essentially wiped off the map. we have a live report ahead this wicked few months of weather just continues. a heartbreaking scene in the middle of the country this morning. >> seek the pictures shows you devastation. we'll get to as rob said live details. this half-hour the president arrives in dublin this morning where he will reconnect with his irish roots. we'll be previewing his very big trip. >> later on this half-hour, an uh unusual copy right case goes to court and involves get this, a tattoo artist's work, mike tyson and hangover movie sequel which opens later this week. controversy already. not even out yet. >> didn't see that coming. who hasn't woken up in a bathtub with a tattoo like that once or twice. it happens. we begin with the breaking news, in the devastating bachl of tornados just steamrolling the midwest. >> there are reports that dozens of people are dead after a mile wide tornado ripped through joplin, missouri. as many as 70 twisters have touched down in six states from friday. >> reporter: sun day's tornado in minneapolis hit the city's northern neighborhoods and suburbs. part of a violent wave of storms that left minnesota's largest city with at least one victim dead, thousands of power outages and ape path of destruction. >> it sounded like a freight train when it was coming at us and scared the heck out of us. >> reporter: a killer tornado in joplin, missouri hit a regional hospital sunday night. emergency crews responded to multiple injuries around the city. >> it just, just, makes you -- think just how quick something can happen, you know. one minute it was just, barely sprinkling. next minute, the whole world upside down. >> reporter: the intense storm hit fire stations and left homes and businesses in shambles after more than 20 tornados slammed the plains saturday. 14 in kansas alone. reading, kansas was heart hid. >> noticed the trailer started shaking. i said this is not good. >> reporter: at least one victim died, virtually every home in reading was damaged. 20 were destroyed. >> i just have the walls left of my home. uh-huh. my parents just have the walls left of their home. and my brother doesn't have a home anymore. >> reporter: to west, a huge funnel cloud formed 80 miles from oklahoma city sending people in a rural town scrambling. although there was little damage here, forecasters arel]]i more storms this week. >> many areas will get hit with severe weather repeatedly. >> reporter: after 875 tornados during the month of april which killed 361 people. an unforgettable statistic as hail storms, downpours and tornados are leaving their mark on the month of may. todd ant, abc news, new york. our coverage of the deadly storms continues now with liz bryant, the latest from our affiliate, kode in joplin. >> liz has been covering the tornado since it hit joplin last night and joins us now via phone. good morning, liz, what is the extent of the damage far as you can tell right now? >> reporter: good morning to you, more than i would say, 75% of joplin is completely wiped out. populated neighborhoods are gone. they look like, they look like war zone at this time. and even the busiest street in skr joplin, lowes, home depot, wal-mart, all the main shopping where the restaurants once were are all gone. >> liz you, said the most populated areas, lots of times these touchdown in sort of rural areas, tell us the difference here? >> this was no rural area. no rural area at all. actually, how you heard in that package, the st. john's regional medical center hospital, the roof was completely torn off. the tornado went right through st. john's. and the triage, multiple triages, multiple morgues are set up right in the area, bodies just laid on the street. and after, right after the storm i actually went out and began gathering the news for tonight assessing the damage. you could hear residents who were trapped under the rubble just crying out for help. they wanted everyone to know that they were still alive. but they needed to get out. and where dead bodies were being laid on the street, their loved ones actually going up to the bodies, crying, screaming, giving them cpr, with the any hopes of reviving them. >> just unbelievable scene. what can you tell us about whatever emergency alert system they have in the town where -- were people able to have any time at all to hide? >> yes, yes. we had time. we are no stranger in the four states of severe weather. we have a lot of severe weather. and throughout severe weather season it is not like, there is ever a quiet severe weather season. it is always very active. so we have emergency disaster plans in place. we have preparation. we have training, multiple, multiple areas of, facets of training that go into severe weather season. that precede it. and so, we are already. it's just -- who can be -- completely ready for something -- that pancakes your house, that pancakes your neighborhood. i mean pictures and words cannot describe it, that video you are showing, it -- puts a filter on what happened last night in joplin. >> yeah, we can tell from what you are saying, liz, this is devastating. real quickly before we let you go here, there is also another looming threat here, which is gas explosions. >> we are not out of the clear yet. there are gas leaks everywhere. even when people were -- trying to set up shop, just making -- a hospital in the middle of the road, everyone was screaming "do not light a cigarette. do not light a match." gas leaks are everywhere. explosions are feared. and so, we are not out of the clear, though the tornado has passed us. >> all right, liz bryant this morning from kode in joplin, reporting live. thank you for the very alarming details. appreciate it. >> thoughts and prayers with you and everyone in the area over the next couple days. in all of this, the coverage of the fatal midwest tornados does not end here. we will have updates from missouri and minnesota both on "america this morning" and live coverage later today on "good morning america." heartbreaking scenes out there. going to wake up to this morning. >> really incredible. we do want to, shift gears dramatically, talking about the forecast now. looking at a day of violent storms, dallas to buffalo, new york. also looking for more tornados, hail, also, winds topping up to 80 miles an hour. cool rain from rapid city. billings. half foot of snow in the rockies. showers in the pacific north west. >> mostly 60s, seattle, salt lake city. 80 in chicago. 83 in kansas city. near 90, dallas to miami. 92 in atlanta. 70 here in new york. >> here we go again. another eruption volcano in iceland, posing such a threat to air traffic, iceland's main airport is closed until this afternoon at the earliest. nobody expects worldwide delays we saw last year because the winds ash not as strong right now and ash is falling back into the ground more quickly. as of now, only about 40 international flights have been canceled. for south african president nelson mandela in the first full day of a visit to his hometown. the 92-year-old icon longxd sai he wanted to spend his final days there still there is no indication that man dell lays in any failing health. one person who saw his arrival yesterday said he actually appeared to be in good spirits and expected to stay at least a week. the president and mrs. obama are arriving in europe this morning for a four-country visit. their first stop will be ireland. where the president makes a sentimental stop, and traveling with the president, we are joined from dublin. good morning. >> good morning, peggy, rob. the green carpet has been rolled out. not only for an american president, but here in ireland, one of their own. this tiny town is getting ready for a major homecoming. president obama has irish roots here. it was the birth place of his great, great, great grandfather. a shoemaker in the village. bap tipsed here are the registries. the president will likely see for himself later today. he migrated to the united states in 1850 with his sister who may have passed on a distinct obama feature. >> i have seen a photo of margaret, i hope he takes this in the spirit i mean it, i think she is the one he got the ears from. yeah. it seems to be the family trait. this man is obama's 8th cousin and one of the first to greet the president as he touches down for the first time on irish soil. >> the first thing i would say, 100,000 welcomes. >> relatives seem to be popping up everywhere, like ken mcshane, hoping to claim his branch on the now-famous family tree. >> probably it is eight, ninth, tenth cousin. could be. >> after the family reunion, president obama will do what the local do's have a pint at the local pub. peggy, rob. >> thank you so much. bidding is now over. it is official. some one has way too much money to spend. >> way. we are talking about, yeah, that hat, worn by britain's princess beatrice. the winning bid -- some one shelled out $136,648. >> the hat originally cost $1,622 which some say was $1,600 too much. all the money now going to unicef and a children any charity. we don't know who bought it. let's hope they put it in a closet forever. >> the thing was sold on e-bay. congratulations to the lucky bidder on the lovely hat. one good thing. more "world news now" coming up after the break. [ female announcer ] love that freshly colored look? now you don't have to wait six weeks to get it. natural instincts now comes with a new color refresher. just color, then give it a boost two weeks in and get a freshly colored look once again. natural instincts. it's all good. well as you may know, probably do know over the weekend the world was supposed to come to an end. as you can see, we're still here. >> everybody, looking around. i did order the cheesecake, ate dessert. nothing happened. a bold, crazy prediction of one televangelist. as nonbelievers go on with their lives, one true believer is wondering what happens now. here is ron claiborne. >> reporter: at 6:00 p.m., robert fitzpatrick looked at his watch, waited and nothing happened. >> we're stale life! >> reporter: as some of the crowd jeered, fitzpatrick looked stunned. >> i don't understand what happened. this is the year. >> reporter: those calculations made by radio evangelist, who claimed he unlocked secrets written in code in the bible. >> i am utterly, absolutely, absolutely convinced it is going to happen. >> reporter: a spokesman said he is home in seclusion and according to his wife he is mystified his doomsday prediction did not come true. meanwhile the internet was brimming with mockery of the man and his followers, some posting photos of empty clothes ridiculing the rapture to occur on doomsday when a select few christians would assent to heaven leaving their clothing behind. >> never expected to see that. >> reporter: fitzpatrick was back in his new york city home watering his plants reading his bible. >> part of me was excited with anticipation for what i hoped would be coming for me and part of me was in dread of what would be coming for those who are not saved. >> reporter: fitzpatrick, a retired transit worker spent most of his savings $140,000 on posters warning of the apocalypse. he says he will leave them up. >> the warning on those signs is still valid. judgment day is coming. >> reporter: fitzpatrick says he may have gotten the date wrong but not the fate of mankind. he now believes that doomsday will occur sometime later this year. ron claiborne, abc news, new york. >> interesting. >> can you believe all of his savings out there passing out pamphlets, posters. >> life savings. one facebook group called, not bragging, fifth end of the world i have survived. 45,000 followers end of sunday. >> the winners at last night's billboard awards. >> our music insider, joins us to talk about all the attention lady gaga is getting at the awards and elsewhere this week. you are watching "world news now." well, the house was indeed rocking last night at first billboard muse ache waric award. gone for the last five years. >> the industry's biggest stars were on hand, our music and media consultant joins us live with a look at last night's show. good morning, bruno. >> hello, guys. >> why did the billboard awards take the five-year hiatus, what is up with that? >> they went away. the ratings, tanked five years ago in 2006, the last time they held. the other problem it was always in december when people are burned out on music award shows. it's come back in may, a better time slot for them. >> first things first, let's talk about the britney reappearance. rhiana, sauciness between the two. what did you think? >> repeat scenario of madonna, britney, christina. 2003, eight years ago. it was nice to see them playing and at the end. it was sexy. [ inaudible ] >> lady gaga usually steals the show. last night didn't belong to gaga belonged to someone slightly older, right? >> exactly. the night belonged to neil diamond last night. >> yoo-hoo. >> he won the icon award, sold 128 million records. hits for 40 years. performed "sweet caroline" and "america" had them on their feet singing along. no one had that effect on the show. >> bruno, i thought he was amazing. he has still got it. you know, a bit older, but he still really has the it. he wasn't the only one there, big winners, besides, neil diamond. >> yes, actually, justin bieber and eminem each with six awards. seven for justin, if you count fan fach riltvorites. hottest male artist in the world. >> what about the little kilss. hollywood hot couple. >> justin and selena. >> big week for lady gaga. >> humungous. her album is out right now as you speak, released on itunes. she will be on "american idol" and "good morning america," and on "saturday night live," and one of the most anticipated albums in the last, 10, 12 years, actually. >> she is such an incredible performer, interesting to see what she does coming up next week. everybody started watching what she was doing. good to see, the biebes. and eminem. >> great night. six awards is a lot for him right now. >> beyonce in good company with a big award? >> she got the millennium award. joins michael jackson, madonna, prince, lionel ritchie in this award. she got ten minutes of air time. a show that is three hours long. that is amazing. but also, let's, let's not forget beyonce has a powerful, popular hit right now. >> right, "girls around the world." >> we love it. >> bruno, thank you very much. >> appreciate it. we'll be right back. all you pantene 2-in-1 lovers, this is your lucky day. pantene's 2-in-1's are customized, with 5 new versions. find yours and love it or twice your money back. that's the smart beauty guarantee. 2-in-1's from pantene. healthy makes it happen. [ male announcer ] every day, thousands of people are switching from tylenol to advil. take action. take advil. save on advil with our special coupon in select newspapers on may 22. i saw "bridesmaids" this weekend. raunchy just like i like. >> got to go see it. the wolf pack is back as one of the most anticipated films of the summer. opens up. the hangover two. bradley cooper. >> your boy, i know. even before the sequel hits. already causing a controversy, one that includes who else, but mike tyson. here's t.j. winick. >> don't say that in front of him. >> i'm kidding. joy angelina jolie's, coordinates, and pamela anderson's barbed wire and this tattoo on the left idea of former heavyweight champ mike tyson. in fact his tattoo is so unique it is now at the center of a major lawsuit. >> i can't believe this is happening again. >> the hangover part two is one of the summer's most anticipated films. >> your hair is gone. >> in the movie, ed holmes character wakes up after a wild night in bangkok with this on his face. >> this is a real tattoo. >> the artist who created the original design, s. victor whitmill isn't laughing, suing warner brothers to stop using the tattoo in posters or the movie which would stop the film from being released. whitmill is demanding monetary damages for what he calls reckless copy right infringement, warner brothers claims the design has been in the public domain long enough. >> there is a concept of fair use where you can make fun of someone's art work. if you are going to profit off the art work that has been copyrighted technically it is illegal under the law. >> reporter: it may sound frivolous, but copy right law is serious business. the donald tried to trademark "you're fired." and lost. paris hilton did win some cash by claiming don't laugh now, intellectual property rights to "that's hot." charlie sheen's request to trademark several gems including "tiger blood" are pending. as for the tyson tattoo, the two sides will take off the gloves in court on monday. i'm tj win wiickwinick. new york. >> it is a serious lawsuit. >> i think the guy is looking for a little bit of cash. >> mel gibson was supposed to be in the movie but because of controversy, there was be signed the scenes and they got him out. >> oh. >> come on now. over 1000 babies are born every day with hiv. and half will die before their second birthday. but the plain truth is this can alall be prevented. we can reach the goal of no child born with hiv by 2015. go to one dot org. together we can stop the spread of hiv from mothther to child. we're not asking for your money.. we're asking for your voice. go to one dot org and join us today. breaking news this morning on "world news now," misery in missouri. the city of joplin in shambles after a powerful tornado tore a huge path through the town. >> unbelievable. multiple fatalities there and damage we can expect to see at day break. it's monday, may 23rd. good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> i'm peggy bunker. >> joplin, missouri not the only city dealing with an emergency situation. minneapolis is also under an overnight curfew after a tornado there. while a small town in kansas is virtually destroyed from a tornado there. we have a live report coming up ahead. from what we are hearing, this is really unprecedented damage. >> we were talking to a reporter there in joplin saying dead bodies are on the streets. fear of natural gas explosion. also, this half-hour, los angeles police made a major break in the case of a san francisco fan who was attacked, actually left paralyzed after a baseball game. details on that coming up too. >> also, something we are going to let you know about. bittersweet battle involving girl scouts and the cookies they sell, why they're fighting over one of the ingredients in the popular cookies. about that time of year. see what happens with that. >> and explain the link to the orangutan. that you are looking at right there. that is not a new kind of cookie, yeah. we begin with the violent tornado outbreak that flattened neighborhoods from oklahoma to the canadian border. >> the governor of missouri has declared a state of emergency after a mile-wide twister barreled through joplin. dozens are feared dead there this morning. a hospital had to be evacuated after taking a direct hit that completely ripped off the roof and then blew out the windows. president obama issued a statement last night expressing his condolences and promising federal support. liz bryant of our joplin affiliate, kode, has been covering the story overnight. >> reporter: i would say 75% of joplin is completely wiped out. populated neighborhoods are gone. they look like, they look like war zone at this time. and even the busiest street in joplin, lowes, home depot, wal-mart, all main shopping as well as restaurants once were, they are all gone. pictures and words, cannot describe it. that video you are showing, it -- puts a filter on what happened last night. we are not out of the clear yet. there are gas leaks everywhere. even when people were -- trying to set up shop, just, making a hospital in the middle of the road, everyone was screami