good thursday morning. coming up on "early today," a british soldier is brutally killed in a suspected attack of terrorism. a west point sergeant accused of secretly filming female cadets. what private areas he did this at. drones and how it may affect the esident's plans on a major speech on counterterrorism. plus the latest on the tornado devastation in oklahoma. a decision in the jodi arias trial. why brad pitt can't recognize faces. "early today" starts right now. >> announcer: this is "early today" for thursday, may 23rd. good morning, i'm richard lui. london police now say wednesday's brutal attack of a british soldier on the street was a terrorist attack. nbc news has obtained video of

the attack, and the material is graphic. here you see one suspect. investigators say they ambushed and killed the soldier with machetes in broad daylight. they went on to rant about islam shouting at bystanders and calling them extremists. the incident is raising questions in the uk and here at home about security in the face of a new kind of terror attack. nbc's annabel roberts is at the scene of the attack in london. she filed this report earlier. >> reporter: good morning, richard. the two suspects spent the night in the hospital under armed guard. and really the big question facing the security services this morning is whether or not they were acting alone. british prime minister david cameron is hosting this morning a meeting of a committee called c.o.b.r.a. which is designed to deal with attacks, terrorist attacks, in his country, and emergencies to put forward the government's response to this. but of course, it is the brazen nature of the attacks that has really shocked people here.

these two men attacked the man in broad daylight. there's a busy road junction behind me. they then stood around for 20 minutes engaging in conversation with bystanders and being filmed. of course, it was seen their motivation was really to get their message across. but the great fear is that the broadcasting of these images will provoke a series of retaliatory attacks in communities up and down the country. where i am is a very mixed community, many different people of different backgrounds living side by side. and there was a demonstration here last night, not violent, but already we can see that tensions are high. richard. >> annabel roberts in london, thank you so much for the latest on that. a u.s. army sergeant is charged with secretly filming female cadets at the u.s. military academy. now, the staff member at west point is accused of putting hidden cameras in the shower and bathrooms to tape women who were naked or partly undressed. defense secretary chuck hagel describing it as, quote,

concerned and disturbed by those allegations. it is the latest sexual misconduct incident in the military. this follows the pentagon report estimating as many as 26,000 service members may have been sexually assaulted last year alone. later today president obama will give what's being billed a major speech on counterterrorism. he's expected to discuss the u.s. prison at guantanamo bay and the ongoing war on terror. but obama's remarks could also be used to defend the administration's drone program after an admission from the attorney general. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with a preview. and tracie, more on that admissi admission as well. >> reporter: exactly. even as the president addresses the big picture here, the fact that al qaeda, their central leadership has been decimated, but there's still threats from affiliates and even homegrown terrorists. a white house official says he's going to talk about justifying the use of drones, and that is likely to be the most controversial part of this speech. it comes after attorney general

eric holder told congress in a letter that four americans have been killed since 2009 by the use of these drones. only one of them, though, was actually targeted. that was al qaeda in the arabian peninsula, anwar al awlaki who was targeted, the other three not, but he argued in very specific detail as the president's expected to do today that the use of these drones is legal. also in the speech today, the president expected to talk about beefing up embassy security after the deadly attack on the consulate in benghazi. and he'll once again push to close gitmo, the prison, the military prison down at guantanamo bay, a promise from the first term that the president is now resurrecting. we're told, richard, he may also hit on those journalist phone records that were seized by the justice department. another tie here to national security because the justice department said they had to find out and plug that leak coming from within the administration. >> tracie, as you've been watching the responses there

from lawmakers on the hill, specifically to the admission there of drone attacks and those four americans that were killed, any response yet? >> reporter: not completely convinced lawmakers here that the administration's use of drone attacks is justified. what we'll get today from the president is a visual account of this letter that was sent to capitol hill in very specific detail legally about why the united states thinks these drone attacks are legal. >> all right. tracie potts with the latest. thank you so much. now to oklahoma where the ef-5 tornado's damage toll could be upwards of $2 billion. all 24 victims have been identified now. and today the first funeral for one of the child victims as the community of moore begins its long road to recovery. nbc's sara daaloff joins us live from moore. good morning to you. how is day three shaping up and

putting 13,000 homes that are estimated here back together? >> reporter: good morning, richard. you know, the day is shaping up not really well right now. we've got heavy rains all morning and lightning storms rolling through. that is definitely going to hamper the effort of the cleanup today. i want to show you what these crews are dealing with behind me. you're looking at what used to be the bowling alley of moore. we've actually seen some of the bowling balls here in the rubble, but other than that, it's pretty much unrecognizable. twisted metal, broken wood, then you see what is left of cars that were just thrown onto this pile like they were nothing by the force of this tornado. now, federal officials have toured this damage, and they say they will provide aid. meanwhile this morning, it's really the boots on the ground at this moment that are making the most difference. people from the national guard to local volunteers who are going pretty much door to door asking homeowners what they need and what can be done to help clear up this debris. initial damage reports estimate

that there's $2 billion plus worth of damage. a huge job ahead and a huge price tag on this as this community struggles to recover, struggles to cope with the grief they are experiencing right now. >> sara, as we see the lightning behind you, and you mentioned the weather and how difficult it may be for recovery efforts, of course we've got to think about the victims here and how they are surviving. the homeless. where are they staying at the moment, and are things okay with them as we look at the tough weather behind? >> reporter: you know, the positive lining to this is that everyone does have a place to stay. churches had opened up their doors, shelters, things like that. and then we've heard stories of complete strangers who knew that people needed somewhere to stay and have said, come over here. we'll take care of you. we can provide this for you at this moment. so the good news is everyone does have shelter especially from this storm that we're going through right now. >> so good to hear. sara dallop, thank you so much. bill karins, nbc meteorologist,

tough weather for them. it was good yesterday but now tough today. >> one good day. i also want to show you the piece of video that came out. a 19-year-old was at a friend's house when the tornado rolled through. they had a storm shelter and they had a little crack where he was able to put his cell phone out. he wasn't in the heart of it. he was in the tornado, but he wasn't in the ef-4 part. but he was definitely in probably at least 100 to 150-mile-an-hour winds. you see the tree across the street got sheared off. at one point you can see tires rolling and flowing in the air flow. >> the tree doesn't look like a tree. >> no, pretty incredible stuff. the parents of those kids -- had the parents had been there, there would have been no cell phone video. they weren't safe. a couple other images from yesterday. this was one of the big question marks. where did this ten-ton tank come from? well, it came from a farm a half mile away. ten tons flew a half mile. and then how about this image? we just showed you the bowling alley with the reporter with the live shot. inside all of that rubble, there

is literally pins still standing. that's how weird sometimes tornadoes are. the only pin missing was the 7 pin. they are going to get drenched. there is a line of training thunderstorms intensifying that are heading right for moore, oklahoma. they're going to get drenched. it's not going to cause any additional damage, but remember, a lot of these people have all their possessions. they're hoping to find photos or something, and this is going to ruin even more stuff. there's an additional chance of strong storms late this afternoon into tonight especially to the west of moore. the possibility of isolated tornadoes. the weather in the northwest isn't pretty either. portland, oregon, has already picked up an inch of rain in the last day, and it is a cold, chilly, wet day out there with temperatures in the 40s. we'll be lucky today to see 55 in portland. you probably get the award for ugliest weather in the country today. that's a look at your national

it's not like it's warm in california either. and that storm in the northwest is going to sit there and spin. >> i know we have more of that. but boy, it's tough to see that tough weather around moore. >> two days after, just give the people a break. >> exactly. bill karins back looking at memorial day for us. a new development in the boston marathon bombing investigation leads to a deadly confrontation. plus an impasse in the jodi arias trial as jurors struggle to make a decision on her fate. details when "early today" returns.

welcome back. the jury deciding the fate of convicted murderer jodi arias cannot decide. jurors saying they're deadlocked on whether to give her the death pent or life in prison. sources say boston bombing suspect tamerlan tsarnaev and another man murdered three people in massachusetts two years ago. the other suspect was a friend of tsarnaev's and confessed to

the murders. he was killed wednesday after allegedly attacking an fbi agent. the city of chicago had approved closing 49 underperforming or low-enrollment public schools. this is the largest mass school closing in u.s. history affecting some 30,000 students. and the teen birth rate in 2011 is at a record low. federal data, new federal data, saying 31 out of every 1,000 babies born that year were to women age 15 to 19. that's about half the rate reported from ten years earlier. time now for business headlines and cnbc's seema mody. seema, good morning. >> richard, futures are lower right now after stocks fell on wednesday on comments from fed chairman ben bernanke, suggesting that the fed could start tapering its economic stimulus programs possibly this year. global markets are also reacting to weak manufacturing data out of china. in other news, fidelity says the average of 401(k) balance

topped $81,000 and is up 75% since the depths of the financial crisis in 2009. most of the recovery is due to the stock market rally since that time. and twitter is beefing up its security measures, adding a verification feature for users when they log in. the move comes in the wake of hacking attacks on accounts of several major companies and news organizations. richard, back to you. >> all right, seema thank you so much. also in business, good economic news wednesday including a surge in sales of existing homes in april to their highest level in nearly 3 1/2 years. also with high demand for new cars and trucks, the big three automakers will not be shutting down production as much this summer. general motors, though, is recalling more than 27,000 2013 cadillac srx crossover vehicles. what's happening here, the wheels could fall off due to potentially loose wheel nuts. for this memorial day weekend, nearly 35 million of you will travel 50 miles mostly by car.

that's down 1% from last year. and which would you give up for a week? sex or your mobile device? a new survey found that 57% of u.s. women would choose their smartphone or tablet over sex. just ahead, a game one thriller as the heat and the pacers face off in the eastern conference finals. plus, we don't often cover lacrosse, but we've got to do this one. an amazing shot to show you.

take you to sports now. and starting with an nba playoff thriller in miami. pacers down two. 0.7 seconds left in the game. paul george heaves up a miracle there. the game heads to overtime. under ten left in o.t. pacers down two. george with another miracle try. this time for three. no, way off. but wait, hang on a second. it's a foul. george then drains all three shots at the line. pacers up one. two seconds left. that's right, put your hands over your mouth. none of that matters. james has a one-way ticket and the clutch layup. the heat win by one. the pittsburgh penguins bully the ottawa senators. james neal and jarome iginla unstoppable. pens lead. talk about miracle heaves. a high school lacrosse goalie

gets the save then throws the ball 80 yards and makes it. the orange goalie, watch him, no, it didn't happen. yeah, it did, pick it up. it's a bird, it's a plane, no, this, my friend, is -- was a bicycle. bolting over 162 miles an hour, setting a world speed record on a rocket-powered bicycle. it is not your bike messenger's ten-speed. it's got a hydrogen peroxide tank. no, there's no water bottle. finally in a high school baseball game, a play too good not to show you. the runner faces off the catcher. does he slide? turn around? no, he leaps over the catcher and he gets the score. that doesn't look like he even flinched. kate middleton and her baby bump brighten the queen's garden party. and why brad pitt cannot remember who you are. hanging out with justin bieber might include fine print and a lot of paperwork.

the radar over the northwest is a perfect example of a very slow moving what we call an upper-level cold storm. this is just sitting here spinning. you can literally see everything coming up, going back over and then wrapping right back down here, coming on shore in the portland area. white is showing up on the map. the highest of elevations seeing snow here. at the end of may. crazy. but portland, it's not pretty right now, especially the south of portland, just a lot of steady, cold rain. 47 in portland now and raining.

so the forecast for today, again, it's not going to rain all day. it looks like areas near spokane will be okay. and seattle, 61, the chance of storms. san francisco only 60 with that on-shore flow. we warm it up a little bit in portland, but i wouldn't say that looks pretty. >> it doesn't look -- a spade is a spade, right? it's going to be a little rainy there. bill, thank you so much. now to entertainment. tmz reporting justin bieber may sue house guests if they violate a nondisclosure agreement with they visit. bieber is reportedly asking for $5 million if guests break the waiver. >> no more sleepover at the biebs. >> so what's happening at the biebs' house? paris hilton has signed with lil' wayne's cash money records for her sophomore album. >> did she have a first one? >> i didn't know that either. don't expect any ballads or bubble gum pop songs. this one is all house music. i'm thinking really?

not so hot, maybe. mommy-to-be kate middleton was glowing in yellow yesterday at buckingham palace. due in july, she spent the day mingling with guests and cradling her baby bump. finally in a new interview with "esquire," brad pitt claiming he suffers from a symptom. >> he made that up. >> maybe a bad memory. a condition that evidently prevents facial recognition. the 49-year-old actor says people often get offended or think he's being disrespectful when he can't remember who they are. do you call it just getting old? >> you just call it ignorance. if you want to remember someone, you remember them. >> yeah. >> right? >> i often have trouble with it. that's what i'm going to say from now on. i'm richard lui, and this is "early today," and this is just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

on nbcnews.com this morning, as hospital crumbled, mom brought new life. this explains how 25-year-old shayla taylor was giving birth as the tornado touched down in moore. amazing story there. and in "the boston globe," from around the world, flags honor boston. the museum of fine arts will unveil a mile-long display of 1500 flags from around the world to bring messages of hope to a city trying to heal. some of our top stories for you, u.s. army sergeant is charged with secretly filming women cadets at the u.s. military academy. the staff member at west point is accused of putting hidden cameras in the shower and bathrooms of female cadets who were naked or partly undressed. defense secretary chuck hagel was described as, quote, concerned and disturbed by these allegations. the jury deciding the fate of convicted murderer jodi arias

cannot decide. jurors say they are deadlocked on whether to give her the death penalty or life in prison. the teen birth rate in 2011 set another record low. federal data saying 34 out of 1,000 babies were given birth to women age 15 to 19, about half the rate reported in 1991. these stunts might make your head spin. sidewalk skiing has become all the rage in saudi arabia. drivers doing this, tilting the car on two wheels, passengers hanging on to the outside standing. a pogo stick jumper in france became an internet sensation. >> is that real? >> when he broke the world record for most consecutive back flips. his 15 flips busted the previous record of 11. pogo sticked before, right? >> i have tried. it's tiring more than anything else. >> and the two-wheeler thing. that's dangerous. >> how do you practice the back flips? that's what i want to know. i understand once you get it, you can do it. i want to see the video of him practicing.

>> a lot of bruises, broken bones, maybe. time now for a look ahead. the boy scout leaders in texas voting on a resolution that would promote openly gay youths. james holmes back in court today. it's the latest hearing for the shooting at a colorado movie theater last summer. and happy birthday to singer jewel who is 39. i cannot believe she's that old. comedian drew carey turns 55 and actress joan collins, 80. here's what's coming up later on "today." instant cash for cell phones and why atms may be helping thieves profit from their crimes. and today's great american adventure, behind the scenes at universal studios in orlando. that will be fun. keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm richl richard lui along with bill karins. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of

the day on this nb

. . new this morning, british prime minister, david cameron, just spoke minutes ago, about a deadly terror attack on the streets of london. the new details we are learning about the brutal killing next. also, we finally have some answers. the new details we are learning about the shootout that killed two santa cruz police officers. looking for your help. the chp needs to talk to you if your commute takes you to livermore. right now, he we take you live outside. that is a look at the bay bridge. we are talking about san francisco. indeed, we are getting closer to the weekend. it is thursday, may 23rd. this is "today in the bay."