later in "the situation room." so we'll go in-depth on this story later today. lots of families potentially going to be very, very upset. >> right. >> about this. brian, thanks very much. that's it for me. see you at 5:00 p.m. in "the situation room." newsroom with brooke baldwin starts right now. here we go. top of the hour, great to be with you. i'm brooke baldwin. let's begin with news just in at cnn. have you heard about the explosive allegations being leveled against the nfl by some of its former players? well-known names. you know about the concussion claims. we have covered that here on cnn extensively. but a new lawsuit alleges that nfl teams and their doctors knowingly gave players an array of prescription drugs, and painkillers, for years and years without any regard for the long-term damage. the question, who is making these claims? here's the answer. former super bowl quarterback

jim mcmann for one. he says he actually got addicted to thinks painkillers, even taking them in the off-season. another player in the lawsuit here, mcmann's former chicago bears teammate richard dent. he is a hall of famer. so let's get more on this story, this developing story from ed laugh endra. ed, tell me more about the lawsuit. >> hello, brooke. it's an extensive lawsuit. about 85 pages long. i've had a chance to go through all of it here this afternoon. and it is filed on behalf of eight players. three of those players were part of that 1985 super bowl chicago bears team, richard dent, jim mcmann being two of those. we've heard over the years a lot of different crazy stories that the lengths the football players would go to to stay on the football field. but this lawsuit is accusing the nfl and doctors of working together to ensure that in some cases, recklessly, and in some

cases illegally, were prescribing pain medications to keep these players and these lawyers for these players saying that the nfl did this to line its pockets with better profits. but the stories, when you see them in print, are still very staggering. there's one story of a player, keith van horn, offensive lineman for the chicago bears, who said he played an entire season with a broken leg and was never told about it. and was just popped up on pain medication to make it through the season. descriptions of trainers going down team flights with briefcases full of pain meds, just handing out the pain medications as they went down the aisle. another story in the lawsuit talks about jars full of amphetamines that were left out for any and all players to pick from for the chicago bears back in the 1980s. the nfl has not responded. they told us this afternoon they have not had a chance to review the lawsuit just yet and their lawyers are looking at it now, brooke.

>> you bring up the culture of playing through injury. i will definitely be asking a former player about the pressure to get up and get back on the field. but here's really the other question. as you mentioned, these players, this is really from the '80s. here we are in 2014, ed. why come forward now? >> well, i think what a lot -- if you read some of the individual stories of each of the players, that were highlighted in this lawsuit, is that they talk about their addiction to these pain medications. and how it has followed them since they've left the playing field. in the case of one player, becoming homeless and having to try to buy these pain medications that he had become addicted to off of the streets, and the financial cost that these -- that these addictions have taken their toll on some of these players. so clearly, these players and these lawyers looking for some sort of financial settlement with the nfl. in the lawsuit they do not specify the amount that they're looking for. but that is one of those things

will have to be argued out in the courts in the years ahead. >> ed, thank you. we want to bring in lee steinberg, and jerry mcguire. lee, are you with me? i see you. >> yeah. >> let me just begin with your take. you have represented some of the biggest names in all of the nfl. what's your reaction to these claims. >> my reaction is that i've been doing this since 1975. and players are in a state of denial. they want to play, so they're very dependent on what a physician would tell them, and especially what a physician would tell them to take. there have been so many situations where players get shot up to mask the pain, go out, get injured worse. when i started, the vats of these painkillers and all sorts of meds were just there for players to scoop up and take. they had no idea what was going on. and now you have players who

are -- one player took 1,000 vicoden a month, because they get addicted. no one's there to help them. and they didn't really realize what the consequences were of what they were doing. >> how is it, though, just hearing ed and this one story, of someone having a broken leg for a season, and sort of just numbing the pain to get through, how -- can you just speak more to what you saw, and if you heard from players who you represented who said, i'm hurt? this doesn't feel right. they keep shooting me up. something isn't right here. did you ever hear stories like this, or did they just keep on going? >> over and over again. so i had a player play a couple games with a broken leg. he didn't realize it was broken. i had a player play with a collapsed lung. i had a player play with broken ribs. and very often, they weren't quite sure other than pain what they had. and when they went out and played, and were shot up with

painkillers, it exacerbated the problem. because they weren't feeling the pain. so they could get much -- hit and hurt much worse. this was replete in those days. sports medicine is better now. the nfl is better now. but in those days, it was like the wild, wild west. one year i had a player who, because his -- there was misdiagnosis, ended up with two hip replacements. they thought it was a groin problem. another year a player who had multiple problems with his leg, and had his foot amputated. and another player who was told to take -- to take anti-inflammatories. so he would take 30 or 40 ibuprofen at a time. and he had dialysis and had his kidney replaced. these are bright players, but they don't really understand, as they feel pain, what the right

remedy is, what the right dose is. and i had players come out of the hospital addicted to morphine, for example. or codeine. who had devilish problems getting off of it. >> i have a feeling you and i could sit an entire afternoon and i could listen to all your different stories and examples of the players. this is just the beginning of the story. we had a massive national conversation about concussions, now this is just the beginning. please come back. leigh steinberg and ed lavandera, thank you both. and we have a horse race today, a big one in kentucky. political thoroughbred mitch mcconnell, he is the senate minority leader and political animal, zero doubt about that. republican mitch mcconnell's vowed to crush his opponent, and the rest of the tea party along with him. you could call it super tuesday 2014. you have six states, and they're

voting, primary elections with nine more intriguing than kentucky. horses, wildcats reign supreme and candidates running for statewide office, are advised to wear blue to the polls. dana bash is live from louisville. gloria borger is live from washington. dana bash, first to you here. when we talk about mitch mcconnell, he is favored today. as i mentioned a second ago, he said he's the one who won't just win, he will crush matt bevin, crush the tea party as well. bevin said mcconnell has tried to smear his reputation, quoting him, it is how he's run the race. so says bevin. he's attacking me for being part of the tea party and threatening to crush these people and punch them in the nose. continuing here with this quote, all of this says bevin is horse pucky. that's what he told our own peter hamby. dana, can you talk to how worked up over this race mitch mcconnell is, and will he really

crush his opponent? >> reporter: well, whether he's going to crush his opponent is the big drama left in today's elections uks, primary day. look what's happened over the past two election cycles, brooke. he has seen some of his friends, some of his republican colleagues, republican incumbents get crushed by the tea party challengers. the democrat has won in some states. that prevented mitch mcconnell becoming the majority leader, from a republican picking up enough seats in the senate. he's seen that over the last few election cycles, and he was determined not to let that happen to him. peter does a great job of explaining and illustrating it in his cnn.com piece. mitch mcconnell is not afraid to play dirty. he's called the godfather of politics here. he spent a lot of money to try to quell this challenge. and he also made clear that he had a tea party darling in his

corner in this state and that is rand paul. >> the so-called godfather of politics in that, that great state of kentucky, he is senate majority leader, senate minority leader. he will win if republicans claim the senate if he himself wins reelection. which of those two is the tougher road here? mcconnell winning reelection or republicans, you know, winning the senate? >> he's going to have a tough reelection. no doubt about it. he's running against a very attractive candidate who happens to be a woman. if he wins this primary today, which we anticipate that he will. but i would have to say, direct answer to your question, brooke, that i think it's a tougher haul now to win control of the senate. as dana points out, he's running for senate majority leader right now. he's running kind of an old school campaign which says, we need to get these six seats to win control. and then i'll be in charge and then i can do more for this state. lots of things have to go their

way. but i think the republicans have gotten a lot smarter this time, because they're trying to nominate more winnable candidates. and they're doing it. >> so used to saying minority leader. but go ahead, dana, jump in. >> i was just going to say, just being down here in the state, what is really interesting to watch is a wrinkle that we haven't seen in a lot of incumbent races, trying to fend off challengers, as mcconnell is doing from the right and the left. being that experience is a dirty word for incumbents. in this kind of tea party anti-incumbent era. and he's running towards it. he's not running from it. he said experience matters. having 30 years under his belt representing kentucky, and having that kind of seniority in the senate matters. that's what he's running on unabashedly. it's fascinating to watch. that's a very different thing from some of his predecessors who end up losing.

>> you want change? change to what? that's his argument. >> ladies, thank you. we'll watch, of course, through the evening. big day at the polls. just ahead, the worst day of my life, not mine, but someone we're going to talk about. the hottest tourist atrtraction. should this new museum that's opened at ground zero include a gift shop? should they be making this profit? we'll talk to a family member, and he has starred in forrest gump and the shield, but now this actor is behind bars, accused of killing his wife at their home with their children inside. that's next.

woman: everyone in the nicu -- all the nurses wanted to watch him when he was there 118 days. everything that you thought was important to you changes in light of having a child that needs you every moment. i wouldn't trade him for the world. who matters most to you says the most about you. at massmutual we're owned by our policyowners,

and they matter most to us. if you're caring for a child with special needs, our innovative special care program offers strategies that can help. smoking with chantix. as a police officer, i've helped many people in the last 23 years. but i needed help in quitting smoking. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix reduced the urge for me to smoke. it actually caught me by surprise. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these, stop chantix and see your doctor right away as some could be life threatening. tell your doctor if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, or if you develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. use caution when driving or operating machinery.

common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. i did not know what it was like to be a non-smoker. but i do now. ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. cut! [bell rings] this...is jane. her long day on set starts with shoulder pain... ...and a choice take 6 tylenol in a day which is 2 aleve for... ...all day relief. hmm. [bell ring] "roll sound!" "action!" honestly, the off-season isn't i've got a lot to do. that's why i got my surface. it's great for watching game film and drawing up plays. it's got onenote, so i can stay on top of my to-do list, which has been absolutely absurd since the big game. with skype, it's just really easy to stay in touch with the kids i work with. alright, russell you are good to go! alright, fellas. alright, russ. back to work!

welcome back. i'm brooke baldwin. he played a police officer on tv, now his life off camera has taken a very different turn. michael jace has been booked for murder. accused of shooting his wife to death. jace was handcuffed outside his los angeles home early this morning. his wife's body found inside. also, inside their home, according to police, the 51-year-old actor's two sons. april jace was 40 years old. the couple had been married only 11 years. cnn's allen duke is working this one for us. he is live in los angeles. and allen, i know this is still so early here, but what, if anything, are police saying as far as a motive could go?

>> well, they're calling it domestic violence. now, we don't know, we've not been able to find out if there's been any other incidents at this home in south los angeles, the hyde park area. we don't know if police have been called there before. what we know is last night at about 8:30, that he, michael jace, called 911 and told the operator his wife had been shot. we know no other details other than that, about what he said. we also know that neighbors, some other neighbors called 911 after they heard gunfire inside the home. the couple has lived in this home since 2005. so i assume the neighbors knew who they were. as you said, the two kids were inside. they're not telling us their ages, but we know that they were young, and that they were handed over to california children services agents. i believe taken to a relative's home since then. >> allen, what am i reading about, maybe reports that he was having financial troubles? have you heard this? >> he was in bankruptcy. he filed for bankruptcy in march of 2011, citing a half million

dollars in debt, trying to save his home. that's been going on for the last several years. he only makes about $70,000 or $80,000 a year. in los angeles, that's not a lot of money. as an actor, he lives off the residuals because he's not had a lot of big acting jobs lately. >> thank you, allen. coming up, a pregnant woman sentenced to die for being a christian. we are now hearing what is happening to her behind bars. stay right here. the day we rescued riley was a truly amazing day. he was a matted mess in a small cage. so that was our first task, was getting him to wellness. without angie's list, i don't know if we could have found all the services we needed for our riley. from contractors and doctors to dog sitters and landscapers, you can find it all on angie's list. we found riley at the shelter, and found everything he needed at angie's list. join today at angieslist.com

humans. we are beautifully imperfect creatures living in an imperfect world. that's why liberty mutual insurance has your back, offering exclusive products like optional better car replacement, where if your car is totaled, we give you the money to buy one a model year newer. call...

and ask an insurance expert about all our benefits today, like our 24/7 support and service, because at liberty mutual insurance, we believe our customers do their best out there in the world, so we do everything we can to be there for them when they need us. plus, you could save hundreds when you switch, up to $423. call... today. liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy?

two u.s. senators joined the effort to help this imprisoned pregnant woman facing execution. because she has now been sentenced to death in sudan for refusing to disavow her christian faith. now you have senators roy blunt and kelly iot who sent a letter to secretary of state john kerry asking him, pleading with him to get involved and offer political asylum to this woman, her name is miriam. she has also been convicted of adultery, because her marriage to a christian man who is an american citizen was ruled invalid. and that conviction carries a penalty of 100 lashes. and just adding another layer here, she is reportedly -- remember, she's pregnant -- reportedly being held in this prison in shackles, but still caring for her 20-month-old son who, again, is living with her behind bars. let's bring in daniel.

there are so many issues with this story, and this treatment of this mother who is pregnant. i mean, i guess the first question is, is sudan really going to execute a pregnant woman because she's christian? >> right. well, the horrible news is that is the penalty within sudan for what they call them thinking she converted from islam to christianity, and that's illegal. now, she and her lawyer argue that she was never muslim. she had a muslim father, but he left the family at a very early age. and she was raised by a christian woman. so no conversion ever took place. so that's what they're hoping to tell the appeals court in these next steps with this case. >> so is this then, i presume, pretty typical for a christian, or a non-muslim in sudan? >> well, the law, as i said, is on the books. but i was combing through

reports by groups like amnesty international, and it looks like there haven't been very many, if any people actually given the death penalty for conversion in sudan. so at least that's the good news. now, this case has to go through several more measures. sudan's own constitution technically allows religious conversion. her lawyer told cnn he's fairly optimistic that this case will be settled some other way. >> so are you saying that if she converts, whether she really feels she's doing so, or has to do so to save her life, that could be an option? >> she said she wasn't going to do that at this early trial, which is kind of what landed her in this situation. but there are ways, including international pressure, as you mentioned, with the two senators, to get around these laws. judges don't have to impose the worst penalty every time. there's a lot of leeway where they can kind of just impose some other kind of penalty. >> 2014, that this happens in the world. daniel burke. we'll stay up with you in the

belief blog. thank you so much. >> thank you. a museum, a memorial, but it is also a grave site. the 9/11 museum holds the unidentified remains of a number of the victims killed that day. but it also holds a gift shop that sells mugs and t-shirts. outrage from some family members and first responders who say the tragedy is just being commercialized. plus, we're learning more about the man who will be honored at the next medal of honor ceremony. his message to the nation, quote, i am just getting started. his heroic story coming up next. marge: you know, there's a more enjoyable way to get your fiber. try phillips fiber good gummies. they're delicious, and an excellent source of fiber to help support regularity. wife: mmmm husband: these are good! marge: the tasty side of fiber. from phillips.

so when my moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis them. was also on display, i'd had it. i finally had a serious talk with my dermatologist. this time, he prescribed humira-adalimumab. humira helps to clear the surface of my skin by actually working inside my body. in clinical trials, most adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority of people were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores.

you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. make the most of every moment. ask your dermatologist about humira, today. clearer skin is possible. ♪ honey, we need to talk. we do? i took the trash out. i know. and thank you so much for that. i think we should get a medicare supplement insurance plan. right now? [ male announcer ] whether you're new to medicare or not, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. it's up to you to pay the difference. so think about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, they help cover some of what medicare doesn't pay. i did a little research. with a medicare supplement plan, you'll be able to stay with your doctor. oh, you know, i love that guy. mm-hmm. [ male announcer ] these types of plans let you visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients.

and there are no networks. is this a one-size-fits-all kind of thing? no. there are lots of plan options. it all depends on what we need and how much we want to spend. [ male announcer ] call now to request your free decision guide. it could help you find an aarp medicare supplement plan that's right for you. what happens when we travel? the plans go with us. anywhere in the country. i like that. you know what else? unitedhealthcare insurance company has years and years of experience. what do you say? ♪ i'm in. [ male announcer ] join the millions already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp. remember, all medicare supplement plans help cover some of what medicare doesn't pay and could really save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. you'll be able to choose your own doctor or hospital as long as they accept medicare patients. and with these plans, there could be low or no copays. you do your push-ups today?

prepare to be amazed. [ male announcer ] don't wait. call today to request your free decision guide and find the aarp medicare supplement plan to go the distance with you. go long. just about the bottom of the hour. you're watching cnn. i'm brooke baldwin. it is a day americans will have forever etched in our minds. almost 13 years later, the museum to honor those victims of september 11th and the first responders is about to open. but there is controversy yet again at ground zero. this time centered around a gift shop located inside the memorial set to open to the public tomorrow. you're looking at some of the pictures. some of the items sold, hats with the fdny symbol, stuffed search and rescue dogs. and some people are upset over the idea of profiting from their loved one's final resting places. but organizers of the museum, they say that covering the

museum's cost of operation will require that revenue generated from the gift shop. >> we know it's the right thing, that when visitors come here, they want to take a keepsake away. this is the united states of america. and the number one thing is, if you don't hike what we're selling, don't buy it. a book called "place of remembrance" talks about the building of the memorial. >> let me bring in 9/11 first responder and former nypd patrolman james ryder. james, it's an honor to have you on. welcome. >> thank you, brooke. it's an honor to be with you. >> just hearing from the official with the museum, the need for keepsakes, just out of the gate, do we as a nation need keepsakes from that day? >> you know, i've been tossing this in my head. i had a terrible feeling that day and i assured myself i would not return until this issue was addre addressed. there are no bodies buried at the vietnam memorial or world war i or world war ii memorial

also. this is a grave site that they decided without the input of the families. so that is not like any other place. and it is not a war memorial. don't tell me that terrorism is war. terrorism is very different. they go after our families, they go after our children, and they go after our souls. this is not like any other place. and should be treated that way. >> you know, i read this article, one reason i'm having this discussion with you, i read this poignant piece by steve kendall. his sister died that day. he reluctantly along with you and others visited the museum in the last week. the title of his piece is entitled "worst day of my life" is now a tourist attraction. you went to the museum last week. but you say you will never go back. tell me why. >> i will not. it's a place of business. it's a conglomerate, a

corporation. it is not a place of memory or solace and a place to go show regard. it's run by civilians who are business people. people who had nothing to do with running into the fire. they were probably hiding under their desks while we were down there swapping buckets for days, weeks and months on end to try to find people and struggling to call it a rescue site as long as we could. this gentleman doesn't deserve to be making these decisions. >> we as a nation will forever mourn those lives lost and forever grateful to you. >> thank you. >> at the same time you have to hear it from the other side, that this is a place where people want to pay their respects, can pay that $24. and go to that museum. and do so. not to mention that, you know, the museum officials say they need that money. they're not profiting, they need the money just to run the museum. what's wrong with that? >> well, that money is going to, what, 300 plus thousand dollar salary. there are different arguments and issues here. for those of us down there that

day, we have the perspective nobody else has. if you're going to profit from 9/11, that money should go to the families. i understand running a museum. i understand it's a business. maybe the park police or the parks department should be running that place. or maybe the parks around that place. and have the ability to save money. i don't want to call it what you're calling it. from now on i'm just calling it that place, because it's disrespectful. >> would it matter if that place didn't sit in that place? what i mean is, that is hallow ground, where thousands of lives were lost. if that place sat elsewhere in manhattan, would that make a difference for you? >> absolutely. and i don't think anybody would disagree with me. my assumption is respectful. but it doesn't belong in there. let me make another point about the business aspect. mayor bloomberg is a multibillionaire. he gave $50 million. he has their ear. he has a seat on the board.

i can give you $50 out of my pocket right now. and after my wife yells at me for giving you that 50 bucks, it doesn't mean all that much to me. $50 million doesn't mean a lot to me. so he has their ear. the responders that are still alive, suffering much more than i am, are sitting in a corner waiting for somebody to listen to them. that's what they're doing down there. >> i don't have mayor bloomberg here with me to respond to what you're saying. but i do know that he has been there. he has spoken with jake tapper inside the museum. and i am sure he has heard questions and criticisms such as yours. this is something that he will have to deal with as it begins to open to the public. james ryder, thank you so much for your perspective. >> thank you very much. william kyle carpenter lost most of his jaw and an eye when he fell on a grenade to shield a fellow marine from a blast. now he will receive the nation's highest military award. he would become the eighth living veteran of u.s. combat in

iraq and afghanistan to receive the medal of honor. he will receive that medal june 19th. and in a defense department video, carpenter talks about overcoming death. take a look. >> at 21, my body was torn apart by an enemy fire. upon arriving at camp ashton, i was labeled pea, patient expired on arrival. the enemy killed me, i came back. i ran a marathon, and jumped from a plane. i won't ever quit. i am just getting started. >> carpenter medically retired from the marine corps last year as a corporal. he's a student at the university of south carolina in columbia. coming up, an nfl player gets in trouble over taking a fertility drug. he said he wanted to be a dad for the fourth time. now he's going to miss a quarter of the season. how did that happen. and is the nfl being unfair.

plus, the moment a diver came face to face with a great white. see what happened, and the whole thing is caught on video. life with crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis is a daily game of "what if's". what if my abdominal pain and cramps end our night before it even starts? what if i eat the wrong thing? what if? what if i suddenly have to go? what if? but what if the most important question is the one you're not asking? what if the underlying cause of your symptoms is damaging inflammation?

for help getting the answers you need, talk to your doctor and visit crohnsandcolitisadvocates.com to connect with a patient advocate from abbvie for one-to-one support and education. does your dog food have? 18 percent? 20? purina one true instinct has 30. active dogs crave nutrient-dense food. so we made purina one true instinct. learn more at purinaone.com the was a truly amazing day. without angie's list, i don't know if we could have found all the services we needed for our riley. for over 18 years we've helped people take care of the things that matter most. join today at angieslist.com

what is this place? where are we? this is where we bring together reliably fast internet and the best in entertainment. we call it the x1 entertainment operating system. it looks like the future! we must have encountered a temporal vortex. further analytics are necessary. beam us up.

♪ that's my phone. hey. [ female announcer ] the x1 entertainment operating system. only from xfinity. tv and internet together like never before. an indianapolis colt has taken a huge hit, and i'm not talking about on the field, but to his season. robert mathis is banned from the team's first four games after he admitted to taking this drug clomid. it's specifically a fertility drug to help him and his wife conceive. it is also banned by the nfl for being a performance-enhancing drug. mathis admits on twitter that yes, he made a mistake. he tweeted, i specifically asked the doctor if the medication he prescribed for me would present a problem for nfl drug testing, and unfortunately he incorrectly told me it would not.

he goes on, i made the mistake of not calling the nfl or nfl p.a. to double-check before i took the medication at the end of last season. i am a man of integrity who would never intentionally circumvent the policy agreed to by the nfl and my union. he says he is blessed, a baby is on the way. monday an nfl executive explained to espn radio why mathis was suspended. >> the player had the opportunity, several sources that he could have contacted, all of which would have advised him not to take this substance. and in doing so, his failure to do so has certain consequences. >> joining me now, a sports agent with multiple clients in the nfl. and our senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen. elizabeth, on the medical end, i've heard of this drug clomid,

having girlfriends, women who wanted to take it to try to get pregnant. but i never heard of something clomid that a man could take. can you explain how this would help someone? and if this could also help him on the field? >> you know, i spoke with fertility doctors, brooke, who said it's very common to give clomid to men if they're having issues with sperm production. we think of clomid as being for women, but they said it's commonly given to men. the doctors i talked to said it was not on an nfl banned list. they said it will not enhance your performance. the way that it's used illicitly is men will use steroids illicitly and just balance out the action of those steroids, they will take clomid. the clomid isn't making you big and strong, it's to help balance out the steroid. the doctors who i talked to are furious that here's this man, all he wants to do is help get his wife pregnant, now he's been suspended from playing. >> that's the one side. drew, the other side, we just heard the official on espn radio

saying, listen, he knew better. he should have gone to a team doctor, someone affiliated with the nfl, instead of going to maybe their family physician, or pediatrician to figure out what he needed to take and get the green light to take it. can you see that side? >> i understand the nfl's argument, and they are correct, those are the rules. but at the same time, this is a business that involves people, families, exceptional situations. this is an exceptional situation that i believe the nfl could have shown some leniency. certainly robert mathis made a mistake. certainly you've got to follow the rules in the nfl. but this seems like an excusable one. the explanation really seems plausible. and i think in this case, based on everything involved, the right thing would have been for the nfl to give mathis a warning

and to let him know if this ever happened again, that, of course, he would face a suspension. >> four games is a chunk of a season. you say that's not quite fair. >> yes. the nfl has a strict liability policy when it comes to their performance-enhancing. and i don't know that clomid should even be in that. you know? that's a fertility drug. of course, you can get an exemption for it if you go about it the right way. procedurally, robert mathis didn't handle this the right way, but should he be suspended four games? not in my opinion. i heard the union's comments. i agree with the union. they thought it was too strict. >> you also, though, have the camp that says, hey, this was robert mathis' best season last season. he led the league in sacks. skeptical this was used for

fertility. >> robert mathis has been a great player for almost a decade in the nfl. he's one of the best defensive linemen in the game. to assume that he's cheating, or that this is some kind of cover-up, i don't think it's fair at all. i wouldn't be one of the people that would point the finger in that capacity. again, i'm more forgiving. i believe that the union is correct, that this is a very strict penalty, that there's a good explanation here. and there should be an alternative to suspending him. if you want to fine him for the mistake, maybe you could work something out where there's a fine. but to suspend a guy for four games for taking a fertility drug, whether he got the exemption or not, for a first time offense, that is a heavy-handed penalty, in my opinion. >> let me end with this, with your lawyer hat on, drew. and that is, this is pretty egregious if this guy he wanted to have this fourth child, if this is all wrong and he just wanted to have a kid and needed

a little help, could he sue his doctor for giving him bad advice? >> well, i don't think so. but, you know, i'm not sure that the doctor is responsible for knowing what the nfl policies are. the nfl and the nfl p.a. do a great job of notifying the players, what the policy is. you can't blame the doctor. the point is, robert made a mistake. but he shouldn't be suspended four games. that's my point. and certainly, i wish the nfl in the future would maybe take a more flexible look at these kinds of cases. >> well, wish baby number four well, the bottom line here. drew and elizabeth, thank you both very much. and just ahead, awesome video we had to share with you and bring in my favorite guy chad myers to talk about what the heck this is. a powerful story that absolutely forever touched me this time last year. a mother lost her teenage son in

an accident, just recently she got a letter from him in the mail. she will join me live, next. i'm type e. i know what my money is doing. i rebalanced my portfolio on my phone. you know what else i can do on my phone? place trades, get free real time quotes and teleport myself to aruba. i wish. if yand you're talking toevere rheuyour rheumatologistike me, about a biologic...

this is humira. this is humira helping to relieve my pain. this is humira helping me lay the groundwork. this is humira helping to protect my joints from further damage. doctors have been prescribing humira for ten years. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. humira is proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage in many adults. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection.

take the next step. talk to your doctor. this is humira at work.

golive garden'svorites asignature favorites, just $10 including creamy fettuccine alfredo, and our classic lasagna. plus unlimited soup or salad and warm breadsticks. signature favorites, just $10 all week long, at olive garden. captain: and here's a tip. bellman: thanks, captain obvious. when you save money on hotel rooms, it's just like saving money on anything else that costs money. like shoes, textiles, foreign investments, spatulas, bounty hunters, javelins... breaking news on here on cnn. a federal judge in pennsylvania rulinging the ban on same-sex marriage in that state is unconstitutional. he said the ban violates the 14th amendment and the gay couples should be able to marry. the case involved nearly two dozen gay and lesbian couples.

and this comes just one day after a federal judge in oregon struck down the ban on same-sex marriage in that state, a ban that had been approved by voters. now a year after a tennessee mother lost her son in a car accident, something pretty amazing happened. she got a letter in the mail from him. when cameron sharp's mother opened this envelope, she found a letter he wrote back in middle school. it was a school assignment, write a letter to your future self. seven years ago. his teacher had planned to mail the letters to the students in the month of their high school graduation. >> when i ran across this, for just a moment i paused. and asked myself, do i mail this. i knew that probably it would really be special to this mother. >> the 17-year-old high school senior died in january 2013, after the car he was riding in

hit a truck. and joining me by phone is cameron's mom, gail sharp. gail, thank you for being on. >> thank you for having me. >> i am so sorry about the loss of your son. but we get to talk about this surprise. because from what i understand, gail, this was just before mother's day. can you just tell me about the moment your husband handed you this letter with a very younger version of your son's penmanship on the outside of the envelope? >> i was very confused. he said we had gotten a letter from cameron sharp. and i thought that we had -- maybe somebody named cameron sharp had written to us. i didn't know what he was talking about. and when he handed me the letter, the envelope, i looked at the writing on it and i knew instantly it was cameron's handwriting. >> and the moment you opened it, and see that he's writing about this movie, night at the museum, this is a younger, much younger

version of your son. what was that like to see that? >> i was so happy that we had gotten it. of course, we cherish anything that we hear about cameron, or anything that somebody has that had belonged to cameron before. so to get this in the mail, in his own handwriting, was really special. and to see what he wrote about to somebody else, you know. it may not mean anything to anybody else, but he was best friends with his brother. so that was special to him that his brother was graduating from middle school. and one of his favorite things to do was watching movies. that's what was important to him at the time. >> that's wonderful to hear. and for this to sort of -- it was a surprise. and this could have gone much differently. this teacher, dale caldwell, he took a risk sending your son's note to you. what would you say to this teacher about his choice to send

it? >> i'm so glad he did. i think he made a wise choice by doing that. i think any parent who has lost a child, the worst fear is their child is going to be forgotten. and mr. caldwell knew that cameron had passed away. and we're a small community. and i think he felt in his heart that we would love to have the letter, and love to receive it like we did. and the timing, was really perfect for us receiving the letter. >> ahead of mother's day. thanks to mr. caldwell, and thanks to you, gail sharp, for sharing that, coming on a couple of minutes. i often say this to myself, it's often the little things that matter the most. thank you so much for calling in. >> thank you. coming up, he has starred in forrest gump and the shield, but today this man is behind bars, accused of killing his wife at their home with their kids inside. but it's what he told a 911 operator that could make this case. plus, primary day in many

states across the country. will tonight's results show what could lie ahead in the crucial november elections? stay right here. when it comes to good nutrition...i'm no expert. that would be my daughter -- hi dad. she's a dietitian. and back when i wasn't eating right, she got me drinking boost. it's got a great taste, and it helps give me the nutrition i was missing. helping me stay more like me. [ female announcer ] boost complete nutritional drink has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. all with a delicious taste. grandpa! [ female announcer ] stay strong, stay active with boost. grandpa! i dbefore i dosearch any projects on my home. i love my contractor, and i am so thankful to angie's list for bringing us together. find out why more than two million members count on angie's list. angie's list -- reviews you can trust.

whon a certified pre-ownedan unlimitedmercedes-benz?nty what does it mean to drive as far as you want... for up to three years and be covered? it means your odometer... is there to record the memories. during the mercedes-benz certified pre-owned sales event now through june 2nd, you'll get complimentary pre-paid maintenance and may qualify for a two-month payment credit. only at your authorized mercedes-benz dealer.

when it comes to scuba diving, most people are looking for a beautiful fish, maybe colorful reeves to explore. some are actually hoping, yes, there are those people, maybe like you, who want to swim with great white sharks. of course, they're in cages. but this man found himself face-to-face with a great white just off the coast of florida. and all he had was a little spear gun. here is the view from his go pro head cam. there's the shark. he was hiding behind a rock. manages to fend this thing off. there he is behind the rock. a little too close for me. he talked to anderson about this

close encounter just last night. >> i've had other shark encounters, and you poke them with different types of sharks and they leave right away. i noticed this one didn't want to leave. it kept getting more aggressive. so there at the last, i really -- i hit it pretty hard. and it left long enough for me to get away and get to the surface. so i was glad about that. >> roseman got out of the water safely, went down about three or four miles down the reef. he said he had a complete dive that day and no more shark sightings. to this awesome picture we just had to share. imagine you're driving down the road and you see this out your window. this is what storm chasers call a supercell forming in wyoming. chad myers, i mean, it's awesome pictures. but what is this? >> take a look at the bottom. there's no rain coming out of it, or very little. you can see right through it. it's a low precipitation lp supercell rotating mesocyclone

thunderstorm. this is typical out west. you'll see these a lot. by the time it rains, the air's so dry, it evaporates on the way down. but the hail falls out of it. this thing had hail the size of baseballs as they were looking at it. it was a time lapsed event. let me show you how this looks and how it looks on a map and what you're seeing there. picture, if you will, that same cloud right here on my map. the exact same map here. the base of the cloud. look right through the bottom. the entire storm is rotating. it's moving along, and the hail is falling from one side. cool air on one side, the moist warm air going up. but there's not enough warm moist air called an lp usually to make a big tornado. speaking of tornadoes, brooke, i don't know if you realize this, 365 days ago, you and i sat right there looking at moore, oklahoma, get destroyed by an

f-5 tornado. >> chad myers, thank you so much. >> you're welcome. you're watching cnn. i'm brooke baldwin. new claims by former nfl players, and now new legal troubles and woes for the nfl. and some of these names, these are well-known players. they are making massive explosive allegations against the pro football league. but this time we're not talking about concussions here, it's drugs. a new lawsuit alleges that nfl teams and their doctors knowingly gave these players an array of prescription drugs and painkillers for years and years without any regard for the long-term damage. we talked about some names making these claims. former super bowl quarterback jim mcmann for one. he says he actually became addicted to painkillers. even taking them during the

off-season. another player, hard-hitting former teammate richard dent, he is in the football hall of fame. so let's talk about this with jamal anderson. hello. i'm sorry, but you did play for, what, eight years. >> yes. >> first, just on a playing level, you were pretty badly hurt, your knee. >> yes. both of them. >> both of them. >> yeah. >> when that happened, did you have doctors, did you have teams say, hey, painkillers, let's numb the pain, get back in there? >> no, i was lucky. i was lucky. there's no question in my mind that it was certainly a different culture. when you talk about the '70s and '80s, especially some of these guys, big names in the '80s, it was a different culture. and i'm not going to -- it's not a stretch to say that there were doctors whose intentions as they were hired by the team was to make sure that their players were on the field at all times, as much as they could possibly be. here's the thing, brooke, the

players want to play, too. players want to play. and there's this whole thing that has been going around the league a number of years, you can't make the club in the tub. you don't want to necessarily be known as a guy who's going to be hurt. in fact, if you are one of those people who continue to get hurt, you can be let go by the team. it doesn't matter who you are. proof. >> right. >> yeah. >> what happens, though, like if you are injured, and again, you were writing in saying, this is the '80s. it is different today. >> right. >> when you're hurt, and we've all seen it. you're down on the field, the team doc comes out, what are they saying and doing to you? >> for the most part now, you have several different doctors, especially as it pertains to concussions or some kind of injury like that. there are doctors on teams who deal with certain parts of the body. there are the doctors out there, a separate doctor obviously who checks concussions. but it depends on the severity of your injury and what it is. players want to be on the field. you don't want to be a guy who's constantly injured or hurt.

but there was certainly, i believe, a culture where it was, make sure we can get them out there. and some of the players, too. >> can't the players go say, and i hear you saying the players want to play as well, but as we're hearing some of the specific claims, one of the players had a broken leg the entire season and kept playing. >> yes. >> i was talking to a high-end sports agent last hour, and he was saying, somebody had a collapsed lung. >> right. >> these guys, they're smart. they know they're hurt. >> you certainly would count on the doctor to tell you the severity of your injury. you can know something is wrong with you, but you count on medical professionals to tell you how bad it is, how long it's going to take you to get back, what's the severity of that injury, whether or not you should continue to play. you would like to hope that those professionals are on the side of your best interests as a football player. but again, it's a different culture now in the nfl. this would never happen in this day and age. but the ereality is, it did happen. a lot stems from the fact that there was no health care for nfl

players. the guys who put this league on their back for a number of years, they just don't have suitable health care. so you're seeing these great players, these awesome guys we grew up loving, in awful and terrible condition. and this is a billion-dollar business. it's very, very tough to see. >> thank god things have changed. to hear about the guys with a broken limb, and addicted. >> we talk about tony dorsett last year. >> i know. sorry about the hall of fame thing. but i'm glad you're on cnn. >> hey, hey, you never know. >> thank you so much. now this. let's go ahead and call it super tuesday. six states are holding primary elections for the off-year, battle in november, and just a short time ago the house speaker john boehner said forget the story line that the gop is divided. thanks to the tea party. >> there's not that much -- that big a difference between what

you call the tea party and your average conservative republican. you know? we're against obamacare, we think the taxes are too high. i wouldn't sing the same song. >> coming up, mitch mcconnell, the republican senate leader is vowing to crush the tea party and his opponent matt bevin. senator mcconnell has an eye on a bigger prize, that of senate majority leader come january. joining me live from washington, and from miami anna, the cnn political commentator. good to see both of you. and anna, you get the first at-bat here. mitch mcconnell, he's a pretty cool customer. what has gotten under his skin so much about what appears, you know, this particular election, hearing the word crush? and talking about the tea party? >> well, the target on his back

maybe. the fact that he was -- the fact that they were aiming to get him out of the senate. the fact that they spent over $4 million in a primary campaign against him. i would say those are pretty definite steps to get under somebody's skin, brooke. that's a good formula. >> target on the back. he also has a target, he would like to be senate majority leader come january. do you think it's going to happen? >> you know, i don't. but i tell you what, it's going to be a very, very close thing, for a number of reasons. the republicans should do well. history, demography, geography, are all on their side. midterm election, you have an older electorate. also, historically, by the time you get to the second year, a second term for president midterm elections, that president's party doesn't do very well. however, look at what's actually going on.

in arkansas, you've got pryor, way ahead of the republicans. in alaska, you've got begich way ahead. if the republicans say so extreme on side issues like benghazi and obamacare. >> extreme. i'll let you answer in a moment, anna. the red and blue states, let me stay with that. it's mind-boggling when you look at this. we have this for you. there are five blue states, here you go, in the northeast that has never, ever once elected a female democratic governor. allison schwartz trying to break through in pennsylvania, and gina romando in rhode island. you have these five blue states sending scores of women to congress. you know, yet they never elected a female democratic governor.

>> that is a shame. it's a crime. you've got a lot of red states in the same situation. but we're supposed to be the party that does better. i think we'll stick to that this year. keep holding democrats accountable, we should be doing better with regard to women. the republicans have been doing pretty well the past couple of years with regard to women. democrats can't rest on that forever. >> they've been trying, and have been successful. >> i think the same thing holds for hispanics. if you take a look at the number of republican hispanics elected statewide, it's sffar greater tn democrats, even though they win nationally on presidential races. it has to do with diversity of thought when it comes to hispanics in the republican party. in the democratic party, they run in districts specifically drawn for them. on the republican side you've got folks like raul labrador in idaho, winning in a place like rural idaho. >> it's very, very interesting, though, because you do have --

>> hang on, van. finish, anna. >> i'm sorry, go ahead. >> so van talked about three factors of why republicans should do well in the fall. but the important factor is electable candidates are coming out of these primaries. that is a very important thing. it's something that was a flawed formula two years ago. and why we lost some races that republicans should have won. i think the lessons have been learned. and you're seeing the better candidate, the more electable candidate in a general coming out of primaries over and over again this term. >> mr. jones, you get the final thought. >> i think it's very interesting. first of all, it is true that at the electoral level, the leadership level, unfortunately the republican party is still so hostile toward immigration, they won't let the immigration bill get through the house. the other thing, it is true republicans may have better talking points, and position themselves better, but really

the tea party agenda has taken over the entire republican party. we have to see can democrats point that out. you might not have people putting their foot in their mouths -- >> oh, that's not true, van. >> okay, okay, okay. >> minimum wage, unemployment. >> those are talking points. >> caught in the cross fire tonight. where's my whistle. thank you, you two. 6:30 p.m. right here on cnn, to both of you, thank you. coming up, he has starred in forrest gump, he's been in the shield, but this man is behind bars after killing his wife at their home with their kids inside. it was what he told a 911 operator that could make this case. the pope gets hundreds of letters each and every day, but one is making some headlines here. signed by 26 women, and they asked him if they could have sex

with their priest boyfriends. that's not the whole story. live report from rome, coming up. honestly, the off-season isn't i've got a lot to do. that's why i got my surface. it's great for watching game film and drawing up plays. it's got onenote, so i can stay on top of my to-do list, which has been absolutely absurd since the big game. with skype, it's just really easy to stay in touch with the kids i work with. alright, russell you are good to go! alright, fellas. alright, russ. back to work!

reckless seeding... ...failure to disappear. a backyard invasion. homeowner takes matters into his own hands. ♪ ortho weed b gon max. with the one-touch, continuous spray wand... kills weeds without harming innocent lawns. guaranteed. weeds killed. lawn restored. justice served. weed b gon max with the one-touch wand. get order. get ortho®.

weed b gon max with the one-touch wand. humans. even when we cross our "ts" and dot our "i's", we still run into problems. that's why liberty mutual insurance offers accident forgiveness with our auto policies. if you qualify, your rates won't go up due to your first accident. because making mistakes is only human, and so are we. we also offer new car replacement, so if you total your new car, we'll give you the money for a new one. call liberty mutual insurance at... and ask us all about our auto features, like guaranteed repairs, where if you get into an accident and use one of our certified repair shops, the repairs are guaranteed for life. so call...

to talk with an insurance expert about everything that comes standard with our base auto policy. and if you switch, you could save up to $423. liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy? he was the one slapping handcuffs on criminals in "the shield," but the tables turned on michael jace. the 51-year-old is now charged with murder in the shooting death of his wife, april jace was 40 years of age. the couple had been married nearly 11 years. and police handcuffed the actor just outside of his los angeles home early this morning.

authorities say he had dialed 911. cnn's allen duke is following this for us in los angeles. what are investigators saying they think happened here? >> reporter: well, they say it was domestic violence. that's why they charged him with homicide and set the bond at $1 million. he's in a los angeles jail now. it was only a couple of hours ago that a coroner removed the body from the south los angeles home. it's still very, very early in this investigation. but he did call 911 to report that his wife had been shot. they're not letting us hear the audio of that conversation. or telling us the content of it, if there was a confession or admission or whatever. they booked him several hours later on the murder charge. we're going through court papers, bankruptcy papers and divorce papers relating to michael jace. he was previously married, and there's a massive divorce file that we just obtained. we're also trying to find out if

there were any other 911 calls to the home in recent times about this family. and we do know that he was under severe financial distress, trying to save that home where his wife died last night. bank of america was trying to foreclose on it. he's been in bankruptcy now since 2011. >> what about, alan, the two sons? the two boys? do we know their ages or where they are now? >> the police won't -- and appropriately so -- won't tell us much about the children, other than that they were in the home when the shooting happened and that they were taken away by police and turned over to california child protective services representatives. >> alan duke for us in l.a. alan, thank you. coming up next, how clean is the airplane, or the airplane seats you fly in? a new study shows the seats can hold everything from e. coli to mrsa. we'll tell you exactly what could be on your flight. and the steps you should take to avoid getting sick. plus, it is the talk of much

of sports world, and now beyond. nasal strips for horses. california chrome making the product famous as he goes for the triple crown. so what exactly do these nasal strips do? we are live at a horse track near chicago, and a horse trainer will answer that for us. i don't just make things for a living i take pride in them. so when my moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis was also on display, i'd had it. i finally had a serious talk with my dermatologist. this time, he prescribed humira-adalimumab. humira helps to clear the surface of my skin by actually working inside my body. in clinical trials, most adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis

saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority of people were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. make the most of every moment. ask your dermatologist about humira, today. clearer skin is possible. woman: what do you mean, homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods? [ heart rate increases ] man: a few inches of water caused all this?

[ heart rate increases ] woman #2: but i don't even live near the water. what you don't know about flood insurance may shock you -- including the fact that a preferred risk policy starts as low as $129 a year. for an agent, call the number that appears on your screen.

this morning, california chrome arrived at the racetrack where he could make history, 18 days from now. the 3-year-old horse traveled from baltimore to new york's belmont park. on june 7th he will try to

become the first horse in 36 years to win the triple crown. california chrome will get to run with the controversial nasal strip previously banned in new york. so, what did we do? we sent ted rowlands to chicago to help us understand much ado about these nasal strips on horses, ted. what does the horse need them for? >> reporter: well, it helps with breathing for some horses. and dee is here and will help us with that. we put a nasal strip on, you'll be able to watch it on the horse here. this is lakota dream catcher, a beauty, a 3-year-old. dee, give us a sense as you put this on, why would you put this on lakota? >> well, the whole concept behind it is the same as with people, to help them breathe. help them breathe a little better. >> as you put it on, you're just -- it is just like a

breathe-rite, right? >> there's a soft area right here, which will flex when they breathe. you position it just right above the nostrils. and press it on. like that. >> it doesn't hurt lakota at all. in fact, she's more skittish of our camera, brooke, and the noise of the breathe-rite, the little strips coming off. than fully from this. ruben is holding on to her. does it help or not? does all this controversy, does california chrome really need a breathe-rite to win the triple crown? >> no one knows for sure. it's one of those things that you hope that it does some good for them. many, many horses have won big races, never had them. it's a recent thing. they haven't been around that many years. >> you thought the controversy was a bit of nonsense, why new

york was not allowing it. it's not a big deal. >> it's not a medicated strip or anything. there's no medication with it. it's the same thing, we put bandages on horses to help them. i mean -- it's not a real -- >> and it's interesting, brooke, dee was saying that when you win two horses, and happen to be the kentucky derby and preakness, and your horse is wearing the breathe-rite, you want the breathe-rite on for the last leg of the triple crown, because there's so much superstition involved, that california chrome needs this thing. >> i wouldn't change anything. you're on a roll. you go with what you got. >> i understand, whether it's dirty socks or whatever, work with what you have, what's working for you. ted, thank you. and thanks to lakota letting us put those things on her. all three of you, thank you so much. while california chrome hopes to make history,

obviously, an 11-year-old girl has done it. lucy lee has become the youngest golfer ever to qualify for the women's u.s. open. lee shot a round of 68 while qualifying at a tournament in half moon bay. and it wasn't close. she beat the second place qualifier by seven strokes. the previous qualifier for the open was 12 years old. the open is next month at north carolina's pinehurst resort. pope francis gets letters. a lot of secret lovers out there. we will take you live to rome, to tell you that story, and go there. plus, half a football field, that is how close two planes came to colliding in midair. let me say that again. half a football field? it happened at one of america's busiest airports. so what went wrong, and we want to make sure it doesn't happen again. that's next. get all your favorites all day, everyday.

olive garden's signature favorites, just $10 including creamy fettuccine alfredo, and our classic lasagna. plus unlimited soup or salad and warm breadsticks. signature favorites, just $10 all week long, at olive garden. ♪ no matter what kind of business you own, at&t business experts can help keep it running... seamlessly. so you can get back to what you love.

when everyone and everything works together, business just sings. whon a certified pre-ownedan unlimitedmercedes-benz?nty what does it mean to drive as far as you want... for up to three years and be covered? it means your odometer...

is there to record the memories. during the mercedes-benz certified pre-owned sales event now through june 2nd, you'll get complimentary pre-paid maintenance and may qualify for a two-month payment credit. only at your authorized mercedes-benz dealer.

just about the bottom of the hour. i'm brooke baldwin. we're just learning about what could have been a disaster on the runway at the newark airport. last month a united airlines 737 nearly collided with a smaller express jet. the larger jet was landing, the smaller jet was taking off.

apparently these two planes came within 50 yards of each other. incredibly close call. no one was injured. neither aircraft was damaged. but they're looking into it. let's step inside the plane for a moment and talk about an interesting, dare i say, icky study that simulated how long potential deadly bacteria could live inside a plane. researchers tested the life span of e. coli, and mrsa bacteria on the kinds of surfaces found in planes. and we have the results. senior medical correspondent, fresh off a plane from atlanta to los angeles, joining me here. i'm afraid to hear the answers, as we're on planes a tad too often. tell me, what did researchers find? >> you know what, brooke, they found these little bugs can survive way longer than a lot of people thought. and many people think they die off. well, not really. i was on a flight last night, crossing the country, with this

study fresh in my mind. and so i wanted to point out some of the surfaces that the researchers tested. so for example, we don't usually think of this surface in particular, but window shades. you put them up, you put them down, so did the guy sitting down there before you, and before them and before them. mrsa can live for five days. five days on a window shade. and mrsa is the antibiotic resistant bacteria. a tray table, mrsa can live for five days. particularly vicious kind of e. coli can live for three days. so it's just something that airlines actually were behind this study. and passengers need to know about it. and just not to freak out, but keep it in mind. >> you often wonder because you're sitting at the gate. and some folks are late coming off the plane before, and you want to get on that plane, places to go, people to see. and so you often think about that little window in between.

how much time and how thoroughly are they really cleaning that plane before you hop on. what, if anything, can we as passengers do about it? >> you know, it's actually really quite simple. you can carry around some wipes. alcohol-based wipes. just rub down those surfaces. rub down everything near you, like the tray table and arm rest between you and the next person. it's really very, very easy. i want to say, we did reach out to airlines, because we were wondering about their cleaning habits. we heard back from delta. and they said that they clean all their surfaces thoroughly every day. and they said, you know, we are so interested in -- we want to know about what's going on on our planes, that we actually gave the auburn university researchers our armrests and our tray tables and our window shades, so they could grow this bacteria. now, you have to give it to them, that they actual hi encouraged and supported this research. they want to know what's going on, too.

>> i was wondering what your seat mate was thinking as you're scrubbing down your tray table. they're probably thinking -- >> can i have one? he asked me if he could borrow some. >> what does she know that i don't? elizabeth cohen, thank you. and stay safe. >> thank you. forget the real housewives of atlanta orange county, how about real secret lovers of priests. yes, there was a group of 26 women who say they are in love with, or already in relationships with catholic priests. they have written specifically to pope francis asking him to please change the rules of celibacy. and that letter was published in lastampa insider website. let's take you to rome, to barbie, the rome bureau chief for "the daily beast." let me just quote some of what these women were saying here in this letter specifically.

they said, we love these men. they love us. and in most cases, despite all efforts to renounce it, one cannot manage to give up such a solid and beautiful bond. unfortunately, this brings with it all the pain of not being able to live it fully. this continuous giving and then letting go is so destroying. wow. is there really any chance that the pope might be moved by their letter and their plea? >> well, i think it's very highly unlikely this pope at this point, certainly, is going to lift celibacy and allow these priests to make their lovers honest women. but it's very interesting conversation, though. this pope has given interviews in the past about celibacy. he has been put on the record saying that celibacy is not a doctrine al issue, it's a discipline, which means he could lift it. but there's a huge logistical problem. if they allow priests to marry, there's not an infrastructure in place for all these priests.

they don't make enough money to support a family. they're living in communal situations, living in churches, things like that. it's not that easy to say, go on and marry your secret lover. but it is interesting, because this topic comes up every few years. you've got women pleading with the pope, pleading with the church saying, we love these men for who they are. they're not asking them to leave the priesthood, they're asking the pope to allow them to be legitimate. >> what about flipping the script, we're hearing from the women. has anyone ever heard, albeit anonymously, from any of the men, any of the priests? how do they feel? >> well, of course, if a priest goes to the vatican and says, i want to make a legitimate relationship with a woman, i want to marry her, he will be defrocked. he can't be a priest if he admits to having a sexual relationship with a woman. of course, it's got to be up to the women to make this plea.

it's unlikely the women will hold any sway with this particular pope. i think what they want more than anything is bring the dialogue to the table, to have the pope -- we talked about it before -- to think about it again. celibacy is not a very difficult thing in terms of the rules of the church to live. it's just probably not going to happen anytime soon. >> okay. barbie live in rome tonight, thank you so much. coming up, the powerful story behind this picture. super heroes, and the casket of a 5-year-old boy. stay with me. those little things still get you. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph,

like needing to go frequently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any allergic reactions like rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a free 30-tablet trial.

losing a child, unimaginable for any parent. and then planning a funeral. finding a fitting way to say good-bye to a little boy or little girl with be crushing. but in indiana, the parents of

brayden denton put together a funeral they are sure their young son both deserved and would have wanted. here's their story. >> reporter: in september, news 18 introduced you to the 4-year-old bray den denton and his mother, stacy. brayden was in the middle of a battle with a brain tumor, a battle fit for a super hero. but as the months went on, brayden got worse. >> he completely stopped walking. we got through that hurdle of, you know, dealing with that. and then he started not be able to eat or drink. >> reporter: earlier this month denton took him to the hospital for children to stay. then on may 8th -- >> basically, he just stopped breathing. >> reporter: when planning a funeral for her spear hero, something came to denton's mind. forget the suits and dresses, instead, she wanted her loved

ones representing what brayden loved the most, super heroes. >> he was a huge spider-man fan. and he had to quit just liking spider-man because he had all the toys. so really, he liked every super hero. >> reporter: in a league of super heroes showed up. paul bearers dressed as his favorite super heroes. the man in front dressed as thor, is braden's uncle, corey denton. >> we went to the superman movie with him. we dressed up as superman. i watched all the ironmans with him. >> reporter: the picture of the denton super hero being carried by his super hero friends has had hundreds of shares on facebook and may have been an unconventional funeral, but -- >> that's what brayden would have wanted. >> reporter: even if he is not with him in the flesh, he will always be his number one movie buddy. >> he's always here with me. i'll always watch them with him.

because he's always with me. >> reporter: denton donated her son's tumor to research. she's also working with senator ron alton to recognize september as national childhood cancer awareness month. >> kelly roberts, thank you so much for sharing that family story. i should also mention with the help of the make-a-wish foundation, brayden got a chance to meet spider-man at florida's universal studios last year. just ahead, china is apparently livid at the u.s. for indictments targeting hackers. so it's interesting that vladimir putin is in china, schmoozing. we'll talk to jake tapper about this. and one of history's most famous songs. how did we do it last time?

i don't know... i forget. hello, neighbors. hey, scott... perfect timing. feeding your lawn need not be so difficult. get a load of this bad boy.

sweet! this snap spreader system from scotts makes caring for your lawn snap-crackin' simple, guaranteed. just take the handy, no-mess bag, then snap, lock, and go. it's a new day for lawn care, feedings never been so easy. to see a demo of the snap spreader, go to scotts.com. feed your lawn. feed it! to see a demo of the snap spreader, go to scotts.com. i missed you, too.ou. hi buddy. mom! awesome! dad!! i missed you. ♪ oh... daddy. chevrolet and its dealers proudly support military appreciation month. with the industry's best military purchase program, for all that have served.

[ chainsaw buzzing ] humans. sometimes, life trips us up. sometimes, we trip ourselves up. and although the mistakes may seem to just keep coming at you, so do the solutions. like multi-policy discounts from liberty mutual insurance. save up to 10% just for combining your auto and home insurance. call liberty mutual insurance at... to speak with an insurance expert and ask about all the personalized savings available for when you get married, move into a new house, or add a car to your policy. personalized coverage and savings -- all the things humans need to make our world a little less imperfect. call... and ask about all the ways you could save.

liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy? --i don't know my credit score. that's really important. i mean-- i don't know my credit score. don't you ever want to buy a house...like, ever? you should probably check out credit karma, it's free. credit? karma? free? credit karma. really free credit scores we need to bring light to the current disaster that could risk here uncovering a danger from the past. major concerns that severe flooding in the balkans has dislodged land mines left over from the bosnian war. the red cross said that number could have shifted the land mines and signs like this warning of their presence. officials say the flooding in serbia is the worst they have seen in 120 years. at least 26 people in the

balkans have been killed. how is this for a little juxtaposition. you have russia's vladimir putin getting a stately greeting today in beijing. putin referred to china referring to as russia's reliable friend. contrast that with this. this wanted poster issued by washington, seeking the arrest of five chinese military leaders for alleged cyber spying against the united states. so putin's making nice with beijing, at the very time that the u.s. is charging that china's stealing trade secrets. might there be reason to worry? jake tapper is here with me from washington. host of "the lead." jake, how worried is the obama administration about russian and china getting too close? maybe working together against u.s. interests? while the u.s. is on the outs with both of them? >> there are concerns among obama administration officials of this anti-western alliance,

china and russia. putin declared the relationship having never been stronger. right now, there are these military drills going on in the east china sea. these joint drills. china and russia together. there's also this deal for a natural gas pipeline from russia to china. the deal has not yet been finalized, although it is likely to happen. and that the drive the two countries even closer together. so yes, indeed, there are serious concerns about the growing friendship between china and russia. >> so then concerns of a different nature we have to talk about. ukraine, this is not the first time putin said he ordered his troops away from ukraine. not the first time nato says it sees no sign of any russian withdrawal. how much can the u.s. really trust what, if anything, putin says? >> well, from the very beginning of this crisis, the things that putin said publicly turned out to not be borne out by reality.

you might recall when president obama and putin had their phone call, we had the deputy national security adviser, tony blinken, on the show right after that phone call. and putin said he was not going to be involved in crimea. one week later i had blinken on the show and i said, was he lying or did he change his mind? blinken said he didn't know if putin had lied or changed his mind. putin has been saying throughout the crisis things that are not true. >> if only we could climb into his mind and see what he's really thinking. jake tapper, we'll see you at the top of the hour on "the lead." thank you. >> thank you very much. little secret about me, the first song i taught myself to play on the guitar. led zeppelin. the band seen here in the film, the song remains the same. but now a lawyer tells bloomberg "business week" that the real stairway to heaven actually

leads to another group. the band spirit. anyone? california penned the sopping called taurus. and spirit played it while playing with zeppelin in 1968 and 1969. jimmy page, he's the one right there in the white hat, he wrote "the stairway to heaven" in 1970, a year later. let me play both of these for you. you be the judge. here's "stairway to heaven" by led zeppelin. ♪ >> now, taurus by randy california and spirit. ♪

so have we all been rocking out to taurus on our guitars after all of these years. let's bring in jean casarez. it sounds pretty similar. but this was like 40 years ago that "stairway to heaven" was released. >> brooke, i have to say, i'm impressed that you learned that on guitar. that's difficult guitar work. let's move on. i'm impressed. i just got off the phone with alexander who is the attorney who is going to file an infringement suit very soon in district court in california. it all depends on a decision that came out yesterday from the u.s. supreme court. it's the raging bull motion picture case. all about copy right i

infringement. every time there's an infringement, every time "stairway to heaven" is played, you can recover for the previous three years. this decision now allows him to go forward and says that randy california, who is now deceased, never brought suit. he knew it was his song but never brought suit because he didn't have the monetary means to do so. and so now his foundation is actually going to be filing the suit as the plaintiff. >> because, from what i've read, it's not just about money. it's all these years later about california getting recognition. right? >> but you know what, when you're getting recognition, your name is being put down as the songwriter and that means money. so, yes, and it also means that you're entitled to profits from that song. >> jean casarez, i said i taught myself. i didn't say how well i taught myself. and now the nfl announcing

it has selected minneapolis, minnesota, as the site for super bowl lii in 2018. it's scheduled to open in time for the vikings. so minnesota, congratulations. one year ago today a deadly tornado ripped through moore, oklahoma. homes and schools and businesses just leveled. so i just want to take you back to what i saw when i was there a year ago and remind you of this interview, this father, this husband, he broke down talking to me but his resilience ultimately shone through. and now angie's list is revolutionizing local service again. you can easily buy and schedule services from top-rated providers. conveniently stay up to date on progress. and effortlessly turn your photos into finished projects with our snapfix app. visit angieslist.com today.

♪ nowchoose one option fromith red lothe wood-fire grill,trios! one signature shrimp dish, and a pasta. all on one plate. three delicious choices. all for $15.99 for a limited time only! come sea food differently today! and i felt this horrible pain on one side of my back. i saw this red, blistery, rash i had 16 magic shows to do. i didn't know how i was going to be able to do these shows with this kind of pain that i was in. i told my wife what i had. she went on the internet and said "i think you have shingles." i could feel the shock in my back and it was like "wow its got to get better than this or i'm in big trouble."

one year ago today, right about this time, the people of moore, oklahoma, suffered a devastating tornado. it ripped this town apart.

20 people died, including nine children. at a memorial today, people in moore remembered the town but celebrated the rebuilding of this town as well. breaking ground in the new medical center. the old one was destroyed in last year's deadly storm. >> our lives and our community were changed the moment the tornado touched the ground so we have gathered to remember those that have lost their lives, to honor the commitment, the heart, and the courage of this community. we will all feel the emotions, the pain, and the sorrow of this day each in our own way. >> cnn sent me to moore to cover those stories in the days after the tornado hit. i'll never forget the husband and a father, an okie through and through, he had lived in moore his whole life. he shared his story of

survivor's gimt because a tornado smacked his home but it didn't totally level it like it did his neighbor's and he felt bad because his neighbor had a newborn baby. here he is. >> will you be rebuilding? will you stay here and fix this up? this is your neighborhood? >> i love moore. i don't have a fear of tornadoes. i have a healthy respect for their awesome power. god created them. sometimes for five minutes i'm thinking, i'm going to live here and rebuild. the next five minutes i feel horrible, like i need to move away and looking at my kids' emotions and my wife's emotions, i don't know right now. >> reporter: how are your kids, 13 and 14 years old, how are they handling it? >> it's very difficult for them. i'm 41 years old and the first 41 years of my life are behind me. this is what is next, the next

chapter. and i think it's going to make us stronger because the lord is our refuge and our strength. that's all i have to stand on right now. i almost wish i was on that side of the street and everything was ruined and they were over here because of their brand-new baby. >> reporter: you wished your home was destroyed? >> i really kind of do. it might be better to have those people over here and us over here. because we have -- we have something. and they have brand-new babies and -- i'm sorry. i don't know what to say. help me, lord. help me, god.

i'm sorry. >> i kept telling him, do not apologize and he ultimately showed the resilience and the faith he has and i want to share one little thing as i followed up with jackie. i told him that we are all thinking about him and his family and to make sure that they are okay. he told me that they have stayed in moore. he cannot leave his home town. they moved to a new neighborhood and i asked him about his 12, 13-year-old daughter and she's still pretty rattled. quickly, i won't share too much but he texted me before the show. he said, hope is always there. hope is always there and in a new home they do have a storm shelter. i just want to remind all of you, you can still help the great people of moore, oklahoma. go to cnn.com/impact for ways to help with that recovery effort. again, so many people were affected by that tornado and so many others and, please, always

if we can, we try to help cnn.com/impact. i'm brooke baldwin. thank you so much for being with me. as always, you can check the brooke blog for any interviews. go to cnn.com/brooke. we'll see them here tomorrow. in the meantime, let's go to washington. "the lead" with jake tapper starts right now. so who do you think is having a worse month? donald sterling or general motors? i'm jake tapper. this is "the lead." the money lead. gm's second round of recall on top of a $35 million fine all in the span of a week. how much does all of this make you want to buy a gm car? the politics lead. the battle for control of congress may be in november but the battle for control of the gop is today. key primary elections in six states will set the stage for the midterms, many of them pitting the tea party against the republican establishment. which side will walk away the victor? and the world lead. did the cia have a hand i