making news in america this morning, hillary clinton and bernie sanders ready to rumble in a high stakes debate tonight ahead of the crucial new york primary. while on the republican side, word of dirty tricks and even death threats received by convention delegates. provocative acts on the high sea as russian warplanes come within feet of a u.s. ship. it's being called the most aggressive russian action since the cold war. so why now and what is the u.s. doing about it? the biggest automotive recall in u.s. history could be getting much bigger. the government has new concerns about those exploding air bags. and a historic night in the nba. golden state completing the best regular season ever while kobe bryant can't stop scoring in a sendoff for the ages. >> mamba out.

a good thursday morning. we begin with the run-up to the new york primary with all five candidates fanning out across the state today, stumping for those critical votes. >> okay, so bernie sanders played to one of his largest crowds yet packing an estimated nearly 30,000 supporters in a new york city park. and on the republican side, they're now dealing with death threats. abc's lana zak has the latest right now from washington. lana, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, kendis and diane. this campaign has gotten truly ugly. republican delegates facing death threats even breaking overnight word that battery charges against trump's campaign manager corey lewandowski are expected to be dropped later today. tonight, the two democrats will face off in the first debate since the rhetoric between hillary clinton and bernie sanders turned from courteous to contentious. in new york, hillary clinton

maintains a double-digit lead over bernie sanders, but you never would have guessed it based on the estimated sizes of their competing rallies. 1200 for a clinton event in the bronx and 27,000 for a sanders event at washington scare park. while on the republican side -- >> you can't let the bosses take it away. >> reporter: donald trump continues to urge supporters to fight against what he calls a rigged republican system. and now there are increasing reports of death threats against republican delegates. >> very spooky, very personal. >> reporter: roger stone said he would help angry supporters find republican delegates at the convention. >> we will disclose the hotels and the room numbers of those delegates who are directly involved in the steal. >> reporter: ted cruz on cnn said the trump campaign was encouraging thousands of threats against the republican party chair in colorado. >> trump supporters were telling the supporters go to his house and bri t

>> reporter: but while trump's battle intensifies with some he is making nice with others. >> we met for an hour, just the two of us and had a chance to clear the air. >> fox news host megyn kelly, you know, she's been the subject of so much of trump's vitriol and she said laughing that trump's doorman seemed awfully surprised to see her. kendis, diane. >> i bet, thanks so much. that's abc's lana zak reporting from washington. thanks again. as she briefly mentioned it looks like donald trump's campaign manager will not be prosecuted over a confrontation with a reporter. corey lewandowski was charged with battery accused of grabbing michelle fields at a rally in florida last month. a source tells abc news prosecutors have decided not to move forward with the case. a normal announcement expected today. the u.s. military is reacting to a show of force by russian fighter jets which repeatedly buzzed right by a u.s. destroyer this week. it comes at a time of

tensions between the u.s. and russia and martha raddatz shows us the video. >> reporter: it is one of the most aggressive russian actions against the u.s. military since the end of the cold war. >> he is on the deck. >> reporter: not just a dangerously close flyby within 30 feet of the u.s. destroyer, the jets flew in a way that simulated an attack and not just once, but again and again. over the last two days the russian jets making more than 30 passes over the american ship in international waters and roaring at just 100 feet off the baltic sea, the jets caused a wake in the water as if a giant speedboat had raced by. >> when you're flying just off the water at 500 miles an hour your focus out the window. if he misjudges how close he is off the water there's no room for error and there's lots of room for disaster. >> reporter: the americans on the destroyer repeatedly radioed

transmissions were ignored. the russians may be trying to distract nato from a possible spring offensive in ukraine but over the last few years the russians have only gotten more aggressive with this kind of harassment and whatever the u.s. has done behind the scenes does not seem to have worked. martha raddatz abc news, washington. also out of washington president obama claimed progress in the battle against isis during a rare visit to cia headquarters the president pointed to setbacks suffered by isis including territory reclaimed by u.s.-led troops. >> on the ground in syria and in iraq isil is on the defensive. our 66-member coalition including arab partners is on the offensive. we have momentum and we intend to keep that momentum. >> the president sending this message to isis quoting here if you target americans you have no safe haven. the families of those killed in last year's plane

flight school where the suicidal pilot was trained. the pilot of that germanwings flight locked himself in the cockpit and deliberately flew into the side of the mountain killing all 150 on board. the lawsuit accuses the school of not properly screening the pilot's medical background, which they say would have revealed his bouts with severe depression. we're learning this morning the man charged with gunning down and killing nine people at a charleston church last june will not stand trial until at least next january. lawyers for dylann roof said they need more time to run the psychiatric tests. he admitted he wanted to start a race war. all nine of his victims were black. in the wake of north carolina's new law, south carolina is joining the debate about bathrooms and transgendered people. a so-called bathroom bill drew condemnation at a hearing wednesday and supporters say opening bathrooms to the opposite gender

privacy. it's a simple way to hide discrimination against the lgbt community. nikki haley has called the bill unnecessary. a long time before a final night of an nba regular season goes down quite like last night did. >> yeah, it was pretty epic. first of all the golden state warriors cruised past memphis to win their 73rd record game of the season. steph curry finished the season with 402 three-pointers. that's also a record. >> and in los angeles, kobe bryant closed out his career with a 60-point outburst against the jazz. he said he scored so much because his teammates for once i suppose with telling him not to pass the ball. and we have more about kobe's night a little bit later. >> did you see this? this was the president's tweet before the evening, got off to the start, big night he said for basketball warriors chasing 73 and farewell for an all-timer, kobe bryant. the president opposite steph curry doing their jig and later he tweeted his c

i wonder which one he was watching or did he -- he probably had picture in picture in yeah, he's the president. he's watching both at the same time. coming up, this might be a good morning to check your 401(k). the reason why straight ahead. plus, a stunning advanced for afar lyzed man gaining use of one of his hands thanks to something going on in his brain. a performance you must simply hear to believe the girl now an overnight sensation.

[ bell ringing ] on wall street all three major averages closed at highs for the year. the events apparently driven by bank stocks. the dow gained 187 points to

close at 17,908. the nasdaq soared as well, 75, the s&p up 20. markets across asia were higher overnight. the largest automotive recall in u.s. history could get even bigger. federal government regulators say 85 million vehicles with takata air bags may need to be recalled if the company can't prove they're safe on top of the 29 million inflaters that need to be replaced. at least 11 people have died in more than 100 have been injured by the exploding inflaters. stronger warnings about mosquito bites could be in the works now that the cdc has confirmed the zika virus can cause babies to be born with abnormally small heads. as evidence science found the virus in the brain tissue, spinal fluid and amniotic fluid of mikko selffully babies spread through mosquito bites but also through sex and more than 300 in the u.s. have been infected but those cases are all linked to

a major medical breakthrough. a completely paralyzed patient has been able to regain movement in his hands thanks to a microkrip implanted in his brain. >> after breaking his neck ian burkhart thought he'd never be able to use his hands but thanks to a chip implanted in his head he can grab on to a bottle and pick up a credit card just by thinking about it.

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along with rain and snow covered roads in the northwest. delays likely at the airport in new orleans and atlanta. basketball fans are celebrating a historic night on the hardwood and virtually taking down twitter in the process. >> yeah, there were a lot of tweets and all happened in california. the golden state warriors crushing the single season wins roared and of course the other name, some 400 miles south. he calls it a career in spectacular fashion. overnight not one but two historic moments in basketball with the nba saying good-bye to one legend and crowning a new one. the golden state warriors making history becoming the first team to go 73-9 breaking the legendary '96 bulls record of 72 wins with a victory over the memphis grizzlies. >> the greatest regular season in history now belong tos the 2016 warriors. >> reporter: also kobe taking the court in his final nba appearance. >> for the final time, number 24 on

>> reporter: fans started lining up at the staples center nearly 12 hours before tip-off, some to snap up this $824 limited edition jersey. >> never going to be another kobe bean bryant. >> he spent 20 years with the lakers. the most any nba player has spent with a single team. an impressive resume. third all-time leading scorer. two olympic medals and gave the fans what they wanted to see. >> bryant for three. got it! >> reporter: this really was kobe's night with a whopping 60 points. >> kobe bryant. >> there it is. >> reporter: lots of celebrities were out in full force to watch with shaquille o'neal, snoop dogg and jay z in the house and of course lakers courtside fixture jack nicholson. after the game an emotional kobe bryant addressing the sold out crowd and reflecting on his two decades in l.a. >> i can't believe how fast 20 years went by. i mean, this is crazy. mamb o

[ cheers and applause ] >> and he drops the mike. at the end. so in addition to everything else the lakers gave bryant and his wife some big wling as a going away present. >> you could say that. those are his and hers matching rings with the nearly five carats of diamonds and about 70 grams of 14 karat gold and also include a diamond for each of kobe's championships, his two jersey numbers and his nickname. >> all right. we'll switch topics and get more serious. the texas teen known for his affluenza defense has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison but attorneys for ethan couch are expected to appeal that. couch was appearing in adult court for the first time after he turned 19 on monday. he received 180 days for each of the four deaths from a drunk driving crash in 2013. he originally got probation in the case but then fled to mexico sparking an international m manhunt. a cleveland man who kidnapped his own son when he was only 5 years old has been sentenced to four years in

prison. even though that son now 19 pleaded with the judge to free his dad bobby. bobby hernandez kept his son julian away from his mother for 13 years. julian realized he had been abducted when he found a social security discrepancy while applying for colleges. earlier we told you about bask sharks which are no threat to humans but full sharks are a whole other story. >> just ask this fisherman from south florida who's recovering from several shark bites, some a little too gruesome for tv. he was spearfishing 60 feet below the surface when he was attacked by the seven-footer. now, bull sharks are said to be the most dangerous shark in the world. some surprising new details about former white sox first baseman adam laroche and sudden decision to retire because the team asked him to stop bringing his son to work. >> but laroche said it's more complicated than that and tells espn magazine he was part of an undercover mission in the off-season helping

underages girls kidnapped and used as sex slaves in southeast asia and said that experience was life-changing. >> up next in "the pulse," an idea that could have plenty of moviegoers up in arms. hint, you've likely done it recently. the overnight sensation, belting it out like the pros on broadway. we'll be right back. their bathroom experience. just like they forgot conductor randy, who sees all and forgets nothing. at least he's not constable bob. it's easy to love your laxative when that lax loves your body back. only miralax hydrates, eases and softens to unblock naturally, so you have peace of mind om start to finish. love your laxative. miralax.

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gravity ♪ ♪ and soon i'll match the only love and nobody ♪ >> she looks so confident. >> that performance won her a spot straight through to the live semifinals. >> well deserved. well, if you are one of those people who get angry and stares or get angry stares for texting in a movie theater you might be in luck. >> get this idea amc is considering the concept of creating texting sections in its many theaters across the country. the ceo telling "variety" millennials in telling them to turn off their two hours for phones is not realistic. so a talking section in the theater. >> like the loud section. what else gets on people's nerves? >> the guy who tells you the answer? that's always fun. >> yeah. okay, so, everyone, it seems may have a doppelganger. even matthew mcconaughey. a

his great, great grandfather noting the resemblance to the actor more than 1 million viewers have taken a look at this photo. >> the two men may also share a similar personality. andrew sanders had an easy-going demean enjoyed being outside and listening to birds but did he say all right, all right, all right. >> i wonder. it's a favorite activity for lots of dogs. catching a frisbee thrown by its owner. a dog named thor is getting used to a new frisbee. that's thor's owner on the left. oops. yep. she broke his frisbee. >> obviously thor is not so happy about that. he goes off to sulk in the corner. >> oh, no. >> the florida woman who caused this huge crisis says thor pouted up until she bought him a new favorite brisby. >> he mastered the puppy eyes. >> look how sad he is. he just puts his head down on

we are just one day away from the start of the weekend. it was cold out there overnight but if you are waiting for gorgeous weather.. then eileen will have some good news for you in just a few moments. good morning washington. toss to eileen freeze warning until 9am for northern loudoun and frederick counties and counties along the blue ridge. frost advisory until 9am for counties west of i-95. today: sunny and beautiful! highs: 60-65 winds: ne 5 mph tonight: clear and cold. patchy frost possible west. lows: 35-44 winds: light friday: sunny. another gorgeous day! highs: 63-67 winds: ne 5 mph

270 developing right now--

greenbelt. police say a woman was sexually assaulted shortly after shopping at beltway plaza. police say the attacker began talking with the woman inside the shopping center on monday, and followed her outside. the two parted ways, as the woman walked home. then-- the man returned near the franklin park at greenbelt station apartment complex. police say he dragged her into a wooded area at knife-point and sexually assaulted her. shoppers were stunned to learn about the attack. police are working with the victim to identify her attacker, but right now no arrests have been made. three brother charged in connection to a deadly ambush on a maryland police station are back behind bars. michael,

wednesday. they're all charged with second degree murder. investigators say michael ford was attempting "suicide by cop", as his brothers recorded the shooting on their phones. they allegedly planned to upload the video to the internet. officer jacai colson was killed by friendly fire during the shootout. prosecutors have until may 13 to return an indictment in the case, or the felony charges could be dropped. police in upper marlboro- looking for the suspect in an a-t-m skimming investigation. take a look at this picture. investigators say this man attached a skimming device to one of the machines at the suntrust bank on watkins park drive. if you have any information- call police. today.. marks a crucial deadline to repair an iconic bridge in the district. the memorial bridge is in need of a full renovation- to keep it from shutting down. the national park service has until the end of the day to apply for federal funds to help cover the cost. construction must begin by 20-19 to prevent a full closure in 2021. 68-thousand cars cross that bridge eve

it's xx and we're just getting started. a cold reception for metro officials on capitol hill. angry lawmakers are demanding action.. calling the agency an embarrassment! we'll tell you how metro is responding.. history made on the hardwood several times over. we'll break down an historic night for the nba as records fall, and a legend calls it quits.. good morning washington. freeze warning until 9am for northern loudoun and frederick counties and counties along the blue ridge. frost advisory until 9am for counties

beautiful! highs: 60-65 winds: ne 5 mph tonight: clear and cold. patchy frost possible west. lows: 35-44 winds: light friday: sunny. another gorgeous day! highs: 63-67 winds: ne 5 mph covering metro.. riders apparently aren't the only