here are new details with abc's devin dwyer who is in washington. good morning, devin. >> reporter: this morning u.s. officials believe a north korean missile launch is imminent. the pentagon says this high-tech floating radar is now up and running joining a flotilla of naval destroyers off the korean coast for early detection. >> we have to assume the worst case. that's why we're postured as we are today. >> reporter: all eyes on the musudan pointed at the sky. it's never been tested but could reach u.s. bases in okinawa or guam more than 2,000 miles away. there are fears this could fall on south korea or japan which positioned patriot missiles around tokyo. >> one of the concerns that the u.s. has right now is that the south korea will get too aggressive on any pro-tension response to a provocation and may do something wholly disproportionate and let the situation get out of hand. >> reporter: for now business as usual in seoul as the north continues its war of words. this pyongyang resident says a military clash would turn south korea into a sea o

. >> with more on the far-reaching investigation, we're joined by abc's devin dwyer. good morning, devin. >> reporter: good morning, john. good morning, diana. we're learning some new details this morning about how the suspected bombers tried to flee boston. officials say they may have had plans to party in new york city. these dramatic, new photos show the brothers tsaranev in a gun battle with police, moments before the older, tamerlan, was killed in the street, as the younger, dzhokhar, escaped to that backyard boat. their only weapon, officials say, was a 9 millimeter handgun. this morning, the tsaranev parents told the russian news agency, they're headed to the u.s. to claim tamerlan's body. u.s. intelligence agencies say after a russian tip in 2011, tamerlan was added to a terrorist watch list. but officials say the system had insufficient information to raise alarms. >> we contacted the russians on three, different occasions to ask for more information. and nothing was forthcoming. >> reporter: in boston, more signs the city is trying to move on. crowds visited

abc's devin dwyer's in washington. good morning, devin. >> reporter: good morning, diana and john.t was an ugly week for air travelers, with triple the delays than at this point last year. the faa says almost half were thanks to controller furloughs. a fix for frustrated fliers could be about to take off. overnight, the senate voted to let the faa and furloughs for thousands of air traffic controllers, hit by the automatic budget cuts. >> that should prevent the onerous delays that have been occurring and were only going to get worse. >> reporter: the cuts would cost a daily shortage of 1,500 controllers at the nation's airports. and threatened to close 149 control towers. with fewer eyes on the sky, the planes have been spaced farther apart, slowing the system and down frustrating flyers. on wednesday alone, 863 delays were linked to the cuts. >> they're putting people's lives at risk. >> reporter: the faa bill heads to the house today. if it doesn't pass, officials say things will get much worse. >> we did not take into account thunderstorms or other kinds of weather activities.

abc's devin dwyer has more on this. devin? >> reporter: jason collins is a powerhouse on the court. a seven foot, 255-pound nba center who's made it to the playoffs nine times. now, he's shattered one of the final barriers telling "sports illustrated," "i'm a 34-year-old nba center, i'm black and i'm gay." in an exclusive interview with "good morning america's" george stephanopoulos, collins says it's mind boggling that he's the first active player in pro team sports to come out as gay. >> i was sort of waiting around for somebody else to raise their hand and, you know, i'm ready to raise my hand, but, you know, you still look around like, okay, come on, guys. >> reporter: reaction from around the nba has been mostly supportive. lakers' star kobe bryant tweeted he's proud of collins. "don't suffocate who you are because of the ignorance of others." >> he's always been a great guy. he's always been a great teammate. >> he's a good guy and i'm certainly praying for him. >> reporter: but not everyone in pro sports embraced collins' news. mike wallace of the miami dolphins tweeted that

abc's devin dwyer joins us live in washington with the very latest. good morning, devin. >> reporter: good morning, diana. investigators still believe tamerlan and dzhokhar tsarnaev were lone wolves. but clues in the bombs' design suggests they may have had help. authorities now believe the suspected boston bombers received outside training. they're searching for potential suspects who may have helped with the bombs' design. >> they've cast a wide net both overseas and in the united states to find out where this person is. i think the experts all agree there is someone who trained these two individuals. >> reporter: one new clue, recorded phone calls between tamerlan tsarnaev and his mother, intercepted by a russian wiretap in 2011. they raised russian concerns but were only provided to u.s. officials last week. >> they talked about jihad. why didn't the russians let us know that much, much earlier? they should have. and we are asking why. >> reporter: after the phone calls, tamerlan traveled to russia last year, a key six-month visit where officials b

at an undeclared target at pretty much any moment and has south korea moving to war status and devin dwyer has the latest. >> reporter: western tourists this morning are still streaming into north korea. these passengers brushed off talk of imminent nuclear war. >> no, no sense at all. >> reporter: on the streets of pyongyang they'll see little signs of panic, though on tv, an ominous new warning for foreigners in south korea to get out now. in seoul, it was business as usual while in washington, officials dismissed the threat as a scare tactic. >> it is unhelpful. it is concerning. it is provocative. >> reporter: the new bluster comes as u.s. officials say a north korean missile is fueled and ready to be fired at any time. its target is unknown. the south korean government now on high alert at watch con 2, the threat level just short of war. >> somebody is going to have to blink, and it's not going to be the united states, and it's not going to be south korea and so far kim jong-un has made it clear that it's not going to be him. >> reporter: top pentagon officials say they're ready, conf

with more, we're joined by devin dwyer in washington. >> reporter: good morning. it's been five days since the missile was fueled and readied for fire. it's now a waiting game. in north korea this morning, celebrations marked the 101st birthday of kim jong-il. the celebratory mood comes as the north's new musudan missile keeps the region on edge. keeping the sand op hot, the government doubled down on the threat. promising all-out war and more higher-quality nuclear weapons. over the week ends, john kerry said there's still hope for peace. >> the united states will do what is necessary to defend our allies, japan, the republic of korea and the rege yan against these provocations. our choice is to negotiate. >> reporter: the north has rejected offers for peace talks, calling it a cunning ploy. to many south koreans, this is a familiar pattern. on sunday, psy drew huge crowds for a concert, defying the looming threat. u.s. and south korean officials believe kim jong-un could cause problems for a long time. >>> staying in washington. the gun control debate is waiting

. >> abc's devin dwyer reporting from washington. devin, thank you. >>> there are new developments in the tense standoff involving north korea. japan has moved missile intercepters now into place in anticipation of a nuclear test by the north. two of the patriot missiles have been set up at the defense ministry in central tokyo as well as two other defense bases just outside the city. japan has never shot down a north korean missile and would do so only if it were a direct threat. also this morning, north korea warning tourists and foreigners in south korea to device evacuation plans. >>> secretary of state john kerry is on his third trip to israel in the last two months and will urge them to a new peace process involving reviving parts of a plan embraced by arab leaders a defense secretary chuck hagel is also scheduled to visit the region within days. >>> queen elizabeth has authorized a ceremonial funeral for former prime minister margaret thatcher next week. flags are at half-staff at buckingham palace, parliament and 10 downing st

. >> with more, we're joined by abc's devin dwyer from washington. good morning, devin. >> reporter: good morning. the boston marathon attack is the first successful bombing in the u.s. since the september 11th, 2001 attacks. now the full weight of the u.s. government is behind the search behind who is responsible. authorities this morning are poring over this dramatic video from the finish line for clues. bomb technicians are studying burn marks on bricks and concrete and at hospitals doctors are collecting pieces of shrapnel blasted into bodies. >> and look at the components of the bomb. it will tell them is this somebody that puts this together over the internet or is this a bombmaker. >> reporter: officials believe these were two small and portable devices, possibly hidden in a backpack. one working theory, they were remotely debt anywayed by a cell phone. >> but right now it has all the indicators and every aspect of being al qaeda or al qaeda affiliated attack. >> reporter: so far there are no suspects. though officials are tracking multiple per

>> devin dwyer from washington. thank you. >>> another person who may be able to shed some light on the plot, the older brother's widow. the fbi wants to question katherine russell and her attorney. a meeting is being arranged. so far, she says she had no idea about her husband's deadly plot. and investigators are looking at whether tamerlan was involved in the brutal murder of three young men in 2011. one of whom was his roommate. the three young men were found with their throats slashed. >>> authorities in canada have foiled a plot to unleash terror on hundreds of unsuspecting train passengers. two men under arrest for planning the attack were allegedly getting direction and guidance from al qaeda in iran. abc's pierre thomas has more. >> reporter: the deadly plot to derail a busy passenger train, en route from new york to toronto, murdering hundreds. >> had this plot been carried out, it would have resulted in innocent people being killed or seriously injured. >> reporter: the target, an amtrak passenger line tha

>> devin dwyer in washington. thank you. >>> for the first time, we're hearing from david henneberry where dzhokhar was found. he considers himself an accidental hero. ed harding has the exclusive interview. >> i know what people say. there's blood on the boat. he saw blood and went in. not true. >> reporter: not true. david henneberry is the only one who knows the whole story how the second suspect was discovered. but he says it is not the story we have all heard. he never saw any blood on the outside of his boat. it was a more subtle clue that something was wrong. henneberry went out for air when the police said the was safe. and he noticed shrink wrap on his beloved boat was out of place. he want to the garage and grabbed a stepladder. >> i got, i think three steps up the ladder. and i rolled it up. i can see through the shrink wrap. i didn't expect to see anything. i look in the boat over here. look on the floor, and i see blood. >> reporter: he couldn't see suspect number two's face. and he was glad he couldn

. >> all right, devin dwyer live in washington. thank you. >>> the morning's other major story, a violent line of spring storms is marching east this morning after trudging across the south leaving at least one person dead. >> the carolinas are now in the crosshairs a day after as many as nine tornadoes touched down from louisiana to alabama. >> actually it's coming towards us a little bit. >> reporter: it was an ominous site, this monster twister captured on camera as it descended on eastern mississippi. one person was killed and several others injured. towering trees also came tumbling down slicing through homes in huntsville, alabama, and businesses were not spared. >> no one was here. i got a call. the roof just peeled completely off the building. >> reporter: as they struggled to pick up the crumbled debris, thousands are forced to cope without power knocked out by those brutal winds, and the cleanup job is still under way in st. louis where a twister left dozens of homes in ruins wednesday night. the weather service has now c

. >> devin dwyer live for us in washington, thank you. >>> there are some high-level talks today about curbing another nuclear threat. the u.s. along with five other world powers are sitting down with representatives from iran over its uranium enrichment. iran denies it has any interest in nuclear weapons and the enrichment is being used for peaceful purposes. >> new this morning, the cdc rushing to create a vaccine against a new and deadly form of bird flu. now, as we learned overnight that flu has killed six people in china. they all had contact with infected birds. the cdc says the vaccine project is only a precaution though the virus is a worry. it will take at least a month to create the vaccine. >>> just released documents show there were concerns about james holmes' mental health before the aurora shooting. his psychiatrist warned the university that hoems was homicidal and a danger to the public. the attack left 12 dead. according to the arrest warrant officers found explosives, booby traps and an die depressant drugs inside his apartment. >>> another high-profile killing of a

devin dwyer joins us with more. >> reporter: the u.s. military is ready to respond to an attack.. declaring a state of war with south korea, as the nation's leader, kim jong-un, gathered the supreme people's assembly. over the weekend, the regime declared nuclear weapons the nation's life. and vowed not to trade them for billions of dollars. the u.s. took that threat seriously. deploying two fighter jets over south korea meant as a show of force. >> we have a range of options to counter their provocations and threats. we hope not to have to put those plans in effect. >> reporter: last week, the u.s. sent two nuclear capable b-2 bombers from missouri to south korea and back. the u.s. and north korea are not at war. >> we believe this is a part of their overheated rhetoric.

devin dwyer joins us.ontrol measures seemed inevitable immediately after the shootings at sandy hook. advocates are fighting to regain momentum. nearly four months at newtown, a decisive week in the fight over new gun control. the u.s. not is set to begin debate on steps to prevent another tragedy. today, president obama returns to connecticut to remind lawmakers why they need to act. those 20 children and 6 teachers gunned down at sandy hook. >> the reality is that the gun that was used to kill 26 people on

with more, we're joined by devin dwyer in washington. >> reporter: good morning. missile was fueled and readied for fire. it's now a waiting game. as that country today celebrates its first leader. in north korea this morning, celebrations marked the 101st birthday of founder kim il-sung. these statues were invailed yesterday, as thousands turned out in the streets to pay respects. though the situation is tense, people have bright faces and are very happy, says this woman. the celebratory mood comes as the north's new musudan missile keeps the region on edge. a launch still expected at in moment. keeping the sand op hot, the government doubled down on the threat. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: promising all-out war and more higher-quality nuclear weapons. over the weekend, secretary of state john kerry said there's still hope for peace. >> the united states will do what is necessary to defend our allies, japan, the republic of korea and the region against these provocations. but our choice is to negotiate.

abc's devin dwyer is in washington with the latest. e region on edge even as the u.s. is urging calm. after days of escalating threats, the u.s. is trying to turn the temperature down. >> we have also been saying all the way through that this does not need to get hotter. >> reporter: at the pentagon, a change of course. officials say they'll cut back on publicity for those military drills taking place near north korea. the u.s. had promoted a parade of military might, b-2 tete bombers and f-22 fighters and naval missile defenses. >> i think we have to be careful and give kim jong-un an incentive to walk back from the brink and as we show firmness in our response. >> reporter: north korea shows no signs of backing down moving a mobile missile launcher to its east coast a sign of a pretest fire or preemptive strike. it could hit japan as well as u.s. gazes in guam where tens of thousands of americans live. >> one thing we can conclude about the military, and now the new head of the state, kim jong-un, they probably are not crazy. they're

abc's devin dwyer is there for us, as well, this morning. morning, diana and john. that's right. hillary clinton spent 22 years in national politics then she took a two-month break. now she's going on tour to talk about her career. >> vital voices' founder, hillary clinton. [ applause ] >> reporter: she's back in the spotlight and stirring up talk about a run for president in 2016. hillary clinton last night delivered her first major public speech since stepping down as secretary of state. >> we knew we had to make the case to the whole world that creating opportunities for women and girls directly supports everyone's prosperity and security. >> reporter: clinton steered clear of politics praising advocates for women. >> we did put women on the agenda and made it a centerpiece of all that we did. >> reporter: but all eyes were on a man sharing clinton's stage, vice president joe biden, a potential democratic rival. outside the speech supporters were already cheering clinton to run. >> i think she'll run. she's got to save the country, right?

. >> abc's devin dwyer right now joining us with more. orea says its missiles are on standby as the top american diplomat, secretary of state john kerry, arrived in south korea to reassure u.s. allies. the diplomatic push comes as president obama for the first time publicly says he wants to avoid war. >> now is the time for north korea to end the kind of belligerent approach they've been taking and to try to lower temperatures. nobody wants to see a conflict on the korean peninsula. >> reporter: as the world waits, now conflicting messages about the nuclear threat to the u.s. a new intelligence report assessed with moderate confidence the north could put a nuclear weapon on a ballistic missile, though the report says their reliability would be low. u.s. officials stress north korea has not fully developed or tested the technology but can't rule it out. >> now, does that mean that they won't have it or they can't have it or they're not working on it? no. ♪ >> reporter: today north korea celebrates kim jong-un's first year as party leader ca

. >> let's begin with devin dwyer and what investigators are now revealing. earning details on how this attack was carried out. but authorities this morning are still searching for why. this morning, the accused teenage terrorist behind the boston bombings had the right to remain silent. now, formally charged with using a weapon of mass destruction. but authorities say the 19-year-old dzhokhar tsaranev wounded in the neck, with limited ability to speak, has started to answer questions, reportedly telling agents he built the pressure cooker bombs almost entirely from the internet, with no direction from terrorists overseas. >> i would characterize it as really self-radicalization. these are individuals who may have some connections overseas. but the primary radicalization is in places like the united states. >> reporter: still, authorities believe the attack may have been inspired by al qaeda and the preaches of anwar al awlaki. investigators are focused on dzhokhar's older brother tamerlan, who was killed thursday night, as the possible brains behind the attac

abc's devin dwyer right now joining us from washington with the latest on the gun control legislationl hill as families of victims go door to door to make their case. at the emotional epicenter of the gun debate, president obama gave an impassioned call for action. >> this is not about me. this is not about politics. this is about doing the right thing for all the families who are here that have been torn apart by gun violence. >> reporter: it was a desperate rallying cry almost four months after newtown after gun laws faced new competition on capitol hill. ban on assault style weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips are all but dead. more than a dozen republican senators blocked a vote on background checks or any access that curbs access to guns. >> they're not just saying they'll vote no on ideas almost all americans say yes. they're saying they'll prevent any votes on these provisions. >> reporter: mr. obama now

devin dwyer has been watching developments overnight and joins us from washington.lk from north korea is now the most intense they've heard in years. and they're not taking any chances. the north korean military this morning says an attack on the u.s. would be merciless using cutting-edge nuclear weapons. in the streets north koreans say they're ready for a fight too vowing with these signs to be human bombs. top u.s. officials say the threat is serious. north korea has the world's fourth largest military. >> some of the actions they've taken over the last few weeks present a real and clear danger. it only takes being wrong once, and i don't want to be the secretary of defense who was wrong once. >> reporter: the pentagon is surrounding the korean peninsula with layers of missile defense sending two guided missile destroyers and land-based intercepters to guam. though an attack on the u.s. mainland is considered unlikely, officials fear an erratic move by kim jong-un could inflict serious damage on south korea. >> i think we should always be concerned when somebody

we are joined by devin dwyer. >> reporter: plutonium is the most common fuel used in nuclear weaponseader kim jong-un has vowed to restart a dormant reactor at his country's main nuclear facility. when fully online it could produce enough material for one atomic bomb each year. the latest move by north korea followed weeks of provocative rhetoric that raised fears of war much the north has threatened to launch attacks against the u.s. and cut ties with the south and has declared nuclear weapons a top priority. yesterday the pentagon moved a guided missile destroyer and high-tech radar device into the waters off the north korean coast. they say the threats have not been backed up by action so far. >> despite the harsh rhetoric we're hearing from pyongyang we're not seeing changes to the military posture such as

. >> devin dwyer is tracking all this for us. >> reporter: good morning.pect's parents. suspected bomber dzhokhar tsaranev has been upgraded from serious to fair condition in a boston hospital. this as friends and family come to his defense. >> my son was muslim. >> reporter: in russia, the mother of dzhokhar, and older brother, tamerlan, defiantly claims their innocence. >> i know that my kids have nothing to do with this. i know it. i am mother. >> reporter: online, dzhokhar's friends released this video of him doing a robot dance. a sharp contrast with this glimpse of the brothers allegedly toting bombs through the crowd. authorities now say those bombs were built with parts found at any hardware store, beebe pellets, nails, and parts of a remote toy car. the manager at this fireworks store, said she sold tamerlan tsaranev a kit. in washington, agents are trying to verify how and where the bombs were made. >> we got minimal information from the individual in custody