the nba. let's go to l.a., we're a couple of hours away from the big game at home. clipperste warriors, a couple of hours away from that home game. stephanie elam is there for us. stephanie, how is the mood in l.a. now that we know the news? >> reporter: well, that's what we want to see if there's going to be a protest. they were prepared for that out here, brooke. i look around, the road is still blockaded, they're not letting people come through here. it seems the players are happy with this. that's across the nba, which is obviously going to change things here. you can already hear that the players are calling -- that the commissioner is calling for fans to come out tonight and support the teams during the play-off season. they say these guys playing, they need your support. they need you out there cheering for them. they're saying, look, you got a response within three days since the scandal broke. we were on it. something's happened before this game here. because of that, they're saying, we can now stand behind the commissioner, stand behind these teams and we can play.

the l.a. clippers. the issue goes beyond basketball, with president obama commenting at the press conference halfway around the world during a visit to malaysia. >> when ignorant folk want to advertise their ignorance, you don't have to do anything, but let them talk. that happened here. >> the audio renewed the debate about america and racism:. >> lebron james, one of the biggest names in the game is calling on new n.b.a. commissioner adam silver to take a firm stand against any bigotry. >> there's no room for that in our game. we found a way to make this the greatest game in the world, and for comments like that, it takes our game, and we can't have that, can't have it from a player, an owner or a fan. >> adam silver promised swift action. the n.b.a. investigation could be complex. the voice from the recording has to be authenticated as donald sterling, and there may be an issue about how it was obtained. the players' association is asking to be included in any decisions about the team owner. >> we a

it represents the golden state warriors, it represents the l.a. clippers, it represents the l.a.akers, it represents 30 teams around this league. and this league of players are standing together in one voice. the nba constitution states this -- the commissioner shall be charged with protecting the integrity of the game and preserving public confidence to our fans. today, the players believe the commissioner has done his duty. on this day, adam silver is not only the owners' commissioner, he is also the players' commissioner and we're proud to call him our commissioner. [ applause ] i want to also say, this is a very stark reminder that we still have a lot of work to do. yes, we have an african-american president. yes, justice happened in a swift manner and forceful. yes, that occurred today. but these events remind all of us that hatred and bigotry are far from over. i hope that every bigot in this country sees what happened to mr. sterling and recognizes that if he can fall, so can you. at this point in time, i want to say on behalf of the players, we are so proud of our mayor o

want up the regular season tomorrow and they will open the postseason on the road even against the l.a. clippers or the l.a. thunder. they are battling in capital expressway and these are live pictures on wood set drive.

the cover regarding the l.a. clippers. a conversation as ordered and then released as the owner of the clippers. sterling has not said one way or another if it is his voice that we hear. as we wait for commissioner adam silver, let's listen to what it says. >> now, that was just one of the tapes released earlier by tmz. here is another tape. take a listen to this one. >> ross, this has created a firestorm within the nba. >> reporter: yes, this is uncharted territory for the league. this is donald sterling's first crisis he's facing. no one knows what he has powers over, but he said he has broad powers to protect the league. many believe that commissioner adam silvers will issue a hefty fine. because 15 sponsors have already abandoned the clippers, and we'll see what happens from this point on. >> we're see team clippers and other teams coming forward and doing acts of protest courtside, bad news at the worst possible time. this has been a banner year. but of course this is a shadow over the league. it's one of those things

the heart of everyone, whether you're a fan, a player. >> if the -- i'm telling you something, if the clippers win the world championship, the l.aing to be just a little small blip on the screen. >> you think so? >> in the grand scheme of things. >> live pictures right now of the oracle arena there where the clippers are playing. our producer michael flasch said the fans are there. the oakland team -- most of the fans have come out for but l.a. clippers, they are in their warmup doing their thing. if there's any way of reading whether this is at all a distraction. however, the owner is not there in the stadium. >> it will be a distraction in oakland if the golden state warriors lose. if the game is getting out of hand, then perhaps they will direct comments directed towards donald sterling. >> and then it will go from bad to worse. >> fans are fans. they just want to see the bottom line. they want to see their team do well, period. >> terence, we have more to talk about. this is lighting a firestorm under a lot of people. everyone feels that even if they are not an nba fan, it has impacted them here in this report. >> and the pr

. >>> and flagrant foul, the firestorm over what the l.a. clippersowner allegedly said about african-americans turns the nba playoffs into a bid of a sideshow with tens of millions of dollars at stake and the reputations of the owners, players and nba on the line, we examine the business of the fallout. "countdown to the closing bell" starts right now. ♪ ♪ liz: and the new news breaking on the l.a. clippers' story, by the way, is that adam silver, the nba commissioner, will address the media and the public tomorrow, 2 p.m. eastern. fox business will have that when it happens, but in the meantime, good afternoon, everybody, i'm liz claman. as we head into this last hour of trading, stocks have mostly turned negative, and this morning's gains now a distant memory, but what a swing we've seen. for the nasdaq alone it's been a 90-point swing, 9-0. new selling in tech shares pulling down the nasdaq which had been up at one point by 36 points. right now you see it's losing about 26 points or two-thirds of a percent. dow jones industrials was at one point u

and playing for dignity and their playoff lives the l.a. clippers hit the hard wood tonight without several important sponsors. how will the team and fans respond to the growing controversy over the owner's comments on rate and will we see new owner sitting courtside? the powerful court of public opinion weighing in, "countdown to the closing bell" starts now. liz: it is the last hour of trading in these three words will be talked about all across america today. banned for life. breaking news the short time ago. the nba threw down that sentence banned for life, nba commissioner adam silver handing down that ruling against donald sterling for having racist comments to a female companion. donald sterling now prohibited from attending any nba game. we had half a dozen sponsors, we have lots on this developing story, lawyers, analysts, stay tuned. is developing and we have a live report coming up and consumer confidence may have fallen in april but you wouldn't know it. judging by major u.s. markets today we have a nice rally on our hands and volume sig

as for the team, l.a. clippers coach doc rivers believe they are making a stand by moving forward. >> the biggest statement we can make as men, not as black men, as men, is to stick together and how strong we are as a group much it's easy to protest. that'll be in the play. >> the sentiment was obvious twitter, with indiana pacer david west not holding anything back saying: . >> it's a case where balancing legalities with humanity will be a test for the league. >>> melissa chan is in oakland where the l.a. clippers are taking on the warriors and joins us live with more. seems the fans are not happy about this. >> well, across the board every fan we spoke to had similar reactions to donald sterling's alleged racial slurs. >> to me, personally, he sounds ridiculous. he owns a basket team with nothing but african-american players, that makes him sound rashist. the league needs to investigate the situation and consequences need to come about, rep re helpings, suspension or something that needs to be done to let the own

>> effective immediately i am banning mr donald sterling for life from any association with the l.a. clippers organization or the number of ba. mr donald sterling may not attend any n.b.a. games or practices. he may not be present at any clippers facility, and he may not participate in any business or player personnel decisions involving the team. >> stirl , the owner -- donald sterling, the owner of the team was caught on tape making racist statements about african men's to his girlfriend. donald sterling called the remarks deeply defensive and was personally distraught. adam silver fined him $2.5 million, and he is being pressured to give up the team. >> i will urge the board of gore resist to force a -- governors to force a sale of the team and will do everything in my power to see that that happens. >> meanwhile a crucial play-off clean the clippers and the golden state war wrars. the l.a. clippers's coach doc rivers said the players felt a great deal of relief. >> i told the players about the decision. they were just happy that it's a resolution, and it's over, and the start of it to be.

we begin where the l.a. clippers won against the golden state warriors. >> yes, but much more important than that. a stiff punishment for the team's owner for racist remarks he made to his ex-girlfriend. donald sterling has been banned for life and fined $2.5 million. >> yeah, clippers fans took the stand, showing their support, one of those signs said, new owner wanted? racists need not apply. >> you think it was just the players. it was the fans, too. everybody was going through this. and it was almost like everybody wanted to exhale tonight and it was good. >> so the clippers now lead their playoff series three games to two. but the future of the team's owner is anything but certain. >> yeah, the league's other owners could vote to force him to sell the franchise. rachel nicoles has more on how we got here. >> this audio posted on line friday night touched off a fire storm for the l.a. clipper's owner donald sterling. >> and tell you that i have black people on my instagram, and it bothers you. >> yeah, it bothers

imagine that. >>> everybody is talking about this, the l.a. clippers' owner donald sterling making racial remarks to his girlfriend. the naacp was going to give steriling a lifetime achievement award next month and now are rescinding that offer. earlier i asked the interim president of the naacp why sterling, a man with racial history tendencies, was slated to receive the award in the first place. >> that was a local decision, and it was based on what our local folks felt, how helpful he had been to the people we try to serve in los angeles. and that was it. do we need a better betting system? absolutely. and i'm sure this incident will make people look a little more closely, a little more strenuous, at the recipients of a lifetime achievement award. that's a big deal. >> let's get some more reaction to this and also someone who knows better than anyone, because she's a former owner of the wnba team, the los angeles sparks. paula madison is joining us. paula, how are you doing? >> i'm great, don, thank you for inviting me. >> thank you for coming. you

nba has taken a swift and power stand against racism severing ties with the ordinary reason of the l.a. clippers. the move followed about 48 hours of controversy stemming from racially charged comments of donald sterling. a live look over staples centers. this is in los angeles where the clippers will be hosting the warriors around 7:30 this evening. the 8 80-year-old sterling will not be allowed into the arena. >> effective immediately, im banning mr. sterling for life for any association with the clippers organization or the nba. >> a lot has happened today. that's the newly appointed nba commissioner receiving rave reviews about how he's handling the situation. in addition to that lifetime ban he's been slapped with a $2.5 million fine. that's the maximum. it will be given to charity. the nba will try to force him to sell the clippers. 75% of the owners must agree to force him to fail. the mayor of sacramento, the former nba and uc berkeley spar is a special advisor to the players association. >> this is also a statement about where we are as a country. it doesn't matter if you're a professio

one of hollywood's richest moguls, the owner of the l.a. clippers, purportedly caught making racist comments during a conversation with his alleged ex-mistress. now even president obama is weighing in. is this scandal the revenge of a former flame or something more sinister? here's abc's ryan smith. >> yeah, it bothers me a lot if you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people. >> reporter: today those ugly words have gone viral. donald sterling, the married l.a. clippers owner and real estate mogul worth an estimated $1.9 billion, allegedly spoke them to his alleged former mistress v. stiviano earlier this month after she posted a photo of herself and hall of famer earvin "magic" johnson on instagram. >> don't put them on instagram so the world has to see, so they have to call me. and don't bring them into my games. okay? you can sleep with them. you can bring them in. you can do whatever you want. the little i ask you is not to promote it on that and not to bring them to my game. >> reporter: on saturday tmz and deadspin posted th

we're out of the l.a. clippers that includes state farm. udes mgm mandalay bay which told us exclusively in the last hour they we remain suspended with their sponsorship at the moment. and of course carmax. >>> let's get to 3-d systems a leader in the printing industry. had positive forecast for the first part of the year and strong growth? what is the problem? why did the stock trade down 9%? the company has been feeling some heat. 3-d systems has big plans for the future nonetheless. joining us in a "first on fox business" interview, 3-d system as ceo and president. you met on eps. you beat in essence on revenue, 147 million. the expectation was 145 million. what is not to love. but the market is jittery about 3-did stocks. why shouldn't they be, avi? here is your chance. >> they shouldn't be because our design and manufacturing units are up 76%. our material revenue is up 41%. consumer units are up 41%. and we're making, liz, the kind of investments comprise time to market, allows to scale and double our revenue in the next couple of year

we have just seen a remarkable press conference held before the l.a. clippers basketball game tonight to address the lifetime ban and $2.5 million fine dropped today on the team owner, donald sterling. you just saw clippers coach doc rivers speak hg in an off the cuff way. he didn't have a prepared statement. then taking questions for a long time. this is only an hour and a half before his team's big playoff game at their home stadium in los angeles. when president reagan was first elected in 1980, re elected in 1984, george bush chosen in the the elections in the fall of 1988, so it was january of 1989 when the new president was getting ready to be sworn in and ronald reagan was getting ready to leave office. on his last day in office, it is what he did. this was his last day as president of the united states. >> white house officials said president reagan has given a full pardon to yankees baseball owner george steinbrenner accused of making an illegal campaign contribution to richard nixon. it does not appear the president will are pardon patty hurst or oliv

he goes on in that release from the president of the l.a. clippers and goes on to say he is upset with the remarks that were attributed to him about blacks and especially about magic johnson because he said magic johnson was a friend. but nowhere in that statement does he that i, "that is not my voice and i did not make those remarks" correct? >> that is absolutely true. no whywhere in that statement do they they say this is definitely not the voice of donald sterling. they also don't mention, according to records here, donald sterling received an naacp award from the los angeles chapter for lifetime achievement back in the day so donald sterling does have his defenders but we pointed out he has been sued several times including four racial discrimination. he is one of the largest landowners or landlords or renters in the los angeles areas with thousands of apartments and in that suit, they said that donald sterling deliberately excluded blacks in the downtown los angeles area. don? >> i think, paul, i think with the naacp thing, i think what we are

the nba shaken today by racist remarks allegedly made by the man who owns the l.a. clippers. ck smith who is live at oracle arena the oakland, where the clippers play the warriors tomorrow. how tide this come out? reporter: came out because a recording was

the n.b.a. delivered a tough punishment to l.a. clippers owner donald sterling for racist comments the league says he made in app audio recording. >> effective immediately i'm banning mr donald sterling for life from any association with the l.a. clippers association or the number of ba. >> the commissioner spoke loud and clear. >> that's right. it was a defining moment for adam silver. three months into the job adam silver had to drop the hammer. donald sterling admitted to adam silver that it was his voice. the new commissioner was passionate when issuing his findings. >> effective immediately i am banning mr donald sterling for life from any association with the clippers organization or the number of ba. donald sterling may not attend n.b.a. games or practices. he may not be present at any clippers facility, and he may not participate in any business or player/personnel decisions involving the team. he will also be barred from attending n.b.a. board of governors meetings or participating in any other league activity. i'm also finding mr

the l.a. clippersriding high. they win an important playoff game hours after donald sterling was told he is not wanted in the nba. breaking down what comes next, after the break. i've quit for 75 days. 15 days, but not in a row. for the first time, you can use nicorette even if you slip up, so you can reach your goal. now, quit on your own terms with nicorette or nicoderm cq. ...and let in the dog that woke the man who drove to the control room [ woman ] driverless mode engaged. find parking space. [ woman ] parking space found. [ male announcer ] ...that secured the data that directed the turbines that powered the farm that made the milk that went to the store that reminded the man to buy the milk that was poured by the girl who loved the cat. [ meows ] the internet of everything is changing everything. cisco. tomorrow starts here. the internet of everything thoughtful combinations, artfully prepared. fancy feast elegant medleys. inspired dishes like primavera, florentine and tuscany. fancy feast. a m

recorded racest remarks attributed to the billionaire owner of the l.a. clippers. man's name is donaldsteri . sterling. those alleged comments has everyone talking from casual fans to the president of the united states. he's married but also apparently had a girlfriend named v.stiviano. she supposedly made the recording, features a man telling her to stop posting

the nba shaken today by racist remarks allegedly made by the man who owns the l.a. clippers. let's good right to nick smith who is live at oracle arena the oakland, where the clippers play the warriors tomorrow. how tide this come out? reporter: came out because a recording was posted to the gossip web site tmz, and allegations to have recordings of the clippers owner a rant. the nba says they're investigating the authenticity of the recordings but call the comments offensive and wrong. >> anger and frustration could be heard around the nba after an audio recording surfaces over man identified as los angeles clippers owner donald sterling, telling his girlfriend not to bring black people to his game. >> people call you and tell you i have black people on my instagram, and it bothers you. >> it bothers me a lot you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people. >> you associate with black people. >> i'm not you and you're not me. you're supposed to be a delicate wife or delicate latina girl. >> she posted a picture of evers with magic johnson on instagram. and an

. >> racist remarks attributed to the owner of the l.a. clipper have been widely condemned. the league is holding a conference to discuss the investigation in relation to the remarks. >> reporter: at the l.a. clippers training center sterling drive is a street of shame after racist remarks allegedly made by donald sterling were published online:. >> al jazeera has not authenticated the audio recordings which appeared on tmz and deadspin. the players seem to be in no doubt. warming up on sunday they wore l.a. clippers shirts inside out in silent protest. they loft badly to the golden state warriors where are. the national basket association is trying to verify the recording. league will make an announcement on tuesday. stirling, who is 80, owned the clippers for 30 years. a man purported to be sterling argues with a woman, believed to be his girlfriend about his games: >> it was devastating, off the scale. >> naacp blasted the remarks and cancelled plans to honour donald sterling for financial donations to the group. >> it goes back to segregation and a time no one in america

it represents the l.a. clippers. it represents the l.a. lakers. it represents 30 teams around this league, and this league of players are standing together in one voice. the nba constitution states this. the commissioner shall be charged with protecting the integrity of the game and preserving public confidence to our fans. today the players believe the commissioner has done his duty. on this day adam silver is not only the owner's commissioner he is also the players commissioner, and we are proud to call him our commissioner. i want to also say this is a very stark reminder that we still have a rot of work to do. yes, we have an african-american president. yes, justice happened in a swift manner and forceful, yes, that occurred today. but these events remind all of us that hatred and bigotry are far from over. i hope that every bigot in this country sees what happened to mr. sterling and recognizes that if he can fall, so can you. at this point in time i want to say on behalf of the players we are so proud of our mayor of this great city of los a

and in just a few hours the nba expected to hold a news conference about that l.a. clippers scandal. ♪ >>> another series of tornados tearing through the south, killing 12 people. this is video that shows the power of those storms hitting the area. this is a massive twister that touched down near tupelo, mississippi. erika pitzi reports. >> i just remember hearing my dad yell, please god just save my family. and he did. >> he did. >> reporter: the deep south took a big hit from the slow moving tomorrow system that has already assaulted several states. a powerful tornado claimed lives in lime stone, county, alabama where the twister ripped apart homes. 12,000 people lost power. outside of birmingham, lightning lit up the sky just before another tornado touched down and took out this small town church. in mississippi multiple funnel clouds like this one formed. a county hospital got hit, with cars in the parking lots toed around like toys. >> we heard the train coming, we got our employees and what patients we had in the clinic in the safest place we would get. we honestly fel

. >>> the l.a. clippers after donald sterling gets banned for life, now faces a legal battle that could be long lasting. >>> we're six months away from november's midterm elections. a new poll shows democrats could have a tough season ahead. >>> plus, a new list with surprising world's deadliest animals. >>> why we won't see another royal wedding any time soon. >>> and the new "star wars" cast is officially announced with some familiar names. it's wednesday, april 30th. "early today" starts right now. >>> good morning. i'm richard lui. tornado alerts covering four states were issued early today. the deadly slow-moving storm bringing more extreme weather to the south. a resulting tornado outbreak left a path of destruction from iowa to the carolinas, killing at least 35 people. in the hard-hit community of tupelo, mississippi, the mayor is calling it a miracle that only one person died. here's nbc's jay gray. >> reporter: for the third the straight day, violent storms continues to rip apart communities from t

the growing controversy surrounding the owner of the l.a. clippers and how it's already hurting the team. >>> what warriors fans are being asked to do as another playoff game approaches. >>> joe montana's return to the football field. tonight the 49ers legend weighs in on the big game he'll play at candlestick park. >>> at 6:00, a son hoe state freshman trying to focus on school and save his mother. >> i want my family reunited. >> the rarely used tactic he hopes will bring his mother home to the south bay. hey! welcome home! hey mom! woah, this kitchen looks beautiful. it's bigger! it's great, right? give him the tour. let me show you! quartz countertop, soft-close drawers, farm sink, under cabinet lighting, look at this spice rack. where's my room? right there where it's always been! we had to take just a little bit for the kitchen. just slide right in! because your kitchen dreams can be big, ikea has it all. >>> it is unbelievable that a man of his prominence in this country would have those kind of feelings. >> donald sterling stripped of an naac

amid all the controversy, the l.a. clippers took to the court today for a playoff game and lost by 21 points. adding to the distractions, doc rivers said before the game he's not sure if he will be back with the team next year. not what you want to hear when you're about to take the court. cnn's stephanie elam is standing by. i hear the clippers staged a silent protest before the game. >> reporter: right, don, it seemed very concerted, it seemed like it was a team effort on the side of the clippers, but they took the court, took their sweatshirts off and dropped them in the middle of the court. >> you're fine, that's just background from the tape. go ahead and continue. >> reporter: it was really loud. i took off all of their sweatshirts and they knocked them in the middle of the court, and they had on red t-shirts on underneath and they were inside out backwards, putting out the message, we know things are wrong, but we have a game to play. and you would have to imagine it's a difficult predicament to be in. most of the player

the owner of the l.a. clippersist rant. >> the court for pregame warm- ups. wearing their warm-up inside out. >> the l.a. clippers protested in silence hiding the team's logo at the oracle arena. spawned tornadoes leading to

. >>> now the controversy over the l.a. clippers will donald sterling sell the franchise after the lifetime ban imposed by the commissioner? katie marzullo joins us from the newsroom. >> the ex-girlfriend of donald sterling, v. stiviano, has political aspirations and is hiding her face behind the giant vicor. >> roller-skating and running for office? >> to be president of the united states and change the laws. >> v. stiviano, the woman donald sterling was talking to goes on the record saying she wants to be president. she also says she very saddened by the donald sterling lifetime batch. slow could be only one. sacramento mayor johnson is calling the commissioner adam silver an american hero. >> you think there is a hint of race im, you have to cut it out look qwan certificate. what commissioner did, he removed the cancer and the nba has a clear bill, clean bill of health. you ought owner of the kings says donald sterling needs to respect the westerns of the nba and sell. >> dot right thing now, donald sterling, apologize to magic j

the very latest. it has been a tough time for clippers. >> yes, distraction for the entire team. the l.a. clippers have decided in light of that to cancel the practice they scheduled against the warriors. new nba commissioner adam silver is facing his first crisis. he is still in the process of trying to verify the voice of donald sterling and if those recordings were doctors in any way. the clippers are trying to find a way to regroup and refocus because they were mentally and physically not in the game yesterday after getting blown out of the water by the warriors. doc rivers did not want to use the controversy as an excuse. >> once the game starts there's no excuse to play like we played. that's my fault. it really is. i got to do a better job. you know, whether whatever the distractions whatever i got to do a better job. i didn't do my job tonight. and you know, i take that personally. we're going home now. and usually, that would mean we're going to our safe haven. and i don't even know if that's true. to be honest. >> clippers just trying to find a way to regroup and refocus. >> what

storm condemning a racist ram attributed to the owner of the -- rant attributed to the owner of the l.a. clippers. let's go to melissa chan outside the oracle arena. what has the rehabilitation been like. >> the final score was 97-118 - the l.a. clippers were clobbered. you have to wonder whether the controversy swirling around the owner had an impact on the performance of the team members. . >> reporter: the protest took place before the game, with players wearing inside out warm up journeys so the l.a. clippers logo could not be seen. fans at the game against the warriors expressed shock at the statements allegedly made by clippers' owner donald sterling. >> he sounds ridiculous. he owns a basketball team with african american players. that makes him sound racist. >> i love the team, i'm a fan, i support the team. whatever he said is his own personal thing, not ours. we love our clippers. >> the issue goes beyond basketball with president obama commenting at a press conference halfway around the world during his visit to malaysia. >> when ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you do

life, a stunning announcement as the nba moves to contain a huge scandal tonight the owner of the l.a. clippers admits the racist rant on the recording came from him. >>> high-risk. a rising toll from this multi-day tornado outbreak in the south and another tense night for tens of millions. >>> fighting back. why some famous men are speaking up with a powerful message about the threat to young women on college campuses. >>> and a tough call tonight about privacy. the question is, what's on your phone that you wouldn't want the whole world to see? "nightly news" begins now. >>> this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams reporting tonight from los angeles. >>> good evening, facing a boycott by its own players the nba tonight has handed out a lifetime ban to one of its own team owners, donald sterling of the l.a. clippers because of the damaging and racist comments he now admits came from him. the nba commissioner today condemned sterling in announcing the lifetime ban and a fine of $2.5 million and says the league plans to force a sale of the team. and from here in los angeles, where the clip

the owner of the l.a. clippers, seems to be one of the few people this evening not talking about an awudio tape that whippd up a controversy. recording posted by tmz sports captures donald sterling making racist comments. take a look at a live picture of oracle arena where clippers' players made a public showing of their outrage at the alleged comments. the game finished more than an hour ago. nbc's brian mohr has more on the developing story. >> there were signs of appropriate test in the stands and solidarity on the court before playoff game overshadowed by controversy. the l.a. clippers turned their warm-up jerseys inside out, to show how they feel about racially charged comments allegedly made by team owner donald sterling. >> we are playing. and that's our message. >> sterling wasn't there and was not commenting on a recording first posted by tmz sports. he is allegedly arguing with then girlfriend about an instagram photo of herself and michael johnson. >> if you want to broadcast that you are associating wit

donald sterling, the owner of the l.a. clippershe nba for life for making racist comments. the league also fined him $2.5 million and will try to force him to sell the team. >>> and more flash flooding after more than a foot of rain fell. and tornadoes touched down in north carolina yesterday but didn't cause much damage. at least 36 people were killed by days of severe storms. >>> the storm killed 15 people in arkansas alone. among the places hardest hit, vilonia just north of little rock. dean reynolds spoke with survivors. >> reporter: in vilonia fires now consume useless possessions. bare slabs stand where homes mark the spot where homes used to stand and residents sift thickets of junk for the important stuff left behind. a child's toy, picture albums, the family bible. and how long have you lived in this house? >> about four or five months. >> reporter: four or five months. >> uh-huh. >> reporter: dicky shannon and his wife mary jane had almost completed their home. the floor went in earlier this month, the driveway last week

the clippers leading the series 2-1. but a major distraction today for the l.a. clippers. as we reported, tmz has acquired an audio recording of a conversation with a man identified as clippers owner donald sterling, and his girlfriend, where he reportedly made racist comments. today clippers' head coach doc river responded. >> i don't know if i'm surprised or not. i didn't like the comment, obviously. i'll tell you now i'm speaking on behalf of the team, so the players are not going to deal with this issue. we had a great team meeting this morning about it. a lot of guys voiced their opinions. none of them were happy about it. this is a situation where we're trying to go after something very important for us, something that we have all dreamed about all our childhoods, and donald or anyone else had nothing to do with that dream and we're not going to let anything get in the way. >> i don't think this will be a distraction for the players and the league office is investigating. this may be new nba commissioner adam silver's first major decision. stay tuned. >>> sharks and

it was almost difficult to realize that the l.a. clippersill involved in the nba playoffs, given everything that's been going on around the team. >> as we mentioned earlier, they put the distractions aside last night and beat the golden state warriors. the win means the clippers can advance to the next round with a win tomorrow night. >>> one team moving on is the washington wizards. they took down the bulls last night, winning their series in five games. this is just the third time since 1979 that the wizards' franchise has advanced to the playoffs. congratulations to them. next stop for them is the eastern conference semifinals. >>> meanwhile, on the ice, the philadelphia flyers, using a three-goal outburst in the second period last night, to force a game seven against the rangers. >> the teams don't have time to rest. they have to play game seven tonight in new york. it's one of three deciders on tonight's schedule. quick turnaround for them. >>> coming up next in "the pulse," the prince, back on the market. >>> and late-night laughs with

investigators are trying to determine the cause. >> no word from l.a. clipperssterling or his lawyers. the commissioner is calling on the owners to force donald sterling to sell the team for racist recorded rant. warriors still have to beat the l.a. clippers tomorrow night to avoid playoff elimination. >>> today crews are scheduled to retrieve the fuselage of a plane that crashed on sunday in the bay. crews hope to fine the body of the unidentified pilot whose cessna crashed with another plane midair. >>> it is "do or die" for the sharks tied at three with the kings and if they loss, the sharks are the fourth team in nhl history to blow a best of seven playoff series after win the first three games. puck drops at 7:00. >>> sick near record high temperatures today and solar panels on the exploritorium working overnight 91 to 93 inland and 83 to 91 around the bay and 76 to 81 along the coast. >>> glass is half full report: a busy commute from the emeryville area and 25 minutes to the bay bridge toll plaza but as we look at the map we have hotspots at 880 southboun

tv and internet together like never before. >>> despite a lifetime ban the drama on the l.a. clippers is far from over. the l.a. council demanding he apologize for his racist comments especially to magic johnson. remember sterling told the woman supposedly his ex mistress she could do whatever she wanted with the basketball legend but not bring him to the l.a. clipper games. johnson says he supports the punishment from the league. >> i'm just happy commissioner adam silver came down hard and showed that we can't let people get away with this, even if you're an owner. >> johnson's name has come up as a possible suitor should the team become available. espn reporting that oprah winfrey is work going wiing wite of business executives, very rich people to put together a bid for the team. only yesterday she told tmz she would not buy the clippers. take that for what it is. back to the owner and his mistress. the lawyer claimed she was never really his mistress. said the two did not have a romantic relationship and she worked for sterling as an archivist. meanwhile, hours after the nba hand

the l.a. -- stake in the la lakers. floyd mayweather, he's an l.a. clippersnd says his interest is not just talk. >>> real madrid are through to the first champion's league final in 12 years after a demolition of bayern munich, a 4-0 win. real fans given every reason to celebrate. their club aims to win the title for a 10th time. chelsea or atletico madrid await them in the lisbon final on may 24th. the chelsea atletico tie is goalless ahead of a leg coming up in london. jose muirinio aiming to win the title. his players setting up a final against a side. the goalkeeper is not fit but john thierry is ready to play after recovering from an ankle injury he picked up. >> you get the hand on the trophy and memories you live with, when you are in a difficult period personally and professionally you look back, it spurs you op, there's nothing bugger than the champion's league. >> more on the build-up to the champion's league semifinal. that is it for me for now. >> thank you. before we go, we'll leave you with some pictures from our to story. here are some of the i

the nba comes down hard on the owner of the l.a. clippers did make racist remarks. stand by for new reaction to this unprecedented punishment. >>> also, first on cnn, the secret recording of secretary of state john kerry making a stunning remark behind closed doors. you're going to hear for yourself the words that are sparking some serious international outrage. >>> and is it the missing plane? a private firm claims it's found wreckage that could be, could be, the flight 370. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> this is cnn breaking news. >> get to the breaking news this hour, round three of an intense outbreak of violent storms. we're getting reports that several funnel clouds have been spotted in north carolina. a tornado warning is now in effect. also right now, mississippi and alabama, they are also bracing for tornados, hail, and high winds. about 70 million people in the eastern half of the united states there are at risk for severe weather in th

you mentioned the controversy regarding the l.a. clippers owner donald sterling. it was interesting that the president was asked about this. but natalie, you know, when we're out on the road with the president and domestic issues come up, you know, he's going to be asked about it. and that was the case here. very interesting comments from the president. he said these comments speak for themselves. and at what point he said, when ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don't have to do anything, you just have to let them talk. that's what happened here. i thought that was a fascinating moment during this news conference. also he was asked about ukraine. not surprising. it's sort of the question that follows him wherever he goes. and he said he accused russia of not lifting a finger to help when it comes to resolving deescalating fences in eastern ukraine. and he also said the world needs to be united or europe and the west need to be united when it comes to sector ral sanctions giving an explanation as to why they're perhaps not ready to go with sancti

more corporate sponsors drop the l.a. clippers. commissioner decides today on owner donald sterling's alleged racest comments. >>> follow the money. president obama returns from asia, and he puts the financial screws to russia. >>> plus, one step closer to the self-driving car. backlash growing for the father who pushed his kid too far. and a big honor for nbc's own tom brokaw. it's tuesday, april 29th. "early today" starts right now. >>> good morning. i'm richard lui. communities in the south are on high alert again today. a devastating storm that has killed at least 27 over the past two days threatens a one-two punch on hardest hit alabama and mississippi. areas like tupelo, mississippi, were a part of 16 counties reporting tornado damage, says emergency management there. they won't know the lives lost until later this morning. constance lambert returned to her tornado-ravaged home, thankful to find her dog alive after one twister. the same storm system killed at least 16 people in arkansas, oklahoma and iowa sunday. nbc's sarah d

what this will mean for the future of the l.a. clippers,,,,,,,, >>> finding someone dead in an apartment across the street from us, dangerous. >> so far san jose police aren't saying anything about a suspect or motive. >> the alameda county sheriff's department is investigating an explosion after two people are critically burned. it happened at a homeless encampment last night along the railroad tracks in san leandro. >> we always believe that the remains of the missing pilot are contained in the fuselage. >> divers found the wreckage of a small plane that went into san pablo bay. today crews will raise it out of the water. >> amazing that unity that our league showed through this tough time. >> banned for life. the nba comes down hard on clippers owner donald sterling after the league's investigation confirms he made racist comments in a recorded conversation. from across the bay to around the world, the stories that matter on "kpix 5 news this morning." captions by: caption colorado comments@captioncolorado.com >>> your realtime captione

the l.a. clippers decided to cancel the practice because doc rivers said his team needed to breathe. is number of sponsors ended or suspended relationships with the clippers. the league rescheduled a press commence for tomorrow at 2:00 pm eastern, to announce their findings on the investigation of donald sterling. what type of punishment or suspicions will be handed down. new n.b.a. commissioner adam silver is facing his first major crisis. he's in a delegate position. technically he works for the owners of the league. they are trying to verify the voice and if doctored in any way. here is another cliff of the racist comments: >> l.a. clippers coach doc rivers declined an opportunity to speak with donald sterling, because doc believes that donald sterling said those things. he refused to use it as an excuse when the clippers were blown out by the warriors. >> when the game starts there's no excuse to play like we did. it's my fault. it really is. i have to do a better job, whatever the distractions, i

from the l.a. clippers today, this statement. we support and embrace the decision by the nba and commissioner silver today. now the healing process begins. joining me now is bill maher, host of "real time" on hbo. i'm curious to hear your reaction that donald sterling is banned for life after today verified the voice on the tape saying those things was, in fact, him. >> it's hard to talk about this guy on msnbc. i can't say [ bleep ], can i? is that a word -- okay. so i will call him an ass. it's a great thing that america agrees and can gather around that fact. i have lived through a numberrovercontroversies. it wasn't with always that way. it's their league. they can do what they want. people still have are the right to be an ass, you know? it is creepy that you are recorded in your own home. but he's a strange kind of racist. i will say that. it's really all about the girl like showing up with black men. it's still that black men are taking our women thing. that's what's at the bottom of this. >> there is a deeply creepy sub te

tonight at 6 live picture from los angeles with coach with the l.a. clippers doc rivers addressing the media about today's decision by the nba to ban the owner of l.a. clippers from the nba for life. dockers with your daughter joyce what happened. the lifetime ban was a fantastic decision. a way for the cut the wires also scheduled to speak both men speaking publicly before tonight's nba playoff game defies an ally. >> : every day it sees what happens to miss the sterling. it involves soaking you. airline sacramento mayor spoke on behalf of nba players today and applauded commissioner adams decision to ban silver from the nba for life. the >> : center of all races and scandal they say that sterling and its as his voice heard a recording making racist remarks. >> : " effective immediately i'm betting mr. sterling for life from any association with the clippers organization or the nba. i'm also finding mr. sterling $2.5 million maximum amount allowed under nba constitution. as far as mr. stirling's interests and the clippers i will urge the board of governors to

donald sterling, the owner of the l.a. clippersade racially charged comments after seeing this photo on instagram with his girlfriend with magic johnson. not first time sterling faced racial allegations. what is the future for sterling, the clippers around the nba? david: joining us lee hawkins, "wall street journal" celebrity business reporter who sat down in the past with magic johnson talking about minority ownership with him. talk about what happens to sterling. they have carmax, these are the sponsors who have now deserted because of all this. carmax, state farm, virgin america, kia and recently red bull. how long can this bleeding continue? because this guy has bills to pay. >> depend how much money he is willing to lose. the nba will weigh in for this situation. already the market forces are taking over. and i think that's the way this is going to be handled because there is only so much that the commissioner can do in this situation. maybe they fine him a million dollars. maybe they ban him from the games. they can't take t

sterling for his part has put out a statement through the l.a. clippers organization in which he has apologized for how he has been represented here, but he's not confirming that that is his voice on the recording. the clippers in that statement also made a suggestion that this audiotapes might have been altered in some way. so that's one element of very immediate context. the second element of context is that this is not the first time an american big-time professional sports that a league has had to deal with allegations of an outrageously racist owner. and we've seen the examples of what happens when you let it slide because it's an owner, right? and we've seen what happens when you confront it. but the third element of context here is the sort of middle element and it may be the one that is most vexing to the people who are closest to this story. the last element of context here is mr. sterling's own personal history. the way that he's made all of his money is from being a property owner and a landlord on a very large scale in southern california. in