a suspended linebacker, jonathan vilma, is suing roger goodell for deafination. he claims goodell made false statements and comments about his alleged role in the bounty program. our legal guys are back. avery freeman and richard herman. vilma, he went on to tweet about this, too. quite publicly saying, quote, as i said before, i never paid more intended to pay any amount of money to any player for intentionally hurting an apoebant. he is also saying the nfl relied on at best, heresy. were there recordings, richard, or documentation, would there have to be in order for the nfl to suspend a player on something like this? >> fred, there was an intense investigation done by the nfl. i don't know every avenue they turned up. i don't know all of the witnesses they interviewed, what information they got, but roger goodell acted as the judge and executioner here. he made the sole determination, vilma what not allowed to parm in that. appeared to me that maybe he had spicy gumbo, bought he brought this ridiculous lawsuit i have here. ridiculous lawsuit which is going to b

jonathan vilma will miss the entire season. >>> the best for last. jered weaver unhittable, walked one, struck out nine. the final out of the game and there you go, a no-hitter for engineer red -- jered weaver. angels won 9-0. that is the early look at sports to "early today" i'm fred roggin. >>> charlie sheen is worried about his reputation? the early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. >>> the jungle's toughest predator attacks a child. we're slightly exaggerating. you're watching "early today." >>> welcome back to "early today." fairly strong storm for this time the year is coming on into central portions of oregon. steady rain from seattle down interstate 5. getting it in northern california. eventually we get light rain in san francisco. majority of the heavier rain is to your north. by this afternoon rain should stop in most coastal locations. friday's forecast some showers left over from that storm system and cooler air behind it. if you're watching us in fairbanks, alaska, explore the wildlife that lives amoungs. from spiders

now jonathan vilma is suing nfl commissioner roger goodell for defamation. [laughter] ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] for our families... our neighbors... and our communities... america's beverage companies have created a wide range of new choices. developing smaller portion sizes and more low- & no-calorie beverages... adding clear calorie labels so you know exactly what you're choosing... and in schools, replacing full-calorie soft drinks with lower-calorie options. with more choices and fewer calories, america's berage companies are delivering. >> we are in the final week of our facebook giveaway. go to wjla.com/freecar. we will draw another finalist tomorrow at 5:00. that person will have 30 minutes to call in and claim a spot in the drawing. [ female announcer ] safeway presents real big deals of the week. or how to get great prices on things you need. we know you look around for the best deals. that's why we give you real big club card deals each week. right now, deer park water is just $3.33 a case. heinz ketchup is only $1.49. that's for the party size. and h

jonathan vilma will miss the entire season. >>> the best for les. jered weaver unhittable, walked one, struck out nine. the final out of the game and there you go, a no-hitter for jered weather. angels won 9-0. that is the early look at sports to "early today" i'm fred roggin. >>> charlie sheen is worried about his reputation? the early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. >>> the jungle's roughest predator attacks a child. we're slightly ex-ager rating. you're watching "early today." >>> welcome back to "early today." here is what you need to know weather-wise as you head out the door for your morning routine, watching a line of strong thunderstorms heading for des moines and ames area. strong thunderstorms toward green bay and northern michigan where the worst of the wet weather is. as we go through the afternoon we will see additional strong storms late today and tonight, chicago, kansas city, and just north of st. louis. tomorrow we could see very strong thunderstorms in areas like new york city down to d.c. that is for friday aft

linebacker jonathan vilma got an unprecedented 16-game suspension. he will miss all of next season. linebacker scott fohita and will smith and anthony hargrove were also suspended ranging from three games to eight games. dan hellie will have a lot more on this coming up in sports. >>> also coming up, newly released security video shows exactly what happened moments before a deadly duck boat accident. there has been a dramatic resolution for the blind chinese dissident seeking refuge at the u.s. embassy. >> after yesterday's apartment fire in chevy chase, victims returned to find this and try to decide whether they'll be able to come home again. i'm erika gonzalez and i'll have more on this story coming up. >>> japan's tsunami swept away a prize possession. now the owner of a harley davidson that washed >>> the story of chen chong is far from over. he is the blind chinese dissident who escaped house arrest last week and sought refr refuge in the u.s. embassy in beijing. american diplomats oversaw several days of negotiations between chen and the chinese government. today it appeared

saints linebacker, jonathan vilma is suspended for the next season.nthony hargrove, now with the green bay packers will miss the first half of the season. will smith and scott fujita will miss the first two games. >> not a good off-season for my saints. >>> attorneys for a college student who was forgotten in a federal holding cell for four days plans to sue. daniel trong said he thought he was losing his mind. the 23-year-old was never charged with a crime, though. the d.e.a. has apologized. but his lawyer says that's not enough. >>> there's been overwhelming response to facebook's new initiative announced first on "good morning america" this week, to link potential organ donors to people waiting for transplants. in 18 states, there's been a tremendous spike in the number of people signing up to become donors. in california, an average of 70 new organ donors sign up every day. but just hours after facebook's announcement tuesday, more than 1,200 donors had signed up. by early wednesday, there were several thousand more ready to save lives. >>> a new

linebacker jonathan vilma got an unprecedented 16-game suspension. he'll miss all of next season. the others were also suspended. their suggestispensions range f three to eight games. >>> police say a shooter was among the dead. the nbc station in phoenix reports that shooter was border militia leader jason j.t. ready. he made headlines when he launched the militia movement to hunt the did earth for illegal immigrants and drug smusers. police say possible hazardous materials found in the backyard are slowing their investigation. >>> 4:47 right now. george zimmerman's old myspace page is coming back to haunt him. zimmerman's lawyer confirm this is his myspace page from 2005. he used the name joe g. in his profile he discussed leaving his hometown of manassas, virginia. he goes into a slang-filled. this case sparked racial tensions around the world. from people who claim that martin was the victim of racial profiling. zimmerman is currently out of jail on bond. >>> an investigation into the secret service scandal reveals the prostitutes involved did not have e in ties to drug cartel

jonathan vilma is out without pay for the entire 2012 season.hony, scott, and will smith are also suspended for several games. all right, time now to reveal our latest high school game of the week poll. you have one more day to vote. some of your choices, langly at madison, go to d.c..highschoolsports.net to vote. and the nationals, despite being on a five-game skid, get some good news today. stephen strasburg has been voted national league pitcher of the month for april. in five starts, strasburg went 5-0. an nl best 34 strikeouts. giving up just six walks. of course, they're in action tonight against the diamondbacks. caps, rangers, puck drops at 7:30. we'll be back here at 11:00. i'm kristen berset. back to you guy in the studio. >> thank you. topper, more tonight at 7:00? >> the cbs evening news is next. have a great night.

suspensions to players for their roles in the new orleans saints bounty scandal coming down hard on jonathan vilma. he got a season long ban without pay while three other players will miss parts of this upcoming season. vilma responded to his punishment in a statement yesterday saying in part, i am shocked and extremely disappointed by the nfl's decision to suspend me for the 2012 season. commissioner roger goodell has refused to share any of the supposed evidence he claims supports this unprecedented punishment. i never set out to intentionally hurt any player and never enticed any teammate to intentionally hurt another player. >>> let's go to happier sports news in baseball. albert pujols still homerless in the slumping mark with the angels looking for something to get excited about and finally got it last night. jered weaver with an incredible performance against twins. second inning, gets a strikeout. and thomas going down swinging in the third. he had a perfect game going until he gave up a walk in the seventh inning, still a shot at the no hitter. two outs in right. this one -- uh-oh, warnin

saints linebacker jonathan vilma is out for the entire 2012 season. anthony hargrove, who is now a packer s barred from eight games. linebacker scott fujita now with the browns has to sit out three games. and defensive end, will smith, will miss the saints' first four games. >>> eric legrand, the paralyzed rutgers football player just got amazin news. he's going to sign with the tampa bay buccaneers. he got a call on monday from his former coach, greg schiano, now head coach for the bucks. schiano says it's a small gesture to recognize legrand's incredible spirit. legrand says he was shocked when he got the call monday. >> i'm like, thanks, coach, i don't know what to say right now. it's a dream come true for me. i always wanted to go to the nfl. may not be the circumstances i want, but i'm there. >> what a great attitude. legrand says the bucks can't give him any money because of the salary cap. he hopes to eventually become a sportscaster. >>> when we come back, going skin deep. a severely tanned new jersey mother enters a plea in a child endangerme

saints linebacker jonathan vilma is suspended for the whole 20-12 season. offering 10- thousand dollars to any teammate who knocked out quarterbacks brett favre an kurt varner. saints defensive end will smith was hit with a four-game ban. former saints player... defensive lineman anthony hargrove is suspended eight games... and linebacker scott fujita for three. that's a look at sports. your live illinois lottery drawing is next. here are the winning picks three numbers: 5 4 9 here are the winning pick four numbers: 5 8 9 2 the power ball jackpot is $50 million ... it's time to get going. to put more giddy-up in our get-along. it's time to start gellin' with dr. scholl's... ... and mix a little more hop in our hip-hop. with the energizing support and cushioning of dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles ... you'll want to get up and go. [ male announcer ] can febreze set & refresh make even this place smell fresh? [ facilitator ] what do you smell? takes me outdoors. sort of a crisp, fresh feeling. [ facilitator ] go ahead and take your blindfold off. [ laughs ]

i'm not suggesting that jonathan vilma did anything. that is to be determined.ut you a defamation lawsuit in this particular context not going win at all. >> in legal terms isn't the reason why he is doing this is he wants the commissioner to show his hand. he has been suspended and they have not produced any evidence that he was involved. >> ultimately under the collective bargaining agreement the commissioner has to show h his hand. when you shoot at the king you better kill him. yoin he wants to play footballe is going to be playing for the taiwan hawks. the defamation suit, joey is 100% right. he has to show that goodell knew he was wrong and did it anyway. >> that is why the penalty has been to egregious. >> this is a $9 billion industry that is going to go to $20 billion and if they want to grow it the way they want to grow it they have to make it trans parent. to the underbelly of the league that was all these things going, bounties and steroids and all this stuff going on, they have to clean it up. >> judge jeanine: there was a warning shot. they said yo

linebacker jonathan vilma has been suspended for the entire 2012 season for his alleged role in the saintsurportedly doled out cash for taking out other team's star players. now vilma, get this, is suing the nfl commissioner, roger goodell, claiming goodell made false statements that hurt vilma's reputation and hindered his ability to earn a living. joining me, judge gentleman mean pirro, host of "justice." i needed some comedy, so i read vilma -- >> so you called me up? >> gregg: i read the lawsuit. it's true comedy. >> why? why is it a joke. >> gregg: first of all, is it a defense and goodell hired one of the best former top federal prosecutors to conduct a thorough investigation, comes up with documentation that incriminates the team, multiple independent witnesses. you can not possibly win a defamation lawsuit against goodell. >> wow. here is the issue. the issue, because vilma is a public figure, the issue is that goodell, when he issued these statements that are clearly devastate to go vilma's career and to his ability to make money, did he know what's saying was wrong? and was there

jonathan vilma got a 16-game suspension. linebacker scott fujita and smith and hargrove were also suspended. their suspensions range from three to eight games. >>> a federal agent will return to the stand today in the retrial of the seven-time cy young award winner roger clemons. also yesterday, a setback for the prosecution when fellow pitcher andy pettitte admitted he could have misunderwhen he acknowledged using human growth hormone. >>> the nationals' five-game losing streak is history. >> and desmond hits one high in the air to left center field. it is near the track, and that is a game-winning home run! >> very nice. ian desmond erased the gnats' slump with one swing of the bat. his two-run ninth inning homer helped the nationals beat the arizona diamondbacks 5-4 last night. it overshadowed bryce harper's game. >> i didn't realize they had lost five in a row they had been doing so well. the losses didn't register. >> there they go. still in first place in their division and we're excited about it. >> it's the place to

jonathan vilma got an unprecedented 16-game suspension. h'll miss all of next season. three others were also suspended. their suspensions range from three to eight games. >>> a tanning salon where a mother is accused of letting her 5-year-old daughter using a tanning booth says she is not welcome anymore. the 44-year-old pleaded not guilty to child endangerment charge yesterday. she said it's all a misunderstanding. she said she took her daughter to the tanning salon last month. the next day anna got a slight burn while she was playing outside. the owner of the tan salon testified that she comes to the salon at least 20 times a mom. he said employees back up the mom story. they told him anna and her father waited outside while she was inside the room. if convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison and a $150,000 fine. >>> well, have you ever dreamed of an ivy league education? now here's your chance. they're partnering to offer free online college courses. faculties at both schools are developing the curriculum and anyone with access to the internet can take a c

included is jonathan vilma, who was suspended without pay for the entire 2012 season. play for other teams now, will be barred without pay for up to eight games. >>> art buyers listen up. one of the most famous paintings in the world is for sale today. "the scream" will be auctioned at sotheby's here in new york. the presale estimate is, get this, $80 million but it could go much higher. the most expensive painting sold by sotheby's was picasso's green leaves and bust for $106 million two years ago. there's lots of estimates this could smash those records. >> obviously "the scream" series is very famous. i won't be placing a bid. stay with me, mary. tonight's moment you may have missed. it's a candid, somewhat romantic peek at barack obama through the eyes of two ex-girlfriends. one of the women saved his love letters. at one point he wrote there's a certain kind of conservatism which i respect more than liberalism. he was talking about t.s. elliott. after that he dated genevieve cook who kept a diary. she wrote, she didn't think she was the perfect match for barack ob

jonathan vilma. will smith has been suspended for the first four games.spended without pay for eight games. scott fujita suspended without pay for the first three games. hargrove and fujita no longer play with the saints. this is much better off for the new orleans saints compared to what it could have been. in the initial investigation nfl officials said they found anywhere between 22 and 27 players had participated in this program, but the commissioner of the nfl roger goodell said he wanted to focus the player punishment on those people he believed were leaders of the team and were involved at a significant -- in a much more significant level in this pay for performance or bounty program, whichever way you want to call it. but that's what the saints here are facing now, four players, two really that are only left on this team, two have moved on to other teams, but two players essentially that will be punished because of this bounty program, and one of them, vilma, who will be out for the entire season. >> ed lavandera in dallas. thanks so much. suspens

linebacker jonathan vilma was suspended for 16 gachls ames an miss the entire 2013 season.that range from three to eight games. >>> stocks wound up on a flat note today ahead of friday's jobs report. the dow fell 11 points the nasdaq actually up about 9 and the s&p 500 was off about four points. >>> imagine the size of your family swelling from 2 to 8 in a span of four minutes. it happened to a texas couple last week. lauren perkins gave birth to sextuplets. the family journey is one of faith and hope. >> reporter: the world's newest sextuplets belonged to a remarkably calm young houston area couple, lauren and david perkins. >> hey, hey. >> reporter: after what lauren describes as an easy pregnancy the couple became the proud parents of a six-pack -- three boys and three girls born in four minutes by caesarian section. >> my heart was beating like crazy. the first thing i noticed was lauren was shaking like crazy. i did not expect that and didn't know it was perfectly normal. >> reporter: some 35 doctors, nurses, and other specialists at texas children's pavilion for women

linebacker jonathan vilma has been suspended. three other players received lesser suspensions than this. >>> after the sports-related stories, perhaps the capitals' loss early this morning won't seem as bad... not. >> after washington and new york both scored a goal in the second period, the game stayed tied at one and then stayed tied and then stayed tied. it went to a third overtime last night. the rangers marian gaberick finally got one pass to the goalie -- pass by goalie braden holty. >>> the nationals broke their losing streak thanks to bryce harper. the rookie scored in the fourth on a hustle base from second place to the -- base to the plate. he ended the game with a walkoff homer. nats win 5-4. >> love it. >> they are happy. >>> there's a new sign that american auto giants have really bounced back. that story coming up. >>> we'll preview today's sentencing for former d.c. councilman harry thomas. here's monika. >>> in frederick a problem eastbound i-70 near route 144 with debris in the road. here at the american legion b

jonathan vilma is furious about what commissioner roger goodall said and did about him. so he if i'med a defamation of character lawsuit. he is facing a one-year ban from the nfl for the role in the bounty. he allegedly offered a $10,000 bounty to any saints player who knocked down a player in the super bowl. he claims that goodall made false statements tawere harmful to his professional and personal reputation. the numbers are staggering. in hours, facebook hits the world with its ipo. what does it mean for facebook investors? and what does it mean for you, the facebook user? and a sad note, the queen of disco. music fans remembering donna summer. what are your favorite donna summer songs? we will give you a look at her biggest hits, 2 minutes away. [ male announcer ] imagine facing the day with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell yo

set linebacker jonathan vilma who claims that the commissioner made false statements that have damageded start the so-called bounty system. he had offered teammates $10,000 of his own money who injure opposing quarterbacks. john that vilma denies the claims and says there is no evidence against him so far no response from commissioner goodell there are more minority babies being born than little white babies. it's a major change in demographics for the nation. one that had been expected. what does it mean going forward if anything? plus, that so-called good cholesterol? may not be good for you. you just never know anymore, do you? it gets frustrating, doesn't it? i knew it'd be tough on our retirement savings, especially in this economy. but with three kids, being home more really helped. man: so we went to fidelity. we talked about where we were and what we could do. we changed our plan and did something about our economy. now we know where to go for help if things change again. call or come in today to take control of your personal economy. get free one-on-one help from america's ret

new orleans saints linebacker jonathan vilma is suspend for all of next season. hargrove now with the packers will miss the first half of the season. and two other saints will smith and scott fujita will miss the first few games. all of those suspensions are without pay as the bounty scandal continues to widen. >>> police near phoenix are trying to get to the bottom of a shooting rampage that left five people dead, including a toddler. sources say the body of a former neo-nazi was found in the home but it's not clear if jason "j.t." ready was a shooter or the victim. the gunman wearing body armor was among the dead. neighbors in the quiet community are stunned. >> it's devastating. you know, an innocent girl that takes home -- to take an innocent girl's life. that's just ridiculous. i mean, obviously, times and everything are hard, but -- >> the gunman apparently committed suicide. police say it appears to be a case of domestic violence. >>> turning to the john edwards' trial where his oldest daughter left the courtroom in tears during emotionally wrenching testi

jonathan vilma has been suspended for the season. four-game suspension. he pledged money for the bounty program. two others suspended for this. the pr mess continues for the saints. >> i don't think it is over yet. thanks, joe. >>> next hour of cnn newsroom starts right now. good morning to you. i'm carol costello. the gold mine of the most known terrorists. osama bin laden. his plans and fears and 6,000 pages of documents. parts of it hitting the internet. right now, we are combing it through you. >>> zero warning. that is what people are saying about the sudden death of junior seau. >>> and we are in danger. the words of chen guangcheng. now wanting to board the plane to the united states. >>> and mushrooms now being used to treat cancer? "cnn newsroom" starts right now. >>> we begin this hour with a rare and startling look inside the mind of osama bin laden. this morning, the public is getting its first look at documents seized in the raid from the mastermind. the leader desperate to launch another strike on the united states. hun

because it shows the existence of the program, which some of anthony hargrove's former players say jonathan vilmasmith, two other guys who were suspended really say didn't exist and another former player saying the same thing so it's a stark contrast, players versus players really. >> larry, this is will cain. couple weeks ago we had video we played, some audio clips of that locker room incident where gregg williams was saying go after the head, go after the knee of various players on the san francisco 49ers, that was videotaped and we learned later that williams had actually been warned by the nfl several times before that videotape and now we have this story that williams says to hargrove that the nfl has been trying to get him for years. how do you explain this defiance on the part of the new orleans saints coaches towards the nfl? >> it's really curious and kind of started around winning the super bowl. you feel like you're bullet proof and i know throughout this whole process you look at some of the coaches and the way they reacted and the way that the nfl saw them reacting say, sean payton,

anthony hargrove, scott fujita, will smith, and jonathan vilma were all named in the so-called bountygate scandal. players were allegedly offered bonuses for hurting players. the league has already suspended sean payton for the 2012 season. >>> hillary clinton is in china there to talk economic strategy, but the name on everyone's lips is chen. that's chen guangcheng who is now we are told at a hospital in beijing. chen is the blind human rights activist who was convicted and thrown in jail for leading protests against the government. he spent six days under american embassy protection after escaping house arrest. it's not clear if he left the embassy by choice. a friend of the activist said chinese authorities threatened the family. >>> and this is central cairo in egypt today. angry protesters are rioting because a candidate for president is not being allowed to run. demonstrators have camped out in cairo for several days. today was especially violent. at least 11 people killed by rocks and firebombs. >>> newt gingrich officially ending his run for the white house about two hours from n

the harshest penalty going to jonathan vilma who will miss all of next season, pending an appe appealree other players receiving shorter bans. an nfl investigation found that vilma put a $10,000 bounty on two aging quarterbacks, kurt warner and brett favre in the 2009 playoffs. >>> speaking of hard hits, watch your screen. you do not want to miss it. somebody just decided to level a woman who stole a lady's purse and took down a walmart parking lot in port st. lucie, florida. he came out of nowhere into the picture to make the tackle. the suspect had a knife and stabbed him in the neck. >> are you kidding. >> as they scuffled on the ground. then the suspect got away. the next day the victim showed up at the hero's door to say thank you. >> i really appreciate you helping me. not many people would do that. >> i served a tour in iraq. i guess that made things right in my head to help people like that. >> look how great he is after being stabbed the day before. it's incredible. the police say the thief took off in a dodge pickup and is still at large. >>> a college student from san diego