air, land and sea assets have been standing by ready to track the missiles' every move. now, president obama also weighed in, saying that no one wants to see a conflict in korea. here's what he had to say. >> now is the time for north korea to end the kind of belligerent approach that they've been taking and to try to lower temperatures. >> reporter: but so far it seems kim jong-un only wants to listen to his own generallies. back to you. >> jim maceda in seoul. just this hour secretary of state john kerry held a news conference with his south korean counterpart. mr. kerry warned kim jong-un against carrying out a test launch. >> i would say ahead of time that it is a huge mistake for him to choose to do that because it will further isolate his

country and further isolate his people who frankly are desperate for food, not missile launches. >> here at home, washington's most serious gun-control effort in years cleared its first hurdle in the senate thursday. it was an emotional day for relatives of the victims of the sandy hook massacre who were there to watch the first of many votes they have been fighting for. nbc news capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell reports. >> reporter: snapshots of fallen children and students of newtown inside the gnat senate. outside the capitol a 23 hour vigil reading gun victims' names. >> jamie stafford at the age of 31. >> reporter: crosses to remember them on the national mall and family members here to witness the vote. >> we are standing here because her sister and my mom can't be. and their voices need to be heard. >> reporter: under that emotion-fueled pressure, expectations shifted. >> literally the political

landscape of america on gun safety is changing before our eyes. >> the motion is agreed to. >> reporter: senators took one small but significant step, opening what will likely be weeks of heated debate over gun laws and violence in our culture. 16 republicans voted to begin that contentious negotiation. >> it goes way beyond guns. and that's why we need to have the debate. >> reporter: to red state democrats up for re-election next year including alaska's mark begich. voted against taking up a guns bill. >> i vote what's important for alaska. it's not a party decision. it's not a conservative versus liberal. >> reporter: after victims' families left the senate chamber some described another set of emotions. >> the tears that we had were tears of joy, but tears of remembering this is happening, and we're here because of what happened to us. >> that was kelly o'donnell reporting. before we go to your weather forecast, take a look at a massive tornado caught on tape in mississippi.

the violent storm system left a trail of destruction and at least three deaths are being blamed on this wicked weather. nbc's bill karins is here. bill, this has been amazing. have we seen the worst of it? >> we have. it's just about over with. we made it through with only a few tornadoes. it wasn't a huge outbreak, but of course that one was powerful enough and that did take the life of one person. now, we had nine official tornado reports yesterday. and a lot of other wind and hail damage reports there across the deep south. as far as the storm system goes, that front is starting to kick off the east coast. a couple tornado watches left for the richmond area and raleigh, north carolina, but that's about it. that is sweeping off the coast. we haven't had any tornado warnings or reported tornadoes in about the last ten hours. that's good. we're just about done. in the west we had a weak system roll through areas. it is cold from idaho back down to the southern portions there of oregon and northern portions of nevada. it's going to be a chilly morning for you. we have a weak system that's coming on shore today with a

warm front first and then the cold front. it is going to bring light rain to the pacific northwest and cloudy and cool conditions. so you have the cool air and now the rain moving on top of it. it's not going to feel like mid-april. high temperatures, you'll be lucky to get into the low 50s in seattle. portland, same for you. about a half inch to three quarters of an inch in the cascades but less than that in the valley areas. much of california chilly but you're actually looking okay today. that's your nationalagain. tucson, that's more like it, 82. weekend forecast coming up. >> thank you, bill. >> not bad. >> not bad is good. we like that. a bizarre twist in the texas college stabbing case. plus, the sun produces the biggest solar flare of the year. we'll tell you what effect it

had on earth. you're watching "early today."

welcome back. here are some other stories we're watching. new numbers on same sex marriage from the latest nbc news "wall street journal" poll. 53% of americans now support same-sex marriage while 42% oppose it. the new information comes as delaware lawmakers introduced a bill thursday to legalize same-sex marriage in that state. delaware already recognizes civil unions. jay-z has released a new track addressing his trip to cuba with wife beyonce. ♪ >> the white house says the lyrics around accurate and that it was, in fact, the treasury department, not president obama, who cleared the trip. new and gruesome details on the suspect in tuesday's stabbing spree at a texas college. dylan quick fantasized about

cannibalism. 14 people were injured in the rage. the national weather service says we will never see a a first look at what's moving your money on this friday. we go to cnbc. seema, good morning. >> dara, another day and another record high for the dow which has its best four-day winning streak since september. investors look for economic data on retail sales and consumer sentiment. eli lilly set to cut 1,000 jobs as the company faces competition from generic drugs. lilly's blockbuster cymbalta loses patent protection later this year. facebook starts selling its new home app for htc smartphones today. your facebook home page will be the first thing you see when you turn on your phone. dara, back to you.

>> thank you, seema. good news if you're hitting the road. gas prices continue to fall. aaa says the national average is $3.56, down from $3.70 a month ago. blackberry shares took a hit thursday after reports of an abnormally high return rate and dwindling sales for its new blackberry z-10. the company calls the allegations absolutely false. if you're wondering what the winklefox twins are up to, wonder no more. famous for suing mark zuckerberg, they're now venture capitalists. and major big-coin investors. they say they own about $11 million worth of the currency. mcdonald's has killed a regional subway ad that pokes fun at mental illness. it reads "you're not alone. millions of people love the big mac," parodying a mental health psa. mcdonald's says it never approved the ads and faults the advertising agency. rough times at carnival. recently the seemingly cursed

cruise line was offering four-night trips on one of its ships for $1.49 -- that really would be cheap -- for $149 a person. $2 less than a room at motel 6. hopefully carnival will keep the lights on for you. a 14-year-old makes history at the masters. plus a never-before-look at artifacts from the assassination of john f. kennedy. you're watching "early today."

now to some other stories that caught our eye this morning. we start in texas where police say two people were killed and over 40 others were injured after a charter bus carrying senior citizens overturned yesterday morning. officials say the bus was heading to an oklahoma casino when it hit a barrier, barreled across two lanes of traffic and landed on its side trapping those inside. the cause of the crash is under investigation. in utah a compromise after what officials call a significant landslide wednesday night. the company experienced ground movement in the area and warned residents a landslide was possible. officials surveyed from a distance, but estimate the slide ran 2,000 feet long and 2,000 feet wide. in arizona, a fedex truck closed a highway when it rolled over yesterday morning spilling all its packages all over the road and halting traffic for several hours. also in the nation's capital, an exhibit

commemorating the 50th anniversary of the jfk anniversary opens today. artifacts range from photos to the clothes lee harvey oswald wore when he was arrested and even the assassination on tape. turning now to sports the first-round of the masters kicked off yesterday at augusta national. the aussie and sergio garcia each shot 6 under 66. but the real story 14-year-old guan tianlang put off his homework to shoot an opening round 73. he's the youngest player to tee up at any major in 148 years is currently tied in 46th place. in san diego, things got a little heated between the dodgers and the padres last night. start from the sixth inning, zack greinke plunked carlos quentin in the arm with a pinch on a full count. quentin charges the mound and wrestles the dodger to the ground. the benches empty and both players end up at the bottom of a huge dog pile.

greinke woke up with a broken left collarbone and quentin was ejected. dodgers got the win. in the nba, nate robinson scored a season high 35 points and jimmy butler added 22 as the chicago bulls rally to beat the new york knicks 118-111 in overtime. the loss ended the knicks' 13-game winning streak. the world's coolest marathon took place wednesday. ireland's gary thorneton beat out competitors from all over the world. >> today's course, it's about minus 30 degrees centigrade right now, so it's very, very cold. the course is also very trying. there are parts where the ice is quite solid, but at least half the course is tough. people will be sinking and in some cases sinking up to their knees. >> that does not sound like fun. just ahead, what's new at theaters this weekend. you are watching "early today."

welcome back. here's your weekend forecast. we're watching a lot of clouds each and every morning along the california coastline. the marine layer is in this morning. it will be there every morning this weekend. the afternoon hopefully burn it off. cooler on the coast. interior california in the 80s. the forecast in the northwest, rain showers will move in. you're dry now but the warm front comes through today with showers and then the cold front this evening. it will clear the area as we go through saturday morning into the day, but you'll be left with showers, maybe a stray thunderstorm. not a lot of wet weather. not a lot of rain in the

forecast. it kind of remains the same on sunday. temperatures in the forecast really doesn't change much this week in the west. friday, saturday and sunday, all kind of similar. >> as long as the weekend weather is good, we're on it. >> yeah. >> thank you, bill. in the headlines this morning, this morning's "washington post" reports 540,000 defense attorney e-mails mishandled at guantanamo bay. so far the mistake has led to a delay in the trial of the suspected organizer of the "uss cole" bombing. "the l.a. times," warren says gun was unregistered. he said he forgives whoever sold the weapon. turning now to entertainment news, a look at america's favorite pastime is coming to theaters, "42." it has the shot of becoming a biggest opening ever for a baseball movie. the film just needs to clear the $20 million mark. with harrison ford headlining, chances are good. "scary movie 5" should debut in the mid-teens which is much lower than the previous films.

ivanka trump announced she and her husband are expecting their second child this fall. jane fonda will be playing first lady nancy reagan in an upcoming film causing some to boycott the movie. in response to her critics, fonda says get a life. i might not have always agreed with nancy reagan, but i admire her, and she was a forceful, loyal and powerful first lady. >> you think she looks the part? >> i think she can pull that one off. i really do. justin bieber is launching his own prepaid debit card. yes, you heard that right. i know. what else can the biebs do, right? it's aimed at young consumers to teach them about respoible spending. but in the fine print, it leaves a lot to be desired. extra costs on the card include monthly fees, loading fees, inactivity charges and even balance inquiries. that could be a tough run. and finally, get ready to head back to the overlook hotel. warner brothers is in the early stages of a prequel to the horror classic "the shining." even though the script is being written by a walking dead

alumnus, fans of the original kubrick film are angry that anyone would even think of making a prequel. i don't know. >> i see dollar signs. it doesn't matter. >> true, but what do you say after that "here's johnny," how do you follow that one up? >> i don't know. maybe they'll show it when he was young, how it led to it. it's a stretch. anyone under 30 probably hasn't even seen it. >> absolutely. come on, bates motel, everything's been on again and again. so why not have a new "shining"? horror fans will love it. >> they will. >> absolutely. >> but we can complain now. >> it will be a big hit, no doubt. and this comes to us from nbc 10 in philadelphia where one new mom is counting her two new blessings. lisa cook has given birth to healthy twin girls at the age of 51. she says it took eight years to talk her now 63-year-old husband into having more children. the newborns, ava and caroline, will spend the next week in the neonatal intensive care as a precaution before joining their

9-year-old twin siblings at home. i'm dara brown. this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

welcome back. from wicked weather to animal fraud, "early today's" own mara schiavocampo takes a look at the week that was. >> reporter: the madness of march came to a nail-biting end. but so much for april showers. spring brought two feet of fresh snow to colorado. more extremes in the south as twisters tore through a number of homes. in d.c., cherry blossoms bloomed

as the mercury soared. but the heat didn't keep protesters off the national mall, calling for immigration reform. farther from home, political dissent made for a more dramatic moment. >> this is crazy. today an anti-government protester confronted russian president vladimir putin and took off her shirt. we didn't doctor the photo at all. could we zoom in on his thumbs? look at his hands. >> reporter: back on the hill, some progress in the senate. >> it will expand background checks to purchases of firearms at gun shows and over the internet. >> oh, speaking of which, holy [ bleep ] you can buy guns over the internet? >> reporter: as north korea threatens nuclear war. the u.s. is armed and ready to go. >> with this laser cannon, nothing can stop us, except bad weather, water vapor, smoke, sand or dust. >> reporter: japan welcomed adorable bear cubs into the world. elsewhere, argentineans were floored to find out this furry

guy was a fraud. not a poodle but a ferret on steroids. in vietnam, a dragon-shaped bridge that actually breathes fire. while back in the states, comedian joel mchale set his own pants ablaze. an astounding escape for this guy in hawaii, fishing from his kayak, he nearly became the food. finally a family in mali made the biggest mistake after being asked to care for a camel belonging to french president hollande. >> when they were told they were supposed to feed the camel, they instead thought they were supposed to eat the camel. >> take your pick. >> i know. well, i have to tell you, i think the shark attack was my favorite. like sitting on a kayak. can you imagine being out in the middle of the water and having a tiger shark just jump behind you? >> no. the fact that he was filming it was kind of unique anyways. that was kind of crazy. the dog ferret story. >> that one's got me. how can you --

>> it's like a ferret you threw in the dryer and you bleached it. >> thanks, bill. >> here's what's coming up on the "today" show. a look at the rising cost of prescription drugs and driving force behind it. now keep on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm dara brown. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a great weekend.

. . . she said her life was over, three days later, she took her life. the incident that started it all. zapping a plan for stun guns, the pushback from

neighbors that forced san francisco's police chief to pull the request. ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the weekend as we give you a live look over san francisco. the bay bridge access and lights dancing in the darkness on this friday, april 12th. this is "today in the bay." let's say it once more for good measure. >> it is friday. good morning. i'm jon kelley. >> i'm laura garcia cannon. >> lots to get to. let's check the friday morning forecast with meteorologist, christina loren. >> good morning to you. good friday morning to you at home. you made it to the weekend. we have a good-looking week end coming up. watch out today and tomorrow. rather high pollen levels. we have good air quality. your allergy forecast shows you, we are in the high range for

tree, mold, ash, mulberry and oak. we are looking good for today. that's coming up next. i want to check your drive at 4:31 with mike inouye. >> we are looking at fremont, our shot over 880. looking at the southbound side. past the truck scales and the parkway sign. we are looking at the map as well. the freeways themselves, 880 and 680, they are just fine. an early morning crash sounds like there is still activity. i passed it half an hour ago right off the side of the rode around the new sea gate plant. there is activity. it looks like part of that roadway is closed by the investigation, a motorcycle crash. no severe injuries but we do have the police still out there. watch it, guys. back to you. three teenagers all 16 are in custody accused of sexually assaulting a saratoga high school student and sharing the photos of the attack with classmates.