. >> reporter: that book was about john newtown, a british slave trader in the 1700s.a, newtown was himself held captive in west africa. at after his escape, he almost died at sea. >> he lived through a hurricane on a sailing vessel, and it was during this dark night that he finally cries out and says "god, have mercy." that was the beginning of agr great journey. >> reporter: a journey that ledd to a conversion. newtown became an abolitionist and wrote one of the mostt beloved hymns of all time. ♪ amazing grace ♪ ♪ how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me ♪ i once was lost but now i'm found ♪ >> to hear the president of the united states sing that song, it just really validated for me that this was our time, that this was meant to be. ♪ i once was lost ♪ >> "amazing grace" is one of the only things we can agree on as a culture. it crosses age boundaries. t it crosses time itself. t and this man's story was the root of it.>> >> reporter: the story of a complicated man who gave the world a simple gift. ♪ now i see ♪ >> reporter: michelle miller cbs news, new york

. >> newtown really affected the president. things don't ever change. i saw a headline you know shock, suffer repeat. we go through this over and over. nothing really changes. >> a predictable and tragic rhythm to the events. you can predict where we are going every hour after a story like. this i saw someone on twitter who said fill in the blanks. where it happened and how many died or injured. the president was speaking to the bbc. british news outlet. speaking to outside observers of the united states. so many outside observers look at the u.s. and shake their heads and why they have a unique history with the guns. you hear the president be more reflective in that interview. maybe because he is speaking to an international outlet. >> if you are just tuning in the 58-year-old man, shooter is dead. many people are ifn serious condition. seven wounded. two dead. this happened in a movie theater. a sanctuary. a place of entertainment. not like a church. a place where people are really helpless when you think about it. >> it is like a church in one way. s

newtown shooting five days. i don't know this is outside of the bounds of the date but the conversation in the country was different. >> you don't want to talk away from the fact it is happening four marines are dead and one sailor is dead. the majority leader and the house speaker called for this. reaction on twitter if i were to give a general reaction from twitter it is about time. >> sorry josh ernest couldn't answer yesterday at the white house briefing what the president intended to do with the flags. clearly to andrea's point they were pushed into this and this is where you have the open question about where the president's heart lies when it comes to combatting terror and vets and things mostly middle americans care about. they seem ready to throw the country under the bus but when it comes to things he can rally and unify the nation around he takes the decisive road and that is bothersome from a guy that could have helped heal wounds. >> i think he is a smart guy and i think this is passive aggressive.

only the action cam was there at the district justice in newtown square as the five women were brought in to appear about the judge. police arrested two men accused of driving the women to a hotel to sell sex. all five face prostitution charges. >>> federal versions have only begun to scratch the surface of the marines in chattanooga tennessee. >> right now the gunman looks like it acted alone police say was not on the terror list or the radar for terror. let's go live to chattanooga. >> reporter: a deadly rampage in chattanooga, tennessee two targets, the navel reserve center and this armed forces recruiting center. authorities trying to figure out if there were any ties between the gunman and terror groups. prayers are going on across chattanooga as the community and investigators try to figure out what made this man go on a deadly shooting spree. >> chattanooga is a great city with a broken heart. >> reporter: the terror started at 10:45 a.m. yesterday morning. >> he lifted his arms up with a big, black gun, it was unshot and then endless shots. >> reporter: the suspected gunman ide

people in a late night prostitution sting only "action news" was there at the district justice at newtown square as they were brought in to face the judge. they arrested two men saying they knowingly drove the woman to the hotel for the act. all five people are facing prostitution charges. >>> developing this morning the fbi is investigating the deadly attack of two military sites in tennessee as terrorism. the gunman has been identified as mowmed -- mohammand youssef abdulazeez, a kuwait born citizen. he opened fire on two separate sites in chattanooga. the fbi said there was no indication that anyone other than the gunman was involved. "good morning america" will have more on the deadly shooting spree in chattanooga after "action news." >> police are trying to figure out who murdered a west philadelphia graduate of drexel university in her apartment jasmine wright was discovered yesterday. wright's father called the property manager because he had not heard from his daughter. his daughter was beaten and strangled and left there for up to 24 hours. >> hillary clinton is saying no thanks

may be the same man responsible for cvs robberies in wilmington delaware and pennsylvania, abington newtown and aston. police are still working to confirm whether or not these are linked. >> as he is walking in, his head is down, and avoiding the camera at entry and he made mention of turning off the camera that is in the office. so he was aware of the camera being in the office area where the safe was. he had with him a black backpack where the proceed were put into for the the robbery and he did brandish a semiautomatic handgun during this robbery. i would consider him armed and dangerous. if you see him contact your local authorities. do not approach him, all right. if you see something similar to what you have seen in this video that we have released please contact the me, or your local police department. >> reporter: police say sometimes robber works alone other times he has an accomplice. police say robberies happen at the same time of the day. at this point the man has not been identified but police are hoping you can help with that. you heard the police detective say if you have any

on newtown avenue. a viewer sent video to us from the scene. officials say the house was vacant forcing crews to break in through windows and doors to fight the fire. one firefighter was treated for heat. >>> a fire investigation underway in delaware county. the action cam was on the 300 block of broomal street in chester where a fire started at 3:00 a.m. happened at a two story twin house. one home was occupied, the other vacant. fortunately nobody was hurt. >> turning to the accuweather forecast, a slightly more humid start to the workweek. let's step outside the sky6 hd camera placed at temple university looking back at city hall. it will feel sticky out there today. the skies will remain clear for the most part. meeks karen -- meteorologist karen rogers is in for david murphy. >> reporter: i could use a portable fan but it's probably not in the budget. it's 85 degrees in philadelphia. warming up. 87, 8 is in richmond. the humidity has dropped a little bit it dropped to 62. 70 in washington, 66 in pittsburgh. it feels humid when you factor i

since the devastating newtown massacre that killed 20 children and 6 adults eight states have passeds requiring background checks. there have been a total of 242 new firearm state laws passed in last two years. of the laws 99 tighten gun restrictions. 88 of the laws actually expand the rights of gun owners. louisiana ranks fifth for the weakest gun laws in the country. tonight this louisiana community recently named one of the five happiest places in america remembering its victims. mayci breaux 21 years old, studying to become a radiology technician. >> studied to begin radiology school here at lafayette general. it hrtsurts for our staff. >> 33-year-old mother and musician jillian johnson. her husband posting she was the love of my life and i will miss her always. of the nine injured tonight, five remain in the hospital. for "nightline," tom llamas in lafayette, louisiana. >> our thanks to tom llamas. >> abc news will continue to cover the story. >>> next with a pro surfer in search of the world's most perfect wave. plus new bad blood for taylor swift. nicki minaj addresses their v

representative gabrielle giffords and the 2012 rampage in newtown, connecticut, where 20 children and six adults were murdered. but ultimately, the president's proposals failed in the u.s. senate. yesterday, in an interview with the b.b.c. just hours before the lafayette shooting, the president said he intended to keep pushing for gun control. >> if you ask me where the one area where i feel i've been the most frustrated and most stymied, it is the fact that the united states of america is the one advanced nation on earth in which we do not have sufficient common-sense, gun-safety laws. even in the face of repeated mass killings. >> reporter: today's calls for a reform of the nation's gun laws come amid the ongoing sentencing phase in the trial of james holmes, who killed 12 people and injured over 70 in a shooting rampage at a movie theater in aurora, colorado back in 2012. for the pbs newshour, i'm william brangham. >> woodruff: mass shootings make up a small fraction of overall gun violence in the country, but the f.b.i. counted more than 170 cases of mass killings between 2006 and

police brought the suspects to district court in newtown square to appear before a judge late last night. law men say three women offered sex to an undercover law enforcement official in exchange for money. they say they arrested two men as well saying that they knowingly drove the women to a hotel for the sex. all five are facing prostitution charges tonight. >>> law men in upper merion and tredyffrin townships are trying to close in on a band of pick pockets who have been having their way with unsuspecting victims. live at upper merion police tonight "action news" reporter chad pradelli. chad, what's the story here? >> reporter: jim police here say this pickpocket gang has been hitting with increasing frequency and since january, they're suspected in 20 crimes. this is surveillance video of an attempted theft inside wegmans earlier this month. police say one suspect questions the target about meat loaf. they're at the bottom right of the screen. the second suspect is casually looking at groceries at the far left. soon he gets a signal and goes in but as he goes to grab the wallet out o

. >> reporter: across america dozens of mass shootings since the newtown elementary school massacre in 2012. at a church, a school, a military recruiting center. just hours before last night's shooting president obama told the bbc that the failure to pass tougher gun safety laws has been the greatest frustration of his presidency. >> if you look at the number of americans killed since 9/11 by terrorism, it's less than 100. if you look at the number that have been killed by gun violence, it's in the tens of thousands. >> reporter: but a pew research poll shows more americans now support gun rights than gun control. the louisiana killer john houser not only had a gun but a history of mental illness. court documents show houser's family tried to get him treated for bipolar disorder, committing him to a hospital against his will in 2008 as a danger to himself and others. but that was only a temporary solution. >> you have individuals who aren't getting the treatment they need. you're having individuals fall through the system, fall through the cracks. >> reporter: now john houser joins a l

. >> reporter: the crime is the fourth cvs robbery in recent weeks from newtown bucks county, to delaware. this guy is wanted for a robbery in wilmington two weeks ago. he looks similar to the suspect in sunday's case and these are images of two suspects who robbed a cvs in aston. in that case the employees were tied up before the thieves made off with an undisclosed amount of cash. >> i've been contacting these various agencies and i'm trying to determine if there is a connection between these other robberies. >> reporter: in burlington new jersey, chads pradelli, channel6 "action news"." >> thick black smoke billowing from a septa manhole trade drivers in west philadelphia this morning. chopper 6hd was over the scene at 34th and girard. police blocked the intersection as septa engineers tried to determine the source of the problem. the off ramp from i-76 was temporarily closed. eventually the smoke subsided and septa still hasn't said what caused the smoke in the first place. >>> pennsylvania senator bob casey is pushing to expand a program that provides nutritious meals to children in

our technology we can tell you exactly where these storms are hitting and where they're going so in newtownod hill by 5:04, yardley at this point looks like 5:11. looking at some of the storms further to the south they've lost a little bit of their punch but feasterville at 4:55 langhorne at 5:07. be careful as you're headed out. this is what you can expect. i want to take that off right now just to give you a sense of where these storms are that are creating so much damage. we're looking at 70 lightning strikes just within the area. 15 minutes ago we were talking about 140 lightning strikes. , see that's comedown a little as these storms are moving to the northeast. in the city itself you're getting some of these storms but the heaviest is up near willow grove just passing lansdale headed near doylestown. we'll take one more wider look. this isn't the only storm through the day. that's the problem. we're looking at these storms continuing at any point with these downpours but i think what we're looking at right now is the most active period. a new storm beginning near woodstown in gloucest

then abington montgomery township newtown borough aston on saturday and sunday burlington, new jersey. >> these individuals or this individual that if they are not id pod and arrested this pattern of conduct will purchase sift until they are. >> surveillance photos show a similar looking man wearing the same black hat always showing silver handgun entering the stores as they're opening or closing. once he's seen within a accomplice the suspect is described as a black man in his 20s with medium build and goatee. and tonight police are still working to see if all of these robberies are related. a source close to the investigation tells me it's possible the suspect may have been worked at a cvs store in the past because of his inner knowledge of the store and its layout. if you none with information call police. i'm diana rocky cbs3 "eyewitness news". >> diana thank in other news a florida man is in police custody for allegedly taking a video of aa's skirt in burlington county wal*mart. 44-year-old see annie verona facingfacingfacing invasion of private charges. if you recognize this man

. >> paul whose 26 and lives in newtown square with his mom and dad is autistic. >> paul is amazeing.his will make me cry. so he was diagnosed at about two years old. >> he also has some related issues with anxiety and impulse control and works closely with therapists at the talk institute and school. >> people look me do not have cognitive issues. just because we cannot communicate like typical people does not mean that we have a lower iq. >> until he learned to type when he was 14, paul was trapped with a mindful of ideas and feelings, a personality that he couldn't express. >> through typing, we were able to get to know paul for the first time really. >> but the typing is slow so paul is hoping the at&t connect ability challenge will come up with new technologies that allows him to communicate quicker. innovations from around the world are being submitted. not just to help possible with communication disorders. the new technology could help people with a variety of disabilityies. a few examples for the blind there's an indoor navigation device. >> restroom 35 feet ahead. >> for peo

and this was right after the newtown shootings.d she researched and found occupant that there was a little -- out that there was a little girl whose family had set up a charity for the arts, which was fitting. and then she said, mommy, do you think my of the kids who passed away that day loved animals? because she loves animal. and lo and behold, we found out that another charity was being set up to build an animal sanctuary in newtown. so my daughter gave this piano recital and raised $10,000 for them. and so we took this horrible tragedy. i have to tell you, it was my proudest moment as a parent be, watching this recital, because those families came to the recital and watched my daughter play the piano and now she serves on the children's advisory board for that animal sanctuary. so she is learning firsthand about -- [applause] what it means to give back. [applause] >> that was great. we have time for one last question. we'll come right back here. >> dear gretchen, thank you so very much for what you're doing. the way i see it fr

and we know it was lowered for newtown, boston, and other events. so why not this one? think that is exactly right. we have a president who is only interested in tragedy when it suits his political purpose. within 24 hours after charleston he was talking about gun control. of course the flag should be at half mass but why isn't he talking about the threat of radical islam? david cameron give a powerful speech the prime minister over the united kingdom, gave a speech talking about the danger of radical islam, and the evil we face. our president still trying to lead from behind. he may be the last leader in the free world that doesn't recognize this threat. i think it is not politically correct. he needs to say islam has a problem and that is radical islam. >> we will talk later about the comments made by david cameron so i am glad you brought that up. in terms of the issue and what happened in chattanooga we are watching the chairman here reviewing mark nilly who suggested he would be in favor of arming military members some perhaps, at the recruiting centers. what do yo

police say these men are behind cvv robberies in abington and newtown as well. >>> delaware state policeope newly released surveillance photos lead them to the man who shot worker at a wilmington ton gag station on friday on newport pike. police say this guy pulled a gun on the worker demanded money then shot the employee in the stomach. investigators say the shooter got away in this darker colored suv. the gas station employee was taken to the hospital but he is expected to be okay. >> crowds of people stood in the blazing georgia sun for hours today to pay respects to a young marine killed in a shooting rampage they waived american flags and saluted outside the church where they celebrated the life of lance corporal skip wells. ♪ >> friends family and fellow service members filled woodstock baptist church in wells hometown near atlanta this afternoon. he is one of four marines who died when gunman stormed a pair of military facilities. u.s. sailor also died. a friend described wells as a young man who loved sports, video games and marching bands. fellow marine called him a hero. >> his

when the newtown shooting happens. there is official type of response to these types of tragedies it really, it leaves a very, very sad feeling for the entire community to know that so many communities have experienced this before. and they can advise each other on these types of crises. >> seems like to be familiar experience. >> exactly. maria: where you have that kind of -- we want to take to you fox news's kyle rothenburg. he is on the ground in lafayette right now. kyle, what can you tell us about the scene this morning? >> reporter: good morning, maria. it looks dark behind me and looks quiet but it was anything but that according to witnesses and police. around 7:00, three people are dead tonight. one of them is the gunman. nine people are injured. this gunman allegedly a 58-year-old white male according to authorities here was sitting in the back of the theater, started opening fire with a semiautomatic handgun in his hand and took a bullet to himself and killed himself according to police. nine people injured

only "action news" was there at the district justice in newtown square. police say three women offered sex to law enforcement in exchange for money. police arrested two men accused of driving the women to the hotel all five are facing prostitution charges. >> federal investigators have only begun to scratch the surface in the murder of the marines in tennessee. >> right now law enfor theforcement that the gunman acted alone. >> reporter: a community and investigators try to figure out what made this man go on a deadly shooting spree. >> chattanooga is a great city with a broken heart. >> reporter: terror started at 10:45 thursday morning. >> he pulled up and next thing he lifted up his arms like this with a big black gun, it was one shot and then endless shots. >> reporter: the suspected gunman identified as mohammand youssef abdulazeez armed with numerous weapons fired at the glass doors of this armed forces recruitment center in a strip mall injuring one marine. in this rented silver convertible, the gunman race the seven miles down the street where he

i-95 seeing heavy downpours it's a slow go from langhorne to newtown, east into central portions of new jersey. we have lightens strikes reported, you can see it pushing off to the northeast middlesex and he is -- he essex county, new jersey. accuweather feels this should push on by to the southeast. but it could clip new castle and kent counties in delaware and get as far north as the delaware bay region. once it pushes through it's a combination of sun and clouds. it will be hot and sticky, the temperature, 90 degrees, it will feel like 95 or 96. there's a late-day shower or thunderstorm redeveloping with the heating. we have a heat advisory sunday from noon to 6:00 p.m. temperatures range from 100 to 105 up and down the i-95 corridor. i'll talk about that? just a few minutes and when there's relief in the forecast and possibly cooler numbers by week's end. >> breaking news, we have learned that a sailor who was injured at a shooting at a military installation in chattanooga, tennessee has died. randall smith was married with three young daughters who are not yet school age. we are le

. >> reporter: across america, dozens of mass shootings since the newtown massacre in 2012, at a churchhool a military recruiting center. president obama told the bbc, the failure to pass tougher gun safety laws has been the greatest frustration of his presidency. >> if you look at the number of americans killed since 9/11, it's less than 100. if you look at the number that have been killed by gun violence, it's in the tens of thousands. >> reporter: a few polls show more americans support gun rights than gun control. the louisiana killer, john houser not only had a gun, but history of mental illness. the family tryied to get him treated for bipolar committing him in a hospital as a danger to himself and others. that was a temporary solution. >> you have individuals who aren't getting the treatment they need. you have individuals fall through the system, fall through the cracks. >> reporter: now, john houser joins a lineup of mass shooters with mental illness that wasn't treated. >>> this morning an australia man says he was forced by isis to work as a nurse made his first court appeara

we have seen time and again in everyone in newtown, charleston lafayette.executive action. dylann roof was able to get a gun. they say it happened not because of a loophole but fbi mistake. which is it? >> if that loophole were closed and licensed gun dealers were required to wait for all of the background checks to be approved that sale probably never would have proceeded. so the loophole does matter. on the other hand the idea that guns should be sold to people who have histories of involuntary commitments or other kinds of serious mental health issues i think ought to be seriously examined and there's a need for much more mental health services. resources devoted to programs that provide those kinds of help professional help in communities, identify people who may be dangerous to themselves or others and equally important, domestic violence situations. women are five times more likely to die if there is a gun in the house. extend the protections under permanent protective orders to temporary protective order situations another current loophole. the survi

the newtown massacre, sandy hook massacre in december of 2013 took place on my daughter's sixth birthdaye news happened to break when there were 20 kids, and uncanny coincidence in my house, celebrating my daughter's birthday, the same age of the kids who are massacre that day. president obama said he would move heaven and earth. he didn't quite use those terms, but to use this tragedy for positive affect my to get some background check system for gun violence. and failed. the bipartisan bill, a very modest bill, a modest reform. nothing like the assault gun ban. and it failed. i don't think anybody believed the president will be able to use the charleston tragedy to move the needle in congress for gun control. whatever the majesty of the presidency, the national rifle association has greater sway on capitol hill. including over many democrats. than the president at his full majesty. that is why i put the limits and the majesty on display last week. we should be aware of both. charlie: i suspect regrets not being able to do something about gun control as much as any singular issue he has

and then there is newtown connecticut, 20 schoolchildren's lives cut short in 2012. obama says the greatest frustration of his presidency is not getting gun control legislation through congress. >> we do not have sufficient common sense, gun safety laws. even in the face of repeated mass killings. >> reporter: experts say while most mass shootings are domestic violence cases, the number of high profile shootings in public is going up. whether the killer's focus is to harm as many people as possible or for media attention. brandi hitt, abc 7 news los angeles. >>> stay with abc 7 for continue continuing coverage of the louisiana theater shooting. >>> the family of kate steinle is headed back to the bay area today after meeting with east bay congressman. mr. steinle testified on capitol hill several times this week calling for tougher immigration laws. there has been controversy over a new republican bill to punish sanctuary cities like san francisco by pulling federal funding for various programs. democrats have been supportive of steinle's call for change but believe

authorities say 63-year-old man of bensalem and 53-year-old man of newtown pleaded guilty to theft by unlawful taking. they admitted to police they falsified time sheets to collect emergency overtime pay. both men were sentenced to one year in jail. >>> $500,000 a year. that's how much septa is paying a company who built the now failed papal pass website. website was built to sell special transit passes for the pope francis' september visit. but the site crashed on monday and it hasn't come back online since. septa is considering hiring another vendor to sell the pass if's the company cap tech can't solve the problems. philadelphia inquirer reports that decision will happen by monday. >>> the germantown branch of the philadelphia free library is closed for the summer. we went to check out why but fox 29's bruce gordon found out the problem is much bigger than just one facility. >> reporter: the coleman regional library is a cornerstone of this germantown neighborhood. has been for years. but the library is closed. has been since may ninth and will be through the end of september. user

newtown getting some drenching rain showers. since you're out and about in your car, you need the windshield wipers on. by 3:00 91 degrees. by 6:00 87. so a hot day today. we're going to be hotter throughout our monday. temperatures up near 95 degrees. you add in the humidity. we'll talk more about that. then we have many many days over our seven day in the 90s. we'll talk about that coming up. >>> now to the news in philadelphia's overbrook section. four people in the hospital right now after a septa paratransit bus collided with an suv just a short time ago. the bus flipped onto its side. the driver and three passengers on the bus have minor injuries. nobody in the suv was hurt. police are now investigating the cause of this crash. >>> also breaking this morning, the u.s. navy reports that a sailor injured in the chattanooga tennessee shooting spree has died. four marines were also killed in the gunfire on thursday. coming up a little bit later in this hour we'll have new information about the gunman who was shot and killed by

be seen in shootings in aurora colorado or in newtown connect connecticut where doctors concerned about adam lanza's stability. >> the one area where i feel i've been most frustrated most stymied is the united states of america is the one advanced nation on earth in which we do not have sufficient common sense, gun safety laws. >> and police chief in lafayette said houser bought that 40 caliber semi automatic pawn shop and the purchase was indeed legal. david. >> jonathan betz, thank you. >>> dr. jeffrey lieberman has served as a president of the american psychiatric association. good to have you with us. we heard that john houser suffered from mental illness there was a restraining order in 2008 that said he had bipolar disorder and man ig depressive state. how often do you hear about these disorders? >> it seems like it's increasing but the reality is that people with mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia account for very small portion of the violent crimes in the united states, less than 4%. however, the civilian massacres that we are unfortunately seeing

the same day for the newtown shootings.and the day of the supreme court ruling on gay marriage the white house lit up in the colors of the rainbow in a nightthat night. not reacting right away to the chattanooga murders leads people to believe this white house doesn't take the real threat of domestic terrorism seriously and instead of honoring our military men instinct differencely,differencelystinct difference differencely, it appears to be reactionary. >>> hearing from the families of just a few victims killed by illegal immigrants and among the many was our nextksxt guest whose brother was killed by a drunk driver back in 2011. that suspect was an illegal will illegal immigrant who was eventually released on bond. joining me now, brian mccann, the brother. thank you so much for telling your real story i know it's been a business and iisusy and emotional day. tell us what you wanted to getting across in your testimony about your brother. >> well, thanks for having me gretchen. essentially what i wanted to do and i think i

be the same man responsible for cvs robberies in wilmington delaware and pennsylvania, abington, newtown and aston. police are still working to confirm that link. >> he is walking in and head is down and avoiding camera as he made entry. made mention of turning off the camera in the office. he was aware of the camera being in the office area where safe was. he had with him a black backpack where the proceeds were put into from the robbery and he did bring a semiautomatic handgun. if you see him contact your local authorities, do not approach him, or if you see something, similar to what you see in this video that we have released please contact me at (609)239-5859 or your local police department. >> reporter: police say sometimes the robber works alone, other times he has an accomplice. police say that the robberies have happened around this a same time of the day. at this point the man has not been identified but police are hoping you can help with that. if you recognize him or if you have any tips, give burlington township police a call, alex and mike. >> all right, jenny, that is very

we saw in in south carolina two weeks ago, in newtown and the navy yard two years ago. so a motivated person or a sick person or a combination can do great damage against a soft target. i agree with the new york police. the same will be true on the fourth of july where resources are surged whether you see them or not, they are being surged they are leaning forward into this threat into this season that we are in. and so the opportunities are greater against the soft target. and isis is willing to accept that. do the maximum damage possible they will claim credit and you will die. >> brad you have studied this group and you say that right now isis is facing a propaganda challenge given that it's no longer shocking people in the middle east. and thus that is in part the reason we're seeing the focus on america >> any time gre group can get media exposure it's great for them. people in the united states need to realize this is a very sophisticated group. even though we're seeing horrific acts out of the cowards in the middle east we're talking about advanced degrees with p

from the white house where flags were lowered within a day of the massacres at fort hood tucson and newtown, and where aides last month swabbed the executive mansion in rainbow colors within hours of the supreme court legalizing same-sex marriage. the white house did not explain why the decision was finally made now. but among those leading the charge was marine corps veteran mike shepherd who launched a facebook challenge for ordinary americans to lower their own flags and thereby quote teach obama respect. >> a lot of the readers responded to me and told me they felt helpless and hopeless. they don't have any say. i just wanted them all to know that their opinion matters, their voice matterses, we can all do this together with or without the president and show our respect for our fallen and tell them that we love them. >> reporter: in remarks to the veterans of foreign wars in pittsburgh the commander in chief says his administration has extended benefits to more than 2 million veterans and has worked to reform the v.a. hospital system even as he acknowledged wait times are in some cases

lo and behold we found that another charity was being sent to the animal sanctuary in newtown.my daughter gave this piano recital and raise $10,000 for them. so we took this horrible tragedy. i have to tell you is my proudest moment as a parent watching this recital because those. came to the recital and watched my daughter play the piano and now she serves on the advisory board for that animal sanctuary. she is learning firsthand about what it means to give back. [applause] >> we have time for one last question. we will come right back here. >> gretchen, thank you so much for what you're doing. we are so needed to remind about the dream let's go do it again like ronald reagan did. the question i have today is could you please share how your faith in god has played to who you are today. >> it is everything. and one of the few acres he speaks openly about my faith on the air and i have a lot of critics. it started happening when i came to fox because cable in and of itself is more ad lib. and we are on 24/7. i felt comfortable talking about it one day on fox and friends and i re

are also checking to see fit is the same man wanted for three robberies in pennsylvania abington, newtown and aston since the end of june. >> we have not at this point in time linked our robbery with any of the others that may have occurred but like i said we are reaching out to the various agencies and comparing notes. >> reporter: police say sometimes robbers works alone other times he has an accomplish police say robberies have happened around the a same time of day. at this point the a man has in the been identified but police are hoping you can help with that. if you have a tip for police, call burlington township police department. chris? >> as always, good call jennifer joyce live, in two months the pope will be here and hold ago this papal mass on the ben franklin parkway when he visits philadelphia for world meeting of families. city officials are a addressing concerns about security bound drizzle during the pope's trip. yesterday the mayor blasted maps posted on line reporting to show the papal security zone. city officials say any information about vehicle bans or restrictions

isolated shower here in west philadelphia and one that is up in west windsor north east of trenton newtown bucks county we have a heavy downpour there trenton just had their rain. we also have have a few widely scattered showers up in the poconos mountains. again, left overs from last night. we have new showers probably popping up later in the day. a as we walk out the door, dress coolly because it will be a warm one. we are already at 77 degrees, on 7/7. >> nice. >> yeah. >> and we have 70's every where else, even in mount pocono where it is 70 degrees. seventy-three wildwood. seventy-five in millville. thirty-seven in wilmington. when will we hit 90? we think three or 4:00 this afternoon we will reach 90 but what will it feel like when we get to 90 degrees. we have the future heat up decks for you as well and we think maybe 93, 94 will be what it feels like once up in the 90's though it is pretty hot and humid. we will have heat index in the 90's again tomorrow. so even though it seems a little obvious we do give you advice on days like to daze about slowing down and taking, breaks don't

the these men are behind cvs robberies in abington and newtown as well. >>> some residents in queen village woke up to flatten tires after police say vandals went on a slashing spree and now they are looking for those suspects . detectives are handling reports of 18 vehicles damaged on a number of streets in the south philadelphia area. they say it was on saturday morning as neighbors got ready for their day they noticed their tires had been slashed and other cars, had been slashed, as well. >> that is a lot have crime when you think about all of the people that they do this too, you know it is very inconvenient for a lot of people. >> one person living in the area says that his security camera is facing one of the cars that was punctured he says she's waiting on police new to review his footage. >>> 4:08. funeral arrangements are being made for bobbi kristina brown. the the the 22-year old daughter of the late whitney houston and bobby brown died sunday in atlanta she had been in the medically induced coma since she was found submerged in her bathtub at the end of the january. it is report

police looking whether that suspect is the same man who authorities say struck cvs store in ashton, newtown and abington. all the robberies happened on weekends right as the workers were opening for the day or locking up for the night. all within the last month. >> he did try to conceal his -- his face as he's walking in his head is down. avoiding the camera right there at entry. >> it scares me. like i always thought burlington that's a safe place. and seemed that people walking in there in the morning like with guns and stuff that scares me. like i'm 18 makes me want to stay in the house. >> trayvon black says he stops by cvs at least once a day grabbing items for his mom. bike ride from his burlington township home he says he might change the way he shops until the alleged gunmen are caught. >> probably go later at night. or midday. >> when there's more people around? >> yeah. >> if you're cvs this situation presents itself don't ab hero. >> reporter: that's right. detectives say follow any instructions that the suspect might give you. now, again if you recognize any of the suspects in t

we know the shootings by aurora, and newtown.sole the nation. >> my immediate thoughts and prayers are with you. join me and michelle in keeping all the victims and their families, including gabby in our thoughts and prayers. i'm sure that many of you that are parents here have the same reaction i did when i heard this news. as a country, we have been through this too many times. whether it's an elementary school in neuman or a shopping mall in oregon. these are men and women going to work, doing their job, protecting all of us. we are heartbroken something like this might have happened again. i have had to make statements like this too many times. >> he knows he's not going to get new legislation, john. there's also the issue of lack of performance with the laws you do have. it never gets attention, either. of course it's not the president's view necessarily. part of the political reflection you think, that gun policy is about more not less? >> it is part of it. if you look at charleston chris, the fbi director came out and admi

have a tree leaning on some wires in newtown township delco this afternoon along bishop hollow road at gradyville road and of course gradyville itself remains closed in edgemont township partially collapsed last week so no word on when they'll be able to get that repaired but route three west chester pike gets you around the closure. meanwhile there's a crash noon east marlboro chester county at route 82 at the oxford bypass. across the state line downed liars along 100 at 92 to my sons bridge road. in wilmington we've got construction going on on the railroad tracks closing beech street all day today. mlk boulevard a possible alternate around that. we'll check it again rick and monica, coming up in the next half hour. >> watch your back, pelman, that's all i got to say, watch your back. [laughter] >> much more to come on "action news" at 5:00. a getaway one woman will never forget. the latest on the unexplained beach blast that left a vacationer unconscious and what the victim was doing before she was sent flying in the air. >> why doctors warn not to leave toenail polish on for the e