good wednesday morning. here's what's coming up on "early today." the latest nbc news "wall street journal" poll finds americans are concerned about the honesty and integrity of the obama administration. major league baseball could be suspending 20 players including alex rodriguez and ryan braun for 100 games. dangerous flooding is a major concern along the mississippi river. plus senators grill military officers over sexual harasent. clashes between protesters and turkish officials. and pizza delivery war may have just taken on a whole new dimension. "early today" starts right now. >> announcer: this is "early today" for wednesday, june 5th. good morning, everybody. i'm betty nguyen. it's been a bumpy two weeks for

the obama white house but one republican governor is riding high. a new nbc news "wall street journal" poll is out this morning on everything from the president's approval to the race in 2016. nbc's tracie potts has all the numbers. good morning. we're interested in this. >> we've been digging into those numbers. and what we're finding is the president's numbers, approval numbers, favorability numbers seem to be holding pretty steady, but the public is concerned about parts of his administration. >> reporter: despite a significant drop in support among independents, president obama's job approval and favorability numbers essentially haven't changed. still hovering just under 50%. >> these controversies have hit the president. they've nicked him up a little bit, but they really haven't damaged his political standing just yet. >> reporter: but americans are questioning the honesty and integrity of his administration. 58% have concerns about the state department investigating the deadly attack in benghazi.

and the justice department seizing reporters' phone records. 55% are disturbed by the irs targeting conservative groups. >> i felt betrayed, absolutely betrayed. >> reporter: half of those polled think republicans' investigations into those controversies are justified. but in each case, the majority don't hold the president personally responsible. there's a huge partisan split. most democrats don't blame the president. most republicans do. >> we still don't know who initiated this. we still don't know how far it goes up the chain, and we're still trying to find that out. >> reporter: the pentagon's taken a hit. two-thirds of americans still have confidence in the military despite allegations of sexual assault. that's down nine points since last year. >> we can and will restore trust within the force and with the american people. >> reporter: and for now, only 36% say they're satisfied with the state of the economy. plus this morning our poll is showing that republican new jersey governor chris christie is liked by more democrats than those in his own party.

43% of democrats. 40% of republicans. 41% of independents like the governor. >> really? interesting numbers there. all right, tracie, thank you very much for breaking that down for us. a big new controversy in major league baseball over possible player suspensions because of performance-enhancing drugs. yankees slugger alex rodriguez is one of the players who faces up to 100-game suspensions according to espn's "outside the lines." the brewers' ryan braun could also face a ban. tony bosh, founder of the biogenesis clinic in miami is under investigation. all together, though, 20 players are involved because of links to the clinic including melky cabrera, bartolo colon, nelson cruz, francisco cervelli and johnny peralta. hundreds have evacuated along the mississippi river after heavy rains raised water

levels. these evacuations as waters move toward the smalltown of alton, mississippi. water is now at least two miles inland threatening homes. the national weather service says the mississippi crested tuesday at more than 34 feet. just look at those pictures there. 4,000 sandbags and 320-foot jersey barrier flood walls are up to keep the waters at bay. these latest developments are bringing back some very bad memories. remember this? this same town was mostly swept away by a flood some 20 years ago. poignant words from john mccain on military sexual assault. at a senate armed forces hearing on tuesday, the arizona senator says we've been talking about the issue for years with no solution. and then he gave this startling revelation. >> a woman came to me and said her daughter wanted to join the military and could i give my unqualified support for her doing so. i could not.

>> a top military brass called the assaults quote like a cancer. another acknowledging a breach of sacred trust with the troops. >> we failed to address these crimes in a compassionate, just and comprehensive way. >> but senators were relentless in their pursuit of answers. >> we need to know how many women and men are being raped and sexually assaulted on an annual basis and we have no idea right now. >> not every single commander can distinguish between a slap on the ass and a rape. >> at the heart of the debate right now, how the military governs criminal complaints. top brass strongly oppose congressional efforts to strip commanders of their authority to handle sexual assault cases. another black eye for the irs. luxury hotels, free food and drinks all at the expense of you, the taxpayer. at a $4.1 million training conference. a new inspector general's report

on travel expenses found the agency spent a total of 49 million bucks on 225 employee conferences between 2010 and last year. this report made public the same day we heard emotional testimony from the leaders of six conservative groups. they say they endured abuse from irs agents for years while trying to qualify for tax-exempt status. we have sad news to tell you about from washington congresswoman jamie butler. the 34-year-old republican who is expecting her first child later this year has announced that her unborn baby has been diagnosed with potter's syndrome. it is a serious kidney abnormality occurring when there are low amounts of amniotic fluid. butler made the announcement on her facebook page writing "there is no known medical solution. doctors say the illness is often fatal." butler and her husband say they are praying for a miracle, and we do wish that for them as well. we are learning last week's deadly tornado in el reno,

oklahoma, is the widest ever recorded. friday's tornado was a record 2.6 miles wide. let's put that in perspective for you. the island of manhattan is 2.3 miles at its widest. the twister has been upgraded to the maximum rating of ef-5 with winds reaching 295 miles per hour. 19 deaths are being blamed on the storm including those of three storm chasers. nbc's bill karins is here. bill, you know, we're seeing these tornadoes. and it seems like they're more and more powerful. is that going to become the norm? >> this was rare for there to be two close together in two separate outbreaks. they were both near oklahoma city. one to the south and one to the west. that is rare. one was over rural areas, the el reno one and the moore, oklahoma, went right through the town. what's amazing, it went from being one mile wide to 2.6 miles wide in minutes. that's one of the reasons the storm chasers got caught. let me show you what's going on in the west. not much. yesterday was hot in the

southwest. even warm in medford. 94. it was 84 in portland. you can hear the crickets in the weather world on the west coast besides clouds and a little moisture in the northwest. not much. as far as tropical trouble goes, there is a storm possibly forming in the gulf of mexico. that would be the first "a" named storm in the atlantic basin. that will drench the east coast. florida looks wet. of course, we've been talking about oklahoma and oklahoma city with all the storms. they got hit by more thunderstorms last night. this time just your more typical ones with downpours and lightning. not too many tornadoes. maybe just a few in lubbock. those are some of the highlights today. on the west coast, what you saw yesterday is what you'll get once again today. pretty nice day. that's your nationa with some oe low clouds near coastal areas,

keeping you cooler than you'd like in monterey and san diego. the west this time of year, it's weird because it's the wet season, we're used to talking about a lot of activity. now it's just -- >> hey, no complaints, right? >> no complaints. >> i'm not complaining. i like smooth sailing. that's always a good thing. thank you. just ahead, the white house admits to having secret e-mail accounts. was deadly sarin gas used against rebels? and gmail says no to a government recall. plus a life or death decision specifically for this 10-year-old girl. we have those details in two minutes.

stories in the news this morning. we begin with breaking news. the national security adviser, tom donelan, is stepping down. he'll be replaced by susan rice. the president is expected to make the announcement later today. the white house is defending reports that some of president obama's appointees are

using secret e-mail for messages to conduct official business. press secretary jay carney said this is common practice including among previous administrations from both parties. but he also said it is a way to filter unwanted messages. and he noted that he has only one e-mail address. more unrest across turkey today as protesters continue demonstrations against the country's prime minister. the u.s. state department says it's investigating allegations that turkish authorities are using excessive force on activists. the french government says it has confirmed the use of nerve gas inside syria. officials say lab tests offer evidence of multiple uses of sarin gas in a localized way, most likely by pro-government forces. health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius says she won't intervene in the case of a young girl in need of a lung transplant. relatives of the 10-year-old girl are trying to change current health policies. rules only allow patients 12 and

older to join a transplant list but sara's doctors say she's medically eligible for an adult lung. turning to cnbc's courtney reagan. good morning. >> good morning, bettsty. stocks took a step back tuesday with the dow snapping its streak of tuesday gains at 20 straight weeks. investors focusing more on friday's key jobs report and what it could mean for future policy. data today on private sector job growth, productivity, services sector and factory orders. toyota is recalling 242,000 prius and lexus hybrids worldwide to fix a problem with the brakes. vibrations may cause cracks in the brake pressure system resulting in a loss of power. and amazon is reportedly planning a major rollout of its online grocery business beyond its hometown of seattle. it's been developing amazon fresh for at least five years. amazon could launch the service in los angeles this week and san francisco later this year. betty? back to you. >> all right. thank you, courtney.

chrysler is saying no to a mandatory recall of certain jeep grand cherokee models. in a rare move, the automaker is rebuffing the fed's request to recall 1993 through 2007 cherokees and 2002 to 2007 liberties. authorities say the fuel tanks are prone to catching fire in rear-end collisions. chrysler says the jeeps are safe, but the entire episode, well, it could end up in court. and domino's may be taking pizza to a whole new level. check this out. the domi copter was tested in the uk, and it actually traveled about four miles in ten minutes with two pizzas. domino's founder tom hatton told nbc that so far tests have been a success. right now there aren't any real plans to implement the drones for delivery. but you want to stay tuned for that. federer goes down early while the kings fight back. and a major leaguer gets tossed from the game after it's already over. sports is next.

plus, john travolta crashes a wedding in a t-shirt and jeans. details when "early today" returns. stay with us.

now for the latest in sports. the defending nhl champs get a crucial playoff win at home. dwight king appropriately of the los angeles kings scored into an empty net to seal a 3-1 victory

over chicago. the blackhawks lead the series 2-1. gordon ghee, have you heard of this? he is retiring as president of ohio state university after the controversy over comments he made last year. speaking to the university's athletic council in december about expanding the big ten conference, gee who is a mormon joked about other schools including notre dame. gee said, quote, you just can't trust those damn catholics. can you believe he said that? oh, he's not done yet. gee went on to say, the goal was to, quote, make certain that we have institutions of like-minded academic integrity. so you won't see us adding louisville. really? yep. unfortunately, he said it. in french open tennis, roger federer was knocked out, losing in straight sets to jo-wilfried tsonga. serena williams advanced to the semifinals. and in baseball, cleveland's mike aviles argued with the umpire with a called strike and then he ended the game. a 4-0 loss to the yankees.

but that argument, it continued. and the umpire ejected the player from the game. that was already over. i don't know if that's really possible, but okay. and on the "judge judy" show, jim harbaugh and his father, jack, were laughing it up with t judge and afterwards harbaugh says he even invited judge judy to a 49ers practice. now, no word on whether she's going to suit up, and that's an interesting visual, isn't it? in england, a traditional competition in his kicking shins little game right here. look at this. this is a rough sport. and very painful, mind you, as the competitors struggle to score points. "early today sports" is brought to you by new just for men autostop. gray is over. just ahead, michael jackson's mother accused of an elaborate shakedown. plus, sofia vergara times three? they say gracias for her two girls. and get ready as the newseum

prepares to take on ron burgundy. stay classy, folks. you're watching "early today."

welcome back. another quiet day. we're waking up to morning clouds around coastal areas. one of the cooler spots in all of the west could be around san francisco today. 63 only for a high for you. we quickly jump very much into the hot zone once we go into interior sections. look at portland, oregon, today. 83. and it looks like we're going to hold on to this fantastic weather right into the upcoming weekend. friday, saturday and sunday. what a great time for a

three-day weekend if you can get away with it. let's take you into san francisco. i mentioned it's cooler today. it may warm up a couple degrees, but we've still got that marine influence. looks like you'll top off at friday at 71. it doesn't look rainy, but it doesn't look very warm either. >> those temperatures don't look bad, though. i like the whole forecast. thank you, bill. good job. >> easy. now to entertainment. the ceo of aeg live told the jury this week that he believes the lawsuit filed by michael jackson's mother was a shakedown attempt. the suit claims aeg failed to properly investigate jackson's doctor. but the company says it bears no responsibility for the singer's 2009 death. kate winslet and jennifer love hewitt both announced yesterday that they are expecting babies with their significant others. congrats to them. and after meeting a soon-to-be bride and groom at a georgia bar, john travolta apparently showed up and crashed their wedding. travolta posed for pictures with the newlyweds who have an even more unforgettable set of

wedding photos now. sophfia vergara had everyon seeing triple yesterday. the actress met with two newly revealed wax figures of herself. both of which she says look perfect. finally, just in case you need another excuse to channel your inner ron burgundy, we all do, don't we? the newseum in washington, d.c., has announced a new "anchorman" exhibit features costumes from the film which will open just before the sequel this winter. i cannot wait for that. >> you're very excited. >> i am. i love it. >> how can it ever live up to the original, though? >> you're right. >> you have to lower your expectations. >> all right, all right. i'll try. i'm betty nguyen, and this is "early today." we hope it's just your first stop of the day on nbc.

leading the news on "politico," "guns, gay rights could return in immigration fight." those two major issues will be something that the senate will have to navigate next week. and in "the washington post," "michelle obama con fronts protester, threatens to leave fund-raiser." lesbian activist heckled the first lady who went face to face and threatened to leave the fund-raiser if she did not interrupting her speech. she was escorted out. topping our news, breaking this morning, a major shake-up in president obama's inner circle. national security adviser tom donilon will resign after nearly three years. he'll be replaced by susan rice who comes under fire after delivering talking points on the attack in benghazi. the french government says lab tests showed the use of

nerve gas inside syria. officials say they have evidence of several uses of sarin gas in a localized way, most likely by pro-government forces. yankees' slugger alex rodriguez is one of about 20 players who may face up to 100-game suspensions. now, that is according to espn's "outside the lines." the brewers' ryan braun could also face a 100-game ban. an arizona artist has created a big stir in his community. check this out. residents of paulden want the man to take down a nine-foot gargoyle he constructed in his yard. however, it's not just the gothic statue that they're angry about. it's the fact that it's anatomically correct. yeah, we saved you that. didn't want to show that to you. early morning tv. families are watching. county officials say the nudity is offensive, but the artist claims, quote, it needed to be there because he doesn't like ken dolls. really? >> i don't know about his reasoning. it's in the middle of nowhere.

>> nowhere. >> it's not like kids are walking by his property going to school. >> gargoyle. why? >> don't ask an artist why. >> yeah, you never want to do that. a look ahead. new jersey senator frank lautenberg will be laid to rest today. lautenberg, the senate's last world war ii veteran, will be eulogized in new york by vice president joe biden and then buried in arlington national cemetery. president obama welcomes the super bowl champions to the white house. the baltimore ravens will show off their trophy as they did for state lawmakers in maryland. happy birthday to actor mark wahlberg who is 42. cnbc financial expert suze orman turns 62. and the second lady, dr. jill biden, is also 62. so here's what's coming up on the "today" show. jeff rossen reports on a high-tech device designed by car thieves that has police baffled. keep it here for more news, weather, sports and so much more. i'm betty nguyen. thanks for watching "early today." have a good one.

make league baseball doping problems about to get worse. the hunt for three bay area bank robber suspects. now police are asking for your help to help them solve the crime. >> the scariest part is that i can't believe that police are supposed to look out for them and protect them. >> they should have done something else. they should have done something. >> a prowler lurking around a south bay elementary school. when police are called, no one shows up. let's take you live outside. that is kind of a foggy look at the golden gate bridge. kind of