good thursday morning. buckle up today with rising pressure and a little relief. first the pressure with new details about what donald trump knew and when he knew it about the federal investigation into michael flynn. and relief for many as the highly respected bob mueller is appointed special counsel taking over the russia interference campaign. a winter storm warning in montana. a potential tornado outbreak in the central plains and 27 million at risk. a warning from a texas mother about the spinners after her daughter's frightful encounter. two instances when danger was avoided by amazingim

dumb luck. "early today" starts right now. so good to be with you. i'm frances rivera. a new report is rattling washington this morning, "the new york times" saying former national security adviser michael flynn fired after 24 days on the job revealed to the trump team he was under federal investigation for lobbying work weeks before trump's inauguration. the warning from flynn came about a month after the justice department notified flynn of an inquiry. it comes as new reporting questions whether flynn was even vetted prior to his taking on his job as national security adviser. a source tells peter alexander flynn himself made it clear to trump associates two days after the election that he wanted the nsa post. jared kushner and ivanka trump made it clear the president would reward flynn for loyalty after deputy attorney ron rosenstein made a surprise announcement appointing

election. robert mueller was named to lead the investigation after allegations trump urged then fbi director james comey to shut down an investigation in to flynn. mueller's appointment is about face from the administration that rallied against the need for an investigation. nbc's pete williams brings us more. >> mr. rosenstein can you tell owy owe. >> reporter: after serving for three weeks rod rosenstein took himself out of overseeing the russia investigation turning that over to robert mueller. mueller is the former fbi director who served 12 years in the job next to j. edgar hoover the longest serving. i asked him in 2013 about stepping down. >> going to miss all this? >> yes. no. great people. great challenge. it's been great opportunity. >> reporter: mueller will have the full authority to investigation the mushian matter that any u.s

criminal charges. democrats have been pushing for the appoint it of a special counsel since rosenstein was confirmed and since attorney general jeff sessions took himself out of making decisions about the investigation. mueller now 72 took over as fbi director just a week before 9/11, more recently the nfl chose him to review handling of the ray rice domestic violence case. he is in private law practice but says he will resign from that firm to avoid potential conflicts. >> thanks to pete williams for that report. the president reacted saying quote a thorough investigation will confirm what we already know, there was no cocollusion between my campaign and any foreign entity. i look forward to this matter concluding quickly. lawmakers reacted positively to the appointment. >> i think it's a very positive step that a special counsel has been appointed and a special counsel of the caliber of bob mueller. >> he is as good as it

his credentials are impeccable. he is unassailable in terms of credentials, his background. >> edward lawrence is live in washington and good morning to you. you heard right there highly respected but how dramatic the change of the appointment? >> very dramatic. even though you had the praises by republicans and democrats this is a surprise for many on capitol hill. this move does give robert mueller the power to subpoena, also bring charges and prosecute. he is likely to reach out to some of his old colleagues at the fbi, he does know his way around the bureau f. there is nothing to find, both republicans and democrats will accept that answer from mueller. if there is something to find his reputation is that he will find it. frances. >> all right. also what is this we're hearing about the 2016 allegation from a high ranking republican? about donald trump being paid by vladamir putin? >> frances, this was a tape that was m l

campaign or as the campaign cycle was winding up. it was the house republican kevin mccarthy, the second highest ranking member of the house said in a meeting with paul ryan and some others that he believed that donald trump or that putin pays robacker and trump. on the tape the house speaker can be heard saying that no leaks can happen about this statement. now that it's out mccarthy is saying this was an attempt at humor gone wrong. then he lashed out at "the washington post" for trying to make this into breaking news. >> lots of dots. we'll see if the there is connection in them. of course robert mueller now behind that. edward lawrence, thank you. overnight, not guilty, the verdict from a tulsa jury in the case of betty shelby, the white police officer on trial for manslaughter in the 2016 shooting death of terence crutcher an unarmed black man. the 12 person jury two of w

over 9 hours before reaching the verdict. once it was announced about 100 gathered outside the courthouse. the demonstration remained peaceful and later dispersed. crutcher's sister expressed outrage and vowed to take action. >> i'm going to make sure that i don't rest until we get reform for this police department in tulsa, oklahoma. >> after officer shelby ran out from the courthouse through its back door. a possible bird strike forced a jetblue strike to the airport to new york jfk to turn back around for an emergency landing. the airline says the bird hit an engine about 15 minutes into flight. passengers shared images after the plane landed safely at dulles. crews foamed the plane to clean up a fuel spill to prevent fire.

one gave thanks to the hero crew for guiding the plane to safety. check out this frightening scene at a deli. a car smashes right through the store front, nearly hitting a pregnant woman. the woman who is five months pregnant was working behind the counter when a minivan slammed through the building. it sent products flying all over her. her unborn child was not hurt something she is grateful for. >> like i win the lottery. i was so nervous. what happened. >> good to see her smiling. footage captured it from outside. look at it run in there. an 18-year-old was arrested in the stolen van. police are looking for others seen running away from the scene. a girl in texas is recovering after a traumatic accident with one of those popular spinners. if you have kids you know what we're talking about. those things

in the back of her mother's car on the way back from a swim meet after the spinner she was playing with lodged in her throat. see it there on the x-ray. her mother rushed her to urgent care only to find the toy there in her esophagus. it was removed and the family is waking up thankful of the outcome making sure to put a word of warning for children who are immersed in that spinner n craze. >> 27 million at risk as severe weather continues to rock the midwest. wisconsin is under a state of warning after multiple powerful tornados swept in, one devastating a trailer park. >> firefighters lifted parts of trailer homes off of people. >> one man was killed and over 25 people injured there. a state of emergency was declared in oklahoma following tornados that killed a man. survivors there are assessing the damage and picking up the

pieces. >> take a while. it can be fixed. >> the threat isn't over as more tornados could hit the region today. meteorologist bill karins has a look at what's ahead. >> today one of those dangerous days, life threatening type day in the central plains, this is tornado alley where the storms are going to be the worst. a high risk issued for this afternoon and this evening from central kansas to oklahoma. here is the timing for today. this is 2:00 p.m. the storms begin to pop around 4 to 5:00 in oklahoma, the high risk area between 5 and about 10 p.m. is when the worst of the storms are there near the great bend, wichita, down north of oklahoma city. then the storms will head over toward kansas city in the middle of the night. wind damage threat. dangerous day indeed. that's a look at the weather story of the day. a closer look at the day ahead. dallas, ft. worth area, you have to watch for strong winds today, also large hail. same in san

about central kansas southward, then how about the back side of the storm where the cold and snow in colorado and wyoming. frances, talk about that mini heat wave that continues on the east coast. i'll let you know when it's going to end. >> thank you. check out this released video of a close call from the houston metro. one boy crosses the tracks, look another darts in front of a moving train. well, a split second about face saves that boy's life as he clings to the fence. certainly the video should serve as a warning when you don't think the train is coming they can come quickly. ahead, some hilarious and spicy "snl" outtakes not broadcast before. plus, a takedown and capture of an escaped felon all caught on camera. we'll show it to you next on "early today." you help ensure that children in the u.s.

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>> oh, god. ah. i'm roasting in the sun. i just need a couple minutes in a bush to get it together. >> melissa mccarthy in those outtakes she drovg through manhattan streets as sean spicer. her impersonation of spicer had gotten so big, legitimate news camera crews trying to chase her down and look, having fun. really enjoying it. nikki haley is saying what the white house won't, the western wall is in israel. the former south carolina governor endorsed the idea of moving the american embassy in israel to jerusalem and placing the western wall in israel in new comments amid reports the president may rule out moving the u.s. embassy to jerusalem altogether. it comay

president embarks on his foreign trip which includes a stop in israel. colon cancer patients have been told healthy habits could lead to longer lives. now a study is proving just that. in it patients showed a 42% lower risk of dying and 31% lower chance of cancer coming back. so what are the guidelines? get at least 150 minutes of exercise each week, also eat a diet in vegetables and whole grains, limit prosellsed and red meat and eating tree nuts twice a week or more helps patients live longer and also cheers to this, you can enjoy that drink even more. one drink per day for women and two per day for men lowered the risk of death by 51%. the nfl is gathering more information in investigating allegations by super model gisele bundchen when she said her husband tom brady suffered from concussions last season as he fought his way t

bowl mvp. take a listen. >> he had a concussion last year. and i don't think it's a healthy thing for your body to go through you know, that kind of aggression like all the time. that cannot be healthy for you. >> an nfl spokesperson says there were no records from last year that he suffered from head injury or concussion. stocks are taking a beating following wednesday's plunge in u.s. markets on trump fears. can wall street recover today? ...they're not all the same. turns out, they're really... ...different. who knew? i had no idea. so, she said look for... ...one that's shaped like a dental tool with a round... ...brush head. go pro with oral-b. oral-b's rounded brush head surrounds each tooth to... ...gently remove more plaque and... ...oral-b crossaction is clinically proven to... ...remove more plaque than sonicare diamondclean. my mouth feels so clean. i'll only use an oral-b! the #1 brand used by dentists worldwide.

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narrator:to do time is what is right. ralph northam. army doctor during the gulf war. volunteer director of a pediatric hospice. progressive democrat. in the senate, he passed the smoking ban in restaurants, stopped the transvaginal ultrasound anti-choice law, and stood up to the nra. as lieutenant governor, dr. northam is fighting to expand access to affordable healthcare. ralph northam believes in making progress every day. and he won't let donald trump stop us.

president trump is expected to welcome juan manuel santos today, the first meeting between both world leaders. that as the white house continues its search for a new fbi director following mr. trump's meeting with four candidates including former senator joe lieberman and acting director andrew mccabe. and president hits back against detractors and the press when he offered advice to coast guard academy graduates in connecticut. >> things will work out just fine. look at the way i've been treated lately. no politician in history, and i say this with great surety, has been treated worse or more

unfairly. you can't let them get you down. new information that affects all americans, the federal reserve bank of new york says household debt has exploded to 12.73 trillion dollars. student and auto loans make up a larger portion while mortgages and credit card debt below pre-recession levels. right now stocks overseas following yesterday's plunge in u.s. markets. nancy is live in london. what's moving the stocks right now? >> well, risk off is the mood across the world. we're continuing to see a bit of a dip in stocks here in europe, following what we saw in asia and the big drop for the dow jones industrial overnight falling 370 points. but analysts say don't panic yet because keep in mind where these markets have come from. since the election both the dow jones industrial average and s&p 500 are still up double digit percentages so this could be

drama in washington has people nervous that perhaps the administration won't get through some of its pro growth reforms and tax cuts. we're seeing a rush into safe havens such as gold and we saw the dollar dip as well. watch the trading day coming up opening on wall street. >> nancy, thank you. ahead, flying may be about to take a critical turn with new safety measures. on to you, diab. time's up, insufficient prenatal care. and administrative paperwork... your days of drowning people are numbered. same goes for you, budget overruns. and rising costs, wipe that smile off your face. we're coming for you, too. for those who won't rest until the world is healthier, neither will we. optum. how well gets done. oh, it's actually... sfx: (short balloon squeal) it's ver... sfx: (balloon squeals) ok can we... sfx: (balloon squeals) goodbye!

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now to an issue bound to affect millions. u.s. and european officials hammering out details of expected been on passengers carrying laptops or other devices from europe to the united states amid reports that isis found a new way to smuggle bombs on planes in personal electronics. more from tom costello. >> reporter: in brussels homeland security and the acting tsa chief trying to convince european authorities of escalating threat to aviation. isis has used explosives to blow a hole in the side of a plane over somalia and down a russian jetliner over egypt. the discussion whether to ban passengers from bringing onboard laptops, ereaders, tablets. passengers arriving in the u.s. from 10 airports in the middle east and north africa are required to check those in luggage which goes through better screening. now the u.s. wants to expand that ban to flights coming from europe to t

>> for them to take steps to eliminate carry-on laptops, demonstrates to me that they believe that this is a credible risk, it's a significant risk and it's imminent. >> it could have a huge impact on any one flying transatlantic. 426 flights from across europe arrive in the u.s. every day. according to hopper.com that's 105,000 passengers, 15,000 business and first class who like many in coach often use their laptops on board. now some airlines are pushing back, concerned it could lead to confusion with some passengers choosing not to fly. >> that would be a great inconvenience to all travelers especially business travelers. on these long flights you usually work all the time. >> that was tom costello. breaking overnight the death of a popular rocker and 27 million at risk for severe weather today. neither does frontline.

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good morning, everybody. it is 4:26 right now. i'm aaron gilchrist. >> i'm eun yang. we're working on several developing stories for you this morning, including the investigation underway right now after a 6-year-old boy was hit by a car in the district and killed. what police say about the driver after he initially drove away from the scene. a new twist in the investigation surrounding russia and the presidential election. a man used to taking on high profile cases is now involved. what you need to know about him as edition into a situation that could have lasting consequences. and start planning your detour now. the water main break expected to impact a lot of people's morning commute. "news 4 today" starts now.

first, get ready for another scorcher around here. temperatures already in the 70s this morning. they're only going up from here. our crew is working for you this morning. more on how to get around the big water main break when we check in with melissa mollet. >> sheena drew the long -- >> uh-oh. >> short straw, whichever way you want to go with that. >> i drew the long straw because it is in fact very comfortable outside. i'd rather be outside this morning. it feels really, really nice. temperatures are warm. look at this, 72 degrees. i don't know if you notice but annapolis is at 80 degrees on the map. by 7:00 a.m. we will still be in the low 70s. by noon, heating up again. mid 80s by lunchtime. low 90s. it will be another hot day. we have another air quality alert day. if you have any breathing issues like asthma or if you're the elderly, you don't want to be outside for a long time. let's head ov

four things to know. >> hey, chuck. i didn't realize i had the short straw until moments ago. what you need to know about the weather. number one, play it again, sam. if you liked yesterday, good news. if you hated yesterday, not such good news. it will be pretty much a carbon copy. 90s again today for most everybody. just like yesterday, there could be one or two isolated showers or thunder showers mainly up near the blue ridge and shenandoah valley. nothing to really worry about around the d.c. area. for tomorrow, thunderstorms likely tomorrow afternoon and tomorrow evening as a cold front comes through. cold front means cooler weather returns just in time for the weekend. we'll give you the whole ten day outlook coming up in a few minutes. a water main break that happened more than 12 hours ago is still causing a big problem right now, erika gonzalez is at the live desk. what's happening here? >> good morning, eun. this is a story that mark

it's absolutely impressive of just this huge mess that was on mcarthur boulevard between q and elliott streets. there was a 30 inch water main break that ruptured. this happened about noon. it took them about 3 1/2 hours to get the water shut off. by then, so much damage was already done. this water main break -- this water main actually goes back to 1 1860. that's how old -- when you're talking about dc infrastructure, that's how old this is. this caused such a backup for so many people that take macarthur boulevard. it's affecting surrounding roads like canal, reservoir road. for that, we send it to first 4 traffic, melissa mollet. >> erika, let's take a look at what is shut down here this morning. macarthur boulevard between reservoir and foxhall road, all lanes are blocked. if you're looking for an

parkway and fox hall as you kind of go around the bend there would all work for you this morning. inner loop after rockville pike, blocking the left lane by a work zone. route 270 after old hundred. we'll keep an eye on this issue of macarthur as the morning commute really kicks in. we are also following a developing story in the district this morning. the parents of a 6-year-old boy are now planning their son's funeral. that boy was hit and killed by a car last night. this is near the busy intersection of livingston road and south capital street southeast. he was taken to the hospital and died. the driver deed to another location and called 911. he is cooperating with d.c. police now. it's not clear now what the little boy was doing in the street. high praise on social media this morning for the crew of a jetblue plane forced to make an emergency landing after hitting a bird. one passenger calling them heroes.