again here. at least the reuniting part. we'll give you an incredible story how one dog not only was a survivor once, but twice. that's all coming up in just a moment. it is nice to hear some good news coming out of there. thank you. meantime, chardon high school students heading back to class for the first time since monday's shootings. the day after the accused shooter was charged with murder. the scene of the massacre, we understand, will have a different look as the students enter the school. take a look at this, a plane had to abort a landing and fly in circles because of that. an alleged drunk driver who decided to take a ride on the runway. we'll have much more on that coming up. up first here, back to school in chardon, ohio, has never been like this. classes resume this morning at chardon high, just days after a school shooting that shattered that entire community. three students were killed there. the shooting suspect, 17-year-old t.j. lane, has been charged with three counts of aggravated murder. he is charged in juvenile court but that may change. lane may still be prosecuted as an adult. the school's assistant football coach, the hero that we're all talking about, frank hall, he chased that gunman out of the building. he had this to say yesterday. >> the families of danny, demetrius, and russell, i want you to know i was with them. i prayed with them, i wiped their tears, and i know god was with them. i don't know why this happened, i only wish i could have done more. i'm not a hero, just a football coach and a study hall teacher. the law enforcement, first responders that came to our aid that day, they are the heroes. >> the parents are happy that that man was by their children's side. frank hall says it is important students and staff return to show that, quote, terror and evil do not win out. cnn's ted rowlands is live in chardon, ohio. ted, we understand that they have actually changed the setting as the students come back to the school. can you tell us about that? >> reporter: yeah. yesterday, zoraida, the students came back for the first time with their parents. they were there for a few hours. and one of the things that we understood talking to the folks that were there, parents and students, is that they changed the cafeteria around. of course, that was the spot where this horrific shooting took place. they rearranged all of the tables so that when the students come back it will be different, a new start is the mentality there. that was something that was very emotional, talking to students and parents, that when they came into the cafeteria and they saw that it was changed, that it really did bring it home that something had happened there but their fear of going back into that room was allayed a little bit with some of these students. clearly this will be a long process. they know that. counselors will be here on site today as the students come back. >> ted, have you had or have you heard anything about the students talking about t.j. lane? because initially some of them said that he was a nice guy. others said he was a loner. the prosecutor said he was not well. are the students talking about him? >> reporter: oh, absolutely. they're talking about the fact that he had changed in years past. the last three to four years he had become withdrawn. one student said he used to be part of the gang but he just sort of drifted away to himself. the one thing, zoraida, they said he was a nice kid. when he was engaged with other kids, he was a pleasant, nice kid. >> and i want to end on a positive note here. i heard that they had their first sporting event last night since the shooting. how did that go? >> reporter: well, i think we have some videos. just unbelievable. >> there it is. >> both teams showed up wearing the chardon red colors, even the opposing team who was blue had red on during the warmups. the fans all wore red. it was really a fabulous night of unity. this was a playoff sectional game. chardon ended up winning by about 20 points. it was really the theme there a community coming together on both sides. and as one person said, letting these kids be kids for the first time since the shooting. >> that is a spectacular moment to see. i'm sure it's going to help with their healing. ted rowlands live for us. thank you very much for that. now let's send it out to ashleigh. she is live in harrisburg, illinois, with the latest there. i was reading, ashleigh, that they are hiring an expert to track the severe storms that are headed in your direction kind of adding insult to injury here. >> yeah, because they want a coordinator to be able to be on hand for all hands on deck but on hand specifically for the weather story. if there's just one piece of video or at least an image i can draw your attention to, look behind me at that mess. i'm sure that it's pretty hard to recognize. if you look at the little white dot at the back, it's a license plate. that tells you that's a flatbed truck up on its end. this is the reality. i have been walking through this community for 48 hours. all i hear are buzz saws, front end loaders, tractors just trying to scoop up these disaster areas and get rid of it. get rid of it as soon as possible because there's more to come. we're expecting more severe weather through here. in fact, there is a broad swath of several states that's expecting severe weather. we had thought there would be a second set of tornadoes coming through here. you can see people picking through all of their belongings trying to get whatever they could as quickly as possible to salvage it from the come willing rains. we're expecting a heavy downpour possibly in the next couple of hours. some hail has already been in the forecast. we're not expecting tornadoes again. that fear really did pass. there are other areas though without question to our east and to our south that may not have as good news as we're having here though in harrisburg. and, you know, there were so many people that i met that were so hopeful even though they were picking through complete wreckage of their homes that they were alive and that their family members were okay. i came across these two girls yesterday who were picking through their grandmother's and their grandfather's home. lid yeah and khloe lie on told me the story of their elderly grandparents who were in bed. they're in their 70s. their grandmother has a broken femur and their grandfather has kidney problems. the only warning that they had that there was a tornado coming was when the ceiling of their bedroom fell in on them in bed and the roof blew right off. take a look at how they told me they got to safety regardless. >> well, they were actually in bed at the time. my grandma was on this side of the bed on her side and my grandpa was on his back over there. they didn't even know there was a storm until their ceiling caved in on top of them. >> the roof is gone. >> the ceiling fell on top of them. >> your grandmother has a broke jen leg. your grandfather's in his 70s. he's not well. what did they do? >> she rolled. >> she rolled out on the floor. she braced herself on this, pulled herself up. that's all she could do. she was screaming for my grandpa to get out of bed. he got out of the debris, comes around, grabs her, walks like, this more of like a dragging like step, step, pull, then once they grabbed a sheet, he had a sheet because he saw all the glass on the floor. >> they were barefoot. >> oh, totally barefoot. yeah. and then they ran into here, went into the bathroom. that's basically all they could do. >> this is where they rode the storm out. >> the last two or three minutes before someone in the family came. >> reporter: of course, that's always the critical story. if there's a threat coming, get to an inner room, get to a closet, bathroom, mattress over you. that's how they rode out the storm and happily we can report they're okay. the house is a goner. let me tell you something else. as we continue to look at the damage here, we're also looking ahead to the weather systems. rob marciano has been tracking this for us. i don't think you've been sleeping much. these things change all the time. we have three states, right, that are in possible direct path? >> yeah. more than that, ashleigh. this will affect a wide swath. the bull's eye is in a core of three states. we're already starting to see storms fire ahead of this system. severe thunderstorm watch has been in effect for parts of missouri and a warning just in effect a few minutes ago for jefferson city. so these storms will continue to fire. just thunderstorms that create some hail and high winds. the realtor nadeau threat will come later in the day as we get the main system. this low will intensify. a little different situation than the last go around. unfortunately affecting the same people. this will move off towards the north and east. tap the gulf of mexico moisture. winds coming in different directions. that's the key to forecasting long tractor nad does. we expect to see a fair amount of those. it does include parts of southern indiana, ohio. the timing for this will be 3:00, 4:00 in the afternoon until 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 or later at night as the storm progresses rapidly. these storms will be moving very, very quickly powered by a strong jet stream. looking at 60 to 70 miles an hour in transport. some could be as strong as it hit in southern illinois. back to you. >> reporter: all right, rob. thanks very much for that. i want to mention as well that am coulding up a little bit later in the program we'll have those lion granddaughters to give us an update. i have good news for you. also coming up you'll meet roxie. what a survivor. roxie, a dog. two times being orphaned essentially in a tornado. and she has been reunited with her owner. you won't believe the path it took and, more importantly, what does happen with pets when this kind of thing rolls through your community? got a great story about that coming up. if you want to help, reach out, i can't stress it enough, there is a lot you can be doing. there are a lot of different ways you can help. go to cnn.com/impact. you'll find a whole array of different organizations that you can reach out to. the red cross volunteers always say we need your money, we need your blood, we need your work. lots of things you can do even if you're far away. volunteers come from everywhere after a disaster like this. the cleanup is only beginning. zoraida, back to you. >> we're looking forward to the good stories and great news. minding your business this morning. u.s. markets are making some gains here. positive economic news pushing the dow, nasdaq, s&p 500 all higher yesterday. let's bring in miss christine romans now. she is talking at&t changing its unpopular data throttling policy for smartphone users. i was reading this and i said, i'll let christine explain it. >> people were so angry because they said when is unlimited not unlimited? why is at&t slowing down my usage when i hit a certain vague level? people were very, very upset about this. now at&t is reacting to those very angered customers. it's a clarifying its policy for you unlimited policy users. it's called throttling. when it takes longer to download something, surf the web because at&t has slowed down your usage on your smartphone. for unlimited plans when you hit 3 gigabytes during a cycle, that's when the throttling will begin. 17 million users are affected. until now it had been something very vague. when people in your neighborhood reach 5% of data usage for the networks, suddenly you could be slowed down. consumers are angry. we don't like it. it's an unlimited plan. let me tell you how much that is, 3 gigs. 10 hours of high definition video. so when you hit that level, now you have kind ever gobbled up as much as you can before you're tlot ld. your smartphone is like a mini computer. we're doing so many more things. >> family plans also. so you have a lot of users on that one plan. >> yeah. i'll tell you something. what they're trying to did, all of the carriers, is they're trying to pushing you into these tiered plans so you're paying more for what you use. they're trying to move into a new way of doing it. these unlimited plans have been problematic for the companies because you're using so much of this stuff in new ways every day. there's only so much spectrum. >> so this makes me as mad as those bank fees. >> i know. >> there are a lot of banks out there. what about this, do we have other options? >> when you look at the cell phone stories and you look the at bank stories you can see a consumer tapped out, maxed out, angry. you can see a consumer fighting back on unfair nickel and diming. we found out yesterday that the credit unions last year got a record number of new -- there were a record number of people every day, thousands of people are leaving their banks and going to credit unions because of fees. i think both of those are tied together because they are the story of the maxed out consumer who's not going to take it anymore. >> shop around and see if somebody else has something better to offer. thank you very much. it is 14 minutes past the hour. here time to check the stories that are making news this morning. counselors will keep a very close watch on the students at chardon high school as they return to class just days after that fatal shooting. one student says being together will give them strength. and more dangerous weather on the way, and many of the same areas hit earlier this week are in the bull's eye again. there are high winds, hail, more large and powerful tornadoes possible from new orleans all the way up through the ohio valley today. be wear of that. and the coast guard has recovered the bodies of two more crew members lost in a helicopter crash into alabama's mobile bay this week. the rescuers have now found three of the four people on board that coast guard chopper. and a group of nongovernmental workers from the united states, europe and israel have left egypt after posting bail. the workers are facing fraud charges. the son of u.s. transportation secretary ray lahood is among those allowed to leave. and this just in, folks, the national average for gas rising another fraction of a cent to $3.74 a gallon. it's inching closer and closer to that $4 mark. high oil prices continue to drive gas prices up and the cost of gas is up more than 14% since the start of the year. i am sorry to be the bearer of bad news there. still ahead on "early start", a run away jeep on a runway. look at that. causing a huge scare in the air, on the ground, a huge scramble. we'll bring you some details on that crazy and bizarre story. president obama gets the last laugh after firing back at a heckler during a fundraiser in new york. if you missed it, we've got it. you're watching "early start." in here, the landscaping business grows with snow. to keep big winter jobs on track, at&t provided a mobile solution that lets everyone from field workers to accounting, initiate, bill, and track work in real time. you can't live under a dome in minnesota, that's why there's guys like me. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪ i like yoplait. it is yoplait. but you said it was greek. mmhmm. so is it greek or is it yoplait? exactly. okay... [ female announcer ] yoplait. it is so greek. ♪ that is eltonon, "philadelphia freedom." on that note we say, good morning, philadelphia. it is 39 degrees there. little later, it will be nice and sunny and 52 degrees. let's stay in philadelphia, shall we? it was a security scare at philadelphia international airport. a plane was just seconds from landing when a man, take a look at this, drove his jeep through a fence and onto the runway. >> we've got a rogue vehicle driving around on the airport. we're not talking to him. hold short. we're not moving anybody until we find this guy. >> police quickly caught up with the jeep. they surrounded the suspect after he hit a couple of runway lights. police say that suspect, 24-year-old kenneth mazik, appeared to be intoxicated. he is now facing a number of charges including reckless endangerment and criminal mischief. we have a security person on the phone. i want to get right into this. i want to mention that you are the former director of security at tel aviv ben gur onairport because that is one of the safest airports i've ever traveled through. you have been concerned about security, safety -- perimeter security for years. you even testified about this. this actually happened in broad daylight. how is it possible that something like this happens? >> i think it's the natural result of the fact that our security -- national security policy has not been balanced from the point of view that we've been investing for the last ten years almost all of our efforts in the passenger's bags and the cargo. other terms, everything that goes on the aircraft. we've paid relatively very little attention and resources to securing the airport itself and its perimeter. this has been exhibited more than once. actually, every week you hear about an incident somewhere across the country where the perimeter has been breached mostly by pedestrians or in extreme cases like this one, by a vehicle. >> well, here in this case allegedly this man was intoxicated, but you really worry about this being a terrorist threat, don't you? >> yes, of course. even on the level of the incident that occurred yesterday, i think the public should be concerned because this is not the first time that a drunk person has driven a car across the perimeter of an airport and ended up either on the runway or near the runway. as you can see from the video, the proximity of the car to the aircraft on the runway, 70% is a public safety issue which is rather extreme. >> right. it was actually 15 seconds before landing. they had to abort that landing. we're taking a look at the airplane coming in now. let me ask you about this because a homeland security expert told one of our affiliates that you could bankrupt an airport, municipality, even a country if you tried to secure the perimeter of every airport so how do you do this? >> well, every airport is a single airport. there is certain responsibilities for public safety and for security. these responsibilities are shared between the government, the federal government, and the local airport authority. it has bp for years that faa has been regulating public safety issues and dictating standards for the perimeter security even prior to 9/11 on safety basis. but i have to say that since 9/11 when tsa took over the security at airports, perimeter has not received the tremendous amount of attention and you can see that -- >> it's definitely a concern. i have one more question because i'm going to lose you here in a moment. we do know that there was some fast action that happened here, and i'm curious, they say that the ground radar kicked in. the tower was alerted immediately. they made sure to divert the flights that were coming in. they quickly shut down the airport. is that something that's training that's provided to every airport or was that just somebody's quick thinking? >> well, it certainly worries me in every airport. i would assume that most larnl airpor large airports this is the case. again, a lot of it depends on the ability to detect the breach at the time when it occurs. sometimes it's very difficult to detect these breaches, especially when they occur at night and not necessarily by a vehicle but by pedestrians. we don't even know that the breemp has occurred before we realize that we have a disaster on our hand. >> very scary moments. we appreciate you coming in and sharing your experience. thank you. still to come on "early start," a tense hostage situation at a bank in california. we're going to show you how it all ends. and hundreds of animals like this one went up for adoption after the joplin tornado. one ended up in harrisburg, and guess what, he was almost lost again. we're going to meet her, we're going to meet her owner. ashleigh banfield has all of the stories for us. you're watching "early start." y to help minimize blood sugar spikes. [ male announcer ] new glucerna hunger smart. a smart way to help manage hunger and diabetes. check out the latest collection of snacks from lean cuisine. creamy spinach artichoke dip, crispy garlic chicken spring rolls. they're this season's must-have accessory. lean cuisine. be culinary chic. i have a great fit with my dentures. i love kiwis. i've always had that issue with the seeds getting under my denture. super poligrip free -- it creates a seal of the dentures in my mouth. even well-fitting dentures let in food particles. super poligrip is zinc free. with just a few dabs, it's clinically proven to seal out more food particles so you're more comfortable and confident while you eat. super poligrip free made the kiwi an enjoyable experience. [ charlie ] try zinc free super poligrip. and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. [ woman ] lower cholesterol. [ man 2 ] yummy. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste and whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. that can help lower cholesterol? today is gonna be an important day for us. you ready? we wanna be our brother's keeper. what's number two we wanna do? bring it up to 90 decatherms. how bout ya, joe? let's go ahead and bring it online. attention on site, attention on site. now starting unit nine. some of the world's cleanest gas turbines are now powering some of america's biggest cities. siemens. answers. it is 27 minutes past the hour. welcome back to "early start." it's time to check the stories making news this morning. students at chardon high school in ohio will try to move forward. classes will resume days after the deadly shooting there. t.j. lane is charged with three counts of murder. a high threat for more tornadoes today in many of the same areas that were hit earlier this week are in the bull's eye again. high winds, hail, and more large and powerful twisters are possible from new orleans all the way up through the ohio valley today. and a hostage situation at a california bank ended abruptly with the gunman being shot. the suspect had earlier released ten hostages during negotiations but kept the bank's manager inside with him. and a skier who was buried alive by an avalanche for several hours, survived, and listen to this, with only a broken leg. the wall of snow hit a group of skiers in lake tahoe. one skier was killed. at&t easing up on the throttle. the company announced it's increasing limits on smartphone data usage. that is a response to you, all of your customer complaints, about slowdowns that were put in place last summer due to all of the soaring data usage. two days after honoring combat troops with a white house dinner president obama finishes up the week with a visit to wounded warriors at walter reed national military center. and now let's send it out to ashleigh banfield. she is live in harrisburg, and i understand with one lucky dog. >> reporter: oftentimes we forget when we're doing big stories on cleanup and survival which are critical in a story of a community hitting. we forget about small pets that scramble out of fear and run a long way away. that's the next story i want to bring you. its a' i story of little roxie. little roxie is not only a survivor of the tornado 24 week in harrisburg, but also a survivor of the tuscaloosa tornado from a year ago. she was racing for cover and no one could find her owners. she had to be adopted. she was luckily adopted by one nick lambert who happened to be visiting from college to harrisburg, illinois, when this tornado hit here. this story is so remarkable, nick. you're also joined by trisha. roxie has been with, you've been her adopted owner for six weeks. the tornado strikes. you're visiting your family here. you get your family to safety and what happens to the dog? >> she ran out of the window with all of the commotion. couldn't find her for 15 or 16 hours. >> how did you find her? >> we went out to social media ant put her picture up everywhere. eventually i got a call from the vet in alabama. they scanned her microchip. >> it wasn't your information, right? >> i hadn't put my information in yet. >> reporter: you just adopted her. >> they got ahold of me and i went and found her at 8:00. 15 hours after the tornado hit. >> a mile away? >> that's where she ran. >> reporter: when you got to our location this morning she was really nervous. >> she's skittish. loud noises are bothering her. i think that's going to wear off here in the next week or so. >> reporter: two time survivor, that little dog. reunited with you this time. not reunited about her other owners. do we know about her other owners? >> we don't. she was walking the streets after the tornado down there. i don't know what happened to them but i'm glad i got her back. >> reporter: trish sha, this is oftentimes the story. pets are terrified. they take off and don't necessarily come back, do they? >> that's correct. very often they hide. that's our fear in the red zone, that we have a lot of animals that are hiding. >> reporter: this is the red zone that's under curfew from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. >> we can't get in there at any time. we're hoping today that's going to lighten under and we can get some folks in there to start searching. >> reporter: what's a good tactic to try to draw pets out? >> the first thing we suggest is that food is put out. we'll have trouble with the weather. these animals are going to be scared. they're going to be injured so we want to make sure people aren't going to get hurt, get bitten. that's our first focus, to try to get food to them. let them see us, that we're there trying to help them. because they'll be watching. if they're hiding, they're going to be seeing what's going on. >> reporter: how many animals have you got in rescue right now, in shelter? >> well, right now i currently have 13. i believe there are several others at other places. right now we don't have that much. we have been able to rehome nine so is it. >> reporter: that's great. she's looking a little less scared. good luck to you in your efforts. i think what you're doing is terrific. you, lucky man. congratulations. we're thankful that you brought roxie to meet with us. she's truly dear. she looks more relaxed. that's great. nick lambert and trisha stilley joining us on location. >> reporter: while we're talking about the pet stories, there are stories about those who sift through wreckage. there's been lightening going on behind us. we're keeping an eye on that. one of the hard hit areas in this tornado in harrisburg, illinois, was actually the medical center. there were pain ents in that medical center. they had to be evacuated to safety. how do you think patients could have survived that? they did. not only that, they have all been moved to a safer place. you'll find out how they pulled that unbelievable fete off. not only that, you're going to hear from the person who was running that show and how they think they're going to have this place up and running in just a couple of tas from now which is truly remarkable. if you want to help, i can't stress it enough. i keep repeating myself. i will do it again, cnn.com/impact. this is a time when you need to help your neighbors even if they are states and states away. you can give money, you can give blood, you can give time, can you give volunteering efforts. you can do a lot. cnn.com/impact. we hope you can help out. live in harrisburg. we'll be right back with a whole lot more. we are watching this weather story as it develops. are you still sleeping? just wanted to check and make sure that we were on schedule. the first technology of its kind... mom and dad, i have great news. is now providing answers families need. siemens. answers. chchasase e scscenene,e, x cocomimingng s soooonn exextrtra a bubutttter titickcketets,s, s swon pepengnguiuin n jojouruy jujuninioror m minints momoviviefefononee evevilil p pririncncee bobollllywywoooodd 3-3-dd shsharark k atattatack nened d ththe e hehead 5%5% c casashbhbacackk ririghght t nonow,w, g getet 5 k onon m movovieies.s. itit p payays s toto d di. there's another way to minimize litter box odor: purina tidy cats. our premium litters now work harder to help neutralize odors in multiple cat homes. purina tidy cats. keep your home smelling like home. welcome back. it is 37 minutes past the hour here. if the poll numbers are right republican voters are starting to rally behind mitt romney in a big way here. rick santorum campaigning in georgia yesterday selling his message of not romney. comparing the race actually to a reality show. >> this is an episode of survivor. we need to stay on the island, not get voted off, keep plugging, stay on message and have hopefully the grassroots of conservative movement support us. i think you're seeing that now. >> and it's not looking good for santorum in the latest gallup poll, romney 11 points ahead among registered republicans. in one week romney's gained eight points while santorum has dropped ten points. so we're going to talk about this. live in washington, democratic strategist penny lee is joining us. from columbia south carolina, we have joe sawer. from washington, d.c., cnn political editor, paul steinhauser. i want to get to those numbers but i want to begin with andrew breitbart's death. if you can each weigh in on the impact that he's had on the political world. paul, i'll begin with you. >> cpac, other conservative gatherings at the first tea party gatherings he was a force in the conservative movement over the last decade. he will be missed by the right. >> penny? >> i was with him recently a couple months ago on another set and he was a passionate conservative but someone that you also agreed with personally. he had a great passion for his family and my condolences as they survive and go through his loss. >> our sent imts as well. joel? >> great guy. just very nice guy on a personal level. very gracious and his passion and ideas will be missed. >> gone too young, i say. gone too young. paul, let's turn back to politics here. santorum out on the trail in georgia yesterday selling his message of not romney. let's listen and then we'll talk numbers. >> the best chance for us to win is not to go along with the good old boys who always want to nominate a moderate. . the best chance for us to win is to create clear, sharp contrast. give america a choice. >> choices are really great, but the polls seem to show that people are starting to choose someone other than him. we had the polls up earlier. we'll put them up here again i think. typically what we're saying, paul, is that we see this sway of, you know, who you're going to support based on the results of the primaries or caucuses, but this poll is too early to reflect the wins in michigan, arizona, wyoming. what do these polls mean? >> yeah. the national poll is interesting. it is a dramatic shift over the last week, last week and a half, no doubt about that. the polls in the states are a crucial member. it's a battle for the states. ohio, one of the most important if not the most important super tuesday state. the most recent polls which were conducted about a week ago had santorum up by about double digits. we'll have five new polls, zoraida, in ohio starting today through monday. in tennessee, oklahoma, santorum was also on top in those most recent polls. gingrich was on top in georgia. we have to see more of these state polls by the end of the weekend before we can truly understand what's going to happen on tuesday. >> i appreciate that you're the numbers guy. we're going to continue tracking those. i'll stay on this other poll. it's wonderful it shows romney ahead. but i want to read a part of a new endorsement that might sting a little bit for mitt romney. it's from the seattle times. it says a former mass. chas sets governor has the most potential in a thin party to represent his party with democratic president obama. this is certainly no endorsement of romney's candidacy. for purposes of the watching tongue kraungs romney is the practical choice. what kind of an endorsement is that? >> it's not much of one to be honest with you. it's kind of interesting that you say that. finding a fired up romney supporter is like a game of where's waldo. he's the practical choice. he's the choice that you make with your head. you look at these rallies across the country. when they were here in south carolina, santorum, paul, gingrich all have a very passionate base of support. with romney, it's almost like people are resigned to support him. that's got to be frightening for him heading into the super tuesday contests. >> penny, i'm going to talk about your president here, and i'm he going to stay on the poles here. we've been saying that romney doesn't have support because he doesn't have all of that passion, right? if he's really that bad, then obama should be trounsing on him. that's what we think here. not so, right? obama barely beats romney in a match-up. it was written logic and evidence suggest it's over. the polls seem to dissent. could it be the real story is that obama is not a shoe in even when he shut be? what is your reaction? >> look, we are in march and this election isn't until november. what we've seen already to date is that there is a lot of ups and downs, tosses and turns. there's a lot of unpredictability. the president, i would say, hasn't gotten into campaign mode yet. you saw some fired up speechts for the first time. he is just starting to get into a little bit of campaign mode. the republicans on the other side have had many, many months to get their messages out and define who they are. i would say relax. it's march. there's a long way to go. >> there is a long haul. paul, joel, penny, thank you for joining us this morning. we'll see you again at the 6:00 hour. there is a lot going on this morning at cnn. at 7:00 eastern on "starting point" soledad will speak with kerry kennedy, the daughter of robert f. kennedy. at 8:00 soledad will be joined with ann coulter. she will share her memories of the late andrew breitbart. how president obama handled a heckler in new york last night. you're watching "early start." a. hey, aren't you... shhh. i'm researching a role. today's special... the capital one venture card. you earn double miles on every purchase. impressive. chalk is a lost medium. if you're not earning double miles... you're settling for half. was that really necessary? [ male announcer ] get the venture card at capitalone.com and earn double miles on every purchase every day. what's in your wallet? cover for me. i have an audition. forty years ago, he wasn't looking for financial advice. back then, he had something more important to do. he wasn't focused on his future but fortunately, somebody else was. at usaa we provide retirement planning for our military, veterans and their families. now more than ever, it's important to get financial advice from people who share your military values. call now for our free guide and tips on planning for your retirement this tax season. you know what's exciting, graduation. when i look up into my student's faces, i see pride. you know, i have done something worthwhile. when i earned my doctorate through university of phoenix, that pride, that was on my face. i am jocelyn taylor, i am committed to making a difference in peoples lives and i am a phoenix. [ click ] it's truck month! no. it's truck month! no. it's truck month! no. it's truck month! no. it's chevy truck month! definitely that one, boss. solid. let's try the other one again. ♪ chevy truck month ♪ no. it's truck month! ♪ truck month ♪ no. truck month! no. it's chevy truck month. yeah. [ male announcer ] it's chevy truck month. . welcome back to "early start." it is 47 minutes past the hour. it's time to check the stories making news. grieving students to return to class at chardon high school for the first time since the school shooting. three students were killed there. the suspect, 17-year-old t.j. lane, was charged with murder in juvenile court but he may still be tried as an adult. and a high threat for more tornadoes today in many of the same areas hit earlier this week are in the bull's eye again. high winds, hail, more large and powerful twisters possible from new orleans all the way up through the ohio valley. so be careful there. a pennsylvania man facing dwi and many other charges after his jeep crashes through a fence on to an active runway at philadelphia international airport. a plane that was just seconds away from landing had to be diverted until they got him off the runway. actress nicolette sheridan returns to the stand after giving her lawyer a good slap. they were showing her how the producer of desperate housewives hit her, a move she said ultimately led to her character being killed off. and president obama was interrupted by a heckler in the middle of a fundraising speech. this was in new york last night. listen. >> none of this change -- none of -- nobody's announced a war, young lady, so -- but we appreciate your sentiment. you're jumping the gun a little bit there. >> about 900 people paid anywhere from 1,000 to $35,000 each to attend last night's event, which was hosted by russell simmons. still ahead for us on "early start," food and medicine coming in. the wounded finally getting out. syria letting the red cross into a besieged neighborhood in homs. we'll have a live report for you. you're watching "early start." courage. and all the points i earned with my citi thankyou card. [ male announcer ] the citi thankyou card. redeem points for travel on any airline with no blackout dates. in here, the landscaping business grows with snow. to keep big winter jobs on track, at&t provided a mobile solution that lets everyone from field workers to accounting, initiate, bill, and track work in real time. you can't live under a dome in minnesota, that's why there's guys like me. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪ will be giving away passafree copies helping you do what you do... even better. of the alcoholism & addiction cure. to get yours, go to ssagesmalibubook.com. . welcome back to "early start." it is 52 minutes past the hour. the voice of the uprising in the syrian city of homs has escaped to lebanon. >> this is one of the tanks that have been hit in baba amr. this is one of 50 or 100 of them. we're expecting them to attack this. >> you've seen danny's reporting on cnn and on youtube. this young activist bravely telling the world about the slaughter of syrian civilians for the better part of last month. he managed to get out of homs earlier this week escaping to lebanon and agreeing to sit down exclusively with cnn's anderson cooper. he was asked why he keeps returning to homs. >> i actually went back not to pick up a camera, i went back to join the free syrian army. they did not allow me to join. they said i have no army training. they said you have a he got good english, try to get the news out to the outside world. we want them to know the truth about what's going on, so i picked up the camera, started shooting doing reports. most of the images i remember the first week because i wasn't used to seeing pieces of bodies in the street, seeing bodies i can't save, i can't even move because a sniper would shoot me if i tried to move the body. >> what do you think is going to happen in bab ba amr. >> they will enter baba amr. they will take out revenge. they will torture women and kids. they will steal every single thing they find in the houses. >> danny also told anderson his biggest disappointment is the fact that the arab league, the united nations and the united states have done nothing to stop the slaughter in syria. meantime, we have new information at this hour. aid to syria is on its way right now. the red cross says seven trucks are heading to the battered city of homs to deliver desperately needed food and medical aid. british prime minister david cameron said the assad regime must be held accountable for crimes against its people. he made those comments at the eu summit in brussels where european leaders are discussing the situation in syria. cnn's nic robertson is monitoring all the developments in syria. he joins us live now from beirut, lebanon. thank you so much for being with us. there's a lot we want to cover this morning. i want to start with the red cross and its efforts to get some aid into homs. what can you tell us about that? >> reporter: well, they've told us that they have made it to homs but the area that they've been allowed to go to, the area that they've said that they were going to baba amr, the area that danny was reporting from, the area that just yesterday the free syrian army had to withdraw from leaving the civilians to the whim of bashar al-assad's forces, that area the red cross have not been able to get to. that was the whole purpose of their journey and they're still waiting to get into that area. indeed, while they've been waiting an activist group said ten civilians have been killed elsewhere in homs and they would like the red cross to go and investigate that right now as well. >> i've got to tell you as we're watching all of these images, i worry about the safety of the red cross going into that area. how do you ensure their safety? >> reporter: well, there have been negotiations with the syrian government through the syrian red crescent to allow them to get into that area. there has to be some kind of cease fire in place. now in baba amr there is, as we understand, only government forces. the free syrian army has withdrawn. but the red cross people we were talking to yesterday said they had no idea what they would find. they would have no idea of how secure the situation would be for them. and in towns and in situations like this it is not uncommon for there to be last-minute problems trying to organize cease fires, access through checkpoints, talks of sporadic shooting or whatever it may be that can hold up operations. so no doubt some of these issues will be on the forefront of the minds of the syrian and red cross as they go in. they don't want to get caught in some kind of cross fire somewhere. >> what can you tell us about the journalists that made it out and also a lot of people want to know about marie colvin's body. will it be returned to her family? >> reporter: well, the syrian government has said that they -- since they entered baba amr they have now dug up marie colvin and remi ochlik's bodies. they were buried and given a short service by the activists, the doctor who worked for so many long hours in the surgery there. he read a statement for the burials. the syrian government said they have exhumed the bodies of marie and remi and they are taking them to da mass cass and they have said they need to prove authenticity through dna. only then will the bodies be repat try eighted to their countries. they are not making this easy. they now have possession of the bodies. for the other journalists, edith bouvier, she is out in a hospital here in beirut being taken care of by doctors and french diplomats and french officials say she could be flown back to france on a medical transport plane later today. >> there's a little bit of good news. live for us in beirut, lebanon. nic robertson, thank you very much. we'll take a quick break and be right back. an aarp... medicare supplement insurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, helps cover some of the medical expenses... not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp medicare supplement insurance. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competitive. i can keep my own doctor. and i don't need a referral to see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits your needs and budget. with all medicare supplement plans, there are virtually no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts medicare. and best of all, these plans are... the only medicare supplement plans endorsed by aarp. when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up. call the number on your screen now... and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... and guide to understanding medicare, to help you choose the plan that's right for you. as with all medicare supplement plans, you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts medicare, get help paying for what medicare doesn't... and save up to thousands of dollars. call this toll-free number now. good morning. welcome to "early start." i'm zoraida sambolin. >> i'm ashleigh banfield live in harrisburg, illinois, scene of f-4 tornado that killed six people. this is the mess behind, the mess that still needs to be cleaned up in the face of approaching terrible weather. we're also keep an eye on the stories emerging of survival. some miraculous escape attempts that were successful. we'll bring you the story of an elderly couple that survived a tornado that ripped the roof right off their bedroom, right off their house, and yet they were able to scramble to safety. and chardon high school students heading back to class for the first time since monday's shooting. the day after the accused shooter was charged with murder. and the scene of the massacre will have a very different look when they walk in. and a plane sent in circles. it actually had to abort a landing because an alleged drunk driver decided to take a ride on the runway where the plane needed to land. we'll give you more details on that. we begin with a new beginning for students and staff at chardon high school in ohio. classes resume this morning for the first time since monday's deadly shooting. three students were killed. murder charges have been filed against the shooting suspect 17-year-old t.j. lane. the tragedy might have been a lot worse if not for frank hall. he is the hero here. the football coach who chased the gunman out of the school. yesterday he made some comments about the shooting. >> the family of danny, demetrius, russell, i want you to know i was with them. i prayed with them, i wiped their tears, i know god was with them. i don't know why this happened. i only wish i could have done more. i'm not a hero. i'm just a football coach and study hall teacher. the law enforcement, first responders, that came to our aid that day, they are the heroes. >> t.j. lane was charged in juvenile court. it is the first step in legal proceedings that could see the 17-year-old be prosecuted as an adult. meantime, there was triumph in the face of all the tragedy. take a look at all this. the chardon high school basketball team winning a playoff game. this all happened last night. they beat rival madison high 78-59. it was the first time they took the court since the shooting. in a show of solidarity, this was fantastic, madison players warmed up before the game in black t-shirts with chardon across the front. a lot of laughter and a lot of tears there last night. just in a few moments we will look at prosecuting the chardon high school student suspect with darren kavinoky, an attorney in hopes of investigation series new series "deadly sins." now let's send it out to ashleigh banfield live in harrisburg, illinois, where i know you're wait for pretty nasty weather headed your way. >> we were actually seeing some flashes of lightning in the black sky behind us. it was just sheet lightning. there's been a bit of a wind wik up as well. we're keeping an eye on that. sor larks this is essentially what you get when buildings in a strip mall and entire lifestyles and communities get put into a virtual blender. it is a disaster area. that is a flatbed truck on the side. you can see the license plate otherwise you would not be able to tell what that is. the power of the winds is so evident from the moment we got here. it's going to be a mammoth task to pick up and clean up and try to restore this town to what it was before. they have history here. they have dealt with flooding several times over. disaster area. i hate to say they are practiced in this art. they are practiced in this art but they are good folks. they will get through this, but not before a lot of volunteers can come out and help them pick up the pieces. not only that, utility crews are everywhere. there's a curfew in place. those utility crews can get around safely. it's also safe for people. live power lines were everywhere. gas leaks everywhere. there's police monitoring looting as well. that has not been a story yet, thank god for that. i just saw loads of product in this strip mall alone. expensive nike shoes. all sorts of things that have to be protected. the president called six governors of the states effected just to offer his thoughts and prayers to those who had been suffering through this disaster. i had been watching street conners where spontaneous volunteer stations set up, handing out water, handing out power for your cell phone, giving food out just on the corners. sounds of buzz saws everywhere as volunteers, a group of mennonite men showed up at the church the other day to help clean up the wreckage around. it's been a remarkable story. one of the big stories here was the harrisburg medical center. they also took a direct hit as well. part of the front of its building was taken right off. patients were inside. but for the really quick thinking of the folks inside there, spiriting a lot of those parkts into a safer inner corridor they could have been severely hurt. by the time i got there yesterday i could not believe how fast they had tried to repair those walls and roofs because of the oncoming weather. have a look. >> the patients had to be actually scrambled to the inner wall, the inner hallways to ride out the storm. you can see some of the damage here as i get this ipad into one of the hospital rooms that's lost its wall. the workers are trying to seal things off because a lot of rain is expected and heavy winds yet again tonight. they're trying to make thur shah everything is safe. so that is the ipad version of. here's the official vegs of it. danny is one of the executives at the harrisburg medical center. let's get a quick update. everything is sealed up, the roofing, the walls for whatever is about to hit us? >> everything is sealed up. our recovery plan started immediately. we have engineers in there, and contractors in there, and architects in there to see what part of the building is safe and what wasn't. we're well on our way to recovery. we hope we can open up by monday morning. >> i was astounded when i heard you say that yesterday. i have to remind people that all of this has people who are injured in this disaster are coming to your medical center. you had patients in there that had to be spirited away to the inner corridors. incoming injured and all the while you're trying to orchestrate a mass evacuation and you did. you got got everybody eventually out of there. >> we did. we have emergency management plans that we put into place. everyone worked tremendously well. we got the patients to an interior corridor where everything was safe. once that was done, then we had to make preparations for the influx of patients that were going to come in from the community. >> i just want to draw people's attention to the purple ribbon that you're wearing on your name tag. the initialling on there, hbg and jf. people should know one of the fatalities in this community was one of your nurses, jalen ferrell. >> yes. >> did not die at the medical center but you got word that she didn't survive that horrible situation over at the housing complex where we were yesterday. >> yes, we suffered a loss just like everyone else did in the community. we're very sorrowful about that. >> we're just showing her lovely photograph in better days, jaylynn. how is your staff managing, knowing that you've gone through this this trauma at your medical center and lost a colleague? >> they're doing well. they functioned well during the emergency. then we have a debriefing afterwards and then it will be back to business as usual hopefully on monday morning if we're able to open up. >> good luck monday morning. you guys worked incredibly. you had strong plans in place that paid off. danny lampley, thanks for coming out. also want to get you up to speed on what's happening. we've been watching the skies, a bit of flashes of lightning. rob marciano, i'm watching this changing story. i was trying to get some sleep last night there was a potential of some tornadoes coming through here. now there's not that grand fear if n. this community but there are other communities not too far away that are facing that possibility. >> there's going to be two rounds of convection today. it should pass south but a threat for southern illinois today. by the way, the storm survey out of there was increased the length of that twister, that ef-4 twister was 26 mileses long. pictures out of cumberland, tennessee, confirmed now, national weather service went out there, yes, this was not only a tornado but an ef-2 tornado in klcumberland, tennessee. 125-mile-an-hour winds. this path was five miles long. but the same width, incidentally, 250 yards as the harrisburg tornado. all right, threat today, you bet. this storm is different. it's going to be stronger. it will intensify and head up to the great lakes, tapping moisture from the gulf of mexico. already seeing the atmosphere recover as far as dew points or moisture. severe thunderstorm watch in effect for missouri. two rounds of convection. first one will be with the warm front as the moisture and warmth surges north. i-44 towards st. louis. that's huge hail with it. baseball size hail reported in coal county. this is moisturing towards st. louis. it will be there within 45 minutes. if you live in the st. louis area and you have the option to get under something, go outside and do it now because that car is going to get some damage. this is the area. cincinnati, just east of harr harrisburg. moderate risk of thunderstorms that will produce tornadoes all of the way down to northern bam obama a -- alabama and these could be a dangerous afternoon and evening for the ohio and tennessee valleys. ashleigh, back over to you. >> thanks so much for that. looking behind me it's hard to believe that anybody who had to deal with wreckage like this in their life is happy? i have a story of someone feeling very blessed. if you're feeling blessed today, maybe you should reach out to the folks who need help here. you can do that by logging on and going to cnn.com/impact. you will find an array of organizations you can donate to. blood, money, time, all of that is needed. a lot of people are struggling to feel better eventually. zoraida, back to you. >> looking forward to that. thank you, ashleigh. still ahead on "early start," the chardon high school suspect be tried as an adult? we're going to let an expert weigh in on that for us. it's a high speed chase down an airport runway. it sent planes circling in the air. one had to abort a landing. what happened there? we're going to tell you. you're watching "early start." what's left behind? [ female announcer ] purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena® naturals. removes 99% of dirt and toxins without dyes, parabens or harsh sulfates. so skin feels pure and healthy. [ female announcer ] from neutrogena® naturals. you know, typical alarm clock. i am so glad to get rid of it. just to be able to wake up in the morning on your own. that's a big accomplishment to me. i don't know how much money i need. but i know that whatever i have that's what i'm going to live within. ♪ ♪ ♪ there's another way litter box dust:e purina tidy cats. tidy cats premium line of litters now works harder on dust. and our improved formulas neutralize odors better than ever in multiple-cat homes. so it's easier to keep your house smelling just the way you want it. purina tidy cats. keep your home smelling like home. welcome back to "early start." it is 15 minutes past the hour here. chardon high school students go back to class this morning, just four days after a shooting that killed three students, one remains in the hospital. t.j. lane is charged. he was charged yesterday with three counts of murder in you'veville court. and he could still be tried as an adult. joining me is the host of investigation discovery's new series "deadly sins" premiering at 9:00 p.m. eastern. attorney darren kavinocki. thank you for being here. t.j. lane was charged with three counts of aggravated murder, two of attempted aggravated murder, and one count of felonioufeloni assault. what do prosecutors need to do to move it into adult court and do you think that will happen? >> every state has a mechanism by which somebody who's under the age of 18 at the time the crime is committed can be taken from the juvenile court system into the adult court system. later this month there is a hearing scheduled, that could be continued, but at that hearing if the judge finds probable cause, which is a very low legal standard, then he will be bound over and be tried as an adult. although, in ohio, even though they do have the death penalty, he can only serve a maximum term of life without the possibility of parole. >> what do you think is a likelihood that he will be moved into adult court? >> it's a slam dunk for the prosecution given what we know about the case right now. absent something really earth shattering, he will be could to be a proper subject for the adult court system. >> very early on here the prosecutor described lane as someone who is not well. and we have all heard the reports of his troubled childhood, his father assaulted women violently, police frequently were called into his home to break up domestic fights. i read something online and i don't know whether, you know, this is going to weigh in or not, but demetrius hulon's mother said i forgive him because a lot of times they don't know what they're doing. will the judge take any of this into account? >> i wouldn't be taken into account at the time they decide whether or not he should go down the juvenile track or adult track. by the way, the gulf is enormous. if he were kept in the juvenile system, he could only be held there until he was 21 years of age. obviously the outcry about that situation would be massive. but if ultimately he is convicted and sentenced, then certainly his mental state, his lack of maturity, whatever kinds of psychological problems, all of that is information that a judge would consider when it comes time to pass sentence. >> prosecutor says that lincoln fessed. do you think he will plead guilty? >> who knows. at this point we really need to get more information about the specific details. there's really, candidly, as a defense lawyer, there's little upside to his pleading guilty. i can't imagine him putting a deal on the table that would allow him to see daylight during his lifetime. >> we've also heard reports about the gun. perhaps lane stole the gun from his uncle. is his uncle liable for any criminal charges? and what about his grandparents, because that's where he was living and there are reports that that's where the gun was from? >> it's possible that that could be either civil liability, which would just be for money damages, or criminal liability. what that will hinge on is the degree of negligence, if there was any. if it was just ordinary negligence, then that would be something where a civil lawsuit could be brought. if it was really egregious, if they were put on notice somehow, acted really recklessly, then that could support criminal charges, too. >> all right, darren kevonoky. so much more to talk about. 19 minutes past the hour. time to check the stories making news. a high threat for more tornadoes today. can you believe it? it's many of the same areas hit earlier this week in the bu bull's-eye again. hail and more large and pour we'reful twisters are possible from new orleans through the ohio valley today. and the coast guard has recovered the bodies of two more crew members lost in a helicopter crash into alabama's mobile bay this week. rescuers have now found three of the four people onboard that coast guard chopper. listen to this. a runaway jeep causes a security scare at a philadelphia international airport. police chase the driver after he crashed through a fence and ran over several runway lights. a plane that was about to land had to be diverted and circle around until they figured all of that out. wow. so call it the rebirth of the birther movement. a new e-book revealing details of a sheriff's probe into president obama's birth certificate. the county sheriff says his team found evidence of fraud and forgery. high oil prices continue to drive gas prices up. national average of gas is $3.74 a gallon. inching closer and closer to the $4 mark. i know that's not news to you. you have to pay it every day. ahead on "early start," apple reaching another rare financial milestone, passing another country in value. how do you like them apples, poland? plus, a bank withdrawal with a gun gone very, very bad. the sudden ending to a hostage drama. this was happening in california. we have all the details for you. you are watching "early start." 20 pages. boom! the other office devices? they don't get me. they're all like, "hey, brother, doesn't it bother you that no one notices you?" and i'm like, "doesn't it bother you you're not reliable?" and they say, "shut up!" and i'm like, "you shut up." in business, it's all about reliability. 'cause these guys aren't just hitting "print." they're hitting "dream." so that's what i do. i print dreams, baby. [whispering] big dreams. [ male announcer ] from our nation's networks... ♪ ...to our city streets... ♪ ...to skies around the world... ♪ ...northrop grumman's security solutions are invisibly at work, protecting people's lives... [ soldier ] move out! [ male announcer ] ...without their even knowing it. that's the value of performance. northrop grumman. [ zipper, heavy breathing ] ♪ [ male announcer ] linens and duvet washed fresh for every guest. real value. from your friends at hampton. it is 24 minutes past the hour. we are minding your business. stock markets in the u.s. are making some very strong gains in the past few weeks. the dow settling above 13,000 was a major milestone this week. i want to bring in christine romans to talk about this. so here's a question. i just got to say this because it says here stocks are back at highs we haven't seen since 2008. is this going to continue? >> i know. >> if you have the answer to that, young lady. >> i have the answer. i'm moving out to my island in the caribbean. i'm going to take that answer and trade on it. >> i wish you could tell us. >> a lot of people are saying that things could pull back today. futures are lower. 2008 highs, the s&p is up 9% just so far this year. so there's already been a lot of gainses. a lot of people thinking that stocks could hit the wall today. bank shores rose, automakers, retailer, all on signs that the economy is getting better. the big darling stock that everyone is watching, apple. >> apple. >> there's all of this, you know, parlor game about what is apple worth? apple is worth more than -- let's play the parlor game. is now worth more than poland, belgium, sweden, saudi arabia, t taiwan. i know you can't compare a country with a company. i get it. it's a fun way to look at it. the bloggers are out there also love to look at it, too. apple is now worth more than the entire u.s. care craft carrier fleet, more than all of the consumption of beef in the country, two apollo spiace programs, all the gold at the new york federal reserve. the list goes on and on. $544 a share right now for apple stock. >> i got something i'm worried about. gas and oil and the effect on our recovery. >> you're rith ght to worry abo it. i want to quickly show you crude oil chart. i want to show you how things have really gotten expensive. crude oil, a barrel of crude in 1997, you can see it circled there, was less than $12 a barrel. today it's at $109 a barrel. >> insane. >> the world has changed a lot. since 1998, the rise of brazil, russia, india, china, as huge consumers of gas and oil. i mean, a lot has changed since 1998, but you look at $109 a barrel, that's why people get concerned about potentially oil prices slowing down the recovery. >> yes. has it changed that much? >> i know. it's a really interesting chart, isn't it? >> yes. >> thank you, christine. coming up on "early start," buried alive. a desperate search for a skier under an avalanche of snow. plus, no more data denied. a major carrier easing up on the throttling of smart phone users. well, kind of sort of. i don't know if you're going to be happy about this. you're watching "early start." you know when i grow up, i'm going to own my own restaurant. i want to be a volunteer firefighter. when i grow up, i want to write a novel. i want to go on a road trip. when i grow up, i'm going to go there. i want to fix up old houses. [ female announcer ] at aarp we believe you're never done growing. i want to fall in love again. [ female announcer ] discover what's next in your life. get this free travel bag when you join at aarp.org/jointoday. ♪[music plays] ♪[music plays] purina one beyond. food for your cat or dog. [ click ] it's truck month! no. it's truck month! no. it's truck month! no. it's truck month! no. it's chevy truck month! definitely that one, boss. solid. let's try the other one again. ♪ chevy truck month ♪ no. it's truck month! ♪ truck month ♪ no. truck month! no. it's chevy truck month. yeah. [ male announcer ] it's chevy truck month. welcome back to "early start." it is 30 minutes past the hour. time to check the stories that are making news this morning. it's back to school in chardon, ohio. classes resume for the first time since three students were killed in a shooting monday. one student remains in the hospital. the teenage suspect, t.j. lane, has been charged with murder. and a high threat for more tornadoes today. take a look at that. many of the same areas hit earlier this week are in the danger zone again. high winds, hail, and more large and powerful twisters are possible across the south. a hostage drama at a bank in california ends in gunfire with the suspect being shot. the gunman had earlier released ten of his hostages but was still holding the bank's manager when he was shot. the bank manager is okay. an avalanche strikes a group of skiers near lake tahoe killing one and burying another for two hours. rescuers drug him out after another skier with a cell phone alerted authorities. and luckily, he just suffered a broken leg. at and t are answering the complaints you filed because of your smart phone usage being slowed down. the carrier announced it will increase data usage limits and change the way that it decides which customers get throttled. but you used to have unlimited use, so it's kind of confusing there. let's send it out to ashleigh. she is live in harrisburg, illinois, for us this morning. ashleigh, we're very concerned about the powerful storms headed in your direction. >> yeah, you're concerned, i'm concerned, people here who have a mess behind them like this, they're concerned, too, because a lot of people still have a lot of possessions that they want to gather and get to safety. our next guests are exactly t t story to a t. the bigger next story is about the unbelievable survival for marianne and gene lion. they knew nothing about a a storm until their ceiling in their bedroom fell on to them in their bed. and if you can believe it, they somehow made it out of this home alive. they got to safety, and they are okay today. and the story is even more remarkable because their grand daughters were able to tour me through that home and show me exactly what they were up against. and i'll tell you what, it is nothing short of miraculous how they made it from that bed to being alive today. have a listen. >> this is what used to be the living area. >> that is a disaster. definitely is. it's sad, too. just thank god they weren't in there at the time. everything. >> your grandparents have not seen this. >> i know. well, my grandpa was here, my grandma hasn't seen it. >> this can be a lesson to anyone. an interior closet. look at this. how safe that is. there's glass in the bottom, coats are just exactly the way they were before. very safe place to be to ride out a storm, interior closet. great lesson for anyone moving forward. this is the kitchen here? >> this is the kitchen. yep. my grandma loved to cook so this is sad. her favorite room in the house is gone. >> the roof is gone. >> totally gone. >> across the street. >> across the street in the other person's yard. >> dining room. we ate here three or four times a week our entire lives. >> three to four times a a. week if. >> she cooked for us since we were little. >> like 15 people here. >> is there anything salvageable in this area? >> well, i mean, not really. furniture. >> she did, right. she's a china painter. >> i think that's the hard time the most, is know that all of your china paintings are gone. >> you did find one thing. >> we did. the measuring -- they used to measure our height. she has seven grandchildren and a great granddaughter. they are on there. everybody is on there. >> recently measured. >> we lost it but we found it. >> and the lion family joins me here live today. you're smiling. i'm so happy to see you smiling because most people looking at wreckage like that of your grandparents, of your parents, we would think you would be pretty unhappy but, david, your parents and their grandparents are okay, aren't they? >> yes, fortunately everything went all right. >> i know it was really hard when i met you yesterday. you were going through their house trying to get some of the salvageable things out of the impending weather. were you able to get a lot of stuff out and, you know, save it from more rains? >> we salvaged what we could. >> tell me about marianne and gene, how are they doing today? >> well, they're both recovering well. mother had some broken ribs and dad was pretty shook himself. but overall, it was just amazing that they could come out of it alive. >> in their 70s, and your mom has a broken femur before the storm and your dad has kidney problems. they got out of that bed from beneath the roof debris and somehow were able to get into an inner bathroom? >> yes, it just -- we have to thank god. it was a miracle. >> and isn't that why i see you guys smile. wreckage like that but you have your family intact. >> right. our heart goes out to the people that weren't so fortunate. we just thank god. >> and lydia and cloe, you guys toured me through the house and then you happened to just mention you guys have dinner with your grandparents three to four times a week? >> yeah. >> yeah. >> we're there all the time. >> i mean, you have a very close family. >> oh, yeah. >> and have you been able to talk to your grandma or your grandpa since all of this? >> we were there yesterday with grandma. and grandpa went to st. louis but he's back now. >> how is your grandma doing? >> she's good. she hasn't seen the house yet though. >> is she going to? >> yeah, eventually. >> at some point? >> at some point, yeah. >> you got that measuring wall that all of you guys grew up on that your grandma and grandpa have been me shurg you since you were kids. >> yeah. >> were you able to find it? >> yeah, a place that we all measure yourself growing up and that was the one thing you were looking to find. i'm so glad that you were able to. and you know what, i'm really glad that you're smiling today, even amidst the trouble and tragedy that surrounds you. it's good to see that you're a nice great family with great family values and you're going to be fine. i really hope you will be. thanks so much, guys. the lion family joining us live. i want to remind you that amidst the lion family's story there are so many stories in this community where maybe they weren't quite as fortunate, there are people dealing with complete loss. nowhere to live, nowhere to get those meals. and you can help. go to cnn.com/impact and you can find an array of organizations to reach out. donate blood, money, and time. the red cross says, blood, money, and time, folk, it's needed after a tragedy like this, i think the lyon family is a great indication of how, you know what, triumph can emerge from tragedy but we all need to ban together as a country, as a community, and help our brothers in need. >> that is such a community of faith. every time you interviewed somebody they say thank god, thank god. it's been really beautiful. >> i know. i know. i have to tell you i heard a lot of that from this community. as i've been going around a lot of people are sad for their loss but a lot of people are saying i am blessed. >> yes. all right. thank you for sharing those stories. it's nice to hear some good ones come ought of there. still to come on "early start," big developments in the republican race. we have new poll numbers. can mitt romney be stopped in? you're watching "early start." what's this? [ male announcer ] quaker oatmeal squares have 46 grams of whole grains... mmmm. ...and a touch of sweetness. you'll be delighted to discover how good they taste. get your free sample of quaker oatmeal squares on facebook. since ameriprise financial was founded back in 1894, they've been committed to putting clients first. helping generations through tough times. good times. never taking a bailout. there when you need them. helping millions of americans over the centuries. the strength of a global financial leader. the heart of a one-to-one relationship. together for your future. ♪ welcome back to "early start." it is 41 minutes past the hour. with 11 states up or grabs in the next four days, mitt romney may be peak tath perfeing at th time. after three straight wins this week, he is letting up on rick santorum and is back to attacking president obama. romney is surging. santorum is slipping. latest gallop poll. romney seven points ahead among registered republicans. in one week romney has gaineded eight points while santorum dropped ten points. all right. so we have a political panel live in washington. democratic strategist penny lee. from columbia, south carolina. strategist joel sawyer, from washington, cnn political editor, paul steinhauser. paul, i'm going to start with you again. yesterday the 11th amendment was killed in the senate. we're going to look at an op-ed piece by charles krauthammer. the less said about contraception the better. a lesson santorum refused to learn. it is a settled question. the country has no real desire for cringe-inducing admonitions from politicians about libertinism and procreative, versus pleasurable, sex. will this argument over birth control sdut scuttle the republican's chances? >> it starts specifically with santorum. one of his top advisers admitted to our own jim acosta that maybe it's time to speak more about the economy and moving ahead to super tuesday. as you know, rick santorum has been talking a lot about social issues, krcontroversial ones. in some states like tennessee, oklahoma, that may actually help santorum more than hurt him. overall, yeah, in the general election, not a winning argument for the republican nominee. >> i think that was 44% for and 50% against when we actually look at the numbers. doyle, an article in the atlanta that you retweeted is why want to open up with here. it opens very provocatively. ron paul is helping mitt romney. we don't have it. so i'm going to read it. ron paul is helping mitt william. it's been obvious for months. you would think paul's followers would be outraged by this, but they're not. then listen to what ron paul told our piers morgan last night and then we'll talk about it. >> i thought governor pawlenty answered it pretty well when they asked him about it hnd asaid, oh, is there a back room deal with mitt romney and ron paul, he said, ron paul is the last guy in the world taking a back room deal. no, there's nothing to that. >> is there nothing to that, joel? >> i don't know. one thing i find hilarious is ron paul is now the guy criticizing con spir ras si theorists in is a thing i've noticed for months on this thing, is that all of these candidates may have something that doesn't appeal to conservatives. but, you know, ron paul has focused so much more attention and so many more attacks on other people than romney, where you can make a case that in terms of where ron paul is supposed to be philosophically, romney should be his biggest target. something i always found very strange. i'm glad somebody supported it. >> what do you make of it, do you think there is something going on there? >> you know, look, in terms of a back room deal where these guys have occluded, i don't know if that's happened. there are some internal strategy on paul's campaign part to live romney alone, for whatever reason. >> penny, this one from senator olympia snowe. she said she is stepping down because the senate is too divided poop wore goi divided. we're going to put this up. as i enter a new chapter in my life, i see a critical need to engender public support for the political center, for our democracy to flourish and to find solutions that unite rather than dwi vid us. i do not believe that in the near term that senate can correct itself from within. >> olympia snowe is a great senator. it's sad to see her go because she was really constructive on many of the arguments she would make and trying to work with both sides. so i'm afraid as we get more ideological divide, both on the left and on the right, that we're entrenched into our own camps and notion of compromise just isn't there right now. it's sad to see one of the great stallworths that really did advocate for bipartisanship and cooperation is now leaving the senate. it is a big void. >> i know that that's a sentiment that a lot of people share. paul, joel, and penny, thank you for joining us. it is 46 minutes past the hour. time to check the stories that are making news this morning. classes are just about to resume at chardon high school in ohio. just days after a shooting that left three teenagers dead. one is still in the hospital. counselors are on hand to offer support to the student body there. the shooting suspect t.j. lane is charged with three counts of aggravated murder. and a high threat for more trntds today and many of the same areas that were hit earlier this week are in the danger zone again. high winds, hail, and more large and powerful twisters are possible across the south. and a runaway jeep causes a security breach on a runway at philadelphia international airport. take a look at that. apparently intoxicated man cr h crashed through a fence and smashed several runway lights before he was apprehended. one plane had to abort a landing. it was diverted just seconds. i think it was 15 seconds before landing. imagine what would have happened there. actress nicollette sheridon due back on the stand. yesterday she slapped her lawyer to demonstrate how hard producer mark cherry struck her during an incident she says led to her losing her job. president obama adding some $5 million to his campaign coffers with a series of fund-raisers in new york city last night. and dealing with a heckler in the crowd. listen to this. >> none of this changed -- none of -- nobody is announced a war, young lady. but we appreciate your sentiment. you're jumping the gun a little bit there. >> about 900 people paid anywhere from $1,000 to $35,000 each to attend last night's event, which was hosted by deepak chopra and russell simmons. soledad o'brien joins us with a look at what is ahead on "starting point." >> good morning to you. on "starting point" we're going to talk about chardon high school as it opens again for classes. this morning we're going to talk to frank deangelos, principal of columbine high school. we'll ask him what he recommends as they head back into classes today. also, we're talk about what's happening in syria. there is a story today about a young boy, a teenage boy, u.s. citizen, who is now -- his family believes at least, that he has been nabbed by intelligence officers in syria. we'll talk to them about what they are hoping to do and find out. and we'll talk about andrew breakbart, he was on the show with us when we were talking about cpac not long ago. we will talk about his life and impact. we will talk to conservative editor ann coulter, a friend and colleague. we will see you at the top of the hour. this is lawn ranger - eden prairie, minnesota. in here, the landscaping business grows with snow. to keep big winter jobs on track, at&t provided a mobile solution that lets everyone from field workers to accounting, initiate, bill, and track work in real time. you can't live under a dome in minnesota, that's why there's guys like me. [ male announcer ] it's a network of possibilities -- helping you do what you do... even better. ♪ 8% every 10 years.age 40, we can start losing muscle -- helping you do what you do... even better. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. keeps you from getting soft. [ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! hey, it's sandra -- from accounting. peter. i can see that you're busy... but you were gonna help us crunch the numbers for accounts receivable today. i mean i know that this is important. well, both are important. let's be clear. they are but this is important too. [ man ] the receivables. [ male announcer ] michelin knows it's better for xerox to help manage their finance processing. so they can focus on keeping the world moving. with xerox, you're ready for real business. the voice of the uprising in the syrian city of homs has escaped to lebanon. you have seen danny's reporting on cnn and on youtube. the young activists bravely telling the world about the slaughter of syrian civilians for the better part of last month. so he managed to get out of homs earlier this week, escaping to lebanon and agreeing to sit down exclusively with cnn's anderson cooper. he shared his frustration with the lack of help for the syrian people. >> what is that like to, you know, to be crying out every day and not have anybody really hear you? or people hear you but not do anything? >> it's terrible. look, if we pick up arms, people will attack us. peaceful generations are still going out. 40% of the op place is going out in demonstrations. we don't want this government to stay. no one is doing anything about it. we knew the arab league wouldn't do anything. we thought the u.n. would help us. u.n. did nothing. we thought america would help, england would help, no one is moving. we feel terrible. we're just going to die and we can't stop. we will stop this revolution. after the killing that this -- the bashar al-assad did, we will not live under him anymore. he will not rule us. >> it's gone too far. >> he's gone too far. will is no peaceful talking with him. we will not peacefully talk with him. we want any arm to come in and save us. we don't care if satan comes in and takes his place. what he's doing is terrible. he's raping people, killing people under or sure and he doesn't care how many he kills. we are living under rockets for more than 20 days under rockets. we don't know if rockets are going to land and kill us. went don't mind if we die. we're only scared about losing parts of our bodiebodies. >> danny also told anderson that he initially went into syria to join the free syrian army. but didn't he didn't have any army training he was asked to get the truth out to the world with all of his reports. city ahead, the ohio students return for the first sometime after that deadly shooting. what the school is helping the students to transition back to class. you know who offers help? columbine's principal is saying he can help. you're watching "early start." sergio! christina! question for you. what factors led you to buy your explorer. definitely the ecoboost option. what's pretty amazing is that you can get the fuel economy of a car in an suv. that basically did it for us. and the technology... oh, my goodness, the technology is amazing. everything is touch. you can actually talk to the car and it talks back to you. what have your friends said about your explorer? can we drive it? can we borrow it? what's your answer? no. no way. uh uh. (laugh) [ female announcer ] weak, damaged hair needs new aveeno nourish+ strengthen. active naturals wheat formulas restore strength for up to 90% less breakage in three washes. for strong, healthy hair with life, new aveeno nourish+ strengthen. i have to be a tree in the school play. good. you like trees. well, i like climbing them, but i've never been one. good point. ( captain ) this is your captain speaking. annie gets to be the princess. oh... but she has to kiss a boy. and he's dressed up like a big green frog ! ewww. ( announcer ) fly without putting your life on pause. be yourself nonstop. american airlines. have more fiber than other leading brands. they're the better way to enjoy your fiber. welcome back to "early start." let's head over to harrisburg, illinois. that's where ashleigh is standing by for us. ashleigh, i know it looks devastating behind you but those stories of hope and resilience have been amazing. they've been really great stories. thank you. >> you know, let's hope that those oh hopeful stories help foam for what's ahead. massive clean-up effort. when you have debris like this. it's unrecognizable now. until you get to this point, license plate, massive truck up ended. on the other side, the undercarriage. you need some big gear, my friends, to clear this out. pan over here, kevin. all of this is just one area that needs to be cleaned up. this community has some huge, huge work ahead of it to try to get back to the semblance of normalcy they used to have. they also have to deal with the dead. you know, they're facing six dead in this community alone. and we are happy to report that the severe weather we thought we would be in right now has not happened yet. we are keeping an eye on it, sh zoraida. not only are there tornado threats but heavy, heavy rain. we put heavy rain on top of all of this and forget salvaging anything. reach out if you're watching this. if it's red cross, cnn.com/impact, you can certainly make a difference and god knows the people here really know it. it's alive, zoraida. but they still have this ahead of them. >> thank you for everything, ashleigh. and that's it for us at "early start." i'm zoraida sambolin. "starting point" with soledad o'brien starting next. good morning to you. >> good morning to you. 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