carried forward proudly by those who wear the nation's uniform today. thank you for your service and god bless you and your families. >> that's it for "starting point". >> cnn newsroom with carol costello begins right now. happening now, ambush. a kentucky police officer killed in the middle of the night. >> it wasn't a traffic stop that went bad. it wasn't an arrest that went bad. >> shot and killed from a hilltop as he was removing debris from the road. also, snow, flooding. >> we received nearly 200 calls for high water rescue. >> memorial day is the unofficial start of summer. so where is the sun? and fans injured at the charlotte motor speedway as an overhead television camera cable plunges to the grand stands. plus, amanda bynes.

>> club scene and drinking doesn't appeal to me. i've never been offered drugs. birds of a feather flock together. >> so what happened? a random rihanna smack down, wigs, court. can anyone stop bynes meltdown? you're live in the cnn newsroom. good morning. thank you so much for being with me. i'm carol costello. this morning police in kentucky are tracking a cop killer at a small town police chief minces no words. >> i can assure you we won't give up on this person until we have him either in custody or in the front sight of one of our weapons. and i personally hope the latter is the choice. >> the ambush as cunning as it was cruel, a gunman opens fire when a barreds town police officer gets out of his vehicle

to remove debris from a roadway. >> someone planned this. someone planned this and someone planned to shoot somebody at that spot at that location at that time. >> it was around 2:00 in the morning that bardstown, kentucky jason ellis got out of his vehicle to remove debris from the road. but someone intentionally put that debris there, hidden in and then opened fire shooting him multiple times. he never even had a chance to pull his gun. >> it wasn't a traffic stop that went bad, it wasn't an arrest that went bad. that one actually took the time to plan it and set it up makes it that much more obviously hurtful, but it makes you mad. >> kentuckiky state police say the killing was premeditated, but have not determined if ellis was the target. they say the shooter may have shot anyone who stopped to remove that debris. passing motorists found ellis' patrol car and used his radio to

call police. now the certainly is on for a suspect. >> about the only people we've eliminated are those conducting the investigation. >> ellis leaves behind a wife, amy, and two young sons. his church honored his memory at sunday service. >> when you know a guy like jason who is just a great man and a wonderful guy, you just don't expect this to happen. >> ellis was a seven year veteran of the police department, his colleagues are vowing to bring his killer to justice. >> an eye for an eye. you kill one of my guys, i'm not going to rest until i have you in cuffs or on the front sight of a weapon. and i mean that. >> let's get the latest on the investigation now. joining me by phone, someone you just saw in that report, a trooper of the kentucky state police. welcome, trooper. >> thank you. >> first of all, what was the debris in the road? >> there are certain details of the investigation that we're not releasing at this time. that's one of the crucial parts

of our investigation. we like to keep that within our own investigation so we don't release any details that we shouldn't to possible suspects. because if they know things that we know, then that gives them -- keeps them a step ahead of us. so we like to keep that to ourselves. >> i understand. where was the gunman? >> well, once again, he was a distance away. and it was obvious that he was laying in wait for someone to stop and pick up that debris. and as reported earlier, officer ellis never had a chance. he got out of the car, and we've all done that, we've all gotten out of the car and removed debris on the roadway and not even gotten on the radio to tell the dispatchers we're out of the car. sometimes we do it so quickly, it's almost more of a traffic hazard to wait to radio thanes to get out of the car and remove

the debris. >> what kind of weapon was used? >> we know it was a shotgun. we're pretty certain we know what type of shotgun. but that's once again another detail that we're keeping within the investigation. >> and you don't know whether this police officer was the target of the shooter. so what are you telling motorists in kentucky? >> well, we put it out one of the questions that was asked to us was is the public at danger. we have a dead police officer. and if a gunman is willing to shoot an armed police officer in a marked cruiser, then they're capable of killing anyone. and these people are a danger to the public. and we're telling motorists be vigilant when they're drying iv and to look out for something out of the ordinary. and where the location this was, anything anyone saw, this memorial day weekend, maybe there were tourists, and i know it was 2:00 in the morning, but you never know.

if it was days leading up to this, you know, just seeing anybody parked there, anybody around the area. even in other agencies. anything similar in other agencies that may have have occurred. we're looking into every possibility and asking the public's help if they're in this area at the time of the murder to please come forward with any information they may have. >> all right. trooper, thank you so much for joining us this morning. we appreciate it. >> thank you. an oregon teenager accused in a plot against his school is due in court tomorrow. investigators say grant acord was planning a columbine-style attack at west albany high school. a search of his bedroom turned up multiple explosives hidden in a secret floor board compartment, that's according to police. the local district attorney says the suspect's plot was designed to be deadly. >> that includes preparation, that includes a written plan,

that includes a diagram of the school, that includes all sorts of checklists, including a list of items that are needed to be able to execute this. >> albany superintendent released a statement saying the school has been searched and nothing suspicious has been found. students will return to classes tomorrow. another cruise ship mishap. this time it's royal caribbean, says a fire on one of its ships has been put out. the grandeur of the seas ran into problems. it's now headed to freeport for evaluation. the cruise line fwootweeted no was hurt and the ship has full power. royal caribbean says the fire dw began in a mooring area. some weird weather has put damper on a lot of memorial day plans. floodwaters and heavy snow.

here is indra petersons. >> reporter: the unofficial start of summer looking nothing like it's supposed to. torrential rain and historic flooding blamed for at least three deaths in the san antonio area. the body of an 18-year-old missing since saturday was recovered from floodwaters on sunday night. >> whether the floods of '98, 2002 or again this year in 2013, powerful force of water comes down that creek and takes out home, disrupts lives. in this case took a life of a young man. >> reporter: drivers had to be rescued from floodwaters. submerged in more than 9 inches of rain that fell in less than 7 hours. even this bus was no match for flooded roads. riders escaped the bus through the hatch in the roof. drenching rains s and flooding the center plains. in iowa, breaking out shovels

instead of grills to make sand bags. the final week of may looking more like a winter wonderland in parts of the northeast. the memorial day weekend storm brought chilly temps and dumped nearly 3 feet of snow on a new york ski mountain in the adirondac adirondacks. and in stowe, more than a foot of snow recorded on sunday. the latest in the season it's ever had that much snow. >> oh, my gosh. a foot of snow in vermont? crazy. >> a little cold. here is the good news. temperatures will be in the 60s in vermont. but still dealing with a lot of heavy thunderstorms out there. keep in mind the national weather service slogan turn away and don't drown. 6 inches is all it takes to knock you off your feet. 2 feet is all it takes to sweep away a large vehicle. people underestimate the power much the flash floodwaters.

there is the warmth that we need in the northeast. albany, 13 degrees warmer. we talked about almost 30 degrees warmer out in vermont. and that means we'll be feeling some 70s. we were wrapping ourselves up in scarves and boots, but finally it will feel like the holiday seeing beautiful weather out there. things also drying up in texas. they will see clearing, but unfortunately more severe weather will be headed their way by the middle of the week. slight risk in the dakotas down through texas and illinois. >> thank you, we appreciate it. in washington, the forecast is for sunny skies on this memorial day as president obama set to mark an annual tradition for commanders in chief. you're looking at a picture of the tomb of the unknowns. the president later this morning will be laying a wreath there. white house correspondent dan lothian joins me now with more on the president's day ahead.

good morning, dan. >> reporter: good morning. the presidents has always talked about these men and women who always serve quietly away from the limelight, but risk their lives. and sometimes give their lives. and so today the president and the first lady will be honoring them as you pointed out, will be laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier. and then the president will also deliver some remarks. we expect his message will echo what we heard in his weekly address where he talked about the heros who always respond when called on. >> every atime a threat has risen, americans have m s have meet. because of that courage, america ent endures. >> reporter: also using this memorial day to get support for the veterans, make sure they have the jobs and benefits and also pledging support for the family members for those who have lost their lives or those

still serving. in about 20 minutes or so, the president and first lady will be hosting in the state dining room here at the white house gold star family, rely it differences of those who lost their lives in iraq. >> all right. dan, thank you. we will have live coverage of the president's visit to arlington national cemetery at 11:00 a.m. eastern. just ahead in the newsroom, new controversy surfaces at rutgers. a report says the just hired athletic director was once herself accused of abusing players. ♪ (annoucer) new beneful medley's, in tuscan, romana, and mediterranean style varieties. ♪ just mix it in, and take play to new places.

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15 minutes past the hour. time to check your top stories. in washington state, crews have recovered a semitractor trailer that may have triggered the collapse of the interstate 5 bridge. witnesses say the oversized load slammed in to the structure moments before the truck plunged in to the water. and crews are scrambling on a temporary fix that could allow to reopen within the next two to three weeks. a television cable fell on the tracks at the grand stand at

the coca-cola 600 at the charlotte motor speedway. ten fans were injured. none of them seriously, though. the race was stopped for a half hour as cars hit by the cable were repaired. fox sports says it has not figured out what went wrong. former teen star amanda bynes exhibiting more bizarre behavior days after she was jailed for allegedly tossing a bong from her window. she went on a vicious twitter rampage against rihanna tweeting, quote, chris brown beat you because you're not pretty enough. no one wants to be your lover, so you call everyone and their mother. bynes deleteded the tweets later, but not before rihanna heard about the messages. rihanna tweeted back see what happens when they cancel intervention? rutgers university is in the spotlight again and not in a good way. the university's new athletic director brought into mop up rutgers scandal plagueded sports program is not exactly squeaky

clean. turns out julie hermann was once accused of being an abusive coach at the university of tennessee and rutgers got into a boat load of trouble with its own abusive basketball coach. more now from john berman. >> after everything that happened at rutgers, this is the last thing that university needs. two officials say what to do next is still being considered. and that the hiring of the new athletic director is an issue right now of grave concern. and what happens next, again, still not clear. >> reporter: rutgers university faced tough criticism in the days after a video sured of its head basketball coach being abusive towards its players. the video captured former coach mike rice's aggressive behavior, hurli ining basketballs at play and yelling homophobic slurs. he was fired and the athletic director forced to resign.

>> i was deeply disturbed by the behavior. >> reporter: this time the university's president will have to answer to governor chris christie after reports surfaced that the new athletic director hired to turn the university's image around is herself accused of being an abusive coach. the governor's spokesperson said he's not going to be making any judgments at this time, but he expects to be talking with the rutgers administration this week to get the details. it has emerged that back in 1996, all 15 members of julie hermann's volleyball team wrote her alert. the players wrote in part, the mental cruelty that we as a team have suffered is unbearable. we have been lied to, publicly humiliated and ripped apart as both players and people. they said the coach had called them whores, learning disabled. the paper says hermann responds, quote, i never heard any of this, never name calling them or

anything like that whatsoever. hermann has promised she will bring in new era to rutgers. >> takes new day, it is already fixed and there is no one that doesn't agree about how we treat young people with respect and dignity and build trust. >> reporter: but at that news conference, hermann was asked about a jury award of $150,000 to former assistant coach back in 1997. she claims she was fired because she was pregnant. in 1994 hermann was a bridesmaid at her wedding and says this. >> i hope its eye not too good because i don't want you to come back with any surprises. hard to have a baby in there. >> reporter: hermann responded -- >> i'm sorry, did you say there is a video? there is no video, trust me. >> reporter: hermann is even seen her catching the bouquet.

the university says its attorneys had investigated that case before herman otherwise was appointed. but as it prepares for the big 10, rutgers has another big headache. espn has talked to people involved with the university of tennessee volleyball team. there are some people who say they simply did not know any of these things were going on. they say they never saw what these teammates accused julie hermann of doing, so there are differing stories out there. and again, new jersey governor chris christie says he is going to take a look at this this week. clear that the governor of new jersey doesn't want these scandals to continue. >> skrjohn berman reporting. still ahead, president obama returns to a familiar role, comforting americans in the wake of a natural disaster. inside his tour of moore, oklahoma after this. with the spark cash card

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their lives have been forever changed in the wake of

the devastating an deadly tornadoes. and now through church services, a high school glraduation and even a visit from president obama, residents are attempting to heal and rebuild. >> reporter: thousands gathered at the first baptist church in are moore sunday night to remember the 24 lives lost. including ten young children. last monday's tornado was the strongest and deadliest to strike oklahoma in years. >> our spirits have been shaken this week. our hearts have been broken. but our resolve is strong. and we will rise again. >> reporter: predent obama saw the devastation left by the powerful tornado. >> obviously the damage here is pretty hard to comprehend. our hearts go out to the families impacted, including those who had loved ones who were lost. >> reporter: the president offered solace and aid to those hard hit by the tornado.

>> it will take a long time for this community to rebuild. so i want to urge every american tostep up. >> reporter: this weekend the parents of bethany page joined her at what was once her house. the cleanup has just begun. >> we're just getting real and starting to clean up. starting to at that time next steps. >> reporter: bit by bit, piece by piece, the residents of moore, shawnee and other cities impacted by the recent outbreak of tornadoes are beginning to put their lives back together. and they're not doing it alone. oklahoma governor mary fallin offered her help. >> for those overwhelmed, get their personal belongings out and then we'll come in and then we'll take care of it as a state. >> reporter: a bittersweet yet familiar sound of pomp and circumstance provided a needed respite from the devastation as seniors from three area high

schools graduated. >> stings ending our senior year like this, but it brings us all closer and more together. so that's always a good thing, too. >> it's a closeness that will bring renewal of to a community ravaged by the storm and provide them the courage to rebuild. and nick have va levalencia. where will all the debris go? >> reporter: i asked the governor, i spoke to her one-on-one yesterday, and she told me that there is a plan for where this debris will go. there is a designated landfill will the city will begin slowly but surely to start taking the debris and dumping it. but this stretches for block after block after block. mile after mile. the tornado 30 square miles, 17 miles in it pathway about a mile and a half at it base. and for so many people here, their lives will forever be divided by what happened before the storm and what happened

afterwards. as far as the debris removal is concerned, if could take weeks, months, perhaps everyone the rest of the year. >> nick valencia from moore, oklahoma. coming up next, anger grows across britain after one of the country's soldiers was killed by an alleged islamic extremist. a new task force will target those groups. [ lisa ] my name's lisa, and chantix helped me quit. i honestly loved smoking, and i honestly didn't think i would ever quit. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. it put me at ease that you could smoke on the first week. [ male announcer ] some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems,

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to avenge the shooting death of jason ellis. authorities believe he was ambush order hed on his way hom work early saturday morning when he got out to remove debris from the road. angelina jolie's aunt has died of breast cancer just two weeks after the actress wrote about her own decision to undergo a double mastectomy. her aunt debbie martin carried the same faulty brc gene linked to breast an ovarian cancer. martin was the city of jolie's mother who died of ovarian cancer in 2007. martin was just 61 years old. the civil war in syria takes center stage as secretary of state john kerry meets privately with husband russian counterpart. the meeting will focus on a peace conference that could be held in geneva a few weeks from now. just days after the gruesome killing of a british soldier, a

move by britain to clamp down on extremist groups. a task force headed by david cameron will target islamic extremists. anger has surged across britain since the soldier was stabbed and slashed. matthew chance is outside the prime minister's office in london. matthew, give us an update. >> reporter: thanks, carol. that's right, the investigation into that killing is still very much under way. police say are still conducting examinations of the scene and a number of arrests have been made. nine have now been arrested including the two murder suspects in connection with that killing of lee rigby. latest developments, as well, the british government says that it is going to form a new task force aimed at examining exactly

what the causes are of extremist in britain. but they also acknowledge that in practice, the major threat faced by britain from extremists at the moment is fromislamic extremic, what legislation if any may be needed to try to prevent this kind of horrific killing from 4happening again o mitigating the chances. so a lot of debate going on politically, a lot of anger, as well, simmering on the streets just a short distance from here, there is a protest under way by the english defense league which is a far right extremist group, one of a number of protests they have been organizing since the killing of lee rigby. there is a counter demonstration, as well, anti-fascist group calling for them to get off the streets. so this killing really has brought tensions and emotions

really simmering to the surface. >> all right. matthew chance reporting live from london. still ahead, how to implement the sale of recreational marijuana. it's what the state of colorado is trying to figure out. while the federal government still calls it a crime. er ] it's intuitive and customizable, just like a tablet. so easy to use, it won a best of ces award from cnet. and it comes inside this beautifully crafted carrying case. introducing the all-new 2014 chevrolet impala with the available mylink system. ♪ [ beeps ] ingeniously connecting you to your life and the road. that's american ingenuity to find new roads. we all have one. that perfect spot. a special place we go to smooth out the ripples of the day. it might be off a dock or on a boat. upstream or in the middle of nowhere. wherever it may be, casting a line in the clear,

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of course today is memorial day. a time when the nation pauses to remember those who died while serving our country. at 11:00 eastern, president obama will lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknowns. also on hand, one of the most elite frupgroups of the u.s. ar those who stand over the tomb and all that it symbolizes.

>> it's an honor being able to work at arrelington cemetery. there are days when you get the hair raising on the back of your neck feeling that it's just perfect, you wouldn't want to work anywhere else. to have somebody else around you taping you off, making sure no lint, debris or anything. may not look uniform to the other soldiers on the plaza. the reason is it's to calm us town before down before we go out the door. one of those things just gives you motivation, i'm going to crush this guard unit, it will

be amazing. you have the sub hittin hitting plaza and bounces off and hits you back. feels like the temperature is warmer than it is like if you were in regular clothes. i did not think i would ever be guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier. i want people to realize that their freedom isn't free. you have thousands of soldiers that die for our country. i'm guarding the 300,000 plus soldiers that gave their life for this country. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested.

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it is one big idea to help cash strapped states. if people want pot, sell to them legally. that's what colorado is getting ready to do. last year voters approved a ballot to allow pot to be sold legally for personal use in retail stores. lawmakers are working overtime to figure out how this industry is going to work. cnn is putting colorado in the spotlight as it nears the deadline for when the pot boom really begins. here is jim spellman with more. >> reporter: like many small businessmen, sean has employees, a warehouse, retail stores, and his fair share of headaches. >> i made this business work paycheck to paycheck. >> reporter: but his product is

anything but usual. he grows and sells marijuana. he grows the cannabis and has two medical marijuana dispensaries. >> i have about 20 people working for me. they do anything from growers to trimming to working as caregivers in the stores. >> reporter: so far, his business has been limited to medical marijuana selling only to colorado residents with a doctor's recommendation and state issued red card. but last year, voters passed amendment 64 legalizing recreational use of marijuana. the state is still working out regulations ahead of january 2014 when recreational marijuana stores are expected to open. dispensaries are expected to be able to convert and sell to anyone over 21, but there are several catches. this is still against federal law. that must create an unbelievable amount of stress for you. >> yes, it does. i'm talking to you right now.

there is a voice in the back of my head that there is a nervous fls to being in this business. >> reporter: a bill in congress would bar the federal government from going after people in states that have legalized marijuana. but it's unclear if the bill has a chance of becoming law. are you afraid that all that you've built here will be taken away from you? >> yeah. i can't even keep my face straight right now saying that. that's such a real fear. >> reporter: dave runs the warehouse. i want to learn more about exactly how you grow marijuana on on essentially an indoor farm. so where does it start? >> it starts here in the lab. >> reporter: with cuttings known as clones. >> get a little gel on there. >> reporter: that go into these tanks for about two weeks and then to this room for five weeks under stimulated sunlight. each gets its own bar code? >> that's right. every single plant when it comes

out into here is coded individually. and we're able to trace that plant from this stage all the way to the end product. >> reporter: and then the light is cut back to simulate the shorter days of all automatic actual. the entire process is regulated by the state after a criminal background check, employees are issued a colorado marijuana worker i.d. card. a fingerprint scanner tracks the employees at every turn. >> will we have inspectors from the state in here all the time. >> reporter: even though he pays sales and income tax, marijuana is still against federal law so expenses cannot be deducted from federal taxes and fdic backed banks won't take their money. >> there is nothing glamorous about this business. it's a strug he he will trying to operate without a bank account, trying to run a business without being able to

take deductions. >> reporter: at his dispensary, he operates in a highly competitive marketplace, about 500 medical medical marijuana can dispensaries compete for the business of the 108,000 people on the medical marijuana registry. >> you you don't ever see quote/unquote swag anymore. it's all chronic, all hydro upon i go. >> reporter: competition has driven prices down to half of what they were just three years ago. but could that change when more people are able to legally buy weed? >> there is a risk that comes along with it. >> reporter: that might push the federal government into acting where they were comfortable not acting with medical marijuana. >> right. and i have to make that choice soon. >> reporter: these marijuana pioneers will probably never convince and you would of their critics that pot should be legal. but they see themselves as the good guys. >> every single person that comes here that works for me when they clock in, they put their finger so a sensor and

they know they're committing a federal crime. so every single person is here for one reason, it's because we believe that marijuana prohibition is immoral and that we have to do something about that. >> jim spellman joins us from denver now. so, jim, isle come coal any closer to figuring out how its new state laws will work with federal laws which of course still outlaw marijuana? >> no. in a word, no. last fall after voters voted for amendment 64, the governor had a phone call with attorney general eric holder and wrote him a letter asking for some sort of clarity on this. they still have not heard back. that was november. so there is still a lot of confusion around that. there is this bill in congress that has support from both parties, but it's really unclear whether this has legs, whether politically there is anything in it for people from states that do not have medical marijuana no those representatives and senators to vote for it. so big question mark there. meantime, though, legislators

have been busy, they have come up with this framework, they have passed the bills they need to pass for this to start. it will be next january when we'll see the first retail operations. we expect the governor to sign the bills tomorrow morning. >> all right. jim spellman reporting live from denver. getting burned by burger prices? we'll tell you how pricey your beef could get as we head into the summer grilling season. can acne cleansers be tough on breakouts

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>> it's 50 minutes past the hour. the 18th person has died from the corona virus. the illness is similar to sars. it can cause coughing, fever and pneumonia. it has killed almost two dozen people around the world. parents of a 15-year-old chinese tourist are apologizing after their son defaced an egyptian temple. the young vandal carved ding jinhao was here into a luxor temple. the chinese media reported the staff have tried to remove the graffiti but so far have not been able to. it's been a block buster weekend at that time box office.

the top films raked in more than $250 million from friday through yesterday, topping the list, "fast and furious 6." coming in 2nd with the the hangover part 3," it pulled in just a little over 2 million. that is much, much, less than expected. memorial day starts the summer season, as you get ready to raise the heat on the grill, that's not the only thing to raise. prices are on the rise. >> reporter: carol, whole sail beef prices jumped 2.11 a week breaking a report. that means a big jump in prices at the grocery store, for example, ground beef prices are about 3.5% higher than last year. on average the retail prices are $5 poichlt 20 a pound. as you can see, it's been a steep climb higher of the last two years. here's why, we are dealing with

drought. that is cutting hey and corn production. prices this memorial day weekend, carol, synonymous with cookouts in the sun, typically the saddest day of the year. beef sales after july 4th and labor day, but these high prices could force people to turn to alternatives like chicken and pork, pork prices relatively stable. chicken prices comparatively higher than last year. either way, they are cheaper than beef. >> turkey burgers, veggie burgers. >> reporter: i don't know about that. >> i don't think they can replace beef. i like your spirit. tell us about gas prices are they at least on the way down? >> reporter: well, they have been climbing this month. they have been relatively stable over the past year. the national average for gallon of regular is $3.50. a year ago it was $3.65. if your local gas prices are much more expensive than that, then chances are you live in the mid-west. the mid-west right now, carol,

seeing very high gas price, minnesota, $4.05. minnesota $4.13 a gallon. we are finding some places are closed for maintenance causing gas prices to jump dramatically, in those states, they are higher than california, which is typically the state with the most expensive gas, carol. >> wow, thanks so much. tony kanaan finally gets a swig of the milk at the brick yard, indianapolis 500 highlights and more in "bleacher report." mine was earned in djibouti, africa. 2004.

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the boston marathon took away many runner's chances of running lieu the finish line. >> the officials at the international speedway wanted to help those runners who didn't get to finish the race after the becoming. so they had them come to the track and finish before the indianapolis 500. about 35 people took the speedway up on their offer. they ran a half mile stretch as the crowd of more than 250,000 chanted usa! a great moment for all of those guys. once the race got going, it was a good one. there was a record 68 lead changes with three laps to go, tony kanaan takes the lead.

soon after that, dario franchitti crashes. it was a bizarre afternoon for everyone involved in the coca-cola 600 yesterday in charlotte. a tv cable above the track snapped during the race, kyle busch ran right into it. his car was damaged along with a few others. look at this, busch gets his phone to take pictures of the carment ten fans were injured by the cable, luckily, no one was seriously hurt. last night, game three between the heat and pacers, miami scored a franchise playoff record 70 points in the 1st half. they cruised to an 18-point win to win the series. lebron james led the way for the heat with 22 points. the heat have won 23 of their last 24 road games. games four of the series is tomorrow night. last night in l.a., robbie rodgers became mls history. he became the first openly gay

athlete in the u.s. rodgers retired from po soccer if february when he announced he was gay. after a few month, he decided to make a comeback. carol, as you can see right there, he was welcomed back or the first game with the galaxy. he got a pretty nice ovation in the 2nd half. >> that makes you feel so good. thanks, andy. the next hour of the "newsroom" starts now. it's happening now in the newsroom, ambush, a kentucky police officer killed in the middle of the night. >> it wasn't a traffic stop that went bad. it wasn't an arrest that went bad. >> shot and killed from a hilltop as he was removing debris from the road. also, snow, flooding. >> we received nearly 200 calls for a high water rescue. >> memorial day, it's the unofficial start of summer, so where's the sun? and fans injured at the

charlotte motor speedway as an overhead camera cable plunges to the grandstands. plus, amanda bynes. >> the cop scene doesn't appeal to me. i have never even been offered drugs. birds of a fet fly together. i definitely don't fly with that crowd. >> so what happened? rihanna smackdown, wigs, bog, court. can anyone stop bynes' meltdown? are you live in the cnn newsroo newsroom. good morning. thank you so much for being with me, i'm carol costello. an oregon teenager accused of a plot against his school due in court tomorrow. police say graham accord planned an attack. he had explosives hidden in a secret floor board compartment. the suspect's plot was designed

to be deadly. >> that includes preparation, that includes a written plan, that includes a diagram of the school, that includes all sorts of checklists, including a list of items that are needed to be able to execute this. >> albany superintendent released a statement saying the school has been searched and nothing suspicious was found. students will be able to return to classes tomorrow at the memorial day holiday. another cruiseship mishap to tell you about. royal care bone says a fire broke out on one of its ships this morning. the grandeur of the seas ran into problems en route to the bahamas. cnn's erin mcpike is in washington. so what happened? >> reporter: well, royal caribbean announced on its twitter feed what happened a little bit, carol, i'll read you some of those tweets. it says the grandeur of the seas

received a fire on the aft. grandeur of the seas is if calm seas, has full power and is making its what i to freeport, bahamas for evaluation. now, carol, why this fire happened, we don't exactly know, but we did get from one of the passengers on board, danielle miller sent in some information and video to cnn. she says at about 12 -- she when to the bed about midnight an was woken up at 2:30. there had been a big storm. people were getting on the intercom and asked to go to mustard station. they were taken off this ship out of an you a bun dance of caution. everything seems to be okay. it is going the ship is going to dock in the bahamas for evaluation. but at this point, everything looks to be fine, of course the fire is out, carol. >> that's the best news.

erin mcpike, reporting live, thanks so much. now, let's go to kentucky. they are tracking a cop killer and a small town police chief is not mincing any words. >> can i assure you, we won't give up this person either until we have him in custody or the front side of one of our weapons, i hope the latter is the choice. >> a gunman opens fire when a police officer gets out of his cruiser to remove debris from a roadway. cnn's alina machado is here with the latest. >> good morning, jason ellis was a police officer with the police officer. authorities say he was riding home when he stopped to remove debris from the road. that when someone shot him several times with a shotgun kick him. the police chief says this was an obvious ambush. he didn't veemp a chance to pull

his gun. it was still in its holster, here's what the chief had to zbla it wasn't an arrest that went bad, it wasn't a traffic stop that went bad. someone actually took the time to plan it and set it up makes it that much more, obviously, hurtful, but it makes you mad. >> when you know a guy like jason who is just a great man and a wonderful guy, you just don't expect this to happen. >> now, ellis leaves behind a wife and two. he had been a police officer for seven years. his death has left those who knew him in shock. they want to know who was behind the brazen attack and why it happened. carol. >> but we don't know for sure if ellis was the target, right? >> right. that's exactly what police are still trying to figure out. they say they're trying to figure out if this person was targeting ellis or if he was going to shoot whoever stopped the debris from the road. >> interesting, police aren't telling us what the debris was

in the road. it was big enough in traffic forcing people out of the car. >> it's a pretty routine thing in the sense if they see debris on the road, they will pull over to pull it before there is an accident. >> thank you so much. at 4 minutes past the hour, it's time to check our top stories. new jersey chris christie talks about the hiroshima of julie hermann. she published a letter from the university of tennessee's women's volleyball team, accusing hermann as abusing them. she was hired two weeks ago in the wake of fired basketball coach mike rice. this year the weather in parts of the country is the making for a miserable holiday. in texas, flooding is blamed for at left three deaths in the san antonio area. the body of a teenager who drowned was recovered last night and how about this, heavy snow on the left, weekend in may.

parts of vermont got more than a foot. in the andirondack mountains in new york, one area got nearly 3-feet of snow. in washington state, crews have now recovered a semi tractor-trailer that may have triggered the collapse of that bridge. witnesses say the truck's oversize load slammed into the structure just moments before it plunged into the water. in the meantime, crews are scrambling on a temporary fix which could cause a busy span to open in the next two-to-three weeks. as the nation pauses to honor fallen heroes on this memorial day, president obama promises to do the same. this is what it looks like at arlington national sellsterry, in the next hour, the president hopes to turn the corner after a slew of scandals. white house correspondent dan lothian has more on the fallout. >> reporter: after weeks of dealing with scandals, the

president is struggling to reset his agenda and with congress off this week, he has a chance to do so. even as he tries to limit damage from the irs uproar, republicans are demanding a broader investigation. >> there is clearly an organized effort within the irs to target opponents of the president. that is undeniable. how does a culture come about? how vast was it? who was involved? this really does call for a special council. >> reporter: the president wants his attorney general to review whether his own justice department has gone too far, pursuing those leaks with the issues. >> i've raised these issues. >> reporter: but republicans are pressing for a special counsel for that as well, knowing eric holder was involved in seeking a warrant against fox reporter jeff rosen. >> can you not investigate yourself. i think it's a total conflict of interest in there we have to be determined to stop these crimes. >> reporter: mr. obama is

dealing with a sexual assault scandal in the military, given giving republicans a new line of attack in there i think the constellation of these scandals ongoing takes away from the president's authority to lead the nation. >> reporter: immigration reform, a top priority for the president, is headed to the senate floor after winning committee approval, but it's not clear there are 60 votes to stop a republican filibuster and his new push to close the kwaut mo fa guantonomo fa accept it is raising questions. >> i want to lift the transfers from gitmo. >> dan lothian is at the white house this morning. so how does the president plan to change the conversation? >> reporter: well, i think, you know, you have seen that happening several weeks where if president goes out on the road and juz does job events, where he is focusing lifting up the

middle class. that will continue as the president tries to turn the economy around. but also in past day, you have seen the president take on this role, step up to the role as consoler in keefe. he was in oklahoma over the weekend. tomorrow he had new jersey weather marking seven months after hurricane sandy devastated that area. the president will get a chance to walk through and check the recovery efforts there. you are seeing the president refocus on his sort of day job, sort of the agenda the strategy that he's put forward for his second term in forward escape some of these problems we have seen in recent weeks. >> dan lothian reporting to us from the white house, thank you. seven months after superstorm sandy tore up the jersey shore, one town throws out the welcome mat on its boardwalk. wooem we'll take you there next. you know who you are. you can part a crowd, without saying a word...

checking our top stories at 12 minutes past the hour. the civil war in syria takes centre stage. secretary of state kerry meets privately with his counterpart. the meeting will focus on a peace conference that could be

held in geneva few weeks from now. angelina jolie's aunt died of breast cancer, according to "e" news. like angelina, her aunt debbie martin carried the same faulty gone that's linked to breast and ovarian cancer. martin was the sister of jolie's mother, marchalene bertrand. martin was 61-years-old. parents of a 15-year-old chinese tourist are apologizing after their son effaced a temple. he carved ding jinhao was here. local egyptian staff have tried to remove the graffiti, but they haven't been successful, not yet. anger is boiling over in britain just days after the gruesome killing of a british soldier in london. protesters are gathering right now in the british capital. the soldier, as you know, was

killed in broad daylight by suspects linked to radical islamic groups. ever since, there have been calls for all muslims to leave britain. authorities are investigating a fire at a mosque. now the british government has set up a task force that will focus on extremist groups. our international correspondent matthew chance is in london. good morning to you. >> reporter: carol, good morning, as we speak, just outside the gates of no. 1 downing street the offices of the british prime minister, there are rival protests between on the one hand the english defense league which is a far right extremist group, which is calling for stronger action to tackle what they say is a spread of islamic fundamentalism in britain and on the other hand anti-fascist groups testifying about the fact that the english defense league on the streets. there are hundreds of people on both sides. it's an indication of the level of anger that has been boiling over since the killing of

drummer lee rigby on wednesday in london, the british capital. a lot of anger. according to local charities, it's extremism. there are has been a huge upsurge in attacks against muslims. they say there has been a ten-fold increase. attacks against citizens of britain and fire bombings of islamic institutions, the most recent on sunday in the northeastern town of grimsby, in england, president petro bombs were apparently thrown there as well. police say two people have been arrested on suspicion of arson. so a lot of anger as a result of that killing last week. >> all right, matthew chance reports live for us from london. thieves targeting your cell phone. it's a problem becoming so rampant, what can you do to stop

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apple picking is all the rage, it has nothing to do with apple pie but apple products. a few weeks ago, a teenager ran up behind me and snatched my

phone. i am certainly not the first, police say not the last, thanks, in part, to the phone company, themselves. dan simon has more. >> reporter: this under surveillance video shows a woman getting robbed of her cell phone while in the middle of a conversation. a crime so common that type in cell phone theft on youtube and you will find tons of under surveillance video of people having their phones ripped off. san francisco's police chief says in many cases users are asking for trouble. >> think if you took $300 out of the atm machine, you would not walk down the block for several blocks counting the 20s. >> reporter: the problem is becoming so rampant that it's estimated that stolen devices cost consumers $30 billion a year. so pressure is mounting for cell phone carriers and the device-makers to figure out a way to deter theft. san francisco district attorney wants to see a so-called kill switch on phones.

>> so then when they get reported stolen, they could be rendered inoperable. >> reporter: he accuses the industry of dragging its feet to what he calls a technological solution. >> every time that a phone gets stolen, we go back and replace it for them. so the carrier gets to make another sale tarc manufacture gets to make another sale an their profit margins continue to be. >> reporter: today's largest carriers, though, are getting more aggressive, participating in a database for stolen phones to make sure it's denied from being activated. stolen phones usually wind up overseas and fetch more dollars. >> a late model iphone brings down the street from here, it can bring about $300. if it gets exported to latin america or asia or affect, it can bring in as much as 7 to $1,000. >> reporter: but is a kill switch even possible. we when to the arguably the

leading mobile company in the world, look out, which makes a popular app for cell phones. >> the notion of being able to render a phone useless, can that happen? >> it's technically plausible. sfafrs the computer, if you destroy the operating system the phone relys on. >> so technically possible. why isn't it happening? >> because it's not an easy thing to do. >> reporter: now, apple's iphone has a fee cure that will track stolen phones and erase the data, sometimesmore more value annual of the phone. the point, according to contradiction, is the entire industry needs bolder thinking. for now, police say the best advice is to be aware of your surroundings and use that software that allows to you lock and wipe your phone clean if you happen to find yourself in a situation like this. dan simon, cnn, san francisco. >> okay. i must share one more story with you about apple picking. i was talking to a police

officer here in atlanta. he said the most brazen case of apple picking that he took a report for was a man who was sitting in his car talking on his iphone with his window down, someone ran by the car and stole his phone. so you even have to be aware when you are sitting in your car. be careful out there. still ahead in the newsroom, the boardwalk back opened just in time for memorial day. there is still work to be done to enjoy the jersey shore. we will join poppy harlow on the boardwalk after this. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: .

stories we're watching right now the police chief of partstown, kentucky is avenging the shooting death of one of his officer, the officer was ambushed early saturday morning on his way home from work. he was shot multiple times after

getting out of his cruise tore remove debris on the road. in oregon, police say a teenage student focused on a columbine-style attack. police say the 17-year-old amassed six different times of explosives, many using common household materials, they say he had a checklist and diagrams to insure the most bloodshed possible. amanda bynes exhibiting more bizarre behavior, days after she was allegedly accused of tossing a bong out of the bedroom. she said rihanna, chris brown beat you because you weren't pretty enough. her mother erased them. rihanna tweeted back, see what happens when they can sell intervenge. about 30 minutes from now, president obama will pay a visit to arlington national cemetery, where he will lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknown, cnn

will have live coverage of that event once it starts. they are celebrating a comeback on the jersey shore, just in time for summer, seven months after superstorm sandy demolished the coast. crews have built a boardwalk, most of the attractions are opened for business on this memorial day. poppy harlow is in seaside heights. that's good news. i can't believe the progress they've made already. >> reporter: it is amazing, welcome, carol. they call it jersey strong here. this marks the centennial, 100 years for seaside heights right on the jersey shore, boy, have they had their work cut out for them. this memorial day after superstorm sandy may be the most critical weekend ever for the jersey shore. it will be the first indication of them of really whether a tourist will come back or not after all of the damage that it sustained and whether businesses are going to get the money they need from those correct, al

tourists. i want to show you video of what this shoreline looked like several months ago after superstorm sandy hit. now let's look at how things look today. >> one, two, three... >> reporter: the games are back on in seaside heights. >> oh, it's back. it's back. we're back! >> it's back. >> 100%, but we're back. >> reporter: and the people who came back liked what they saw. >> oh, it's greatment it's really good to see everything back to where it used to be, almost close to where it used to be. >> reporter: almost, because the rebuilding continues. nearly seven months after sandy tore up much of the jersey shore. vincent's family owns casino pier, before sandy, it held 38 rides. now this. how much progress have you guys made? >> we made tremendous progress. in three months, we've done what should take threers. >> it hasn't come cheap.

millions? >> it's millions. >> reporter: tens of myelograms? >> i would say tens of millions. >> reporter: the new boardwalk alone cost nearly $8 million. >> we did what we had to do to get doors opened, to let people know seaside heights are old. there are so many more things we node to do. >> reporter: like more benchs an lights, but mayor bill acres is satisfied. >> you can walk the boardwalk north to south. it seems like we got a few people up here today enjoying it. >> reporter: a few pem less than a typical memorial day weekend. >> i would say we are doing half than last year. >> reporter: that hasn't dampened spirits. >> you couldn't ask for better weather. you couldn't ask for more people. this is great. >> it's the lucky leos. >> we knew it was going to be slow, just the idea that we are here. that truly is a remarkable thing. >> reporter: what a way to ring in 100 years. >> i guess we're doing what they did 100 years agoment they needed to build a boardwalk.

we are building it. >> >> reporter: carol, i can tell you on a typical memorial day weekend, they can have up to 65,000 people visiting the jersey shore, this year, half of that, understandably so. this is how important it is, $19 billion in revenue from tourists comes into the jersey shore every year that, is more than half the total state takes in from tourism, 7.5 million people were here back in 2012 t. mayor of zee seaside heights told us about 85% of the businesses have managed to reopen by this memorial day weekend. >> at least they have a beautiful dark, right? >> reporter: yeah. >> something to be happy for. poppy harlow, thanks so much. trying to recover while pausing to remember. an oklahoma, thousands gathered to mourn those killed a week ago by that deadly tornado. ♪ so sweet, the bible tells me

so ♪ >> amid all the destruction and loss of life, residents are continuing to heal and rebuild. here's more from our nick valencia. ♪ jesus loves me >> reporter: thousands gathered at the first baptist church in moore sunday night to remember the 24 hour lives lost, including ten young. last monday's tornado was the strongest and deadliest to strike oklahoma in years. >> our spirits have been shaken this week. our hearts have been broken, but our resolve is strong and we will rice i rise again. >> reporter: president obama saw the devastation left by the powerful tornado. >> obviously, the damage here is pretty hard to comprehend. our hearts go out to the families who have been impacted, including those who have had loved ones who are lost. >> reporter: the president offered solace and aid to those hard hit by the tornado. >> it's going to take a long time for this commune to the

rebuild. so i want to urge every american to step up. >> reporter: this weekend, the parents of the bethany joined her at what was once her house. the cleanup has just begun. >> now, we're kind of getting real and starting to clean up. we want to take the next steps. >> bit by bit, piece by piece, the residents of moore, shawnee and other cities impacted by the yeent outbreak of tornadoes are beginning to put their lives back towing. they're not doing it alone. oklahoma governor mary fallon offered her help to this moore neighborhood. >> for those overwhelmed, it is too much to do, to get their personal belongings out. we'll come in, we'll take care of it as a state. >> reporter: a bittersweet yet phammior sound of pomp and circumstances, provided a needed respite as seniors from three high schools graduated. >> it's kind of sad we are

ending our senior year like this then again it brings us closer and more together. that's a good thing, too. >> reporter: it's a closeness that will bring renewal to the community ravaged by the storm and encouragement to rebuild. >> nick, i know people are already there getting rid of that debris t. question, where do you put it? >> reporter: well, we got a spot for it, carol, landfill designated in the city of moore. the city will come and pick up water left behind. you can see behind me, residents are still going through the pieces of what's left of their xhuvenl community. neighbors have helped neighbors. we find the most fascinating out here, cramer, how the resolve and the resilience of these people. they don't want help. they often turn it down. they don't want to take away help from others who may need it more. in fact, they go stoefrs so far

as to ask us how we are doing. they offer us water. this commune is the more specifically used to tornadoes and accustomed to tornado, but little, if anything, could have prepared them for the disaster that happened here a week ago and for so many residents here, carol, their lives will forever be divided by what happened before the storm and how they carry on afterwards. >> absolutely. nick valencia, reporting live from moore, oklahoma. the u.s. supreme court is getting ready to go back to work. rulings expected for controversial cases on same-sex marriage and affirmative action. we'll have a look at what's ahead. yoplait greek 100. 100% greek. 100% mmm... wow, that is mmm... it's so mmm you might not believe it's a hundred calories. yoplait greek 100. it is so good. the day building a play set begins with a surprise twinge of back pain... and a choice. take up to 4 advil in a day or 2 aleve for all day relief.

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rutgers university is in the spotlight again, not in a god way. the university's new athletic director brought in to mop up

the scandals plague sports program is not exactly squeaky clean. it turns out julie hermann was once accused of being an abusive coach at the university of tennessee. as you know, rutgers got in trouble for its over abusive coach. >> reporter: carol, after everything that happened in rutgers, this is the last thing that university need. two officials tell the "star" ledger is being considered t. hiring of this athletic director is an issue right now of grave concern and what happens next, again, still not clear. rutgers university faced tough criticism on the days after video surfaced of its head basketball coach being abusive towards players. the video captured former coach mike rice's aggressive behavior, hurling basketballs at players and yelling homophobic slurs. they fired rice after the public

outcry and the athletic director was forced to resign. >> i was deeply disturbed bety behavior of the video revealed. >> reporter: this time, the direct lore have to report to chris christie, after the new athletic director is herself accused of being an abecausive coach t. governor spokesperson said in a statement, he's not going to be making any judgments at this time but he expects to be talking with the rutgers administration this week to get the details. it has emerged in 1996, all 15 members of julie hermann's volleyball team at the university of tennessee wrote her a letter. they wrote, in part the mental cruelty that we as a team have suffered is unbearable. we have been lied to, publicly humiliated and ripped apart as both players an people. they said the coach had called them whores, alcoholics an learning disabled. up with of the players provided "the star" ledger with a copy of the letter.

the paper says hermann responded saying, quote, i never heard any of this, the name calling or anything whatsoever. hermann promised she will bring a new era to rutgers. >> it is a new day, there is no one that doesn't agree how to treat people with respect, dignitary and trust. >> reporter: at that news conference, hermann was asked about a jury award of $150,000 to former assistant coach ginger highline, she claims she was fired because she was pregnant. in 1994, hermann was a bridesmaid in her wedding. in the video, the coach said this in the video. i hop you don't come back with any surprises. hermann responded. >> there is a video? i'm sorry there is no video, trust me.

hermann is even seen here catching the bouquet t. university says its attorneys had investigated that case before hermann was appointed but as it prepares for the big 10, rutgers has another big headache. espn has talked to some people who were involved with the university of tennessee volleyball team all those years ago. there are some people that say they simply did not know any of these things were going on. they say they never saw what these teammates accused julie hermann of doing. so there are differing stories out there. again, new jersey governor chris christie says he is going to take a look at this, this week, it's clear the gadhafi of new jersey doesn't want these scandals at rutgers to continue. carol. >> we will keep posted. coming up in the newsroom, it's one of the most hallowed ground in the nation. we will take you to arlington national tem cemetery for a live report on this memorial day. i think farmers care more about the land

than probably anyone else. we've had this farm for 30 years. we raise black and red angus cattle. we also produce natural gas. that's how we make our living and that's how we can pass the land and water back to future generations. people should make up their own mind what's best for them. all i can say is it has worked well for us. is that true? says here that cheerios has whole grain oats

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coming up on 45 minutes past the hour. time to checkory top stories. beef prices heading higher as americans start their summer grilling season because of drought conditions that aren't letting up across the cattle-producing mid-west t.ing a culture department easy e says the average price of a pound of beef is now $2.11. a television cable fell onto the tracks in a grand stand at the coca-cola 600 at the charlotte motor speedway. ten fans were injured, none of them seriously t. race was stopped a half hour as cars hit by the cable were repaired. fox sports says it has not figured out exactly what went wrong. it's been a blockbuster memorial day weekend at the box office. the top dozen films raked in more than $250 million from friday through yesterday, topping the list "fast and furious 6." it pulled in close to $100 million. coming in 2nd "the hangover part

3," it pulled in just over $42 million. that's much, much less than expected. it is decision time for the u.s. supreme court. the answers will affect the lives of millions of us, same-sex marriage and affirmative action are two of the cases set to hit the docket. cnn's athena jones takes a look at the legal decisions ahead. >> reporter: from now until the end of june, the supreme court is expected to rule on big issues. affirmative action and same-sex marriage. >> it's almost unimaginable the number of things the supreme court will decide that affect all americans in the next month. >> reporter: first up could be whether public schools can consider race when admitting students. abigail fischer sued the university of texas arguing she was rejected bus she's white. >> i hope the court rules that a student's race and ethnicity should not be considered when applying to the university of texas. >> reporter: the school says race is one of many factors it uses to achieve diversity on

campus. court watchers say antony kennedy could side with conservative justices to overturn or limit a major supreme court decision from ten years ago that allowed affirmative action. the justices are also dealing with another hot button why, same-sex marriage. >> marriage is between one man and one woman. you goes won't accept it. >> reporter: considering whether california's proposition 8 ban is constitutional and in a second case, if the defense of marriage act can deny same sex couples, the same benefits as heterosexual ones. >> i think it's going to be good. >> reporter: that case was brought by edith windsor, a new york woman who had to pay higher estate taxes after her wife died than someone in a heterosexual would have. >> i think it's likely the supreme court be invalidate the federal law that says we won't recognize state same-sex marriages but in the california proposition 8 case, the justices

seem unlikely to require every state to recognize same-sex marriage. the ruling may not be a huge gay rights victory at all. i doubt it will be a significant loss either. >> reporter: another case involves the kind of genetic testing that left actress angelina jolie to undergo a double mastectomy t. court is considering whether human genes, so-called products of nature can be at that time pented. athena jones, cnn, walk. it is the final resting place for more than 800 u.s. troops who were killed in the wars in iraq and afghanistan. i'm talking act section 60 of arlington national cemetery, an area that's been called the saddest acre in america. that's where we find pentagon correspondent barbara starr. hi, barbara. >> reporter: good morning, carol. it has been called the saddest day in america. i think also it is the most loving, respectful acre in america. as you can see today behind me hundreds of people coming to pay

their respect, family members, members of the u.s. military. we have talked about some of the battle buddies that are here. young troops coming to visit their fallen friends here at section 60. a short time ago, we talked to a young man, a member of the 82nd airborne division who brought his friend, his fallen friend home from the battlefield to his final resting place here at arlington. why don't you have a listen to what this young man had to say about memorial day. >> i cannot imagine being anywhere else. it's serving and losing a brother in arms and i'm going to be here on memorial day. there is n way to describe it. this is the only place i'd want to be. >> reporter: specialist trentton brancher talking about his friend private first class michael metcalf who fell on the battlefields of afghanistan.

everyone here is really deeply tied to remembering the troops on this day and i think you only have to look around, carol, to know that the people here, memorial day isn't so much about going to a picnic, going to the mall, going to a baseball game. although they certainly do that. for the people here at memorial day, it's about remembering all of those who serve. carol. >> it's just heart breaking to see so many children there. oh. naumpg. barbara starr reporting live from arlington national cemetery. wreak. music ... music...

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it's not the best way to kick off summer, flooding and part of snow in parts of the country. really weird weather. >> it's so unbelievable this weekend. we were talking about snow in vermont. let me show you this video in

case you missed all it. rain and snow all weekend long. the unofficial start of summer looking nothing like it's supposed to. torrential rain and historic flooding blamed for at least three deaths in the san antonio area. the body of an 18-year-old missing since saturday was recovered from flood waters on sunday fight. >> whether it's the floods of '98, 2002 or again this year in 2013, a powerful force of water comes down that creek and either takes out homes, disrupts live, in this case, took the life of a young man. >> reporter: drivers had to be rescued from flood waters, submerged in more than 9-inches of rain that little less than seven hours. neither this bus was no match for flooded roads. riders escaped the bus through the hatch in the roof. drenching rains and flooding washed away any outdoor plans in the central plains.

in iowa, es dents breaking out their shovels instead of tear grills to make sandbacks to protect from final rising waters. a winter wonderland in the northeast. it dumped nearly 3-feet of snow in the andirondacks. in stow, vermillion, more than a foot of snow recorded on sunday. the latest in the season it ever had that much snow. wow, hard to believe this is may and almost june. what does it look like out there? things are respound bounding. -- rebounding. we have a slight rick, now a moderate risk on the plain, we are looking for the threat of an isolated tornado. it's threw kansas and nebraska, what we will be watching as you go throughout the week is actually the system that's producing the rain currently on the west coast. it's a cold enough system once it slides across the plain, it will enhance our threat for tornadoes by the middle of the

week. which wednesday, we are looking for the potential of a tornado outbreak from the dakotas through texas, carol. >> all right, thanks so much. in minutes, we will see president obama lay a wreath at the tomb of the unphone, also on hand, one of the most elite groups in the u.s. army. i leave you now with a hand picked soldiers who stand centurys over the tomb and all it symbolizes. >> about face. >> it's an honor to be able to work in arlington cemetery. there are some days you get that hair raising on the back of your neck feeling like this is just right. this is just perfect, you wouldn't want to work anywhere else the rest of your life. everyone works on each other's uniforms even. but to have somebody else around you taping you off, make sure no hint, no debris is in there. you may not look as good or

uniform to the other soldiers on the plaza. the reason why so many have so much going on, it's to work, a training to calm us down before we go out the door. one of those things just give us motivation, hey, i'm going to crush this, this isoing to be amazing. another high one. >> you have the sun hitting the plaza, then with it being so bright, it bounces off, hits you back. it feels like the temperature is even warmer than it is if you are if regular clothes. i did not think i was ever going to be guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier. a lot of people don't realize their freedom isn't free. it isn't. you have thousands of soldiers that die for our country. i don't look at it as three

unknown soldier, i'm guarding the 300,000 plus soldiers that gave their life for this country. .