as another matter, i have no idea. now it is time for "the last word" with lawrence o'donnell, "first look" is up next. good thursday morning. right now on "first look", 19 states and nearly 62 million americans all in a massive line of storms rolling from west to east. political fire storms over surveillance for national security. comments on abortion. and how to handle syria. new lungs for a philly girl and just in the nick of time. plus, could a flying bicycle be in your future? a very close call with a guide dog and a real life jaws. i think you're going to neat a bigger boat. good morning. i'm marra schiavocampo. a massive line of thunderstorms could impact more than one in five americans from iowa to

maryland. wednesday the storms made their way through the midwest some spawning several small tornadoes in iowa and illinois. the system produced massive bolts of lightening. one struck this home in this chicago suburb setting it on fire. these powerful flashes light up the skit over the chicago skyline. that weather system spanned across iowa, minnesota, michigan, knocking out power to 75,000 homes. the entire state of pennsylvania is under a flood watch with more. it could spawn a deracho. >> that's a long lasting, damaging wind event. it goes from 250 miles per hour. that was possible last night but it didn't happen. the storms were weaker than

expected. we had a high risk of severe weather. we didn't have any fatalities. that's pretty rare. at least so far we haven't heard of any. the storms were not as intense. the tornadoes were not as intense. for once it looks like we can go through big severe outbreaks with things less severe. we did have tornadoes and there's a lot of haim and wind damage from areas and northern indiana. we have a risk of severe weather right now. we can have trees falling on homes. there's severe danger. in the east of pittsburgh. the storms rolled through the pittsburgh area, eerie. now they're pushing through central and southern portions of pennsylvania. we have a severe thunderstorm watch for the washington, d.c., area. these will roll through 30 to 50-mile-per-hour winds by 8:00 this morning. you kind of time that for your drive on i-95. we get another round of storms in this area of red. moderate risk. we could see this near

washington, d.c., and baltimore. round one this morning, round 2 later this evening. >> thanks so much, bill. the head of the nsa will be on capitol hill today after testifying wednesday before a skeptical committee. it's the first time we've heard from general keith alexander since the publicizing of secret government surveillance programs, programs he says are responsible for preventing dozens of terrorist attacks. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with the latest. tracie, good morning. >> hi, marra. today general alexander will be back here doing closed door briefings with lawmakers. those details that they say the public can't know. but he was on record before the cameras for the first time yesterday talking about the surveillance programs and the fact that one of his contractors essentially has made them very public. he says that edward snowden could not have possibly been wire tapping access that he claims. he questions the access that

snowden did have. they want to find out more about that. he thinks america and its allies are more at risk. he also claimed that dozens of terror attacks were thwarted because of the government surveillance of phone records and e-mails. also we're learning this morning that snowden is still in hiding believed to be in hong kong. he's talking to a hong kong newspaper saying he has no intention of coming home. he'll fight to stay there because he fears for his life gentleman as congress tries to stop the fallout from the leaks, supporters of the man are taking their message to the hill. wednesday they gathered to protest against peter king. king chairs the house homeland security committee and has refused too back down from recent tough talks. the new york republican also wants charges against the journalist at the center of the story. king says "the guardian's" glen

greenwald was an accessory. he calls those comments hypocritical. a major development for a dying 10-year-old girl in philadelphia whose case spawned a debate over children and organ donation from adults. sarah murnahan has new lungs thanks to an adult donor. surgeons had to resize them during the successful six hour procedure. while she's still on a ventilator, she is expected to take her first breath within 48 hours. she's been battling cystic fibrosis and reportedly had only weeks to live when her family challenged the policy banning children under 12 from being considered for adult organ donations. >> it was a direct result of the ruling that allowed her to be put on the adult list. it was not pediatric lungs. she would never have gotten these lungs otherwise. >> a judge ruled last week that sarah and another child, 11-year-old javier acosta could

get lungs. should president obama be more forceful when it comes to intervening in syria? one major political player thinks so. politico reports that's what senator bill clinton said to john mccain in a closed event tuesday. clinton reportedly said president obama should support rebels against bashar al assad. any president risks looking like a total fool if they work too cautiously. by and large americans oppose intervention in syria. just 15% favor military action. the bloody conflict rages on. yesterday alone syrian rebels reportedly stormed a village killing more than 60 shiite fighters and civilians. this as "the wall street journal" reports a top rebel commander is issuing a desperate plea to prevent the fall of his forces in aleppo.

more than 80,000 people have been killed in that two-year civil war. tragedy for a nascar driver. 37-year-old driver jason leffler, a two-time winner of the nationwide series died after an accident during a preliminary race on the dirt track at bridgeport speedway in new jersey. he had to be extracted from the vehicle after it struck a wall. leffler died of his injuries at a nearby hospital. ridge port speedway suspended the race. leffler was not only known as a versatile driver but also as a devoted father to his 5-year-old son. turning now to colorado where crews are digging in against four separate fires that are burning out of control fueled by hot temperatures, gusty winds and dense, dry forests. a wild fire northeast of colorado springs has destroyed at least 92 homes and forced thousands to evacuate while another to the south has destroyed at least 20 structures. u.s. military air tankers, helicopters and ground crews

have joined in the battle. wildfires are also burning in new mexico, oregon, and california. today's forecasts for colorado calls for more hot, breezy and dry weather. now it's time for your first look at this morning's dish of scrambled politics. by a party line vote a house committee has passed a sweeping nationwide ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. the vote caused backlash by democrats especially when one republican reignited the subject of victims of rape and incest. >> my friends on the left side of the aisle here tried to make rape and incest a subject because the incidents of rape and -- resulting in pregnancy are very low. >> the idea that the republican men on this committee think they can tell the women of america that they have to carry to term the product of a rape is outrageous.

>> outside the belt way, dave gomez, a republican running to replace john kerry later called franks a, quote, moron. former president george h.w. bush celebrated his 89th birthday in a style that is truly his own. the sock a fish shi owe nad doe donned a new pair of socks. president obama was in boston wednesday campaigning for congressman ed marky as they try to hold on. markey's once big lead has faded in recent weeks. former president bill clinton will campaign for democrats this weekend. former congressman anthony weiner is joining another new york mayoral candidate in the food stamp challenge. they'll try to live off what's given to food stamp recipients. on his first day weaner tweeted

that he ate some peanut butter, tuna and water. we're getting our first look this morning at rob lowe playing president john f. kennedy. he's made to look like president kennedy's official portrait. after shattering a glass ceiling, the record 20 female members of the senate will be rewarded with porcelain. they're renovating and constructing the women's bathroom in the the chamber. sure sign of progress. that's your morning dish of scrambled politics. coming up, the nra targets a long-time supporter, and a member of congress is called a moron by a colleague. plus, we'll tell you which u.s. cities provide the best and worst bang for your vacation buck. "first look" is back in 3 minutes. i've discovered gold.

[ female announcer ] roc® retinol correxion max. the power of roc® retinol is intensified with a serum. it's proven to be 4x better at smoothing lines and deep wrinkles than professional treatments. roc® max for maximum results. a friend under water is something completely different. i met a turtle friend today. avo: whatever you're looking for, expedia has more ways to help you find yours. so you can capture your receipts, ink for all business purchases. and manage them online with jot,

the latest app from ink. so you can spend less time doing paperwork. and more time doing paperwork. ink from chase. so you can. withyou'll find reviewsve time, on home repair to healthcareon. written by people just like you. you want to be sure the money you're about to spend is money well spent. angie's list -- reviews you can trust. yeah? then how'd i get this... [ voice of dennis ] ...safe driving bonus check? every six months without an accident, allstate sends a check. silence. are you in good hands?

some stories making news this morning. turkish leaders say they're open to holding a referendum on a

park redevelopment plan. it's been the catalyst for its ongoing protests against the country's prime minister. the nra is targeting a lawmaker who they give an a rating to. a new adebayor for joe manchin, the group urges president obama not to pass new gun restrictions. manchin was part of strengthening gun background checks. and speaking of close calls. a morning walk nearly turned disastrous for two people in california. you can see them walking down the street with a guide dog when a car comes barrelling down in reverse. they were pushed out of the way and thankfully they're okay. and now for your "first look" at business. we turn to cnbc's jackie deang lis. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, marra. another wild trading day on wall street. the dow posting another triple digit loss. its first three day losing streak of the year on concerns of the fed ending its stimulus

spending plan. the b.k. slumping. it was called the shift from held and now it's back in service. the carnival "triumph" has set sail after being stranded in the gulf. the ship's first six cruises are sold out. they spent $115 million on repairs and upgrades. this morning, facebook is rolling out its version of the hashtag similar to twitter. the new feature will let users know what others are talking about on the social working site. what we need is more hashtaging. >> hashtag, copy cat. thanks so much, jackie. on the fashion front, take a look at this $68,000 baby dress. something tells me it's not worth $68,000. if james bond rode a bicycle, this is what it looked like. they've got a flying electrical bicycle. they hope their invention will eventually be used for sports and tourism. as you plan your vacation

this summer, consider trip advisor's 2013 list of the most and least expensive cities to visit. honolulu is the highest priced city to visit with the average cost of $594.90. las vegas offers the most affordable visit, $297.94. night out, cocktails, taxi, and an overnight stay for two at a four star hotel. new york, boston, san francisco, chicago are the top five most expensive cities to visit. miami, dallas, atlanta, portland, oregon, join las vegas as the least expensive. a stanley cup thriller. nfl commissioner roger goodell rules on the redskins name and jason kidd returns to the net. plus, check out this 16 foot great white shark that came face to face with some fishermen in the atlantic 17 miles east of atlantic city, new jersey. these guys might need a bigger

boat. we'll be right back. take metamucil. sure it helps keep you regular but it doesn't stop there. metamucil has psyllium, which helps lower cholesterol, promotes digestive health, and helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels. it can multi-multitask... look at it, it's doing over a million different things right now. metamucil. 3 amazing benefits, 1 super fiber. ♪ because all these whole grains aren't healthy unless you actually eat them ♪ multigrain cheerios. also available in delicious peanut butter. healthy never tasted so sweet. i did? when visa signature asked everybody what upgraded experiences really mattered... you suggested luxury car service instead of "strength training with patrick willis." come on todd! flap them chicken wings. [ grunts ] well, i travel a lot and umm...

[ male announcer ] at visa signature, every upgraded experience comes from listening to our cardholders. visa signature. your idea of what a card should be. visa signature. if you've got it, you know how hard it can be to breathe and man, you know how that feels. copd includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. spiriva is a once-daily inhaled copd maintenance treatment that helps open my obstructed airways for a full 24 hours. you know, spiriva helps me breathe easier. spiriva handihaler tiotropium bromide inhalation powder does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, glaucoma, trouble urinating, or an enlarged prostate. these may worsen with spiriva. discuss all medicines you take, even eye drops.

stop taking spiriva and seek immediate medical help if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, vision changes or eye pain, or problems passing urine. other side effects include dry mouth and constipation. nothing can reverse copd. spiriva helps me breathe better. does breathing with copd weigh you down? don't wait to ask your doctor about spiriva. it's time for sports. richard lui is here. good morning. >> game one of the nhl stanley cup finals did not want to end. count them. three overtimes. it was the longest finals game in five years. the blackhawks rose to victory. in the end, 4-3 over the boston bruins. jason kidd is adding to his 6 1/2 seasons playing with brooklyn nets. not in new jersey but as head coach. they're finalizing a three-year

deal. the u.s. open kicks off at 3:00 p.m. big names in play. nfl commissioner roger goodell defending the washington redskins name. ten members of congress wanted it change. they felt it is offensive to many native americans. goodell called it a unifying source. lgbt t-shirts on sale. they're players supporting gay rights. jim kelly back at home after surgery to remove cancerous cells from his jaw. doctors are pleased with kelly's recovery. meet 13-year-old nick legrand in kansas city. 1800 miles away in oakland, california. he's fightening a life threatening disease. great stuff. >> great stuff. thanks so much, richard.

time to dig deeper into some of our topo lit call stories. we're joined by bob franken. thanks for being here. >> good morning. >> earlier in the show we mentioned bill clinton has comments about obama being too soft. is it time for obama to be more aggressive? >> what's interesting is that he said president obama might be relying too heavily on the polls. during clinton's presidency his opponents complained about exactly that. his administration was poll driven. it's interesting how things can change. the problem that the obama administration has, we're all well aware of this, is that in syria some of those who are opposing the assad regime are in fact people who are islamic extremists. that could become a problem if they are left with the arms like they were in afghanistan. >> now turning now to some issues closer to home.

republican congressman trent franks is catching flak by saying incidences of pregnancies from rape is very low. what's going on with this? didn't they learn their lesson? how can they court women. >> that's a question others are asking. some of the criticism came from saying they should avoid that combination of words. it all has to do with legislation that would make abortion illegal after 20 weeks based on the questionable medical evidence that that's when the fetus starts feeling pain. even if it would pass congress, it won't pass the entire congress, it won't get past the supreme court. the nsa leaks, edward snowden is saying he vows to fight extradition. many on capitol hill are promising to bring him to justice. >> getting back to the polls, it's really difficult to tell

just how many americans do support it and under what conditions. we've had various polls that have come up with somewhat different results and it shows the follibility of polls. it shows depending on how the question is asked you can have an entirely different result. as for his going to hong kong to try to avoid extradition, he has an uphill legal battle. >> thanks for being here this morning. >> thank you. coming up. bill karins and richard lui will be here for first buzz. that's coming up. i'm so glad you called. thank you.

we're not in london, are we? no. why? apparently my debit card is. what? i know. don't worry, we have cancelled your old card. great. thank you. in addition to us monitoring your accounts for unusual activity, you could also set up free account alerts. okay. [ female announcer ] at wells fargo we're working around the clock to help protect your money and financial information. here's your temporary card. welcome back. how was london? [ female announcer ] when people talk, great things happen.

i can't believe you set me up like that. it's too easy. it's not even funny. >> isn't that what your audience says every night?

yeah, that's right, it hurts. so step off, brother. >> isn't that what your bathroom scale says every night? >> ouch. little bit of sparring. time for "first buzz" with bill karins and richard lieu. emily harris designed a passport. she gives this fake passport that she put together herself to the passport official, the customs official. he stamps it, gives it back to him. the mother goes, wait, this is the wrong passport. >> he must have known. >> it had a photo of a unitorn, right? >> maybe he was being nice thinking the girl wanted to get the -- trying to defend this guy. >> i hope he takes $100 bills,

too. >> betty white. >> betty white, 91 years old. yesterday on her yahoo! instagram account she was taking pictures of her day in the life on her set in hot in cleveland. her diet almost every single day consists of a starbucks muffin and then for lunch hot dogs and french fries. >> must be the secret to longevity. >> she eats a hot dog and fries every day. >> i saw a mockup of that. it was in a sketch before. wow. >> people get in their groove and it works. >> if it's working, you don't change it, right? >> absolutely. so the health department in chicago is trying this. women often wished men could be pregnant. they're featuring teen boys could be pregnant. chicago's pregnancy rate is 1.5% of the national average. they're trying to send the message that teen pregnancy is

not just a girl's problem. >> listen, don't look for sympathy for me. >> bill did say that. that was out loud. >> what about being pregnant? >> i think it says at least hopefully it gets teenage boys thinking about pregnancy. i'm marra schiavocampo. "way too early" starts right now. the decisions that need be made in washington are too great to be determined by an appointee for 18 months. what we don't need is another unelected politician just sitting around the congress, whether it's in the senate or the house of representatives. >> mmm. take it from my man, the love gov. when he sits around the house of representatives, he really sits around the house of representatives. >> fallon still can't keep it

together in his own jokes. deep into the night, new jersey governor chris christie slow jamming the news. hard off brian williams. the reason fallon was asleep. while you were sleeping grown men were playing hockey for a long time. highlights from a stanley cup classic that went triple overtime. in business, a global selloff. we'll tell you what it means for our stock market on this thursday edition of "way too early." good morning, everybody. i'm brian shackman. it is june the 13th. it is one of those mornings where a lot happened while you were sleeping or for our west coast friends, while you were still partying or doing whatever it is you do deep into the night. but not a lot of partying on trading floors at this hour. global markets are in a bit of turmoil. heavy losses from japan all the way to europe.