good tuesday morning. coming up on "early today," tense phone call. russia's president claims the u.s. is misinformed about thwhas really going on in ukraine and president obama vows serious consequences. boston strong. one year ago terror struck at the boston marathon. today, the victims' incredible recovery. severe weather. freezing temperatures, major damage, flooding and thunderstorms all ahead today. plus, they're calle long range acoustic devices. you may be in for a shock if you're driving too fast near a construction zone. also, oscar pistorius' emotional outburst impacts his murder trial. and why a candy bar could save your marriage. it's tuesday, april 15th. "early today" starts right now.

very good tuesday to you. i'm richard lui. in their first phone call in more than two weeks, president obama warned russian president vladimir putin that there will be serious costs for further actions in ukraine. meanwhile, armed prorussian separatists seized more government buildings in eastern ukraine. president obama is urging putin to use his influence to stand down. danielle leigh joins us this morning. how did that phone call go? >> reporter: good morning. the phone call was described as very frank and neither side seems to agree on much. but the good news is it got the conversation going and those talks are going to continue later this week in geneva. in ukraine, protesters upset about the government's lack of action rallied through the night. pro-russian separatists confiscated more buildings in eastern ukraine. the kiev government warned it

would send troops to retaliate, but so far hasn't followed through. the white house expressed growing concerns russia is behind the highly organized separatists. >> the evidence is compelling that russia is supporting these efforts and involving these efforts. >> reporter: adding to the tension, the russian attack plane made several unauthorized passes over an american warship at sea. a frank phone call, president obama and russia president vladimir putin talked. russia says putin denied responsibility for the protests and called on the president to prevent the use of force. both sides will continue talks in an emergency meeting in geneva this thursday. >> it is an opportunity for dialogue and that's why we're holding the meeting. >> reporter: the hope is to doo escalate the situation. but the white house is also considering additional steps and new sanctions. vice president joe biden is having breakfast with secretary of state john kerry this morning and the situation in ukraine is

sure to come up. rich richard? >> danielle leigh, thank you so much. extreme weather tearing through parts of the mississippi gulf coast last night. straight-line winds overturning about 20 to 30 rvs in just one community. the santa maria rv park in jackson county was hit with 15-mile-per-hour winds that severely damaged the area. the national weather service does not think it was a tornado. but the line of thunderstorms littered the streets with downed trees and power lines. as of now, two minor injuries have been reported. meteorologist bill karins joining us very shortly for more on that. it has been a year since the tragic boston marathon bombings and today the city pausing to remember three people who died, 260 people hurt. and the officers and first responders who were there to help them. nbc's chris pollone is in boston for us. good morning, chris. as you look at what's ahead for us in store today what do you have? >> reporter: good morning, richard. it should be an emotional take and an emotional week here in the city of boston as the city

pauses to remember the dead, honor those who are -- who survived this bombing attack and give thanks to everyone who helped this city heal. in boston, it is a day to look back and look forward. the city prepares for next week's marathon, it pauses to remember what happened last year when two bomb blasts exploded near the finish line, changing lives, this city and its people forever. >> i think it is going to be a hard day for them obviously, a year anniversary. but i think it is an important step in the healing process. and also healing process for the city. >> reporter: it has been a year filled with sorrow and also with hope. some survivors spent weeks in the hospital, adjusting to new realities, getting used to amputations, scars and prosthetics. now facing the reality that the day on the calendar is here again, when their lives so drastically changed. >> it feels like a month gone by because everything has been so quick and i've been doing so much. kind of fighting to -- fighting yourself to move forward.

>> reporter: as the tributes and memorials take place, bostonians will honor martin richard, krystle campbell and lu lingzi who died while watching the marathon and sean collier shot and killed while the bombing suspects tried to flee fly ed i. 9,000 more runners than last year will take to the streets next week, many running to honor the victims, others still to show that fear will not run out. >> boston is a resilient town. we bounce back from that. always going to be in our hearts and minds. boston strong goes on. >> reporter: showing strength by putting one foot in front of the other, regardless of how hard that might be. later today, vice president joe biden joins local and state officials here in boston for a tribute to the victims of the boston marathon bombing. afterward, they'll go out to the marathon finish line for a moment of silence at the exact time those two bombs went off about a year ago today.

that's the story live in boston. chris pollone, richard, back to you. >> chris, thank you. chris pollone in boston. two registered sex offenders are now suspected serial killers. police saying they were wearing gps trackers when the crimes were actually committed. anaheim police have charged franc cano and stephen dean gordon with the rapes and murders of four women. the men were out on parole wearing gps bracelets. they were checking in with police every 30 days, per the rules of their release. authorities saying they had no reason to watch them more closely and did not explain how they were able to carry out the killings while being monitored. earlier this morning, a spectacular blood moon eclipse as it is called was visible across the country. in eclipse there. the moon beiathed in a beautifu red glow and that is caused by the light of the sunset reflecting off the moon's

surface. the blood moon does return october 8th. bill karins returns, though, much sooner than that. back in time, huey lewis and the news with the way the weather is going. >> yes. it is just, you know, mind blowing. some areas were 80 and then snow two days later. april is a funny month and change is in a hurry. in the midwest, that's where they're struggling this morning. just to show you the temperatures out there, it is 19 in minneapolis. it is 37 in dallas. east coast is still warm and stormy. while in the west, things have quieted down. still chilly, though. even areas in the inner mountain west, denver at 34. yesterday, mild, quiet day. we did have a front that moved through the pacific northwest. temperatures this morning, not too much of a problem. light jacket necessary in oregon. many spots in nevada, also in idaho. as we look at the weather map, not a lot of problems. weak system went through without a lot of moisture with it there in the pacific northwest. we have that little frontal system. the radar is not very

impressive. there has been some showers. but that's about it. we will see more shower activity this afternoon into tonight and more, you know, a little more -- that's a decent amount of rain with the next little system coming in tonight and tomorrow. so, again, just showers out there today in the northwest. nothing too horrible. that's your national forecast. >> we'll talk more about when we make it to the next sunny day in the northwest. >> all right, bill karins, thank you. murder suspect oscar pistorius is being accused of using emotional outbursts in court as a way to dodge tough questions. and driver beware. sound cannon being fired directly at motorists to get them to slow down. we'll show you where next.

welcome back. oscar pistorius continued to break down in tears during cross examination monday, just as his defense started to do the same. the lead prosecutor accusing pistorius of using emotions as a shield and claimed he has changed his defense multiple times. >> you perceived an attack, you fired at the attacker to kill him. that's not true. am i right? >> i didn't fire to kill anyone, my lady. >> to ward off an attack? >> my lady, i thought somebody was coming to attack me. so i fired my firearm. >> your defense now changed, sir. you're claiming self-defense. involuntary action.

the 14-year-old girl who sent a tweet to american airlines claiming to be part of a terrorist plot has been arrested by dutch police. after sending the tweet in question, the girl began to back track saying she made a dumb joke. the airline has now been inundated by similar threatening tweets from copycats. a teacher in florida has been fired for allegedly encouraging a group of students to beat up a seventh grader. the teacher saying seventh grader threatened her. the parents of the seventh grader say they're pleased with the school board's decision, but still plan to file a federal civil rights lawsuit. the washington post and the guardian were awarded the pulitzer prize monday for their articles on the nsa surveillance programs. the articles were based on documents leaked by former government contractor edward snowden. not everyone was happy about the awards, by the way, with peter king calling it a disgrace. slow vehicles ahead. slow vehicles ahead. >> so that's the sound that drivers in missouri will hear if they're driving too fast in a

construction zone. the state department of transportation is going to begin using military grade sound cannons to penetrate the windshields of cars and warn motorists they're going too fast. these devices can hit 153 decibels which equates to hearing a firework from three feet away. time to get down to business. with cnbc's sima modi. good morning. >> reporter: the social security administration is halting a program underwhich thousands of people had their tax refunds seized to pay off old debts. they have complained they have been forced to give back money that was sometimes paid to the parents when they were children. google updates terms of service for gmail telling users their e-mails are being automatically scanned to create targeted ads. users say the practice violates their privacy. google says they can send them as part of the e-mail delivery process. and a report by zillow finds the

rent in average cities is 30% of a person's median growth income. more americans tend to rent instead of buy. >> i can think of many cities in the west going through that. couples, listen to this one, a candy bar might prevent arguments. there is a study showing that too little glucose leaves the brain without the energy it needs to suppress anger and aggressive behavior. so eat a cookie before you get in that argument. thousands of minnesota workers are getting a raise this summer. the governor signed new minimum wage laws that will lead to $9.50 an hour. and for those tax day procrastinators, penalties for filing late federal income tax returns only apply to people who owe the government money. about three-fourths of filers get refunds. an illegal soccer move. and quarterback prospect teddy bridgewater being compared to a

famous movie qb.

this morning on "today," morgan freeman live in studio and he talks about his latest role in the new sci-fi thriller "transcend

"transcendent". memphis beating phoenix at home 97-91. memphis getting the eighth playoff spot. in the east, indiana gets the number one seed after washington beats miami 114-93. and might be wearing retro jordan sneakers during the playoffs, maybe. 31 styles of jordens go on sale april 19th and these are originals, not remakes. small footed buyers beware. mostly large sizes will be available. it was a home run derby between cincinnati and pittsburgh, combined ten homers in just six innings. heavy rain suspended play. they have three innings tonight when the game resumes to try to break that single game record of 12 home runs. oh, baby. fly ball, well hit left. >> oh, baby is right. three back to back home runs from atlanta. then they get a grand slam and another home run in the ninth inning. that after philadelphia's pitcher gets yanked to hopefully save a win. no, nothing was saved. atlanta wins that one 9-6.

l.a. magazine details los angeles' puig's amazing stories. sources say smugglers held puig for a quarter million dollar ransom for getting him out of cuba. miami financiers then paid a crew to save him from his captors. later as we all know puig signing a $42 million contract. so if your goal is unprotected and your opponent is about to score what do you do? one player on the sideline in his warmup gear, jumps in for the illegal block. the opponent gets a penalty kick, but misses it. his team loses anyway, 2-0, cheating does not pay, my friend. changing the plays. he does what he likes. >> run the plays i call. >> i don't plan on going back. >> remember that? that's fictional quarterback willie beamon. in the movie, he forgets plays, gets nervous, doesn't listen to his coach. as the nfl draft nears, lots of comparisons are being made. one nfl executive saying terry

bridgewater is just like beamon in the movie. ouch. "early today" is brought to you by touch of gray mustache and beard. get the look you want. just ahead, one more appearance by breaking bad walter white's leads to something special. and oprah's got pharrell in tears over "happy."

welcome back. we talked yesterday about how it doesn't look like there is any rain on the way for california. the drought stricken areas, anytime soon. what showers we have out there today will be up in the northwest. a little more substantial rain later tonight into tomorrow and again not a lot of changes.

areas continue to warm up in arizona after you cooled off recently. decent weather in oregon. looks like we'll get there by about friday into the weekend. we could get up to 72 by the time we get to saturday. a lot of people -- as long as the weekend is nice, let it rain all week. >> you turned 40, i heard about that. >> rumors. >> update your nap schedule now, three naps a day? >> at least. what is the best way to ask a girl to prom. have walter white threaten her, of course. >> you don't go to the prom with stephan, and maybe your best course of action would be to tread lightly. >> maddie, would you go to prom with me? >> i don't know if you threaten her. but it is a nice joke. the girl, she said yes. the story of general stanley mcchrystal getting the hollywood treatment. brad pitt set to star as the general. pitt's own production studio will be making that flick. pharrell sitting down for an interview with oprah and cried

happy tears when he was shown a video of people from around the world dancing to his hit song "happy." a little happy dance there? >> i don't. but i love that song. >> really? after 400 times. >> ice cube is being a sore loser after the mtv award went to vin diesel and paul walker and not him. he says they were robbed and said that paul walker got the sympathy vote because he died late last year. >> even if you think it, don't say it. >> yeah. that's a real tough lui. this is "early today." we hope it is your first stop of the day right here on nbc.

leading the news, in the washington post, boehner's opponent takes crude shots in electile dysfunction themed ad. the ad comes from his key party primary opponent jd winteregg. >> if you have a boehner lasting longer than 23 years, seek immediate medical attention. winteregg, because boehner shouldn't count his chickens before they hatch. and on time.com, helium leak delays spacex rocket launch. nasa planning to launch the supplies to the international space station on friday if weather permits there. some of the stories we're watching, the search for malaysia airlines flight 370 ending earlier than expected yesterday. the robotic submarine sent to search for it couldn't go deep enough t was brought back to the

surface and may need to be replaced. the man accused of shooting three people at a jewish community center in kansas city will face hate crime charges. frazier glen cross could now face both federal and state charges. and what is the best way to cheer up a lonely panda? well, snacks, yeah. >> look at the panda sitting. >> he's watching something. >> recliner, lazy boy. >> they hooked him up with a living room treatment, tv there, reality tv, some might say. his friend evidently was sent to another park for breeding. these giant pandas, they're solitary animals. they like to be alone, but not this one. >> with tv. >> a friendlier one, that likes to eat. in saudi arabia, the penguin dance. an internet phenomenon captures men, women and children waddling, sidekicking and hopping joyously. saudi arabians, they come from a strict culture where public dancing not often seen. but based on these youtube videos, the people of all ages

appear to have some happy feet. >> very cute. >> good stuff. here is a look ahead and look back for you. nearly complete skeleton of a tyrannosaurus rex will arrive at the museum of national history. the fossil from the museum of the rockies will be the centerpiece of the new hall that opens in 2019. that will be cool for kids. on this day in 1947, a milestone in baseball history. jackie robinson, baseball's first black major league player, made his official debut with the brooklyn dodgers on opening day. happy birthday to emma watson of harry potter fame, 24. seth rogan, 32. music icon roy clark, 81. keep it here for more news, weather and sports. i'm richard lui with bill karins and with the entire "early today" team, thank you for watching us today. have a great one.

good tuesday morning to you, it is 4:30. i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. let's check that forecast with mete meteorologist christina loren. >> we are getting into a lovely estretch of weather in the bay area. starting in the 50s you'll find some fog out there especially at the immediate coast and right along the peninsula. later on today for the peninsula, north bay at 75 degrees with some changes coming to your forecast, especially if you have family coming into town this weekend, you want to stay tuned for that. i'll take a close look at your easter weekend, a