making news in america this morning, the appointment that even the white house didn't see coming. a new special counsel investigating possible interference in last year's election. the president offers his first reactions and lawmakers from both pears weigh in as markets around the world take a nosedive. we have all angles coveraged live from washington. >> breaking overnight, protest after a police officer is acquitted in the shooting death of an unarmed black man. the victim's family saying the officer got away with murder. also breaking now, a rock 'n' roller's mysterious death. we have new details just coming in and a passing being called sudden and unexpected. and the multimillion dollar unclaimed jackpot. time is running out for whoever may be holding the winning ticket.

a good thursday morning. we begin with another stunning development out of washington. a special prosecutor is now leading the investigation into russian election meddling. >> he is a former fwib director robert mueller who was tapped to oversee the probe whether the trump administration was connected to that russian meddling. >> president trump is expected to be bombarded with questions about the decision as he holds a previously scheduled news conference today with the president of colombia. >> another big headline. deputy attorney general rod rosenstein heads to capitol hill to brief the entire senate on the firing of former fbi director james comey. >> as special counsel mueller will have sweeping powers to prosecute any crimes he uncovers. >> we're told the white house was blindsided by the decision to appoint an outside prosecutor getting word just 30 minutes before the rest of the country. abc's janai norman has the latest from washington for us. good morning, janai. >> reporter: good morning, diane and kendis. three days, three

the latest, the announcement that a special counsel is taking over the russia investigation is garnering support across the aisle. a trifecta of tumultuous developments. bombshell after bombshell after bombshell sending shock waves through washington and the white house. >> no politician in history and i say this with great surety has been treated worse or more unfairly. >> reporter: at the center of every controversy president donald trump. now the department of justice appointing a special counsel to take over the investigation over russia's interference. that announcement coming after attorney general jeff sessions recused himself. made by acting attorney general rod rosenstein just a week after trump fired fbi director james comey and the white house initially blamed the decision on a recommendation from rosenstein but trump l

that the russia investigation was a factor. the man now leading the investigation robert mueller who served as fbi director from 2001 to 2013 and enjoyed wide bipartisan support then and now. >> obviously that's a step in the right direction. >> it takes the politics out of it hopefully. this has gotten too political. >> reporter: he will have all of the authorities and ability to take it before a grand jury and issue subpoenas. >> whatever investigation goes on we'll have the credibility of bob mueller, the former director of the fbi. >> reporter: and president trump previously called the russia investigation a total hoax and a taxpayer funded charade. he released a statement saying in part, there is no collusion between my campaign and any foreign entity and i look forward to this matter concluding quickly. diane and kendis. >> it took the white house some 80 minutes to come up with that three-line response. janai, thank you. a vast majority of democrats called

many republicans are praising the decision citing mullally's credentials. >> from what i know of former director mueller, he is an outstanding citizen and someone i have great confidence in and he'll have my support. unabashedly without yankees. >> i don't in general believe in special counsels. they can go off on their own having said that, it has to be a special counsel they made an excellent choice. >> reporter: paul ryan is weighing in on the appointment saying it should ensure a thorough and independent investigation is allowed to follow the facts wherever they may lead. >> it precedes him in washington and stayed on as fbi director two years longer than his tenured term at the request of president obama and steve gomez worked under mueller and talked to us about how his former boss might proceed. >> i think his overall objective is going to be to

most comprehensive investigation and to conduct this investigation as fast as possible. because he recognizes that all of america and the world is looking at the results of this investigation. they are going to expect answers one way or the other as to what occurred with the russia issue, any kind of russia involvement with the trump campaign and then, of course, was there any kind of obstruction of justice or influencing by the president. >> well, gomez says mueller is the right person for this job. he describes him as demanding and no nonsense saying he expects results right away. >> the news of mueller appointment comes amid a new report about a key figure in that investigation. according to "the new york times" former national security adviser michael flynn warned the trump administration team weeks before the inauguration that he was under federal investigation for secretly working as a paid lobbyist for turkey. "the times" said trump named him as his national security adviser even after receiving that

the turmoil in washington is taking a heavy toll on the financial markets this morning. all overseas markets are down. that's following the worst day on wall street so far this year. the dow lost 372 points, the nasdaq was off 158, the s&p dropped 43. analysts say investors are rattled by the unrest swirling around president trump and losing faith he'll be able to pull off his reform plans. breaking overnight protests in tulsa of a police officer is acquitted in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man. protesters marched and shouted, no justice, no peace and hands up, don't shoot. officer betsy shelby testified that she shot terence crutcher out of fear because he failed to obey her commands. now, prosecutors say shelby overreacted and crutcher had his hands in the air at the time. crutcher's family says shelby got away with murder. >> this is definitely a tough pill to swallow. >> i don't know what was in the mind of that jury,

could come to that conclusion. you did your job but i'm wondering what were you thinking about. >> and the governor is asking residents of oklahoma to stay calm and respect the jury's verdict. now here's a look at today's weather. heavy rain and wind are continuing to rage across parts of iowa. the storms have already knocked down trees and power lines leaving thousands without power. more than two dozen tornadoes ripped across much of the central u.s. two people have been killed. one in oklahoma, one in wisconsin. the twisters also leveled or damaged dozens of homes and businesses. a major late season snowstorm is moving through the rockies. it has already dumped 15 inches of snow in parts of montana and idaho. well, still ahead the breaking news we're learning just coming in. the death of rocker chris

controversial comments about her husband tom brady and a new secret she has revealed. and students outside of a school being pepper sprayed in the face. why did they do this on purpose?

breaking overnight, check out this high-speed chase through neighborhoods of los angeles county. the driver actually loses control around a turn, starts to run and gets blindsided by an officer. >> he got tackled. >> yep. and we're learning that rocker chris cornell died last night while on tour in detroit. cornell is best known as the lead singer of soundgarden and then later on

his representative says cornell's death was, quote, sudden and unexpected adding that his family is in shock. no word yet on the cause of death. he was just 52 years old. >> he tweeted just a few hours ago saying how much he was excited to be back in vegas or back in detroit, i should say. to las vegas where police officer is on unpaid leave. body cam shows tashi farmer being tased. that taking place off camera and it was by the hands of officer kenneth laperra. the cause of death has not been determined. baylor faces another lawsuit saying it ignored sex crimes by its football players named in seven federal cases and the latest claims, a volleyball player was drued and raped by as many as football players in

the suit alleges the school's former head football coach never reported the incident to police or the university. a new study finds the number of women in the u.s. living with the most severe form of breast cancer is growing. federal researchers say the increase in cases of metastatic breast cancer or mbc is likely due to the aging population and improvements in treatment. they say they believe the findings are favorable because mbc patients are living longer after getting diagnosed. >> if your summer plans include air calve you won't be lonely in the sky. >> a record 234 million people are expected to take flight on u.s. airlines this summer. that's a 4% increase over last year. the tsa says it's ready for the challenge. yeah, the agency has added 2,000 extra agents to help lines move a little bit faster but expect more canine teams, as well. when we come back, as tom brady suffered unreported concussions? the nfl reaction. the long-running saga of a bear in a tree, not

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this big, dirty thing is a snow pile that doesn't want to go away. the 10-foot-high garbage covered pound sits in a parking lot outside boston. record temperatures today expected in the 90s. it means the last holdover from winter may finally melt away. >> we hope you have chains or snow tires if you're on the road this morning in parts of montana, idaho and colorado thanks to a late season snowstorm, also expect plenty of wet roadways in the central u.s., great lakes and parts of the northeast. so if you're flying airport delays are possible in dallas and denver. and now to a new controversy surrounding tom brady and a potential secret about the quarterback his wife gisele bundchen has revealed. >> yeah, the secret revealed during an interview, take a look. tom brady's wife gisele bundchen in a surprising revelation a

>> he had a concussion last year. i mean he has concussions -- we don't talk about -- but he does have concussions. >> reporter: she says as he led the new england patriots toward their fifth super bowl winning season he was playing through a concussion. >> i don't think it's a healthy thing for a body to go through, like, you know, through that kind of aggression like all the time that cannot be healthy for you, right. >> reporter: the remarks significant because brady was not listed with a concussion in any injury reports last season and the nfl said there are no records of a head injury. well, following bundchen's bombshell league representatives said the nfl and players union are seeking more information. gisele who recently called it quits from her career of doing this wanted her 39-year-old husband to also hang up his cleats concerned about the frequency of the quarterback's concussions. >> i'm planning on having him be healthy and do a lot of fun things when we're like 100, i hope. >> reporter: the league is especially sensitive to concussions linked to brain

$1 billion to some retired players as compensation for issues resulting from those powerful hits. but brady in the past saying head injuries are just part of the game. >> i think concussions, you know, in any contact sport there will be head injuries. >> reporter: well for now brady's agents and the patriots are refusing to tackle the shocking statement from gisele. just imagine the conversation in the brady household after that. in the meantime, we move on and video of ohio students being pepper sprayed for an extra credit assignment getting lots of attention and sock backlash. the barberton high school students cream in pain after being lined up and sprayed in the face. they not only volunteered for the assignment but got permission from their parents who said, okay. law enforcement blog criticized the assignment calling the effects of pepper spray tortuous. >> there made its way up a tree, a bear, outside an elementary school.

down. >> it took 11 hours according to the reports for the bear to return to solid ground. okay, so police tried. they fired bean bags, tranquilizer darts. but that only made it climb higher up the tree, a loud blast didn't do the trick either. >> this all happened near seattle. but guess what did finally happen. >> what? >> they just left the bear alone. >> old man time. >> the little guy took a nap and finally came down on its own late last night. >> i will do this on my own. >> i'll come down and not because you told me to. >> sports. >> hoop, hockey and even baseball. the highlights from espn. good morning, america. i'm scott van pelt, the cleveland cavaliers continue to match golden state win for win as it appears destined they meet for the third consecutive year in the nba finals. cleveland taking on boston, game one of the eastern conference finals. lebron james said he was in attack mode early. there is evidence of that as he takes it to the rim. and all night long he was

physical match-up nightmare for boston. lebron here, buries the three. he's shooting 56% from the floor in the playoffs. he had 38. the final, was closer frankly than the game. only win by 13. a blow-out as well in ottawa. game three, penguins/senators, not enough. here turris to hoffman. turris stays with it and the sens win 5-1 and lead 2-1. mike trout dialed in. his 13th homer of the year. his fifth in six games. he hammerses this one out to the land of the lost and angels win 12-8. their fourth in a row. that's all from here at "sportscenter." enjoy your thursday. we'll see you midnight eastern right back here. >> all right, thanks,

chili peppers so hot it can cause death. and you might be a mul multimillionaire and not even know it. >> on our facebook pain, the dad who is hoping to put an end to lunch shaping by paying off thousands of dollars of student debt. that's on atmfans.com. listen up, heart disease. you too, unnecessary er visits. and hey, unmanaged depression, don't get too comfortable. we're talking to you, cost inefficiencies and data without insights. and fragmented care- stop getting in the way of patient recovery and pay attention. every single one of you is on our list. for those who won't rest until the world is healthier, neither will we. optum. how well gets done. ahyou the law? we've had some complaints of... is that a fire? there's your payoff, deputy. git!

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couch cushions. >> yep, check. >> search them all. >> uh-huh. mattress, check. >> behind the curtain. >> ooh. might be possible. >> hopefully not flushed down the toilet in after next thursday the ticket isn't worth a penny. >> so find it now. >> yes. >> next up serious heat from what's being described as a weapons grade chili pepper. >> it's been named dragon's breath developed by a welsh guy who creates hot peppers as a hobby. this is so high on the heat scale experts say it could cause shock while burning and closing the airway of anyone who eats it. >> that's funny. i've been described as dragon's breath in the morning. developed to be used as an anesthetic because its oils are so potent they can numb the skin on contact so you'll eat that. >> okay. at your own risk. now to a product that helped solve the dilemma of which to grab first, your phone or a cup of coffee. the answer,

cup of coffee. take a look at this phone case. it requires an espresso filled cartridge heated by the case's built-in battery and comes together to brew you a fresh cup of joe. >> it can fit several devices including apple and samsung devices. they're trying to raise funds on kick starter. >> it is falling way short of reaching its goal of raising $82,000. >> wonderup with good morning washington. it's may 18th-- and get ready for another round of hot and humid weather. meteorologist eileen whelan will break down today's soaring temperatures, coming up. but first-- here is a quick look at some of today's top stories. this morning a special prosecutor is now at the helm of a justice department probe into russia's alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election. former fbi director robert mueller will have the power to issue subpoenas in order to investigate

collusion between moscow and the trump campaign. president trump released a statement saying "there was no collusion between my campaign and any foreign entity. i look forward to this matter concluding quickly." breaking overnight. a police officer in tulsa, oklahoma-- is found "not guilty" in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man. betty shelby was charged with manslaughter after she shot and killed 40-year-old terence cutcher. shelby says she feared for her life, and thought cutcher was going for a gun inside of his car. protesters gathered outside the courtroom last night, denouncing the verdict. good morning washington. toss to eileen - code orange air quality alert today - two more summery days - storm chances return - much cooler weekend today: hot and humid. isolated pm thunderstorms. highs: 91-94 winds: sw 10 mph tonight: isolated storms early. mild and muggy. lows:

friday: partly sunny. afternoon thunderstorms possible. highs: 89-92 winds: w to ne 5 mph turning back to the big news of the morning.

general rod rosenstein named special prosecutor to take over the investigation into russia medd

and later today-- he will face some tough questions from congress. the deputy attorney general expected to address the senate today-- to answer questions about that and his role in the firing of former fbi director james comey. the white house says president trump fired comey, in part, becuase of rosenstein's recommendation. in arlington-- a police officer and a suspect are both still in the hospital this morning after an officer-involved shooting. it happened wednesday during the afternoon rush hour. police say the officer spotted a driver who was wanted by police. but when the officer approached, the driver hit him with his truck. the office opened fire, striking the driver who is now in critical condition. the officer suffered non-life threatening injuries. also in arlington-- police are sharing new video of the man wanted for a violent sexual assault. take a look. this is the man accused of sexually attacking a woman at an arlington apartment! here you see him running away on surveillance footage. the attack happened earlier this month along key boulevard. police say the suspect was likely let in by an unaware resident. he then posed as a maintenance worker as he knocked on doors. if you have

a music power couple crosses a major milestone. jay-z and beyonce can now officially call themselves-- billionaires. according to forbes, the combined wealth of beyonce and her husband jay-z is now just over a billion dollars - 810 million for him, 350 million for her. they will need that money since their family is growing. beyonce is expected to give birth to twins sometime this summer. it's xx and we're just getting started. the big story this morning - a special prosecutor named to investigate potential russian ties to donald trump. a move that blindsided the white house. good mornign washington i'm autria godfrey. and i'm larry smith.

another dangerously hot day. let's start with stormwatch7 meteorologist eileen whelan. good morning washington. - code orange air quality alert today - two more summery days - storm chances return - much cooler weekend today: hot and humid. isolated pm thunderstorms. highs: 91-94 winds: sw 10 mph tonight: isolated storms early. mild and muggy. lows: 67-70 winds: sw 5 mph friday: partly sunny. afternoon thunderstorms possible. highs: 89-92 winds: w to ne 5 mph another shocking development on