i'm gary tuchman. a live look at newark, new jersey this morning. it's a sad day for family and friends of whitney houston. it's the new hope baptist church. this is where the funeral for the pop star there been held beginning at 12:00 noon, four hours from now. we'll take through live and hear from her closest friends. plus, a 29-year-old man is arrested for an alleged blod plot to blow up the u.s. capital and the fbi had been watching every single move he made. just earlier this morning, pope benedict xvi added 22 more cardinals to the cath lynn lick church. one of them, the arch bishop from pen pep. >> announcer: live from studio 7, this is cnn saturday morning. in just a few hours, families and close friends of whitney houston will back their own church in new york, new jersey to say good-bye to a legendary entertainer. don is live in new york. what do you see right now? good morning to you, gary. we're seeing the media beginning to gary and fans begin to go gather here. there you see the new hope baptist church. the police are trying to get their act together, get everything together. we saw a couple of police officers on horses. gary, police just had a briefing just a short time ago. this community is not really used to this sort of a big affair when it comes to a world star like whitney houston. so the media is here, leentd up for blocked here and getting ready for whitney houston's going home celebration, as they say. >> how was the private viewing that was held yesterday. >> there was a private viewing. as they say in the community, it was really a viewing of whitney houston. they call it the viewing, the night before the wake. yesterday, her mother showed up, cissy houston, along with her daughter, bobbi krisdina and claude davis showed up for that viewing last night. and other people who were within the family. and today, of course, the home going celebration will happen and there are going to be people from all over the world, stars from all over the world, some of the biggest and brightest, of course, her godmother, aretha franklin will perform, stevie wonder will perform, alicia keys will performance. there are people on the guest list who will be here celebrating whit knew houston's life and mourning her death in los angeles last week. >> a week ago today so tramgic that she passed away seven days ago. no doubt whitney's friends and former leagues honor her tnaacp image awards last night. how did that go? >> it was amazing to see. and i was not on the west coast. i was here on the east coast. so i got a chance to see it. and yolanda adams, a stirring performance last night singing a song that whit knew houston sang many times in her life, "i love the lord." she brought the crowd to their feet last night. not a dry eye in the house when she did that. she was the end of the celebration. she really, as we say in the music industry, she brought the house down. and i felt like i was watching church. and i'm sure many people in the audience inside the auditorium in los angeles felt the same way. it was a fitting tribute from yolanda adams to whitney houston. >> this will be quite a day. dawn don lemon, looking forward to speaking with you through the day. thank you. one of those people is david lentin, who worked with the singer in the 1990s. he's coming up live this hour. and our special coverage of whit knew houston's funeral will begin at 11:00 a.m. eastern time. here have some of the other stories we're following right now. a man in in custody right now, this man, charged with launched a plot to attack the u.s. capitol building. he's moroccan and is in the country illegally. he had gone to a parking garage near the capital where he got what he thought was a suicide vest, but it was a dummy vest. agents had diffused the explosives. authorities say the public was never in danger from this man. president obama is expected to sign the payroll tax extension into law as early as today. the compromised bill passed by the house and the senate means you will get to keep an average of $ ,000 more from your paycheck. the other part of that bill extends unemployment benefits from the year and changed the cap from 99 weeks to no more than 73 weeks. opposition activists in syria say the military took shots at them during demonstrations and funerals in the capital city of damascus today. as many as 6 1 people were killed yesterday. we are being told by one activist that the syrian military is planning an all-out assault on one neighborhood in the city of homs. homs is in the epicenter of the anti-government uprising. pope benedict xvi has officially add 22 cardinals to the catholic church. among them is arch bishop testimony thee dolan. the candles will be responsible for pick a new pope when the time comes. in cape ka 1/2 kal, florida, they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of john glenn's trip around the earth, happened on february 20th, 1962. glenn orbited the earth three times aboard the friendship 7 caps i didn't knowul before coming back down. in an event yesterday, glenn talked about one of the challenges he faced in that first flight. when i was getting ready for that first flight back then, i thought, well, what if we had to make an emergency reaction to coming down? there are some places in the desert, calahari desert, there was the outback in australia and those three areas still had abdomen rid abariginees. how do you communicate? what if you land, the side blows out and out steps this thing in a silver suit? you're going to be like the god king or dead very quick. >> that's a great story, the god king john glenn instead. instead web became u.s. senator john glenn. the gulf coast is on alert this morning. thunderstorms are expected throughout the region. that was a great story about john glenn, wasn't it? >> amazing story. not ohm was he a great astronaut, but he was a great fighter pilot in korea. he was always able to bring planes back to the battle front. he's appear amazing pilot, no question. unfortunately, we've got some rough weather to be dealing with today. anyone trying to fly around houston or any of your small regional airports along the gulf coast, even into new orleans, you're going to have a tough time. biggest reason? strong storms that may produce flash flooding along the gulf coast. we're going to talk all about this coming up in just a few moments, gary. >> thanks, reynolds. a 98-year-old woman was served an eviction notice on her birthday and the eviction notice comes from her son. why he wants her out of the home she's lived in for nearly six decades. and before she became known world over for her music, whitney houston was known as a shy, young model. the whitney fans didn't know, coming up. 8% every 10 years. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? 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[ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! from the moment she released her first album 28 years ago and throughout her career, whitney houston released new heights in the record world. among her many milestones, houston's first album is the biggest selling debut by any artist. and her signature song, "i will always love you" is the biggest selling commercial single in music history. cnn has also obtained previously unpublished photos of a young whitney houston. the images were taken when whitney was just 18 years old. for more, to look at them, visit our website at cnn.com. whitney houston made her mark in gospel. the sound track for the preacher's wife is the top selling gospel album of all time. coming up, more on my exclusive interview donny mcclarkin. he will sing at whit knew houston's funeral today. before that, he shares his thoughts on his close friend and her faith. let's take a look now at a few stories making news across country. in maryland, the statehouse has approved same-sex marriage. the senate will vote next. the governor says he will sign the las vegas. opponents of same-sex marriage want the issue to go to a statewide referendum. in chicago, the class rams of ryan piccolo elementary school are occupied by parents, students and activists. we want to hear from the mayor. hear us. we are taxpayers. we have a right, we have a say so. these are our kids. >> they're protesting the city's so-called turn around plans for the school. if approved, new management, teachers and staff will be brought in. picolo is one of ten underperforming schools slated for turn around. in connecticut, this great-great grandmother was given the worst birthday gift ever. appear eviction notice from her son. peter says she's in no condition to live alone, but her younger son, jack, disagrees. >> i just don't understand him at all. according to affiliate wthn, the courts have ruled the 98-year-old is competent, but no decision yet if she'll get to stay in the house. back on home turf, newt gingrich returns here to the state of georgia, trying to set things up for a super tuesday triumph. we'll check in on the campaign. plus, an oil spill shuts down part of the mississippi river. we'll tell you how it happened next. ♪ [ woman ] when i grow up, i want to take him on his first flight. i want to run a marathon. i'm going to own my own restaurant. when i grow up, i'm going to start a band. 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[ female announcer ] discover what's next in your life. get this free travel bag when you join at aarp.org/jointoday. ♪ [ male announcer ] offering four distinct driving modes and lexus dynamic handling, the next generation of lexus will not be contained. the all-new 2013 lexus gs. there's no going back. see your lexus dealer. a five-mile stretch of the mississippi river has been reopened. the coast guard says a crash between two barges ripped a 10-foot gash on the side of a tanker barge. nobody was injured in the incident. it's now 14 past the hour. time for a check of weather for reynolds wolf. >> they've really had a deficit snowfall. who knows. it's still a long winter. a lot of times in march you can get some heavy snowfall. that story, though, the big story we have this morning will be the rain. you can see it plain as day across louisiana into texas. everything you see in this area that is shaded by this yellow, orange or red, that's your heaviest precipitation. where you see blue on the lighter side, so to speak. there's one shape that pops up. it's yellow. with the severe thunderstorm watch, you can expect strong winds to possibly develop under some hail and with it some flash flooding. in fact, the national weather service posted at a swath of the gulf coast. warnings, watches and even, of course, we've got the woornings itself. the warning will be in areas where you've got the lime green color. houston, you have red. that's your flad flash flood warning. move of the area could be 2 to 4 inches of rainfall. there are a few exceptions. some areas could get as much as six. plus, places that have poor drainage, you can expect the water, really, to begin to pile up there, also. this is your big weathermaker, this area of low pressure. as you make your way into the afternoon hours, this area of low pressure will move closer to the gulf coast. that combine with the six, maybe some low 70s could help stabilize the atmosphere. with it, you can have the chance for strong storms and potential tornados. 48 degrees in salt lake city. 47 in new york. 56 in washington. what sdot storms mean to you if you happen to be traveling? delays, plain and simple. even in atlanta, you might have some backups due to the storms in the afternoon and evening. but in san diego, no rain, no snow, but fog might keep you on the tar mark for a little longer than you might expect. that's the latest on the forecast. the dead of winter, the middle of february and i think 37 degrees for a high. minneapolis, 47 in billings, montana. these are not numbers we're using to seeing this time. >> time to break out the uk eucalales. let's see if we get some changes in the coming weeks. >> do you take a ukelale with you everywhere you go? >> sometimes it's one of the things you need to take along. millions of people will be watching the funeral of whit knew houston. if you're watching it online, hold off on clicking on that whit knew houston link. scams are coming across our desk. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption. with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaids, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. ♪ after giving it my all when the storms have come ♪ ♪ and i -- >> "i look to you" one of her first big hits. since she passed away one week ago, all her music sales have skyrocketed. digital sales of her hit, i will always love you, that song along jumped more than 6,700%. that's according to nielsen. radio air play has increased 915%. the song now sits at number four on itunes and number seven on billboard's top 100. but where there's money to be made, scammer res sure to try and cash in. our tech guru mario armstrong is here. >> it's like having you hear with us. this is a sensitive conversation. but it's an important one. what are some of the scams you're seeing online that people are trying to do? >> this happened when one one of the major stature passes want / want 3/. >> they're seeing links to things they think are legitimate and they're clicking on them. the things we're seeing right now are suggesting there's secret toes be revealed from the autopsy that are being leaked. so that's been the main thing that's really, really going viral on the web right now. and it's taking people to a survey site, they're clicking on links and in some cases downloading files that could be malicious mal ware and cyruss that people are putting on their computers. >> it's taken advantage of individuals looking for information. they're using the power of the internet to do it and they know this is a global story. >> they tend to be aware of it the. >> how do we spot this? how do you know when something is not good for you to click on? >> it's hard to know. a time of times it comes from a family friend or someone you trust and you're getting over e-mail and twitter. the first thing is if it doesn't seem like it's ga lit or if it's not coming from a legitimate news source at this stage, don't click on it. go to the news source site. go directly to cnn.com or hln.com and go to your favorite news source to get the information. >> so you're saying, mario, that we have seen this in other celebrity deaths? >> absolutely. we've seep this with amy winehouse. osama bin lad.. we've seen this with natural disasters and major global events that when news starts to cover it, people are looking for information. unfortunately, so many other people can quickly claim that they know information and postings that look legitimate but aren't. >> whitney houston's funeral is getting streamed online. has this happened before? >> we should clarify. this is kind of kind of happened. people will say to me, well, michael jackson was the first to stream. that wasn't his funeral. that was his memorial service. we've seen james brown, heavy d, but the global artistry of whitney, this will probably be the largest and the first actual funeral, not just a memorial, but a funeral that will be live streamed on the web. and i think this is a big deal, gary. i started calling local funeral homes. we have one in baltimore called march funeral homes. they're offering web streaming as a service. and i talked to families on my radio show and they said they loved this, if they can't travel or they can't afford to travel to a funeral, they can actually watch the funeral with other family members in their home, on the web and still feel a part of that closure, on that ceremony. >> i don't mean to get cynical or skeptical, but is there a concern that someone can try to set up a fake streaming site and something can happen like we've talked about before? >> i'm glad you brought that up. that's something we could be aware of and something that could absolutely happen. reputable sites. look for the live feed at 12:00 noon. go to those locations. >> and i am here to personally guarantee. >> he says, if i should fail, if i succeed, no matter how i lived, at least i'll have my dignity. and i hope that people throughout all of -- everything they know about whitney and how they grew up with whitney, that they trust in that, that she can be laid to rest with her dignity. unless she's experienced abuse and substance abuse within your family, you really have no idea how tough it is to get out of it. ask amy winehouse and others that have fell victim to it. but that should not take away the impact that she had as an artist and a human being that she cared about people. >> i'm glad you picked that song because it's my favorite whitney houston song. it was very applicable to today. >> yeah. it's the most inspirational one off her first album. and a lot of people look to the big one from the bodyguard sound track, but it's great that you and i have the same one. >> yeah, i'm glad. thanks for joining us. i hope you'll join us every saturday. our digital expert mario arc strom gives up the latest skool scoop and the latest technology. whitney houston was known as the queen of pop. they also had the top selling gospel artist ever. up next, donny mccorkin talks about winny's faith. and john glenn celebrates a golden landmark. [ engine sputtering ] [ male announcer ] engine light on? come to meineke now for a free code scan read and you'll say...my money. my choice. my meineke. it's 29 minutes past the hour. welcome back. i'm gary tuchman. thanks for spending your weekend today with us. well, we've 3 1/2 hours away from the memorial service for widny houston in new york, new jersey. new york is the town where she was born. she spent most of her years in east orange, which is just to the west. my colleague, jason carol will be covering the funeral service today. jason has more information about what's going to be taking place. >> right, gary. i literally got off the phone with a friend that's close to the houston family. he also gave me the program so we have the rundown of exactly what will be happening at 12:00 noo