making news in america this morning -- severe weather. more tornadoes, damaging hail and a powerful storm that caused a train to derail. who is in the crosshairs today? desperate search. this morning, the rally cry to bring hundreds of kidnapped girls home. it's spreading with messages from celebrities and the first lady. caught on camera. a murder scene packed with people and police. but it's what happened after the crime that's even more wild. and forget the bigger boat. these guys are going to need one that's not inflatable. good thursday morning to you. we begin with another round of severe weather hammering the

nation's heartland. >> severe storms generating high winds, hail, and tornadoes. and the latest radar showing a wide swath from texas to minnesota. as hard-hit communities brace for more of the same. the extreme weather whiplash is fueled by an early taste of summer, colliding with the last traces of winter, spawning at least five reported tornadoes in colorado. >> wow. >> reporter: this dramatic video caught a twister on camera near akron, colorado. other parts of colorado were hit by golf ball-sized hail. piling up to three inches in some areas, driven by wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour. and wind gusts approaching 90 miles per hour are blamed for derailing this train north of wichita, kansas. >> i was shocked it was strong enough to blow the train. i cam across the snapped power poles and power lines. but i didn't think it was strong enough to blow the train over. >> reporter: some 30 cars were knocked off the track by the

90-mile-per-hour winds. fire official says luckily those cars weren't carrying chemicals. it comes as president obama got a firsthand look at the devastation from last week's tornado outbreak in hard-hit arkansas. hundreds of homes were destroyed. and 15 were killed in that state alone. >> when something like this happens to a wonderful community, it happens to all of us. >> 40 million people are in the severe storm risk area which stretches from dallas to minneapolis. you can expect high winds, large hail and a possible tornado. the system will move east tomorrow. the other story we're following this morning is the search for the missing girls in nigeria. the government offering a $300,000 reward for any leads. and the u.s. is sending additional resources. abc's tahman bradley reports from washington. >> reporter: for the first time, the parents of the missing girls return to the scorched school where their daughters were kidnapped by armed terrorists. for some of them, it was just too much.

after three, long weeks, those families are losing faith in their government. we don't feel nigeria can help get our daughters back, said this man. the world is listening. from first lady michelle obama, who tweeted this photo. to oscar winner angelina jolie. >> i think sadly, there is real evil in the world. and you know, you can watch the news. and you see all of the people suffering. and so much cruelty. >> reporter: and former secretary of state hillary clinton offered these strong comments to abc's robin roberts. >> the seizure is abominable. it's criminal. it's an act of terrorism. and it really merits the fullest response possible. >> reporter: the search, which the u.s. has now joined, will focus on a remote forest in the northern wilderness, more than six-times the size of yellowstone national park. >> the one thing that's almost certain is that the young girls are no longer together.

they almost certainly are dispersed in small groups or even individuals. >> reporter: the captors, the boko haram terrorist organization, promises to sell the girls as sex slaves. boko haram killing hundreds in a marketplace, increasing pressure for the international community to respond. >> thank you, tahman. hillary clinton had a lot more to say in that interview with robin. she talked tough about benghazi and the prospect of a new investigation. and robin tried to pin her down about that run for the white house. >> when i look at your twitter page, the last thing you list is saying you're a glass ceiling cracker. >> uh-huh. >> and no one feels it would be better to crack that glass ceiling than to have a woman as president. and many people believe that to be you. >> i think we should crack it, also. i'm 100% in favor of that. but i have nothing further to

say about that. >> we tried, right? benghazi, the new investigation. are you satisfied with the answers? and are you content with what you know what happened? >> absolutely. i mean, of course, there are a lot of reasons why, despite all of the hearings, all of the information that's been provided, some choose not to be satisfied and choose to continue to move forward. but they get to call the shots in the congress. >> the vote on whether to open a new investigation into the benghazi attack is expected today in the house. and you can hear much more of robin's exclusive interview, including the question clinton called one of the cleverest she's ever been asked, that's coming up on "good morning america." >> look forward to that. breaking news from syria, where a huge explosion has leveled a hotel and government buildings in the city of aleppo. government troops were staying at the hotel. this comes as rebels withdrew

from their last remaining stronghold, in homs. the head of the opposition is in washington today. russian president putin appears to be taking steps to diffuse the crisis in ukraine. he ordered troops to pull back from the border. he called for a delay of the referendum for autonomy. but the u.s. and nato says they see no sign of troop movement pulling back. a new judge considering by attorneys for the boston marathon bombing suspect. the defense team wants items thrown out. they say he was questioned for 36 hours. they said officers did not read him his rights. the defense lawyers are asking the judge to declare the federal death penalty unconstitutional. and a legal issue seems to be brewing over the ownership of the los angeles clippers. shelly sterling, the estranged wife of donald sterling, says she is legally entitled to maintain ownership of the team. she's been a co-owner since

1981. along with her recently banned husband. mrs. sterling says she'll fight to own the team outright. the ban does not apply to her or the rest of her family. no comment from the league. following the visit to the arkansas tornado zone, president obama headed to california for some fund-raising. he appeared at a dinner for steven spielberg's foundation, which records interviews of survivors of the holocaust and other events. coming up, a shakeup in shipping. fedex is making a major change in how it charges customers. and a deadly fire at a mansion belonging to former tennis star. did someone want the family there dead? plus, a wild scene unfolds at a murder investigation. why this driver barreled through a crowd.

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welcome back. well, fed chair janet yellen is addressing the nation's economic concerns and went a long way to soothing an anxious wall street. she expects economic growth to pick up speed through the year. and she refused to put a time line on when the fed will increase interest rates. as for housing activity so far this year, she called it disappointing. the house has voted to hold a former irs official in contempt for refusing to cooperate in an ongoing investigation. lois lerner took the fifth during congressional hearings on how the irs targeted tea party and conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status. fedex changing how it

charges to ship things. in january, the company will charge according to package size, not its weight. it will be more expensive to ship bulky items. the new costs are likely to be passed on to consumers or retailers. the big question is whether u.p.s. will follow suit. it's the end of an era at "jet" magazine. it's switching to a digital-only format. the weekly digest for african-americans will only be accessible through an app, which will include breaking news and video clips. colorado lawmakers have introduced the first marijuana banking system. it will fill the void created by banks that have shunned growers and sellers. the state will have a better way to track sales and collect taxes. mother's day is this sunday. but if you're planning to go traditional with a gift, think again. a research survey on what moms really want, candy, chocolates and flowers were among the least

desired. and the most desired, a day at the spa and a nice meal. >> i would agree with that. i would rather have a massage and a good meal -- flowers are nice. how about you? >> massage. i would go for the massage. when we come back, the secret ingredient. the researchers say what's in there could fight hiv. and catch of the day. the best play in baseball last night didn't come from a player making big bucks. it came from a ball boy. [ male announcer ] if your kitchen could study you, what would it learn? what improvements would it make? at ge, you've inspired us to reimagine the kitchen. with innovations like the first dishwasher featuring 102 spray jets. the kitchen is now thinking -- more like you. and...stop. no? nothing? [ male announcer ] ge. reimagining home.

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♪ led to the one jobhing you always wanted. at university of phoenix, we believe every education- not just ours- should be built around the career that you want. imagine that. check out these waves. not malibu. not daytona beach. it's sheboygan, wisconsin. can you believe that? the weather roughed up lake michigan just enough for surfers to pull out the surfboards and ride some white caps. how did they learn how? is there an active surfing culture there?

>> must be. they're pretty good. now, for a look at your morning road conditions. wet roads in the northeast. torrential rain will bring flooding conditions to the midwest, from the great lakes to the gulf coast. snow will make for slippery conditions across the rockies. and rain in the pacific northwest. >> if you're flying, airport delays are possible today in minneapolis, kansas city and dallas. the investigation into a house fire in a florida neighborhood is focusing on arson and a possible murder/suicide. >> and it happened at a home owned by james blake. the mansion went up in flames yesterday morning. the charred bodies of two adults and two teenagers were found in the debris. blake had been leasing the home to a family named campbell for nearly two years. the teens were mourned by classmates. >> really depressing. the daughter was beautiful. >> obviously, our hearts are broken. we're grieving as a community. we rallied around our students,

our faculty and parents. >> it's not known if the four bodies are those of the family renting the home. police say it will take several days to make positive identification. to a bizarre incident that unfolded near the scene of a murder in houston. a car came barreling through a crowd that gathered after a man was shot and killed. neighbors and reporters scampered out of the way just in time. the driver was identified as the father of the accused shooter. he said the victim's family was taunting him. a minnesota college student is in critical condition after falling from the back of a bus. 21-year-old dillon smith hitching a ride on the bumper on a bus there. moments after the bus made a turn, he fell off. he suffered severe head injuries. it's not clear if he was trying to duck the fare or just looking for a thrill. there's word this morning that soy sauce could be the secret ingredient in the fight against aids. an earlier study found a flavor-enhancing molecule in the

sauce, may prevent the virus that causes aids from replicating. and doctors in israel have been performing a surgery similar to the one that tiger woods underwent on his aching back. only, the patient was a 550-pound brown bear. he usually lives at the zoo. his name is mango. and he had a slipped disc wen one of his two vertebras. it's thought to be a first of its kind. doctors don't know if mango will make a full recovery for a couple of weeks. >> that's quite a sight. a couple of rowers are start to spend their first day on dry land since late december. >> they arrived in miami yesterday after rowing from morocco. they are south african. and are the first people to row from mainland africa, to mainland north america. >> that's 5,281 miles. it took them 105 days.

they say along the way, they encountered sharks, whales and dolphins. check them out, hugging. yeah. they've earned that one. my goodness. >> a special moment. i couldn't have done that. there's no way. the nfl is set to welcome its next class of stars at the begin of this year's draft tonight. >> you can see it all beginning at 8:00 on espn. >> they'll provide us with this morning's highlights from the nba. check them out. >> good morning. jay harris, jonathan coachman here. "sportscenter" desk. bristol, connecticut. lots of highlights for you. big night in the nba. wizards and pacers. >> the pacers down a game. they had to get this one. roy hibbert, doughnuts in game one. he had himself a game on wednesday night. 17 in the first half. a season-high 28 for the game. nine rips. and indiana pulls away with lance stephenson. they win by four. going back to d.c., tied at 1-1 apiece. the thunder and clippers a must-win game for okc.

kevin durant, receiving his mvp trophy before the game. and crossing over, side step. laying it up. 32 points, 9 boards, 9 assists. russell westbrook, driving and jamming. a triple-double. 31, 10 and 10. thunder win 112-101, and even the series at 1-1. dude can fly. >> he can fly. he's nasty. >> all right. >> two more big games tonight. >> all right. >> can't wait. he's jonathan. i'm jay. peace. >> yes. >> guys, thanks. a big-league play at the ballpark in miami. but not by one of the well-paid athletes. this is why it's our play of the day. >> check out this catch by the marlins ball boy. he dives over a three-foot-high railing and tumbles into the stands. the ball falls from his glove. but he still gets an "a" for effort. >> making it even more incredible, it was only his second day on the job. you know, when i first saw this,

i thought, let a poor fan catch it. but i think it would have hit that guy behind him had he not caught it. >> you're right. >> going right for his head. check it out. that couldn't have been good if he didn't stick that glove in there. sign him up. third baseman. >> you're right. up next in "the pulse," a shark takes a big bite out of a boat full of people. and a zoo unveils a new feature that allows some big predators to walk out of their enclosure.

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like a real-life "jaws." >> check this out. sneak attack on a film crew off the coast of south africa. that's a great white shark. suddenly popped out of the water. starts taking bites out of their inflatable boat, tearing right through the rubber. >> fortunately, the crew, the shark, swam away before they started to sink. so, no one was hurt. >> looking at them like it's entertainment. i would get out the oar and start whacking him. that's terrifying. thank gosh he swam away, right? >> inflatable. so, there's no way you can go. >> better believe it. a cool new attraction at the philadelphia zoo. it's called big cat crossing for obvious reasons. >> yep. it's a protected open-air path that the lions and tigers use. they can roam outside of their usual habitat. this allows some freedom for the animals and lets the guests to get an up-close look at them. >> the zoo has separate trails through its property for apes and primates. and more trails are being

planned. >> i think they like to be superstars. letting everybody look at them. >> i love it. from the big cats to a very special dog. take a look. his name is hudson. he's here in new york city. he was born blind. >> that's not good, especially when hudson was supposed to grow up to be a guide dog. there were plans to put him down because of his lack of sight. >> but an online campaign started up. and it went viral. hundreds of people say they would love to adopt him. soon. so, hudson is expected to have a permanent home soon. he is adorable. >> oh, my gosh. he is going to be snapped up in a heartbeat. look at that. he bangs up against the wall. poor thing. >> they say puppies use their sense of smell more than their eyes at this stage of the game. he'll get it done. and i'm sure, being that cute, he'll have no trouble. and to think he was going to be a seeing-eye dog, right? >> yeah. and so sad they wanted to put him down. i'll bet you anything this little guy is going to be picked up pretty quickly. >> going to have it good before long. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll be back with the story of the long, lost dog finally found.

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good morning on this thursday. it is 4:28. thank you for joining us. >> first up a check on the forecast. where i was, breezy. that varies. >> yeah. really does. we are a little windy in some areas, napa, concord, sfo. that's about it for this morning. widespread breezes that we had the last couple of days. you see the top of your screen, though, that's where the best radar is, mlake county. a little drizzle is possible. scattered showers will develop after the morning commute and hang around throughout day. temperature is 60s at the coast, 70s inland looking at a couple of accidents to get us going this morning at this very early hour. not even 4:30 yet. we take a look at the drive

right here, a crash a 180. right now we are seeing slowing will as you come off of southbound 505. to san francisco, 280 we have this accident and it is blocking one lane. northbound traffic not affected as we make it right up to 101 and towards the bay district. a live look outside and see how it is doing. bay bridge. you can see traffic there is running smoothly. a little little bit of construction. >> thank you. 4:29 now. breaking news. fire fighters are bhalting a two-alarm house fire. matt keller is live near plaza drive with the latest information. >> this could be a tragic morning here in sunnyvale. neighbors told me a couple in their 70s live here with their adult son, the man and in his firts, in the clubhouse. his mother and boyfriend are unaccounted for at this time.

the call came in at arou 2:00 at the caped to village. a senior community here in sunnyvale. fire fighters arrived top find flames shooting out of the home. neighbors say the flames reached all the way to the top of the trees. firefighters took a defensive stance. neighbors say there was an explosion and eventually a car caught fire. took fire fight bers 20 minutes to knock the fire down. the man who made it out said this could have been started by cooking. firefighters say they just secured the utilities. now they will able to go through the rubble here and told me to expect to be here all day as they continue to try to make contact with the couple. hoping they weren't staying here last night but according to neighbors that would be unlikely. we will continue to follow the breaking news story all morning long right here on abc 7. >> east bay high school community is on high alert with extra police patrol this morning after messages discovered