i'm ashleigh banfield. >> i'm zoraida sambolin.th care law and it is on trial today. the main event of course the individual mandate, it's the centerpiece of president obama's plan for reform. >>> also new, details emerging in the shooting death of 17-year-old trayvon martin according to a leaked police report, a violent fight led george zimmerman to pull his gun and pull the trigger. we'll speak to the shooter's friend who insists that george zimmerman is not a racist. >>> and is this thing on? yeah. >> this is my last election. after my election i have more flexibility. >> what does that mean, more flexibility? hmm. well what does that mean? will cain we'll talk about that this morning. also preside obama is making a joke about it, held a press conference to clarify things but mitt romney accuses him of telling the russians one thing and the american people another. >>> and broadway tebow, tim

i'm ashleigh banlfield. >> i'm zoraida sambolin.e news from a to z. >> breaking news in france, police have a home surrounded that they say inside is the gunman, a gunman who claims to have links to al qaeda and is wanted for committing that jewish school shooting. he's inside now. they think they're going to get him out. officials say two officers were wounded in a shoot-out there during that overnighting raid. >>> mitt romney is close to securing half the delegates he needs to clinch the nomination. after an impressive double-digit win in illinois overnight in the primary there, that victory made it possible for him, conservatives and the tea partiers backing him pretty strongly. >>> new witnesses speaking out on the shooting death of trayvon martin. the florida teenager's family say new revelations prove martin was, in fact, murdered and they will not sleep until his killer is arrested. >>> office buildings hundreds of miles away feeling the power of a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in southern mexico. hundreds of homes were damaged or

. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. we begin with your top stories. mitt romney coming off a rout of rick santorum in puerto rico. but santorum is insisting the nomination is his, if he pulls off an illinois upset. >>> spring nearly sprung. what the heck is this? no joke. more in an a foot of snow on the ground in flagstaff, arizona. more on the way, too. bizarre. a major late winter storm shutting down the interstate 40 for nearly 200 miles. >>> in nebraska and oklahoma, the trouble is tornadoes. look at this. storm chasers captured this twister in the town of willow, oklahoma. reynolds wolf is tracking all of the severe weather. >> dozens of occupy wall street demonstrators arrested in ugly pictures in lower manhattan. they're trying to reoccupy the park. >>> and how sweet it is. the sweet 16 is set after 11th seeded north carolina state, upseeded georgetown. up next for n.c. state, kansas on friday. >>> we begin with breaking news from france. three people, two children, have been killed on a shooting outside of a jewish school in toulouse, france.

. >> i'm zoraida sambolin. it is 5:00 a.m. in the east here, so let's get started for you. >> happy super tuesday, folks. it is that day where we all wait with baited breath. the polls will open in two hours. it's super because there are more delegates at stake today than we have seen all the way along the race until now. mitt romney and rick santorum are really duking it out for this one. in ohio, they are neck and neck in the polls. >> so rush limbaugh apologizing again for calling law student sandra fluke a slut. we have a 15 and counting. the stations are also starting to yank his show. i've got to tell you, we found a guy, an editor and publisher who has been following limbaugh for quite a bit of time who said that apology was sincere and he's going to tell us why he thinks so. >> because the sponsors are bailing. >> that's not what he said. >> another story. this is one of those ones that gets you to shake your head because nfl players are admitting they put together big buckets of cash to pay each other to really take o

i'm zoraida sambolin. >> hello there, i'm ashleigh banfield. we're bringing you the news to "a" to "z." zoraida, i don't know if you need to explain that. 5:00 a.m. on the east. top stories. federal prosecutors and the fbi now investigating the killing of an unarmed teenager by a neighborhood watch captain in florida. the black teenager's parents say race was a factor. 911 calls captured the teenager's final moments. >> in just two hours, the polls will open in illinois and the outcome of this primary could be critical. total chaos. >> and a deadly shooting at a jewish school in france triggering fears of a possible copycat attack in this country. police in new york and other cities on high alert. >>> once again, severe weather overnight. this time in texas, a tornado touching down right near san antonio. take a look at that. reports of significant damage this morning. this is part of a slow-moving line of storms stretching from texas all the way to minnesota. >> those storms also bringing some really heavy rain to oklahoma. take a look at your

i'm ashleigh banlfield. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin.ts now. >> thank you, that's right i'm sitting in for soledad this morning. our starting point demanding justice for trayvon martin. thousands marching across the country but some critics asking why aren't there more white leaders in the crowd? >>> she abused cocaine until the very end. whitney houston's autopsy reveals her final moments. >>> plus rick santorum surprising his own party. >> we might as well stay with what we have instead of taking a risk of what may be the etch-a-sketch candidate for the future. >> ouch. the candidate suggesting he'd rather have four more years of president obama over mitt romney. it's friday, march 23rd. "starting point" begins right now.

i'm ashleigh banlfield. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin.ts now. >> thank you, that's right i'm sitting in for soledad this morning. our starting point demanding justice for trayvon martin. thousands marching across the country but some critics asking why aren't there more white leaders in the crowd? >>> she abused cocaine until the very end. whitney houston's autopsy reveals her final moments. >>> plus rick santorum surprising his own party. >> we might as well stay with

i'm zoraida sambolin. >> i'm ashleigh banfield. check the stories making top headlines this morning. mitt romney climbing in the polls on the eve of super tuesday. a new nbc/"wall street journal" poll shows romney nearly doubling his support among conservatives and that is just since january. >>> focus is now turning to recovery and cleanup after last week's tornado devastation in the south and midwest. kentucky's governor is requesting federal disaster declaration, describing west liberty, that's a town where rob marciano is, describing it as a war zone. >>> president obama telling jewish leaders he, quote, has israel's back as he prepares for face-to-face talks at the white house this morning with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. the president is expected to earth bb to use restrain the when dealing with iran and the nuclear program in that country. >>> and this morning, police will resume their search for a missing university of wisconsin college student. eric duffy was last seen celebrating his 21st birthday with frie

. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. we are bringing you the news from "a" to "z." >>> we're getting a first look at george zimmerman on police station video. and it's led to a lot more questions about this case. all of this as george zimmerman's dad is breaking his silence and speaking out in his son's defense. >> they're just making up things that are not true about george. how he's being portrayed is just an absolute lie. >> robert zimmerman insists his son acted in self-defense. >> he talked about taking a, quote, leap of fate. federal charges filed against that jetblue pilot that had a midair meltdown. the captain's mental health coming into question, whether he should have been at the controls in the first place. >>> where's mom? what are you stopping for? >> here it is, right here, right here. >> we're out, we're out, we're out. >> dramatic cell phone video captures one family's harrowing escape from a fire burning in colorado. >>> two key endorsements for mitt romney to tell you about. one, a potential running ma

i'm ashleigh banfield. >> i'm zoraida sambolin.is morning. it is time to check stories making news. mitt romney padding his lead, winning ohio and five other states on super tuesday. but he could not land that knockout blow on rick santorum who won three states, or newt gingrich, he took his home state of georgia. in a primary battle that pitted two long-time members of congress against each other, ohio democrat dennis kucinich, lost his bid for re-election. the winner was fellow long time democrat marcy captor. the veteran lawmakers were forced to face-off after a redistricting battle when ohio lost two congressional seats. >>> full disclosure from the new orleans saints. though the team admits to paying players bonuses for hitting other players viscously. coach and gm issued a joint statement apologizing for those, quote, bounty systems that they promised it wouldn't happen again. the saints faced fines, suspensions, even lost draft picks. >>> and the winner of last night ears 336 -- it's hard to say the number. $336.4 million po

i'm ashleigh banfield. >> i'm zoraida sambolin.arts right now. >> our "starting point" this morning is winning dixie. a rick santorum weep in the south makes things lots more interesting this morning. >> we did it again. >> britney spears said that, oops, we did it again. he has the momentum but not the money or the math. those two things still belong to mitt romney. >> senator santorum is at the desperate end of his campaign and is trying in some way to boost his ross r prospects. >>> plus, touching down at a tense time. defense secretary leon panetta arrives in afghanistan as new fury erupts over the massacre of women and children by american soldier. >>> how about this? no budget, no pay. proposed bill that would freeze paychecks from congress if they don't take action. bipartisan support is there but does that bill have a chance in we'll talk about that. it's west, march

>> i'm zoraida sambolin.o check the stories that are making news. >>> rallies will mark one month since trayvon's martin's death. the unarmed teen gun down by george zimmerman. yesterday churchgoers across the united states wore hoodies to show support and demand justice. george zimmerman's lawyer says the killing was justified, saying george zimmerman had a broken nose and a cut on the back of his head. >>> the supreme court begins hearing arguments at 10:00 eastern this morning as 26 states begin their challenge of president obama's health care overhaul. a ruling is it expected on the matter around june. at the heart of the debate? whether the individual health care insurance mandate is even constitutional. it would require most americans could buy health care insurance or face a tax penalty. >>> wow! like a shaquille o'neal slam dunk, there it goes. orlando's amway arena got it down in under ten seconds, the old home of the orlando magic, the building imploded in front of hundreds of people. a man two bloc

. >>> i'm zoraida sambolin. we're happy you're with us had morning. we're bringing you the news from a to z. it's 5:00 a.m. in the east. live explosions at the site of a standoff between a wanted terrorist and hundreds of police officers in france. the blasts are meant to pressure the suspect to come out after more than 24 hours. he's accused of killing seven people, including a rabbi and jewish children in a ten-day killing spree. >> a million hoodie march in new york city. they were protesting the shooting death of an unarmed florida teenager. demonstrators demanding an arrest and there's new trouble this morning for the police chief who was in charge of that case. >>> living under a rock. literally. look at this. a 25-foot boulder breaking loose from a hillside in ohio, flattening cars, people were inside this home. the owner heard a sound, sow sparks, thought it was a thunderstorm. here's the good news, everyone inside is okay. >> miraculous given that video. holy cow. >>> the nfl showing no mercy on the new orleans saints for paying bounties for

i'm ashleigh banfield. >> i'm zoraida sambolin.he news from "a" to "z." >>> a u.s. soldier's cold-blooded killing spree in afghanistan. it is threatening the mission there this morning. we're going to talk to someone who served on the front lines in iraq and afghanistan, what needs to be done in order to diffuse the anger. >>> the rush limbaugh scandal just won't go away. in fact, the word contagious now emerging. the advertisers have been jumping ship, and now the radio bosses are getting a little nervous, too. and not just about rush. other shows just like his. john avlon is going to join us on a move that could really have a huge effect on right wing talk radio. >>> it is one minute past the hour. christine romans is here with the check of the stories making news this morning. it is a tough news morning. >> it really is. i want to start in afghanistan where it's, quite frankly, a lit fuse this morning. u.s. soldiers are warned this morning anti-american sentiment is rising after an american soldier went on a shooting spree early

i'm ashleigh banfield. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin.e're very happy you're joining us this morning. time to check stories making news this morning. defense secretary leon panetta says the massacre of 16 afghan civilians allegedly by a single u.s. soldier won't alter the course the united states and its nato allies have charted for afghanistan. panetta says war is hell and tragic events take place. it's important to stick to the strategy. >> record floodsple slaing southern louisiana, some areas hit with more than 20 inches of rain. flash flood warnings still in effect, four-foot floodwaters surrounded a school bus with middle school kids in it on monday in lafayette parish. they were rescued, all are safe. >>> tornado-raferage, harrisburg, illinois will not be getting federal aid from fema. their request has been deny. seven people were killed, 98 homes were levelled in harrisburg during last month's deadly storms. the city's mayor says he just doesn't get it. fema insists the state home owners insurance and local charities can cover al

. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. we're very happy you're with us. we're bringing you the news from "a" to "z." it is 5:00 a.m. in the east. we'll start with the top stories. >>> the sound and the fury. he was screaming, they're going to take us down and ranting about the middle east and a bomb. new tape this morning of a jet blue pilot and what's being called a mental breakdown at 30,000 feet. you're going to hear from the hero copilot and the passengers who literally grabbed him by his neck to save the flight. and the more you hear, the more you realize just how close they came to disaster. >>> the supreme court, set for a critical final day of arguments in the historic health care debate. today's session focusing on whether parts of the president's plan can even remain law if the individual mandate at the heart of the overhaul is deemed unconstitutional. >>> an emotional plea for justice. the parents of trayvon martin speaking to lawmakers on capitol hill, as supporters continue to insist the florida teenager was killed because he was black. >>> n

i'm ashleigh banfield. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. very glad to be here. we're bringing you the news from "a" to "z." let's get started. >> it's such a super day. super tuesday has become super wednesday. mitt romney racking up six super states, including that classic cliff hanger in ohio. he's kind of talking like it's over, but did he land that knockout blow? >> no. >> if your support really means everything to ann and me, and i'm not going to let you down. i'm going to get this nomination. >> while rick santorum wins three states because mitt romney still cannot convince conservatives that he's the man. we're taking a look at the exit polls. this is my favorite part actually. different numbers are revealing some big problems for the front-runner. christine romans is breaking it all down. she's going to talk about electability and the economy and what folks are saying about that. >> i'm not sure it's my favorite part because the information is so revealing or whether it's christine romans, who's my favorite person. we're going to ge

zoraida sambolin has those for us. >> developing story in florida.ed up their investigation into the suspected hazing death of a member of the florida a & m university band. more than 40 people have been investigated about the death of robert champion in november. the drum major died within an hour of being beaten in a ritual called crossing bus c. the case is now in the hands of the florida attorney general. >>> day two of pope benedict's historic visit to cuba brings him to havana. he was greeted yesterday by raul castro. the pope calling on cubans to build a renewed and more open society. cuba was once an atheist state. the only second papal visit there. >>> gas prices rising for 18 days straight now. aaa says the new national average for gas, $3.90 a gallon up 1/10th of a cent. it's inching closer to that $4 a gallon point. let's check in on markets. u.s. stock future es down slighy right now. two reports are out later this morning. >>> nasa putting on a light show early this morning launching five rockets into space in a matter of minutes from t

zoraida sambolin is off today. we begin with your top stories. george zimmerman's brother speaks out. >> he's a neighbor that everybody would want to have. >> stunning details about what happened the night trayvon martin died and how george zimmerman is handling all of the questions and controversies right now. that's as a new witness comes forward claiming to have seen the deadly shooting and aftermath. >>> and chilling new video of those deadly tornados that flattened henryville. a school bus was thrown through a window. >>> and a 12-year-old girl being brutally beaten. this morning, new developments involving four of the rhode island teens behind the attack. >>> and are you feeling lucky this morning? millions of other folks like you are lining up for a world record lotto jackpot. the mega millions is staggering, $540 million, and it could go up by more today. this morning we have your odds of winning and some good advice on how to play the very best numbers. >> we're asking the question, would you come back to work the next day? >> heck yeah.

. >> i'm zoraida sambolin. >> blago is not going away quietly.is not only ex-governor of illinois, also a convicted felon and a little later on he was draped in u.s. flag after this farewell news conference that looked a little bit more like a staged political rally. we'll give you the highlights. >>> rabbi, reality show star, adviser to his heirness, now, he is running for congress. he is joining us live here. >>> and on to our top stories now. defense secretary leon panetta meets with afghan president, harmid karzai. >>> also making news, a school bus driver killed, 28 students injured when the bus that they were on crashed into a semi on the highway in southern pennsylvania. >>> drivers license and cars while they were behind bars. all ed lavin derue with an exclusive ahead. >>> afghan president and harmid karzai trying to ease the tensions after the killing of 16 civilians last weekend. the two met in kabul a short time ago. the soldier accused in that massacre has been whisked out of that country, taken to a military base in kuwait. that has

. >> i'm christine romans in for zoraida sambolin today. it's 6:00 a.m. in the east.e are three words you probably hear a lot, jobs, jobs, jobs. you're going to hear more about it today because the big jobs report for january is going to be out in two hours. predictions are interesting but could they boost or bite president obama? >>> israel's prime minister is talking about a timetable for an attack on iran. and series of interviews talking about when they could do something there, how many days, weeks, months, before time runs ounchts here's something a surviving crime victim shouldn't have to feel, shocked after ruling that these four killers and a bunch of other criminalses are going to be free to exercise their pardons after the mississippi high court upheld the former governor's decision to let them out of jail. >>> it's like a gravity rocket aimed at the center of the earth. jason carroll gets a look at the capsule that will take james cameron on a dive seven miles deep. gravity rocket. >> that's a brilliant way to say it. a gravity rocket that could squeeze yo

i'm ashleigh banfield >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. happy to have you here. check the stories. that u.s. soldier accused of killing 16 afghan civilians has an attorney. his attorney, john henry brown, says because of injuries suffered in iraq, his client should not have been sent back to the battlefield and says there is concern about fallout from the massacre overseas and here at home. >> well, apparently homeland security this morning issued a directive that they're expecting some sort of retaliation for these allegations, so it's being taken very seriously and i think that's why his name is not being revealed and i wouldn't reveal it even though i know what it is. i think there is serious concern about the safety. >> oh, my gosh. oh, my gosh. oh, my gosh. >> the reaction to a rare march tornado that's caught on tape in michigan. it forced 200 people from their homes, part of a severe weather outbreak from michigan all the way down through the south. storms damaging or destroying several homes outside ann arbor. there are reports at least three funnel cloud

i'm zoraida sambolin. "starting point" with soledad o'brien starting next.good morning, everybody, as well. "starting point" this morning, it's back to school in chardon, ohio. students right now are going to be returning to class this morning. same time the shooting suspect has been charged as a juvenile with three counts of murder. and the coach who is a hero says i'm not a hero but he is a hero. talking about how he was able to help students during the rampage. we're going to hear from him as well. >>> also, it might be the calm between the storms this morning. there's a threat of more severe weather today after the deadly midwestern storms. we'll update you on what's going to happen weather wise. >>> the major security scare happened at philadelphia's airport. a guy just running right through the fence. right on to the runway as a

i'm zoraida sambolin. "starting point" with soledad o'brien starting next.good morning, everybody, as well. "starting point" this morning, it's back to school in chardon, ohio. students right now are going to be returning to class this morning. same time the shooting suspect has been charged as a juvenile with three counts of murder. and the coach who is a hero says i'm not a hero but he is a hero. talking about how he was able to help students during the rampage. we're going to hear from him as well. >>> also,t

i'm zoraida sambolin. >> i'm ashleigh banfield live in illinois.s of twisters and the bulk of the death toll coming from right here. a full report in just a moment. >>> and winner take some. mitt romney wins michigan, but splits the delegates with rick santorum right down the middle. romney also picking up another state right before super tuesday and after three days at sea without power, no toilets, no showers, no lights and, on top of that, in pirate infested water. that cruise ship finally arrives in port, and boy, do people have stories to tell there. we've got stories somewhere else, also. we're going to go right over to ashleigh, she's live in harrisburg, illinois. ashleigh? >> zaraida we're just 24 hours into this disaster and reports can change of the injured and the wounded. with started auch this program by saying here at the garden height apartment was the scene of all the deaths in the community, it turns out five deaths here and another death adjacent to us. it's a significant death toll when we talk about 12 people across several stat

i'm zoraida sambolin. >> i'm ashleigh banfield. else is nice, we have christine romans. she's always working hard. running back and forth to the newsroom. >> little breathless. >> in your heels. >>> let's start with iran. new satellite images raising more fears about iran's nuclear program. two western diplomats tell cnn that satellite images show large trucks and earth moving vehicles at a suspected nuclear testing site. timing is important. u.n. inspectors have tried and failed to get into this site before. tehran only decided on monday that they'd be let in. >>> angry sun. a stunning image from nasa of solar flares erupting after speeding through space at 4 million miles an hour. they're bombarding earth. they say it might disrupt gps. a bright side, sparking a magical northern lights display. >>> free checking for wells fargo customers may soon be a thing of the past. the bank announcing a $7 a month service fee in six more states. wells fargo stopped offering free checking for its new customers back in 2010. officials haven't