set a limit of ten grainy cell phone cam portraits per user. that's all the time we have. the now i put you in the able ahands of wolf blitzer in "the situation room." jake, thanks very much. happening now, president obama making what's expected to be a very emotional push for gun control this hour, not far from the scene of the newtown, connecticut, school massacre. also, the parents of a young american diplomat killed in afghanistan talked to me this hour about how their daughter died doing what she loved so much. plus, why some members of congress want beyonce's vacation with jay-z investigated. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." it's hallowed ground but also a rallying cry. this hour, president obama is not far from the sandy hook elementary school in newtown, connecticut. he's meeting with families of

some of the 26 students and teachers killed in that horrific mass shooting in december. and later this hour the president will make what his aides are describing as an emotional push for stronger gun control laws, an issue that the u.s. senate will take up in the coming days. our chief white house correspondent jessica yellin is here in "the situation room" getting ready to begin our coverage. this is a pivotal week as far as gun control initiatives in and the senate are concerned. >> that's right, wolf. when the president speaks he'll be introduced by the mother of a sandy hook victim who is helping, who has helped to push through some of connecticut's tough new gun safety laws. the president's press secretary called gun safety legislation a top white house priority and says for the president this is an issue he just won't let up on. calling gun safety legislation a top white house priority, the president's press secretary implored congress to act on the

memory of the sandy hook victims. >> for those families and for everyone in that community and for so many people across america, those memories will never fade. the pain will never go away. >> then the president headed to hartford, connecticut, where he will meet with families of those victims and highlight connecticut's new gun safety laws, which require background checks for all gun sales, limit the size of ammunition magazines to no more than ten rounds, and expand the state's list of banned so-called assault weapons, among other measures. it's the start of a week of events focused on pressing congress to pass new gun safety legislation. tomorrow vice president biden and attorney general holder will address the issue at the white house, and on wednesday the first lady in chicago, a city ravaged by gun violence. this is the president's first trip back to connecticut since the sandy hook memorial when he

vowed -- >> i'll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. >> four months have passed in that time only four states have passed new gun safety measures. mr. obama has signed 23 executive actions, but congress has not moved. now some republicans are vowing to block the most moderate gun safety measure, which would make background checks universal. >> 90% of americans believe we should do something, and i get a letter from a group of republicans saying, don't touch it, we don't want anything to do with it. that flies in the face of what 90% of americans want. >> 11 families of the newtown victims will be flying back to washington, d.c., with the president on air force one. they plan to spend the next two days here in washington lobbying members of the u.s. senate, both republicans and democrats, to

pass gun safety legislation and they'll be doing it very publicly, talking to the media along the way, wolf. it's part of this ongoing pressure campaign to try to shame lawmakers into passing some sort of gun safety legislation. >> we're going to continue this conversation. right now jessica, don't go far. you can't. you're sitting here, dana bash is here, gloria borger is here as well. dana, up on the hill, two key senators, they're trying to get something done right now. >> that's right. cnn has learned that what is being discussed with the lead bipartisan negotiations are about expanding background checks, but it falls short of the universal background checks that president obama called for. pat toomey, republican of pennsylvania, who has a very good rating with nra, joe manchin, also a very good rating, what they've been in discussions about over the past few days i'm told from sources close to these talks is expanding background checks, which is now required just at places where you can buy them,

at gun stores, to gun shows, it would close the gun show loophole and also expand it to internet sales. what it would not do is expand it universally. so if you wolf blitzer wanted to sell me a gun, sort of privately, you would not -- we would not need background checks. >> that loophole would still be there. >> yes. what i'm told these discussions include is requiretion ting the to keep a record. that has been the crux of -- >> that's ahuge. >> it's been huge. that's the crux of what the supporters of more gun control -- >> if i sold you my gun, i would have to keep a record that i sold it to dana bash. >> it wouldn't go into a database. >> but i'd have to keep it. >> the big question is filibuster. the question is whether this would be enough to stop some republicans from filibustering this gun legislation on the floor, essentially stopping a vote on the legislation. >> if you have a filibuster you need 60 votes. there are 45 republicans and a bunch of democrats who might not vote for it.

so this filibuster issue is significant. >> it's significant for both parties. one, there are lots of republicans who believe it wouldn't be good for their party to filibuster something that a majority of the public agrees with. >> 90%. >> that's right. and secondly it wouldn't be good for democrats if they couldn't stop this filibuster because there are probably a half dozen or so democrats who might go along with this because their seats will be in danger if they vote for gun control legislation. >> one of the things you'll see the president say -- and he's speaking shortly -- is i think he'll remind people that back when he gave the state of the union address and said the families of newtown deserves a vote, gabby giffords deserves a vote, many many were applauding vigorously, enthusiastically. pointing out, look, if you're blocking this from coming to a vote, you're not making good on that pledge you made implicitly by applauding back then. >> gloria, you wrote an excellent column on cnn.com as you always write. but the white house strategy,

this charm offensive as we like to call it, the president inviting a bunch of republican senators for a dinner this wee . among other things you write, this is not a strategy hatched by a bunch of pollyannas at the white house. it is born of necessity and bred with an understanding of a public that has just about had it with washington. >> well, the gun control legislation, the president is playing an outside game as jess points out. he's going directly to the public with these newtown families and saying, don't forget. outside game. inside game on the budget. inside game on immigration reform. i talked to a senior official who said to 0 me, when you're dealing with dysfunction, the best you can do is demonstrate that you're reasonable. and i think that is exactly what the president is trying to do, is be the grown-up here. it might work for him. >> from the perspective of capitol hill, there's another practical, tactical reason. the president has mentioned this on occasion, which is if he does

the outside game on economic and immigration issues, it will backfire. >> it won't work. >> it's there goes the president being partisan again and it will make it difficult for centrists of either party to sign on to something because it will kind of be expected to be partisan if the president is part of it. >> he's also always been accused of playing only the outside game and never the inside game. he has nothing to lose by having dinner with them. >> even if he fails, he's tried. >> this is crunch week for the president. not only the president, vice president, first lady. they're all going out there to make emotional appeals for gun control. >> that's right. tomorrow vice president biden and attorney general holder are speaking at the white house to law enforcement officials talking about gun control issues in communities. then i though you'll see a very emotional speech in chicago by the first lady, talking about how it's meaningful to her personally. >> the speech the president is about to deliver in connecticut, will that really have an aimpact if it gets emotional, he speaks

about meeting with these 26 families of those who were killed in the school? >> this is going to be a reminder to people not to forget what happened in newtown. and i think it's going to have an impact because it can't help had but have an impact. i mean, every time you see those families, every time you're reminded of that horrible event, you think about guns and how devastating guns can be. now, is he going to convert people who believe that this is an infringement on their constitutional rights? probably not. >> right. and you have seen the polls in the past three, four months or so since sandy hook. the support for new gun measures skyrocketed and it's waned since then. one thing i will add with regard to this and more broadly getting a vote on filibuster, that is why it's so critical to have people who are so credible as gun supporters taking the lead, pat toomey, joe manchin. if they can come up with something that everybody who

supports this hope could give political cover to those and get the 60 votes. >> they won't come up with anything on the assault-type weapons, not anything on the nag zeens. >> no. >> they might come up with some compromise on background checks. we'll see. >> something? >> they've got to come up with something, otherwise -- >> anything is short of what they expected right after newtown. >> if not, a huge political setback for the president. guys, thanks. don't go far away. we'll stand by for the president who's getting ready to speak in connecticut. other news we're following, the death of a towering woman, how margaret thatcher shaped history. christiane amanpour is standing by. plus, a young american diplomat, only 25 years old, killed delivering books to children in afghanistan. her parents talked to me about the inspiration she leaves behind.

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britain's parliament is cutting its recess short so

lawmakers can pay tribute to margaret thatcher who died at london'ses ritz hotel after suffering a stroke today. she was 87 years old. the grocer's daughter who became britain's first female prime minister made and shaped history far beyond the united kingdom. she steered her country through social and economic turbulence, famously won the falkland wars with argentina and challenged communism with her friend president ronald reagan. all of that and her unflinching conservative principles cemented her nickname the iron lady. thatcher spoke about her seat at the front of history with cnn's larry king back in 1993. >> would you say that it was worth it, all the ups, all the downs, the travails? was it worth it? >> of course. every minute of the time it was the most fascinating time of my life. they were gripping, yes. we sorted out the economy.

people came to have a higher standard of living, a real enterprise economy. we then saw the end of the cold war. we had all the suddenness of the things like the falklands and then the gulf. then i had a sudden telephone call from ronald reagan, what about the libyan raid. could his bases be used? they were fascinating event after event after event. >> let's get some more with our chief international correspondent christiane amanpour. her legacy, female head of government in england, in britain. how much of an impact did she have globally? >> well, look, you saw how she was answering larry king. you could see how she relished this chance to be in public service and how she relished taking on the tough issues. that's really what she was known for. she not only just had a front row at history, she made history. she was the first female elected leader of a democratic western state. she was able to break that glass

ceiling, and she was really able to show the world what leadership was all about at that particular time. she explained some of what she did domestically. of course domestically in great britain her legacy is quite mixed. obviously believe, those who are her supporters, she was a revolutionary figure, that she empowered the middle class, that she really fought hard for the capitalist system. some would say it was at the expense of society, at the expense of community. once she famously said there is no such thing as society. but on the whole, her supporters will say that the positive ledger was much greater than the negative. and of course in foreign policy it was one amazing fete after the other. she became a world global respected leader after she decided to take on argentina in 1982 who tried to retake the falkland islands. she said, no, i'm going to stand up for freedom, for liberty of the people who live there, and

she took them back for britain. she was very disappointed she didn't get the overt support she wanted from the united states despite her really close relationship with ronald reagan. she didn't get that kind of close support that she wanted. yet, when it came to breaking down communism, it was margaret thatcher who was the indispensable bridge between michael gorbachev, the soon to be soviet leader and ronald reagan. even henry kissinger credits margaret thatcher who saw the opportunity to work with a new kind of soviet leader, gorbachev, even before he was able to. >> i remember after saddam hussein invaded kuwait back in august of 1990 and kraist yachr you were there, you remember as well when she had that famous phone call with then-president george h.w. bush, he wasn't exactly sure what the u.s. should do. she said to him, writes about it in her memoirs, it was reported

at that time, george, this is no time to go wobbly in the days immediately followed, and of course we all know what happened. the u.s. launched operation desert shield, deployed 500,000 troops to the gulf, and then operation desert storm six weeks of ground and air warfare, and the rest is history. christiane will be joining us in our next hour when we go in depp depth on the crisis in north korea, unfolding right now. christiane, thanks very much. >> thanks, wolf. nancy reagan says margaret thatcher and her husband were soul mates. she'll be make spooeking with anderson cooper tonight on "ac 360" at 8:00 p.m. eastern. you'll want to siee that interview. she's the first american diplomat killed since the benghazi attack, a young woman, only 25 years old, slain while delivering books to children in afghanistan. my emotional interview with her parents, that's next. plus, when does a vacation get calls for a federal investigation? when beyonce and jay-z go to

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i'll speak with the parents of anne smedinghoff about her service to this country. beyonce and jay-z ignite controversy in the united states after a vacation in communist cuba. now two u.s. lawmakers are demanding answers. he's the newest member of the cnn family, the world renowned chef anthony bourdain is here with a preview of his brand-new show on cnn. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." she was just 25 years old, a young american diplomat serving in afghanistan, struck down in the words of her parents -- and i'm quoting -- doing what she loved. united states today mourning the loss and remembering the service of anne smedinghoff, our foreign affairs correspondent jill dougherty has the very latest on her death. >> wolf, anne smedinghoff's life was brief, but she lived it with a purpose. and today her family, friends

and colleagues are drawing inspiration from that. her parents say anne smedinghoff was a natural for the foreign service. a modern diplomat, the kind that awears a helmet and a flack jacket, volunteering for dangerous assignments, convinced her parents tell cnn there was a lot of good she could do in the world. >> we would somewhat joke with her sometimes about how we just wanted to see her safe within the walls of the embassy compound, but that was not who anne was. >> in afghanistan, the 25-year-old foreign service officer worked with women's groups and schools, a soccer player back home, she helped organize a women's soccer team. this past weekend, as she brought books to afghan scho schoolchildren, a suicide bomber smashed into her convoy, killing her and four other americans. three members of the military and a civilian employed by the department of defense.

secretary of state john kerry got the news just before leaving on an international trip. in an emotional tribute sunday, he recalled meeting smedinghoff less than two weeks ago when he visited the u.s. embassy in kabul. >> anne was everything that is right about our foreign service. she was smart and capable, committed to our country. >> in her hometown of river forest, illinois, neighbors posted flags along the street. and her state department colleagues took heart from her legacy. >> where others seek to destroy, we intend to show a stronger determination in order to brighten our shared future. that was anne's mission, and it will be ours every single day from this morning through the next. >> anne smedinghoff is the first american diplomat to be killed since the attack in benghazi. and secretary kerry said her death is an example of the

continuing risks diplomats face. wolf? >> and the smedinghoffs are joining us now, their daughter anne was killed in afghanistan. our hearts go out to both of you. really, what a tragic loss. tell us a little something off the top -- thomas, i'll start with you -- about your beautiful, wonderful daughter. >> she was a woman who loved life, who was adventuresome, really wanted to make a difference in the world and really found a perfect fit in her work in the foreign service. >> she was only 25 years old, mary beth. when did she decide she wanted to become an american diplomat? >> you know, i think she was always -- she has always been interested in the world and in going and seeing what it had to

offer. probably from her high school time on for sure, but she always loved to travel and see new things, you know. also be a positive force for good where she was. >> and she certainly was. thomas, when she told you that she wanted to volunteer for diplomatic service at the u.s. embassy in afghanistan, what was your meet reaction? >> well, i wasn't surprised. that's anne. that's the kind of thing she wanted to do. you're always a little nervous, but you want your children to follow their dreams, to do what they can be passionate about, what they think is important, and this certainly was the case for anne. so while you're always nervous, we fully supported her in her

decision to go to afghanistan. >> i know the secretary of state john kerry met her when he was recently in afghanistan. after your tragic loss, all of our tragic loss, the secretary of state said this. >> when i was in afghanistan, she was part of my team, and shed was someone who worked hard and put her life on the line so that others would live a better life. >> mary beth, have you spoken with the secretary? >> you know, secretary kerry was the one who called us to share the tragic news. so we spoke to him then, yes. >> and i would add , he in that call specifically mentioned meeting anne and how he was so impressed with her. you know, that's very comforting

when he actually had personal contact with her and was able to say that. >> thomas, tell us about the last conversation you had with her. >> we actually talked to anne on easter. we had actually a very long phone call with her easter morning, and it was a very upbeat call. secretary kerry had just been there, and anne was one of the people in charge of coordinating his visit. and she was all ziexcited about the work she had been doing on that, was telling us all about it. it was a very upbeat call, and, like i said, she was just aglow with the reese ebt ent events and all the excitement surrounding it. >> mary beth and thomas smedinghoff, our deepest, deepest convidolences on the lo of your daughter anne. thank you so much for sharing some thoughts on this day. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> sad, sad story indeed.

had we come back, there is some anger over beyonce's jay-z's romantic vacation in communist cuba. now two republican lawmakers want answers from the u.s. government. plus, parts unknown. the world renowned chef, the newest member of the cnn family, is here with a preview of his brand-new show, anthony bourdain. plus, the worsening crisis with north korea. a special "situation room" report is coming up right at the top of the hour. her financial r made a retirement plan, they considered all her assets, even those held elsewhere, giving her the confidence to pursue all her goals. when you want a financial advisor who sees the whole picture, turn to us. wells fargo advisors. who sees the whole picture, turn to us. nehey!r! [squeals] ♪ [ewh!] [baby crying] the great thing about a subaru is

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u.s. tensions with north korea right now at a fever pitch. at the top of the hour, a

"situation room" special report devoted to the crisis with north korea. that's coming up 6:00 p.m. eastern. stick around for that. he as a world ill world-renuned chef, best-selling author and now the newest member of the cnn family. good news here in "the situation room," anthony bourdain is joining us, his brand-new show "parts unknown" premieres sunday night here on cnn. tony, thanks so much for doing this. thanks for coming into "the situation room." it's a risky business, but you're willing to do it, aren't you? >> i'm very, very excited about coming over to cnn and taking silly chances s is part of the excitement. >> excellent. let's talk about myanmar. you were there. you've got a great show coming up. i'm going to play a little clip. let's watch together. >> take the fermented tea leaves, add cabbage, tomatoes, lots of crunchy bits like toasted peanuts, season with

lime and fish sauce. this is absolutely delicious. >> you like it? >> oh, yeah. >> yes, fantastic. >> simple. delicious. things not to be taken for granted if you've been in and out of the joint like this guy, sackett vis activist, astrologer and three-times convict. >> i can't wait to see. myanmar, it's been largely cut off from the world over the years. you got in there. what was it like? >> it's big. it's incredibly beautiful. the temple complex, for instance, to see it -- i mean, imagine see iing matc ining ma for the first time. it's that beautiful. i think it the excitement was so few westerners have been allowed inside myanmar. we were probably one of the first television crews to overtly film there. exciting as well was how open the people were with us, which is not something you see in

countries that have really only -- that are so recently opening their doors and allowing press in. two years ago you would have gone to jail for talking to us in myanmar, yet people were remark pably open. just about everyone we spoke to during the show had been in and out of prison for having an opinion. >> in other words, you just go up to people and speak to them. you didn't need some government handler to authorize these kind of little q&a sessions? >> they certainly had to authorize us and get us permits to go in, but, shockingly enough, we did not have a government minder following us around. and people just random passersby in the street didn't shy away from the camera the way they do in a lot of countries even many years after they open up. people seemed extraordinarily eager to talk to us. they were curious. and there's a sense that the whole country is kind of holding their breath to see what happens next. >> it really is amazing when you

think about that transformation over the past few years, how quickly it has unfolded. for those of us who have been watching you for years on other channels, tell us what your new show here on cnn is going to be like. what is going to be different about it? >> well, i'll continue to travel the world on my stomach, meaning that's always going to be the way i get in, the way i look at the world, from the perfespecti from someone who's spent a lot of time cooking and eating. but now the world has become a much bigger place in that i can go to myanmar, i can go to congo, libya, shoot in areas that would have been impossible with another network. we can tighten our focus to tell stories from one person's point of view or expand that to take a look at a bigger picture. i mean, i'll continue to be sort of, i hope, enjoyably schizophrenic from week to week, but i think that the variety and scope of the stories we tell and the places we tell them from,

you'll see some big changes. >> so congo, libya, myanmar. where else are you headed? >> well, we just shot a show in granada in spain, which was not -- i won't be getting hazard pay for that one for sure. we'll be doing a very food centric shows in france. we did a show in l.a. i'm very proud of, maybe the most overphotographed location on earth, but we're looking at it from the point of view of korean-americans and treating l.a. as if no one exists in l.a. but korean-americans. so that should make for an interesting perspective. >> what about north korea? it sounds like a place perfect for anthony bourdain to visit. >> i have kind of low expectations for food scenes there, but i think it's inevitable. i'll certainly be taking a look at it if i can get in and if there's any expectation of a story to tell and a few meals to have, yeah, i'd love to go.

>> i was there a little bit more than two years ago, spent six days in pyongyang. and obviously they treated me well. the food, by the way, was excellent, but then again this is not the normal kind of cuisine, average north koreans eat. i was a vip guest, if you will, so they fed all of us who were there together with the former u.s. ambassador to the united nations bill richardson and his delegation. they fed all of us very well. let me read a quote to you. this was in the hollywood reporter back in august. i'm going to put it up on the screen. you said you don't want to barbecue in the situation room with me and said, i mean, i'm not going to barbecue in the situation room with wolf blitzer and talk about the election results. i'm going to stay within my area of presumed expertise or experience. you know, we do a lot of grilling here in "the situation room." you know that, don't you? >> you know, that -- i just want to put -- it's on my bucket list, wolf. i would love to barbecue in "the

situation room" but i don't think i'll be talking about election results or foreign policy while i'm at it. >> we would have a lot of fun. come to washington. they have delicious food, by the way, here in the nation's capital. some excellent restaurants. i'll take this opportunity to invite you as my guest. then you can do some commentary if you want. but the food in washington is very good. >> i'd love to. >> looking forward to the new show. it premieres sunday night, 9:00 p.m. eastern, right here on cnn cnn anthony bourdain, a huge talent, we're thrilled you're joining our cnn family. thanks so much. >> thank you. when we come back, a wedding anniversary celebration steeped in controversy. just ahead, why two republican lawmakers want answers about beyonce and jay-z's trip to cuba. and we're just minutes away from what's expected to be an emotional push for gun control from the president of the united states. he's in connecticut right now. when it happens, we'll go there live. girl vo: i'm pretty conservative.

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pictures of pop stars beyonce and aher husband jay-z vacationing in communist cuba is stirring controversy here this the united states. now two republican lawmakers are demanding to know how they got there. our national political correspondent jim acosta is walking into "the situation room." he has some answers. what are you learning? >> i wish we had all the answers. we don't know exactly how they got there. but it's important to note that cuba for years was the forbidden fruit for americans. more are getting a chance to taste that fruit. it's becoming so easy even one of the world's biggest pop stars can do it. when pop star beyonce and husband jay-z celebrated their wedding anniversary by roaming the streets of old havana last week, they made waves all the way back in miami where cub cuban-american politicians went ballistic. two gop congress members

questioned whether the couple violated restrictions on u.s. travel to the island. these restrictions are in place, they wrote, because the cuban dictatorship is one of four u.s.-designated state sponsors of terrorism with one of the world's most egregious human rights records. but reuters reports beyonce's vacation was licensed as a cultural exchange, just the kind of trip the president had in mind when he opened up travel to cuba two years ago. >> it is certainly the case that under this administration we have eased the ability to travel to cuba for those purposes. >> that has sent thousands of americans to tour providers that a licensed to average cultural trips to cuba. >> the thing that makes people so fascinated when they travel to cuba is how warm and friendly the people are to americans. and i think this portends a great future between the two countries. >> relaxed travel restrictions have also allowed more cuban-americans to visit relatives on the island as this reporter found while on

assignment in cuba four years ago. but because of the half century-old embargo on cube 0 ba, americans still have to ask the government for permission first, despite bipartisan objections in congress. gop senator jeff flake tweeted, beyonce and jay-z are there? fine by me. kathy castor is also a critic. >> i think it's time to try something different. end the embargo and lift these travel restrictions. >> but conservative cuban-americans say travel to cuba only props up the castro government which is still holding an american allen gross in prison. a blogger just visited the u.s. where she said people on the island lack basic freedoms. fear, fear, fear she told the crowd in miami last week. it gets to a point where they can't instill any more fear in you. it's estimated that thousands of americans travel to cuba every year but an exact number is hard to come by.

the treasury department which grants the licenses to travel to cuba won't reveal exactly how many americans are going to the island. we should point out a prominent cuban-american politician marco rubio tweeted out his note of protest to jay-z earlier today, referring to jay-z's song "99 problems" he tweeted with the hash tag 99 problems and dictators are one. the cuban-american community, at least the conservative community, not very pleased with beyonce's trip down there. >> the administration, treasury department, should presumably be giving answers to these two u.s. lawmakers on how 0 this whole trip was approved and all of that, right? >> that's right. i checked in with iliana's office. they said as of right now they haven't received word from the treasury department so they're not exactly sure where that one report is coming out that this trip was licensed. but, wolf, i was on the phone earlier this afternoon with a company that arranges these trips. it is very easy to do this now. people just don't understand this. you go to a tour operator like

the one we talked to earlier today, fill out the paperwork. they'll fill out the paperwork for you in many cases. all you have to do is pledge to visit the cultural and educational sites during your trip, and you can go. you're in. >> let me shift gears with you quickly and talk about guns. this could be a critically important week as far as background checks, expanding background it checks, legislation in the senate may get passed, may not get passed. the president speaking in connecticut, getting ready now to speak out on this specific issue. what are you hearing right now, jim? because you follow this pretty closely. >> i just had a chance on friday to catch up with mary landrieu, one std remaining undecided democrats in the senate on this issue of background checks. and even though she voted to close the gun show loophole back in 1999 she told me on friday she still is undecided on this issue of background checks. and the reason is because of reelection pressure. she, along with a handful of other democrats, are essentially in dangered in many of these red states, and that is part of the problem for the president right

now. not only is he dealing with entrenched republicans threatening to filibuster this legislation, he's dealing with democrats who may not join in with harry reid to break a potential filibuster. so lots problems for the president. i have to wonder, wolf, we'll see the president carry out a very dramatic political moment in that he's meeting with family members of -- >> he's just wrapped up meeting with the family members. he's speaking right now. let's listen in. >> inherited their talents by singing before she could talk. so every family in this state was shaken by the tragedy of that morning. every family in this country was shaken. we hugged our kids more tightly. we asked, what could we do as a society to help prevent a tragedy like that from happening again. and as a society, we decided that we have to change, we must. we must change.

i noticed that nicole and others refer to that day as 12/14. for these families, it was a day that changed everything. and i know many of you in newtown wondered if the rest of us would live up to the promise we made in those dark days, if we'd change too, or if once the television trucks left, once the candles flickered out, once the teddy bears were gathered up together that the country would somehow move on to other things. over the weekend i heard francine wheeler, who lost her son ben that day, say that the four months since the tragedy might feel like a brief moment for some, but for her it feels like it's been years since she saw ben. and she's determined not to let what happened that day just fade

away. we're not going anywhere, she said. we are here. we are going to be here. and i know that she speaks for everybody in for everybody in newtown. everybody who was impacted. and newtown, we want you to know that we're here with you. we will not walk away from the promises we've made. we are determined as ever to do what must be done. in fact, i'm here to ask you to help me show that we can get it done. we're not forgetting. we can't forget. this family is still grieving as

most of us can't comprehend, and so many of you have used that grief to make a difference. not just to honor your own children, but to protect the lives of all of our children. so many of you have mobilized and organized and petitioned your elected officials with love and logic, as nicole put it. as citizens determined to right something gone wrong. and last week here in connecticut, your elected leaders responded. the connecticut legislature, led by many of the legislators here today, passed new measures to protect more of our children and our communities from gun violence. and governor malloy signed that legislation into law. [ applause ]

i want to be clear. you, the families of newtown, people across connecticut, you helped to make that happen. your voices, your determination, made that happen. obviously, the elected leaders did an extraordinary job moving it forward, but it couldn't have happened if they weren't hearing from people in their respective districts. people all across the state. that's the power of your voice. and, by the way, connecticut's not alone. in the past few months, new york, colorado, maryland, have all passed new common sense gun safety reforms, as well. [ applause ] these are all states that share an awful familiarity with gun violence, whether it's the horror of mass killings or street crime that's too common

in too many neighborhoods. all of these states also share a strong tradition of hunting and sports shooting and gun ownership. it's been a part of the fabric of people's lives for generations, and every single one of those states, including here in connecticut, decided that, yes, we can protect more of our citizens from gun violence while still protecting our second amendment rights. those two things don't contradict each other. we can pass common sense laws and protect our kids and protect our rights. so, connecticut's shown the way. and now is the time for congress to do the same. [ applause ] now's the time for congress to do the same this week, is the time for congress to do the same. [ applause ]

now, back in january, just a few months after the tragedy in newtown, i announced a series of executive actions to reduce gun violence and keep our kids safe. and i put forward common sense proposals, much like those that passed here in connecticut, for congress to consider. and you'll remember in my state of the union address, i urged congress to give those proposals a vote. that moment is now. as soon as this week, congress will begin debating these common sense proposals to reduce gun violence. your senators, dick blumenthal and chris murphy, they are here.

your respective respectives, elizabeth esthey, jim heinz, joe portney, they are all pushing to pass this legislation. [ applause ] but much of congress is going to only act if they hear from you, the american people. so, here's what we have to do. i appreciate that. here's what we've got to do. we have to tell congress it's time to acquire a background check for anyone who wants to buy a gun so that people who are dangerous to themselves and others cannot get their hands on

a gun. let's make that happen. [ applause ] we have to tell congress it's time to crack down on gun trafficking so that folks will think twice before buying a gun as part of a scheme to arm someone when won't pass a background check. let's get that done. we have to tell congress it's time to restore the ban on military-style assault weapons and a ten-round limit on magazines to make it hard for a gunman to fire 154 bullets into his victims in less than five minutes. let's put that to a vote.

we have to tell congress it's time to strengthen school safety and help people struggling with mental health problems get the treatment they need before it's too late. let's do that for our kids and our communities. now, i know that some of these proposals inspire more debate than others, but each of them has the support of the majority of the american people. all of them are common sense. all of them deserve a vote. all of them deserve a vote. consider background checks.

over the past 20 years, background checks have kept more than 2 million dangerous people from getting their hands on a gun. now, a group of police officers in colorado told me last week that thanks to background checks, they've been able to stop convicted murderers, folks under restraining orders or committing violent domestic abuse from buying a gun. in some cases, they've actually arrested the person as they were coming to purchase the gun. so, we know that background checks can work, but the problem is, loopholes in the current law let so many people avoid background checks altogether. that's not safe. it doesn't make sense. if you're a law-abiding citizen and you go through a background check to buy a gun, wouldn't you expect other people to play by the same rules?

if you're a law-abiding gun seller, wouldn't you want to know you're not selling your gun to someone who's likely to commit a crime? shouldn't we make it harder, not easier, for somebody who's convicted of domestic abuse to get his hands on a gun? it turns out 90% of americans think so. 90% of americans support universal background checks. think about that. how often do 90% of americans agree on anything? and yet 90% agree on this, republicans, democrats, folks who own guns, folks who don't own guns. 80% of republicans, more than 80% of gun owners, more than 70%

of nra households. it is common sense. >> all right, so there he is, the president of the united states making a pitch for deeper background checks for all gun sales in the united states. extensive coverage coming up extensive coverage coming up later tonight right here on cnn. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com when we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. this is the cnn situation room special report. the north korean crisis happening now. defensive missiles are up and armed, waiting for north korea's next dangerous move that could happen any time. as kim jong-un threatens war, how could he afford to test his weapons and the patience of the world? we're following the money. and americans on vacation in a crisis zone. they'll tell us about their pleasure tour of north korea.

u.s. officials fear this could be the week north korea goes ahead with a provocative missile launch or something even worse. kim jong-un's regime warns the region is becoming a hot bed of war. tensions are only rising now that north korea is suspending operations of a huge industrial complex near the border jointly owned with south korea. our correspondents are covering this unfolding crisis and the u.s. response with tens of thousands of americans potentially at risk. let's bring in our pentagon correspondent barbara starr right now. she's following the renewed concerns about the north's nuclear ambitions. what's the very latest, barbara? >> well, wolf, at this hour we can tell you that the u.s. intelligence community, the united states military, slowing everything they have, satellites, eaves dropping systems, reconnaissance, surveillance, everything they can at the north korea problem, trying to figure out what the regime is up to and keeping a

very close eye on that nuclear program. >> reporter: all eyes are focused on this missile with a range of 2500 miles and a question of if and when north korea might test fire them from mobile launchers in eastern north korea. >> our position has been and remains that north korea should cease its provocative threats immediately. >> reporter: but a growing concern may be what's happening here at north korea's nuclear complex. look at this commercial satellite photo from early february compared to this one late march. the north korea blog 38 north says you can see new construction, a possible effort by north korea to restart its plutonium reactor weeks before the regime announced it was going to do so. >> it reactivates that part of their program and gives them now

two routes to producing material for nuclear bombs. >> reporter: another worry, could north korea be planning a new nuclear test? south korean and u.s. officials say there's some activity again at the site where pyongyang tested the device in february, but they don't believe a nuclear bomb test is imminent. >> any future nuclear tests or missile launch would be in direct violence of u.n. security council resolutions. >> reporter: north korea has sit april 10th for all south korean workers to leave the kaesong industrial park and can't protect diplomats in the capital pyongyang after that. >> that would be the kind of action before it initiated some kind of highly escalation or provocative behavior. >> reporter: as we are here this evening, u.s. officials believe now indeed north korea could be ready to test fire those ballistic missiles on its east coast, literally, at any moment.

wolf? >> barbara starr at the pentagon with the very latest. let's go to south korea right now where disaster plans are in place in case this crisis does escalate into some sort of war. cnn's kyung lah joins us. what are you seeing, what's going on? >> reporter: wolf, many of the preparations that we're seeing are happening very quietly, trying to keep people calm, but all of it with an eye to tomorrow. it is wednesday in south korea tomorrow, the day the south korean government believes has the highest possibility for a possibility missile launch from north korea. neighbors of the u.s. osan air base are used to the sounds of military drills, but when the american patriot missile batteries go up and armed pointed north to the sky, they know this is not another ordinary maneuver. >> translator: i feel much more secure with the u.s. army right next to us, says this osan

business owner, even though north korea has threatened to attack u.s. bases. the missiles, a sign that the region is ready to counter a possible attack, but it's not just in the military town. across south korea's cities amid the rush of daily life, visible signs of preparation for a potential disaster. 24 underground locations, and that's just in one district in the city of goyang, says the city's civil defense unit. this is the city's latest disaster plan, posted at bus stations and apartment buildings. this sign says shelter in korean as part of this city's emergency disaster plan. if there is something that happens, the people are supposed to try to get into this and other parking structures in the city. and you can see for yourself, this is several stories deep. it is solid concrete. this is, essentially, an urban

underground bunker. most commuters ignore the new flyers and instructions, numb to the threats from pyongyang. north korea is just 15 miles away from here, but this woman, born during the korean war, sees it differently. >> translator: we already lived through difficult times, and now we have a better life, she says. i'm worried about everything that's happening now. >> reporter: a nation quietly preparing for a "just in case" for the unimaginable. this is a population that is used to routine civil defense drills. they happen almost monthly here in seoul, wolf, but this time it's a little bit different. there's a bit of a different worried eye pointed north, wolf? >> seems pretty different this time around. this week could be critical. kyung lah in seoul. it's anyone's guess when north korea might act or if kim jong-un is actually bluffing, but there is real anxiety about

what might happen as early as wednesday. as we reported, north korea in that date twice in the most recent warnings and provocati provocations. and representative peter king is joining us right now. he's a member of the nation's intelligence committee. thank you so much for coming in. >> thank you, wolf. >> as you know, the north koreans have told all foreign diplomats in pyongyang they should leave by wednesday, this coming wednesday. they won't necessarily be able to guarantee their security after that. what's the significance of this? >> well, significant to the extent it just adds more uncertainty and shows more belij rans and hostility on the part of the north korean regime. it's just a whole series of decisions and actions and statements over the last several weeks and months, which is why everyone is, in our government, is concerned about this. not panicking, but certainly concerned and treating it, i

would say, more seriously than the incidents in the last several years, which occurred around this time but also had a way of winding down. in this case, it appears kim jong-un might be going out and might not get himself back in. >> are we bracing for something dramatic that the north koreans might do wednesday, thursday, friday, in other words, this week? could this be a critically important week? >> well, certainly could be. in fact, the plant that all of the north and south korean employees are out, the jointly operated plant, in the north has now been evacuated. the fact the missiles have been moved and are facing east, the fact that threats continue, yes. again, i don't want to be spreading panic here, but certainly, we have to be concerned and as each day goes by, watching it more and more carefully. of course, leading up to april 14th, which is the birthday of the formal leader. all of this has to be monitored

and reassure our allies of south korea, let japan know and be sending messages to the chinese that they have a real role to play here as far as tamping down north korea, because there's going to be more and more of a permanent u.s. presence in the pacific, as a result of what north korea is doing and also if war does break out, god forbid, the last thing china would want is a war on the korean peninsula, would ultimately have to result in a south korean victory and a united korea, which i don't think china wants. >> a lot of people think this leader is bluffing, seek to extort money from u.s., china, japan, do you think he's bluffing? >> he could be. we don't know. we have to assume that he's not. we have to operate on the assumption that he's for real, that -- or the fact he could be bluffing but not be able to get

himself back in, that he will have built up the ward rooms around his people that he'll have to take some action, and that action could be a modified attack on south korea. but the new south korean president, president park, has said she'll respond to any attack. this won't be like in previous years where there were south koreans killed, were attacks made upon south korean territory and the south korean government accepted that. president park has made it clear she will not. that could also cause events to spiral out of control. >> there's reports if the north koreans do launch some sort of a missile or an attack as they did in 2010, they killed several dozen south korean sailors, shelled an island, south korean island, killing some civilians there. the south koreans at that time and the u.s. did not retaliate, but what you're saying is this time there could be significant retaliation? >> well, my understanding of president park's position is

that she has made it clear that she will respond, she will retaliate, and it's really only a question of how strong the retaliation will be and what does north korea do at that stage? i can't blame south korea for retaliating. they are a sovereign nation, if they are attacked by the north, president park believes she has to respond. that is an element that was not present in the past and something we have to be very cognizant of and very aware of. >> you're a republican, you've criticized the obama administration on several fronts. how are they doing in this crisis? >> i think since this crisis has begun, i give them full credit. i think both the president and ambassador rice in the united nations, secretary hagel, have all done the right thing as far as sending the b-52s, f-22s, sending missile defense systems, making it clear we're going to stand with south korea, in effect, saying an attack on south korea will be an attack on the united states is the only message that can be sent. that's the clearest way to avoid

a war, i believe, with north korea, let them know how serious we are. and also, again, i can't speak to it, but i would believe that there are overtures being made to china behind the scenes. that's certainly, to me, is a key element here, china can tone north korea down. no, for now, saying this in a bipartisan way, i've been critical on benghazi and also on iraq and afghanistan in certain aspects, but as far as north korea is concerned, i give them full credit. they are doing what has to be done and i have absolutely no -- not that what i say matters, but no criticism, nothing but support for what they are doing. >> congressman peter king of new york, thanks so much for coming in. >> thank you, wolf. still ahead, tens of thousands of u.s. troops are in the region right now. the obama administration, though, says it doesn't know exactly how many americans may be in north korea right now. and the shady ways kim jong-un is making money. the threats against the united states and the world. ome to thew new york state,

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there's been a huge debate about the obama administration's handling of this escalating crisis. and joining us now are chief international correspondent, christi christian amanpour and ambassador hill. i was speaking to chrishian. she believes in trying to ease this crisis. what, realistically, can be done, because you used to be a top u.s. diplomat dealing with the north koreans. they've lied to you in the past and these crises seem to come up every few years. >> well, first of all, this is an annual hissy fit they do over our annual exercises, so we need to get a sense over whether this is going to pass when the exercises end in the next couple of weeks. but i'm not sure now would be a particularly good time for the

u.s. to be approaching the north koreans. i think the diplomacy ought to be with our two allies, japan and especially south korea, but also with china. as you know, secretary kerry will be going to china. and i think that's the key area where we need to kind of figure out what the way forward is diplomatically. we have an extremely competent six-party representative, ambassador glenn davies, and i'm sure if there's a means by which to work with the chinese to try to help diffuse this and perhaps more importantly get this on the right track for the future, we need to get ambassador davies working with his counterparts, as well. >> as you know, the north koreans, including kim jong-un, they want a phone call from the president of the united states. they want to be loved to a certain degree. these are insecure people over there in pyongyang. what would be wrong with the u.s. to revert some sort of disaster reaching out and

talking to them? >> look, wolf, can we just be clear about what i said on your program before, never have i intimated that there's any question of any appeasement or any threats of provocations right now. what i'm talking about is the broader way of how do you deal with north korea. i was in north korea after chris hill very successfully negotiated several real sort of game changing agreements. brought over the orchestra, but beyond that, the whole sort of closing down and disabling of the yongbyon reactor, so one can see the benefits of diplomacy working. right now, as we know, what's happening is the united states is hoping that dhooi china will be able to play that critical role and that china is going to, they hope, be able to have the kind of leverage that hasn't yet been exerted on north korea. they've, obviously, said publicly they regret this

provocation. they've made words we know the chinese public opinion is shifting on the cost of supporting north korea, but i'm sure ambassador hill would say the same, we haven't seen yet whether china is going to exert the leverage that might really make a difference on north korea. so, i think what, clearly, you know, the u.s. is doing what it has to do right now, but the real question is how do you deal with this in a bigger way for the future so that has chris says, fot every year around the time of the joipt exercint exer we have a hissy fit. while nobody thinks the north koreans are going to launch a nuclear weapon on any kind of missile, they could do something like launch a missile, whether it's in anger or as a test, that could then, depending how it's handled, you know, pave the way for some kind of miscalculation and there might be sort of a general and bigger war breaking out. nobody wants to see that.

>> although, i will say, and i'm anxious for your thoughts, ambassador hill, the new south korean government of president park have made it clear if there is any attack on any installation in south korea, unlike the past, they'd retalia retaliate. think of the artillery shells and rockets north korea has just north of the demilitarized zone. >> that's right. they are an estimated 14,000 artillery tubes just north of the d.m.z., all ranged in on seoul. so, you're quite right. but what president park geun-hye is saying, i think she is simply reiterating that position, and that position has held for some time and the north koreans have not engaged in that kind of

provocation since the south korean government laid down this red line. so, the question, again, is in the next couple of weeks, are the north koreans going to slow this down or are they going to continue to go right up to the line here with a lot of nerves being frayed. certainly, the south koreans are just sick of this exercise -- sick of this approach by the north koreans. and so i think there is a real danger of serious retaliation and with the key question being, what would the north koreans do in retaliation of the retaliation. >> one final question to you, this april 15th, the anniversary of the birth of the founder, the leader of north korea, a lot of people are anticipating something dramatic could happen between now and then. this new young leader, the grandson, in effect, to go ahead and prove his kre den herbcrede. are you fearful of that?

>> the united states and south korea made it quite plain, they would not be surprised if some kind of military activity takes place. obviously, there's that date, april 15th. the north koreans have talked about anything might be possible after april 10th, and as ambassador hill was saying, anything could be possible throughout the joint military exercises. i think that one of the things that i was just talking to gary seymour, who is president obama's nuclear negotiation, nuclear point man until just recently, and said, look, over the years we developed a kind of relationship with kim jong il, there was provocation and restreet, provocation and retreat. when he ratcheted too far, kim jong il ratcheted back a little bit. what's new now is they don't know what motivates kim jong-un. nobody really knows, certainly not the united states, has had face-to-face meetings with kim jong-un. what is he trying to prove, if anything, what would he do,

who's pulling the strings, does he know when to hold them, when to fold them, so to speak. >> we'll soon find out. thanks very much. ambassador chris hill, thanks to you, as well. >> thank you. >> thank you. in a minute i'll speak with the former united states ambassador to china, jon huntsman and ask whether a new harder line from china will do any good in this crisis unfolding. again! hey! i almost didn't recognize you without the suit. well, this is my weekend suit. weekend getaways just got better. well, enjoy your round! alright, thanks! save a ton on our best available rate when you book early and feel the hamptonality.

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happening now, north korea strong men may have crossed the line with a crucial ally. we'll talk about the china

factor with a former ambassador to china, jon huntsman. we'll take a history of action versus bluster. and with a possible missile launch looming in the coming days, north korea finds some shady ways to bankroll its muscle flexing. i'm wolf blitzer, and this is a "the situation room" special report of the north korean crisis. china suddenly taking a new and tougher line against north korea right now. over the weekend, china's president pointedly complained that no country should be allowed to throw the region into chaos for what he called "selfish gain." cnn's david mckenzie is in beijing and is joining us now. david, does china have the leverage everyone seems to be talking about when it comes to north korea? >> reporter: well, wolf, they have the leverage, but in many ways don't want to lose it.

that leverage includes cutting off fuel to north korea, food supplies, even conventional military ties, but china doesn't want to see a collapse of this regime, so i'm likely they are going to really take it to that step, that unprecedented rhetoric from china really hinting at the fact that china's frustrated, had enough of kim jong-un and his leadership. pushing the rhetoric to the breaking point. now, one thing that is also a factor, wolf, is this young leader doesn't have the relationship with china's leaders. in the past, kim il-song, kim jong il were able to talk man-to-man with china's presidents. whether they have the leverage point, it's clear they can do it, but they probably won't. >> how much coverage, david, is this crisis with north korea getting in china right now, how are they playing it? >> reporter: well, it's getting a lot of coverage here.

certainly, a little jittery here in china. obviously, a large border with north korea. north korea has always been a close ally but unruly cousin, if it were, with china since the korean war. in state media it's getting a lot of front page and middle of the page coverage. one thing very interesting, wolf, there hasn't been much criticism of the military buildup of the united states. we would have seen that in the past. it's clearly tacit approval, in a way, that the united states is getting into the region in a bigger way. very interestingly, also possibly pointing the finger at north korea saying we're not going to criticize the united states, so you might not have the friend as you used to in these issues. >> david mckenzie joining us from beijing, thanks, david, very much. and the former u.s. ambassador to china, jon huntsman is joining us right now. former republican presidential candidate, as well. thanks very much, mr. ambassador, for coming in.

i don't know whether to call you governor or ambassador. china, you speak the language, spent years there, are they going to use their influence to really tone down, dampen, this crisis, which seems to be escalating on a daily basis? >> of course, they'll use their influence, and they have crisis after crisis in years past. this is music that we've heard before. the question becomes, will north korea listen to their admonition? >> a lot of influence on north korea. >> well, they have influence, but they've been lied to and they've been cheated by north korea. and they know that and they are feeling the sting of it. i must say, after the sinking a couple of years ago and the island shelling. >> south korean ship. >> the south korean ship, they delivered some very, very hard-hitting messages to the north. i have to say they brought the level of hostility down through their shuttled diplomacy behind the scenes, but i think they

have less and less clout, because business is done by people. they have less of a personal rapport at their senior levels with north korean leadership than they did in years past. >> i don't understand, without the support in food and other assistance that china gives north korea, that country is a total basket case already, but it even collapses further. >> therefore, the blackmail. so, we're in the cycle of north korea rattling the region and they do this periodically. a, because you've got a political leader internally who's trying to shore up his credentials, in this case, kim jong-un. secondly, they are rewarded for this kind of behavior. they are rewarded sometimes by the south, by china. they know how far to take out the extreme measures, the saber rattling of the region, and sadly, every time this happens, they get rewarded in some way, shape, or form. >> the concern that i've heard that the chinese have is, one, a

reunified korean peninsula, one korea. they don't like that notion, the chine chinese, do they? >> let me tell you what frightens them just as much. they have a real economy to protect. in the old days, china didn't have an economy to protect. today they have the second largest economy in the world, and across the river from north korea is a thriving manufacturing zone. every time they have a disruption politically on the peninsula, investment is halted, decisions are made to move out of china, the trade patterns, and this is 50% of our trade flows, wolf. 50% flow through the east china sea and around through the pacific ocean. for us, the united states, the stakes are extremely high. >> if there's a collapse of the north korean regime and there are thousands, if not millions of refugees flowing into the china, that's the nightmare scenario. >> nightmare scenario, but even just the talk of war puts a major damper on their economic

performance. that's the economic piece. china is concerned increasingly about the economics because the party has legitimate only so long as the economy performs. the second part of it is nuclear proliferation, the thought of japan even beginning a discussion -- >> or south korea for that matter. >> or south korea is a nightmare for the chinese. >> here's some polls, new cnn/orc poll that came out today, we asked the american public, do you think north korea is an immediate threat to the united states, right now, 41% of the american public says me back in march, 28%. another question, if north korea attacks south korea, should u.s. send troops. 61% say yes, 36% say no. you read american public opinion. if this crisis were to escalate, what do you think the obama administration would do? how committed, in other words, is the u.s. to the protection of

south korea? >> we have allies, and when you have allies, you have principles on the line. if you're not willing to protect your basic principles, 30,000 troops we have there, a lot of american interest, and by extension, japan, then i don't know how good our foreign policy is. >> the u.s. has to stand by the treaty obligations. >> no question about it. we have no legitimacy otherwise. >> ambassador, thanks for coming in. >> thank you. a history of threats, is kim jong-un more likely to follow through or back down? and we're tracking the money. how is he paying for his dangerous game of chicken? while, he can focus on his recovery. he doesn't have to worry so much about his mortgage, groceries, or even gas bills. kick! kick... feel it! feel it! feel it! nice work! ♪ you got it! you got it! yes! aflac's gonna help take care of his expenses. and us...we're gonna get him back in fighting shape.

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the north koreans have a long history of speaking loudly, then backing down. cnn's tom foreman has been taking a look at that history. tom, what are you seeing? >> as your guests have been saying throughout the entire program, this goes back a long time, this pattern. in 1993 is when they tested their first midrange missile that could go as far as japan and it really excited the world community with concern. over the next few years, things kept improving, and then by 1995, they were testing more missiles. these missiles included cruise missiles capable of going 100 miles out to strike ships at sea. they flew a missile all the way over japan and were backing away from the world's nuclear agencies that keep track of nuclear programs. that also excited concern. of course, by 2003, by this point, more developments. we found out, in fact, they did have a nuclear program, which

they denied for a period of time and on and on it progressed, wolf. here's the thing, throughout that process, there was a constant push-pull. there would be fears, alarm around the world, and often what followed were deals, concessions, that gave them food or gave them fuel or gave them new technology. wolf? >> but in the past few years, it seems to have entered a whole new phase, hasn't it? >> it's as if these negotiations and results keep moving up to a more dangerous level. by 2009, look at this. we're talking about these border tensions where they shelled those islands off the coast of south korea, sank that ship out there. and mind you, this is not everything that's happened. a lot more has gone on and, of course, now we're where we are today where we're talking about programs that are much more advanced. we're talking about missiles that are capable of flying in stages in space, we have a lot more talk about their nuclear weapons program. it's as if the negotiations in this great big game of poker have gone higher and higher and higher, wolf. even though we've had 20 years

of this bluff and reward process, the wild card right now is this new young leader and whether or not he is being guided through this process the same way. it's not a great process anyway, but certainly not good when you have somebody at the table who is intent on carrying out one of these bluffs and making something terrible happen. >> unpredictable situation, thanks very much, tom foreman. coming up here on our special report, u.s. businesses in south korea right now, there are a lot of them, they are concerned about their employees' safety. we have a report. and how kim jong-un's threats could lead to a full-fledged war inside our virtual studio. that's coming up, as well. hello!

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things get worse. >> reporter: north korea's ties has one american company thinking what's next. dan ackerman, head of general motors, is responsible of five plants in south korea. asked by cnbc recently if gm might move productions if tensions on the peninsula get worse -- >> you have to start to think about where you have the continuity, supply, and safety of your assets and your employees. so, it's a concern to, i think, everybody. >> reporter: contacted by cnn, a spokesman for gm declined to say what specific contingency plans the company is making. tammie overbay, head of the u.s. korea business council, was there when north korea, under kim jong-un's grandfather, threatened war with the u.s. and south korea. she told us what american companies did then. >> companies wanted to make sure that they had latest e-mails of all their employees, latest

addresses of where everyone lived, and then started looking at supply chains. >> reporter: experts say some americans were evacuated to japan then. most analysts don't think that will happen now, but gm and many other american companies have a lot to lose if tensions escalate or if conflict breaks out between north and south korea. at its five plants in south korea, two of them just outside seoul, gm produces about 1.5 million each year for domestic sale inside south korea and for export to other countries. and according to the u.s. south korea business council, at least 50 american companies either have a presence in south korea or business interests there. there was about $100 billion in two-way trade between the u.s. and south korea last year, and at any given time, there are about 120,000 americans living, working, and traveling in south korea. but analysts say these are all people who, like the south koreans themselves, are used to threats being made from north korea.

>> the main concern of americans or other foreigners doing business in south korea is the south korean government and its regulations or their south korean competitors or their south korean partners, not things the north koreans are doing. >> reporter: but marcus noland says it was not helpful for gm's chairman to state publicly his company is looking at contingency plans. he says that plays into the game of brinksmanship and puts more pressure on the south koreans to make concessions. when i ran that by a spokesman at gm, he said good companies plan for a variety of contingencies and to suggest anything more is an overreach. wolf? >> watching this very, very closely, obviously, in south korea they have a lot at stake. thanks, brian, excellent report. up next, the shady money bankrolling kim jong-un's threats. get this, there are american tourists on vacation in north korea. tion in china, impact wool exports from new zealand, textile production in spain,

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when i was in north korea two years ago, i saw firsthand how poor the country is. yet kim jong un has the cash to make weapons and threaten the world. where is the money coming from? here is chris lawrence. >> reporter: when it comes to selling technology, the launch pad is kim jong un's showroom. in the missile test, doubles as a marketing tool. >> telling other countries, look what you could have also for a price. >> reporter: libya and iran are willing clients. but former u.s. intelligence official says sanctions have cut into sales. kim is profiting off illegal

weapons but brings in 20 to $100 million less than his father. >> how important is money to kim jong un? >> money is key. he's got the keep the ee leets happy. >> reporter: north korea has its own version of the 1%. kim needs that money stream to keep them on his side. fortunately for kim, north korea has legal goods and a willing trade partner right next door. who is kim's link to china? >> it has to be jong. >> and jong is part of the family. kim elevated his ufrpg toll number two. he oversees some of the state run trading companies which mine reserves like coal and iron ore. he uses connections to sell t minerals to china and the profits come back to kim. >> this is a man that can cut the dweel china. hae he has a lot of credibility with china. >> reporter: trade with china is booming from $1 billion a few years ago to $5 billion now.

if you account for the weapons and minerals, how else is he getting money? >> he's getting it through illicit transactions. >> reporter: officials say north korea is exporting illegal drugs like meth, producing knockoffs of popular cigarettes and pharmaceutical drugs, even counterfeiting good old ben franklin. the fact that u.s. officials say the illicit stuff is still pretty small scale. the north gets a bit more from tourism and foreign investment from places like south korea and china. but, wolf, he says in a country that doesn't get any taxes from its citizens and really is not connected to the international world trading market, it is the minerals and the weapons that are the cash cows keeping kim in power. >> they have global sanctions against him from the u.s. security council but he's getting cash that he needs. chris lawrence, good report. thanks very much. u.s. officials warn one miscalculation could lead to disaster. cnn's tom foreman is here and

we'll break it counsel for us in our virtual studio right now. >> all eyes remain on the east coast of north korea and on these, these mobile launch missiles. if one of these takes off, everything changes very, very quickly. general, come over here. let's bring in the map and talk about this some. if there is a launch, you say the very first thing would be some action by a satellite. why? >> tom this satellite is going to pick up the infrared, the ir signature of the missile coming off the mobile launcher. it will then send messages to the tracking system so we can track the telemetry. >> the tracking systems involve units at sea, land, area, everywhere trying to hone in on this thing, right? >> exactly correct. from the ground, from the sea, from the air. totally integrated. tracking the missile and the key objective there is to make sure it's not threatening a u.s. or ally resource in the region. >> it is worth noting this is not an easy task. a missile like this is traveling

at thousands a mile an hour. it is nothing at all like an airplane. >> no, it's not. this technology has been in place for a while. it's been highly refined. we know thou make this happen. >> so if we see this moving toward a target, something that we care about, something we want to protect, if the computers see that happening, they'll automatically do what? >> they will take that missile out. but that's just the start. >> how do they take it out? >> they launch from one of the platforms either at sea or on the ground that will be able to track it and it will be a missile -- >> counter missiles? >> yes. >> but then comes the hard part. then there is the human equation. humans have to say how do we respond to the fact that they tried to hit an asset or maybe didn't? this is a political, strategic decision. and those that are acting most closely to all of this is the united nations command which is in south korea. and the objective there is to maintain the armistice. we might in, fact, go after the exact launch location where that missile came from.

but the object sieve to maintain the armistice. that is a cease-fire that we signed in 1953. >> maintain, north korea -- >> a north and a south. that's our objective. >> it could be very tense moments along the way to maintaining that objective. wolf? >> guys, thanks very much. north korea might be the last place you'd want to go on vacation right now. but get this -- some american tourists were just there. we'll speak with them. ving you ♪ ♪ i don't wanna be right [ record scratch ] what?! it's not bad for you. it just tastes that way. [ female announcer ] honey nut cheerios cereal -- heart-healthy, whole grain oats. you can't go wrong loving it.

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science and evidence based drug and alcohol treatment center. where your addiction stops and your new life begins. call now. north korea's propaganda target is pretty clear. on state tv, a nation on a war footing, ready to smash the united states. the north korea is probably not where you plan your next trip. but this group of americans did just that. >> now it's not a place to go on vacation. and my mom was very supportive. my girlfriend broke up with me over it. >> i caught up with patrick and josh thomas, two american tourist that's braved a trip to pyongyang. >> my parents actually didn't know. they still don't knowment they'll find out tomorrow. >> reporter: instead of mass rallies in the square, the reality they witnessed, rollerblading, apparently it's

the latest fad. >> out in the large square, a lot of kids throughout rollerblading. i mean that's super popular right now. north korea is not just military two stepping across their main square. >> but these americans it was tafrti tasting traditional tea, attending a north korean wedding. >> i've been around the world and 100 countries. every one is the forbidden country. >> this man guided the group. when north korea oepd up for american tourists in 2010, he rushed in, posting experiences and photos on a popular blog, an american in north korea. >> the tension that has been talked about around the world is not felt when you're there? >> not on a personal level. i mean the guys that we work with are good friends of mine. i worked with them before. they're lovely people. >> reporter: so while thousands of south korean and u.s. troops guard the dmz, senior north korean officers gave a tour of the front lineo