gupta. he's going to tell us about the medical breakthrough. >> amazing story. it's the top of the hour. that means it's time for the top news. this morning, actor james gandolfini has died, after an apparent heart attack at the age of 51. we'll have all the breaking details. >> the tributes are pouring in for "the sopranos" star. we'll celebrate his amazing and ground-breaking career. new details on the government's use of drones in the u.s.. and lebron one on one with our rachel nichols, an interview you have to see. your "new day" starts right now. >> announcer: this is "new day" with chris cuomo, kate bolduan and michaela pereira.

♪ got jungle in your eyes >> good morning and welcome to "new day," everyone. lot of people waking up this early morning to a lot of shock. i'm kate bolduan. >> and i'm chris cuomo along with michaela pereira, as always. it is thursday, june 20th, 6:00 in the east. sad day in hollywood but all over the country, everybody who loved "the sopranos". >> the music brings back so many memories. gandolfini was the star of "the sopranos" and became famous for making an admitted mob boss likeable, a killer. >> to my health, to be in this beautiful spot, with people that i love, i couldn't ask for more. >> salut. >> in that scene the humanity that defined the character but more importantly the man and one of the reasons james gandolfini became such a respected actor in

hollywood. overnight tributes pouring in from around the world. the 51-year-old actor died wednesday, reports point to heart failure on vacation in rome, he was there with his teenaged son and he also has an infant daughter. nischelle turner has all the latest details. >> good morning, guys. he was a star. he was a consummate character actor, made a star late in his career. fans and friends shocked. his colleagues calling him one of the best in the business. the sudden death of james gandolfini rippled from italy to the jersey shore. >> i can't believe it. i'm in shock. >> want to take him back. he was such a young man and such a nice day. >> reporter: the emmy award winning actor's death confirmed by hbo, his fame shot on the hit show "the sopranos". >> i couldn't ask for more. >> reporter: the hbo

representatives said the 51-year-old actor may have had a heart attack, though the official cause is not yet known. the news blind-sided his closest hollywood friends. steven van zandt tweeting "i have lost a brother and best friend. the world has lost one of the greatest actors of all-time." david chase mourned the loss saying "he was a genius. anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his performances knows that. he is one of the greatest actors of this or any time. great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes." gandolfini was vacationing in italy where he was scheduled to attend a festival in sicily later this week. the press-shy star made one of his last public appearances at this charity event for the stella adlor acting studio in new york city just last week. among his last film roles was playing defense secretary leon

panetta on "zero dark thirty". >> you guys ever agree on anything? >> reporter: he never strayed far from home, new jersey. >> he put new jersey on the map, all positive, you know. he just made jersey better than it already is. >> reporter: one of his best known fans, new jersey governor chris christie said in a statement "it's an awful shock. james gandolfini was a fine actor, a rutgers alum and a true jersey guy. i was a huge fan of his and the character he played so authentically, tony soprano." the ice cream shop in bloomfield, new jersey, which served as the diner setting for the final scene of "the sopranos" was overflowing with fans after news of the actors death spread. ♪ don't stop >> while the cause of death is still not known the morgue nurse in rome says there will be an autopsy performed tomorrow morning. >> we'll be talking much more

about this throughout the show. gandolfini appeared on broadway and the big screen but it was his iconic role as tony soprano on television that made him a household name. miguel marquez joins us from los angeles on what is an extraordinary career. good morning, miguel. >> extraordinary. he came to acting late and the son of a bricklayer and custodian at a high school, his mother was the head lunch lady at the high school and his passing at 51 has come as a massive shock. >> i'm in the waste management business. everybody immediately assumes you're mobbed up. it's a stereotype and it's offensive and you're the last person i would want to perpetuate it. >> reporter: tony soprano, a mob dad with a mob spot the size of new jersey for his daughter. >> there is no mafia.

all right, look, you're a grown woman, almost. some of my money comes from illegal gambling and whatnot. >> reporter: would be a nasty piece of work violent, even racist. >> i've had business associates who were black and they don't want their son with their daughters and i don't want theirs with mine. >> reporter: the thug became human, familiar, vulnerable, maybe in spite of ourselves, likeable. >> you know not all impotence is the result of medication. >> you're saying there's something wrong with me? >> when is the last time you had a prostate exam? >> i don't even let anybody wave their finger in my face. >> the emmy goes to james gandolfini. >> reporter: his reaction says it all, the son of a bricklayer makes good, his acceptance speech humbled, almost shy,

classic beggandolfini. >> i can't explain this except the academy has an affinity for slightly overweight bald men. >> reporter: nominated six times for tony soprano he won three. here's how the former bouncer and nightclub manager described the character on his first win. >> he tries to do the right thing and screws everything up. kind of like a ralph cramden "honeymooners" thing, just more dangerous. >> reporter: spot on as then leon panetta in "zero dark thirty" and all too believable as new york city mayor in "the taking of 1, 2, 3." >> someone just hijacked a train. >> another idiot with a gun. >> reporter: he was nominated for his role in "god of carnage." >> your virtue went straight out the window when you decided to be a killer. >> reporter: or the general in

the british comedy "in the loop." >> how's the pentagon? >> it's picked up a little, they're talking invasion reasonably seriously. >> reporter: his interest in the military went beyond fiction producing two hbo documentaries about the effects of war on the men and women who fight them. he visited troops in both iraq and afghanistan. here he is from a uso tour in 2010. >> i like coming out here to the bases. i think it's a good change of pace for the guys and ladies, and i know that it makes me appreciate the whole thing more. >> reporter: twice married with two kids, gandolfini mostly stayed away from the limelight. he spoke to james lipton in 2004. >> finally, if heaven exists what would you like to say when you arrive at the pearly gates? >> take over for a while, i'll be right back. no, no, no. >> that's it, you dare not change it. >> no. >> it's too good, it's too good.

>> think of the possibilities. >> reporter: gandolfini who spent part of his young years in naples, italy, he was set to receive an award in sicily. saying good-bye won't be easy. david chase, the creator of "the sopranos" also said that this guy was a genius, he was a natural genius. so much genius he told james gandolfini was in his sad eyes, he also called him mozart, even said he wasn't easy at times but he was a brother to him, clearly a guy that will be missed by everybody who worked with him, and just comes as a shock that he is gone. back to you guys, chris, kate? >> miguel, you see there what a great career he had. >> and the people who knew him, they've lost a husband, a father, a friend, and they're of course baffled by how this happened. we told you his managers think that james gandolfini had a heart attack but an autopsy isn't set until tomorrow and

maybe it will explain what really caused his death. let's bring in cnn's chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta with us. again we don't know but there's a fascination because he was only 51 years old. we seem to have a bag of mixed factors. he had been taken care of himself recently, looked good, his friends said. some smoking, drinking and admittedly by james himself drug use in his past. >> still 51 is young. the average age of a first heart attack is somewhere in the mid-60s. no question the things you mentioned will accelerate that. yesterday we talked about weight but you want to know high cholesterol, high blood pressure, all of the things that obviously we don't know and his doctors may know and may have contributed to this. as far as the other sort of risk factors, even past drug use could potentially be a risk factor years later, that's something as well. this autopsy could answer some

of those questions. could this have been a neurologic neurological problem, an aneurysm. by the time he got to the emergency room he had already passed away. >> does that tell you anything right there? >> it tells me it was a very sudden death and it's more involved than it sounds. if someone has a heart attack, for example, kate, that means there wasn't enough blood flow to the heart for a period of time. what causes sudden death is arrhythmia, the heart goes into an abnomplal rhythm and that can cause sudden death. >> also reading what he's been up to recently, he had a lot of projects working on. clearly someone looking in from the outside doesn't look like someone who was sick or had an illness slowing him down. does that tell you anything? >> as someone becoming increasingly lethargic, symptoms coming in and out of the hospital that would paint a different picture. when you have sudden death you think of sudden cardiac arrest

first and foremost but you're right, all of these things become a little bit more likely. in italy and in the united states if a death is unexpected, unnatural or suspicious, it warrants an autopsy usually which as you mentioned is happening here as well and that might help answer some of the questions. it may not say for sure, even after that. part of that, they'll do toxicology to find out if there was anything in his blood system at the time. >> so many questions and obviously such a young age. >> it still gets you really. >> it does. gone at this age, so much in front of him, he has a young kid, daughter and teenaged son. >> he was with his son. sanjay we'll talk much more coming up in our next hour including some interviews with some of his "sopranos" co-stars. we'll turn to another big story we're following, the fbi saying it uses surveillance drones inside the u.s.. why and how, our questions in the air as well. athena jones at the white house with the latest.

good morning. >> reporter: good morning. president obama touched down in washington a few hours ago. even though he tried to assure the american people the government isn't listening in on their phone calls and there are checks and balances in place to govern these surveillance programs that's hardly the end of the story. president obama returning early this morning from overseas, and still facing questions about government surveillance programs that have spooked americans. he's promised more answers. >> what we're going to be doing when i get back home is trying to find ways to declassify further some of these programs without completely compromising their effectiveness. sharing that information with the public. >> reporter: but after revelations about government access to phone records and e-mails, his fbi director now facing questions about limits on the agency's use of drones on american soil. >> we have very few and limited

use. >> reporter: the coast guard uses drones for surveillance on ice sheets in alaska and the department of homeland security uses them to watch the borders. law enforcement official tells cnn the fbi has used unarmed drones just over a dozen times like to monitor the scene during the rescue of a 5-year-old alabama boy taken hostage. the advantage? they aren't as loud or easy to see as a helicopter. >> since you do use drones, that the fbi has the set of policies, procedures and operational limits on the use of drones and whether or not any privacy impact on american citizens. >> well, we are in the initial stages of doing that. >> reporter: critics like senator rand paul say that's putting the cart before the horse. >> i am a little concerned that we're going to use the drones and then we're going to develop rules for them. >> reporter: today the senate select intelligence committee holds another closed door briefing on intelligence matters so we'll look to see what comes

out of that hearing and iowa senator chuck grassley is asking for more information from the justice department about all of this. he sent a letter to attorney general eric holder demanding answers to questions like how many drones does the fbi have and when did it begin using them. chris? >> and will they be used to spy on people will be in there as well. athena jones thank you for the report, appreciate it. it's a busy news morning. let's get to michaela for more story this is morning. >> good morning to all of you. in the headlines this morning, tough questions expected today as the senate hearing looks into how people with security clearances are vetted. the hearing prompted by the edward snowden nsa leak expected to outline some serious problems, falsified background checks, inadequate funding, lack of oversight. 5 million people have security clearances, 4.1 million have top security clearances. new developments in the forced labor case out of ohio. fourth suspect has turned herself in.

the female suspect is scheduled to appear in court today on forced labor charges. investigators say for more than a year the victim was forced to perform manual labor and threatened with dogs and snakes to keep her and her daughter compliant. the body of 27-year-old odon lloyd was found about a mile from patriots aaron hernandez home. "sports illustrated" said hernandez is not believed to be a suspect. he's also dealing with a lawsuit that claims he shot a man in february. to the nhl finals, the seabrook shot gave the blackhawks the 6-5 victory last night over the bruins. the best of seven tied at 2-2 apiece. they play saturday night in chicago. a toddler in brooklyn, new york, fell two stories from a fire escape, bounced off an

awning and reportedly right into the arms of the daughter of yankees manager joe torre. neighbors say she was not surprised that the toddler was unsupervised. >> reporter: unsupervised. >> yes. >> reporter: were you surprised to hear it? >> no, i knew it was going to happen. >> reporter: the boys parents have been charged with reckless endangerment. child protective services took the couple's three other kids into custody. remarkable she happened to walk by, see this happen and position herself in the awning and when he bounced landed into her arms. >> amazing how you can keep your cool under that situation is amazing. >> great catch by her, but one she should never have to make. it's easy to say watch your kids, we know it's hard.

>> he worked hard to get through there, it wasn't a simple fall. >> they are being charged. we'll hear more about that. thank you very much. coming up on "new day" we want to you be the judge on a situation. the story of a 13-year-old boy facing murder charges in louisiana for the death of his 5 1/2-year-old half sister. wrestling may have played a part in this. we'll tell you the story. lebron james and the miami heat going into the deciding game seven of the nba finals. rachel nichols would be nowhere else. she talks to king james about his now iconic head band. i want to make things more secure.

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your man ben bernanke had to say. >> he said the economy is getting better, that means the fed will stop all the stimulus. not right now but eventually. dow futures down 80 points, big sell-off yesterday, the dow, nasdaq, s&p all swooning by more than 1%. the dow was down 206 points. fed reserve chairman ben bernanke said the fed was prepared to "taper" its purchases of bonds as the economy improves. he signaled the stimulus program could end by next year, that could raise your borrowing costs, you would feel it. a stunning turnaround for general motors for the first time j.d. power and associates says gm is the car company with the best quality. all four gm brands were ranked above the industry average. gm filed for bankruptcy back in 2009 so this is a milestone for general motors. a faster version of wifi is on the way t will allow to you transfer, imagine this, a high definition movie to a tablet in less than four minutes.

the samsung galaxy s4 and routers from cisco will be among the first to use this new high speed wifi. apple says its future products will use the faster network, full movie, high definition under four minutes to a tablet. >> just like sports, faster is better. >> you're right. >> almost anything in life i think today, seems faster is better, at least that's what people think. thanks, christine, welcome. to a tough case out of louisiana, a lot of mixed emotions and opinions about this case. 13-year-old boy is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly killing his 5-year-old half sister. the boy told police he was practicing wwe style wrestling moves on her. cnn's nick valencia has the latest from atlanta. good morning, nick. what are we learning, what more are we learning about this case? >> reporter: good morning, kate. it is a tough case. 13-year-old being held for allegedly killing his half sister, mimicking wrestling moves he'd seen on tv. now this is not the first time we've heard a case like this,

but it's still startling. >> i really don't know why, that's my question, i don't know why. >> reporter: shocked and stunned. the mother of a 5-year-old girl allegedly killed by her 13-year-old half brother. the boy, a reported fan of professional wrestling. that world of choreographed body slams, thrown elbows and choke holds. the mother had left the teen to baby sit. authorities say the teen told them he used the child to practice those wrestling moves. >> slammed on the bed, slammed over his knee, elbowed and things of that nature, and pounded upon, suffered significant internal injuries and obviously succumbed to those injuries. >> reporter: the sheriff's office said the boy told him he knew tv wrestling was fake and during the interview with his mother present appeared to take pride in what he was doing and showed no remorse. the world wrestling

entertainment, a professional wrestling organization that televises its matches, issued this statement. "the facts of this case clearly point to a lack of parental supervision. it is illogical to conclude the repeated brutal and ultimately fatal beating of a 5-year-old girl could be confused with imitation of wwe action seen on tv." >> the defendant of first-degree. >> reporter: the case is reminiscent of lionel tate in 2001. although his sentence was later voided because he wasn't mentally evaluated before the trial, at the time, 14-year-old tate was the youngest person in the u.s. to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. back in louisiana, the 13-year-old, if convicted, would be younger. he's been charged with second-degree murder. his mother will not be charged. i want to make it clear to our viewers the mother is not expected to be charged and the act itself comes down to whether

or not this 13-year-old intended to hurt his sister. local sheriff put it into perspective yesterday and when he says you really have to look at the maturity level of the child you put in charge to babysit. kate? >> nick, clearly so many mixed emotions about this. this is a tough case. you see the video of the makeshift memorial at the house. what are you hearing from people in louisiana? what are they saying about this case in that community? >> reporter: well, listen, the prosecutors and actually the police department, they're convinced that this child intended and had the propensity to beat up his sister and intended to do this. he showed no remorse in the interrogation, in fact took great as we mentioned in that piece great pride in executing these wrestling moves. now, under state law in louisiana if you're 14 years old or older you're mandated to be charged as an adult. it's unclear if prosecutors in this case will be seeking adult charges for the 13-year-old. >> all right, nick valencia watching this for us, thanks so much, nick. >> you bet.

>> the interesting thing not just to hurt his sister, to cause great bodily harm. this is a homicide charge, it's a 13-year-old. it's a confounding thing legally and morally. let's do the analysis and bring in sunny hostin, cnn legal analyst, former u.s. prosecutor. these are always troubling because we're involving kids. kids can do very bad adult type violent things. on these facts do you see the quickness of the move to murder charges? >> i don't. because we're talking about second-degree murder and as you just mentioned that you have to prove sort of the intent, what was in his mind? did he really intend to cause his sister this great bodily harm? >> i'm going to do this to hurt you badly. >> this kid is the one that called 911 and so i don't know how you sort of marry that to intent but i will say this, chris, and i've been talking about this at home with my friends and husband. you're going to leave a 13-year-old to watch a 5-year-old? i think the mother should be prosecuted for child neglect. why put your child in that kind of situation? i wouldn't have a 13-year-old

watch my dog. >> fine. separate question though because you either go after the mother or you don't. as the authorities, this is about the boy. >> sure. >> lionel tate in florida comes to mind, 12 years old, wrestling moves on the sister, same thing happens, they convict him, overturned because they didn't do a psychological evaluation on him. what is your gut instinct when they talk to this 13 years old with a psychologist, a boy who freely told them he was doing the wrestling moves, he knew that wrestling was fake, he saw his sister changed after a while so he called 911, what do you think they'll find here? >> i think they'll find a 13-year-old. i think they're going to find someone whose brain just hasn't developed. i talked to sanjay gupta about this all the time. the brain doesn't develop into an adult until the age of 25. they just don't have the impulse control at 13. when i was prosecuting cases i prosecuted child sex crimes and i was always very careful about sort of the state of mind of a

child, and again, a 13-year-old just doesn't in my view have the wherewithal to be able to watch a 5-year-old, a child. i think that's what they're going to find here. >> even if he did, this kid exhibited behavior the way he talked about it, he seemed to not have the emotional connection. he was forthright. i think they'll find some other things. >> maybe some problems. >> leave us with this, sunny, prosecuting of kids for murder, do you see it in any other country the way we see it here? >> i don't think so. i don't think so. we do see it here an awful lot and i don't know what that says about our culture. we're raising kids in this violent culture, does it say we don't believe in the rehabilitation of our youth. >> we're going to follow this case, sunny hostin thank you very much. kate? >> thanks so much. i do not envy the judge having to handle this case, that's for sure. taking a turn to some wild weather out west, wildfires, the most widespread right now near the prescott national forest in arizona, hundreds have been evacuated and it is at zero

percent containment. indra petersons is tracking it for us. >> it's so unfortunate. they didn't get all the rain they were hoping for during the winter. you get toward spring and summer and look at the blazes. it doesn't take much. it is so dry fires can spark quickly and unfortunately as heat and winds pick up they're spreading quicker. 90 degrees, no critical fire danger in that area today but temperatures at 90 degrees may be normal but not good if there's a fire present. humidity low at 8%. there is hope in the forecast as the dome of high pressure pushes to the east, okay it's high pressure, it's still warm, that's not good. it is. the winds will pull moisture out of the gulf. i know sometimes we have more moisture kick in the area. its zae zero percent, not great. >> even 24 hours with the fires, absolutely. thanks so much. coming up on "new day," we're one on one with lebron james. big question of course, will the

heat win? almost as big, will he wear the head band in game seven or not? does it bring him luck? >> oh, the head band. >> learn the name slick watts. what does that mean? >> i don't know. >> you'll see when we come back. [ jennifer garner ] why can't powerful sunscreen feel great? actually it can. neutrogena® ultra sheer. its superior uva uvb protection helps prevent early skin aging and skin cancer, all with the cleanest feel. it's the best for your skin. neutrogena® ultra sheer.

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♪ we love the music here. we love it, we love it. >> we love the music. >> can you see the word chris clearly identified? >> go for it. no, you go for it. >> welcome back to "new day," everybody. i'm kate bolduan. >> i'm chris cuomo, it's thursday, june 20th. >> i guess that leaves me michaela pereira. with that we know. >> michaela is here with the top news happening at this hour. >> good morning to the two of you and good morning to you at home. the entertainment world reeling over the death of emmy and golden globe winner james gandolfini. the man who made him a household name by casting him in the role of tony soprano, david chase. "he's one of greatest actors of this or any time. he wasn't easy sometimes but he

was my partner and he was my brother in ways i can't explain and never will be able to explain." gandolfini was just 51 been first time the fbi admits it has been using drones in the u.s.. robert mueller said yesterday it does not happen over and he said the agency is developing guidelines for their use. after mueller's testimony the fbi said in a statement that drones are only used in situations that might put law enforcement officers at risk. new this morning, the senate may be inching closer to an immigration deal. cnn has learned a bipartisan group of senate negotiators could announce an agreement as early as today, that specifically toughens border security mandates, something gop hardliners have been insisting on so now the reform bill may become more attractive to republicans. check out some crazy video from russia. subway in st. petersburg on the

move, despite the doors being wide open. what's even more weird the passengers don't seem to be fazed at all by it, even getting cautiously closer to take a look. we insist it would not happen in new york because, a, it would prevent kate from ever getting on a subway. >> especially going through the tunnels, that would be shocking. >> also make me very dizzy. >> well, that's true. >> what not to do when the door is open on the subway, go stick your head out take a look. >> it's open door tuesday, just going to ride it like this. >> the true express. moving on now, he is about to play what could be the defining game of his career. rachel nichols sat down with the miami heat's lebron james to talk about the pressure of tonight's game seven against the spurs, and she got the king james version of the love affair with his head band. rachel's live in miami. when i think head band i go back to slick watts from the

supersonics in the '70s. he brought them into vogue, right? >> that's because you are old and the rest of us are not. >> thank you, rachel. well done. >> thank you, thank you very much. >> the head band, chris, that has been part of he wilebron ja. late in game six it fell off and it had the opposite effect, lebron's game kicked into another level and he saved his team from elimination. we talked about that and what it felt like when the game did look so over that officials started getting his arena prepared to give the championship trophy to someone else. with about a minute to go in game six, security guards come out, they start putting that yellow tape around the floor, they get ready to wheel that championship trophy in, goive to the spurs. >> we felt like that was basically burying us alive, throwing dirt on us before it was over but at the end of the day, there's still more game to play. let's finish this game and see

what happens. >> we have to talk about the head band, of course, i have one here for you. i don't know if you recognize this. this is your old friend. you usually keep this guy next to you at all times. you wear him. >> he's a little mad at me right now. we haven't talked to him in a few hours. i haven't not played with it, and it's so long. >> dwyane wade said am i going to talk him into not wearing it in game seven, can you give us the exclusive? >> i don't know. i don't know. it's a very tough decision. i got to decide if i'm going to wear it or not wear it. i think i will. he's been a part of this journey, the ups and downs of my career so far, so we'll see what happens. >> no man left behind? >> no man left behind. >> how much of a game seven is about xs and os and how much is about heart? >> i think it's all heart. at the end of the day, xs and os, coaches put new position to succeed but you got to go out and do it. it's about hard determination at this point and which team is

going to win the victory. >> and reunite you with your friend. >> sorry, buddy. i still love you. >> a little fun there from lebron. we'll have a more in-depth conversation later in the show. that gives you insight, guys, into the approach he's taking. for example, lebron said he was doing plenty of game film, pregame prep in the 24 hours leading up to tonight but also trying to keep things light. he ended up planning to work "spongebob squarepants" with his two sons the night before game seven preparation. he said he was going to get butterflies and have a nervous stomach because he knew how big a deal this moment was going to be. >> i think that's some reverse psychology. he's saying he's watching "spongebob squarepants" for the spurs but really watching tape. >> spongebob shooting shots.

patriots tight end aaron hernandez already under scrutiny in a massachusetts murder investigation. now he's linked to another shooting incident. we'll hear from the victim's family next hour. i am an american success story.

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and welcome back to "new day". time for a check of what's happening around the world. rescue workers in northern india are scrambling to save about 70,000 people stranded by floods. cnn's malika kapu has more. >> reporter: rains have ravaged this mountainous port of north india leaving many dead, tens of thousands trapped, many pilgrims who have come to pray at four hindu shrines. bridges and roads swept away. military helicopters are dropping emergency supplies and food, evacuating people and performing the grim task of pulling out dead bodies. the death toll is expected to rise over the next few days. kate, back to you. >> mallika, thank you, terrifying video there. to brazil, massive protests in recent days may have paid

off. let's check in with shasta darlington in sao paolo. >> reporter: a major week after nationwide protests. sao paolo and rio de janeiro agreed to cancel the increases but there's no guarantee that will end the protests. it could end up sending even more people onto the streets. back to you, kate. >> shasta thank you. to london where max foster has the latest on plans for the arrival of the royal baby of course, due this summer. >> this was the hospital where princess diana famously presented prince william to the world for the very first time and it's also where the duchess of cambridge wants to have her baby i'm told naturally although these things are never predictable of course. the couple don't know the sex of the baby. they want to keep it as a surprise and already the media are parked out here. hopefully see you, kate, here, sometimes in mid-july. >> i'll be there, that's for

sure. whenever it happens. the chicago blackhawks pulled even in the stanley cup finals with a thrilling overtime win over the bruins but of course in the sports world, tonight is really about the nba finals. >> the nba. >> let's bring in andy scholes our buddy with this morning's "bleacher report." what do you ahave? >> the stanley cup finals the previous two games combined chicago managed to score only one goal but they broke through in a big way in game four. total 11 goals were scored in this game. we'll show you all of them. this was a pretty much must win for the blackhawks. they led this game, 1-0, 4-2 and 5-4 but each time the bruins found a way to fight back and tie the score and for the third time in the series they would need overtime to decide the outcome. in the extra period it would be defenseman brent seabrook here with the game winning goal for the blackhawks. this series tied at 2-2. game five is back in chicago

saturday night. >> xusing series my goodness. nba finals big time game seven tonight. of course in game six the heat needed an amazing comeback in the final seconds to force overtime and it was a comeback that many heat fans missed because they gave up on the team and left the arena. miami forward chris bosh talked to the media and has a message to the fans who left early. >> for all those guys who left, make sure they don't come to game seven. we only want the guys who are going to stay in the building for the whole game. you know, and you never give up. if people gave up on us, then they can stay where they are and watch the game at home. >> wow. >> sometimes it's just about traffic. >> oh, man. >> it is about traffic but bosh smackdown there, my goodness. >> who wins, andy, who wins? >> it's only been five game sevens in the past 35 years and the home team has won all five of those games so you got to think the heat are going to take

this game tonight. >> all right, all right. >> thank you very much. >> staying up late, thanks, andy. >> very good stuff. so coming up on "new day" a medical miracle. this little boy born deaf hears his daddy's voice for the first time. you're going to want to stick around for this. >> you absolutely are. plus much more on the passing of actor james gandolfini, we'll talk with two of his "sopranos" co-stars in moments. [ female announcer ] are you sensitive to dairy?

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...and we inspected his brakes for free. -free is good. -free is very good. [ male announcer ] now get 50% off brake pads and shoes at meineke. president obama's approval rating has dropped eight points over the past month, down to 40% his lowest in more than a year and a half but obama is not letting it get him down. he's finding out whose approval he's lost, track them down using their e-mail and phone records and personally win them back. yes! there you go. >> a new report predicts the senate's immigration bill will reduce the deficit by $200 billion. when they heard this, even republicans were like, hola! >> it has been a tough couple weeks for the president. he has taken the hits and again and again and again.

>> i'm trying to think he was funnier. i usually say jimmy but i think jay won last night. let's start with our political gut check the important stories coming out of washington. cnn is learning the senate might, might have a compromise on the big immigration bill, working so hard and long on. let's break it down with john king, cnn's chief national correspondent in washington. you've been talking about the search for immigration reform for i don't know a decade now? >> kate, chris and michaela good morning to you. we've also talked about potential deals in the past and when they try to put them on paper they collapse. in an e-mail conversation moments ago with the top senate republican aide i was told they think this one is real. the key issue is border security. we've spent a lot of time talking about can you get a path to citizenship with the estimated 11 million people undocumented in the united states who came here illegally, this is a big irve u. before you get to that in the senate version and the house they have to answer conservative concerns about border security. what are they talking about?

a lot more money for border security, building more of the fence, more technology and surveillance at the border, so more money, more resources on border security and they're hoping that is the gateway to getting a deal on some of the other thorny issues. they could put this on paper today and a vote next week. >> sounds like it will increase the price tag. even if it passes the senate the big question is always does this have a chance in the house? >> right, the house is more conservative, that path to citizenship is a much bigger question mark in the house. certainly they don't want to do as much as the president does, even as mark yo rubio in the senate, house conservatives say the path to citizenship is too generous. if you can get a bill through the senate that passes with 70, 75 votes that dramatically increases the chances in the house. if something creeps out of the senate with 52, 53, conservatives in the house will try to kill it. >> we go back and forth about the house and the senate but the end of the day, 62% of the people who were polled say that border security is their main influence when it comes to immigration.

that means they have to show leadership in washington to go past where the people's heads are here, that's not something we've seen in abundance so a good test for them. >> the numbers are very important, and i want to ask you quick, john, about the president's big trip he has been on, his big visit to berlin talking about very big issues but compared to 2008 when he was candidate obama, not as much of a big crowd that was there to listen to him speak. do you think this is simply the difference of candidate obama and being president or do you think this shows he has bigger issues with the international community? >> it's all of the above in the sense that the whole world was asking the question we were asking the united states in 2008. is the united states really about to elect an african-american as its president? that was part of the buzz. has to be deflating. he walked out there in 2008, you see the. ic tours and it's wow, an enormous crowd and such an important place in the world, then he comes out yesterday and it's a good crowd but a couple thousand people as opposed to tens of thousands of people, has to be a bit deflating. part of that is, it's a different moment. he's already made the history

and part of it as you said in germany they keep hearing the nsa is eavesdropping here, paying attention to our people, the european economy, so tough issues, much tougher being president than running for president. >> the president then a candidate he was going to dresden, there was so much history around it there and there was a lot of newness for german/u.s. relations with respect to what happened during the war. the irs also, john, the tea party demonstration. could this be the resurgence of the tea party grasping on to the irs issue, getting that populist momentum behind them? >> a huge and important question as we get closer and closer to the 2014 midterm campaign. in 2010 remember, first we saw the tea party emerge as a protest movement. you saw the large demonstrations in washington and around the country. taxed enough already, complaining about spending, complaining about the size of government in washington. we didn't know in early 2010 if it would be a potent political movement. the tea party proved it was in 2010. bigger question mark after 2012.

does the irs controversy juice them back up and make them a force in 2014? the republican party sure hopes so. >> they can be sure the republican party hopes they can use all the help they can get and they know that as well. john king thank you so much. we'll talk to you soon. we want to hear your thoughts. check us out on twitter, facebook or go to the website newdaycnn.com. >> it's a little tricky. good music transition. when you hear the music that means it's time for the "rock block" quick tour of the interesting headlines topping the morning papers and the web from health to science to business and beyond. what do you have, michaela? >> let us say. families facing a growing health crisis. 39% of adults in our nation are caring for someone with significant health challenges, from the detroit news the american medical association wants to ban advertising on energy drinks aimed at kids and teens. doctors say the drinks simply contain too much caffeine for

those under 18. and in "the miami herald" forget about pencils and papers. miami-dade county approved a plan to get a laptop or tablet into the hands of all 350,000 of its students by 2015. these kids are so far advanced compared to what we were. >> forget it. you know what? what better way to spend money. >> for the tools in their hands. >> money, segue, time for christine romans, has all the business news we need. christine? >> speaking of money, we're talking about another sell-off on wall street, dow futures down 100 points that, would add to yesterday's 200 point drop. home prices dropping 5.5% in may. new study from zillow says prices are up 20%. call it a $380 million baby bump, the amount of money the royal baby is expected to generate for the british economy, $380 million. kate's baby is due in a few

weeks. >> the duchess says, you're welcome great britain. indra petersons is in the weather center with what you need to know before you're out the door. >> we have tropical storm barry out there expected to make landfall in veracruz, mexico. from the northeast to southeast, beautifully warm, temperatures going up and staying that way through the weekend. if you are looking for the rain we have a severe risk through minnesota and iowa. beautiful weather, big chunk of extremes. we are at the top of the hour, time for the top news. if heaven exists what would you like to hear god say when you arrive at the pearly gates? >> take over for a while, i'll be right back. >> this morning, "sopranos" star james gandolfini has died while traveling in italy with his son. we have new details on his death and we'll talk to his "sopranos"

co-stars live. new twists, what does this patriots player know about the violent death of his alleged acquaintance? police reportedly talking to him. we hear from the victim's family this morning. and lebron, the man, the myth, the legend, sit down with our rachel nichols. the big question, will he wear his trademark head band in tonight's championship game? we've got the answers. >> your "new day" starts right now. >> announcer: what you need to know. >> it's a mystery behind what the government does that brings the mistrust. >> announcer: what you just have to see. >> daddy loves you. daddy loves you. >> announcer: this is "new day" with chris cuomo, can kate bold and michaela pereira. >> it is 7:00 in the east, in the middle of 30 minutes of

commercial free news. we start off with the death of actor james gandolfini. the 51-year-old star was best known for his role as new jersey mob boss tony soprano. >> it's like when they're little and they get sick, you'd give anything in the world to trade places with them, so they don't have to suffer. >> family, friends, fans are all mourning the intense actor this morning. he was traveling with his son when he passed away in italy after suffering an apparent heart attack wednesday. nischelle turner joins us following this story. >> reporter: we do know an autopsy will be performed tomorrow, maybe we'll get more answers into what happened here. in the meantime, fans and friends are celebrating the life of the man who made us love a mobster. the sudden death of james gandolfini rippled from italy to the jersey shore. >> i can't believe it. i'm in shock.

>> want to take him back. he was such a young man and such a nice guy. >> reporter: the emmy award winning actor's death confirmed by hbo, the network where he shot to fame as the tough talking mob boss on the hit drama "the sopranos". >> i couldn't ask for more. >> salut! >> reporter: the hbo representatives said the 51-year-old actor may have had a heart attack, though the official cause is not yet known. the news blind-sided his closest hollywood friends. "sopranos" co-star steven van zandt tweeting "i have lost a brother and best friend. the world has lost one of the greatest actors of all-time." the show's creator, david chase mourned the loss in a statement, saying "he was a genius. anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his performances knows that. he is one of the greatest actors of this or any time. a great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes." gandolfini was vacationing in

italy where he was scheduled to attend the taormina film festival in sicily later this week. the press-shy star made one of his last public appearances at this charity event for the stella adler acting studio in new york city just last week. among his last film roles was playing defense secretary leon panetta on "zero dark thirty". >> you guys ever agree on anything? >> reporter: he may have enjoyed global fame, but he never strayed far from home, new jersey. >> definitely put new jersey on the map. all positive, you know. he just made jersey better than it already is. >> reporter: one of his best known fans, new jersey governor chris christie, in a statement said in a statement "it's an awful shock. james gandolfini was a fine actor, a rutgers alum and a true jersey guy. i was a huge fan of his and the character he played so authentically, tony soprano." the ice cream shop in bloomfield, new jersey, which served as the diner setting for the final scene of "the sopranos" was overflowing with

fans after news of the actor's death spread. ♪ don't stop believing >> they kept a booth empty for him also anight. gandolfini was brought in by ambulance but he was dead on arrival. his manager just confirmed to us he was on his way to the taormina film festival in sicily and he was going to be honored with an achievement award at the festival. >> hopefully he'll still be honored even if his absence. james gandolfini's career went beyond tony soprano. he was a well respected actor who also starred on broadway and in movies as you see nischelle's piece but to talk more about this, miguel marquez is joining us from los angeles with more on his truly incredible career. hey, miguel. >> it's just so darned sad. look, his father was a bricklayer, and a cement mason. he later became a custodian in the high school. his mother was the head lunch lady in the high school. he talked about them proudly, he wanted to play regular people

and he certainly did. >> i'm in the waste management business. everybody immediately assumes you're mobbed up. it's a stereotype and it's offensive and you're the last person i would want to perpetuate it. >> reporter: tony soprano, a mob dad with the soft spot the size of new jersey for his daughter. >> there is no mafia. all right, look, you're a grown woman, almost. some of my money comes from illegal gambling and whatnot. >> reporter: would be a nasty piece of work, profane, violent, even racist. >> i've had business associates who are black and they don't want their son with their daughters and i don't want theirs with mine. >> reporter: the thug became human, familiar, vulnerable, maybe in spite of ourselves,

likeable. >> you know not all impotence is the result of medication. >> you're saying there's something wrong with me? >> when is the last time you had a prostate exam? >> i don't even let anybody wave their finger in my face. >> reporter: in 2000 when he won his first emmy for the role. >> the emmy goes to james gandolfini. >> reporter: his reaction says it all, the son of a bricklayer makes good, his acceptance speech humble, almost shy, classic gandolfini. >> i can't really explain this except the academy has an affinity for slightly overweight bald men. >> reporter: nominated six times for his portrayal of tony soprano, he won three. here's how the former bouncer and nightclub manager described the character on his first win. >> he tries to do the right thing and screws everything up. kind of like a ralph cramden "honeymooners" thing, just more dangerous. that's all. >> reporter: the new jersey native had range, spot on as then cia director

leon panetta in "zero dark thirty" and all too believable as new york city mayor in "the taking of pelham one, two, three." >> what happened? >> someone just hijacked a six train. it's stopped in the tunnel between 51st and 42nd. >> another idiot with a gun. >> reporter: he could play wickedly funny, nominated for a tony for his role in brooklyn parent in "god of carnage." >> your virtue went straight out the window when you decided to be a killer. >> i absolutely did not murder the hamster. >> reporter: or the general in the british comedy "in the loop." >> how's the pentagon? >> it's kicked up a little. they're talking invasion reasonably seriously. >> reporter: his interest in the military went beyond fiction producing two hbo documentaries about the effects of war on the men and women who fight them. he visited troops in both iraq and afghanistan. here he is from a uso tour in 2010. >> i like coming out here to the bases. i think it's a good change of pace for the guys and ladies, and i know that it makes me

appreciate the whole thing more. >> reporter: twice married with two kids, gandolfini mostly stayed away from the limelight. he spoke to james lipton in 2004. >> finally, jim, if heaven exists what would you like to hear god say when you arrive at the pearly gates? >> take over for a while, i'll be right back. no, no, no. >> that's it, you dare not change it. >> no. >> it's too good, it's too good. >> think of the possibilities. >> reporter: gandolfini who spent part of his younger years in naples, italy, he was set to win an award at the taormina film festival in sicily. saying good-bye won't be easy. maybe the saddest part of all of this, his youngest daughter, lilliana, is less than a year old. she will never know her father, sadly and the taormina film festival said they had talked to him, he was ready to come and

they're quickly preparing a memorial for him at that film festival. kate and chris back to you two. >> thank you. joining us two of the stars of ""the sopranos"" frank vincent from ft. lauderdale and vincent curatolli, best known as johnny sack, from new jersey. thank you for joining us both. we keep talking about your friend, james gandolfini as an actor but the more we learn the more we learn about him as a man. please, frank, starting with you, as a man, as a friend, what made jim gandolfini so special? >> well, i guess the truth of the matter is that jim was a very humble guy, and he had no airs about him and he just did what he had to do and he put it all out there and that's what i think made him great. he was as down to earth as anybody could be. he would do anything for you, if you asked him to do you a favor or you needed something, he was right there, and it's a tragic

loss that we have, we lost this guy because he was a great, great actor and great friend. >> i'm sorry for both of you for your loss. i know it's not easy. you did care about the man very much. vincent, the generosity, we hear about that, but that it was special with jim gandolfini. he never forgot where he grew up with. when he had money he would give money. >> i think he was probably someone that would never be understood if it was made public. we go back a long time with him, and hakkensack university medical center, i'm on the board, he was very generous, all the time, you know, three, four, five times a year and i'd find about it through the back door. he never wanted the light shown on him. he's sweet and steady. he didn't have that up and down

personality. he was level-headed and dependable, and just, you know, just a sweet guy. sweet. >> vince, did you know anything about him having any health conditions or anything like that? was he okay as far as you know? >> no. i mean, i know him since 1997 -- '92 actually, met him long before the show. what am i talking about? he was always solid. as a matter of fact i was with him two and a half weeks ago, i was with him a month ago, i was with him two months ago. no, just fine, great color and as a matter of fact he had started to trim down and, no, ate wisely, lived wisely and just enjoying his wife, his baby, his son. he lit up the room when he walked in, put it that way. >> we keep hearing that. frank, when you last spoke to him, where was his head? where was his heart? where was he in his life?

>> he was just ending the show, and i know that he was looking on for other things to do, and i can see the creativeness in him, the juice was flowing and he was fine. it was him. it was the same guy we worked with and there was nothing different about him and it's hard to understand how these things happen but i guess, i guess when it's time to go, it just happens, i don't know. the world's going to miss a big guy, a great guy. >> he had a lot of life left, a lot of opportunity left. his biggest legacy is going to be his kids, of course. forget about "the sopranos". he's got his teenaged boy, his little baby girl. what are you going to tell them? what do you want them to know about their father as he continues to grow, as she comes into her own, what do you want to tell her? >> well, you're just going to tell them that the father was a good man, he was an honorable man, a generous man, and he was a very humble man, and he cared

for his friends. he loved a lot, and there's nothing that is negative that you can say to these children. i mean you wouldn't do that anyway but still, jimmy was a very unique guy, a very talented guy with a tremendous range of ability, and like i said before, it's tragedy that happened here. >> if you can tell his little daughter one story about her father, what are you going to tell her? >> who's that? >> who has the better story? >> go ahead, frank. >> go ahead, john. go ahead, john. >> oh, all right. >> these are tough questions. >> very tough questions. you know, i mean he'll speak for himself, all of his, i mean her mother, deborah lynn, just a sweet girl, knew jimmy for many, many years. before they got married they were great friends before they got married and i'm sure that

she'll just continue the legacy. look at everything he's done with our troops, our wounded warriors. these are things that are above and beyond the fact that he's jim gandolfini, the tremendously talented actor. there are other aspects of his life that his children are going to know about, his 13-year-old son, michael, sweet boy. as a matter of fact i remember the day he was born. there are other things besides his talent as a craftsman. that light will never go out. that kind of energy there never disappears. it just changes form. >> go ahead, frank. >> the kids are going to grow up seeing their father through the character that he portrayed. unfortunately, that wasn't the real him but that's the only reference they're going to have especially the little girl. the boy has set time with jim, but unfortunately the little girl is not going to have that privilege to know her own father and again it goes back to the

same thing, it's, it's too bad. >> well having the friends like you around she's going to know quickly her father was the opposite of tony soprano. frank vincent, vince curatola thanks very much. our hearts go out to you, sorry for your loss and the loss for his wife and kids. thank you for sharing with us today. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> vinnie, take care of yourself. >> you too, my friend, thank you. >> bye-bye. >> take cares, fellas, thank you. >> what you heard from his friends he had a huge personality on camera but off camera sweet, humble, very quiet and press shy person off camera. we're learning much more about james gandolfini this morning and also wanted to talk to chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta about what we know about the medical condition and more importantly the big questions of what we still don't know and what we want to find out. >> when you hear about something like this happening, obviously from a medical perspective, there are things that are going to be more likely to have caused

his too early death and heart disease and heart attack and specifically something known as a sudden cardiac arrest, so when you talk about a heart attack, what you're really talking about is not getting enough blood flow to the heart but what really causes the problem is arrhythmia, where the heart's electrical pattern just starts to be out of order and that's sort of what you heard from the statement from hbo as a possible cause. >> and because we get a clue it was maybe a sudden heart attack because the hospital says that he was dead before he even arrived at the emergency room. >> that's right. they say at least an hour i think is what i read before he got to the emergency room, and in italy, i learned yesterday that if someone dies outside the hospital, that means an automatic autopsy, which is going to be performed. >> so he is so young. you told us last hour that around 60 is when the average kind of heart attack risk sets in. he's 51 when he passed. what in your mind, if there's

men out there listening to this, what are the big risk factors that could contribute to having a heart attack at such a young age? >> this is an important question. when you say average heart attack occurs around mid-60s, about 10% of people have heard attacks before the age of 45, significant number happened in their 50s as well so it certainly can happen. people are talking a lot about his weight but more importantly the doctors are going to want to know did he have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes. his family history is so important, even things like sleep apnea can increase your risk. so these are all factors and again as you point out, kate, we don't know. i'm a neurosurgeon. could this have been an aneurysm for example in the brain that we simply don't know, but they are going to probably find some answers as a result of this autopsy. also they check the blood, see if there's any toxins or anything in the blood, any drugs that could have contributed to this. >> regardless, no solace to his family but good to get the medical information out of there. dr. sanjay gupta thank you so much. we're going to have much

more on this in our next hour with larry king, host of "larry king now" he'll be joining to us talk about james gandolfini. let's turn right now another big story we're following this morning and michaela has all of it for us, so what do you have? >> all right, chris and kate thanks so much. the government's vetting process for top security clearances facing scrutiny in washington. senate committee also hear testimony today about serious problems within the office of personnel management's investigative services program. in the opening testimony, obtained by cnn, the inspector general will say 18 investigators and researchers have been convicted and many more cases are pending. two new york men arrested in a bizarre and chilling plot, the fbi says they worked to develop a mobile x-ray system that would be used from a distance to silently kill people they deemed undesirable with dangerous levels of radiation. glen crawford and eric feiche

face weapons of ma destruction charges. rain and mudslides in india, a river is sweeping away a house in nepal. first the building suffers a partial collapse and then falls straight, crumbling into the river and there it topples. in health news the hpv vaccine is credited for a dramatic drop in infection rates in teenage girls in the u.s. according to federal officials. since the vaccine was introduced in 2006 the prevalence of dangerous strains has dropped by half. the dangerous strains of hpv aren't just the most commonly transmitted infections but also a main cause of cervical cancer. and finally, it may not be okay and we are saying this, it is not okay to break up via post-it note or text or any other twitter, but how about a post-it note proposal? this is a great story. brett boytlor from colorado

pulled it off in a pretty romantic way. he covered the entire wall with different colored post-its, will you marry me? he wrote "i love you" on all 8,000 of them. fortunately the sticky trick worked. she said yes. look at that. changed her facebook status, and they're getting married. >> the whole wall is post-it notes. >> all the way back to the ceiling and around windows. dad apparently helped because that's a two-person job. >> all right, guys, step it up. he's setting the bar pretty high. >> maybe a little too high. that may have been a little obsessi obsessive. >> not really expensive. >> come on. >> i didn't say expensive, obsessive. >> i like those kind of things, i have the touch of romance. >> setting the high bar. you're setting a high bar my friend. congratulations. >> good luck to both of you. caught on tape a waterspout in grand isle, louisiana. the national weather service

reports some minor damage but look at the video, including a downed power line as the spout stayed mostly out over the water. indra petersons is here with exactly what is going on. >> so incredible. we did not have a risk. the radar from that time there's pretty much nothing going on, a couple cells and bam, that quickly, that's how fast you saw that develop so this is the power of mother nature. unfortunately that can happen and we still have a slight risk out there. yes, it is hurricane season, started june 1st and we have barry today, now this time it's not affecting the east coast nor the u.s. but it is off of mexico expected to make landfall just northwest of veracruz, mexico. it's moving at 5 miles per hour, it's moving west rather than back into the gulf where it could strengthen and go back to the u.s.. heavy rains, 5 to 10 inches possible for them. temperatures in the 80s, we're

not looking for rain and we talked about the waterspout today, looking for the severe weather from the dakotas, minnesota and iowa. >> a lot going on this week. i guess it is as always, get used to it. indra thanks so much. coming up on "new day" a murder mystery in massachusetts, and an up and coming nfl star is being interviewed by police. plus, you've heard the old expression, "mess with the bull, you get the horns"? well it comes true in bizarre fashion with this bizarre bull fight. we'll tell you what's going on. >> had a red shirt on. red shirt. wearing a red shirt? >> avoid the red. look at that. >> what did you do at work today? i had to wrestle this bull. >> there was this bull on my way into class. >> that's why i was late. that's a lot of bull. i want to make things more secure.

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they're coming. yeah. british. later. sorry. ok...four words... scarecrow in the wind... a baboon... monkey? hot stew saturday!? ronny: hey jimmy, how happy are folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico? jimmy: happier than paul revere with a cell phone. ronny: why not? anncr: get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. welcome back, everybody to "new day". the supreme court is expected to make new decisions today that could affect three landmark equality issues, affirmative

action, voting rights and same-sex marriage. we bring in jeffrey toobin. >> it's the nerd super bowl. this is it. this is the big one. >> you say nerd super bowl every june. >> it's true. so you know all my material. that's true. >> no but you're right it is the new super bowl. >> jeffrey, i've learned so much from you over the years covering trials together. affirmative action and voting rights act. even out the playing field by definition affirmative action was meant to be temporary. we did have one big case that rolled back quotas. now dealing with pre-clearance issues of places where they have to ask for the ability to change their voting laws. there's a lot of push on both of these issues that it's time for change. what do you snee. >> see? >> this is a special interest of chief justice john roberts he said the country has changed. we do not want to make these racial preferences permanent, and so he is going to be a major

force for trying to roll back these initiatives. the question is, does he have five votes. in all of these cases we have five republicans and four democrats and anthony kennedy, the justice in the middle, will probably be the swing vote in all four of these major cases. same-sex marriage, the two cases, affirmative action and voting rights. >> even though it is about the law a little bit of pressure, political, historical, to be voting on doing something negative about affirmative action, the voting rights act. they are such seminal parts of our culture. >> is it outdated, right. >> it's one thing to say that racial progress has been made, but when you talk about the voting rights act of 1965, a law widely considered the most successful civil rights law in history, it's going to be very -- i'm not sure the court recognizes just what a backlash there might be if they strike it down, which they well might. >> i want to talk about the two huge cases related to same-sex

marriage. we could talk about this for an hour. the defense of marriage act, the case on that and also on proposition 8 out of california. these deal with two separate issues, both very important, and depending on how it's decided could create a lot of confusion for everyone in this country. what do you think is the most likely outcome in these two cases? >> boy, you know, i think it's very hard to predict, in part because there are so many moving parts in these cases. they could do so many different things. there are lots of procedural routes that could allow them to duck the tough issues. i think the most important question, though, is will the defense of marriage act still stand. this has so many practical implications for people's lives. there are so many gay married coupled in the 12 states that have it who can't file joint federal tax returns, who can't get social security survivor's benefits, very practical stuff that depends on whether defense of marriage act stands or falls. that's the one. >> it's a lot easier for them to

strike down doma than it is to tell all the states that you have to allow gay marriage. >> absolutely. here on west 58th street, same-sex marriage looks very different than it does in alabama. we talk about how much the country has changed but it's a very, there are great regional differences on this question. so 10:00 today. >> that's right. >> and then 10:00 monday, and probably one more day next week. >> we'll see. >> we will see. >> and you will be here. >> i will be here. >> jeffrey toobin, i remind our viewers the author of the book "the oath: the obama white house versus the supreme court." thank you. >> thank you very much. another big story we're watching, police investigating a possible homicide in massachusetts, made a second stop wednesday at the home of a new england patriot, a body was found this week less than a mile away from the home of tight end aaron hernandez and police reportedly questioned him but he's currently not a suspect. bit confusing but our john berman is here with more on really what's going on, john?

>> kate, it is confusing. there are reports the two men may have been seen together at the boston nightclub the night before and now there are questions for aaron hernandez that pro bowl tight end, in two separate incidents, each resulting in someone being shot, and one of them fatally. this is the first time we're seeing the new england patriots tight end, aaron hernandez, outside his massachusetts home, as investigators search for answers to a mysterious murder. media, neighbors and tourists flood the streets outside his north attleboro home while nearby, police sift through the woods for clues, clues that could shed some light on what happened to 27-year-old oden lloyd, a victim of homicide, found dead in this industrial park less than a mile away from the 23-year-old's star football player's home. >> kid came up knocking on the window saying he saw somebody laying down, not moving. my boss and i went down there and saw a guy dead there.

>> he was not buried. he was just lying there as if he was either dropped there or killed there. >> reporter: "the boston globe" quotes sources that say hernandez and the victim may have been seen together at a boston club the night before lloyd's body was found. police have not released the cause of lloyd's death but according to boston's wbz, law enforcement sources say he was shot. his death leaving his family and friends reeling with grief. >> my son is a wonderful child. he's a family guy, and he has not done anything to hurt anyone. >> my brother's my keeper, that's all i can say. he's always had my back through anything, and you know, it's just tough that he's not here. i hope that we find out who did it. >> reporter: police visited the home of hernandez twice this week but "sports illustrated" reports they have not named him as a suspect. an attorney for hernandez provided this statement to cnn,

"out of respect for that ongoing investigation process, neither we nor aaron will have any comment about the substance of that investigation until it has come to a conclusion." this murder mystery unfolding in massachusetts while down in miami another man, alexander bradley, has filed a lawsuit against the patriots player, alleging hernandez shot him after they left a strip club together in february. now that lawsuit was dismissed monday over an error in the initial paperwork, but bradley's attorney told cnn it will be refiled. now in the current investigation, the police are asking for the public's help in locating a silver mirror cover which is believed to have been broken off a vehicle and may be visible along the route of travel between dorchester, that's in boston, and north attleboro, allegedly where the murder took place. hernandez is of course headed into his second year of a five-year, $40 million contract. >> i'm still confused about how

this all goes together. >> police are saying, police not saying he is a suspect but i don't think he's been ruled out yet. there's a lot of questions left. >> all right. don't judge until we get more of the facts. coming up on "new day" we go back to a regular sports story. rachel nichols goes one on one with lebron james on the eve of his biggest game of his career, game seven and his signature head band. and also coming up there's a little bit of bull fighter in all of us, right? you are wrong and you may not believe what one guy did when he came face-to-face with a bull. where else, in the street. >> as usual the words run away come to mind. ♪ norfolk southern what's your function? ♪ ♪ hooking up the country helping business run ♪ ♪ trains! they haul everything, safely and on time. ♪ tracks! they connect the factories built along the lines. and that means jobs, lots of people, making lots and lots of things. let's get your business rolling now, everybody sing.

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♪ alicia keys sing being the best city in the world. here we are back on "new day," you're looking at new york city, i'm drinking out of my "new day" cup which you could have in there. >> there's nothing in there, i'm

kidding. >> i'm a beautiful actor, a glass of nothing. >> and humble. >> i'm chris cuomo and i drink nothing. >> i'm kate bolduan and we're here with michaela pereira. >> all the revelation this is morning. >> a lot is coming out today. coming up, lebron james getting ready for one of the biggest games of his career. he talks one on one with rachel nichols about tonight's nba finals game seven. >> beautiful. do you have a pulse? yes. then you are going to care about this story. deaf toddler hearing his father's voice for the first time. listen when he hears it. can you imagine, can you imagine what it is for that boy for his family? we're going to talk with dr. sanjay gupta about the fascinating science of how this was made possible, lots of news for you this morning. let's get to it right now. michaela pereira. >> such a moving story. all right in our headlines now updating you on the sudden death of emmy and golden globe award winner james gandolfini. an autopsy scheduled for

tomorrow. the italian hospital where "the sopranos" star rushed for treatment saying he was dead on arrival. the hospital says neither diplomatic authorities nor family members have contacted the morgue. gandolfini's manager says he likely died of a heart attack. at the top of the hour we'll talk with larry king about james gandolfini. fbi director robert mueller confirms his agency is using drone surveillance aircraft within the united states. he told the senate judiciary committee the fbi uses drones in a minimal way in certain difficult cases. the fbi director didn't say how many drones the bureau has or how often they're used. 2003, miss america erica harold is the target of harsh words from a local republican party chairman in illinois. harold is a republican candidate for congress. in a letter to a could be conservative website jim allen called her a streetwalker whose pimps are the democratic party and rhino republicans and she

called her the love child of the dnc and took shots at her platform which advocates against school bullying. the pregnant actress accused of sending ricin tainted letters to president owe ba many and new york mayor michael bloomberg expected in court today. shannon richardson said her husband did it and then said he made her do it. her husband has forgiven her for trying to frame him but still going to divorce her. here is the story, a spanish man wearing red takes down a 450-pound bull only he's not a matador and it didn't happen at a bull fight. it happened in the middle of a busy street. the story from erin mclaughlin. >> reporter: they may charge through the streets of pamplona for the annual running of the bulls. what's less common a bull that was supposed to be shipped to the slaughterhouse wandering down the streets of malaga, spain. at one point the animal charged

into the tire of the moving car. >> translator: the bull lunged at a car and the bull was already a bit dazed. >> reporter: believe it or not he's not the only bull that has gone wild this year. >> watch out! >> reporter: dash cam video shows the moment a state trooper jumped onto the hood of a cruiser to avoid a bull on the loose in florida. the bull didn't tap horns and no one was seriously hurt. the bystanders in malaga were also lucky. the bull makes one final charge, this time at its owner. that's the guy in the red shirt who pulls it to the ground. small crowd piles on top of the animal. "tie its feet, tie its feet," he screams. local media reports two police officers sustained minor injuries during the ordeal. erin mclaughlin, cnn, london. >> apparently there's a school nearby so it's very fortunate there weren't kids on the street at the time. that could have been more

catastrophic for sure but pretty terrifying. bull on the loose. >> i think the state trooper had it right, jumping on the hood of the car and get out of there. >> should not have let it known it was on its way to the slaughterhouse. that's why it got angry. >> i think it might be angry all the time though. >> maybe so. >> we have to do bull research after this. it is winner take all tonight for the nba title. lebron james says game seven against the spurs will be all about heart. rachel nichols sat down with the heat star and joins us live from miami. it's all about heart. does he believe his team has it and why, rachel? >> absolutely. no question. he's got heart and he's got a head band. the must have part of lebron james' look but late in game six lebron's heat team was losing, his head band fell off and suddenly actually it was the opposite of sampson and his hair. lebron saved his team from elimination. love those stories. we talked about that and just what it felt like the other night when the spurs still had a lead with 30 seconds to go, and the nba started getting ready to give them the trophy.

with about a minute to go in game six, security guards come out, they start putting that yellow tape around the floor, they get ready to wheel that championship trophy in, give it to the spurs. lot of your guys on the team said that clicked with them, gave them extra motivation. >> we felt like that was basically burying us alive, throwing dirt on us before it was over. at that point it was nine months down the drain. all those thoughts and feelings creep into you as a human being, i mean everyone. at the end of the day let's finish this game out and see what happens. we felt we still had an opportunity to make a game out of it, and you know, a couple mistakes here, a couple plays, a couple breaks, a little bit of luck, forced overtime. >> does it feel if you don't win a tight tell is nine months down

the drain? >> absolutely. i understand it's a process and you know, i try to get better each and every day, but i'm here for one reason, that's to win championships. >> and we have to talk about the head band, of course. i have one here for you. i don't know if you recognize this. this is your old friend. you usually keep this guy next to you at all times. you wear him. >> he's a little mad at me right now. we haven't talked to him in a few hours. i haven't not played with it, in so long. >> dwyane wade said am i going to talk him into not wearing it in game seven, can you give us the exclusive here? >> i don't know. i don't know. it's a very tough decision. i got to decide if i'm going to wear it or not wear it. i think i will. he's been a part of this journey, the ups and downs of my career so far, so we'll see what happens. >> no man left behind? >> no man left behind. >> how much of a game seven is about xs and os and how much is about heart? >> i think it's all heart. at the end of the day, xs and

os, coaches put you in position to succeed but you have to go out there and do it. we know what they're running, they know what we're running. we know all of their strengths and weaknesses and everything. it's about hard determination at this point and which team is going to win the victory. >> and reunite you with your friend. >> sorry, buddy. i still love you. >> you see lebron having some fun there. it's been interesting to see his evolution up close the past few years. we saw him on the nba finals stage two years ago, he was so worried about the criticism he faced by cleveland uptight. after he lost he decided it's a game, he was going to have a good time so accordingly last night he said he was going to watch "spongebob squarepants" with his two sons and appreciate game seven for what it is. he said "the moment will be grand." >> did he mention slick watts the guy who brought the head band into fashion in the '70s in

the nba? >> i don't think he was born then. >> i'm telling you, you track this down, you're the sports reporter. you know all these guys, slick watts was his inspiration, he shaved his head and started wearing the head band. remember i told you that. just sayin'. >> we will remember all of the things you tell us, chris. >> you will never remember. rachel nichols thank you very much. enjoy the game tonight. >> thanks, rachel. >> thank you, guys. coming up next on "new day," a 13-year-old boy is facing murder charges in louisiana for the death of his 5year-old half sister. the boy says he was working on his wwe style wrestling moves. and just in time for summer, watermelon oreos. sound good to you? >> nope. >> john berman will try a few, may try them all. milkshakes are good. ♪ bonjour ♪ je t'adore ♪ c'est aujourd'hui ♪ ♪ et toujours

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welcome back to "new day." >> we're just going to steal each other's reads all day. >> money time. christine romans is here with

all you need to know. >> asian markets down 1 to 3% this morning. dow futures down and oil is down more than $1 a barrel. bonds down. bond yields down. the dow, nasdaq, s&p 500 all fell more than 1%. ben bernanke said the fed stimulus will keep flowing but gave a road map when it will stop late this year and late next year. expect big moves in your money today. two of the world's fashion darlings have been found guilty of evading taxes, guys. dolce & gabana could reach a fine of $13 million. sold one of their brands to an oversea company to avoid paying taxes. they might not have to do prison but they might have to do house

arrest. that time of the morning. j.b. is here, john berman is here giving us the "new day" award. >> ladies and gentlemen, i give you the oreo. not just any oreo. this is a watermelon oreo, folks. a lot of controversy about this. you know, i should say, it's a watermelon flavored oreo. it is a limited edition that just hit target stores last week. generated huge discussion and debate online. one person on twitter wrote, i looked up abomination against nature in the dictionary and there was a picture of watermelon oreos. >> it is green and red. >> it's just confusing. how does someone come up with something like this. it's like pepperment beer or a

musical of battle star galactic. our first award to oreo is the why, oh, why, award. >> you know what this falls into? too many good things in a package. >> i'm going to eat it because anything in a cookie is good. >> you have to eat it the proper oreo way. i'm an oreo purest. >> after the first bite, i could get into this. >> it's like eating a jolly rancher oreo. >> i like it. >> mikey likes it. in the next hour of "new day." more tributes to the late actor james gandolfini. we'll talk with someone who knew him personally, larry king. and paula dean facing

allegations of what's the impact of obamacare? the truth is, americans are already seeing the benefits.

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. you hear that music. it's time for the rock block.

a quick trip tour of the interesting headlines topping the morning papers and the web. start us off, michaela. >> speaking of gyma hoffa still a mystery. a big dig outside detroit turned up nothing. the former teamster's boss will remain an investigation. a republican switching sides on the same-sex marriage issue. senator lisa murkowski says she supports it. and from "the l.a. times" ipads for everyone. los angeles voted last night to provide every single student in the district an ipad. that's a deal for apple worth $30 million. >> i love seeing it. love seeing the kids get a leg up. time for nischelle turner. >> she's no longer hannah montana. miley cyrus showing she is all grown up. her new video for "we can't stop" premiered wednesday. it has close to 500,000 views.

black sabbath has their new album. no word yet on who is going to play christian grey. >> so many women waiting for that movie to come out. indra petersons is in the weather center with what you need to know before you head out the door. looks like it is about to make landfall moving to the west. heavy rain from mexico today. northeast down to the southeast. finally no rain. we're talking about sunshine. we're going to stay warm, if not warmer as we go through the weekend. a severe weather threat today for the dakotas minnesota. >> for the bulk of us. indra, thanks so much. we're now at the top of the hour, which means, of course, it is time for the top news.

>> once you go to his family, there's no getting out. this morning actor james gandolfini has died. we hear from those who knew him best, including larry king. live. the 13-year-old boy who killed his younger sister while doing professional wrestling moves on her. this deaf toddler hears his daddy's voice for the first time. our dr. sanjay gupta here with the medical breakthrough that made it all possible. your "new day" continues right now. what you need to know -- >> i am a lilt little concernede going to use the drones and then develop rules for them. >> what you just have to see. >> is he helping or making it

worse? >> we're working on that right now. >> bad teammate. >> you should be outfielder. this is "new day" with chris cuomo, kate boldua a n and michaela pereira. good morning and welcome back to "new day," everyone. it is thursday, june 20th. >> 8:00 in the east and all morning we have been hearing from people who knew and respected and loved james gandofini. >> the actor likely died of a heart attack while vacationing in italy. his teenage son was with him. gandolfini was very well known for his role as tony sopranno. >> he was also a revered stage and screen actor. let's go to miguiguel marquez rt now. it really was a complete career.

>> incredible career. shock and sadness this morning here across los angeles and across the world we're hearing from folks. this is a guy whose father was a brick layer and later became a custodian at a high school. he said he wanted to play regular people and he did that and so much more. >> i'm in the waste management business. everyone assumes you're mobbed up. it's a stereotype and it's offensive. the last person i would want to -- >> a soft spot for his daughter. >> there is no mafia. all right, look, you're a grown woman, almost. some of my money comes from illegal gambling and what not.

>> could be a nasty piece of work for fame, violence, even racist. >> i don't want their son. >> reporter: in the hands of james gandolfini he became human, familiar, vulnerable, maybe in spite of ourselves, likable. >> you know, not all impotence is a result of the medication. >> you're saying there's something wrong with me? >> when was the last time you had a prostate exam. >> reporter: in 2000 when he won his first emmy for the role. >> the emmy goes to james gandolfini. his reaction says it all. the son of a brick layer makes good. his acceptance speech humble, almost shy. classic gandolfini. >> i can't even explain this. >> reporter: nominated six times for his portrayal of tony soprano.

he won three. here's how the former bouncer and nightclub manager described the character on his first win. >> he tries to do the right thing and screws everything up by doing it. kind of like a ralph crandin. >> reporter: then as leon panetta in "zero dark 30." and all too believable new york city mayor in "pelham 123." >> another idiot with a gun. >> reporter: he could play wickedly funny nominated for "god of carnage." >> once you decided to be a killer. >> i absolutely did not murder the hamster. >> reporter: or the british comedy "in the loop." >> how is the pentagon? >> it's kicked up a little bit. >> reporter: his interest in the military went beyond fiction, producing two hbo documentaries

about the effects of war and the men and women who fight them. he visited troops in iraq and afghanistan. here he is from a uso tour in 2010. >> like coming out here to the bases. i think it's a good change of pace for the guys and the ladies and i know it makes me appreciate the whole thing more. >> reporter: twice married with two kids, gandolfini mostly stayed away from the limelight. >> finally, jim, if heaven exists, what would you like to hear god say when you arrive at the pearly gates? >> take over for a while, i'll be right back. >> that's it. you dare not change it. it's too good. >> think of the possibilities. >> reporter: he spent part of his younger years in naples, italy, was set to receive an award in sicily when he died. saying good-bye won't be easy.

>> now, italian officials say he collapsed in his hotel room. they tried to revive him there. that was not successful and he arrived at the hospital having already expired. maybe the saddest thing in all of this, he leaves behind a daughter who is less than a year old and she will never know her father. chris, kate, back to you two. >> you did a wonderful job wrapping up his strong career. >> tough to do. >> very, very true. right now gandolfini's body remains in a morgue in rome and an autopsy is set for today or the next day. the embassy they'll ask gandolfini's wife and family if they ask. let's go to dan rivers. >> he arrived at the hospital here at 10:40 local time. an ambulance and paramedics were called to his hotel and tried to revive him with no luck and

tried to revive him on the way to the hospital. he arrived and he was dead because he was dead on arrival, the law here is that they have to perform a post-mortem after 24 hours. we should get the results of that. but critically we're being told there is no sign in the initial report that there was no alcohol on his breath and this does seem a tragic case of natural causes. >> the initial stages no sign of any suspicion around his death. dan rivers in rome, keep us updated, dan. thank you so much. let's bring someone in who knew james gandolfini, chris editor from "vanity fair." thank you for joining us. not just he was an actor. what we're hearing is it was jimmy the man who made him so special. in your experience, how is that true? >> he was just very loyal. he had this big brother feeling to him. he, actors that worked with him,

i feel like they felt like they were part of the family. i know this has been talked about with the soprano's cast. but he took care of people and it's just such a tremendous loss. he never chased fame. he was really an actor and i've said this before, but actors love to me, he was an actor's actor. he just wanted to work. from that amazing tribute. he did it effortlessly on the small screen, big screen and theater. he had such incredible range. >> that's what we keep hearing, he had such dimension and such an attachment to him when people got to know him. larry king on the phone. i believe you had dinner with mr. gandolfini a few months ago. where was his life? >> first of all, stop with the mr. king. >> larry, what have you got?

>> i saw him at a big dinner honoring muhammed ali. he was very warm and gracious that night. that night we spent the whole evening together. he looked fine, he looked terrific. extremely happy. little baby girl. was going on to things. just done a pilot for hbo that they picked up. he was just about to tell me about it when the performances began. but it was completely different role than tony soprano. he was a character actor known inside the industry better than outside the industry. known in theater more than in film and here comes along a part, a once in a lifetime kind of part that makes the character/actor a star. it happened to carroll o'conn o'connor -- >> archie bunker.

>> became archie bunker. that was a comedy and it happened, sadly, to james. he greatly appreciated what a good forum. he was happy to talk about it and very happy to go on. >> when you think about, larry, when you think about jim gandolfini as a celebrity and you know that world so well, what set him apart in your mind? >> he was a regular guy. he was a noncelebrity celebrity. he never saw with entourage a regular guy. if he was on the show with you this morning, he would go have coffee with you afterward. if he had someone with him, it might have been a press person bringing him. the odds are, maybe not. he was, he was as much like a

truck driver as he was a performer, firemen. he was a blue collar guy. he was brilliant in his ways he understood comedy. i don't know if you saw "carnage." did you see him do that play? >> i did. >> brilliant play. it is four couples. two couples play four people and one couple comes to visit another couple whose son has hit their son. domestic dispute and turns hysterical and he was over the top funny. so he did perform a lot of things as good character actors do. but i think he mastered tony soprano. the role became him. they each became each other. a lot of people call him tony on the street. >> i heard -- krista, when we hear about him, generosity. you hear that about a lot of people. but i was told by somebody on

the phone who knows him well, when he got his big pay day from hbo he turned around immediately from the guys who needed him and now we have some money and he was that kind of generous. is that your kind of recollection, as well? >> it's rare you find the kind of actor that makes fame in the way that he did with tony soprano and the run of that series. the same friends he had before he was famous and continued throughout his all too short life. absolutely. he was that kind of guy. larry king says it beautifully. he was a regular guy. he didn't want to participate in the trappings of fame. he did it when it was necessary. but he would be around his friends that he had for years and it's just such, it's so sad. just taken way too soon. >> and, you know, we keep talking about his kids. you know, it's difficult because even though his teenage son was there with him, which is very hard for him and our hearts go out to him. he had this baby also now in his

new marriage, barely a year old. are you confident that jim's circle was tight enough that to help out his wife with had kid and understanding who her daddy was. that they'll be there? >> yeah, i am confident. i mean, he has a tight group of people and his wife, i mean, my heart just breaks for her and for his son and daughter. but i do think, you could even tell the acting community of those who perhaps didn't know him as well. i mean, just look at social media. the outpouring is incredible. so much respect and love for this guy. >> and thank you very much for joining us. and you, like everybody else we talked to, you didn't know about any ongoing health matters that would have made this not a surprise. this is a surprise to you, as well? >> yes, it is. i think everyone is very shocked. >> thank you very much, i appreciate it. our thanks to larry king. larry, appreciate you being on with us this morning. our hearts go out to you this morning. to the supreme court now where the justices could hand

down decisions today on three major cases that could impact so many across the country, including how you can get admitted to public universities, affirmative action, voting rights and same-sex marriage. cnn joe johns is here with the latest, including some new public opinion polls on people's views of the supreme court. hey, joe. >> that's right, kate. the latest cnn/orkc poll demonstrating on how the three big cases are on the political fault lines of the united states. first, affirmative action and college admissions. that shows most americans disapprove of affirmative action by almost 70% to 30%. but when you break it down along party lines, it's pretty clear. almost half of democrats actually approve. on the issue of the voting rights act of 1965 and whether it's necessary today and even split. half say yes, half say no. on gay marriage, slightly more approve of gay marriage. 55%, but 44% don't.

so, these are big cases before the court and they could be, affect americans across the board for many years to come. waiting here to see if we get any of those cases here today. kate? >> that's coming up in the next couple hours and we never know the impact of public opinion and the polling of what justices decide. busy day this morning, lots of news. let's get over to michaela for the top stories. >> begin with a bombshell from outgoing fbi director robert mueller, admitting publicly for the first time that the bureau has used surveillance drones within the u.s. in nsa testimony before a senate committee, mueller said drones are used in a very minimal way and very seldomly and also called the nsa surveillance programs a contributing factor. one dot among many dots for tracking terrorist plots. in about 45 minutes from now, jury selection resumes in the george zimmerman murder

trial. his defense attorney saying he expects the trial to start monday. also for the first time since jury selection began. zimmerman's parents appeared in court. the former neighborhood watch captain is on trial for killing trayvon martin last year. he claims he shot the teenager in self-defense. the naval academy has charged three shipmen with sexual assault. they are accused of raping a female student last year. all three suspects were played for navy's football team. they allegedly bragged on social media that they had sex with her while she was passed out after a night of drinking. the navy investigated the case before but did not file any charges. you know, you probably think that your landlord is a saint compared to a couple we're going to introduce you to from san francisco. tenants claim kip and nicole macy saw holes in their apartment floor building floors and soaked their belongings in ammonia and cut off their utilities and changed their lock as and even threatened to shoot them. prosecutors call the macy's the

landlords from hell. they pleaded guilty to several felonies. their landlords for the next three years, the california prison system. wonderful story here. the 6-year-old boxer named annie lost after a flash flood in arkansas found her way home almost two weeks later. the family was away when a flash flood hit. when they got back, there was damage, annie's dog bed and no annie. they mourned her for some 11 days and then suddenly they heard annie pawing at the front door. well, that's when the tears started. they always seem to find their way home. >> it's the bond, though. >> you hear about people moving twice or three times and the cat finds them. >> they find their way home. sweet, sweet story. >> good for them. steven colbert this morning like you've never seen him.

breaking character at the start of academy central program. he paid tribute to his mother who died last week at the age of 92. >> she made a very loving home for us. no fight between siblings could end without hugs and kisses. hugs never needed a reason in her house. singing and dancing were encouraged, except for the dinner table. she trained to be an actress when she was younger and would teach us how to do stage falls by pretending to faint on the kitchen floor. she was fun and i know it may sound greedy to want more days with a person who lived so long, but the fact that my mother was 92 does not diminish it, only magnifies the enormity of the room whose door has now quietly shut. her favorite memory was a young mother tucking in her children. we were the light of her life and she let us know it until the end. and that's it.

thank you for listening. >> amazingly emotional for a man known to stay in his character, but breaking in such a sweet, tender tribute to his mother. mother to 11 children. >> that's not easy for him to do on his show. he's feeling so much. >> very exposed when you do that. >> beautiful thing to do. i'm sure she'd love that he is a performer and use what he has made of himself to give back to his mother there. beautiful moment. >> great, great love for her. great affection. >> very sweet. going to take a little break now. when we come back on "new day" paula deen known for her down home cooking and now her mouth is getting her in pretty hot water. what she said that's causing so much controversy. a heart warming story. a young child, a deaf child hears sound and his father's voice for the very first time. dr. sanjay gupta has this beautiful story for you this morning.

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we'll help you get there. we know it's your videoconference of the day. hi! hi, buddy! that's why the free wifi and hot breakfast are something to smile about. book a great getaway now and feel the hamptonality welcome back to "new day." celebrity chef paula deen is defending herself after admitting years ago she used the n word. she was asked about the slur in a recent deposition. deen is being sued by the former manager of a georgia restaurant she owned. alina has more on this. what is going on? >> paula deen's attorney said this client is waiting for her day in court. not saying much publicly right now about the statements that are fueling this controversy. we all know her as the celebrity

chef. >> it's the ladies' brunch burger. >> reporter: with a flare of good old southern cooking. >> don't ever underestimate our sweet tooth. >> reporter: but paula deane is making headlines not for her work in the kitchen but for allegations of racist comments. she recently gave a videotaped deposition. according to a transcript, deen replied yes, of course, when asked if she used the n word. she used the word in a conversation with her husband after a black man burst into the bank that i was working at and put a gun to her head. within hours, deen's attorney released a statement saying his client does not condone or find the use of racial epithets acceptable. >> they're going to look at the sensational headlines. >> reporter: david johnson has meant spore than a ten years

helping celebrities deal with controversies. >> the first 48 hours are critical. how does the public react? should they just shrug their shoulders and act or is there outrage? >> look at all the butter in this kitchen. >> reporter: deen is no stranger to public criticism. in 2012 the chef known for using generous amounts of butter in her recipes announced she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. critics lashed out what they say was her unhealthy cooking style. a new program to help those dealing with the disease. johnson thinks deen will weather this latest storm. >> america is a country willing to forgive. what she has to do is somehow show that sunny side and show people that this is not the real paula deen. that these things were really taken out of context. >> johnson says controversies involving race are somewhat trickier to recover from. but still feels deen will be

able to bounce back. we have to wait and see how things will play out in the coming months, especially to see what happens with that pending civil lawsuit. >> the disaster facing her right now. thanks so much. our favorite part of "new day." you know how the news can be dark and tough and bad things happening and many of you feel that is what the media focuses on. maybe you're right. that's why here on "new day" we're doing good stuff. stories around the country and around the world that shows the goodness that is going on. candace scott is a teacher from college station texas, she is unemployed, down on her luck. all could have changed in an instant when she ran over a plastic bag on the street. in the bag, $20,000, your life is back on track. not her, she noticed a chase logo on the bag. drove it to her local branch and turned it in to a pretty shocked

employee. >> i just told her, you know, this has your bank's name on it and i just found it in the middle of the street. she said, you know, if there is anything chase can do for you, please, don't hesitate to call us. and i thought about turning around and saying, find me a job. >> remember, she's unemployed. candace did get a $500 gift card from the bank, maybe a little low. she gave you 20 grand and you give her 500? . we'll give her something better. we'll give her a shout out on the show right now. she's showing the values we all want in our teachers. am i right about that? if you're in the market for a middle schoolteacher with a really good heart and gold character, reach out to us on twitter. come to us on facebook #newday. come to our website, newdaycnn

because we want to help her. this is the kind of person who deserves it. thanks for bringing us the good thing and let us know about the good people in your community. >> only hope to be as honest as she. >> most wouldn't, by the way. >> absolutely not. >> cash. >> especially if you're down on your luck. >> if you are employed, most people would take that money and run. coming up next on "new day" a 3-year-old boy born deaf is hearing now for the very first time. we'll talk to dr. sanjay gupta about this modern day miracles. one of the best stories of the day. you'll get to know one of our favorite people now. there's mu killa pereira with the kids she loves to help. such a great bunch bonding in los angeles. >> anchor bonding. >> don't call him out. >> why do you have such issues with him?

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lady liberty. right, didn't you love it? >> i was moved. >> even better in person. means so much to so many. what are we talking about? statue of liberty. welcome back here to the set of "new day." >> i'm kate bolduan. it's thursday, june 20th. coming up in this half hour. you won't want to miss this one. the moment a child who was born deaf, look. hears for the first time. dr. sanjay gupta is here to explain how it's all possible and what he hears first. >> such a tender moment. so great. here's another one involving kids. here's michaela pereira running around with kids. as we were getting to know each other, a great program doing great things and it was an almost perfect day. almost perfect day. almost. >> first, let's get to michaela. >> everybody okay back there.

>> let's get to thiv to things you need to know. an autopsy in rome to determine the cause of death for soprano's actor james gandolfini. the hospital he was taken to said it looks like a heart attack. tributes are pouring in from around the world. outgoing fbi director robert mueller has admitted publicly that a bureau used surveillance drones in the u.s. in testimony before a senate committee. drones are used in a minimal way and very seldom. he also defended the top secret surveillance program calling it one factor that helps to connect the dots on terrorist plots. one of the largest organizations claiming to help turn gay straight is now apologizing to the lbg community. on a post entitled "i am sorry" chambers decided to stop

endorsing reparaative therapy this year, but this was the first time that he publicly apologized. i lied, now, are the five things that you need to know for your new day. are you ready? here's number one. jodi arias still trying to delay the convicted murder's. number two, racing will return to downtown boston tonight. 12,000 runners will take place in the jpmorgan corporate challenge race. we wish them well. three, the pregnant actor accused of sending ricin letters. she was charged after initially telling the fbi her husband was behind the plot. a potentially big announcement from big facebook today. rumors swirling that instagram will put out to rival vine service. san antonio and heat go to game

seven. will the heat take their second straight title or san antonio spurs win their fifth championship in franchise history? that's the question. for everything you need to know during your day, you can go to newdaycnn.com. did i get that right, kate? >> you did. we have to move on because we want to get to this amazing video. the little boy born completely deaf. now at the age of 3, he hears the very first time. the first voice that he heard, his father's. dr. sanjay gupta is here. sanjay, this is a medical miracle in his very important kind of discovery to help so many people. tell us about it. >> i love reporting stories like this. medicine can accomplish amazing things. the father said, doctors don't use the word miracle very often but god is still in the miracle business. and i want you to see why.

it could be called a modern day miracle. watch as this little boy hears his father's voice for the first time. >> hi, grayson. talk to him for the first time. >> yes, hear. >> can you hear daddy? >> before this moment, he had never heard a sound. >> that's you. >> he was born without the auditory nerves that carry sound from the inner ear to the brain. initially he was fitted with a cokular implant but without nerves it was ineffective. that's when doctors at the university of north carolina school of medicine gave him this. an auditory brain stem implant. the device is typically used in adults whose nerves have been damaged and haven't yet been approved for use in children. but that changed, thanks to an

fda approved trial and grayson became the first child in the country to undergo the procedure. >> we don't know what it's like for him. we don't know exactly what he hears. if he hears everything we hear, some of what we hear. >> doctors are confident he will eventually hear and speak like any other's child. his parents say he already made great progress, although they won't soon forget what that first moment was like. >> hi, grayson. talk to him, daddy. >> daddy loves you. >> yes, hear. >> doctors may not like to use the word miracle, but it truly seems like a medical mermeralic. how does this work? >> dr. greg buckman is one of the doctors along with his team, this type of technology has been around for a while. they talk about cokular implant,

this implant goes directly to the brain stem. no connections between the outside world and the brain stem so doctors the to re-create that. i don't know how much you can tell from this brain model, but essentially an implant on the outside and asea essentially a microphone and takes sound and implants it right there. that's called the implant and someone could take that sound and make sense of it in some way. it's been around for adults for some time, but never before for a child. >> i find it when we were all just taken by that moment when he hears that sound. hard to imagine what he is experiencing because he doesn't know words in the same way that you and i know words. >> that's right. we don't know exactly what he's able to hear. we know that he can listen to sounds, specifically now. but it happens pretty quickly, michaela. in terms of his ability to take

this new -- you see his speech patterns change in response to being able to hear. gives me goose bumps here, but it's quite extraordinary to think at this age how much it is going to make a difference in his life. >> how do you teach him sounds? you can't just expose him to the harsh ones or the loud ones? >> i'm not sure how much they planned it. and you saw his reaction to that. they do have specific plans for adults in terms of how they expose people to sounds and reteach that. but, again, keep in mind, the first child. talking about a 3-year-old child. ten children now approved for this device. but he's the first and i think it seemed like they're off to a good start. >> this clearly worked maybe better than they even anticipated. this must mean great things for other children suffering from the same thing. >> i think so. sometimes this is how science moves forward. you try things slowly and you try in adults in this case and then you see if you have a good

leap and bound forward here. >> fantastic progress. life changing. >> to see that video. to see that video. >> boy, oh, boy. i told you i want to be part of the good stuff. >> you have been approved. your first contribution is a very good one. >> you're like walking definition of the good stuff. >> your new title. thanks, sanjay. don't miss your appointment with san yea this weekend saturday at 4:30 p.m. eastern and sunday 7:30 in the morning right here on cnn. sanjay gupta md. coming up on "new day," why are we all playing soccer? ask michaela, it was her idea. >> blame michaela. john berman combing the internets for us. here's what he found. extreme dog grooming. >> too much time on the hands. okay team!

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welcome back to "new day." we have been having a chance to introduce you to us and let you know about some of the wild and crazy things we do in our off time. apparently, chris likes to eat raw squid. maybe not. >> tried to trick kate. >> which you didn't fall for, but almost did. >> kate took us out shooting. chris feels you might have sabotaged his gun. >> you sabotaged it by putting it in my hand. >> right, exactly. >> you couldn't hit the side of a barn. >> i know, let it go. >> but my turn, finally. and i think that we have saved the best for last and, literally, had you guys come out to california where i have been living for almost the last ten years and i want to introduce you to some of the kids that i think are the best. take a look.

>> it's 3:30 in the afternoon in downtown los angeles is exactly where i want to be. i know i talk a lot about kids. i don't have any. but these are my kids. my kids are the best in l.a. sure every parent thinks their children are the finest in their city. mine literally are thanks to an after-school enrichment program aimed at giving inner cities the support they need. a lot of time kids don't have parents at home because parents are working and they need somebody to help them with homework and help sort of plant seeds of education in their mind. these kids are -- >> hi. good to see you. >> today my parents have come to my home away from home. mom, a retired schoolteacher who spent 35 years in the classroom and, dad, a retired civil servant are the reason i care about kids. i spend time with the children of l.a.'s best because every kid counts.

i was just 3 months old when the thompsons chose me to join their family. the second of five adopted girls. but, still, my mom's baby. >> what do you think of your daughter? no embarrassing stories. >> now part of our family. >> they don't have a son yet, so come on over. our first stop, the classroom. >> what word is that? cloud. very good. >> where the kids are hard at work. it's homework time after all. >> we have a math genius. >> 2 plus 2. >> don't need your help. >> 3 plus 9. >> you want to play, we'll play. >> 11. >> nice. >> oh, it was wrong. are you kidding me? >> clearly, i should not have passed first grade math. so, thankfully our sound man's boom mike proves much more entertaining. >> we have caused enough chaos in here.

let's go play some soccer. >> bye. >> thanks, guys. >> hope soccer is better than your math. >> i'm going t go like this. >> so, now, i'm on a mission to prove i've got soccer skills. once i figure out which team i'm playing for. i don't want to tell anybody, though. i feel like i'm giving excellent effort. i have no idea what team i'm on. >> i clearly had everything to do with that. >> clearly when it comes to soccer and math, kate has no problem adding up her goals. >> i'll tickle you. yes! all me. scored, again. >> oh, no. don't let the applause fool you. >> literally past you. >> bad teammate. >> you should be outfielder. >> not everyone on the soccer field feels they can count on chris. >> we're having a little problem

on that point right now. talk to your man. >> score! >> i'm really glad you guys came out here today. the kids in l.a.'s program are my heart. when i have a tough day in the news business, this is the place for me to come. does anybody in here have their front teeth? they're trying to do their best and these kids are just full of life and love. >> any kid given the chance to do great things can. >> sure can. >> so beautiful and so fun. at the end of the day when i still had no clue about which team i was playing for. i was reminded about something i know for certain. >> don't you always leave it feeling like you got so much more than you gave. >> i may not be as agile as the star kicker or as cool as the math genius, but when it comes to me and my kids. look at these smiles, i can't take it. showing these kids that matter is what counts the most. >> that was beautiful.

that was beautiful. >> i have to tell you, i was one of those kids that was given a chance. so, i'm going to spend the rest of my life making sure that other kids get a chance because, as you said, shine a light on them, give them some of the support. the sky's the limit. >> very few of them had teeth and very few could keep their shoes tied. everyone stop and, please, tie your shoes. they were like, come on, lady. >> we need to do some work with our guy. what was it with you and rodriguez. why did he get under your skin so much? >> i don't want to ruin the mood. what i love about that, the kid had been given the confidence. so often you're around kids with situations and they're scared and he had the confidence. he was -- >> i just liked him push you out of the way. >> you're a terrible goalie. i was like what? i said, i heard you, i'm right here. i'm shocked what you said. >> he wanted you out of his

goal. >> when people ask me about michaela, i tell them two things. you are a good person who does good things. that's really what you're about. i have to hug it out. >> group hug on the sofa. next up on "new day" john berman has combing the internets and here's what he found. dog grooming like you've never seen it before. i want to make things more secure. [ whirring ] [ dog barks ] i want to treat more dogs. ♪ our business needs more cases. [ male announcer ] where do you want to take your business? i need help selling art. [ male announcer ] from broadband to web hosting to mobile apps, small business solutions from at&t

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9:00 on the east coast. it's time for j.b., john berman to tell us what he learned on the internets. >> you know what i learned. i learned people do weird stuff to their pets. extraordinarily weird. these are images from an annual extreme dog grooming competition. all over twitter right now. >> look at that. >> i think it's amazing and

deeply, deeply troubling, to be honest. takes a lot of skill to do this and also a lot of twisted thoughts in your head. i like the yodo one. when 900 years old you reach this good, look this good, you will not. there we go. >> look at all of the -- what is that? food coloring that goes into this. >> anyway, you know what else is huge on youtube right now. i'm talking majorly huge. something that will explode your son's brains. trailer for the new lego movie. >> exploded right now. >> legos are big. >> 2.7 million views on youtube and will ferrell, morgan freeman and incredible stuff. finally, i leave you with a twitter trend alert. a contest to unleash your inner clark kent. they're asking for people turning into super man.

#clarkkenting. i have to show you some pictures of myself. back when i was a young boy and a superhero. >> that's you, berman. >> that's a young boy turning into superman. my own version of clark kenting. >> carol costello, time for newsroom. john berman was clark kent, did you know? >> i just saw the picture. you were one skinny superman. >> shocking you to silence with berman photos. >> hey, thanks so much. have a great day. "newsroom" starts right now. remembering a great. >> i'm in the waste management business. everybody immediately assumes you're mobbed up. >> 51-year-old james gandolfini dying of an apparent heart attack. >> once you enter this family, there's no getting out.