the manhunt widens. the desperate nationwide search for the cleveland suspect accused of murdering a man and posting it on facebook. we hear from the victim's family for the first time as police hunt for clues. foreign diplomacy. vice-president arrives in tokyo. as north korea issued one of its most ominous warnings yet. a bellwether race. why all eyes are on a political newcomer in georgia this morning. plus, the nudge seen around the world. why he may soon have to tip that uber driver of yours, and history made yet again from 50 years later. "early today" starts right now. good morning, i'm gigi stone woods. >> i'm yasmin vossoughian.

good to see you this morning. this morning authorities in cleveland have expanded the manhunt nationwide for steve stevens the man they say shot and killed an elderly man then posted it on facebook. cleveland police and the fbi are offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to stevens as the victim's family grapples with his sudden death. nbc's robb mott has the latest >> reporter: cleveland police with the fbi for the search for the suspected killer steve stevens who reported and uploaded a brazen murder to facebook is now a nationwide manhunt. >> our reach now is basically all over this country. we are not going to leave any stone unturned. >> reporter: with possible sightings as far away as philadelphia, none have led to the man who killed 74 year old robert godwin as he waited for easter dinner to finish cooking. his two youngest children and their mother were waiting at this home for godwin to return from a quick trip to find aluminum cans. >> he didn't deserve that. i hate that he took my kids'

father. look at his babies. i don't think that they really fully understand what's going on. >> the people going to be killed today easter sunday is not my first. >> reporter: stevens who has no previous criminal history brags he killed others which the police have not substantiated. last seen driving this ford fusion, he can be heard saying his motives involve his ex-girlfriend. police say they have been in contact with that woman and she is cooperating with investigators. >> call jason. >> reporter: he also represents a paternity brother gary jackson urged his friend to give himself up. >> i know you're in pain, but you've got to turn yourself in. you already hurt other people. >> reporter: sunday's shooting is the latest recorded violence to make its way on to facebook which has since taken the video down. a city unnerved by a callous killing and two young boys

struggling to understand why this happened to their dad. >> overnight vice-president mike pence arrived in tokyo, the second country on his asian tour after visiting seoul of north korea's ramped up rhetoric with an ominous warning from an official that in the last day is causing worry in the west. we're joined by janice mackey frayer. what can you tell us about new threats coming out of north korea. >> reporter: well, this is a response coming from north korea to what they see as the threat of an attack from the united states with president trump saying that all options are on the table, and that some suggestion that a preemptive military strike is not being ruled out. saying that unless north korea wanted the same sort of treatment as syria and

afghanistan, that it needed to halt its ambitions. the deputy ambassador to the united nations for north korea suggesting yesterday that the u.s. was to blame, that president trump was ramping up tension in the region. here is what he had to say. >> the united states is disturbing global peace and stability and insisting on gangst gangster-like language. it may break out on the peninsula and pose a threat to peace and security to say nothing of those in northeast asia. >> reporter: as cliche as it sounds, this is a war of words, each side saying to the other it's not going to be the first to back down. with the vice president in japan, having discussions about the economy but also giving security assurances to an important u.s. ally in the

region. yasmin, gigi? >> tensions are certainly frightening. thank you for joining us. while the vice president tries to reassure allies in asia in their resolve against north korea, here at home president trump is talking tough against the rogue nation telling them to, quote, behave while his white house insists nothing is off the table. nbc's chief white house correspondent hallie jackson has more. >> at the white house, a jarring juxtaposition, the president posing with the easter bunny. on the rope line at the annual easter egg roll, new questions about north korea. >> behave. >> later on fox news. i don't want to talk about what i'm doing or what i'm thinking. i'm not like other administrations where they say we're going to work in four weeks. it doesn't work that way. >> reporter: that strategy of suspense, a hallmark of the administration so far, isn't sitting well with russia where

there's new tough talk. on russian state tv a putin ally saying, quote, trump is more impulsive and unpredictable than kim jong-un. the white house tight-lipid on next steps in north korea. >> drawing red lines hasn't worked in the past. >> reporter: president trump appearing to take his own advice in what you could call the art of the foreign policy deal, written negotiators should use leverage, in this case his budding relationship with china. secretary of state rex tillerson in touch with his chinese counterpart this weekend. fight back, the president has also advised, reiterating now, all options are on the table, including military action if needed. while he said successful negotiators should deliver the goods, experts aren't sure how he would. in an intractable international conflict still unsolved after decades of diplomacy. >> the danger is, of course, people will see this as a bluff. great powers can't bluff.

>> that was nbc's hallie jackson. today the eyes of the political world will be on georgia and candidate jon ossoff. stakes are so high there that president trump wrote on twitter, quote, ossoff would be a disaster in congress, very weak on crime and illegal immigration. the congressional seat was left vacant by hhs secretary tom price. many are looking at it as a bellwether race for next year's midterm elections after months of backlash against the president. well, 18 people are vying for the congressional seat, including five democrats. the runoff election will take place if the winner does not cross the 50% threshold. and on this tax day, trump opponents are seizing on new reaction from white house press secretary sean spicer regarding president trump's taxes after what has seemingly been years of discussing if and when the president would release his returns. >> is the president going to

release his 2016 tax returns given -- we assume maybe those are not under audit? >> no, you can't. they are. >> you always talk about under audit, the president says under audit. is it time to say once and for all the president is never going to release his tax returns? >> we'll have to get back to you on that. >> i mean really? >> really. >> so, he may? >> no, i said i'd have to get back to you on that. he is still under audit. the statement still stands. >> things have reached such a fever pitch that even those visiting their home district like senator tom cotton of arkansas have gotten an earful on the subject. >> as far as i'm aware the president says he is still under audit. [ booing ] >> hillary clinton and her campaign repeatedly -- he won the fight over it. >> now the issue may endanger another trump promise.

reforming the nation's tax code with democrats arguing against any changes until they now how it would impact the president's own self-worth. nearly a year since the passing of a musical giant we're learning new details about the death of prince found unresponsive inside his estate. newly released documents reveal what authorities found inside his home. amid a deepening mystery into how he got powerful painkillers without a regular doctor, or a prescription. nbc's miguel almaguer has details. >> reporter: the newly released search warrant reveals a troubling find inside prince's paisley park estate. a sizeable stash of powerful drugs for which the musician did not have prescriptions discovered throughout his home, some inside bottles labeled vitamins and aspirin. detectives also recovering a suitcase next to prince's bed with his alias, peter bravestrong, inside a powerful opioid and the handwritten lyrics for the hit song, you got the look.

♪ >> reporter: the mega star found unresponsive inside his mansion a year ago this week, killed by an accidental overdose on the pain killer fentanyl. it is still a mystery where he obtained the drug and many others found in his home. with court documents claiming some medications were prescribed to prince under the name of long-time friend kirk johnson, the former drummer said he was unaware prince was addicted to pain medication. but a drug rehab center said johnson contacted them because the star was struggling with opiate use. his attorney saying johnson never supplied the drugs, which later caused prince's death. >> authorities seem to have indications there was prescription drug abuse so they're following the sourcing, where did that all come from. >> reporter: in the death that shocked the world, still no criminal charges and an investigation that is far from over. miguel almaguer, nbc news, new york. >> certainly still feeling the

loss of such a huge talent. we'll turn now to meteorologist bill karins with your tuesday forecast. what are you seeing? >> too much rain on the map. the west dealing with a wet pattern. still more snow in the higher elevations of northern california. the olympics are getting a good deal of rainfall, some of the showers, portland to seattle. okay in san francisco and l.a. fresno you've got showers around. we'll continue those around san luis obispo. maybe an inch, half an inch in the mountainous areas and a little enhanced around the olympics. showery, dreary weather continues. nice in the desert southwest. that's a loo at tkhecould get a. for the most part, in and out

and the majority of the day will remain dry. >> how is this story? happy ending for a family dog in kentucky. gracie fell 30 feet into a well. the dachshund's owners reported the fall when they couldn't pull her out with a ladder. in less than an hour, gracie was safely back with her owners and with a new outfit on looking quite pretty in her tutu. >> she's like, put that on. >> we didn't just drop our dog in the well, but here is the cute dog in a dress. >> can you give it to us every day. that's the antidote for global unrest right now. ahead, first lady melania trump jumps into action. why you may soon have to tip your uber driver? come on. when "early today" comes back in two. the smoother the skin, you are in it.

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white house easter egg roll. first lady melania trump had to discreetly nudge the president to put his hand over his heart during "the star-spangled banner." there it is, zoomed in. the moment was instantly politicized. it was a snapshot in a moment of a rare day hosting an event she called a wonderful tradition. standing by herman. >> a behind-the-scenes look at the couple. leading the news on this tuesday morning the u.s. supreme court has denied a request by the state of arkansas to begin the executions of eight inmates scheduled toward the end of the month. with no explanation, the high court said it would not lift a stay stopping the execution of don davis. he and inmate bruce ward were granted stays monday afternoon hours before they were to be put to death. the plans drew protest in arkansas with companies that make the lethal drugs objecting to their use in executions. the state is racing to use the drugs before they pass their expiration date. after the decision arkansas

attorney general leslie rutledge said she will continue to fight for justice for the victims' families. in maryland a routine army training flight went terribly wrong when a black hawk helicopter crashed in flames on a golf course. one crew member was killed and the others taken to the hospital with injuries. the chopper appeared to lose control and flipped upside down and crashed. this is the second crash in the state in less than two weeks. the cause is under investigation. just ahead, how president trump is fulfilling his buy american campaign promise. for . i finally switched to geico. oh yeah? ended up saving a ton of money on car insurance. i hear they have a really great mobile app. the interface is remarkably intuitive. that's so important.

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in today's quick hits, president trump heads to wisconsin to tour the headquarters of snap-on tools in ken snoesh shah. there he is expected to sign an executive order aimed at cracking down on abuses in guest worker program and requiring federal agencies to buy more u.s. goods and services. new york city is drafting a proposal that would require uber to add a tipping feature to its app by july. the company is facing a similar requirement in california. and united airlines ceo oscar munoz says the dragging of the doctor off a flight last week that left him with a broken nose, a concussion and two broken teeth is a, quote, watershed moment for the company. munoz says it's been a humbling experience and that he takes full responsibility. just ahead, a buckling

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back then officials actually tried to shove her off the course, but on monday she made a triumphant return as a guest of honor. nbc's kristen dahlgren was there. >> reporter: as kathrine switzer fires a gun sending a field of elite women running into the street, she remembers a time 50 years ago when that seemed impossible. >> if you did anything arduous, you're going to get big legs, grow hair on your chest, turn into a man, your uterus is going to fall out. >> reporter: in 1967 she told a men's track coach she wanted to run the boston marathon. >> he said no dame ever ran the marathon. >> reporter: she registered with her initials k. v. two miles in, somebody spotted her and ran onto the course. >> he grabbed me like this and he threw me back and he said, get the hell out of my race and give me those numbers and tried

to pull the numbers off. >> her boyfriend knocked him away and she kept run. >> i said, i'm going to finish this race on my hands and my knees if i have to. >> reporter: in that moment switzer changed the course of women's running. she has since run 39 marathons. and she founded 261 fearless, a nonprofit for women runners around the world encouraging them to do the impossible. >> i just ran the fastest marathon i've run in 46 years. >> reporter: the woman who started it all, not finished yet. kristen dahlgren, nbc news, boston. >> i don't know what is more impressive, the fact she's run 39 more marathons, the first woman to run a marathon ever -- >> or now running the fastest ever. you're watching "early today." we'll be right back. introducing listerine® zero alcohol™. it delivers a whole mouth clean with a less intense taste. so it has the bad breath germ-killing power of this...

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welcome back. let's go into our snow season review, hoping most of it, if not all of it, is almost done. 120 inches plus with areas in the yellows, the mountains in new england and the west. denver, colorado, chicago, washington, d.c., some of the snow losers this year. denver only saw 36% of their average. the snow winners, no secret here. all of the mountainous areas of the west saw 200% of the snow water equivalent on average. also new york was a little bit above average. caribou, maine, in northern maine they went four straight months in a row without one inch of snow on the ground. hopefully we're done. >> i was worried you were going

to tell us we were going to get another snowfall. i was a little scared. >> thanks, bill. a car crash in rhode island unexpectedly turned into a double crash. police and fire were on the scene when a car slammed into the original accident and rolled down an 'embankment. state police say the driver was drunk and charged her with dui. a traffic nightmare in atlanta got worse. mart of a busy understand buckled as you can see here. crews working on a gas pipe below. it launched a car and motorcycle in the air. the motorcyclist landed 200 feet away and is now hospitalized in critical condition. a whole section of the highway was shut down. it happened around three weeks after a massive fire collapsed a bridge on another major interstate there. that's all they need in atlanta, is more reasons to give them traffic -- >> i used to live in the atlanta and traffic is already terrible

there. tech savvy concert goers were the key to cracking a case at the co-shell la music festival. a view tick tims of missing cell phone activated the find my iphone app. the 36-year-old suspect was found with over 100 stolen phones, most of the devices were returned and the rest were handed over to the co-shell la lost and found. i wonder whose phones they were? i wonder if he was like, hey, kim k. -- >> good point. i didn't think about that. terrible crime, very prolific man. got a lot done. a new caffeine craze that vows to give you a morning jolt without staining your teeth. it look like water, exactly like water. it's actually just a cup of joe that is clear and colorless. it claims to be free of preservatives and sweeteners. only ingredients are coffee, water and caffeine. right now only available in the

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so you can play together. and another wet start to your morning as we take a live look outside right now at the golden gate bridge. a couple cars out there. you can see the visible sheen on the road. again, just on again, off again shower pattern that is still keeping things slick out there. thank you for joining us. i'm sam brock. >> i'm kris sanchez, in for laura garcia-cannon on this tuesday, and if it's slick on the roadways, we know that we want to know how long it's going to last. >> off and on today. again. and this weather pattern, yeah, i think it's just a broken record. i can just record my weather and go home. we are going oo see some rain rolling through throughout the day and seeing a lot of that tapering off, moving to the east, but you're