landing his vintage world war ii airplane when he had to crash landing. he had engine trouble, and tried to make it to the airport, but he clipped a tree and was short, and so he landed on a golf course. he was steps away from a residential neighborhood. already the we certainly wish him a speedy recovery. our coverage continues next with cnn international. he's doing all right. harrison ford is recovering after his small plane crashed. precious artifacts are forever lost after isis rips through an ancient town, but there are new signs the group is losing ground in a key iraqi city. if you're hoping for warm weather, harsh winter weather still pummeling starts of the u.s.

and it has been a nightmare. we'll have more about that this hour. i'm natalie allen. >> and i'm george howell. this is cnn newsroom. >> it's 9:00 p.m. near los angeles where we begin with the developing news about the plane crash with harrison ford who really is indiana jones. >> just phenomenal that he survived this crash. >> he's now hospitalized after a plane he was piloting, this right here, suffered an apparent engine failure and crashed as he was attempting an emergency landing on a golf course. officials say ford suffered moderate trauma but was alert when rescue officials arrived. >> he was flying the plane solo.

the plane clipped the tree as it came down just short of the airport. moments after takeoff, ford made this emergency call to air traffic control. listen. >> these things typically don't end this well. cnn's kyung lah is joining us live from the crash scene in venice, california. looking at that plane right behind you there, you can tell it look a lot of skill to get that plane to crash there, to go down there opposed to the homes nearby. >> reporter: very close nearby homes, george. over to my left is a house i can

see a huge neighborhood of houses. they're about 40 yards away and you just mentioned the plane is right over my shoulder. you can see it's right about, i don't know, 25, 30 yards away. it's extraordinarily close, and that is not lost on the people in this neighborhood. this grass you're seeing is a golf course. it's a very small golf course. you can see the plane is quite in tact. the front of the plane, the nose, if you will, that snapped off. the propeller dug into the ground. the rest of the plane really is quite in tact. and that may be part of the reason harrison ford didn't have any more serious body injuries. from what we understand, the extent of his visible injuries mainly were to his head. he was seen by people in this neighborhood pleading from his head. they did tend to his injuries here before calling the

ambulance. extraordinarily lucky, but also extraordinarily skilled. the engines stalled, according to the ntsb. neighbors all heard the engine stall in the air. they thought perhaps it would kick back in and he could make it to the runway, but that just didn't happen. he saw the green space, clipped a tree, still managed to land here, avoiding anyone's house. it's extraordinary. a lot of the people in this neighborhood talking about it. >> i know that it's dark there, but can you explain to us how close is that plane to the nearby neighborhood? how close are you to the neighborhood? >> reporter: i'm basically in the neighborhood. you can see how close the plane is. that's how close the houses are to my left. it's completely dark there. we don't want to put lights on these people's houses, because we're really that close. as close as the plane over my shoulder, that's as close as how

the houses are. it's been a very big debate here about the proximity of these homes. this golf course and this airport is in their backyard. there have been serious incidents where planes have landed in the road. i covered a plane crash here that hit a house. so this is something that has been a big community issue and this is only expected to heat that. >> natalie just mentioned it, but indiana jones here, we're talking about a lot of luck for sure, but a great deal of skill. please recap for us what is his condition there in the hospital? >> reporter: from what we hear, he is stable. we understand that at first he was believed to be critical. that condition was upgraded to serious. the hospital saying they aren't going to release his name but

will say he's in stable condition. he is certainly known for his roles in television, but the role he most cherishes right now, as an older gentleman, is the love of flying. he really wanted to explore that. he's known among many people here in the santa monica flying community as someone who is a skilled aviator, someone who really tried to live up to the ideas of safety and really trying to take care of his fellow aviators, especially this community. he did certainly -- he certainly does love this particular airport. >> cnn's kyung lah joining us live in venice, california. thank you so much for the reporting. harrison ford is described as pilot's pilot. he started to get serious about flying in the mid 1990s. ford is a certified pilot of the fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. he owns several of them, as we understand. >> but the crash thursday in

california is not his first. he crash landed a helicopter in 1999 during training in california. in that case, neither ford nor the instructor suffered injuries. >> a year later, ford crashed again. this time he attempted to land in nebraska. that plane hit strong crosswinds. again, be it a mix of luck or skill. thank goodness he's okay. >> living the dream. now to another close call. a scary landing. more than 100 airline passengers at new york's la guardia airport on thursday. >> this plane skidded off the runway, stopping just short of disaster. cnn's will ripley has this story. >> reporter: it's a terrifying image for everyone who flies. a delta passenger jet skidding off a slick and snowy runway at one of america's busiest airports. the flight from atlanta was coming in for a landing at laguardia, then lost control,

ending up feet from the water. >> as soon as we land, we felt the wheels hit the runway, and we did not feel the wheels take traction and we started to skid. and we skid to the left side of the runway and continued to skid. we were a couple feet away from heading into the water. >> officials say the two planes that landed on the runway before the delta flight reported good braking conditions. 127 passengers were evacuated from the plane using emergency exits on the wings. port authority officials say the emergency chutes did not deploy. 24 people were injured, 3 taken to the hospital. one of the passengers, new york giants tight end larry donald, who shot this video. officials dealt with a fuel leak from the plane. the airport remains partially closed, with flight cancellations continuing for hours. >> he's leaking fuel on the left

side of the aircraft. >> reporter: tense communications from air traffic control moments after the plane landed. >> the airport is closed. we've got a 3-4. >> say again. >> aircraft off of 3-1. please advise, crash rescue. laguardia airport is closed at this time. >> delta saying it will work with investigators to find out what happened to cause that. the plane had a routine check on tuesday. we'll find out if it's weather perhaps, because the cold weather and snow, nightmares on the roads everywhere in kentucky, tennessee, some drivers stuck for hours. my home city. >> people are tired of this. >> especially when you spend 15 hours stranded on the roadways. we had snowmageddon last year, but portions of kentucky had -- >> how many people were stuck? >> hundreds of people stuck,

creating miles -- the only way to recognize that this was a highway was the trail of cars, buses, and trucks that were stopped. by the way, guys, this is in kentucky. it was interstate 24, and interstate 65 that had the most amount of snow. we're talking about one to two feet, creating parking lots on the roadways. the snow accumulating so quickly the plows couldn't keep up, allowing for the conditions to worsen, and people getting stranded on the roads. you can imagine what that feels like to be stuck in a car for 15 hours, having no food or water, with little gas to help keep you warm. you can see the swath of snow in parts of kentucky. this shading of dark purple, right along i-65, just outside of elizabethtown south of louisville, that's where they picked upwards of two feet of snow in roughly 12 to 24 hours. that is impressive stuff.

lexington actually had a record snowfall event in just 24 hours, so this is actually a record two-day event. 17.1 inches of snowfall, and there was impressive records just south of there, talking about 14 1/2 inches, so over a foot. the good news is that this storm is on its way out. it's quickly exiting the east coast, but now we have to deal with the below average temperatures. i want to show you this. this is very impressive. here goes the storm off the east coast. high pressure builds in, that means it clears out the skies, allowing for what's called radiational cooling. so all that heat just radiates back into the atmosphere and we get temperature swings of 38 degrees here in atlanta, where the cnn is located. that is the temperature change from this time yesterday. you can see how impressive and potent this cold front was. by the way, jackson, mississippi dropped about 50 degrees

fahrenheit in a matter of 12 hours behind this cold front. we like to see the greens and the yellows this time of year to indicate a warming trend. there is a hint of spring coming up. places like chicago. you can see the temperatures starting to warm up. even into new york city and i'll leave you with good news. how about that? 14 days until the first day of spring. that's what we like to see. >> derek, i've been trying to keep count. how many winter storms have we had? five or six? >> at least five. boston, just about an inch away from setting the snowiest season on record. >> somebody on my facebook in new york said i just don't believe spring or summer is going to happen. >> i have daffodils at my house right now. >> i have one. >> a sign of more to come. >> i'll give you a couple of mine. >> send them to boston. we'll go overseas. iraqi forces making new gains in the battle for tikrit.

ruins in northern iraq. a look at the historic city and why it was so important. i am totally blind. and sometimes i struggle to sleep at night, and stay awake during the day. this is called non-24. learn more by calling 844-824-2424. or visit your24info.com. at ally bank no branches equals great rates. it's a fact. kind of like shopping hungry equals overshopping. in the country. we operate just like a city, and that takes a lot of energy. we use natural gas throughout the airport - for heating the entire terminal, generating electricity on-site,

and fueling hundreds of vehicles. we're very focused on reducing our environmental impact. and natural gas is a big part of that commitment.

welcome back.

the offensive by iraqi forces to recapture the isis strong hold of tikrit is in its fifth day and the military says it's making progress. >> cnn was able to get up close and personal to see the fighting. ben wedeman just got a few miles from the front lines. here's his story. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: tikrit is the target. heavy rounds fired into a city, now the focus of iraq's biggest yet offensive against isis. the group overran the city last june. there are no signs of life there. many civilians have already fled, as well as some isis fighters according to the soldiers here. we're at a base just two miles from tikrit, or 3.2 kilometers. isis is just on the other side. that was an outgoing round. our visit wag organized by a

shia paramilitary force created when the iraqi army nearly collapsed during last summer's isis onslaught. increasingly, he's playing a central role in the fight against isis. one of the commanders has learned a lot over the last few months about isis' tactics. their basic strategy, he tells me, is to avoid face-to-face confrontations. they depend on improvised explosive devices and snipers. the forces received training, ammunition, weapons and battlefield advice from iran. our tour included a stop at this mosque east of tikrit. until just a few days ago, it was deep inside isis controlled territory. iraqi parliament members see him visiting the troops and was quick to praise iran for its backing in the fight against

isis. today, the iranian support is much larger than the american support, which is limited, he says. praise for iran mixed with criticism for the u.s.-led anti-isis coalition. unfortunately, says this spokesman, we've seen no effort by the international coalition here, and that really doesn't reflect well on them. iraqi government has said it didn't request assistance from the coalition for the tikrit operation. if this operation is successful, these fighters and iran will take the credit. ben wedeman, cnn, outside tikrit, iraq. >> well, that was encouraging news about beating back isis, but isis militants have destroyed more ancient ruins in northern iraq. the terror group has bulldozed the site of the ancient assyrian

city. this video from 2001 shows excavations of the ruins. just last week, isis released videos of militants destroying artifacts. the city dates back as far as 1300 b.c. in syria, government air strikes have reportedly killed the al nusir a's military commander. a source says as many as 13 of the group's leaders were killed. that's al qaeda's largest affiliate in syria. republican leaders in the u.s. senate have postponed a vote that would have given congress a direct say on the iran nuclear negotiations. majority leader mitch mcconnell wanted to take up the proposal next week, but democrats threatened to block that. republicans had hoped to capitalize a momentum from israeli benjamin netanyahu's speech on tuesday, blasting a

possible nuclear deal with iran. >> iran's foreign ministry says -- negotiators i should say in switzerland are making progress, despite mr. netanyahu's speech. >> there was no effect on the negotiating table, but i can see he is trying and some people who associate with him try to create an atmosphere that of -- an atmosphere of hysteria and fearmongering based on lies and deception, that try to prevent a deal from taking shape. >> he says people have been predicting that iran is just a year away from having a nuclear weapon for the past 20 years, and that they have been proven wrong time and time again. north korea has called the stabbing of the u.s. ambassador to south korea a knife attack of justice. that's a quote. >> that's right. and now south korean police are looking into that suspect's links to the north, as the news continues here on cnn.

south korean investigators are looking into possible links between the attack on the u.s. ambassador and the suspect's numerous trips to north korea. police say the suspect, seen there, opposes the joint u.s.-south korean military drills and claims he acted alone. ambassador mark lippert remains in the hospital, recovering from

multiple wounds to his face, hand, and arm. cnn senior international correspondent ivan watson following the developments from seoul where the attack happened and apparently the suspect was known to police there. ivan? >> reporter: that's right. he had a history of one-man protests reportedly setting fire to himself once in a protest about a decade ago. he had suspended jail sentence for hurling a block of concrete at a japanese diplomat in 2010. and what police are doing now is prosecutors are requesting an arrest warrant. and police have come out with an announcement that basically they say that he traveled during a period of basically about eight years, he traveled to north

korea some seven times. so they're now trying to investigate whether they could be any links whatsoever between the regime in north korea and this attack on the u.s. ambassador here. again, early thursday morning. the police say that he's insisting that he acted on his own. but of course, they do need to look deeper into this case. the suspect here also tried to build a memorial, we're hearing from police, to the former north korean leader kim jong-il after he passed away, so there is a history of erratic and suspicious behavior from this man. natalie? >> yes. it was kind of shocking for the world to see the ambassador, knowing he was in seoul, south korea, traditionally a safe city. what has been the reaction from people there in seoul to what happened, ivan?

>> well, what's interesting is that the main newspapers here, of course, this is the top story in seoul today. one of the main newspapers here has denounced this, call thing a displace to the country, a real embarrassment for south korea. another big newspaper here has criticized the security forces here. how is it possible that somebody could get a blade, a knife into this gathering with the u.s. ambassador, criticizing the police for not searching guests going to this gathering. we know that the u.s. embassy did not request extra security for this event, and visitors to seoul will notice this isn't one of those cities that has metal detectors at the entrances to hotels and shopping malls. it is pretty relaxed, even though north korea is only about 50 kilometers to the north from

here. this is a new kind of threat. the big question again that investigators have to look into, was this a kind of lone wolf attack from somebody who had a previous history of at least one violent attack on a japanese diplomat, or could it have had a broader connection to the north korean regime, which has such a long history of bellicose incidents when it comes to south korea and the u.s.? we do have to recall that the north korean regime responded to this attack, calling it a "knife attack of justice." natalie? >> absolutely. we'll wait and see mr. lippert's future there in seoul, south korea. he had just taken over in october. ivan watson for us in seoul. thank you. >> certainly hope his recovery is speedy. >> his baby was born just a few months ago, born there in seoul, south korea. a look back at the top story we're covering. an investigation now under way

into what caused a maul plane to go down with actor harrison ford at the controls. also ahead, the disappearance of flight mh-370 approaches its one-year anniversary. meet the world's newest energy superpower. surprised? in fact, america is now the world's number one natural gas producer...

and we could soon become number one in oil. because hydraulic fracturing technology is safely recovering lots more oil and natural gas. supporting millions of new jobs. billions in tax revenue... and a new century of american energy security. the new energy superpower? it's red, white and blue. log on to learn more.

and our old internet just wasn't cutting it. so i switched us from u-verse to xfinity. they have the fastest, most reliable internet. which is perfect for me, because i think everything should just work. works? works. works! works? works. works.

welcome back to our viewers in the united states and around the world. >> thank you for staying with us. our headlines. actor harrison ford is expected to make a full recovery after a small plane he was piloting crashed near los angeles, california. he remains hospitalized this hour. ford's publicist says the plane had engine trouble on takeoff and ford was attempting an emergency landing. in the u.s. state of kentucky, heavy snow caused a string of accidents and brought traffic to a stand still. hundreds of motorists found themselves stranded for more than 14 hours on these snowy highways. the national guard was sent in to help rescue people there.

no deaths or injuries have been reported. >> how about that one? new video showing iraqi forces fighting to retake the city of tikrit from isis. the city is the hometown of former iraqi dictator saddam hussein. on now to syria. government air strikes there have reportedly killed the senior leader of the al qaeda affiliate al nusra front. a source tells cnn as many as 13 of the group's leaders were killed. harrison ford, his son says his dad is "battered but okay." after a single engine plane he was piloting crashed thursday afternoon. we're told very close to home, but that's where he put it down. fire officials say ford suffered

moderate trauma when paramedics arrived a @ scene and took him away. an investigation is, of course, under way. ford was flying solo in the back seat of his vintage world war ii era military training plane. earlier, i spoke with cnn aviation analyst mary schiavo and asked her about the vintage plane and how common it is to see a plane like this in the skies. >> it's getting more and more rare. there are a lot of clubs and organizations in the united states and around the world, in britain, as well. enthusiasts who like to keep these old planes running or restore them and get them running again. but as the years go on, they get progressively more dangerous. a 60-year-old plane has lots of special needs, which is why the faa here in the united states issued special rules about these vintage aircraft in 2009.

saying they need very special care and you can't just put on any kind of part or do anything that you want, that you have to follow special aging aircraft protocol. so they're tricky and prevalent, but they do have an unfortunate higher incidents of crashes and problems. >> so mary, when you talk about this plane, and we're talking about obviously the ntsb will determine whether this was an intended landing, whether he was trying to land in a golf course, but we're talking about a very densely populated area, and to bring that plane down in a golf course, how challenging would that have been? >> it's very challenging. i think we now know from the air traffic control tapes, he did call an engine failure. and what happens is once -- if you have a single engine airplane and you have a failure, if you're a good pilot, you set it up in the glide slope and you're trained to what the best

ratio is for your plane, how you can get the most amount of mileage with no engine. and he obviously set it up for a good glide ratio, but he just couldn't make the airport again, apparently he was coming back to land, and for that golf course to be there was extremely fortuitous. i lived in los angeles for years and you can't land on the freeways. so it's lucky that the golf course was there, and it was fortunate that he knew how to set the plane up for an unpowered landing, put it in the glide slope, brought it down. pretty good piloting. >> the fact that he was in the back seat of this plane, would you say that was important for the fact that he survived the crash? >> it could be. it could be important that he survived the crash, but in which ever seat you're in, you're going to be thrown forward and back, and there is some padding

around the sides of those open air cockpits. you have a little padding on the sides. but either way you would have been subjected to the forces of being thrown forward and back. what it is, though, in an old tail dragger like that, and you're flying with a stick, you don't have a lot of instruments and equipment, it's really flying by the seat of your pants stuff. so switching from a more modern aircraft to a vintage tail dragger, that can be hard switching back and forth and it takes a pilot up on his skilling. clearly he brought it in straight and level because the wings were fine. >> these things typically don't end the way they ended today. so thank goodness that he had the still and luck to land it. >> we're going to turn now to the plane crash that has mesmerized the world for almost a year. a memorial will be held friday in malaysia to remember the 239

people among flight mh-370. search crews have scoured the ocean since the plane crashed last march but families still have no answer. >> cnn's andrew stevens now joins us in hong kong with the latest. the prime minister of australia, tony abbott, is promising the search will continue, but he is making the point that it won't happen at this intensity forever. >> no, it won't. that's the thing, george, and that's the big fear for the families, if the plane is not found in this search zone, which they are holding out hope the plane is in, if it's not found there, the family say what happens next, is there a commitment to continue the search? the malaysian transport minister dodged the question and said he would take advice from experts about that. but 239 souls aboard flight

mh-370. the families of 239 people still in limbo. i was in kuala lumpur recently and interviewed one family and this is their story. ♪ >> every now and then once in a while i do call his phone, yeah. and it goes to voice mail. you never know. he might pick it up or someone who has them would let them have the phone. the hope is there, you know? every little hope that comes along, it's something. >> reporter: jacquita gonzalez has never lost hope. every day in almost every way, her husband remains part of her

life. >> not a single day goes by without his name being in my head, not a single day. you know? i come into this room, i see patrick. i turn into the other room, i see patrick. i see his friends, i see patrick. i see his children every day, and it's patrick. i try and not break down in front of my children, because they will have me to deal with, as well. >> reporter: the family home in kuala lumpur, unchanged since patrick left for work as the inflight supervisor on mh-370. his black work shoes still in their usual place outside the front door. his awards after 35 years of malaysia airlines. the family portraits that reveal a doting father and grandfather. the wedding album. the newspapers as they were a year ago. >> what is this book about?

>> reporter: but life goes on. for her, the kindergarten and daycare center she runs in kuala lumpur is a lifeline. >> it has helped. i really need it, because if not, we're just sitting down and waiting and thinking about things. >> reporter: each day that passes is a day in limbo, waiting for news, any news. and then maybe closure. >> if there's debris and it's there in the indian ocean, we can have closure and we can lay him at peace. because right now, i don't think he's at peace. you know, i'm sure he wants to come home, wherever he is. so if they do find, i can put him at peace. >> reporter: by that, you mean to lead him to his next stage

of -- >> yes, so he's not wandering, you know, and he's with jesus. in jesus' arms, you know? eventually that's where we will all go, but i didn't think it would be soon, you know? we are hoping that it will be a little bit longer. >> such a heart wrenching story. as i say, george and natalie, she is just one family in 239. you still, to this day, cannot imagine the sort of pain that every day they have to go through. it's going to be some day. lit be a full year since mh-370 disappeared and still basically we are no further forward. >> it's really unreal. i was thinking during your story, andrew, there are 238 more stories like this one. very poignant. >> thank you so much for the story telling and the report there. almost a year later,

investigators are still in the dark over what happened to that flight. >> and you just saw the last report there, so many families that just want a shred of information. just some answers. >> they have nothing. >> i couldn't imagine. cnn's jonathan mann takes a look at the intensive search for that plane. >> reporter: since mh-370 went missing, authorities have searched millions of square kilometers of the indian ocean. at first, they focused in the south china sea, near where last contact was made. a week later, they shifted the search south to the indian ocean, based on radar information and where the plane is believed to have veered off course. sonar and ocean floor mapping technology started soon after. all if all, 22 planes and 19 ships could not find any trace of the aircraft. so authorities went back to the

data and analysis of radar communications, indicated the plane was likely in the southern part of the indian ocean. the search area was then redefined. a deep underwater search was launched in early october in the new search area. how did they come to that? mh-370 used a satellite system to transmit its position. each time a hand shake with the satellite is established, a ring of possible locations can be plotted on the earth's surface. authorities believe the plane was on autopilot throughout the mysterious flight, sending out these hand shakes to satellite. the search was then focused in this region along the seventh arc, spanning 60,000 square kilometers. authorities hope to finish mapping the entire area by this may and hope even more so to end

one of the great mysteries in aviation history. >> again, a memorial coming out from the capital kuala lumpur. we will cover that for you and be able to hear from more of the families at that time. more gripping testimony from survivors of the boston marathon bombing. >> we continue to watch as the trial of dzhokhar tsarnaev continues. at ally bank no branches equals great rates. it's a fact. kind of like mute buttons equal danger. ...that sound good? not being on this phone call sounds good. it's not muted. was that you jason? it was geoffrey! it was jason. it could've been brenda. why do we spend every waking moment, thinking about people? why are we so committed to keeping you connected? why combine performance with a conscience? why innovate for a future without accidents? why do any of it? why do all of it? because if it matters to you, it's everything to us.

the s60 sedan. from volvo. lease the well-equipped volvo s60 today. visit your local volvo showroom for details. i am totally blind. and sometimes i struggle to sleep at night, and stay awake during the day. this is called non-24. learn more by calling 844-824-2424. or visit your24info.com. but now that we have the tempadjustable base,ile, it's even better. [evie] i go up...heeeeyyy... [alex] when i put my feet up on this bed, my stress just goes away. [announcer] visit your local retailer and discover how tempur-pedic can move you. moare transportedcts on container ships. before a truck delivers it to your store,

a container ship delivered it to that truck. here in san diego, we're building the first one ever to run on natural gas. ships this big, running this clean, will be much better for the environment. we're proud to be a part of that.

former secretary of state hillary clinton says she wants the public to see her e-mails but it turns out that could take months. she's under scrutiny for using a personal e-mail account for official white house business. he's asked the state department to release the emails. >> a spokesman for the department says it is working on that. the white house does allow employees to use personal e-mail as long as those messages are also sent to the state department. the clinton camp says it did that. in the u.s. state of arizona, convicted killer jodi arias will not face the death penalty after a deadlocked jury for the second time. a jury found arias guilty in 2013 of the gruesome murder of her ex-boyfriend travis alexander but deadlocked in that penalty phase. and now the death penalty is off the table entirely. next, a judge will decide over the next few weeks whether she

will be sentenced to life in prison or 25 years. arias always admitted to killing alexander, but she always maintained that it was in self-defense. heart wrenching testimony from survivors of the boston marathon bombings on the second day of the trial of accused bomber dzhokhar tsarnaev. one victim described it as "pure carnage." another took the stand to recount the moment she lost her leg. >> reporter: 12 seconds after the first bomb exploded, the second bomb and a backpack carried by dzhokhar tsarnaev detonated. initially, the crowd, having heard the first blast, can be seen turning to look at the finish line. images show spectators standing one moment, seconds later, flattened on the sidewalk. bill richard and wife denise were outside the restaurant watching the race with their three kids.

11-year-old henry on the left, 6-year-old jane in the middle and 8-year-old martin on the end or seen blissfully unaware of the man in the white hat behind them. dzhokhar tsarnaev slipped away seconds before allegedly detonating the device. richard tried finding his family, grabbing daughter jane, whose leg was blown off. he testified, i looked at martin for the last time. the carnage was similar at the finish line. jeff was standing next to one of the bombs when it detonated, obliterating his legs. when he heard the second blast, he said it clicked, i knew we were under attack. he said he had seen a suspicious looking man next to him. both seen here underneath the flag. when he turned, the man's ground was on the ground. but the man was gone. a day after the bombing from his hospital bed, he scribbled a

note, i saw the kid. i know what happened. he helped the fbi identify tamerlan, dzhokhar's older brother. new video reveals the horror. the images describe an emotional detail by the people who lived through it. inside the courtroom, jurors and others could be seen fighting back tears. dzhokhar tsarnaev sent slouched in his seat. one witness, a young mom, rebecca gregory, wrote a letter to the accused bomber on facebook after she testified about having her leg blown off. today, i looked at you right in the face and realized i wasn't afraid anymore. >> on now to argentina. the ex-wife of the prosecutor who mysteriously died in january says he was murdered.

alberto was found dead while pursuing a case against argentina's president and other top leaders. >> his death sparked outrage and has shaken the nation. his ex-wife says a team of forensic experts found that he was indeed murdered. authorities have yet to formally rule if it was a murder or suicide. coming up, holt is definitely a most appropriate name for this pit bull. >> he's tipping the scales at 175 pounds and he's not done growing yet. the garden is the story of told and retold.

it's as old as our time on earth. and as new as tomorrow. you can have a yard. or slightly less. gardening isn't about where we choose to live. it's about how we choose to live. miracle-gro. life starts here.

welcome back. a major change is in the works for the century-old american circus. ringling brothers says it will reduce the use of elephants in its show and completely phase them out by 2018. >> the circus has been criticized, picketed and even sued for its treatment of the elephants. an official says the decision is in the best interest of the circus and the animals. i think ringling timely bowed to pressure. i think cities were passing laws so the circus couldn't come there. >> not nearly as popular. >> elephants are in danger now. >> this other story is pretty

interesting. the biggest dog you've ever seen, how big? >> 100 pounds. >> we're talking about 175 here. this is a pit bull, just unbelievable to see how big this is. >> this is our animal segment. the pit bull has become a media sensation. here's jeanne moos. >> reporter: with his towering height, his sensitive eyes, no wonder new york is bullish on this pit bull. >> he's gorgeous. >> reporter: yeah? want to meet him if >> yeah. >> reporter: who wouldn't want to meet hulk, one of the largest pit bulls on earth, and at 18 months, still growing. >> hello there. hello. yes. >> reporter: pinning me up against his van, hulk made a weighty impression, 175 pounds of weight. normally he lives on a farm in new hampshire. the home of dark dynasty canines where marlin and lisa breed

guard dogs. like the tv hulk, this hulk has his topside. most of the time he's so placid, he let his owner's son ride him and just plopped down during his tv appearances. so chill that hulk tends to sleep right through it when the boy pulls on his tongue. they want people to know that even a giant pit bull isn't vicious. >> he's mellow. it's all about leadership and how you raise them, rules, boundaries, limits. >> reporter: one of his me -- things is howling to the harmonica. though he didn't want to sing on "the view." he's been in new york with all this publicity. hulk seemed like a breed apart from all the new york city dogs dressed in their winter coats. yet we discovered --

>> one of his best friends is a chihuahua. >> reporter: this big bruiser has a taste for little dogs. and when hulk the pit bull met max the poodle, instead of dining on max, hulk tried to sniff both ends. that poodle's jacket would probably fit hulk as a hat. >> it's funny to see that little doc. it's like, dude, no. >> hulk is just a gentle giant. thank you for watch thing hour. i'm natalie allen. >> i'm george howell. i'll be back in the next hour with another hour of news. keep it here on cnn.

[meow mix jingle slowly anright on cue.cks] [cat meows] ♪meow, meow, meow, meow... it's more than just a meal, it's meow mix mealtime. with great taste and 100% complete nutrition, it's the only one cats ask for by name.

scourge of 20th century city life. raiser of blood pressure. disrupter of supply chains. stealer of bedtime stories. polluter. frustrater. time thief. [cars honking] and one day soon, we'll see the last one ever. cisco is building the internet of everything for connected cities today, that will confine the traffic jam to yesterday. cisco... ...tomorrow starts here. yeah that's why i'm hiding, captain obvious. not very well. i found you immediately. you know what else is easy to find? a new hotel with the hotels.com app.

i don't need a new hotel room, i just need to get back into this one. gary? it's wednesday gary! i know that janet! hotels.com is more helpful than janet. in california, harrison ford's plane drops rom the sky. details on his condition. and the investigation in new york. a jet skids off the runway, just inches from disaster. and we'll take you to the front lines in iraq where the battle for tikrit is now intensifying. welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm george howell. this is cnn newsroom. ♪ we start the show this