on "starting point" this morning, fire and floods. mother nature wreaking havoc from colorado to california. wild fires forcing evacuations and flood waters rising across the mississippi. >> oscar pistorius returns to court. he is facing a trial by media. is that good or bad for the blade runner. >> and they have spoken to their son just once since he has been in custody. what the alleged bomber told his parents from prison and then -- [ music playing ] >> his symbol came flying out of his hand as he played the star spangelled banner but he turned an embarrassing moment into a

patriotic one. see what he did next. >> it's tuesday june 4th, william to "starting point." destructive wild fires in three states leaving hundreds of families reeling. in colorado thousands of residents are warned to remain vigilant after being allowed to return to their homes. a wind driven fire scorched dozens of acres. there's also an 8,000 acre fire burning north of new mexico. the 32,000 acre power house fire north of los angeles destroyed six homes now. that situation, though, appears to be improving. for more on that, go to stephanie. she is live this morning from lake hughes california. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. things are looking better here at the power house fire where it's now 60% contained but when you look at the fires overall in the western region they're up against rough terrain but the firefighters are getting in

there by many different ways to control these flames. >> into the night, firefighters in colorado battling a wild fire that erupted in the foothills west of denver on monday forcing thousands to he vak yevacuate a being allowed to return home. the bluebell fire burned dangerous loi close to homes. from colorado to the fire near santa fe, new mexico to the power house fire near palmdale california, these flames consuming much in their path. >> it was a battle. this hill, that hill and this hill were all going at once and they're right here. >> it's devastating and i feel bad for all of my neighbors. i feel luckily for the firefighters to have saved our house. >> reporter: the wild fire in new mexico was spread over 8,000 acres forcing residents with 100 homes to evacuate. >> it's nerve racking not knowing if your land is okay or

not. >> reporter: true so it's name the power house fire packed a punch scorching more than 30,000 acres of land, threatened 1,000 homes and destroyed at least six. homes like the one where the stilson family used to live, reduced to rubble. the family is used to wild fires because they're a family of firefighters. the retired firefighter picking up the pieces of his parents home like so many residents he spent his life saving. >> i couldn't believe it how the fire spread. no, it's -- some of the wheelbarrows that i pushed when i was a teenager over there all melted. >> sifting through what's left of the home where he and his wife tied the not one of his mother's most beloved keepsakes still stands. >> the most important thing for my mom is st. francis over there. that's her patron saint.

>> out here there's a little bit of smoke blowing by behind us. that's what firefighters are trying to do. keep the hotspots down and people able to come home and no more evacuations. >> hopefully no more. thanks stephanie. now you should go. that's what residents of west alton, missouri were told after a levey breach put them in harms way. hundreds of people were evacuated. the flood threat this morning remains very, very real with the mississippi river threatening to swamp low lying communities in the st. louis area. that's where we find martin savage live from west alton, missouri. good morning martin, what's the latest there. >> reporter: morning. it's been a rough night for the people in the small town here. this is the second round of flooding they had on this part of the mississippi in the last six weeks. the flood protection system, the sandbags, they have all been under a lot of strain and for west alton, it was just too much

last night. >> reporter: danger in the darkness in the small missouri town of west alton. a levey breach sent emergency teams rushing to safety. >> people can be locked in their house. if the water gets two or three foot deep then they're stuck if their house if they don't evacuate. >> as the flood waters from the nearby mississippi river threaten, many residents didn't need to be told twice to pack up and go. >> i want to be safe than sorry, you know? i don't want to take the chances. >> in many place as long the mississippi near st. louis, high water threatens small towns. sandbags the only thing standing between a surge of storm water and main street. in some communities, commercial districts are already under water. other towns are isolated as the rising river closes roads. as bad as it is, it could have been worse. in most places the water is expected to crest an inch shy of

what is regarded as major flooding. but what makes this event so dramatic is just five months ago the mississippi was at near record lows due to drought. >> i'm actually standing on the exposed bottom of the mississippi river. >> reporter: since then, the river shot up close to 45 feet. >> it's pretty crazy to see how fast it came. >> reporter: there had been fears the draught would close the river to barge traffic. that never happened until monday when the coast guard shut down a section of the river in st. louis saying it was too dangerous to navigate because the water was so high. and the river is expected to crest in this area sometime today. until it does, many people in this community and elsewhere will be keeping a very close eye on it. it's a beautiful shot behind you but it could be a dangerous day there. thanks martin. >> the death toll in oklahoma,

18 since friday's violent storms. severe weather could return there today but there's another big story developing too. potential for more heavy rain in florida from a storm system that may soon become a tropical depression. she has the latest for us. good morning. >> good morning. 7 cinches of rain in seven inches and the reminisces of tropical storm barbara are in the gulf. there's a low pressure system trying to form but only a 30% chance it will form into a depression but either way this moisture is tracking right into florida. let me show you the next five days. unbelievable amount of rain expected to build here. 4 to 6 inch of rain possible. that's going to be up the eastern seaboard. it brings heavier showers in the mix there. speaking of the flooding we continue to follow the midwest. storm after storm hit the area with rain. we keep mentioning this the beginning of the year,t. louis

missouri negative 4.5 below. the top ten driest level of river to the top ten highest now at 40 feet. unbelievable the amount of rain in the area and high waters out there. we do still have the slight risk area in the bulls eye today for the oklahoma area. a lot out there weather wise we'll be watching, especially oklahoma city once again under the gun today. >> once again under the gun. a new report shines a spotlight on the way the irs handles it's own business expenses. it focuses on conference spending including a 2010 event when they stayed in presidential suites, rooms that go between 1500 and $3,500 a night. training videos cost the irs more than $60,000. this one features a gilligan's island theme. this comes on a day when they'll hear from conservative groups that say they were unfairly targeted by the irs. a lot going on with this.

she is live in washington with a preview of today's events. >> reporter: hey there, john. yesterday we heard from the irs as well as the inspector general that investigated the controversy. today we'll hear from the alleged victims in the case as they testify before the very powerful house tax writing committee and we caught up way couple of them before they testify. >> reporter: becky will tell congressional investigators this morning that her tea party group in alabama was unfairly skr scrutinized by the irs. just before victories by tea party candidates gave republicans control of the house of representatives they asked for tax-exempt status and was sent a 90 question form. >> they wanted to know volume unteers and donors and every speech we had ever given. i felt like it was an oppression over me add as citizen. i live in america and i should

be able to express my views. it felt very unfair. it was scary. after nearly two years they finally did get irs approval. susan is president of a small antiabortion group in cedar rapids iowa. she says the irs granted them tax-exempt status but a worker at the cincinnati irs office asked them to agree not to picket planned parenthood offices. >> she required our entire board would sign a letter under perjury of oath that we would not protest orpik ket at planned parenthood. >> reporter: after they asked a basis for the demand she says it was dropped. by tend of the week congress will have had half a dozen hearings on the controversy. monday the acting commissioner pledged to clean up the agency. he and the inspector general also denied knowing of any direct white house involvement. >> is there any evidence that

the white house directed, requested, recommended, or in anyway supported such a review? >> no. >> i'm not aware of any evidence of that. >> reporter: the next irs hearing we'll be watching happens this morning at 10:00 eastern. the second of three high stakes hearings this week. >> yeah, this is a busy, busy week in this swirling controversy. thanks so much. ahead on starting point, star jones is making a personal plea to our own nancy grace. she wants to raise awareness of a horrific crime. the sister of her close friend murdered. her body found floating in a michigan lake partially clothed. nancy grace breaks down the evidence. plus the tsarnaevs had at least one conversation with the youngest son dzhokhar. what did he tell his parents? find out.

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former view cohost star jones crusading for a grieving friend whose sister was murdered. she's getting attention on facebook and twitter and making a plea to find this woman's killer. >> reporter: star jones is calling national attention to a mysterious and disturbing murder that hits close to home. a friend's sister was found dead in a detroit suburb. police say she had been strangled and now the former view cohost turned to the public for help. on facebook she broke i'd like to bring media attention to this case for all kinds of reasons but most of all because it's personal. rhonda was my friend's sister. rhonda was the name used for the 32-year-old mother of three who was last seen alive around 3:00 a.m. on may 26th driving away from her pontiac michigan home in this white dodge minivan. fishermen found her half naked

body sunday morning floating in the nearby lake. >> we must find out who committed this crime against my sister. we're concerned with justice. >> she brought attention to her sister's killing by tweeting asking for any information that might lead to an arrest. star jones, her close friend and sorrity sister immediately made a public pledge to use her celebrity to seek justice for the family. >> she said we have to get rhonda's story out so do you mind if i reach out to my colleagues and i said of course not. we would be appreciate it. jones tweeted if anyone has any clues to please call authorities. soon, news of rhonda's death had caught the attention of holly robinson pete, kim kardashian, russel simmons and nancy grace. >> my sister she was a quite girl and didn't demand a lot of attention. >> now the family is praying that this attention will prompt

witnesses to come forward and help police catch the killer. >> if you live in pontiac, michigan and you saw anything, please contact the oakland county sheriff's department. >> nancy grace is here with us now this morning. nancy is dedicating a lot of time to the story. star personality reached out to help from you in this case. star jones will be on your show tonight talking about this horrible murder. i guess the question is what caught your attention in this case? >> well, i would never have even known about the case. and i study 50 to 125 or so cases every morning starting at about 5:00 a.m. and i had not even heard about this case until star jones sent me an e-mail. i saw a random e-mail. i didn't even think it was for real and i opened it up and realized it was from star. star and i used to work together a long time ago at court tv. that's how i know star. i started reading the facts and

it seemed to me that the case of her was getting lost. that it didn't seem to me -- other than the police and her family, that anybody cared about it at all and i want to emphasize something, this is not some girl hanging out at a bar that you think, oh, well, some random stranger got her going to her car. no, this is a mother of three and i'm not degrading any other murder victim. what i'm saying is this was a young lady that minded her own business. she had three children she was taking care of and i find it very, very interesting. i do not think this was a random crime. why? because the discovery of the body was staged. she did not die of drowning in a little residential lake. the lake is only 12 acres. it's surrounded by a community. it's like a centerpiece of a community. it's not a boating or excursion

lake and somebody knew her and staged the discovery of the body. she was not murdered in that water. she was manually strangled. you can tell that by the medical examiner report. someone strangled her with his bare hands. somebody that knew her. >> you point out she is a mother. three young children, a 12-year-old son, a 6-year-old son, a 9 month old infant and the 6-year-old son is asking where his mother is. you have heard as a former prosecutor stories like this so many times. what does the family do as the investigation comes underway and as more people are talking about it and there's more awareness and maybe some leads, how does the family cope at this point? >> well, when i hear the word cope or closure -- in a crime victim's world, there is no such thing. you just wake up in the morning and for a minute before you really are awake you think it

was a bad dream and it's not real and then you wake up and you realize it is real and it comes crashing down on you every morning that you wake up if you got to go to sleep the night before and i'm thinking about these children that you correctly named out their ages, can you even imagine? my children are now 5 1/2. every day i do a million things for them. what are they going to do without their mommy. somebody else can dress them but it's not the same. it's not the same and it never will be the same and by god i want to find out who did this to this girl. >> nancy you were a former prosecutor. when attention like this comes to a case like this from around the world. from people like you and star jones, do investigators welcome this heightened attention? >> it's a mixed bag. sometimes they resent it because it brings more scrutiny on whatever they have done in the investigation and somebody will start screaming oh the cops did this wrong and the cops did that

wrong. but for the most part i think they welcome it because it brings more attention, more eye balls to it and that may reach somebody that has the key to unlocking this case. i want to point out one more thing, why i think this is not random. who in the hay is up -- she had a reason for being up and about that morning. i'm not going to reveal that right now. but she had a legitimate reason for being up and going where she went at 3:00 a.m. it's a worthy cause. you have to trust me on that if my information is true. who would be up at 3:00 a.m.? who would be up and about and see her in her mom's minivan just like mine and attack her? who? >> and that's what maybe this new scrutiny, this new attention will bring to the case some leads, nancy that will help answer that question, who. >> god willing. >> nancy grace, thanks for joining us. >> don't forget -- >> no, thank you.

thank you guys for putting more light on you. thank you. >> and you will be putting more light on it again tonight. you will interview star jones on hln at 8:00 p.m. eastern time. >> ahead on starting point, the parents of dzhokhar tsarnaev are releasing details of their first conversation with their son since he has been taken into custody. hear what he tells them about his life in prison. written by people just like you. you want to be sure the money you're about to spend is money well spent. angie's list -- reviews you can trust.

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can you afford a trip to disney with your family? what it costs for a family of four to hit the magic kingdom. the staggering numbers just ahead. he turned embarrassment into patriotism. find out what this kid did after his symbol went flying at a concert. it was awesome. you're watching "starting point" ensures support, a breakthrough. and sooner than you'd like. sooner than you'd think. you die from alzheimer's disease. we cure alzheimer's disease. every little click, call or donation adds up to something big.

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. welcome back to starting point everyone. the parents of the boston bombing marathon suspects are revealing details of their first conversation with dzhokhar tsarnaev since their son was placed under arrest. they played recordings of the conversation during an interview. phil is live in boston. what do the tsarnaevs have to say about their son? >> well, channel four had this

interview in which his mother plays this conversation, recording of it which he says took place a week ago. they're told they're not allowed to discuss the boston bombing case specifically so the conversation is general and really dominated by the parents asking questions about their son's health and welfare. it's brief but it's still quite emotional too. at one point, dzhokhar tsarnaev's mother asks is he in pain. this is how he replies? of course not. i'm already eating and have been for a long time. they are giving me rice and chicken now. sefrg fine. his mother says you have to be strong. he replies everything is good. please don't say anything. she was surprised by how calm he was during that conversation. she thought he would be more upset demanding answers and instead it was him calming her down and telling her everything is going to be okay. >> you said they weren't allowed

to discuss the case specifically still the parents seem to have a lot of opinions about the case itself. >> they do. they say they didn't discuss the case specifically. the issue of guilt or innocence did not come up but it largely didn't come up because they don't have doubts in that area. they don't believe it's a question. they believe both of their sons dzhokhar and tamerlan are the victims of a set up. they don't explain how but that's their belief. we know at a the russians were concerned about tamerlan tsarnaev and his mother before the boston attacks. they had concerns about how radicalized they had become in their muslim believes. the parents don't address that allegation specifically but the mother does talk with a great deal of pride about how religious she is and how religious her son was and their efforts to persuade dzhokhar to take his religion much more

seriously. tamerlan and i we pray because that's an obligation. that's our religion. how not we pray? then what muslims are we. we are not muslim. we cannot call ourselves muslim if we don't thank our allah five times a day as written in koran. >> thank you. putting these pieces together of the family and their communications. thanks bill. >> federal ajenlts are looking into the disappearance of a marine corps reservist kidnapped in mexico. he was abducted with his father and uncle by armed men in mexico may 14th. they haven't been seen or heard from since. chris lawrence joins us live from the pentagon. chris, any idea what happened to these men. >> they were taken from the ranch and that's the last that any witnesses saw from them. right now, the fbi is working with the mexican authorities and friends and supporters of this marine have gone on social media

opening a facebook page called get our brother back. starting discussion threads trying to raise the profile of this case to put pressure on authorities to pursue any and all leads in order to try to get this marine back. he had been in the marine corps for about 8 years. did a tour on the horn of africa and also in iraq several years ago. >> has the family made any sort of statement? >> nothing formal but a source who has spoken with the family tells us they still believe that torres is still alive. they said they have gotten indications from mexican authorities that he is still alive. right now, they don't think that these kidnappers even knew he was a marine. he was in the reserves, wasn't wearing a uniform. rarely went to mexico but he had gone down there to visit his father and that's when he was abducted from the ranch along

with the uncle as well. >> new this morning, oscar pistorius back in a south african courtroom for the first time in three months. the blade runner appearing at a pretrial hearing for the shooting death of his girlfriend model reeva steenkamp. the judge agreed to postpone the trial until august 19th. the interior department reversing itself now saying visitors to ellis and liberty islands should be screened before they arrive at the n nork landmarks. you're looking at live pictures of the statue of liberty this morning. >> beautiful. >> the national park service original plan was to screen visitors after they arrive by ferry but a screening security facility has been preposed and the city may try to set up a temporary screening facility before the july 4th opening weekend. a seattle mother is telling her story and it is chilling after fighting off a would be

kidnapper that tried to take her three year old son. melissa says her son was playing in the backyard when she felt someone brush by her sunday evening. that's when she spotted a masked man running around the back of the house with her son under his arm. she chased him and he tripped dropping the boy and that's when a fight began. >> as soon as my son was on the ground i jumped on top of my son. he started hitting and punching me and i continued to kick and punch him back and get him away from me. >> what a brave woman. >> the suspect then ran off. she suffered some bruises on her knuckle. she got a black eye. her son, thankfully was unharmed. >> when you wish upon a star, better check your wallet. disney raised ticket prices at it's theme parks in california and florida. it's the fourth time in the last three years. are families being priced out of a disney family vacation? one industry observer says it's

a case of good old supply and demand. ♪ some day my prince will come ♪ >> disney famous for fantasy from movies to theme parks. but now, you will pay a little more to join mickey and his friends in orlando and california. disney raising ticket prices to it's theme parks. one day admission now costs $95. that's for visitors 10 and older and up from $89 last year. in california it's $92 up from 87. so for two parents and two kids that's almost $400 for just one visit. some visitors aren't happy. at $95 a day per person a family of four is already priced out. another one reads yes the memories are valuable and what disney offers is magical but you can't get those memories if you can't afford to make them.

>> when you look at the ticket prices it just really becomes ridiculous. it really, really does. >> the company tells us the tickets are still a great value. you get access from 9:00 in the morning to midnight. there's main street usa splash mountain, cinderella's castle, a parade and fireworks and other parks around disney aren't that much cheaper. universal studios orlando $92 a day for adults. 86 for children. busch gardens 85 for adults and 77 for kids and other summer entertainment options might not be as cheap as you think. the cheapest ticket to see anne on broadway, $50. a red sox baseball game in boston, that's $53 and even a 3 d movie like epic costs about $15. >> that hurt, those are my eyes. >> for some, visiting what's

called the happiest place on earth maybe priceless while others may feel priced out. >> you have to think about where you want to spend your money. you can't do all the parks anymore. >> disney tells us it's still a good value and they point out that the ticket price increase is for the one day -- you know t one day pass. most people buy multiday passes and it's still a good value. >> i will say i love disneyworld. i used to be a disney cast member. >> you were. >> so to speak. >> but people -- >> which one were they. >> people save money for a long time to go there and people always look happy. >> sleepy, sneezey which one? >> dopey. >> his symbol went flying out of his hand while playing the star spangelled banner. what he did next. >> and this couple that dresses together stays together. is this the answer to wedding

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it's every musicians

nightmare, mid performance your instrument breaks. cue andrew. [ music playing ] >> so let's see it just one more time, see it again. >> we're taking a look one more time there. >> oh, so the leather straps still right there in his hand. about halfway through during a student band competition his symbol came flying off the handle. we talked to the symbol star along with his mom and drum teacher about his quick thinking rebound. >> i didn't know if i should run and hide in the corner, get another pair or just stand there but then it came to my head, maybe i should do something patriotic so i saluted the flag. well everybody started texting me a lot since this morning and people have been commenting a

lot. >> i have been thrilled by the reaction that the vets have shown andrew. there was a real nice letter sent to the school and some of the comments on youtube were very complimentary about andrew showing his patriotism and people are looking for something that feels good and to know that there's a kid out there that truly does respect his flag and his country. >> if there's one message it's just to keep music going no matter what. >> and salute. when in doubt, salute. all in all, andrew said it wasn't that bad. he graduated from junior high and is headed to high school in the fall. we asked what musical instrument he'll be playing there. >> probably the drums. i've had enough symbols for once. >> here it is again. you can watch it again here. he loses the symbol here in a second -- oh, that was a good one. apparently we have the exclusive

footage of the symbol not breaking. the alternate universe where he made it through the whole song with the symbol is playing here. >> here it comes. >> the symbol falls. >> what he thinks to do is so amazing. he looks. helenes down, he turns. >> and there is the salute you heard him talking about there. something patriotic he came up wnchts look at the girl on the base drum. she is laughing. >> we aabsolute him. the miami heat win a sudden death game seven. jared greenburg has more in this morning's bleacher report. good morning. >> good morning. if my microphone goes out i don't know sign language so i'll just stand here. lebron james vowed to bring multiple titles to miami. now he's just four wins away

from two straight championships. justin bieber slowed down to check out hoops. certainly not winning the fashion game. you be the judge. david beck ham, more conservative attire. appropriate for miami where they watched lebron james nearly injury the rim with his head. he finished with 32. dwayne wade dropped 21. the heat blowout the pacers earning their third straight trip to the finals. miami welcomes san antonio for game one thursday. >> i've had multiple dreams about it and, you know, to see a dream become a reality and i'm just very blessed. our team is blessed and, you know, we're just happy that we're able to represent the eastern conference in the finals. >> a legend of the gridiron has died. deacon jones was the cause of dozens of quarter backs having sleepless nights. the first hall of famer introduced football fans to the

term we use on the regular, the sack. the nfl was forced to change rules because of now dominant jones was during in the 60s and 70s. he played for three franchises most notably the rams. dead of natural causes at the age of 74. >> we revisit justin bieber for just a moment. he's at the french open. he's saying we want more, we want more. apparently not his first outburst on the tennis court. that's pretty apparent. as far as the tennis stuff goes, not so good either. tommy haas sent him to his room in less than 90 minutes of action. >> you should see what he does, the laptop when he's had a real bad run -- it's ugly -- >> i hate this story. anger management. >> that's why he has that exclusive deal swefeveral lapto companies. >> that's right. they sponsor me.

i do appreciate the justin bieber joke. it's the first time it's been made on television. >> very first. i like that. i like to be an original. >> ahead. so far, it's the box office bomb of the summer. is brad pitt's zombie movie the next one to flop? we'll take a look at what separate ace blockbuster from a bomb.

nancy and donald featherstone are a perfect match. they have been dressing alike for the last 35 years. where do they get the fantastic his and hers ensembles? nancy makes them. they have over 600 outfits. and donald created the plastic flamingo lawn ornament. all about love and staying house. in today's a.m. house call,

smoking bad for business. the average smoker costs his or her employer an extra $6,000 a year. more than half of that is the price of lost productivity from frequent smoking breaks. increased health care expenses are also a major factor. slather sunscreen on your face after you hear this. it can slow down or prevent wrinkles and saggy skin. most of the people taking part had fair skin and used spf 15. those who applieded it every day had tighter and smoother skin than those who didn't. sunscreen maker does mott pnot pay for the study. and "after earth," a box office bomb. the worst summer debut in 20 years. some say it's because of smith's ego. reportedly rejected a role in "tjango and chain." because it wasn't the lead.

everyone is making fun of me. he is box office poison. can the former fresh prince regain his standing as hollywood royalty? pamela brown is laughing at me. >> i think john is relieved he didn't have to read that. that's what it's about. we're used to the summer blockbuster making a splash. but the latest action film, coming up short. can big stars still rake in the big bucks? >> crash landed. >> crash landed. a fitting description for the debut weekend of will smith's latest action movie. >> we must abort this mission. >> reporter: "after earth" cost nearly 1$150 million to make. but earned only $27 million, a surprise third place opening. "after earth"'s box office thud

could be the sign of things to come for brad pitt's "worldor war z." it has been plagued with drastic reshoots and being over budget. can big stars still bring in the big bucks? >> there was a time when the conventional wisdom. plug in a big star like will smith or brad pitt and it will be a big hit. really not as true as it used to be, and the whole package, what is the con step of the movie. >> my man, for real? >> reporter: with a long career of summer franchise success, smith is considered box office gold. 13 movies debuting number one. which means "after earth's" lack luster opening more surprising. >> i think it had more to do with the concept of the movie. unlike "fast and furious 6" or

"the hangover," the mise myster about "after earth" may have herd it. >> reporter: pitt and jolie hit the red carpet for the premiere. >> always, always. to get it right. >> audiences will see if the mega star did it right and still has his box office mojo when world war z hits theaters june 21. the spokesperson for sony pictures say they were hoping for a bigger opening, but expect a strong performance internationally. a quick programming note. tonight on "ac 360." the investigation on recent mishaps on cruise ships. battling mother nature. fire scorches parse of the west and floods threaten to soak

residents on the mississippi. live in hotspots, just ahead. ♪ 'cause you make me feel so right ♪ ♪ even if it's so wrong ♪ i wanna scream out loud ♪ boy, but i just bite my tongue ♪ ♪ this one's for the girls messin' with boys ♪ ♪ like he's the melody and she's background noise ♪ [ volume decreases ] thanks, mom! have fun! you too. ♪ ♪

"starting point," fires and

fwloods. firefighters battling firefighters in the west and residents in mississippi are bracing for blood. a levee breach in missouri forcing evacuations. the blade runner returns to court and the judge warns him he is facing trial by media. this gross picture goes viral. a taco bell employee licking a stack of tacos. oh. >> good morning, welcome everyone. i'm john berman. >> happy breakfast. tuesday, june 4th. welcome to "starting point." happening now, fierce wildfires torching homes and devastating lives in evergreen, colorado, thousands are warned to be alert after allows back into their homes. dozens of acres scorched. and an 8,000 acre fire burning north of pecos, new mexico. hundreds of homes evacuated.

32,000 acre powerhouse fire has burned six homes to the ground. let's get the latest on that situation from stephanie elam, live in lake hughes, california this morning, where at least they are containing some of the fire at this point, right, stephanie? >> that's true and actually we've got good numbers there are christine. the fire about 60% contained and looking for full containment by monday, that's good news here. but while that is the situation we're seeing here, on other fires, not much progress being made so far. into the night, firefighters in colorado bat lung a fire that erupted in the foothills west of denver. thousands forced to evacuate, now being allowed to return home. the blue bell fire burned dangerously close to homes. from colorado to the tres la

lagunas fire to the powerhouse fire in palmdale, california. >> this hill that hill and that hill all going at once, and they are right here. >> it's devastating and i feel really bad for all my neighbors and i feel really lucky for the firefighters to have saved our house. >> the wildfire in new mexico has spread over 8,000 acres, forcing residents in 1 0 homes to evacuate. >> nerve-wracking not knowing if your land is okay or not. >> and true to its name, the powerhouse fire has packed a punch, scorching more than 30,000 acres of land, threatened 1,000 homes and destroyed at least six. >> there is a keeper. >> reporter: homes like one where the stilson family used to live. the family is used to wildfires. they are a family of firefighters, retired fire captain patrick stilson who is

picking through wreckage in his parent' home. >> i can't believe. some of the wheelbarrows i pushed when i was a teenager, over there all melted. >> reporter: sifting through the home where he and his wife thie the knot, one of the most beloved keepsakes. >> st. francis, her patron saint over there. >> out here now, a thin blue line of sky we can see as dawn is beginning break. still smoke in the sky, but officials are cautiously optimistic to make ground on this fire and not any further evacuations, john, christine. as dawn breaks, we fish firefighters a productive day in lake hughes, california. thank you, stephanie. a new round of spring floods threatening mississippi river towns, forcing residents in west alton, missouri, to evacuate

after a levee break. aerials live right here. efforts ongoing to keep this river from swamping low-lying community. and martin savidge live in west alton, mississippi, on the banks of the mississippi river. how do things look? >> this happens to be one of the roads that leads into the town of west alton. closeded rig eright now, the ree sound you are hearing behind us. the river racing right over this road heading into town. danger in the darkness in the small missouri town of west alton. a levee breach sent emergency teams to help get hundreds of people to safety. >> people can belo locked in thr house if he they don't have a way to get through the water. waters gets two to three feet deep, and there is no way on evacuate. >> reporter: many residents didn't need to be told twice to

pack up and go. >> i want to be safe rather than sorry. don't want to take chances. >> in many places along the mississippi, near st. louis, high water threatens small towns. sandbags, temporary dikes, the only thing standing between a surge of stormwater and main street. in some community, commercial districts already underwater. other towns are isolated as the rising river closes roads. as bad as it is, it could have been worse. in most places, the water is expected to crest an inch shy as what is regarded as major flooding. but what makes this event so tra mat dramatic, five months ago, the mississippi at record lows due to drought. >> i'm standing on the exposed bottom mississippi river. >> since then, the river shot up close to 45 feet. >> it's pretty crazy to see how fast it came. >> there had been fears the drought would close the river to

barge traffic. that never happened, until monday, when the coast guard shut down a section of the river in st. louis, saying it toofs dangerous to navigate, because the water was so high. by the way this happens to be the second round of flooding in the mississippi river in the last six weeks. the hope is here in west alton and elsewhere, the river will crest today and begin to subside, but it's rushing by right now. john. >> those are amazing images, you standing on the road with the mississippi river flowing right over your feet when are you standing on the road. martin savidge in the mississippi river this morning. thank you, martin. oklahoma now, where the death toll has risen to 18 since friday's violent storm. the possibility that he is veer weather could return today. another big story developing as well. the potential for more heavy rains from a storm system that may soon become a tropical

depression. meteorologist indra petersons with the latest on that. >> hard to believe. florida endured so much rain. seven inches in seven days and watching the system that used to be tropical storm barbara track across the gulf. remnant, the tropical moisture, really thick moisture right over florida. as we go through the next five days, look at the amount of rainfall they are expecting. piles up, anywhere 4 to 6 inches of rain in the forecast. flood threat high obvious well a situation like this. and that will make it up the easternseaboard. tracking slowly. system after system, all that dumping rain, keep in mind, the early part of this year in january, talking about 4.5 feet below. that's where the mississippi river was. the top ten driest and we're in the top ten highest level. currently at 40.1 feet in a major flood stage. unbelievable the amount of rain

and water. and the bull's-eye, once again, severe weather out there in tornado alley, oklahoma city. >> still a threat out there. >> thank you, indra. a new report out shines the light on how the irs handles it's own business expenses. it focuses on spending, including a conference where they stayed in luxury hotel suites that go from $1,500 to $3,500 a night. and training videos cost more than $60,000. this one which features a gilligan's island theme. and this comes on a day when house ways and means committee will say they are unfairly singled out by the irs. big dayed ahead. briana keilar live in washington with the preview. >> reporter: good morning, john. yesterday, we heard from the irs, inspector general who investigated this controversy. today, we'll hear from the alleged victims and caught up with some of them before they

testified before the very powerful house tax writing committee. becky garrettson will tea investigators that her tea party group was unfairly scrutinized by the irs. in 2010, before the mid term elections where victories by tea party electorates, the group applied for tax exempt status and was sent a 90-question form. >> wanted me to identify volunteers and donors, every speech we'd ever given. i felt like it was an o oppression. i live in america, i should be able to express my views. very unfair and a little scary. >> reporter: after nearly two years, the group did finally get irs approval. susan is president of a small anti abortion group in cedar rapids, iowa. her group finally granted tax

exempt status, bet they asked them to agree not to ticket planned parenthood offices. >> she required that our entire board would sign a letter that we would not protest or picket at planned parenthood. >> after the group's attorney sent a letter asking for the basis for this demand, martin ek said it was dropped. congress would have held half a dozen hearings on this situation by the end of the week. daniel werfell and the inspector general that investigated the allegations, denied knowing of any direct white house involvement. >> is there any evidence that the white house directed, requested, recommended or in any way supported such a review? >> no. >> i'm not aware of any. >> reporter: we'll be keeping our eye on the next irs hearing which begins here on -- i would

say on capitol hill here in washington at 10:00 a.m. eastern, john and christine. >> briana, despite the swirling controversy, the irs situation, the irs trying to keep business moving. and there is a busy morning at the white house. >> president obama will hold a rose garden event to fill out his picks for the u.s. court of appeals for the circuit in washington, d.c., very important picks, john, because you have a lot of cases, government-related cases that go to the supreme court. from this court and a number of supreme court justices who hail from the u.s. court of appeals d.c. district -- or circuit. >> often referred to as the second most powerful court in the country. briana, thank you so much. other top stories this morning. five-count indictment in the ricin letter case. dutschke accused of sending letters back in april.

he tried to pin the crimes on a former friend. dutschke could face life in prison. department of prison says eric holder's testimony about classified leaks and searching e-mails, that testimony is said to be accurate. steven jin woo kim gave classified information to a fox news reporter, and he didn't push for the press to be prosecuted. kim has a hearing later this morning. justice, or unjust shaming? in suburban new york. more than 100 men charged in a prostitution sting. the attorney for several suspects says it's wrong for nassau county to post the men's mugshots publicly before the day in court. the d.a. disagrees. they range in age from 17 to 79, including doctors, lawyers, professors, and college students. ahead on "starting point "oir, oscar pistorius making a

critical decision about the blade runner's murder trial. thinking about heading to the disney theme park with the family, break out the calculator. may need a little more magic to make it happen. you're watching "starting point." h my friends. i have a great fit with my dentures. i love kiwis. i've always had that issue with the seeds getting under my denture. super poligrip free -- it creates a seal of the dentures in my mouth. even well-fitting dentures let in food particles. super poligrip is zinc free. with just a few dabs, it's clinically proven to seal out more food particles so you're more comfortable and confident while you eat. super poligrip free made the kiwi an enjoyable experience. [ charlie ] try zinc free super poligrip. from the united states postal service a small design firm can ship like a big business. just go online to pay, print and have your packages picked up for free. we'll do the rest. ♪

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delivering whatever the world needs, when it needs it. ♪ after all, what's the point of talking if you don't have something important to say? ♪ new this morning, the blade runner back in court. robyn kurnow what is the latest? >> reporter: the latest, the world saw oscar pistorius for the first time since he was released from custody in february. literally hiding out, keeping a low profile at his uncle's home for the past three months. he seemed quite emotionally

blank. certainly none of the emotion that sobbing, crying, we saw during the bail hearing. briefly in court here today, ten minutes, just a postponement to august. >> what was his demeanor in court today? >> reporter: he looked sad, quite blank. i saw him last week in his home when i went to interview his uncle and he had a beard last week, obviously shaved it. came into court quite clean shaven. doesn't look as skinny. hasn't lost as much weight as he has during the bail hearing. he is doing a lot of gym during date at home, sort of pumping iron from that point of view, his family and those around him, trying to get him physically, emotional emotionally, spiritually prepared for the process which could take about three years. a long process, many people noting that oscar pistorius had

support of his family in court today. no word, no presence from reeva steenkamp's family who don't want to be part of the legal proceedings, and i also must add in a twist of fate, the next court appearance on 19th of august, reeva steenkamp's birthday. she would have turned 30. >> a sad irony in that. >> reporter: absolutely. >> what are the next legal steps come august 19th? >> what we are seeing on august 19th is what should have happened today. the state is not ready with investigations which legal experts say is an indication, not confident with their case. what we are liking to see in mid august, charges laid out, and a sense of the charges that the state has against him and trial date will be set. definitely one step further in

this complicated and legal process. >> a delay until august 19th. robyn kurnow for us, thank you so much. ahead on "starting point," just in time for summer what it costs for a family of four to hit the magic kingdom. can you afford the price hike? is it worth it? and a nevada mother thrilled about the birth of her new baby twins. wait until you hear where she was forced to deliver them. you are watching "starting point."

good morning. welcome back to "starting point," minding your business. s & p 500, getting a new member,

an old member that's a new member. general motors. they replace heinz. that company going private. looking at major averages after yesterday's rally. stock futures point to a mixed open, but we're watching out for another super tuesday. dow has risen the past 20 tuesdays, gaining more than 15 points on tuesdays. >> a ridiculous streak. >> who knew tuesdays were so streak? longest winning streak for any day since 1900. the happiest place on earth is beginning feel like the most expensive. disney raising prices at theme parks. will it price out families from one of america's favorite vacation spots. ♪ someday my dreams will come >> disney, famous for fantasy from movies to theme parks, but now you will pay a little more to join mickey and his friends in orlando and california.

disney, raising ticket prices to theme parks. one-day admission to the magic kingdom in orlando now costs $95. for visitors ten and older and up from $89 last year in california, now $92, up from $87. for two parents, two kids, that's almost $400 for one visit. some on disney's blog around happy. >> at $95 a day per person a family of four is already priced out. >> yes, the memories are valuable and what disney offers is magical, but you can't get those memories if you can't afford to make them. >> it just really becomes ridiculous. it really, really does. >> reporter: the company tells us the tickets are still a great value. you get access from 9:00 in the morning until midnight. main street sn a parade each

night and fireworks. are universal studios, $92. and bunch gardens, $85. and other summer entertainment options may not be as cheap as you think. cheapest ticket to see the musical "annie" on broadway? 50 bucks. a game at fenway? $53. and a 3-d movie like epic, $15. others may feel priced out. >> you have to think about where you want to spend your money. you can't do all the things anymore. >> reporter: experts we talked to say they don't think this will keep people from coming. attendance up and people spending more at the parks already, so disney has a lot of room to raise prices.

to get to disney, you may need to fly. if you fly a lot, you are familiar with the fees. united is offered prepaid subscriptions. pay for a year's worth of fees ahead of time. $499 for an economy plus subscription, with access to more spacious coach seats on every single flight. a new twist to the fee game. we'll see if united flyer goes for it. >> a new way to make money somehow. ahead on "starting point." take a look at this picture. a taco bell employee going to first base with a stack of taco shells. what is the fast food giant doing about it? that story, later this hour. you're watching "starting point." a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib:

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welcome back to "starting point." i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. the parents of the boston bombing suspects are sharing intimate details of their first conversation with sfwldzhokhar tsavraev. they played audio portions of conversations in an interview that played on british television. what do they have to say about their son? >> dzhokhar's mother, very emotional as this recording of a conversation from a week ago was played again during this interview. apparently at the time they spoke, they were not allowed to discuss details of the boston bombing case themselves, so the relatively brief conversation is dominated by sfwlok dzhokhar's , how is he doing? he asks if he is in pain? he says, no, of course not. i almost eating and have been for a long time. they are giving me rice and chicken now, everything is fine.

and his mother said you have to be strong. everything is good, please don't say anything. his mother was surprised how calm and control he was. she thought it would be far more emotional. in the en, it was him telling her everything would be okay. >> they were not able to discuss any specifics. his parents have clear opinions about the case, don't they, phil snl. >> they do very much. they still insist both sons are innocent. and they believe they are the victims of some sort of setup here. the question of guilt or innocence didn't come up in the conversation at all. they said no reason for it to come up what discover. we know at the moment, neither of them have any plans to travel to the united states, still, we know there is an outstanding shoplifting case against sunita tsavraev, the suspect's mother. they will see each other again in heaven is how the father ends the conversation.

>> the first time we're hearing from dzhokhar tsavraev. thank you so much, phil. potentially damming testimony as the prosecution wraps up its case against an excop accused of killing his wife and torching their home. yesterday, a marriage counselor testified hours after his death, he called her and said, i killed her. she's dead, and it's my fault. but defense claims his wife died by suicide. ted roux lands breaks down the intense courtroom drama from kingman, kansas. good morning. >> good morning, christine. today will be day nine of what has been riveting testimony in this case and there seems to be a mountain of evidence against brent seacat, he maintains he did not kill his wife. brett and vasti seacat were high school sweethearts, who met, got married, and had two children and lived in kansas until april

2011. >> 911, emergency. >> there is a fire. >> starting with his 911 call, brett seacat, a former's sheriff's deputy has maintained his wife committed suicide, after settling the family home on fire. >> she shot herself, but she's in the fire, my wife is upstairs. i have to go up and try to get her out. >> reporter: seacat told investigators that he was sleeping on a downstairs couch when his wife called his cell phone from upstairs, telling him to get their two boys, ages 4 and 2, out of the house. >> did you hurt her? >> no. >> did pull the trigger? >> no. >> did you kill her? >> no. >> reporter: prosecutors say seacat is a calculated killer who forged his wife's suicide note. vasti filed for divorce days before she died, and according to friend, she was worried about her safety. and even asking a friend about the exact scenario that eventually took her life. >> do you think brett would burn

the house down with me in it? i looked at her and said what? she said do you think brett would burn the house down with me in it? and i was taken aback by that. not with the kids at home. >> seacat denies making threats to his wife. >> she told a friend a week and a half before this incident, you threatened to kill her, burn the house down, make it look like she did it. >> that is bull [ bleep ]. >> reporter: christine, we expect the prosecution to wrap up its case around noon today. the defense's attorney after that. and we do expect that brett seacat will take the stand in his own defense as early as this afternoon. >> we'll be hearing from the accused. ted rolands, thank you.

a marine reservist kidnapped at gunpoint. armando torrez iii was kidnapped with his father and uncle on may 18th. have not been seen or heard from since. the fbi is asking anyone with information about the case to come forward. in new jersey, and the nation's capital, mourning the loss of frank lautenberg. the liberal democrat died yesterday from viral pneumonia. at 89, the senate's last remaining world war ii veteran. and new jersey governor chris christie will chose lautenberg's replacement. he has a leeway potentially on when to set a special election. new jersey has sometimes conflicting laws on this. so different lawyers have

different interpretations about what he might, might not be able to do. >> certainly a legend. and chris christie, a lot of nice things about the fights heory the years with frank lautenberg. just what the world was missing. a job site for beautiful people. the controversy over beautifulpeople.com is starting a recruiting service. employers hoping attract good-looking workers will have access to the site's 750,000 members. you have to survive a ruthless peer review which could raise questions about employment discrimination. >> it's what's inside that counts. >> if you are beautiful on the outside at the same time. >> lebron james and miami heat can exhale this morning. the defending nba champs headed to the finals for the third straight season. the series against the pacers was tough. a lot tougher than expected. the seventh and deciding game no, contest at all. we have more from miami with

rachele nichols. >> few things define a playoff like game seven. lebron james met the moment, not only leading the my hey heat to a dominant win over the pacer, but quieting questions about his legacy, with a third straight trip to the nba finals. >> this is what it's all about. you know, i dreamed about opportunities like this as a kid to have a game seven. that's the notion that high-caliber players that need to step up, play at the highest level. >> moments like this can define your career. situations when everyone is -- you know, looking -- when everyone is counting you out, looking down, see how you respond. and -- and i feel like we as a team, we response very well. >> reporter: for the heat, the stakes well beyond a basketball game. the team is built on dwayne w e

wade, chris bosh and lebron. that pressure only helps them against inn. >> we love the big moments and those bright lights on, i think guys really step it up and really accept the challenge to really overcome any kind of obstacle we have. >> reporter: next up for the heat, the san antonio spurs, the same team that swept lebron james' cleveland cavaliers in the first nba finals in 2007. james says he remembers being torched in that series, but he noted he was 22 years old at the time and now at 28 "he's 20, 40, 50 times better a player." on monday night, he showed it. rachel nichols in miami. a taco bell caught french kissing a stack of taco lshells.

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so this will make you think twice before going through the drive through. this picture of a taco bell employee apparently licking a stack of taco shells. sexually harassing a stack of taco shells. somebody posted it on the company's facebook page, sending a wave of nausea across the internet. there have been a rash of recent incident of this kind of thing at fast food chains. is this a new trend, or all

about social media? >> every wonder what goes on behind closed doors at fast food restaurant? you certainly hope it's not this. a gross picture of a taco bell employee licking a stack of taco shells. it's the latest in the cringe worthy fast food incidents. >> disgusting. >> he should be fired right away. >> reporter: taco bell is investigating the restaurant and employees involved. the company released this statement. when we learned the situation, we immediately contacted the restaurant's leadership. we believe it was a prank and the food was not served to customers, we are conducting a full-scale investigation and will be taking swift action against those involved. >> i would give him the benefit of the doubt, seeithinking he w doing a funny thing with coworkers and throw them away

hopefully. >> reporter: the damage may have been done. it has been shared thousands of times on facebook and has gone viral. >> not sure what's up with social media where everybody posts bad behavior on facebook. don't post that on the internet. not a good idea at all. >> reporter: taco bell not al lone when it comes to disturbing employee posts. a kfc worker in tennessee fired after this photo posted on facebook. appearing to show her licking a pile of mashed potatoes. and last summer, a photo of this burger king employee, stabbing in two containers of lettuce, posted on an online forum, and this is the lettuce you eat at burger king that employee, also shown the door. prank or not, these images are still hard to swallow. i don't think it's fair to fully blame social media here. it's never appropriate to treat taco shells that way. >> but two crimes here. one is doing it and then the other is posting it wit youh

face or handle. think you will found out, in trouble, and lose your job. >> two levels of the next bone girl. the casting reports are true, the spanish bombshell would be age appropriate for daniel craig's super spy. some crassly said that cruz would be the oldest bond girl ever. at a geriatric 40. cruz's husband, javier bardem, playeded the villian in the last bond film. a dynamite find in wyoming. digging up the fossils of three triceratops. two adults and probably a child. one of the adults is thought to be the most complete skeleton of the giant ever found.

the fact that three of them have seemed to have died together may mean they travel as a group, which is something they have never seen before, scientists. the question, how did they die? the pattern of broken bones means they likely died at the hands or perhaps jaws of a tir ransaur tyr tyranasaurus rex. >> you are watching "starting point." [ male announcer ] this store knows how to handle a saturday crowd. ♪ [ male announcer ] the parking lot helps by letting us know who's coming. the carts keep everyone on the right track. the power tools introduce themselves. all the bits and bulbs keep themselves stocked.

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. a tampa socialite connected to david petraeus is suing the

government. jill kelley says that they leaked information to the media. be kelley got e-mails from paula broadwell and petraeus later resigned after admitting to an affair. and a minivan becomes a maternity ward. twins born on interstate 80. first one had trouble breathing and a utah trooper sped to the scene to help out. the baby boys are expected to be fine. you know, i have been there for a birth of twins before. what a site. >> a dramatic way to begin life. in the back of a minivan.

>> it is that time of year again, box office blockbusters, become a rite of summer, a time of movie studios to make up ground, make big cash. this year's crop, bigger and more expensive than ever. the question, why do some of the biggest movies, the big money ones, turn out to be the biggest flops? why do some of these turn into duds? pamela brown with the answers. >> absolutely. can big stars still rake in the big bucks? the summer movie with the big superstar making a killing at the box office. will smith's latest action movie after earth crash landed the past weekend. third place, earning only $27 million and that means everybody is looking at the next big blockbuster movie, brad pitt's movie "world war z." a superstar, no worries, right? from the beginning this movie has gotten terrible press, faced

tons of delays. reportedly blown through over $200 million. that's $200 million. we spoke to paul of hollywood.com. the major movies are more about content now and not the big stars. >> there was a time that the conventional wisdom, you plug in a big star like a will smith, brad pitt and it's automatically a big hit. that's really not as true as it used to be. and, in fact, it's more about the whole package. the concept of the movie. >> a spokesperson for sewny pictures, behind "after earth" say they expect a strong performance internally. internationally. plenty of stars have had serious flops and haven't lost their a-list status. we want to put you to the test. eddie murphy. ready for this one?

can you guess his biggest flop? >> oh, he had a few that were questionable. "best defense." is that what you said? >> nope. it was from 2002. this movie about mobsters on the moon. after subpoenaing $100 million to make it, and earned $7.1 million. one of the top box office flops of all time. "dream girls," he earned a golden globe award and academy award nomination. >> what were you going to say? >> waiting for the next one. >> john travolta. >> "battlefield earth." >> you got it. another sci-fi movie, leased in 2000, it cost $73 million to make and market, but earned $29.7 million worldwide.

>> math doesn't work. >> okay for him. handing great roles ever since then. >> the only one i know ben affleck and "gili." >> a perfectly good movie. >> we'll talk about that later. >> talk about that later. >> thank you, pamela. pro golfer stacy lewis, the lpga player of the year, she hopes to regain the number one spot after this weekend in today's human factor, chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta tells us how lewis reach an elite level of play despite having a severely curved spine. >> at age 28, stacy lewis is living the life. >> it's fun. i get to play golf every day for a job, not too bad. >> reporter: golfing since 8 years old, mostly because of the love of the game. >> there was a point in your life where you knew you were really good at golf? >> probably in college was the time that i said, wow, i could

maybe do this as a professional. >> reporter: but it wouldn't come easily. in middle school, stacy diagnosed with scoliosis. doctors hoped it would correct itself without surgery. >> a wore a back brace 6 1/2 years, 18 1/2 hours a day. >> only took it off to play golf, but it didn't work. had to go your honor the knife. do you remember what the day was like when you scheduled the surgery? >> i thought i was done playing golf. took out one of the ribs to do a fusion, on the side had to move all the organs, lungs, chest tube, all that kind of stuff. >> reporter: took doctors to insert a rod and screws into the spine and several months of rehab. >> i couldn't bend for twist for six months, the doctor let me chip and putt a little bit. >> slowly but surely, the game started to come back, her swing, even got a little better. >> when your hands are low like that, you tend to hit it left, when my hands got high, i

started to hit a little fade to the right, which is actually a think a better shot for golf. so it worked out pretty good. >> reporter: today, at the top of her game. pinch yourself every now and then? >> it's strange. you know, i definitely aspired to be in this position, but it's cool to see the hard work pay off. >> reporter: it has paid off indeed, made close to $5 million in winnings, but lewis knows it's not forever. >> i doan know how long i will be able to play golf. i feel lucky to do what i'm doing, why not enjoy it? >> reporter: dr. sanjay gupta, cnn, reporting. [ female announcer ] made just a little sweeter... because all these whole grains

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tonight on "a.c. 360," investigation exploring recent mishaps on cruise ships.

"cruise nightmare." tonight at 8:00 on cnn. i'm christine romans. >> i'm john berman. "cnn newsroom" with carol costello begins right now. happening now in the "newsroom," an american marine kidnapped in mexico. >> you doan know if he's dead. you still have the hope that he's alive many. >> the reservist vanished. the fbi with an urgent plea for your help this morning. also, breaking overnight. fire threat spreads. >> it's nerve-wracking not knowing if your land is okay or not. >> three states now blackened by blazes. a family of firefighters seeing their house reduced to rubble. >> i just couldn't believe it. how the fire spread. >> plus, historical find. a rare, almost complete skeleton of a