jay leno passed the torch to jimmy fallon. okay. does anybody know what the return policy is on a yacht? >> it's going to be a battle of the jimmy's. every late night comic had something to say about jimmy fallon's new gig. this is "way too early." thank you for being up with us this thursday, april 4th. we have a lot to cover including connecticut getting a step closer to the toughest gun laws as the president travels to colorado to make his case for a national gun bill. the momentum, not according to a new report from the wall street journal. we'll explain that in a moment. louisville's kevin ware speaking for the first time since his accident on the court. we'll play the interview on the remarkable young man. let's get to the news live at

5:po a.m. at 30 rock in new york city. president obama is looking for support outside of washington, d.c. yesterday, at a police academy, not far from the sight of last summer's shooting in colorado, the president focused on background checks saying his goal is not to take firearms away from their owners. >> the opponents of these common sense laws have ginned up fears among responsible gun owners that have nothing to do with what's being proposed or nothing to do with the facts but feeds into a suspicion about government. if there are folks out there right now who are gun owners hearing somebody is taking away your guns, get the facts. we are not proposing a gun registration system. we are proposing background checks for criminals. >> president obama used a

similar argument in a plea to gun shop owners. >> if you are selling a gun, wouldn't you want to know who you are selling it to? wouldn't you want to know? wouldn't you want, in your conscience to know the person you are selling to isn't going to commit a crime? >> despite the president's push, any mandate on the federal level to expand the gun laws has lost its way with the threat of a filibuster from senate republicans, jay carney addressed it saying it would be shameful to not allow the measures to come up to a vote. the victims of newtown and the educators that lost their life deserve a vote. more of the quote is if you want to vote no, vote no. don't block a vote. it's not doing service to the memory of these kids. on a state level, a handful of states are taking matters into

their own hands. maryland lawmakers voted on a variety of laws. a vote was met with one describing an insane situation with the amount of people flocking to gun shops to purchase firearms before the bill is signed by governor dannel malloy today. this year alone, ten states passed 17 laws that weaken government restricts. let's turn our attention overseas. it may be a bunch of tough talk, but the pentagon is not taking chances when it comes to north korea and threats of war. the u.s. military is stepping up defenses in guam. north koreans are angry about international sanctions and

repeatedly raised the prospect of a nuclear strike. chuck hagel called it a real and clear angel. jim is live for us in seoul, south korea, what is the latest? >> reporter: the lathest is the message that is clearly meant for the united states. they spoke of deploying nuclear devices to strike at america. the latest threat was conditional on stopping what north korea calls aggressive war games. it sees it as a rehearsal for an invasion. it comes after kim jong un, a young leader activated a reactor. he's barred south korean workers from crossing into the north to punch in at the industrial park, the only joint venture. meanwhile, intelligence

suggests, south korean intelligence suggesting they moved a missile toward a launch site. this kind of missile has yet to be tested. it could hit as far away as guam. the u.s. is beefing up antimissile defenses there. in seoul, people are concerned, but used to the rhetoric. students say they are more worried about final exams than a war. back to you. >> thank you, jim. jim is live in south korea. in afghanistan, the taliban claiming responsibility for an attack on a government compound that left 53 people dead including the nine insurgents that carried out the assault. they were disguised as afghan soldiers. many of the victims were executed after being taken hostage. dozens more injured. the coordinated attack was one

of the deadliest since the u.s. led invasion in 2001. s&p and nasdaq fell by 1% in yesterday's trading. for more on what to expect, let's go to karen, live for us in london. good morning. >> good morning to you, brian. s&p 500 having the biggest drop in a month. the number was weak. the focus was on jobs. this came from adp. private sector jobs industry. the creation of jobs was the slowest in five months. this is the precursor to the u.s. keep in mind that the market has been looking for the private sector to provide the jobs growth as the u.s. budget cuts kicks in. today is going to be important in a couple hours when we see the initial claims this week. last week, we saw the claims spike as well.

if it happens again this week, it's going to cause more nerves. keep in mind that today we have a lot of bank meetings offshore that the markets are focusing on. the bank of japan, today, we may see reaction. also, we are looking for the ecb today and the boe. the market is going to focus on that. on facebook, they are holding an event on a new android phone. it's a cell phone made by htc, but integrate facebook on it. facebook's revenue from applications in mobile. >> mark zuckerberg said they don't need a cell phone. obviously, he's changed his mind. more trouble for the carnival cruise ship, triumph. they left passengers on board with few resources and fewer toilets.

you probably remember the ship was towed in dramatic fashion, if that's possible at the miles per hour to the port in mobile, alabama, where it's stayed. yesterday afternoon, wind gusts of 66 miles per hour broke the triumph from the moorings and went adrift for hours. you saw the gash. it slammed into another boat leaving a gash in the stern. 600 crew and 200 contractors were on board at the time. no one was hurt. the wind blew over a guard shack sending two people in the water. one was rescued, one reported missing. the change behind the "tonight show" desk happened yesterday. jimmy fallon will take over for jay leno in 2014. the show will move from los angeles back to new york where it all began in 1954. leno was gracious when confirming the announcement and

made it clear he has high expectations for fallon. i want to congratulate jimmy fallon. he is a hell of a guy. he is going to do a great job. i just have one request of jimmy. we have all fought, kicked and scratched to get this network up. now we have to keep it there. jimmy, don't let it slip into sixth, we are counting on you. >> he could not resist. david letterman weighed in on the move with a top ten list and of course, eluding to his past with "the tonight show." >> the white smoke coming out of the chimney as nbc. we have a new pope. i got a call from my mom today. she said well, david, i see you didn't get the "tonight show" again. what you gonna do, mom. to jay, i know he'll be out on

the road getting it done and taking care of business. congratulations on a nice long run on "the tonight show" if you are not coming back. >> he goes from bad movies with queen latifah to the king of late night in seven years. we love jimmy here. let us know why you are awake. shoot us an e-mail or tweet me. we'll read the best responses. still ahead on "way too early" the new york yankees add a star to the injured list. the red sox are 2-0. is it time to freak out in the bronx? kevin ware explaining his ordeal in an emotional interview with espn. that clip and a check on weather when "way too early" comes back. ♪

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stay in the groove with align. ♪ need help keeping your digestive balance in sync? try align. it's a probiotic that fortifies your digestive system with healthy bacteria 24/7. because your insides set the tone. stay in the groove with align. 5:44 a.m. that is the skating rink at rockefeller plaza. i love hockey. i'm ready for that ice to melt. mr. karins. >> no way, let's keep it going. >> no, no. >> i don't want to see barnacle in his shorts. >> it's the shorts and white socks that are the problem for me. >> the white socks with the blue stripes on the top, right? good morning, everyone. the cold is the big story. the rain will give you minor travel concerns in north

carolina and georgia. florida watch for thunderstorms. maybe the strong thunderstorms like a march type system. atlanta, it's going to be an ugly day. the windchill is 36 with light rain. that's as ugly as it gets this time of year. 37 in dallas. it's chilly across the country. things are going to get better this week. the northern half of the country, you are dry this week after the cold start, the april sun goes to work. at in chicago, we'll take it. the winds won't be as bad or nasty as yesterday. for atlanta, today rainy and cold and chilly, look what happens by sunday, 71. next week, mid-70s. some of that warm air will head up the east coast. charlotte gets up to 75 sunday and monday. philadelphia could be in the upper 60s. ever so slowly, we are headed in the right direction. monday, sox home opener in

boston. let's turn to sports. rutgers fired head basketball coach and made public outcries with tapes of rice physically and verbally abusing players. they were aware of the tapes back in november. rice shoved players, threw balls at them and berated them sometimes with homophobic slurs. he was fined until yesterday when he was let go. i have let so many people down, my players, my administration, rutger's university, my family sitting in the house huddled around because of the fact their father was an embarrassment to them. surprisingly, at least one player publicly came to the defense of his former coach. >> i feel like this doesn't necessarily depict him and give

a true sense of who he is. there's another side to him. i think that the video definitely seems a certain way, but it doesn't show everything else that was going on in the program as well. >> sources tell espn panetti's job is safe for now. we have positive news to talk about in the world of college basketball. three days after undergoing emergency surgery, kevin ware was back with his team and will join them for the final four in atlanta. yesterday, the sophomore spoke publicly for the first time about his devastating injury. >> i couldn't believe it, honestly. i honestly didn't feel pain, it was shock. i never felt anything like that in my life. i just wanted to know we was going to win this game, honestly. that was the only thing going through my head.

i wasn't concerned about the injury. i felt like if that was the last time i played basketball, i left my mark, you know? >> what did it mean to you to wake up and see that trophy there? >> it meant everything to me. they went out there and did that for me, you know? it's -- words can't explain, you know. i love those guys to death. i wouldn't trade them for the world. those are the brothers i never

had. >> louisville is a tight group, indeed. ware says he will never watch the footage of his injury. he will rehab the leg in eight to 12 weeks. on the mound for the bombers. second inning, shane hits a line drive. the trainers let him stay in the game. it was not a good idea. he gave up two runs. add his name to the list of injured yankees. he would leave the game with a contusion on the ankle, which is a bruise. they win 7-4. this is the first time yankees opened with two home losses. orioles taking on the rays. bottom of the ninth. matt joyce takes tommy hunter. that would be the ball game. the rays walk off and beat the orioles, 8-7.

diamondbacks against the cardinals. single up the middle. jason scores the game-winning run. d backs get the win. the longest home game in d backs history. president obama's push for tougher gun regulations runs into opposition in congress. is the debate inspiring people to go out and buy more weapons? the "morning joe" crew weighs in. when we come back, the return of the political wake-up call. the big guns in the morning play book. way too early is coming back. acne cleansers may be tough on breakouts,

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time now for the political wake up call. jim vand hide is here seasoned mike allen and senior political reporter maggie are here to unveil the morning playbook. jim, you have the conch. >> thank you, appreciate it. >> would republicans learn the lessons, they are too old, too white, too rural. some think they have overlearned that lesson. let's watch the video that was put together for us. >> we have to stop being the stupid party. >> antieverything. >> steal. >> antiimgranlt. antiwoman. antiscience.

>> no, you cannot have an abortion. >> big banks, bill wall street bailouts. >> our message was weak. >> we have to stop dumbing down our ideas. >> we used to be the party that understood personal connections. >> we weren't inclusive. >> a number of republicans damaged the brand with bizarre comments. >> stupid comments, offensive comments. >> they look down on minorities. >> we must not be the party that simply protects the well off so they can keep their toys. >> holy self-loathing, batman. >> it's a bit too much. we get the point. they think they are not very good. the question is what's the path going to be going forward? it's not clear yet. >> it's five months. >> it's time to get going now. >> that's what you hear from rush limbaugh. quit the self-loathing and do concrete things to change the party. i think they will have time to do that in the next couple weeks as they get to budget and redefine the party.

also, they can go after hillary clinton. you are hillary clinton obsessed, maggie. >> i have been covering her a long time in this city in new york. i can't quit her and she can't quit us. there's a couple clues to look for whether she is running. the main one is going to be what choices she makes and the speeches she gives and the corporate boards she joins. she's going to make money. that is going to be captivating. how she navigates that is going to be an open question. also, what kind of staff she surrounds herself with. >> how much will she make per speech? 250 a pop? >> 250, 200, kind of the top tier. there's a story she is going to do stories with her husband. that ups the ante. >> and where they buy property. >> i don't think we are going to see them buy a house in the

hampto hamptons. tons of news. they are going to do anything they can to get a deal on guns and immigration. >> this really surprised me. between the lines of what he said on both topics, the president just wants it signed. oh, does he want the issue? he's going to make whatever deal he has to. they are not drawing red lines. >> they are going to have opportunities. immigration is going to come up, be unveiled. as long as they keep marco rubio in there, the conservative, freshman tea partier. people like to look for him for others to vote for. watch for that next week. >> absolutely. >> thanks, brian. >> great job. still ahead, why are you awake. your tweets, texts and e-mails are next. "morning joe" is moments away. most people think that after an accident,

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