on our broadcast tonight, is it a turning point? the news out of florida in the trayvon martin death investigation. on edge, as the world waits to see what happens next, richard engle gets rare access inside a place normally closed to the outside world, north korea. a new link in the autism mystery. the new research on what mothers to be have to look out for. and our tribute tonight to a game changer in our line of work, mike wallace. "nightly news" begins now. good evening. after a long period of emotional protests, tonight, there are signs of movement in the case of

trayvon martin, the young unarmed man who was killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer in florida. tonight, the special prosecutor in the case has reached a decision that should advance this case to the next step now. it's where we begin tonight with nbc's kerry sanders in sanford, florida. good evening. >> good evening, blien. there's no indication if the special prosecutor who was appointed by the governor, plans to file charges, but joenchlg zimmerman's legal team confirmed to nbc news that their client has set up a web page and is soliciting donations for funds to help fund the defense if one is needed. special prosecutor angly coy's office issued a short statementing saying special attorney corey has decided not to use a grand jury and

cautioned the decision should not be a factor in the final division of the case. they have yet to draw charges or stick with the state attorney's initial conclusion and announce zimmerman was in fear for his life that night and cannot be charged with a crime. >> whatever she decides, that's the end othe matter. there is no appeal from the prosecutor's decision to charge or not to charge. >> demonstrators today marched to sanford's police department. their sit-in closed the department for several hours until a surprise. sefrl wir invited inside to take a phone call from the special prosecutor. >> she didn't give us much details, but sort of seemed to hint that something will be coming very shortly. so we're very excited about that. >> we want an arrest. >> trayvon martin's family has been front and center with some of the nation's leading sichbl rights leader, all demanding an

arrest. their legal team said they're hopeful that a decision will be reached very soon to arrest george zimmerman and give trayvon martin's family the simple justice they have been seeking all along. george zimmerman's lawyers say they remain confident in his case. >> it's an indication that she's probably close to the end of her investigation. i don't think it's an indication she's going to make a decision on the law and evidence. that's all it tells us. >> the special prosecutor in the case has no deadline, but sources close to the case indicate that she could announce a decision as early as tomorrow. brian? >> kerry, thank you. kerry sanders starting us off in sanford, florida, tonight. now we turn to tulsa, oklahoma, where after a saturday easter weekend, two men suspected to a shooting spree that left three dead and two more injures were in court today. the rampage left the city shaken up and afraid that the attacks

were racially motivated. our reports tonight from nbc's janet shamlian. >> as an uneasy tulsa grappled with a shooting spree, 19-year-old jake england and 32-year-old alvin watts made their initial court appearance by tell conference by the county jail, facing first degree murder and several other charges, they're held on $9 million bond. the five victims, all black males, were shot within hours of each other friday, all in the city's prenominantly africa african-american north side. deion tucker was among the suh survivors. >> he started shooting. when he shot me, i jumped off the porch and jumped behind my truck. >> investigators caution against labeling the incident a hate crime, though they're looking at a racially charged facebook posting by the teenager which may indicate revenge as a motive. he writes about the two-year anniversary of his father's death add the hands, he says, of

a black man. though it's unclear what it means, a posting later in the day said, if something does happen tonight, be ready for another funeral later. a friend finds it inconceivable he's involved. >> last time i talked to jake, he -- he actually told me he loved me. >> neighbors and the greater tulsa community share the sorrow. for the victims and for the shadow it could cast upon them all. >> this community will not be defined by the treacherous evil crimes of two individuals. that's not what tulsa, oklahoma, is about. >> federal officials have been helping with the investigation, but tonight, say it is unlikely any federal charges will be filed. the suspects will formally be arraigned here in tulsa next monday. brian. >> janet shamlian in tulsa for us tonight. thank you for that. >> let's turn overseas now to

syria where hopes for tomorrow's cease fire are all but gone. they have unleashed another fierce assault on the opposition, civilians once again caught in themi. many more sadly were killed today. nbc's amen mohel dean has the report. >> a frantic search to save those buried in the rubble. among them, women and children, loading onto trucks and to nearby hospitals. for many, already too late. opposition activiaysts s serious military shell hit a city near homa, and nbc couldn't verify the video. the u.n. brokered cease-fire agreement agreed to by president assad and scheduled to begin hours from now, has all but collapsed. >> we optimistic that he's going to meet his commitments? no, t we're going to wait for tomorrow's deadline and ke it from there >> and for the first time in this nflict, violence spilled

across syria's border into turkey. refugees at a border camp were hit when the syrian army opened fire on the rebels that fled into turkey. many hopes thit day would bring an end to the violence in syria, but it's been one of the deadliest assaults. >> thanks. north korea tonight has the attention of much of the world. that's because they are preparing to launch a mistal in a dangerous neighborhood and the u.s. and others fear what it might mean and what might come next. our chief foreign correspondent richard engle has been granted unusual access inside korea. he's been able to join us tonight from the chinese capital. richard, good evening. >> good evening, brian. in addition to that rocket test, there are also reports coming from south korea that this country could be preparing for an underground nuclear test, and u.s. officials say it is

possible. this rocket is poised for launch, north korea says, to carry a satellite into orbit. but u.s. officials worry it could easily be converted into an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the united states. the standoff comes just as this secretive isolated country has allowed outsiders, journalists in for a closer look. in one of peaung yangs squares today, we saw up to 100,000 people express devote to kim jong-il. the control of this society was immediately apparent. people stood in rows at attention. applauded on cue. and waved pom-poms in a shimmering sea of pink. nort korea's vision of a patriotic utopia. this is an important period for

north korea, and over the next two weeks, there will be a series of festivals, parades, and massive assemblies like this one. it's all designed to show national unity and political stability after the death of kim jong-il late last year. the pageantry also has a purpose. it re-enforces the cultive personality around the kim jong-il family and passes it on to his son, the new ruler, kim jaung un. strikingly, when the assembly was over, the school children in pressed uniforms, families, and workers simply left. no trash left behind. they were gone in minutes. thousands of others went to a nearby park. it's also part of the kim family worship, built around the family home of kim jong-il's father. this woman earned her scholarship in a department dedicated to their study. >> you think it's a good system

for the people of north korea? >> yeah. everybody that understands and they uphold the line. >> this weekend, journalists were taken by teams of minders on a luxury train to a military base. a shocking contrast to the barren fields we passed. we saw few tractors, mostly farmers with hand tools. people here are starving. we arrived at the base to see the satellite north korea says it will soon put into orbit, carried by that controversial rocket on the launch pad. north korea says it is going ahead with the launch. a show of strength and determination to preserve this secretive dinacy. this is the first time journalists have been allowed into north korea since kim jaung un came into power, and all of the political theater, some of it quite provocative, seems designed to help ease the succession. >> richard engle in north korea

for us. richard, thank you. back in this country tonight, there are now definitive facts to prove what we all felt was true during this very bizarre winter season just past. some places witnesses summer arriving in march, really. a ton of records fell, and violent weather hit across a lot of the country. our report tonight from anne thompson. >> this is a tornado. >> extreme weather blew march 2012 into the record books. desaw almost three times the average number of reported tornadoes. noaa said the usually warm weather created conditions favorable to twisters, and while there's no one culprit for the rise in temperatures, there is a suspect. >> right now, we have a climate on steroids. green house gases continue to increase in the atmosphere. >> the average temperature this

march, 51 pout.1 degrees. this time lapse animation from noaa shows where records were broken. every state in the nation set at least one record high in march. march brought rain and drought to eastern texas and parts of oklahoma, but above the tree line on the rocky mountains, there is bare ground where there should be snow. colorado's snow pack, just 49% of average. less snow means less water for this organic farm. today, he laid down a barrier to hold in moisture for his strr berries, but without water, he may have to make a tough choice. >> we're going to decide to save the fruit trees and have to let go of all of our vegetables. >> the forecast for the warm trend to continue in the mid-atlantic and southern sections of the country, and nowhere is it predicted to be colder than normal. anne thompson, nbc news, new york.

today, facebook, a seven-year-old country, wrote a big check because they can, and they wanted to make a strategic acquisition. they paid $1 billion to buy a mobile photo sharing service called instagram that is not only two years old itself. one observer said it's enough to buy bankrupt kodak 12 times over. on wall street here in new york, a delayed reaction to friday's worse than expected jobs report. the dow, nasdaq, and s & p 500 each lost about 1% on the day. up next here tonight, as we continue, the latest news about autism as the american waist line continues to expand, an intriguing teory about a possible link here. and later, remembering mike wallace, an interviewer at one time so feared, he was the punch line in a joke about seeing him show up at your house. emily's just starting out... and on a budget.

like a ramen noodle- every-night budget. she thought allstate car insurance was out of her reach. until she heard about the value plan. dollar for dollar, nobody protects you like allstate. in what passes for common sense. used to be we socked money away and expected it to grow. then the world changed... and the common sense of retirement planning became anything but common. fortunately, td ameritrade's investment consultants can help you build a plan that fits your life.

take control by opening a new account or rolling over an old 401(k) today, and we'll throw in up to $600. how's that for common sense? i'm here to unleash my inner cowboy. instead i got heartburn. [ horse neighs ] hold up partner. prilosec isn't for fast relief. try alka-seltzer. it kills heartburn fast. yeehaw!

top of the broadcast, raising provocative questions about the possible link about obesity in mothers and autism in their children. science correspondent robert bazell has the report. >> who's a smart guy? >> me. >> yes, you are. >> one more piece of the gigantic puzzle called autism. scientists have found that women who were obese are 1.6 times as likely to have a baby with autism or some other developmental disorder and twice as liky if they have deebs. but they emphasis the study of the mothers of about 1,000 kids is an observation, not scientific broof of cause and effect. >> if you are planning a pregnancy, you may think about losing weight and getting your

exercise routine in order, and making sure you are controlling your blood sugar. >> everything is going good? >> dr. anna sanchez in st. joseph hospital in orange county, california, has been working for years to get pregnant women to keep their weight under control. >> perfect. >> because overweight moms can have kids with many health problems. she says the latest results only add to the urgency. >> if people are overweight when they start the pregnancy, they should gain less than the recommended weight gain. >> that's a tall order when two thirds of american women are already overweight and half of those are obese. even if they were found to be causes of autism, that could only account for a fraction of the cases. by studying the possibility connection, scientists hope to learn more about what causes autism and ways to reduce the risk. robert bazell, nbc news, new york. up next here tonight, a

killer sight for lucky people who happened to be in the right place at the right time. i had three kids. and she became the full time mother of three. it was soccer, and ballet, and cheerleading, and baseball. those years were crazy. so, as we go into this next phase, you know, a big part of it for us is that there isn't anything on the schedule. is non-stop to seattle? just carry preparation h totables. discreet, little tubes packed with big relief. from the brand doctors recommend most by name. preparation h totables. the anywhere preparation h. do about medicare and social security... security. that's what matters to me... me? i've been paying in all these years... years washington's been talking at us,

but they never really listen... listen...it's not just some line item on a budget; it's what i'll have to live on... i live on branson street, and i have something to say... [ male announcer ] aarp is bringing the conversation on medicare and social security out from behind closed doors in washington. because you've earned a say. from behind closed doors in washington. last season was the gulf's best tourism season in years. in florida we had more suntans... in alabama we had more beautiful blooms... in mississippi we had more good times... in louisiana we had more fun on the water. last season we broke all kinds of records on the gulf. this year we are out to do even better... and now is a great time to start. our beatches are even more relaxing... the fishing's great. so pick your favorite spot on the gulf... and come on down. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. what if the first step on that road is a bowl of soup? delicious campbell's soups fill you with vegetable nutrition, farm-grown ingredients,

and can help you keep a healthy weight. campbell's -- it's amazing what soup can do.

in sports news, bubba won the masters. thought that one, bubba watson, who has been described as the golf savant from baghdad, florida. never had a formal lesson or a coach to help with his swing or his mental game. he just knows how and he put on a clinic of his own yesterday in augusta where incidentally, the ceo of ibm was right there, one of the faces in crowd. she just can't currently be a member at augusta if she wants to. virginia rometty. >> rush limbaugh has new competition. mike huckabee, presidential candidate, went live today with his new radio show at noon, same time limbaugh goes on the air, and it's really aimed right at rush, looking to peel away some of the market, which is clear from huckabee's slogan, more

conversation, less confrontation. thousands of kids and their families took part in an annual tradition in washington. the white house easter egg roll. they hosted 36,000 people, though they have a larger than average backyard. president and first lady started things off on this stunningly beautiful day. president also joined the harlem globetrotters for a basketball game that required him to do push-ups for each basket scored. and hundreds of whale watchers got what they were looking for and more off the coast of san pedro, california. a pod of orca whales came up to their boat, put on a show of life in the wild few people get to see on earth. an amazing sight. we put all of the video and pictures on our website tonight. up next here this evening, the man who made a career out of making a lot of people squirm. americans believe they should be in charge of their own future. how they'll live tomorrow. for more than 116 years, ameriprise financial has worked for their clients' futures.

helping millions of americans retire on their terms. when they want. where they want. doing what they want. ameriprise. the strength of a leader in retirement planning. the heart of 10,000 advisors working with you one-to-one. together for your future. ♪ whose non-stop day starts with back pain... and a choice. take advil now and maybe up to four in a day. or choose aleve and two pills for a day free of pain. way to go, coach. ♪ with listerine® whitening plus restoring rinse. it's the only listerine® that gets teeth two shades whiter

and makes tooth enamel two times stronger. get dual-action listerine® whitening rinse. building whiter, stronger teeth. trouble with a car insurance claim. [ dennis ] switch to allstate. their claim service is so good, now it's guaranteed. [ foreman ] so i can trust 'em. unlike randy. dollar for dollar, nobody protects you like allstate. my son and i never missed opening day. but with copd making it hard to breathe, i thought those days might be over. so my doctor prescribed symbicort. it helps significantly improve my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. with symbicort, today i'm breathing better, and that means... game on! symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it.

[ whistle ] with copd, i thought i might miss out on my favorite tradition. now symbicort significantly improves my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. and that makes a difference in my breathing. today i'm back with my favorite team. ask your doctor about symbicort. i got my first prescription free. call or click to learn more. [ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. he hadn't been seen on "60 minutes" since 2008, but then again, he departed the scene after 21 emmys and after changing news forever wrfrb we learned this past weekend mime wallace had died in a long term care facility in connecticut.

he was 93 years old. two world wars were fought in his lifetime, and in the wars between the cable stations and networks, they were lined up to talk about the toughest of them all. >> i'm mike wallace. >> he was not always the mike wallace we remember. he was an entertainer. he did commercials for revlon and for golden fluffo short mix. >> i'm mike wallace with a sensational shortening discovery. >> he was the announcer for the gre green hornet. >> he performed on broadway and was a soap actor and then went into nightly news. and without him, there probably wouldn't have been a broadcast called 60 minutes, and there would have been a lot less tension on television. >> but if you want to develop a style for your selve and carve out a bit of a territory, you purposefully say, all right, i'm going to ask an abrasive

question, a searching question, do a little research, be a little tougher. >> his timing was pert. he slid into the golden airy of television. mostly known for his interviews that were tough and contentious, and his name became a term for an unwelcomes inprovision. >> he made a very successful transition to journalism, however, he never forgot he owed the audience anything. if you made an investment in a mike wallace interview, it always paid off. >> he interviewed presidents, salvador dolly, malcolm x, johnny carson, barbara try sand, and a ton of shady characters, and he used a detective technique throughout. >> he was a really good writer and a great story teller, and he could have reeled you into the story. you wanted to know more about

the character. >> his name at birth was myron in 1918 in brookline, mass. he went to college at michigan, served in the navy in world war ii and then into radio and eventually into tv. he bravely and openly fought depression for years after a nervous breakdown and a suicide attempt brought on by a damaging lawsuit brought by retired general william westmoreland. he left us with two quotes. he said he walked a fine line between sadism and intellectual curiosity, and he asked us to remember him as tough but fair. mike wallace, gone tonight at the age of 93. that is our broadcast on a monday night. thank you for being here with us as we start off a new week. i'm brian williams. we, of course, hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.