s&p 500. this has been among the best bull markets in a hundred years or so. which chart shows how bull markets have stacked up. this is the fifth best bull market. the s&p index is up 145% since 2009. remember what happened in 2009. the world was falling apart. if you were brave enough to buy you're up 145%. most of us weren't that brave.

we were slowly getting in after that. only half of americans are invested in the stock market. half aren't invested in this. all of you -- almost all of you fill up your tanks. gas prices are moving up again, just in time for the summer driving season. you can see the national average is now $3.62 a gallon according to aaa. midwest states are seeing the biggest spikes because of problems at area refineries. folks in minnesota are seeing the biggest spikes in gas prices now averaging $4.15 a gallon. 53 cents higher than the rest of the country. i'm sure it's terrible in chicago. >> i'm headed there. >> it's tough in chicago. i live in new jersey where taxes are low. we have low gas prices relatively in new jersey. in the upper midwest those are higher. because of refinery issues -- >> on top of texas. >> expect it to keep moving up. >> what's the one thing we have to know?

>> if you want to buy a house mortgage rates are ticking up again. the average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage is now $3.51%. still historically low. the average rate for a 15-year, 2.69%. still low, but they have ticked up a little bit. it's the talk of the fed and whether there will be an exit strategy. would rates rise a little bit if that happened? that's reflected in the mortgage market. >> thank you. coming up, is the commute getting you down? how about taking a helicopter? might give you a lift, a short cut. vladimir putin is taking to the skies. >> we have a very, very special first pitch at last night's tampa bay rays game. how a surprise catcher threw this little girl a big beautiful curve. wait until you find out who that man is. welwhere new york state is... investing one billion

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[ female announcer ] aveeno® with soy helps reduce the look of brown spots in 4 weeks. for healthy radiant skin. aveeno®. naturally beautiful results. a desperate search under way now. seven people still missing after 16 tornadoes ripped through northern texas. >> this is unbelievable. a man under arrest for tricking his girlfriend into an abortion. >> then a dancer who once defended michael jackson accusing him of being a pedophile and child sex abuser. but now michael jackson's nephew is coming to his uncle's

defense. welcome back to "early start." >> 29 minutes past the hour. >> we begin with the staggering, almost surreal tornado damage in north texas. six people are dead. right now the search is on for seven who are still missing this morning. people who live in the hardest hit neighborhoods say it could be days, maybe a week before they will get to see what, if anything, is left of the homes. those who have seen the damage first hand say it is surreal, extensive. the national weather service confirmses at least 16 tornadoes touched down in the region. to find out how you can help, visit our impact your world page at cnn.com/impact. developing this morning, a man facing federal murder charges accused of tricking his girlfriend into taking abortion pillses to end her pregnancy. >> christine is back with h h this disturbing story. >> this young woman, the alleged victim said she was thrilled when she found out she was

pregnant with her boyfriend's baby. she wasn't ready for what happened next. 26-year-old remy lee was a woman in love. >> he was my everything and more. >> reporter: elated that she and her boyfriend john weldon were expect ago child. >> everyone dreams of becoming a mom. >> reporter: this sonogram at the obstetrics clinic owned by her father showed she was six weekses pregnant. lee said her boyfriend begged her not to have the baby. >> i was never going to do anything except go full-term with it and he didn't want me to. >> reporter: in days her boyfriend called to tell her blood tests revealed a bacterial infection and she believed him. she started taking what she thought was the antibiotic amoxicillin sillen e gave her. >> he come over with the pills he had, the weapon of choice. he told me to keep taking them. i was supposed to take three a day for days. >> reporter: the pillses in that bottle were not amoxicillin.

detectives say weldon admitted to switching the antibiotic for the pill that can cause abortionses. after taking one pill on her way to work lee was hospitalized with bleeding and abdominal pain. soon after she lost the baby. doctors who inspected the pills told her the shocking truth. >> everybody knew it wasn't amoxicillin. medical professionals saw it wasn't right. >> reporter: earlier this week a grand jury indicted welden on chargeses of first-degree murder and product tampering. he's held without bond buts hasn't issued a plea. the murder charge under the unborn victims of violence act carries a life sentence. lee is left grieving and in disbelief. >> i can't believe someone did something so malicious to me. not only to me but to himself. that was our baby. >> cnn tried but was unable to get a comment from welden's attorney. lee is also seeking damages for

the trauma, psychological and emotional injurieses she said he caused her. really an unusual story. >> a lot of legal folks will weigh in about the outcome of this. >> absolutely. >> thank you. 33 minutes past the hour. michael jackson's nephew coming to his uncle's defense after a dancer accused him of being a pedophile and a child sex abuser. taz jackson tweeted that jackson was a support system for him and his mom after he was molested by another relative. in a the "today" show interview wade robson accused jackson of performing sexual acts on him and forcing him to reciprocate. stephanie elem has more on robson and his about face. >> he was once michael jackson's protege. choreographer wade robson can move just like the icon as seen on his show, dancing to the mega hit "smooth criminal." he made his debut at 6 on

australia's star search dancing to "the way you make me feel." ♪ but robson is saying he was sexually abuse bid the entertainer. in an interview on nbc's the "today" show, robson called michael jackson a troubled man. >> yes rs he was a talented artist with an incredible gift. he was many things. he was also a pedophile and a child sexual abuser. >> reporter: michael jackson's defense attorney in his 2005 molestation trial. >> wade was michael's strongest supporter. he was unwavering in his statement that he had never been sexually abused. >> reporter: mesereau believes he's motivated by money. >> he wanted to be deemed a creditor, someone who believes they are owed money. he's filed a civil suit. >> reporter: from a legal standpoint robson may have an uphill battle. >> look at the timing of this. it comes right after katherine

jackson's trial against aeg has begun. almost at the four-year anniversary of michael jackson's death. if he wanted to clear his conscious about a lie he's been carrying around why didn't he come out sometime in the last four years? >> reporter: there are tens of pls of dollars at stake for the jackson estate if aeg is found liable. >> to me, this is another person in a long line of profiteers trying to trade off michael jackson's reputation and wealth to feather their own nest. >> reporter: though robson has spoken about his allegations that jackson abused him we may not learn the details since they were sealed by the probate court in los angeles where his lawyer filed the claim. >> thanks, stephanie. we have new information about cleveland kidnapping and rape sus is expect ariel castro. it seems he loves dogs.

we heard about castro's chihuahua found in the car the night he was arrested. two other dogs which are terrier poodle mixes were inside the house. they have been cleaned up, spayed and neutered. they are asking the dog warden to hang on so they can ask the women who were held hostage if they would like the dogs as pets. meanwhile a fund to benefit the victims has taken in more than $480,000. the trust was established by members of the cleveland city council. more than 5,100 individual donations have come in from all 50 states plus washington, d.c. also several foreign countries as well. make an online donation to the cleveland courage funds. go to cleveland foundation.org/courage. >> their story touched people around the world. 36 minutes past the hour. federal agents trying to determine who sent two threatening letters laced with

ricin in spokane, washington. they were intercepted by postal screeners. one was to the spokane post office. the other to a federal judge. the postal workers union said the letters were postmarked on tuesday. we are happy to report no one was hurt by the poison. >> talk about looking down on your subjects. in an effort to alleviate traffic congestion caused by his 12-car motorcade, vladimir putin will now commute to work by helicopter. that must be nice. reports say workers have completed construction on a helipad at the kremlin so he can use the chopper to go from home to work every day. who says putin is not a man of the people. >> so nice of him to do. >> he always mixes it up. we have a collection of greatest hits from vladimir putin. there he is in full military garb, dressing a tiger he hunted there. the shirtless, one of my

favorites. >> another one. two in a row for you. >> the hand glider or ultra light flyer. a man of many faces and skillses. riding a motorcycle there. and -- >> ooh, he could beat you up. >> he was in the kgb. i hope he could beat me up. he'd be a lousy kgb agent if he can't beat me up. up next, get in line and get your ticket now. the powerball jackpot is climbing into the stratosphere. we'll have a live report. >> plus, look at this incredible video. two men trapped inside a raging inferno. hear from the hero who risked everything in order to save them both. before global opportunities were part of their investment strategy... before they funded scholarships to the schools that gave them scholarships... before they planned for their parents' future needs

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welcome back to "early start." so you do know what they say, of course. you have to be in it to win it. this weekend you can turn $2 into half a b-b-billion. >> the jackpot for the saturday power ball has grown to $550 million, the second biggest powerball prize ever. zain asher is live in pesaic, new jersey. have you bought your own? >> reporter: i have not. a lot of people here are lining up to buy theirs. what happenses when the jackpot gets this big is people who don't usually play start to buy tickets. people who do play buy more tickets. they buy ten, 20 tickets. it's important not to spend more

money than you can afford. the jackpot now is $550 million. the second largest in powerball history. by the way, if you walked away with the lump sum you will net $350 million. basically enough money to give a dollar to every single person in this country and you would still be a millionaire several times over. what i want to emphasize is the chance of winning. we hear it all the time. the chance of winning is 1 in 175 million. certainly far from being a sure thing. it was previously 1 in 195 million. now it's 1 in 175 million. we are getting closer. i did speak to the store clerk at this bp gas station. he said people are coming in by the droves. he expectses sales to increase tomorrow as the deadline draws closer. i asked people as they were walking in and out, hey, if you woke up tomorrow and you suddenly had $550 million to your name, what would you do

with the money. a lot of people say they would spend it on their family which was sweet. one woman said is he would not quit her job. she's an emt and loves it. she said she would work part time and put the money towards her kids' college plan. i think she would still have money left over at the end. >> she could play for college for all of our kids. >> mine, too. >> seems like we are constantly saying this is the biggest jackpot, a huge jackpot. are they really increasing now? >> what happened is a year and a half ago they redesigned the game. so previously the ticketseses cost $1. now they cost $2. if more people put money in of course the jackpot grows larger and larger. also if you get five numbers right you get a million dollars instead of $200,000. and there are fewer powerball numbers to choose from. it's 1 through 35 now. it was 1 through 39.

bigger jackpots at stake and a bigger chance of winning something. >> i love it. i feel lucky. i say buy us a bunch of tickets while you're there. thank you. appreciate it. >> reporter: no problem. >> it is 45 minutes past the hour. bracing for severe weather this weekend. this time the center of the country may be under the gun. the cnn weather center in atlanta. who should brace for what, jennifer? >> parts of the midwest and the plains. that will fire up into the weekend. we are talking about tornado potential. just like yesterday. we have video from granbury. there was an ef-4 tornado there. winds of 166 to 200 miles per hour. that's why we saw so many homeses off their frames. in cleburn it was an ef-3. as i take you to the radar, to make matters worse this area doesn't need rain. there is a recovery and the search effort going on. pointing out there are storms

moving through parts of cleburne and granbury. our reporter mentioned hearing thunder as well as lightning. that will end around noon cle g clearing out for the weekend. a boundary system to the north where we'll see storms. for the northeast, beautiful today. for saturday, sunday and monday we're talking a really good chance we could see super cells developing and producing tornadoes. we are talking areas like kansas city as well as st. louis. very highly populated regions. on a wide view, you will see sunshine in the central part of the u.s. for areas over to the east it will be beautiful out there. high pressure is in control. we are talking boston, new york, even into d.c., highs in the lower 80s and lower 70s. have a nice weekend. back to you. >> i think we will. thank you.

appreciate it. we have dramatic video of a raging inferno in a car and a rescue. two men were unconscious in the car. jim russell started recording seconds after he and another man pulled the victims out. >> just helped pull this guy from the car. the semi is on fire, the car is on fire. we pulled two guys out of this. >> wow. some fire. both vehicles were engulfed. the accident victims are doing okay. >> i'm glad he had the presence of mind to do that. how many times do people pass by. up next, an incredible surprise for a little girl throwing out the first pitch. wait until you see who is behind the catcher's mask up next. ♪ [ sneezes ]

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welcome back to early start. 51 minutes after the hour. say it ain't so. a major announcement from david beckham who i understand actually played soccer. >> that's a low blow. could he be retiring? >> good thing for google, john. ladies love him. guys want to be him. david beckham is the perfect blend of celebrity and superstar athlete. the most significant british import to america since the beatle wil hang up his cleats. david beckham helped make soccer

more relevant in the u.s. than it had been in decades. in 2007 he signed a $250 million contract playing stateside in los angeles. a champion in nearly every uniform he put on deck ham said he's accomplished his goals and will retire from soccer at the end of the season. >> it's every footballer's dream to go out on top. you know, on top form or winning a trophy. it doesn't happen that often. but i think i know when i'm ready. i think i'm ready. >> the knicks extended their season by one more game, facing a win or go home scenario. the nba's regular season leading scorer carmelo anthony with ten points. new york trails indiana 3-2 in the best of seven series. game six saturday in the hoosier state. the warriors unable to keep the dream alive.

they taught the kids from oakland a lesson. tony parker hit clutch shots down the stretch as the spurs eliminated the warriorses. san antonio hosts game one sunday against memphis. i'm taking recommendations for tex mention restaurants. a third of the way to history in baltimore. or is the favorite in the 138th running of the preakness on a short, faster track than the kentucky derby. orb will try to finish ahead of the nine-horse field. the masked man has a surprise. not your typical first pitch. elena adams thinks she's pitching to a tampa bay rays catcher. not so much. returning from a year deployment it's elena's father, will adams. he was due to come home monday.

elena said she thought she was dreaming when she realized the catcher was her dad. a great way to start a baseball game. great surprise by dad. he even surprised his wife as well. he came into town a night early. said the hardest part was he wasn't able to see his wife and daughter for a full 24 hours. >> that's so beautiful. >> love that. >> different video from earlier. thank you for that. >> john's team ruined it by getting the big hit. the red sox beat the rays. >> i wasn't going to say the red sox won. thank you very much. >> i don't believe it for a minute. >> talk about beginner's luck. a 14-foot long, 800-pound case of ginnbeginner's luck. braxton bielski scored a big alligator on his first try. his father said his son wanted to hunt gators for years. his dad won a permit for a

public hunt. they will join us live on "starting point." they lived to tell the story. they will be with us at 8:00 eastern time. >> are they doing show and tell? >> i don't think things turned out well for the alligator. >> up next, how did this 4-year-old become the mayor of a minnesota town? a little bit of luck, a lot of charm. we'll introduce you to the pint-e sized politician. [ female announcer ] are you sensitive to dairy? then you'll love lactose-free lactaid® it's 100% real milk that's easy to digest so you can fully enjoy the dairy you love. lactaid®. for 25 years, easy to digest. easy to love. for 25 years,

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i need you. i feel so alone. but you're not alone. i knew you'd come. like i could stay away. you know i can't do this without you. you'll never have to. you're always there for me. shh! i'll get you a rental car. i could also use an umbrella. fall in love with progressive's claims service. always go the extra mile. to treat my low testosterone, i did my research. my doctor and i went with axiron, the only underarm low t treatment. axiron can restore t levels to normal in about 2 weeks in most men. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18 or men with prostate or breast cancer. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these symptoms to your doctor.

tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications. serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer; worsening prostate symptoms; decreased sperm count; ankle, feet or body swelling; enlarged or painful breasts; problems breathing while sleeping; and blood clots in the legs. common side effects include skin redness or irritation where applied, increased red blood cell count, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and increase in psa. ask your doctor about the only underarm low t treatment, axiron. welcome back. in the tie town of dorsett, minnesota, robert "bobby" tufts is the 4-year-old mayor. each year the people who live in

town pick a name out of a hat. part of bobby's platform, helping people cross the street and horsey rides. >> looks pretty safe. >> how long have you had that stick, mr. mayor? >> not long, but now i have it forever. >> howdy, partner! >> that would make my day. bobby's mom said he told everyone at day care he's going to be mayor forever. that's it for "early start." i love that story. "starting point" startses now. our starting point this morning the former acting irs commissioner gets a grilling from congress over the targeting of conservative groups. how much did he know? >> then flattened homes and neighborhoods gone. folks in north texas try to put their lives back together after 16 tornadoes ripped their communities apart.

we are live in granbury, texas, for a look at the devastation. there are people still missing. >> plus, remember this viral video hero who saved a stranger with his hatchet? >> smash, smash, smash! >> now the hatchet-wielding hitchhiker is accused of murder. the unexpected twist coming up. >> and a fiery rescue caught on video e. how two people were pulled from a burning car just momentses before it exploded. it is friday, may 17. "starting point" begins right now. so in a couple of hours steven miller, the man fired this week as acting irs commissioner will be on the capitol hill hot seat, facing tough questions about the