give an official welcome to josh elliott, yesterday was so rushed, josh elliott from the espn newsdesk. >> roll that out for my benefit. i'll tell you. i could be here for decades. and i think we'll be talking about day one. what a remarkable day. good morning to you, george and robin. >>> distressing news in america's heartland. people all along the mississippi river, bracing, now, for the worst flooding in nearly a century. overnight explosions, lighting up the sky. a levee was blown in an effort to divert floodwaters and save the city of cairo, illinois. as a result, however, 130,000 acres of missouri farmland will flood. >>> in arkansas, six boy scouts stranded by flood waters have been rescued. 20 campers had died in floods there last year. >>> and in alabama, the frustrating search resumes for hundreds of people still missing after last week's deadly tornados. 340 missing in the city of tuscaloosa alone. accurate information, very hard to come by, as power remains out in many areas. >>> and gas prices have hit a new springtime record. they're averaging $3.96 per gallon nationwide

chance to talk with her in a bit. >>> and jamie foxx has a new something, something to say about josh elliotte softball team. all right. >> the basketball team, too. i'll be coach. >> we need a point guard. we need a point guard. >> i will be the point guard on bin laden. >>> we're going to switch gears. we go back to jake tapper at the white house. in our last hour, john brennan, the white house counterterrorism adviser, broke that the white house could release new evidence of bin laden's death, as early as today. >> reporter: that's right. a top source tells me that white house officials are involved in a serious discussion right now, about releasing one of the photographs of osama bin laden's corpse today. those arguing against it says it's a gruesome photograph. the people who have seen it, says it's gruesome. he has a bullet wound above his eye. but those arguing in favor of the release point out there are many skeptics. not just in the arab and muslim worlds, but people here in the u.s. people want to see proof. they're discussing that right now. on thursday, president obama will go to

josh elliott is on the ground right now. you've been talking to a lot of the survivors desperately searching for loved ones. >> that's right, george. when we arrived here this morning, a firefighter who had been in katrina said it was like it all over again. you can see why. look at what these people had to live through. as the twister made its way through this city. this is another look at a car that has been effectively reordered. its engine block pancaked and accordioned. there are thousands upon thousands of thexamples of this sort of destruction. the treed stripped of leaves and limbs. this is a tiny look. take a look as the twister began in the west and moved across the frame there. this is the st. john's hospital that was once a gleaming seven-story building. the top two floors have been essentially ripped off. . virtually every window blown in. the stories inside the hospital as the tornado struck are remarkable. it's an amazing thing when you consider what happened here that people were able to live through it. in t

josh elliott goes straight down.sa rycroft in "wipeout," the world's wettest and wackiest obstacle course and that is coming up and there they are live in times square right now. >> that's right, america, right here, in fact, this is the biggest breakout star of the reality tv world and i'm not talking about melissa rycroft. it's the biggest -- does this bring back memories? >> i think you can actually still see the marks where my head hit it. >> all right. you guy, stay tuned. all coming your way in mere moments. >> we'll find out who the real star is. >> just ahead. you break it, you buy it. >> i'm going to rival josh here. we'll go to a truly hair-raising crime. >> oh. >> why so many thiefs are stealing from hair salons this. is turn nothing something serious across the country. people are making big bucks on the black market so we'll get into that but we begin with dramatic testimony from the mother of olympic skater nancy kerrigan. she broke down in tears defending her son facing manslaughter charges in the deat

for other stories, here's josh elliott. >> morning to cynthia and george.begin with the latest blow to a shell-shocked japan. the first major storm of the season, a typhoon raking over the area ravaged by the earthquake and tsunami. workers have sprayed the damaged reactors at the fukushima nuclear plant hoping to keep radiation from escaping into the air. >>> meanwhile, the u.s. is apologizing for an air strike that accidentally killed at least nine women and children in afghanistan. the target? a building that had housed insurgents. president karzai warns that such errors cannot continue. >>> more now, the shocking finish of sunday's indianapolis 500. a rookie driver, within seconds of victory. when everything turned for the worst. >> he's got to get around the lap traffic. >> no! >> no! he hit the wall. >> this is the crash that begat the most stunning finnish the indy 500's century-old history. 23-year-old rookie, j.r. hildebrand was one final left turn from victory when the unthinkable happened. >> he hit the wall. >> as soon as i got up to the high si

josh elliott. hey, josh. >> hey, george and elizabeth.nomy and news about the job market this morning. we learned that the economy added 244,000 jobs in april, the third straight month of solid job gains as more people try to reenter the work force. the unemployment rate did rise slightly to 9%. >>> and also, in economic news, we're bringing down the price of gas. one analyst says a drop of some 20 cents a gallon is possible in some areas over the next week and a half. >>> this morning, al qaeda has confirmed the death of osama bin laden. in a statement on line, they promised revenge, saying america's happiness will turn to sadness. today, the president will visit fort campbell, kentucky, today to meet with the s.e.a.l.s. >>> and evidence obtained at bin laden's compound is showing that al qaeda was considering an attack on the u.s. rail system, on the upcoming tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. this morning, security is being ramped up on all american trains. >>> and we're learning more about bin laden's wives, as well as a secret gr

josh elliott? hey, josh? >> we begin with the economy and news about the job market this morning.ernment is expected to report that the economy add ee eed 175,000 jobs month. >>> and also, in economic news, we're bringing down the price of gas. a drop of some 20 cents a gallon is possible in some areas over the next week and a half. >>> president obama travels to ft. campbell, kentucky, today, to thank the navy s.e.a.l.s and helicopter pilots who helped find and kill osama bin laden. also, the fog is expected to release new details on how they used dna to find him. >>> and they tell us that al qaeda was considering an attack on the u.s. trail system, on the upcoming tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. this morning, security is being ramped up on all american trains. >>> and we're learning more about bin laden's wives, as well as a secret group of neighbors he had. our jim sciutto joins us now, again from pakistan this morning. good morning, jim. >> reporter: good morning, josh. we're getting a sense of just how elaborate the cia operation was. they had a house full of spies, a

a question from josh elliott here in times square.espn, will you have a day job this fall? will we have football? >> i'm optimistic about the football season. i know things don't look good right now, but something will get done before preseason starts and you'll see football. we all want to watch football this year. >> there are millions and millions of people who want to watch some football. >> we want to play. >> chelsea, a video message for you. a good friend who was a finalist too, last season. take a look. >> i'm extremely, extremely proud of you. to me, you're still a winner. you danced your heart out. you had a phenomenal partner and phenomenal run on this show. i love you to death and congratulations. >> kyle massey. >> a question for you guys as well chelsea and mark from mary in muncie, indiana, do you wish you could keep any of your costumes? if so, which ones? >> i may have stolen some of my pants, but though american pants -- >> i stole my wizard hat. >> you have a question for maks? >> yes, maks. my name is mary and this

and abc's josh elliott spent the day in this devastated community, with the first responders searching for survivors. >> reporter: last night, just before dinner, the town of joplin, missouri, was hit with this. what we now know to be the deadliest u.s. tornado since 1953. >> monster tornado. >> reporter: some residents were given up to 24 minutes warning. >> get the sirens going. i'm telling you. >> reporter: with the tornado traveling nearly 200 miles an hour, not nearly enough time. >> tornado's right over here. >> look at all the debris. >> be careful. oh, gosh. look at the telephone pole. >> i know. >> oh, my gosh. [ screaming ] >> reporter: at this convenance store, you can hear children screaming for their mothers and utter chaos as the tornado hits. [ screaming ] >> reporter: the tornado covered a swath one mile by four miles wide. >> oh, i got lightning. >> there's the tornado right there in front of us. >> reporter: at st. john's hospital, they declared a condition gray. patients, relatives and staff instructed to leave their rooms to take cover in protected areas. later, gur

josh elliott. >> longest week of my life. >> you've only just begun. you saw josh with jamie foxx.ay, we're going to take you up close and personal with josh. ♪ >> i was born in los angeles. i was actually adopted. one thing i could do very, very well, apparently, was eat. i was an enormous baby. >> it's true. he was like an inflated basketball. the first time i saw him, i was, like, whoa. >> i wasn't speaking at all. i'm sure they thought they may have grabbed the lemon off the lot. >> he isn't a person who would try anything until he can do it well. the day he started talking, he just talked. >> apparently walked out of my room one day, asking for my tea and crumpets. and away we went. >> reporter: away he did go, from a chubby baby to an inquisitive kid. he was a jock that played everything, even water polo in college. but josh was just as passionate about writing as he was about sports. >> i think his agenda was to get a job at "sports illustrated." >> reporter: and he did. where writing may have been where he got his start, television wasn't a stretch. >> josh couldn't pass a

sam champion and josh elliott will have the first images after daybreak. >>> tense moments overnight, a u.s.-bound flight made an emergency landing. at israel's main airport. the el al flight was supposed to fly to newark, with 270 people on board. a problem with the left wheel forced the plane to turn back. most of the fuel was dumped before landing. no injuries were reported. >>> above iceland, an ash plume from an erupting volcano is expected to impact airports for several days. fears are that it could affect travel across northern europe. the main airport in iceland is closed until later today, at least. so far, only about 40 international flights have been canceled. >>> the volcanic ash did not affect air force one as it carried the president and his wife on their european trip. the first stop is in ireland. mr. obama is making a sent mental trip to monemoneygal. they visited this tiny village that was home to his great, great grand father on his mother's side. >>> the republican race for president has undergone major reshuffle. former minnesota governor tim pawlenty released a v

this is a perfect ratio. >> bottom line from josh elliott.ial fibrillation, or afib, that's not caused by a heart valve problem. today we have pradaxa to reduce the risk of a stroke caused by a clot. in a clinical trial, pradaxa 150 mg reduced stroke risk 35% more than warfarin. and with pradaxa, there's no need for those regular blood tests. pradaxa is progress. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding, and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have kidney problems or a bleeding condition, like stomach ulcers. or if you take aspirin products, nsaids, or blood thinners. tell your doctor about all medicines you take, any planned medical or dental procedures, and don't stop taking pradaxa without your doctor's approval, as stopping may increase your stroke risk. other side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning. if you have afib not caused by a heart val

we want to go to josh elliott, our new news anchor. celebrations all across the country as the news came in. right there where you are, right now, times square. >> what a remarkable day to begin. i stayed at a hotel across the street from our studio, what a surreal night to witness. news of osama bin laden's death did break. hundreds and hundreds poured into the street. 51 floors above these streets, their reaction was deafening. ♪ good-bye >> reporter: nearly ten years ago, firemen on the trucks roared threw times square. last night, they came back, to celebrate with their fellow new yorkers. >> for the nation and the world, a tyrant is killed. again, one bat until the war. this war is not over. >> reporter: it was nearly midnight when the news broke. across the country, people felt compelled to leave their homes and flood into the streets, cheering and singing. outside the white house, crowds materialized in minutes. >> this is everybody coming together for america. it's incredible. [ chanting ] >> all: usa, usa, usa! >> reporter: in

now, george, let's head back to joplin where rescue crews are working in rain and strong winds, josh elliottporter: good morning to you, robin and to you, george. you mentioned that weather that was so brutal through the day and into the night last night. however, you can see a rare break in the weather. oh, this is a snapshot of the utter destruction of joplin, missouri, today. you can see behind me there are some homes still in tact on the ridgeline, but for miles in any direction now, it is an absolute wasteland. this is what we can tell you, the rescue teams found 17 people in the wreckage of this town. two responders last night were struck by lightning, one had to be hospitalized. it was especially painful as many of the responders are home-state missourians, looking for their brothers and sisters. robin, it is a grisly outbreak. but a rare break in the weather. >> yes, it is. the sky isn't too promising behind you. >> we heard the incredible story of bailey. and david muir joins us with more. hey, david. >> reporter: as you know we spent the last 24 hours here retracing the path. you s

now to josh elliott with stories developing right now. breaking news? >> rob and george good morning. and to you. the breaking news, one of the world's most wanted fugitives is under arrest. he command the serbian army during the 1990s, he oversaw the slaughter of more than 8,000 men and boys in one massacre alone. serbian tv reports that he was taken into custody today after more than 15 years on the run. >>> the other breaking story this morning, the u.s. state department has ordered all nonessential personnel to leave yemen, a key u.s. ally. more than 100 people died in the last four days of political unrest in the country. yemen's leader refused to step down. >>> back in this country, there won't be a voucher system for medicare any time soon. the senate has rejected a controversial republican budget plan, five republicans in fact crossed the aisle to vote no. >>> and do you need a vacation? apparently a whole lot of us do. check this out, americans wasted $67 billion in unused vacation days last year. according to a new survey. average worker got 1

josh elliott spent the day with rescue crews. >> just a whopper of a twister here. damage. >> reporter: doug westhoff worked search-and-rescue for over three decades including september 11th and hurricane katrina. but the killer tornado still took his breath away. his missouri task force one was in joplin just hours after the devastating twister struck. >> when you have widespread damage like this you really have to prioritize where are these people likely at, how many might be in certain areas. >> reporter: doug and his team of 80, many of whom are volunteers, spent most of the day scouring stores like this walmart for survivors. they found no one alive inside and continued searching in the parking lot among the mangled mess of cars. search-and-rescue worker aaron venable and her dog pick have been on the job now roughly 20 hours. how much longer will your team be at it? >> you know we will be at it until they tell us they don't need us anymore and until every single person is accounted for. >> reporter: across the street at home depot, rescue workers did find eigh

. >>> let's turn to josh elliott for other stories. >> good morning. another bombshell accusation against cycling star lance armstrong. a second teammate has accused him of using performance-enhancing drugs. this time it's tyler hamilton who also admits to doping. he tells "60 minutes" he saw armstrong use the blood-boosting drug epo during and before various tour de frances. he tweeted this "20 plus year career, never a failed test, i rest my case." >>> could be a tense meeting at the white house today between president obama and israeli's prime minister benjamin netanyahu. thursday president obama called on israel to give up land it gained in the 1967 six-day war to make peace with the palestinians. netanyahu called the idea indefensible. >>> a wild ride for a suspected shoplifter in south carolina. he attacked an officer as you can see here who pulled him over then actually jumped behind the wheel of the cruiser and he was off. he hit up to 120 miles an hour, yeah, before slamming there into a landscaping truck. he did survive the crash. he will als

. >>> and josh elliott is here. we're going to turn to news back home. one of the stories, the floods. >> disaster in america's heartland. president obama has declared an emergency this morning in parts of kentucky, tennessee and mississippi. bracing for what could be record flooding. thousands of people are heading to higher ground, though floodwaters have made roads impassable. part of i-40, connecting little rock to memphis was closed. and crops are under water in kentucky. sam has the complete forecast in just a moment. >>> and look at this. the army corps of engineers blowing more sections of levee along the swelling mississippi river in missouri and illinois, hoping to ease flooding upstream. and so save more homes. the resulting dust clouds can be seen for miles. >>> and a big development from japan this morning. we're getting these new images from inside that nuclear reactor building at the fukushima plant. you can see the camera there mounted on a robot. workers just entered the building for the first time since the tsunami crippled the plant ba

say good morning to josh elliott. >> good morning. that's cool. >> isn't it? >> that's just terrific. welcome back to you. good to see you, george. and good morning to all of you. moammar gadhafi is signaling that he is ready for a truce. but rebels have already rejected his offer. after meeting with gadhafi, the president of south africa, acting as a go-between, says the libyan leader is willing to accept a cease-fire. but gadhafi is not saying whether he will step down, a key demand of the opposition. >>> and afghan president, hamid karzai, says he will no longer allow u.s. air strikes on homes. it's his strongest statement yet against the strikes that are critical to the war on insurgents. there's growing anger since a weekend air strike killed a group of women and children. >>> and new signs that the economy is growing more slowly than economists forecast, mainly due to the struggling housing market. numbers out today are expected to show that home prices have hit the lowest level since the housing crash began. and the number of people who own a home is fa

. >>> going to turn to josh elliott with other stories develop right now. >> good morning. things escalating this morning in libya. nato war planes bombed several targets overnight in the capital of tripoli. the heaviest bombing in weeks. several government buildings were hit in the attacks. >>> meanwhile, president obama visits the u.s./mexico border today to renew his push for new immigration laws. border agents in arizona, meanwhile, just uncovered this smuggling tunnel. take a look. complete with electricity, running water and ventilation. eight such tunnels have been found since october. >>> in business news microsoft is buying skype and for big money. $8.5 billion. biggest deal in microsoft's history. >>> and ten days after their fairy tale wedding, prince william and his bride have left for their honeymoon. the royal twosome somehow managed to dodge reporters. how that could happen, i don't know. they slipped out of the country unnoticed, if you're buying that. word is, they jetted off to the seychelles where they will have an island all to themselves. the seychelles

. >>> josh, elliott with the news. everybody is on high alert after the mission against bin laden. >> a trio of scary incidents over the weekend. good morning, everyone. many air travelers on edge after three separate security scares in one day. all in mid flight. last night, a man carrying a passport from yemen tried to enter the cockpit of an american airlines flight bound for san francisco. passengers and the crew restrained him. earlier in the day, a continental flight from chicago was diverted after a screaming passenger with tried to open the plane's door. and a flight from albuquerque landed because of a note found in the bathroom. >>> a new study on autism found that the disease may be more prevalent than we think. reer is eveners in south korea found that the rate is 1 in 38, more than twice previously reported. it shows how many autistic children may be going undiagnosed. >>> and this morning, apple is in, google is out, at least when it comes to brand value. apple has now pushed google out of the number one

. >>> let's bring in josh elliott after his weekend. >> good morning to you. for the first time since the secret raid that kill ed osama bin laden laden, a u.s. senator, john kerry, has arrived in pakistan this morning, with a list of demands. he's confronting pakistan about their failure collectively to find bin laden. nick schifrin joins us from islamabad. >> reporter: john kerry is here to try to convince the pakistanis just how angry the u.s. is right now. he's looking for cooperation. cooperation from the pakistanis on fighting the taliban and arresting senior taliban members believed to be living here in pakistan. but today, the pakistanis are in no mood to cooperate. the u.s. is desperate for access to what it left behind in bin laden's compound, including books and documents. the pakistanis refused. the u.s. has asked to question bin laden's wives again, the pakistanis refused. and pakistanis are doubtful of everything the u.s. says right now, including finding a stash of pornography in bin laden's bedroom. >> nobody believes it. >> reporter: the u.s.

. >>> we turn to josh elliott for the other stories developing this morning. >> good morning, to all of you. the flooded mississippi river, rolling south, now. the economic toll, meanwhile, is becoming clear, as oil prices could surge higher because of damage to refineries. while farmers in arkansas, the top rice-producing state in the country, are expecting $500 million in losses. and 15 of mississippi's 19 riverside casinos, employing thousands, are flooded. this historic flood, though, hardly over as people downstream from memphis are bracing for the worst, with the river not expected to crest until may 24th in new orleans. our sam champion is back with us this morning. but steve osunsami remains in the middle of it all. good morning, steve. >> reporter: good morning, josh. as the mississippi continues to crest, in communities all along the river, the water is expected to remain, for some time. and that is a huge problem. this water is absolutely filthy. filled with garbage, sewage, runoff from farmland upstream. and officials here are sounding a health alarm, telling residents no

. >>> let's turn to josh elliott, for other stories. >> good morning.gin with secretary of state hillary clinton, who is traveling to pakistan, hoping to improve u.s. relations with that country which have been tense after the raid that killed osama bin laden. the u.s. is demanding that pakistan intensify its fight toward al qaeda. to that end, perhaps, pakistan granted the cia access to bin laden's compound today. forensics teams will scour the inside of walls and floors for any evidence. thursday, meanwhile, the deadliest day for u.s. troops since bin laden's death. eight died in two explosions in kandahar province. the taliban has taken credit. >>> in france this morning, president obama signed an extension of the u.s. patriot act. he used a device called an auto pen because the bill had to be signed before midnight washington time. >>> in medical news, researchers say good cholesterol may not be as good as we thought. the government has stopped a major study after realizing that giving patients the cholesterol drug niacin to raise their hdl or good

. >>> now, for some other stories developing right now, let's get over to josh elliott. good morning, josh. >> good morning, robin. we begin with big oil which will keep getting its big tax break, at least for now. the senate rejecting a plan by democrats that would repeal tax advantages worth some $2 billion a year to oil companies. republicans argue that its passage would have pushed gas prices even higher. >>> meanwhile, new information is emerging this morning, highlighting that growing lack of trust between the u.s. and pakistan. the cia reportedly flew new, stealth drones into pakistan for months before the may 2nd raid on osama bin laden's compound. "the washington post" says the unmanned planes went undetected while capturing satellite images and eavesdropping on the compound. >>> and queen elizabeth kicked off day two of her historic visit to ireland with a red carpet tour of the guinness storehouse learning the six steps of pouring the perfect pint. but there's more stops ahead. miguel marquez is in dublin with the latest. good morning, miguel. >> reporter: good

. >>> for some other stories developing right now, let's get over to josh elliott. >> good morning, robin. we begin with more trouble brewing, now, in pakistan overnight. pakistani forces opened fire on a u.s. helicopter along the afghan border. the u.s. chopper returned fire. a pakistani soldier was killed in the process. u.s. forces were in the region protecting a base. and the u.s. does deny that the chopper ever crossed into pakistan. >>> meanwhile, also breaking this morning, libya's oil minister has defected to tunisia. it follows more nato air strikes overnight, targeting more government buildings. we'll have more news on this as it becomes available. >>> meanwhile, engineers have opened four more floodgates along the swollen mississippi river. 2500 homes in rural louisiana will flood as a result. and animals are joining the people in evacuating, including the deer. you can see there running for higher ground. >>> there's encouraging economic news. oil refineries downstream will not be affected. so, analysts say that gas prices could drop as much as 55 cents per gallon by memorial