Presidential pets serve many purposes. Past commanders in chief and military leaders often shared a unique relationship with their dogs that helped them through difficult times. President Obama even promised a dog to his daughters after he won the election in 2008, as a way of thanking them. Author Kathleen Kinsolving’s new book, "Dogs of War", reveals how important dogs were to military leaders and presidents during WWII. Kinsolving joins “Early Start” live from Washington D.C. with some surprising stories about these former White House pets and these leaders.

Kinsolving shares stories about how three dogs in particular were instrumental in helping defeat Hitler: Fala, President Roosevelt's Scottish Terrier, Willie, General Patton's Bull Terrier and Telek, General Eisenhower's Scottie.
For instance, Telek was with General Eisenhower when the Nazi's came to sign their surrender. Kinsolving writes in the book that Telek actually growled when the Germans walked in.

"I think dogs are very psychic. And certainly, he knew that the Nazis were trouble," Kinsolving says. "We owe everything to these wonderful dogs."

The NFL has been at the center of bad publicity in recent days, with the tragic murder-suicide at the hands of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, and the general discussion of the major stress the sport puts players under. In the new cover story for TIME magazine, Commissioner Roger Goodell opens up about some of the ways he hopes to reform the sport so it takes less of a toll on its athletes.

Among some of the ideas on the table are getting rid of kickoffs, which are seen by many to be one of the most dangerous elements of the game. While it’s only a suggestion, fans and professionals alike wondering what the future of the sport could look like.

Former NFL Linebacker Chris Draft played for the NFL for 12 years. He is also the Founder, President and CEO of the Chris Draft Family Foundation. Draft joins “Early Start” live from Atlanta this morning with his view on eliminating kickoffs.

“Kickoff was proven to…have the biggest impacts of any one play throughout the game of the NFL,” Draft says. “So making adjustments with that, or even just talking about adjustments really just says that the NFL is looking towards player safety. They’re always looking towards player safety.”

Last December, Los Angeles actor Jon Kondelik suffered a major injury in a movie production accident. Four fingers on his left hand were severely burned and had to be amputated. He thought his career was over.

But this December, he is about to receive a state-of-the-art bionic finger prosthesis. Not only that, but Kondelik just finished a new movie called "The Rise of the Zombies."

Sometimes called a "Luke Skywalker" hand because of it's similarities to the one Luke got in the movie "Empire Strikes Back," it'll allow Kondelik to move his fingers with a slight flex of a muscle in his palm.

The actor comes to “Early Start” this morning along with his prosthetist, Macjulian Lang, of Advanced Arm Dynamics.

"The whole process of healing has always been an adjustment," Kondelik says. "Every day is a struggle and learning something new." He adds, "I have to figure it out."

Ken Jennings, Author and All-Time Jeopardy! Champion, shares some of the best advice he’s ever heard.

American bobsledder and Olympic Gold Medalist Steven Holcomb shares some of the best advice he's ever received.

Two Auroroa, Colorado police officers and a two good Samaritans are being hailed as heroes this morning after they rescued a woman and her two-year-old daughter from being crushed to death.

Kipinga Muanza Kalala was crossing a major road with her twin sons and while holding her two-year-old daughter when she was struck by a law-abiding vehicle. She and her daughter were then trapped underneath the car. Two officers and a few bystanders came to their aid, lifting the car off of them. The mother and daughter are still in the hospital but are said to be recovering.

Sergeant Jon Kessler and Sergeant Matt Brukbacher are the two Aurora Police Department officilas who became the family’s saviors. They join “Early Start” live from Denver this morning.

Hollywood spy thriller “Zero Dark Thirty” tells the story of the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. Made by the Academy Award winning team of Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal, the film follows “the female CIA analyst who finally figured out where he was hiding to the Navy SEALS who killed him.” CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr talks to the filmmakers behind the movie that has as much Oscar buzz as it does mystery.

“The mystery? In real life, everyone involved in the hunt for Bin Laden remains sworn to secrecy,” Starr reports. “But the filmmakers say they got first hand accounts.”  

Starr asks Boal and Bigelow about access to their sources, but they don't exactly say. “We take protecting our sources and the exact methodology of our sourcing pretty seriously,” Boal tells her.

The filmmakers’ access to the information used in the movie has meanwhile caused a raging controversy in Washington. “Congressman Peter King, Chairman of the House Security Committee, first called for an investigation at both the CIA and the Pentagon,” Starr reports.

“My understanding is that the Hollywood people got access to CIA operatives, CIA locations, that they had access to the Navy SEALS which they should not have had,” King says. He says the investigation has since been expanded. Starr says King's "concern is whether the government  is getting too close to Hollywood at the risk of the nation's secrets."

The Kansas City Chiefs both celebrated a victory and mourned a tragedy this weekend. The team earned its second win of the season on Sunday, beating the Carolina Panthers 27 to 21. The win came just one day after police say Chiefs Linebacker Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins multiple times and then drove to the team's practice facility where he shot himself. The couple leaves behind their three-month-old daughter Zoeey.

Former NFL player Tiki Barber played nine seasons in the NFL as running back for the New York Giants. He comes to the studio with his take on the tragedy and whether the NFL is doing enough to help players deal with stress. Barber is also the author of “Tiki: My Life in the Game and Beyond”.