she's out. the secretary of homeland security resigns abruptly from a department in apparent disarray following the president's visit to the border. >> congress is putting out a full court press on the president for the full release of his taxes. the mueller report and more. >> a day before israelis heado the polls, prime minister netanyahu proposes annexing parts of the west bank claiming rights to territory that palestinians saw as their future homeland. >> caught on camera live, they were mauled before a huge crowd of spectators. the trainer is taking blame for the attack. >> the biggest stars in country music were shining bright at the acms last night.

"early today" starts right now. >> good to be with you on this monday morning. i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm marlie hall. a rash of gun violence terrorizes neighborhoods across the country. in chicago four people were killed and at least 26 were injured in separate shootings this weekend. on the city's south side bulg et cetera rained down on a baby shower after two gun men opened fire into a krout of people. six people were shot, including a 10-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy. the chicago tribune blaming the spike in shootings on warmer temperatures. >> meanwhile, in louisiana, four people were shot in a mobile home. the victims were mostly adolescents 10 to 19. police say a gunman got out of a car and shot into a trailer injuring three females and one male. shreveport police are still searching for the suspect. and in wilmington delaware, people were sitting on their stoopz when gunshots rang out. six people were injured at the intersection of 10th and pine street. police there are investigating the cause of the incident.

>> a major shake up at the white house amid the battle over border security. kirstjen nielsen is resigning as secretary of homeland security. sources tell nbc news president trump had grown increasingly frustrated over the number of migrant families crossing the border in the days leading up to her resignation. the president announced nielsen's departure over twitter saying she will be replaced by the new acting secretary who served as u.s. customs and border protection commissioner. nbc's dan scheneman has more na. >> reporter: nbc news has learned kirstjen nielsen was asked to the white house and was asked to resign. the president tweeted, secretary of homeland security kirstjen nielsen will be leaving her position. i would like to thank her for her service. he also tweeted, i am pleased to announce that kevin, the current u.s. customs and border protection commissioner will become acting secretary.

president trump reportedly grew frustrated over the growing number of apprehensions at the southern border. an issue the president discussed during his trip to the border last week. >> it's a colossal surge, and it's overwhelming our immigration system, and we can't let that happen. >> reporter: nielsen had been in the post since december of 2017 and her tenure had been controversial. overseeing the administration's immigration agenda that affected thousands of families in the southern border. in a tweet nielsen said she submitted her resignation and thanked the president for the opportunity to serve in his administration. dan scheneman, nbc news. >> meantime the stage is set for a major showdown on capitol hill this week between congress and president trump. democrats want six years of the president's tax returns turned over by wednesday. and the full mueller report released without redactions from attorney general william barr. nbc's kelly o'donnell has more on what to expect.

>> reporter: count down to tax day, not the usual april 15th deadline, but this wednesday when house democrats demand the irs turn over six years of president trump's tax returns. >> is that all? >> reporter: a curt response from the white house. >> no, never. nor should they. >> reporter: acting chief of staff mick mulvaney called it a nonstarter. >> voters knew the president could have given his tax returns. they knew he didn't and thee elected him anyway which, of course, is what drives the democrats crazy. >> i've been under audit many years because the numbers are big. >> reporter: house democrats argue that proper oversight allows them to review how the irs is auditing the president's returns. >> this is a president who has resisted any oversight or inquiry into his fares. the house ways and means has the right to determine whether the president is following its protocols. >> reporter: the other deadline, the mueller report. team trump says attorney general

barr should release as much as legally possible. >> no republican is pushing back on full disclosure of the report. i haven't heard of any republican in favor >> reporter: the democrats insist the attorney general review should not remove classified, sensitive or grand jury information from the nearly 400-page russia probe findings. >> congress has the right to the entire report with no redactions whatsoever. so we can see what's there. >> reporter: the window for congress and by extension the public to get some access to the mueller report is fast approaching. the attorney general pledged to make at least portions of the report available by mid april and congress is holding out an already approved subpoena as a stick, if necessary. frances? >> all right, kelly o'donnell for us. thank you. >> an american tourist who was kidnapped and held for ransom along with her driver in uganda has been found alive and unharmed. nbc's sarah harman has the latest. >> reporter: her ordeal is over. days after kimberly's dream

vacation to uganda turned into a nightmare. the woman from orange county, california, and her local guide were ambushed during a game drive through a national park. the suspects used her cell phone to call her family and demand a half million dollars ransom. according to a ugandan security official she and the guide are both safe and in good health. rescued near the park's border with the democratic of the congo, consumed by rebel violence. the "the new york times" reports wild frontiers paid a ransom for their release. nbc news has not independently verified this. u.s. government policy is to never pay ransom for hostages, but that doesn't always stop families or organizations from doing so privately. secretary of state mike pompeo defended the no-pay policy. >> please remember that any payment to a terrorist or terrorist regime gives money so they can seize more of our people. we cannot accept that risk. you wouldn't ask that of us,

even a small payment to a group and say africa can facilitate the killing of tens of hundreds of others including americans for nationals in that region. >> reporter: trump welcomed their release with pay tweet, but offered no more details. she and her driver are in uganda being interviewed by police about their ordeal while there is no word about those who kidnapped them. sarah harman, nbc news, london. >> now to israel where elections will be held tuesday that will determine if benjamin netanyahu will stay in power. just days before the vote, the prime minister made a controversial promise involving settlements in the west bank. nbc's bill neely has all the details from tel aviv. >> reporter: this is being seen here in israel as a rather desperate move by a prime minister who is in the race of his life, running neck and neck with an opponent who has never been in an election race in his life. on national television, benjamin

netanyahu promised that if he was reelected he would annex 10%, territory seized by the war, it is home to about 400,000 jewish settlors. the problem is that it's also seen by palestinians as part of their future state, their homeland, and they're angry about benjamin netanyahu's pledge. the palestinian negotiator saying this throws the region potentially into chaos and into a cycle of violence. >> and this man, mr. netanyahu, should be held accountable to all the actions and policies that he's pursuing to destroy the two-state solution. >> reporter: benjamin netanyahu running a very close race with a man he used to give orders to, because benny gantz who leads the new blue and white party used to be the chief of staff of israel's army.

a well respected man, but totally inexperienced in politics. benjamin netanyahu who, of course, is the master election tactician. we won't noknow for several wee who has won this election. but this move by benjamin netanyahu is being seen here as at the very least questionable and at worst actually quite dangerous. bill neely, nbc news, tel aviv. >> the state of texas was hit by severe weather and strong storms, but this wasn't your average thunderstorm. residents reported that the storm brought a mix of rain, wind and hail. hail stones as big as golf balls falling into the city of alto, southeast of dallas, in grape land, texas, someone posted a video showing fog covering a grass field. a tornado hit the lone star state damaging homes, sheds and other property in texas.

>> let's see what's in store their this week ahead. good morning, bill karins. >> good morning to you guys. the line of storms continuing in areas outside of mobile, tupelo, mississippi getting down pours right now. this line will weaken. this afternoon we'll do it all over again with the slow moving storm system. 26 million people at risk of severe weather. areas from columbus to mississippi, tupelo, birmingham, atlanta all the way through the carolinas, a large area here. we'll see scattered severe storms. wind damage will be the biggest threat along with hail, maybe isolated tornadoes. we'll have to keep an eye on that, especially at airports this afternoon and middle of the evening. middle of thebe nearly 80 degre nation's capital. there's all the thunderstorm

threats throughout all the areas of the southeast. this is a stormies week. we'll have a blizzard in some areas. details coming up. >> we're going to want to hear that, bill, thank you. >> bill, thanks. total mayhem after a bench clearing brawl. >> two teams have played each other quite a bit here in the early going and it's feisty. >> reds players were unhappy pitcher chris archer through behind a batter. it got so intense one had to be restrained. in total four players were ejected and i'm sure some hefty fines will be handed out as early as today. >> still ahead a national champion has been crowned in one of the most exciting finals in history. the lady bears at baylor edged notre dame. we'll bring you those highlights. you see me. but if you saw me before cosentyx... ♪

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clutching. kalani brown stepped on her inadvertently. >> baylor leading the ncaa women's final by 12. an injury to the star forward opens the door for a notre dame comeback. a three to end the third quarter shifts it in favor of the irish. >> the worst part of the game was lauren cox. we controlled that game from the start till the time she went off the floor. >> it is as close as it gets with the game tied at 80 with under 10 to go. it looks like this lauren jackson layup will seal the deal for the bears. >> it was the same play we ran yesterday against oregon, five-game, and she told me just get to the basket. >> but the irish had a chance to tie with two free throws. erica misses the first. and with that, baylor wins their first championship since 2012 defeating last year's national champs. and there is more high intensity hoops on the way. the men's title game between texas tech and virginia tips off

tonight at 9:20 eastern time. >> fright ming moments caught on camera when chicago police officers were struck by a drunk driver. the driver blew through a red light, crashing into the side of a police suv. their blood alcohol content was .205, which is two 1/2 times the legal limit. fortunately the officers were not injured but the offender did sustain injuries. >> it's unbelievable they weren't that hurt. that thing was airborne, like toy cars being played around like that. amazing. all right. a circus act gone horribly wrong. a lion attacks its trainer in the middle of a show in ukraine, shocking a crowd full of spectators. and the terrifying moments were caught on camera and a warning, the footage may be tough to watch. here's nbc's kathy park. >> reporter: a circus show in eastern ukraine took a terrifying turn when one of the stars decided to go off script in a crowd filled with adults and young children in march.

new video shows the moment this lion pounces onto its handler, biting down on his arm, wrestling him to the ground as spectators screamed in horror. 32-year-old hamada manages to escape the grips of the large cat before its herded out of the arena along with the other lions. in credibly he gets back on his feet. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: the attack left deep scratches on his arm and shoulder, but he doesn't blame the lion. a 6th generation trainer, he shows no fear when working with them. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: peta respond ed to the attack with an online post writing, this is far from surprising with circus animals suffering psychologically when forced to perform. he calls the lions his children, trusting them more than people despite the dangers. kathy park, nbc news. >> just ahead, country music's

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♪ ♪ ♪ get a little southbound, southbound ♪ ♪ >> that's carrie underwood in las vegas. jason aldean was honored at this

year's show as the artist of the decade. he said this is one of his proud est nights of his life. and keith urban took home the top award of the night, entertainer of the year. he thanked his wife, nicole kidman, and their daughters. host reba mcintyre opened the show with some icy criticism of the lack of female nominees for the category. >> do you know it snowed in las vegas just a few weeks ago? yeah. it was so cold, it froze us women out of entertainer of the year. but, you know what? that depth bother casey musgraves because she's been too baze i carrying all her grammys around. >> she continued with album of the year which she won at this year's grammys. >> and with less than a week before coachella, a big headliner pulls out. salon cancelling and blaming it on production delays. organizers apologized to fans and said she looks forward to performing in the future.

and could bey chella be coming to netflix? they tweet this had home coming teaser. it was her set at last year's coachella and the name of her scholarship fashion collection home coming will launch next week. and sad news after an employee fell to his death while setting up for the festival, authorities are not releasing his identity, but say he's been working with the team for 20 years. >> still ahead, bill will have a look at the weather for the week ahead. and then a vendor's assemble for good cause. the heroic deed from the stars at the marvel universe. you're watching "early today." ♪ ♪ today's the daisy i do ♪ daisy it's true ♪ before i get on the move ♪ i grab my special food ♪ today's the daisy i see ♪ the difference in me ♪ today's the daisy for cottage cheese (cottage cheese) ♪ ♪ today's the daisy for cottage cheese (cottage cheese) ♪

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to help that protein do more. special k. powering you. welcome back. very busy week up ahead. we have one storm system we're dealing with today, with severe possibilities in the southeast, the carolinas. snow in areas of maine. here comes the storm system into the west coast today. we're going to track this one coast to coast and this one is going to leave its mark in the rockies and the plains on wednesday. a full-out snowstorm for areas of wyoming, south dakota, minnesota and portions of nebraska and colorado. i think on thursday is when we'll probably reach blizzard conditions in areas of the midwest and central plains. by the time we get to friday that storm heads into canada and drags rain to the east coast. we're talking about a storm with 50, 60 mile per hour winds in some areas could get a foot of snow. happy april. >> thanks, bill. well, up next meeting the fast and furious phenomes. jimmy's gotten used to his whole room smelling like sweaty odors. yup, he's gone noseblind.

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the future of racing in america is already speeding down the track. these kids are feeling the need for speed years before they get their driver's license. nbc's steve pettersson has more. >> reporter: they scorch through corners at break neck speeds. negotiate split-second turns. and deploy ferocious tactics to win at all costs. all, of course, before bedtime. >> winning. >> reporter: your favorite part is winning, huh? this is what organizers call quarter midget racing, suped up racers sponsored by big-time companies. >> i love the speed and i'm very competitive. >> reporter: piloted by bike-size drivers.

13-year-old danica del monte. >> i do win. i am trying to be one of my main competitors. >> reporter: these mini gear heads push speeds up to 50 miles an hour. none of them have driver's licenses, but all of them are serious with racing. >> these are future nascar kids right here. >> reporter: kids often spin, skid and crash. >> i notice he said when i crash, not if i crash. >> it happens. >> reporter: it's one of the safest childhood activities around. >> they're strapped in with a five-point harness. they play all the time. they think it's fun. >> reporter: sunny phillips leads the only special needs quarter midgets program. her son dustin loves racing just as much as she does. >> it's a way to have fun and i like the adrenaline rush. >> reporter: is that the best part? >> i guess. that or winning. >> reporter: everyone insists this sport is all about building character and having fun so i decided to give it a go.

rock on, baby. the rush is thrilling. i was so fast i was on fire. >> reporter: these fast and furious phenoms learning life lessons at top speed. steve patterson, nbc news, san jose. >> i love it. fast, furious adorable. >> that's right. they won't need any drivers ed courses, though. they got it. >> they just need to slow down a little bit. >> right. >> well, it was a perfect mission for soup earn heroes marvel's own scarlet johansen, paul rudd, jeremy and chris from the upcoming film avengers "end game" united for a cause. it was to kickoff a new charity called disney team of heroes including a $5 million donation to nonprofits supporting children with serious illnesses. the donation came from various companies with avengers tie-ins. >> talk about happy dolphin, just enjoying a weekend in florida. watch you have passerby caught the energetic dolphin's performance. people were amazed to see this

dolphin jumping out of the water and into the air at least five times in a row. after showing off for spectators, the dolphin just swam away. all right, i had my show. time to head out. this is "early today."

the trifecta of news from the white house as we await the full release of the mueller report. will the irs release six years of president trump's taxes by the deadline? a shake up at homeland security as the secretary abruptly resigns. the father of a missing boy speaks out for the first time following a hoax by a man claiming to be timmothy. we'll take you inside the camp training the next generation of america's brave bravest -- firefighters. prices at the gas pump continue to rice. up 12 cents in the past two weeks. >> denied by turner. that's it.