that does it for this edition of "360." thanks for watching. "early start" begins right now. tornadoes tearing through the midwest. wildfires raging in the west. extreme weather on the rampage from coast to coast, and the conditions today, perilous. cleaning up the wreckage after a freight train smashes into a truck, the crash causing an explosion that could be felt from blocks away. and the picture that grips the world. the child cut out of a sewer pipe. police say the mother flushed the baby down the toilet. now we get the mother's side of the story. could this really have just been an awful mistake? >> you see that little guy's face. >> such a sad picture. >> good morning, everyone. welcome to "early start." i'm john berman. >> and i'm christine romans.

we begin with a severe threatening weather slamming the nation's heartland. conditions today ripe for more dangerous storms. damaging tornadoes reported for a second night in kansas, and the worries of more are headed their way this morning and throughout the midwest and the plains. this just nine days after the devastation in moore, oklahoma. adrian peterson is following the weather for us. what can we expect today? >> unbelievable. the wild weather is not just in the nation's midsection. it stretches from coast to coast. a new round of tornadoes ripped through the heartland late tuesday. storm chasers getting these images of twisters in rural kansas. storm chaser sean casey reported as he followed one of the twisters. >> sean, i understand you're chasing a tornado right now. what's going on? >> this is my first interview while looking at a tornado. we were hoping it's going to come up onto our road and we will drag right up to the center. >> casey's team captured this rare and frightening video

inside a tornado in smith county, kansas, on monday. the potential for supercell thunderstorms, damaging winds, and hail threaten a number of states from texas to new england today. in the plains, strong damaging tornadoes are possible. in areas littered with damage, meteorologists warn of high wind gusts kicking up and carrying dangerous debris across the area. on the west coast, dry conditions fueling wildfires in santa barbara, california, scorching over 1,800 acres in los padres national forest. in valencia, helicopters attacked the blaze from above as brush fires near magic mountain burned 25 acres in less than an hour. the northeast contends with a much different picture, from snow this weekend to what could be a record breaking heat wave, temperatures rising double digits across most of the region. with the threat of extreme weather coast to coast, there's

a high probability of storm chasers capturing more imaging like these. it's really been an unbelievable couple of days here. unfortunately, we're still going to be seeing a lot of changes. over the northeast, we've seen a lot of changes. temperatures really jumping up. look at the temperature change. yesterday new york, the 60s. today the 70s. and 90s over the weekend. we could still see more thunderstorms today as the cold front sags into the northeast. another threat we're going to be looking at is now, yes, alvin was our first tropical storm of the season. it looks like now -- go ahead and flip this next map here. we're going to show you the next one is barbara. currently moving northeast at 5 miles per hour hanging just off of mexico. alvin didn't make landfall, but barbara will. 60-mile-per-hour winds gusting to 70 miles per hour. it is expected to make landfall

in through the evening. current track, not expected to bring much more than 6 to 10 inches of rain. the biggest threat will be the severe weather outlook across the plains as we look at more severe weather through oklahoma and kansas. >> thanks, edra. meanwhile, check this out, if you can see it that is. this is a rare dust storm triggering a series of freeway accidents in lancaster, california. authorities say a 60-mile-per-hour wind gust kicked up the sand storm and created near zero visibility and caused more than two dozen vehicles to crash. they had to shut down 14 freeway for hours. and this just in to cnn. michelle bachmann is out. she announced this morning she will not run for a fifth term in congress. bachmann did not give any indication on what she may do after leaving congress, but she says she is not ruling out a

future run for political office. new this morning, a notorious french gangster who held guards at gunpoint and used dynamite to escape from prison last month, he is back behind bars. radwan saed was the subject of a dramat dramatic manhunt. also new this morning, the mother of a new baby rescued in china after being trapped in a sewer pipe now says she deeply regrets what she did. police still trying to figure out what happened, what they say may have been just an awful mistake. >> the woman started to feel a stomachache and rushed to the toilet. after she stayed in the toilet for a while, she gave birth to the baby. she tried to grab something to help herself because there was too much blood. she couldn't hold the baby anymore, and he slid into the sewage through the hole in the toilet. >> that baby boy is still in

intensive care. john, that picture is amazing. this morning investigators still trying to determine what caused a terrifying fire on board the royal caribbean cruise ship "grandeur of the seas." over 2,000 passengers found themselves stranded in the bahamas monday halfway through their vacation. many of them have now found their way home. >> reporter: three days before their vacation was scheduled to end, the first of 2,200 royal caribbean cruise ship passengers returned safely to the port of baltimore tuesday. the "grandeur of the seas" journey was cut short by a fire on board 3:00 a.m. >> pretty terrifying at first. >> in the water, you could see the glow of the fire, but we had no idea how big the fire really was. >> people were just in shock, and it was early and wondering what was going on. >> some passengers sid, when they saw life boats lowered,

they thought grandeur of the seas was sinking. last year 32 people died when the costa concordia capsized off the coast of italy. carnival triumph stranded passengers off the gulf of mexico. richard burke says the incidents don't spell out a pattern for the industry. >> they're among the safest ships afloat. >> reporter: the latest black eye for the industry intensifies the public relations problems they face, but attorney john hiky says passengers have little recourse in nightmarish vacations. >> if passengers don't have any physical injuries or the threat of physical injury, they're basically under the terms of the ticket and federal statute not allowed to sue. >> reporter: royal caribbean is giving full refunds and vouchers for future cruises to grandeur of the seas passengers. and some say they will cruise again. a dangerous collision between a truck and a freight train.

this morning federal investigators are trying to figure out how it happened. they're on the scene in baltimore where several of the derailed cars exploded and caught fire moments after the accident. the explosion was felt blocks and blocks away as clouds of black and white smoke filled the area. firefighters had to rescue the driver who was trapped in the truck. officials from the railroad told firefighters the burning substances were not toxic. >> we received word from csx that there's no toxic inhalents, which is really just a reassurance through the area that it's not an unsafe area. you don't have to evacuate. >> residents of about 70 homes in the area were told they could leave if they felt unsafe, but they were not forced to evacuate. several industrial buildings in the area, as you can see, were also damaged. the state department has not identified two state members of the u.s. embassy in caracas, venezuela, who were shot and wounded at a strip club early tuesday morning.

police have no suspects in custody. cnn has learned they were members of the defense attache support team. they were shot after a fight broke out at the club. jurors in the jodi arias trial are breaking their silence, voting to put arias to death for the murder of travis alexander. in the end, the jury could not reach a decision on the fay of jodi arias. a new jury will decide if she lives or dies. but both juror number 6 and juror number 17 voted for the death penalty, and both say they would be disappointed if she did not get it eventually. >> we have to make sure that she's treated within our criminal justice system fairly. inside my own personal, a little bit of disappointment, but i know we've done our job as jurors.

>> i would be disappointed, but i'm not going to be upset. if it comes to the judge having to decide, i'm not worried about what she would decide either. >> schwartz admitted she mouthed the words i'm sorry to alexander's family when it was clear the jury could not reach a unanimous decision. coming up, george zimmerman's defense team loses a key ruling in the trayvon martin case. plus apple with some game changers, including some fashionable, wearable items. [ female announcer ] now you can apply sunblock to your kids' wet skin. neutrogena® wet skin kids. ordinary sunblock drips and whitens. neutrogena® wet skin cuts through water. forms a broad spectrum barrier for full strength sun protection. wet skin. neutrogena®. see, i knew testosterone could affect sex drive, but not energy or even my mood. that's when i talked with my doctor. he gave me some blood tests... showed it was low t. that's it. it was a number. [ male announcer ] today, men with low t have androgel 1.62% testosterone gel.

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with a degree in the field of healthcare or nursing from capella university, you'll have the knowledge to advance your career while making a difference in the lives of patients. let's get started at capella.edu. you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec-d®. powerful relief of nasal congestion and other allergy symptoms -- all in one pill. zyrtec-d®. at the pharmacy counter. welcome back. a gang member who's been arrested 30 times before is now charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of a 6-month-old baby. he's charged with shooting jonylah watkins inside the father's car in march.

>> reporter: the killing of 6-month-old jonylah watkins shocked the city of chicago. her tiny casket became the image of a new low in chicago's struggle with gun violence. jonylah was shot in her father's arms while they were sitting in this minivan. >> it's been rough for me and my wife. it's been rough. >> reporter: jonathan watkins says he had pulled over to change jonylah's diaper and was kissing his daughter just as the gunfire erupted. >> she was crying when they were shooting off the noise. so i crawled out the car and had her on my chest, and she was looking at me eye to eye. >> jonylah was obviously not the intended target of this assault. her father, jonathan, was. >> reporter: police say the suspected shooter, 33-year-old coleman willis, was trying to kill jonathan watkins over a sony playstation which had been stolen, along with some drugs, from his home. in court tuesday, prosecutors allege that willis admitted to the shooting to a friend and

that cell phone and surveillance evidence links him to the crime. investigators say willis was an early suspect, and while it took nearly three months to build a case, they were determined to solve it. >> this was a real hard one for the team. everybody up here, almost without a tout, we all have our own kids, especially when it's a young childlike this. >> reporter: jonylah's father, who was wounded in the attack, won't say whether or not he stole that sony playstation. coleman willis made his first court appearance on tuesday. he is charged with first degree murder and aggravated assault. his lawyer says he is innocent. he is due back in court next week. ted rowlands, cnn, chicago. it is sentencing day for the wife of a philadelphia abortion provider. kermit gosnell received life term for performing late-term abortions. his wife pearl could be sent to

prison for racketeering. the defense lawyer says the gosnell name is like being mrs. frankenstein. ft. hood mass shooting suspect nadal hasan wants to be his own lawyer. he is charged with shooting 16 people in 2009. hasan has been paid $278,000 since his arrest, and his salary cannot be suspended until he's found guilty. big day in court for george zimmerman. the judge refused to allow evidence that the defense argues may be crucial to their client's case. >> neither will mention this in opening statement. neither side will mention it during the trial. i can't imagine there's any circumstance under which that will become relevant, but if it does, it will be done outside the presence of the jury. >> reporter: we now know what will not be presented to the

jury when george zimmerman's second degree murder trial begins june 10th. the former neighborhood watch captain says he shot 17-year-old trayvon martin in self-defense. seminole county judge deborah nelson granted a slough of motions made by the prosecution tuesday. the jury will not see martin's school records, his social media postings, nor a picture of martin wearing false gold teeth. >> we're asking the court to prohibit the defense from making any reference or suggesting that trayvon martin prior to this date had ever been in a fight. >> reporter: judge nelson agreed. and those texts and photos zimmerman's attorney mark o'meara released to the media of marijuana and a gun, those are off limits too. >> the evidence of drugs, his chronic use of drugs and his familiarity with fighting and, to a certain extent, his familiarity with guns is completely relevant to the theory of defense. how could you keep us from arguing our theory of defense? >> because the rules of evidence

keep you from doing it. >> reporter: toxicology reports showing the presence of a chemical found in marijuana in martin's system the night of the shooting may be introduced but not during opening statements. ben crunk represents martin's parents. >> this information was not relevant. it was admissible. and so we have to not let people get away with trying to pollute a jury pool. >> reporter: o'meara's request to sequester the pool of 500 jurors was denied as was the request to take them to the scene in 2012. if zimmerman is convicted, he'll spend a minimum of 25 years in prison. that detail will be kept from the jury too. victor blackwell, cnn, florida. talk about boston strong. sidney corker not only made it to her prom last night, she was found prom queen. six weeks ago, she suffered

serious injuries to her legs in the boston marathon many booing. it was an emotional evening last night, something sidney wasn't sure she'd be able to experience. >> when i was in the hospital, i didn't think this was going to be hospital. and then i got to the rehab, and i just -- because i was up and doing stuff, it felt more like i could do it. i keep feeling like i'm going to cry because i'm happy to be back. see, now, i'm going to start crying. it's good to see everyone. >> sydney's mom celeste lost both of her legs in the marathon many booing. she's waiting for a pair of prosthetics. we wish them both the best. apple promising several new game changers soon, among them, fashion. ceo tim cook released a tease, wearable computers, at a technology conference yesterday. he played coy and wouldn't give any concrete details on what, if anything, apple was working on. he did say the deal was ripe for

exploration. apple shirt or trousers or slacks. apple has a deal for television that goes beyond its existing apple-tv streaming device. >> that's the holy grail for apple. they want to remake television, how we watch television, the way they remade music. >> they always have to reinvent something. if they're not reinventing something, people say they're not doing enough. coming up, women bringing home the big bucks. new information on why women are the bread winners these days. [ ice freezing ] [ wind howling ] [ engine revving ] ♪ [ electricity crackling ] [ engine revving ] [ electricity crackling ] ♪

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welcome back to "early start." i'm christine romans minding your business this morning. let's start with stocks, another record close. that's 22 record closes for the dow. up 17% this year. wow, 17%. that is great news for your 401(k). no surprise. new data shows consumer confidence at the highest level since 2008. americans say they're feeling better because of the job market. they say that it's strengthening and that job market over the past year has been averaging gains nearly 175,000 positions a month, net new positions. also, home prices are rising. we've learned that home prices in march jumped by nearly 11%, the biggest increase since the housing boom. the housing recovery is spreading across the country. home prices in phoenix, san francisco, las vegas, up more than 20% for march 2012. those were areas hardest hit by the housing bust.

there's a lot of investor activity in those areas too. not necessarily first time home buyers buying a house for the first time with low mortgage rates. it's a lot of cash investors. meantime, another really interesting stat for you this morning. a record number of moms are bringing home the bacon. a new study from pew research says mothers are the primary bread winners in 40% of households. in 1960 it was 11%. two things driving this. first, more women are working. we now make up almost half of the labor force. second, women are making more money. a growing number of married moms are making more money than their husbands. not everyone thinks it's a good thing. 50% of those surveyed say the increasing number of women working outside the home makes it harder for a successful marriage. 74% say it makes it harder for women to raise their children. a lot of big questions and conversation around those statistics. no lie. still 40% of women are the primary bread winners. up next, a family's

desperate plea for help. an american woman behind bars across the border accused of smuggling drugs. >> she's an honest woman, and she's innocent. >> they say she was framed. we're going to get the latest on her efforts to win her release. from the other woman to queen in waiting. camilla, duchess of cornwall, makes her international debut, and the reviews are in. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep, and lunesta eszopiclone can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. do not take lunesta if you are allergic to anything in it. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks.

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tornadoes tear through the heartland. today conditions ripe for more dangerous storms.

today an american grandmother accused of smuggling drugs face to face with a judge. she says she was framed. her family's emotional plea to get her back home. new this morning, a major announcement from former presidential candidate michelle bachmann. and queen in waiting. camilla makes her solo debut, and there are the parallels to princess di. >> welcome back to "early start." i'm christine romans. >> and i'm john berman. we are on high alert this morning as a new round of severe weather pounds the midwest. two more tornadoes touched down in kansas, damaging homes and power lines. forecasters say that conditions are ripe for more severe weather outbreaks in the plains states today and through the end of the week. what does it look like? is >> we do have a lot of crazy weather. there's a threat for severe storms out there. first of all, a huge heat wave. anywhere from 20 to 25 degrees

warmer in the northeast. up towards the west coast, we've been talking about the dry conditions. high wind warnings. dust storms and a lot of fires ripping through the area. we could see winds as high as 60 miles an hour. temperatures soaring to triple digits by this weekend. and this being the big story today. dry weather on the west coast, really banking up towards that moist air coming out of the gulf. you add that low that exited out of the rockies. you add the jet stream, and all of this bringing that threat for severe weather again right to tornado alley. of course, what we're looking at here is more of a moderate risk unfortunately in that same area right around oklahoma and kansas today. that's where we have the higher threat for tornadoes. this is where everyone really needs to be paying attention to the noaa weather radio and your surroundings. isolated tornadoes, severe storms, damaging winds, tornadoes all around the country. first, yes, it is hurricane season. the tropical storm expected to make landfall is out there currently. barbara moving east at 5 miles

per hour towards mexico with 60-mile-per-hour winds. expected to make landfall late this afternoon into the evening. expected to make landfall as a tropical storm and diminishing to a tropical depression, expected to drop 6 to 10 inches of rain. a lot of weather out there, christine and john. >> thanks, indra. we are on high alert for storms in the middle part of this country. so the arizona mother accused of trying to smuggle 12 pounds of marijuana out of mexico is back in court today. a judge is now considering whether yunira maldonado will go free or remain behind bars in nogales, mexico. her family denies the charges. they say police arrested maldonado to get bribe money. her daughter spoke with piers morgan. >> how are you feeling tonight about the fact your mother tonight is in a mexican jail and facing very serious charges. >> it's something horrible, definitely. i don't feel any good about where she's at.

i miss her dearly. she doesn't want to be in there. she's an honest woman, and she's innocent. it's not a place for someone of her kind. it hurts just to know that she's there, to have seen her there. >> you will hear more from this daughter, ana soto, talking about her mother, nira maldonado. a congressional committee has subpoenaed state department officials over talking points. they want paperwork and communications from ten people, including the state department's number two, the top aide to then secretary of state hillary clinton, and the department's former spokeswoman. the house committee says the state department has refused multiple requests to voluntarily hand over the communications in those documents. the attack last september killed ambassador christopher stevens and three other americans. one of the suspects in last week's hacking death of a

british soldier is out of the hospital and in police custody this morning. 22-year-old michael adebowale will now be interrogated by counterterrorism officers. another britain from the royal family as the duchess of cornwall practices her queen in waiting technique on her first solo trip abroad. >> camilla made what some are calling a bold choice as she tries to step out of the rather large shadow cast by the late princess diana. cnn's max foster joins us live from outside buckingham palace in london. good morning to you. good afternoon to you. good morning to us here. >> reporter: good morning, christine and john. it's been 16 years, if you can believe, since diana died in paris. so interesting that camilla chose that very city for her first big solo event abroad,

sort of defining herself. very interesting that she chose paris. the duchess at dior, an iconic french brand, also coveted by her husband's first wife. there are obvious parallels between diana, princess of wales, and camilla, duchess of cornwall, but also stark differences. these are camilla's first tentative steps towards defining herself outside the uk. and luckily, there are horses at hand, camilla's big passion. this is the duchess in her element. she also showed her down to earth, approachable side, at a parisian market. traders getting a glimpse into camilla's legendary sense of humor. this is the piece of meat she actually tried? i thought she was very nice, he tells me, very agreeable, very

in mind of her status. so the duchess came here, bought some dresses for her grandchildren. what did you think of her? >> translator: she was very nice, polite. she loved everything i sold. she was very respectful. >> reporter: and before she heads home, a must do for all visitors inform pato paris. she went to see the mona lisa. all this as part of a long, slow emergence for a queen in waiting. i was talking to someone close to the duchess, and it's interesting seeing her buying those dresses. they describe her as a professional grandmother. i understand she's been really involved with kate's pregnancy, but involved with kate really, getting involved with the royal family increasingly over the years, and she's been involved in this process, leading up to kate's birth. this is a future heir to the throne, and camilla's been really involved in that.

she's a professional grandmother, and she's going to have a step grandchild to look forward to in july. >> we're going to see all the royals out pretty soon for the 60th anniversary of the coronation. >> reporter: exactly. we had all the celebrations last year, 60 years of the queen being on the thrown. it was 60 years ago this year that she had that big coronation ceremony. on tuesday, they're going to go back to westminster abbey and really relive that moment. all the royals will be out, including the duchess of cambridge. we'll see how pregnant she is. people are seeing real big changes in her body, and they're fascinated. i have to say, christine, as well, maybe you're interested as well, but the fashion and how she copes what to wear. >> why just christine? i'm totally interested in the fashion and what she chooses to wear. >> reporter: john, i'm sorry. that was sexist of me, i apologize. >> i guarantee you, if that happens, if we see kate, cnn will bring you every last second of it as it happens. >> we will break it if she wears the black and white polka dot

dress one more time, we'll break the news here on cnn. could the union between president obama and governor chris christie have some big political fallout?

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have led to an increase intands in clinical depression.ter. drug and alcohol abuse is up. and those dealing with grief don't have access to the professional help they need. when you see these issues, do you want to walk away or step up? with a degree in the field of counseling or psychology from capella university, you'll have the knowledge to make a difference in the lives of others. let's get started at capella.edu it's easy to follow the progress you're making toward all your financial goals. a quick glance, and you can see if you're on track. when the conversation turns to knowing where you stand, turn to us. wells fargo advisors. about 42 minutes past the hour. welcome back. this morning tea party favorite michele bachmann said she will not seek a fifth term in congress.

she made this announcement on youtube and on her website. >> my dear friends, after a great deal of thought and consideration, i decided next year i will not seek a fifth term to represent the wonderful people of the 6th district of minnesota. after serious consideration, i am confident this is the right decision. >> bachmann did not rule out a run for future political office. against all odds, former congressman anthony weiner is gaining ground in his bid to become the next mayor of new york. despite resigning in disgrace after sending lewd photos of himself on twitter, a new marist poll shows weiner closing the gab on front-runner christine quinn. according to the poll, 50% of big apple voters believe weiner deserves a second chance. >> are you getting a second chance? is that what this means? >> look, i have said from the moment i got in this race that i honor the idea that people are going to have questions of me. for the most part, the questions people have been asking have been about things that affect their families.

>> if no democrat receives 40% of the vote in the fall's democratic primary, there will be a run-off. an unlikely political marriage, president obama and governor chris christie renewing their bromance with a tour of the jersey shore on tuesday, promoting a big tourism comeback. as jessica yellin reports, the union is not without its risks. >> reporter: the political odd couple together again. >> let me, first of all, say thank you to governor christie for that introduction and the great work he's done here. >> reporter: visiting a reopened boardwalk and facing off at an arcade game where the president went 0 for 5. >> little high. oh, well done. >> reporter: no worries. the governor won him a stuffed bear. the obama-christie political

bromance started days after super storm sandy devastated new jersey. >> we will not quit until it's done. >> reporter: since then the president has poured more than $3 million into the state. this is to highlight rebuilding after the storm. >> it's pretty amazing what they've done. >> reporter: and win some free media for the shore. >> welcome back to the jersey shore. >> the jersey shore is back, and it is open for business. >> reporter: that's got to be a plus for christie, who was slammed for spending $25 million in federal funds on this ad campaign. >> because we're stronger than the storm. >> reporter: the president's return is not without long-term political risks for new jersey's republican governor. just months after he welcomed the president last time, he was not invited back to the annual gathering of conservatives known as cpac, important to gop presidential hopefuls. and the latest visit should offer plenty of fresh material for future gop attack ads.

but so far in this blue state, his bipartisan approach has been a political plus. >> i really admire the fact that him and the president work together. that's the way they should be working together in washington. >> reporter: since sandy, christie's poll numbers have risen 15 points. now at 69% approval in the latest survey. the governor told nbc news, when the president wapts to visit -- >> i'm the governor. i'll be here to welcome him. >> reporter: this resident, who is also a little league coach, says the dieting mr. christie should apply his governing principles to his waistline. >> i suggest to him that he's just got to get in a training program and just stick to it like he's sticking to his problems with helping the people here in new jersey. >> reporter: the president had something to gain from this visit also. it gave him a chance to pivot away from the controversies in washington and focus on an example of government working. jessica yellin, cnn, traveling with the president in asbury

park, new jersey. >> coming up on "early start," christine romans obsession here. the bizarre blond wig, the twitter rant. how amanda bynes has gone from tween star to troubled actress. you'll find reviews , written by people just like you. i love my contractor, and i am so thankful to angie's list for bringing us together. angie's list -- reviews you can trust. see, i knew testosterone could affect sex drive, but not energy or even my mood. that's when i talked with my doctor. he gave me some blood tests... showed it was low t. that's it. it was a number. [ male announcer ] today, men with low t have androgel 1.62% testosterone gel. the #1 prescribed topical testosterone replacement therapy increases testosterone when used daily. women and children should avoid contact with application sites. discontinue androgel and call your doctor if you see unexpected signs of early puberty in a child, or signs in a woman, which may include changes in body hair or a large increase in acne,

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welcome back. 49 minutes after the hour. top stories we're watching right now. prosecutors revealing details of their case against grant acord. they say the 17-year-old's plan included napalm bombs, firearms, and committing suicide before police could get to him. acord, who's being charged as an adult, did not enter a plea in court yesterday on a video plea from jail. bail is being set at $2 million. more questions swirling around rutgers athletic director julie hermann. we learned she was named in a

sex discrimination lawsuit during her tenure as senior athletics administrator at louisville. in a suit, a senior track coach alleged she faced gender and sexual discrimination and was fired after placing a complaint with the university's human resources department. the lawsuit holds hermann largely responsible for the coach's firing. if you google the words "hot mess," you might find pictures of amanda bynes. from tweeting about celebrities, she seems to be on a spiral down. what happened to the girl that everyone once loved. >> reporter: the images of amanda bynes hiding behind a blond wig in front of new york city police, people are asking what happened to this amanda? bynes first rode to fame as a child on nickelodeon's "all that" and "the amanda show." >> i just happen to be amanda's

number one fan. >> reporter: it led to several movie roles, most recently playing a virtuous teen in "easy a." >> there's a higher power that will judge you for your indecency. >> reporter: now bynes is fighting a 2012 dui case in california. late last year, two hit and run charges against her were dismissed. earlier this month, the actress was sentenced to three years probation for driving on a suspended license. now bynes is answering to a new york city judge for allegedly tossing a bong out of a window of her 36th floor new york city apartment last week. appearing in a long, blond, disheveled wig, bynes was charged with tampering with criminal evidence and possession of marijuana. >> my client denies having thrown anything out the window. >> reporter: bynes denies the

charges and has subsequently made allegations of her own against the nypd in a series of strange tweets. he slapped my vagina. sexual harassment, big deal. adding "the cops sexually harassed me. they found no pot on me or bong outside my window. that's why the judge let me go." a spokesperson for nypd internal affairs tells cnn they found no evidence to support her claims. in spite of her legal troubles, bynes sounds upbeat and optimistic about her future tweeting, "i'm getting in shape and getting a nose job. i'm looking forward to a long and wonderful career as a singer/rapper." perhaps, but for now bynes is getting attention for her rap sheet and tweets. a.j. hammer, cnn, new york. >> cnn has reached out to bynes for comment, but she has not yet respondeded. justin bieber at it again. for the second time in two months, the sigenger is accusedf dangerous driving in his calabasas, california neighborhood. police are investigating this

latest incident. >> we got a couple of calls from two witnesses who say that they saw justin bieber driving recklessly in his white ferrari inside the gated community known as the oaks. this kind of behavior, if, in fact, it did happen, this kind of behavior cannot be done by anybody at any time anywhere. >> not even justin bieber. so bieber apparently refused to speak with sheriff's deputies who went to his home to investigate. and he slammed the door on one of his irate neighbors, someone you may know, former nba star keyshawn johnson. someone showing beyonce a little too much love. jeanne moos reports on that little slap seen around the world. oh, he's a fighter alright. since aflac is helping with his expenses while he can't work, he can focus on his recovery. he doesn't have to worry so much about his mortgage, groceries, or even gas bills. kick! kick... feel it! feel it! feel it! nice work! ♪

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welcome back to "early start," everyone. it is not the first time that beyonce's back side has made headlines, but this time a fan got within p sslapping distance. here's cnn's jeanne moos. >> reporter: beyonce may be celebrated for her booty, but she almost had to boot out a fan for celebrating it a little too much. it happened at a concert in copenhagen. beyonce was interacting with fans. she shared her mike with a guy, and as he started to walk away, he gave her derriere a little slap. >> i will have you escorted out of here now, all right? >> reporter: beyonce sashayed away. we're not sure whether the butt

slapper went or stayed. fans captured the swat from all angles and debated it online. "if you don't want it slapped, girlfriend, stop flaunting it in their faces." to "just because she performs for a living doesn't give you the right to violate her space." reporteres wanting to ask beyone about the butt grab might as well butt out. no comment is all her publicists would say. beyonce is no stranger to giving booty love to her dancer and getting it from her husband jay-z. beyonce seemed to reward jay-z for his playful pat. not playful is how some over excited fans acted in belgrade, serbia, pulling beyonce's hair and touching her face. earlier this month, the fan rushed the stage where justin bieber was seated at the piano. security instantly jumped in, knocking down the piano in the scuffle while justin calmly walked away performing. and who could forget will smith

when a ukrainian prankster interviewer tried to kiss him. >> man, what the hell is your problem, buddy? >> i'm sorry, will. >> it's just awkward, dave. >> reporter: oddest of all was when britney spears inviteded a guy from the audience on stage so she could perform a pole dance on him. he bit her. bit knee spears, he called her. and now the personification of booty-liciousness had to just turn the other cheek. jeanne moos, cnn, new york. >> wow, don't touch her. i hope she booted him out of there, seriously. "early start" continues right now. tornadoes tear across the heartland while wildfires scorch the west and heat wave moves to the east. conditions right for dangerous

weather across the country today. the incredible rescue of a baby from a drain pipe. this morning the mother speaks out. could this really have been just an awful mistake? she stabbed her lover 2 times, slit his throat, shot him dead. jurors in the jodi arias trial speaking out for the first time on why they couldn't decide if she should get life or death. good morning, welcome to "early start," i'm christine romans. >> i'm john berman. it is wednesday, may 29th. we're on high alert today because we begin with a recipe for dangerous, dangerous weather. conditions right for tornadoes, hail, high winds as a line of severe storms intensifies. at least two twisters touched down in kansas yesterday, damaging two dozen homes, and today, and through the end of the week, we could see extreme weather from texas all the way to the great lakes. not only that, but here in the northeast, we're talking about some really high temperatures. indra peterson is here tracking it all for us. >> not just in the middle of the country, literally stretching from coast to coast. take a look.

a new round of tornadoes ripped through the heartland late tuesday. storm chasers getting these images of twisters in rural kansas. storm chaser sean casey reported as he followed one of the twisters. >> sean i understand you're chasing a tornado right now. what's going on? >> see this is my first interview while looking at a tornado. so, we were hoping it's going to come up onto our road and we will drive right up to the southern half. >> reporter: casey's team captured this rare and frightening video inside a tornado in smith county, kansas, on monday. the potential for supercell thunderstorms, damaging winds, and hail threaten a number of states from texas to new england today. in the plains, strong, damaging tornadoes are possible. in areas littered with damage meteorologists warn of high wind gusts kicking up and carrying dangerous debris across the area. on the west coast, dry

conditions fueling wildfires in santa barbara, california. scorching over 1800 acres in los padres national forest. in valencia, helicopters attacked the blaze from above as brushfires near magic mountain burned 25 acres in less than an hour. the northeast contends with a much different picture from snow this weekend to what could be a record-breaking heat wave. temperatures rising double digits across most of the region. with the threat of extreme weather coast to coast, there's the high probability of storm chasers capturing more images like these. >> definitely a lot of wacky weather out there. we'll start you off in the northeast where we saw rain about a half an inch in new york, 2 1/2 inches towards erie, pennsylvania. what we're watching is a warm front kicked through the area and temperatures will soar 20 to 25 degrees warmer. meanwhile cold front will sag right towards new england. so with that the threat for severe storms. there is the slight risk in that

new england area. now all the way on the west coast we showed you all the fire threats and dangers out there. we're talking about strong winds again. still high wind warnings gusting to about 50, even 60 miles per hour not out of the question. warm temperatures soaring even into triple digits this weekend in that area. but the big story continues. it is all that dry weather really banging up against that moist air coming in out of the gulf. with that we're talking about 3 million people today looking at the moderate risk. that means moderate risk for severe thunderstorms that could potentially produce tornadoes, large ones similar to last week. unfortunately the bull's-eye over wichita and even oklahoma city. >> indra peterson, thanks so much. new this morning, now you see it, now you don't. a massive sandstorm triggering a series of freeway accidents in lancaster, california. authorities say 60-mile-per-hour wind gusts kicking up the sandstorm creating near zero visibility causing more than two dozen vehicles to crash. this sandstorm forcing the 14

freeway to be shut down for hours. also new this morning notorious french gangster who used dynamite to break out of prison last month, back behind bars. redoine faid was the subject of a dramatic prison escape. he established himself as a high profile criminal with a series of armored truck robberies. we're learning more about the incredible rescue of a newborn baby boy in china. the mother of that infant who was trapped in a sewer pipe. you can see -- you can see rescue workers cutting him out there, she now says she deeply regrets what she did. police say the mother rushed to the toilet after she began to feel stomach.sand subsequently gave birth to this baby. they say she was unable to hold the infant, and he slid into the pipe through the hole in the toilet. investigation is ongoing. the baby is recovering in the hospital. but the whole world watching as rescue workers cut the pipe

apart, ran the whole section of pipe to the hospital so they could carefully with surgeons open up that pipe and remove that baby. they could hear him crying and see his little foot when they looked down in the toilet originally. just amazing. >> well done by those doctors. hundreds of frustrated vacationers are making their way home after flames erupted on their royal caribbean cruise. investigators still have no idea what caused the fire monday on the "grandeur of the seas." it stranded more than 2,000 passengers. erin mcpike has the latest. >> reporter: three days before their vacation was scheduled to end the first of 2200 royal caribbean cruise ship passengers returned safely to the port of baltimore tuesday. the "grandeur of the seas" journey was cut short by a fire aboard at 3:00 a.m. monday morning. >> pretty terrifying at first. >> in the water you could see the glow of the fire. but we had no idea how big the fire really was. >> i think people were just in shock, and it was early, and just wondering what was going on.

>> reporter: some passengers said when they saw lifeboats lowered they thought the "grandeur of the seas" was sinking. it was the latest scare in what has been a string of debacles for the cruise industry. last year, 32 people died when the cost ka "concordia" capsized off the coast of italy. carnival's "triumph" stranded passengers in the gulf of mexico in february and carnival's "dream" left others without power in march. executive director of the global maritime center richard burke says the incidents don't spell out a pattern for the industry. >> they're among the safest ships afloat. >> reporter: the latest black eye for the industry intensifies the public relations problems they face, but attorney john hickey says passengers have little recourse in nightmarish vacations. >> if passengers don't have any physical injuries or the threat of physical injury, they're, you know, basically under the terms of the ticket and the federal statute, not allowed to sue. >> reporter: royal caribbean is giving full refunds and vouchers

for future cruises to the "grandeur of the seas" passengers. and some say they will cruise again. erin mcpike, cnn, baltimore, maryland. a dangerous collision between a truck and a freight train and this morning federal investigators trying to figure out how it happened. they're on the scene in baltimore, where several of the derailed cars exploded. they caught fire moments after that accident. the explosion was felt blocks away as clouds of black and white smoke filled the area. firefighters rescued the driver, who was trapped in his truck. he was seriously injured. officials from the railroad saying the burning substances are not toxic. >> we received word from csx that there's no toxic inhalants, which is really just a reassurance to the area that it's not an unsafe area. you don't have to evacuate. >> residents in about 70 homes in the area were told they could

leave but they were not forced to evacuate. i think this qualifies as the best news of the day. as you know, my "early start" partner zoraida sambolin took a break on friday after being diagnosed with breast cancer, zoraida opted to have a preventive double mastectomy. and on tuesday, doctors in chicago performed the procedure. and they say it went very, very well. right now they say there is no sign that the cancer spread. zoraida is doing great. we're happy to report, you know, she rested easily overnight. we heard only terrific things from her family. she plans to come back and share more of her journey as soon as she feels up to it. you can see her right there. we're all thinking about zoraida so much yesterday. again this morning. that was her son nikko with her. the great news. no sign the cancer spread. the surgery went very, very well. team "z" very excited this morning. >> best of luck for a classy, strong, strong friend, zoraida. ahead on "early start," jurors

in the jodi arias case speaking out. why they say they could not reach a unanimous decision on the death penalty. i'm the next american success story. working for a company where over seventy-five percent of store management started as hourly associates. there's opportunity here. i can use walmart's education benefits to get a degree, maybe work in it, or be an engineer, helping walmart conserve energy. even today, when our store does well, i earn quarterly bonuses. when people look at me, i hope they see someone working their way up. vo: opportunity, that's the real walmart.

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arias of first degree murder for killing her ex-boyfriend travis alexander. last week the jury deadlocked during the sentencing phase. eight jurors wanted the death penalty. four others held out for life. forcing the judge to declare a mistrial. what were they thinking and why couldn't they make a unanimous decision? >> that the defendant should be sentenced, no unanimous agreement. >> reporter: for nearly five months jurors in the jodi arias trial listened to gory details of a gruesome murder. and were subject to intense media coverage. that jury could not unanimously decide whether she deserved the death penalty. >> juror number three, is this your true verdict? >> yes. >> reporter: juror mary lou allen cougan felt the state proved its case. she voted for the death penalty. >> i don't think she ever was truly honest with us. i know that for me, i didn't see any remorse or any issues with herself for what happened that day, for what travis went through.

i didn't see any of that. >> reporter: jury foreman would not say how he voted. but said he looked at other factors as he told abc's "good morning america." >> i'm very sure in my own mind that she was mentally and verbally abused. now is that an excuse? of course not. does it factor into decisions that we make? it has to. >> reporter: the reaction to the jurors' decision has become so heated that his son wrote about his dad receiving threatening letters in this blog post. today i read hate mail my dad has gotten. some person sent him a threatening message complete with his e-mail address, full name and phone number, which at the very least means this guy should retake hate mail 101. >> times have changed. in the past jurors worried that, for instance, if they sat an on organized crime case that they might be threatened by the mob. today, jurors who silt on high profile cases are afraid that the threat will come from the internet. >> there will now be a retrial in the penalty phase.

the new jury will be impaneled on july 18th until the prosecutor decides to no longer seek the death penalty and agrees to a life sentence, instead. the wife of philadelphia abortion provider about to learn her own fate. gosnell received three life terms charged with murder after performing late-term abortions at his clinic. his wife pearl and three other workers will be sentenced today. he apparently turned down a plea deal that would have kept his wife out of prison. the wife's defense lawyer says having his name is like being mrs. frankenstein. major nadal hasan wants to represent himself at his upcoming trial. hasan is accused of killing 13 people, jurying 32 more at that texas base in 2009. his trial is scheduled to start june 5th. a dallas station reports hasan has been paid $278,000 since his arrest, and that his salary cannot be suspended until he has been found guilty.

the dean of harvard college says an e-mail scandal earlier this year had nothing to do with her decision to step down. evelyn hammond who was the college's first african-american and first female dean of the school says she will take a sabbatical before returning to teaching. there were calls for her resignation in march after her office conducted a secret search of e-mail accounts of resident's deans to find out who leaked informations about a cheating scandal. executives with a major global online cash transfer business run out of costa rica are under arrest facing u.s. charges of laundering $6 billion. their company, liberty reserve, has been shut down. federal prosecutors in new york say the company had become a financial hub for cyber criminals. they claim liberty reserve was linked to credit card fraud, identity theft, computer hacking and drug trafficking. big losses in court for george zimmerman. the judge in the case refused to allow evidence that the defense argues may be crucial to their client's case. cnn's victor blackwell has the

story. >> neither side will mention this in opening statements. neither side will mention it at all during the trial. can't imagine that there's any circumstance under which that will become relevant. but if it does, it will be done outside the presence of the jury. >> reporter: we now know what will not be presented to the jury when george zimmerman's second degree murder trial begins june 10th. the former neighborhood watch captain says he shot 17-year-old trayvon martin in self-defense. seminole county florida judge deborah nelson granted a slew of motions made by the prosecution tuesday. the jury will not see martin's school records, his social media postings, nor a picture of martin wearing false gold teeth. >> we're asking the court to prohibit the defense from making any reference or suggesting that trayvon martin, prior to this date, had ever been in a fight. >> reporter: judge nelson agreed. and those texts and photos zimmerman's defense attorney mark o'mara released to the media thursday of a marijuana plant and a gun, those are off limits, too. >> the drugs and the history of

his chronic use of drugs, and his fighting, and to a certain extent his use of guns is completely irrelevant to the theory of defense. how could you keep us from arguing our theory of defense? >> because the rules of evidence keep you from doing. >> reporter: toxicology reports showing the presence of a chemical found in marijuana in martin's system the night of the shooting may be introduced but not during opening statements. ben crump represents martin's parents. >> this information was not relevant. it was inadmissible. and so we have to not let people get away with trying to pollute a jury pool. >> reporter: o'mara's request to sequester the pool of 500 potential jurors was denied, as was his request to take the jury to the community where martin was killed february 2012. if zimmerman is convicted, he'll spend a minimum of 25 years in prison. that detail will be kept from the jury, too.

victor blackwell, cnn, sanford, florida. from terror victim to prom queen in six weeks. sydney cork ran showing the meaning of boston strong. the 18-year-old lowell high school senior suffered serious injuries to both 6 her legs in the marathon bombings. last night was emotional for her because a few short weeks ago sydney wasn't sure if she would ever make it to her prom, let alone be crowned prom queen. >> when i was in the hospital i didn't think this was going to be possible. when i got to the rehab, and i just, because i was up and i was doing stuff, it just, it felt more like i could do it. i'm just feeling like i'm going to cry because i'm just happy to be back. but, seeing them i'm going to start crying. it's just really good to see everyone. >> sydney's mom celeste lost both of her legs in the marathon bombings. she's now waiting for a pair of prosthetics. >> pulling for them. so if you squint your eyes just the right way this teapot

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all right. welcome back. "minding your business" this morning. okay, the bull market is so, is so strong, sizzling here, that even "usa today" has changed its little icon to a bull with a nose ring. five column banner headline bull run gets solid footing. $12.8 trillion added in stock market wealth since the low in 2009. it has been an amazing run for stocks, and it was another record yesterday. >> this is serious and going. >> the dow is up 17.6% over the course of the year, and let me tell you here, now we have all of this economic data. a whole new batch of data yesterday, confirming what the stock market has been doing. consumer confidence at the highest level since 2008. americans say they feel better

because the job market is getting stronger. they feel like their prospects for the economy and the job market are getting better. and over the past year, the job market has been averaging begins of 175,000 positions a month. dow futures are down about 50 points today. we saw the imf downgrade growth forecasts for china. it still is a global story, no question. but a very big run yesterday. and economic news that is corroborating with stock market investors have been saying for some time. >> with home prices going up, people are starting to feel this where they live. >> absolutely. home prices going up. consumer confidence going up. the job market healing. it's not healed but it's healing. another big story, a big controversy over a jcpenney ad. i want you to look at this billboard in california. you decide. some people think that the michael graves bells and whistles teapot looks like adolf hitler. berman is over here squinting trying to see the resemblance. jcpenney tweeted that it certainly was not intentional. we would have gone with something cute, think puppy dog, not dictator. all the talk made the tea pot a

hot seller. as of last night it was on back order online. >> people wanted to get their hands on the hitler tea pot? >> maybe they just thought it's a cute teapot. now jcpenney has taken it off its website. is it a stretch? >> i had to squint. i saw it after awhile. >> also, tip jars. not that tip jars. starbucks over those cups at the counter. who gets the money that goes into the tip jars. right now starbucks baristas and ship supervisors split the tips but assistant managers want in on the action. it will come down to how new york interprets labor laws. managers say they spend most of their time serving customers and they deserve the tips, too. baristas say they have a salaried job and don't need the tips. there are 250,000 hospitality workers.

>> right here. we will share. i'll share with you. >> up next a family's desperate plea for help. an american woman behind bars across the border accused of smuggling drugs. >> she's an honest woman, she's innocent. >> her family says she was framed. we're going to get the latest on the efforts to win her release. >> and from the other woman to queen in waiting camilla makes her international debut with some comparisons to princess di. at honda, we know some people just can't leave things be.

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american grandmother accused of smuggling drugs in mexico in court today. will a judge buy her claim that she was framed? dangerous conditions ripe for tornadoes, hail and powerful winds today, and the storms, these storms will be far reaching. we have the very latest. and from outcast to national treasure. once the most hated woman in england camilla wows on her first solo trip as queen in waiting. you can hear the whispers all across the continent. welcome back to "early start" everyone i'm john rowman. >> i'm christine roammans. the arizona mother of seven accused of trying to smuggle twelve pounds of marijuana out of mexico will be in court today pleading to get released from jail. her family says yanira maldonado

did not smuggle those drugs and was arrested for bribe money. cnn's casey wian following all the developments. the family is just torn apart over this. they can't stand the thought of her sitting in a mexican jail. any chance that she's going to get out soon, casey? >> well, there's a chance she's going to get out soon, family members say they believe the court proceedings are going well. but it's still heart wrenching talking to the family members of yanira maldonado who are adamant that she is wrongfully jailed in mexico. yanira maldonado's family hoped she would be released at a court hearing in nogales, mexico, tuesday. but the mormon mother of seven accused of smuggling marijuana will remain in a mexican jail for at least another day. the family insists she has no involvement in drugs and is being framed. >> to everyone because of this, that's who i'm angry at. the people that put my mom in prison.

without having evidence. >> reporter: maldonado was arrested last week after mexican authorities said they found 12 pounds of marijuana under the seat of a commercial bus she was riding home in from a funeral with her husband gary. gary maldonado said he was asked to pay a $5,000 bribe for his wife's freedom. but as he tried to raise the money, she was shipped off to jail. it's unusual in mexico where there has been a struggle to modernize its notorious judicial system. >> the judicial system there is even more corrupt and when you're brought in to a judicial proceeding you don't get to face your accuser. you don't have an automatic right to a lawyer, you may be

held before you're brought to trial for some weeks, and it's a closed proceeding. >> reporter: in this case the judge has the power to hold maldonado in prison up to four months before trial. that would likely only bring more pressure from u.s. authorities. the office of senator jeff flake of arizona says senator flake has been in contact with the family, as well as officials in mexico and the u.s. regarding the case. he will continue to monitor the situation. it's a situation that resumes today in a mexican courtroom where the military officers who apprehended yanira maldonado are expected to testify. the mexican consulate or excuse me the mexican embassy in washington, d.c. says it expect s the judge in the case to make a decision very soon. christine? >> casey wian, thanks. we're going to hear more from anna soto live at 8:00 on "starting point." there's a dangerous threat for severe weather today and really through the rest of the

week. multiple tornadoes touched down across kansas yesterday damaging homes, damaging power lines. several farms in and around corning, kansas were hit. one was destroyed. what's worse the conditions are ripe to create even more threats today from tornadoes to hail to powerful winds. all in part of the country that really does not need this right now. our indra peterson's tracking all the severe weather for us. good morning, indra. >> good morning. unfortunately that severe weather threat is not just in the plains. we're also talking about the severe weather threat in the northeast. you look at the temperature soaring 20, 25 degrees along that warm front that exited the area and now we're talking about the threat for severe storms in through new england, as well. quick touch base here toward the west coast, want to keep in mind we've been showing you all the footage of the fires. we're still looking at gusty winds about 60 miles per hour in the california area and even seeing temperatures there soaring to the triple digits potentially by this weekend. here's what we continue to talk about. it's that dry air on the west coast, reallybacking up against this moist air coming in out of the gulf. combining that with the jet stream one more time.

all of that bringing those ripe conditions for severe storm through tornado alley. today there is a moderate risk, higher than the last several days. look at the bull's-eye, about 3 million people right in the line of fire. we're talking through oklahoma city, norman, and even wichita, kansas. otherwise looking at really encompassing a large area but again that more moderate risk right there, looking at that larger threat for tornadoes. taking a look out in the area right now, a couple storms firing up right there. maybe through nebraska and even through the dakotas. it's the afternoon where we really see the sunshine filter in and get that extra boost of energy and will start to see these firing up into the evening hours. >> all right, indra we are on high alert all day. stay with us with the latest from that region. so new this morning, former presidential candidate michele bachmann announcing overnight she will not run for a fifth term in congress. the minnesota republican says her future is full, but did not announce any specific plans for what's next. bachmann also says she had considered dropping out of running for her district seat

during her presidential run but she chose to stick it out. >> given that we were only nine months away from the election, i felt it might be difficult for another republican candidate to get organized for what might have been a very challenging campaign. and i refused to allow this decision to put this republican seat in jeopardy. and so i ran. >> bachmann says her closer than expected race, and the congressional ethics probe into her presidential run, had nothing to do with her decision. although it is worth noting that the ethics probe probably goes away since she's not running again. >> hmm. a congressional committee has subpoenaed state department officials over the benghazi talking points. the house oversight and government reform committee wants paperwork and communications from ten people, including the state department's number two, the top aide to then secretary of state hillary clinton, and the department's former spokeswoman. the house committee says the state department has refused multiple requests to voluntarily hand over communications.

the attack last september killed ambassador stevens and three other americans. one of two wounded suspects from last week's hacking death of a british soldier is out of the hospital and in police custody. 22-year-old michael adebowale will be investigated by counterterrorism investigators. eight other people were arrested in connection with the murder of lee rigby. five made bail and two were released without being charged. a new era for britain's royal family as the duchess of cornwall practices her queen in waiting technique on her first solo trip abroad. >> camilla made what some are calling a bold choice as she tries to step out of the rather large shadow cast by the late princess di. cnn's max foster joins us now live from outside buckingham palace, in london, with the story. good morning, max. >> hi, john. it's interesting, you can just -- you've got changing of the guard here at buckingham palace today, a reminder of what a big story the royals continue

to be. this is a daily event. there are literally thousands of people, mainly tourists, who've come to see the changing of the guard. and one day charles and camilla will be in buckingham palace as king and queen. it's been a slow process for camilla to really gain public acceptance. but she's managing to do so, her big problem, of course, is she's always lived in princess diana's shadow. but she's trying to change that, and this week, for the first time, she went out on her own on an international stage. the duchess at dior. an iconic french brand. also coveted by her husband's first wife. there are obvious parallels between diana, princess of wales, and camilla, duchess of cornwall. but also, stark differences. these are camilla's first tentative steps towards defining herself outside the uk. and luckily, there are horses at

hand. camilla's big passion. this is the duchesse in her element. she also showed her down-to-earth approachable side at a parisian market. traders getting a glimpse into camilla's legendary sense of humor. so this is the piece of meat that she actually tried? >> yes. it will be -- >> translator: i thought she was very nice, he tells me, very agreeable. >> reporter: so the duchess came here, bought some dresses for her grandchildren. what did you think of that? "she was very nice. polite. she loved everything i sold. she was very respect of it." and before she heads home, a must-do for all visitors to paris. she went to see the mona lisa. all this part of a long, slow emergence for a queen in waiting.

this is interesting john and christine, talking about camilla as a grandmother. she has been described as a professional grandmother. she always takes her grandchildren very seriously and she's got a step-grandchild coming up in july, a future king or queen as well of the united kingdom. >> also there's a big event coming up next week. the 60th anniversary of the queen's coronation. this is a chance, potentially, to see the entire royal family. right? >> yeah, they're all out in support and they're going to go back to westminster abbey and relive, really, the coronation 60 years ago. really grand affair. and you're going to see all of the royals out, including william and kate and the most focus is on kate because people following the progress of her pregnancy very, very closely, indeed. due in july. >> most famous bump in the world. >> just around the corner. that's right. >> max foster. thanks, max. coming up the president may say the jersey shore is open for business, but some people who live there say they don't have what they need yet to rebuild.

so why is the red cross holding back funds raised for that effort? and liquor stores with pony kegs not unusual. but a liquor store with a pony walking down the aisle. that is awesome. this is a video you need to see this morning. stay with us. [ male announcer ] erica had a rough day. there was this and this. she got a parking ticket... ♪ and she forgot to pay her credit card bill on time.

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it was very painful situation. the rash was on my right hip, going all the way down my leg. i'm very athletic and i swim in the ocean. shingles forced me out of the water. the doctor asked me "did you have chickenpox when you were a child?" the pain level was so high, it became unbearable.

welcome back. 44 minutes after the hour. top stories for you. investigators are scouring surveillance video this morning to figure out who planted an explosive device at disney land. the dry ice bomb went off around 5:30 yesterday afternoon at a trash can in toon town. no one was hurt. the area was evacuated and searched and toon town opened about two hours later. police say the device appears to be similar to other ones that have exploded in nearby neighborhoods in recent months. >> not cool. former congressman anthony weiner rising in the polls in his bid to become the next mayor of new york. despite resigning in disgrace after sending lewd photos of himself on twitter a new poll shows weiner is just five points behind christine quinn.

53% of voters believe weiner deserves a second chance. >> they like redemption in american politics. the red cross defending its decision to not spend more than a third of the money it raised for hurricane sandy relief. many residents say they could use some help but the red cross says it would rather spend the remaining $100 million wisely, rather than quickly. >> so president obama and governor chris christie toured the jersey shore on tuesday. promoting a big summer comeback. from superstorm sandy. a credit they say to cooperation between federal and state governments. so this is kind of an unlikely political marriage forged in the days following the massive storm. but as cnn's jessica yellin reports, it's not without its risk. >> reporter: the political odd couple together again. >> let me first of all say thank you to governor christie for that introduction and the great work he's done here. >> reporter: visiting a rebuilt boardwalk and facing off at an arcade game where the president went 0 for 5.

>> oh! >> reporter: but no worries. the governor won him a stuffed bear. the obama/christie political bromance started days after superstorm sandy devastated new jersey, and the president promised -- >> we will not quit until this is done. >> reporter: since then the federal government has poured more than $3 billion into the state. for a governor facing re-election, this visit is a chance to highlight progress rebuilding after the storm. >> it's pretty amazing what they've done. >> reporter: and win some free media for the shore. >> welcome back to the jersey shore. >> the jersey shore is back, and it is open for business! >> reporter: that's got to be a plus for christie, who was slammed for spending $25 million in federal funds on this ad campaign. >> because we're stronger than the storm. >> reporter: the president's return is not without long-term political risks for new jersey's

republican governor. just months after he welcomed the president last time, he was not invited back to the annual gathering of conservatives known as c-pac, important to gop presidential hopefuls. and the latest visit should offer plenty of fresh material for future gop attack ads. but so far, in this blue state, his bipartisan approach has been a political plus. >> i really admire the fact that him and the president work together. that's the way it should be working together in washington. >> reporter: since sandy, christie's poll numbers have risen 15 points. now at 69% approval in the latest survey. the governor told nbc news when the president wants to visit -- >> i'm the governor, i'll be here to welcome him. >> reporter: this resident who is also a little league coach says the dieting mr. christie should apply his governing principles to his waistline. >> i suggest to him that just got to get in a training program, and just stick to it like he's stick to his promise

of helping the people in new jersey. >> reporter: the president had something to gain from this visit, also. it gave him a chance to pivot away from the controversies in washington, and focus on an example of government working. jessica yellin, cnn, traveling with the president in asbury park, new jersey. customers inside a liquor store in rhode island may have wanted -- >> i like it already. >> -- after seeing a shetland pony sauntering down the aisle. >> what? >> surveillance video shows 51-year-old william saviano leading his pony through the store as he shopped for some wine. a sign outside the store now says no dogs or cats or horses allowed. it was just a pony. come on. >> you have to take your shetland pony everywhere, i suppose. >> that was a very well behaved shetland pony. >> i've never seen one in a liquor store so well behaved. ahead on "early start," justin bieber back in trouble again. oh, no. this time, reckless driving.

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welcome back. charlie sheen going back to his roots. he's using his real name, carlos estevez in the movie mosters for his new movie. no word on why the name change. >> so from the amanda bynes meltdown file it grows ever stranger. the actress with another twitter rant. this time targeting courtney love. love tweeted that bynes needs to pull it together. so bynes responded courtney love is the ugliest woman i've ever seen. she doesn't hold back. >> no, she doesn't.

i mean -- let's talk about justin bieber, shall we? justin bieber's neighbors near los angeles claim he's using the neighborhood streetses ahis own test track. for the second time in two months bieber is being investigated for reckless driving. police say one of the witnesses who's complained about bieber speeding around their gated community in his white ferrari is former nfl star keyshawn johnson. >> he's really upset apparently. san antonio spurs are going to have to wait a little longer to find out who they will face in the nba finals. the pacers taking the heat down last night to even the series at two games apiece. >> andy scholes has more in the "bleacher report." >> good morning, guys. looks like everyone's going to need to pump the brakes on that heat/spurs nba finals talk as the pacers once again show that they're not going to go down without a fight. last night's game four was another knockdown, dragout battle from the opening tip. indiana used their size and interior strength to control the paint for the entire game. now lebron led all scorers with 24 points but with the heat down four with 56 seconds to go he

fouled out on this moving screen. this is just the second time ever that lebron has fouled out in a playoff game. the heat, they would fail to score without lebron the rest of the way as the pacers went on to win 99-92 to even the series. after the game lebron clearly not happy but he refused to blame the officials for the loss. >> it was a couple, you know, calls that i didn't feel like you know, were fouls personal fouls on me. but, that's how the game goes. >> earlier this year nike dropped all of their endorsements of lance armstrong in the wake of his admission to using performance enhancing drugs. now the company is further cutting ties with armstrong announcing that it will stop manufacturing livestrong brand shoes and apparel at the end of this year. over the last decade nike has helped livestrong raise over $100 million, mostly through the sale of those popular yellow bracelets. and while it will not be manufacturing products for livestrong anymore, nike says they will continue to contribute

to the foundation. the first place boston red sox were back in action last night hosting the phillies at fenway. and what a great moment before the game. jeff baumann who lost both his legs in the boston marathon bombings and the guy in the cowboy hat were on hand to throw out the first pitch. he was one of the people who helped law enforcement identify the bombing suspects. he and arredondo fired in strikes together. over the years shaquille o'neal had his own shoe, his own logo and his own tv show. now shaq has his own drink. yes, that's right. shaq tweeted out a pick of his new cream soda line yesterday. it's called soda shaq. you can get this new drink in four different flavors. guys, strawberry, orange, vanilla, and blueberry. i'm not a big cream soda fan but i think i'm going to have to try this one out. not sure which flavor i'm going

to go with yet. you have any takers on that? >> you know, the blue one. blueberry. >> shaquille o'neal is so underexposed? if only that guy could get some pub leslie for himself. >> i think he's a good businessman. i think he thinks business deals more than he thinks free throws. >> thanks, andy. >> that's "early start" for this morning. >> "starting point" begins right after this break. join us at projectluna.com [ female announcer ] neutrogena® pore refining cleanser. alpha-hydroxy and exfoliating beads work to clean and tighten pores so they can look half their size. pores...shrink 'em down to size! [ female announcer ] pore refining cleanser. neutrogena.®

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our "starting point" this morning, wild weather usa. a new round of twisters touched

down overnight in the heartland. more tornadoes on the way today. wildfires, dust storms in the west, and after snow, just days ago, this. a massive east coast heat wave that starts today. we're tracking all of this this morning. >> nightmare in mexico. the american mom of seven jailed in mexico accused of smuggling drugs. she faces her accusers in court today. she could get ten years in prison. ten years. her family is fighting for her freedom. they join us live this morning. plus miracle baby. the video that shocked the world. a newborn rescued from a sewer pipe. this morning we have new pictures of the young boy, and new details on just how he ended up there to begin with. and it's bieber versus the pro bowler. the angry confrontation between the pop star and this ex-nfl star. it reportedly involves a ferrari, a high speed chase, and one