abuelazam, police discovered, had been given just such a shirt.hree more stabbings in virginia last week where abuelazam has relatives. and a big break -- surveillance video of the attacker's suv matched descriptions from victims in michigan. the fbi was able to retrace abuelazam's steps showing when he was in each of the places in three states where the stabbings took place. michigan police declined to speculate on a motive, but investigators in virginia believe it was race. >> my belief is he selected the victims in leesburg based upon the color of their skin. >> reporter: abuelazam, a legal, permanent resident, worked at this michigan liquor store. the manager said he did not seem prone to violence. >> just very polite. no kind of hostility. no kind of -- no signs, you know. when i heard about it, i was in very big shock. >> reporter: the fbi said he tried to make a run for it, but was caught in an air security system already on high alert. pete williams, nbc news, washington. >>> turning now to the weather and another day of extremes. from hea

if convicted in michigan, abuelazam could face life in prison. elaine quijano, cbs news, new york. >> hill: now to the talk radio controversy that's really got people buzzing. dr. laura schlessinger has apologized for using a racial slur over and over again on her syndicated radio show earlier this week. jeff glor has more on this misstep by one of the country's top-rated radio hosts. >> reporter: the controversy began during dr. laura's radio show on tuesday. >> reporter: an african american caller named jade said she was offended by comments made by friends of her white husband, leading schlessinger to bring up what she felt was a double standard when it comes to the "n" word. >> reporter: their discussion quickly became an argument. >> reporter: this week, a day after her "n" word rant, she apologized. >> reporter: still, some tonight-- including the reverend al sharpton-- are calling on advertisers to rethink their support of her show. her production company tells cbs news: >> reporter: schlessinger, it would seem, hopes her nine million list

elias abuelazam is accused of stabbing 18 men, killing five of them.reports, investigators are now searching for a motive. >> reporter: a slew of men maimed or murdered from michigan to ohio to virginia. the serial slasher case has scared and spellbound entire communities. >> the suspect in the 14 stabbing assaults in our community has been apprehended. >> reporter: as the investigators laid out details of a violent crime spree and the luck, timing and tips that led to the capture, they are learning more about the suspect, elias abuelazam. he's an israeli citizen here legally with a green card. a 33-year-old with past run-ins with the law. what they don't know is the moat vase for allegedly taking out a knife and slashing so many strangers, like 17-year-old etuan wilson. >> that's a question i want to ask him. why? i ask myself and i ask god why, but everything happens for a reason. >> reporter: etuan's story is the same as the others. he's alone in the middle of the night on an urban street when a stranger drives up asking for help with his vehicle or

abuelazam paged over the intercom. he was taken into custody without incident. when he approached the ticket counter in response to the page. >> reporter: police believe abuelazam is responsible for 18 violent attacks that left five people dead. 14 people were attacked in michigan, three in virginia and one in ohio. authorities think the stabbing spree started in flint, michigan, where abuelazam worked as a convenience store clerk. >> still shocked that i had this guy in here around me, around my sisters, around my employees. >> reporter: police in virginia say the killer began striking here in leesburg about a week ago. a teenager believed to be one of the victims managed to run away and made it to this gas station. he was bleeding and begging for help. police in virginia also suspect they caught the killer's chevy blazer on a surveillance camera outside of a shopping center. this video was taken just before another attack. >> he selected the victims in leesburg based upon the color of their skin. >> reporter: but authorities say there is no conclusive evidence

investigators believe abuelazam is responsible for a string of violent attacks. 14 victims in michigan, three in virginia, and one in ohio. police believe barbara embree's son was his first victim. >> 31 years old but he was still my baby. >> reporter: authorities believe the killing spree began in flint where abuelazam worked in the area as a convenience store clerk. >> i'm still shocked that i had this guy in here around me, around my sisters, around my employees. >> reporter: police say he lured his victims by asking for directions or for help with car trouble before stabbing them. >> they said i almost didn't make it. my heart stopped, twice. >> reporter: last week, abuelazam was briefly taken into police custody in arlington, virginia, when a background check during a traffic stop revealed an outstanding warrant for his arrest. a knife and hammer were found in his car, but no connection was made, and he was released on bail. >> you have to understand, at that point in time, nobody knew that this was the individual. >> reporter: there would be at least two more attacks in virginia

. >> reporter: 33-year-old elias abuelazam will soon face multiple charges in michigan. where prosecutors have already charged him with one count of assault with intent to murder. >> methodical and thorough in our continuing investigation and prosecution. >> reporter: the next step extraditing him out of atlanta where authorities arrested him wednesday night trying to fly to israel. investigators believe that he's behind a string of violent attacks. 14 victims in michigan. three in virginia. and one in ohio. and nearly all of the victims were african-american. >> my belief is that he selected the victims in leesburg based upon the color of their skin. >> most were black males. i think that it fits together with the idea that he was committing these crimes out of some kind of rage. >> reporter: the vick sometime wilson almost died from his stab wounds. >> they said i almost didn't make it. >> reporter: authorities believed that the killing spree began in flint where abuelazam worked in the area as a convenience store clerk. >> i'm still shocked that i had this guy in here

as abuelazam waited for the flight he apparently talked to his mom in israel. she told a radiotation there he seemed calm and quiet. minutes before he boarded, he was paged to the ticket counter and police closed in. >> i hope he dies, you know i hope we don't have to, you know spend taxpayer money on him for 50 years. >> reporter: even though most of the victims are african-american police have still not determined an official motive. vinita, rob? >> all right, mike marusarz in new york, mike, thanks. >>> in california weddings for gay couples could begin again next week. a federal judge has -- a federal judge's ruling cleared the way but late last night opponents filed an appeal to a higher court hoping to further delay same-sex ceremonies. ryan owens reports. >> reporter: in san francisco, supporters of gay marriage celebrated. the judge's decision to lift the ban. >> i think this is an amazing day. >> very happy, very excited. >> reporter: but they were quickly tempered by word of another delay. >> the wedding plans are still on hold. >> reporter: a week af

virginia authorities actually detained abuelazam after a traffic stop august 5th on an unrelated warrant, a knife and hammer found in his car. but a judge eventually released him. more stabbings followed. also now tied it to the suspect. >> my belief is he selected the victims in leesburg based upon the color of their skin. >> reporter: police caught up to abuelazam again wednesday night here in atlanta only minutes from taking off for tell tel avd a possible escape. >> he looked tense, you know, scary. >> reporter: delta flight 152 landed without incident or abuelazam, leaving his family in israel stunned. his cousin said we cannot comprehend this. this is not like our family. we are against violence and killing. this is a shock to us. a shock to victims' families, as well, still trying to comprehend their loss and pain. for "today," ron mott, nbc news, atlanta. >>> and it's time now for a check of the weather with bill karins. bill, good morning. >>> good morning. we'll ignore the orange neon shirts, but i wanted to say hello to all our ladys in the north carolina. first time for a lot

his mom told an israeli radio station she spoke to elias abuelazam just before he was to board and he sounded the same as usual, quiet and calm but that is not at all how his ex-father-in-law describes his past behavior. >> he was a little bit crazy. >> reporter: he said he got rough with his daughter. the two divorced in 2007. the question, of course, now is why didn't police nab him while they had the chance? they say at the time there was no nationwide alert for the blazer. no reason to think he was a killer. elizabeth? >> thanks so much. >>> now to juju chang for the rest of the morning's headlines. good morning, juju. >> good morning, elizabeth and george. good morning, everyone. >>> we begin with a green light for same-sex weddings in california. the federal judge who overturned the state's gay marriage ban says same-sex couples can resume getting married this coming wednesday barring what he calls an unlikely intervention. opponents already responded asking a federal appeals court to step in. >>> a surprise at general motors. just as the company reported its best profit in six

elias abuelazam has been charged with just one of the 18 attacks in michigan, virginia, and ohio, but more charges are expected in the stabbing spree that killed five people over a three-month period. the israeli citizen was arrested at atlanta's airport wednesday while trying to board a flight for israel. as far as a motive, michigan police declined to speculate. but investigators in virginia believe it had to do with race. all but three of the victims were black males. >>> residents in iowa and maryland are cleaning up after a wave of violent weather. in iowa, several nights of heavy rain and thunderstorms caused widespread flooding across the state. officials say the rising waters forced hundreds of people out of their homes and left a 16-year-old girl dead. and in the washington, d.c., area, unusually severe thunderstorms knocked down trees and knocked out power to thousands of customers. at one point, a 100-foot tree fell into an apartment building, slicing the top of the structure in half. four residents were hurt, but fortunately none of the injuries were life-threatening. >>>

police linked elias abuelazam to as many as 20 stabbings in three states -- michigan, ohio and virginia. he was caught this week as he tried to board a plane to atlanta to take him to his native israel and police say he is a suspect in a stabbing there as well. >>> today president obama signed a new $600 million border enforcement bill that sends 1,500 new agents to the southwest border and pays for more unmanned drones to patrol it. but the new law falls far short of the comprehensive approach to immigration that president obama says he wants, and it does not address what should be done about the 11 million illegal immigrants already in this country. as nbc's david gregory reported from kabul last night, the general in charge of afghanistan, general david petraeus, says he is committed to meeting president obama's target of july 2011 for the u.s. withdrawal from afghanistan. tonight more of that exclusive interview and about that deadline. >> how stifling is the concept of this deadline and this washington debate to what you're trying to do here? >> i don't find it that stifling. i'm n

>> reporter: police in >> reporter: pelieve their serial killer is this man -- 33-year-old elias abuelazam. he's an israeli national, here legally. n israeli national at this michigan liquor store -- not far from one of the alleged stabbings. >> he said he was leaving to go o e some relatives, and he never relatives,o work. me back to wory shocked. as ally. just min >> reporter: police say he was just minutes from leaving the country last night. trying to get on a 10:00 flight from atlanta to tel aviv with an expired israeli israeli . investigators were onto him. they paged him on the airport intercom, and when he walked up to the ticket coun to the ticket counter, they took him in. >> we don't have a motive yet. but as you know, many times, the motive doesn't appear until later in the investigation. he's accused in aaccused in at least 18 violent and unprovoked attacks near toledo, ohio, leesburg, virginia and flint, veral times in t >> 911. >> a guy has been stabbed several times in the stomach on the corner of collingwood and he is bleeding he is bleeding profusely. >> reporter: most of

elias abuelazam is charged with assault in a michigan case, but prosecutors in flint hope to file murder>> elias, why did you do it, sir? >> reporter: the suspect in a multi-state stabbing spree returned to the place where his deadly attacks began, flint, michigan. >> today i can announce to you we got the guy responsible for these crimes. and he is now where he belongs. in jail. >> reporter: 33-year-old elias abuelazam was arrested where he was trying to board a plane bound for israel. he's accused of stabbing 18 men, 4 in virginia and ohio. he assaulted 14 more victims in michigan. five died. he was extradited from georgia and arraigned in michigan on a single count of assault with intent to commit murder. >> this is one of 14 incidents of murder and assault with intent to murder that has occurred in this county and our city. >> reporter: police say they still don't have a motive for the random attacks on mostly african-american men walking the streets. >> i've seen speculation in the last few weeks that anyone who would commit these crimes is sick. i believe he is not sick. he is evil

elias abuelazam is an arab israeli. was arrested moments before he tried to fly out of the country. >>> rod blagojevich returns to court today in chicago. the judge may schedule a new trial for the former illinois governor. some insiders say the corruption case could be retried within months. >>> the latest numbers on unemployment are released from the labor department this morning. that is after this week's back-to-back bombshell reports on the housing market. >>> and finally this half hour, the tiny mistake that cost new jersey possibly $400 million. >> the state was competing in the white house's race to the top challenge. but a minor mistake on their application has led to a major headache for the garden state. here's linsey davis. >> this is our race to the top application. >> reporter: the larger than life governor of new jersey, chris christie, is on a tear. >> does anybody in washington, d.c. have a lick of common sense? >> reporter: what if you were responsible for making a mistake that cost all the students in

. >> reporter: at first it seemed that 33-year-old elias abuelazam was fighting extradition. >> i won't go to michigan. >> you want to fight the extradition? you want the governor of michigan to send an extradition board? is that what you want to do? >> reporter: in the end he said why wait and agreed to go. >> why should i wait the 90 days, right. >> reporter: the israeli national is accused in a horrific string of stabbings and assaults targeting mostly small framed african-american men in michigan, ohio and virginia. five men died. >> my son gave him directions. the guy told him thank you and shanked him. >> reporter: police arrested him trying to board a flight from atlanta to tel aviv. israeli police now say he was a suspect there in a stabbing a year ago, but the friend he allegedly cut refused to press charges. in a phone interview in arabic, his mother said that she doesn't believe any of this and said that he helps the helpless and feeds the hungry. his alleged victims say otherwise. >> that's a question i want to ask him. why? >> reporter: prosecutors in michigan are waiting f

elias abuelazam has one charge and more are expected. >>> a bill aimed at strengthening security alongbeginning the startup process. the plant was built with russian help. the u.s. had asked russia to delay the startup until they convinced iran it is not developing nuclear weapons. >>> southwest airlines is defending its policy on unaccompanied minors after three jacksonville children all under the age of 16 bought plane tickets to nashville and flew there without their parents knowing. it all began when 15-year-old bridget brown saved babysitting money and asked a friend if he wanted to fly somewhere. >> he said nashville, tennessee. so that's where we went. >> reporter: just like that bobby nolan, bridget and her brother were in a cab and on their way. >> i just wanted to fly and had the money. >> the three youngsters arrived at the airport ticket counter without their parents ever knowing. no one at the airport even asked why they were traveling alone. >> they told us how much it would be and then we paid it and then you put the little flight things on our bags and said you'd better