. >>> kansas governor sam brownback can about to implement the nation's tough test anti-abortion laws in america. >>> spring weather is hitting parts of the u.s. with a furfur. >>> plus, the president returns to connecticut on gun control today. >>> condi rice dons the green jacket at augusta ahead of the masters. masters, >>> and have you ever wanted to attach enough balloons to >>> good morning, everybody. i'm betty nguyen. right now tensions are rising as south korea reports signs that north korea is preparing to carry out a new nuclear test. meanwhile, the u.s. chairman of the joint chiefs says the pentagon has bolstered u.s. missile defenses because "he can't take the fact that pyongyang won't soon engage in some military action." nbc's jim maceda is in seoul, south korea. good morning, jim. give us the latest there. >> reporter: hi. well, the latest, betty, is that here the defense ministry has backed off, as you suggested, from that earlier statement. that was coming from another official from another ministry who had said that north korea was preparing for its fourth nuclear t

kansas governor sam brownback is expected to sign the bill into law. more now on a federal judge's ruling that will soon allow women of all ages to buy the morning after pill over the counter, without a prescription. right now. girls under age 17 need a prescription. but that's about to change. the judge says, there is no reason not to make the safe and effective drug. available to all ages. birth control advocacy groups are happy. saying this may help bring down teen pregnancy rates. however - social conservatives argue the ruling could put the health of young girls at risk. since it eliminates the involvement of parents and medical professionals. there's still a chance the ruling will be appealed. if not - the drug could be available to all in about a month. >> the u-s confirms what many had already suspected. that north korea has a pair of missiles ready for launch. the obama administration says, north korea has launched test missiles before, and would not be surprised if it did so again. but as kron 4's pam moore reports, many wonder whether north

the bill now goes to sam brownback, the state's republican governor. according to a spokesperson, he is almost certain to sign it even though he hasn't read it yet. governor brownback said he will sign any anti-abortion bill and so far he has kept to his word. so that was friday night in kansas. this was saturday morning. the very next day right after kansas republicans passed their sweeping doctors have to lie to their patients bill, the national republican party tapped kansas republican governor, sam brownback to deliver the republican party's national weekly address. ta-da, of putting the best foot forward. meanwhile in new mexico, republican governor susannah martinez, a real rising star in her party. she gave probably the best speech of the republican national convention. she's very charismatic. she's supposed to be a different kind of 21st century republican. on friday governor martinez had a seemingly nonpartisan, noncontroversial bill sitting on her bill. a bill designed to make it easier for veterans and their spouses to get jobs. so for milit

okay, well i ask this because kansas senator sam brownback just signed an abortion bill that's one of the most restrictive in the nation blocking tax breaks for abortion providers and defines life as beginning at the moment of conception. which means the drinking age in kansas should technically by 20 years, three months. but these photos of brownback's copy of his bill are interesting because his notes reveal him writing all human life is sacred unless you like the death penalty which makes you pro some life and at the top of the bill, the governor appears to have written the words jesus and mary. now, this is biblically awkward for a couple of reasons. first, they're not a couple. secondly, neither of them ever said anything against abortion. you see abortion has always been around. it will always be around. the push the ban roe v. wade will not stop abortion. women will run the risk of serious injury or infection and of being thrown in jail. that's the anti-abortion agenda. lie argue with anyone who is opposed to abortion on moral grounds. you have a right to use the legislative pr

governor sam brownback is expected to sign a bill passed friday night that would declare that life starts at fertilization. under the new measure abortion providers are banned from getting tax breaks or taking part in school sex education courses. the legislation would ban abortion based on the fetus' gender. >>> take a look at this. incredible video coming from kansas where a storm dropping golf ball-sized hail throughout the central part of the state. some hailstones reaching upwards of two inches. nbc meteorologist bill karins joins us. imagine that. >> that's what the storm chasers do. they try to find tornadoes but they end up getting caught in hail shafts from the thunderstorms and a lot of broken windshields. this big storm through the west. the winds today howling especially through the mountain passes. in areas in nevada, arizona and new mexico. the storm itself is not bringing a lot of rain or snow right now to areas of california and nevada. some of the higher elevations in the mountains. but the temperatures behind this storm are chilly. we're down into the 30s in boise. medfo

governor sam brownback is expected to sign the bill. >>> not a week goes by, it seems, without reports of a new sinkhole that threatens a home or an entire neighborhood. nbc's gabe gutierrez has more on what seems like a sinkhole epidemic. >> reporter: they seem to be everywhere. a neighborhood in ohio. a road in kentucky. a beach in new jersey. >> and then all the sand just came right down and just sucked me in. i mean, i couldn't move. >> reporter: earlier this year in florida a sinkhole swallowed a man in his bedroom. this is new video showing the damage. since then we've heard similar horror stories. a golfer barely survives when the course opened up beneath him in illinois. more than 300 people in louisiana evacuated after the earth crumbled there. so are there more sinkholes or just more headlines about them? >> it may be that you're having a rash of sinkholes in florida in particular as a result of the drought that's been going on. >> reporter: the state's unique limestone bedrock is prone to collapse due to a shift in deep underground rivers. either too much rainfall can help d

i anticipate that i will. >> john: sam brownback, good to talk to you. the championship game tomorrow night. >> thank you very much. >> john: tragedy in the family of pastor rick warren. youngest son matthew has died by suicide. leader of one of nation's largest churches announced the sad news. in the email he remembered his son's compassion for others and asked for prayers for the family. he says the 27-year-old struggled with mental illness and depression. >>> president obama has said to pass gun control legislation will not be easy. that was the leading topic of discussion during the that talk show. >> john a few days after the horrible tragedy in connecticut in december, president obama flew there and said enough is enough and he would use whatever on power he had to prevent further mass shootings. today the man enlisted by the nra how to secure schools, when it comes to white house calls for stronger background checks, president obama has taken the debate totally in the wrong direction. he stood by a proposal to protect school kids with armed guards

. >> the republican response by kansas governor sam brownback calls for spending cuts and program reforms to focus on reducing the deficit. >>> state attorney general pamela harris has accepted an apology from prob for a comment he made about her that some people thought was inappropriate. during a fund-raiser in atherton, the president said harris was, quote, by far the best looking attorney general in the country. well, that drew reaction all over social media. the head of the state commission on women says she's glad about the uproar. >> what ends up happening is the looks then take away from the accomplishments, and the idea is that you can be very accomplished but your looks make it that much better or that much worse. and men don't have to deal with that. >> others say it would be too bad if men didn't feel they could compliment a woman's looks. harris was one of the first politicians to support president obama in his run for the white house. >>> now to a crime that's on the increase throughout the bay area, and it's as simple as it is die diabolicadiabolical. someone knocks on your

. >> the response by kansas governor sam brownback calls for spending cuts and program reforms that focushe deficit. >>> now to a crime that's on the increase throughout the bay area and it's as simple as it is diabolical. someone knocks on your door, and if you don't answer, you're the next victim. in this case, the crime was caught on camera. abc 7 news reporter vic lee has the story. >> reporter: the security video shows a woman with an infant in her arms appearing at the front door. she knocks and rings the doorbell. the home owner told abc 7 news the nanny is in the house but does not answer because the woman is a stranger. at one point, she even peers through the window to see if anyone is home. a little while later, two men appear in the back of the house after jumping a fence from the neighbor's yard. the video shows them trying to pry the sliding glass door from its tracks. they use a metal bar, as well as a shovel, to loosen the door, but they are having no luck. they suddenly dash off. they are apparently startled by the nanny, who looked out the window. moments later, one of t

in kansas, republican governor sam brownback signed into law a measure that banned certain abortions and codifies life begins at fertilization. >> when you read about some of these laws, you want to check the calendar and make sure you're still living in 2013. the only person who should get to make decisions about your health is you. >> the state legislatures that are in the state capitols across the country are acting on the pro-life grassroots. there is no industry that president obama has been more intent to protect and promote than the abortion industry. and planned parenthood is the leader among them. >> the defense in the gos case rested thiek witut calling any witnesses. the jury is expected to begin hearing closing arguments on monday. >> bret: james, thank you. what do you think about the president's speech to planned parenthood? let me know on twitter. follow me at bret baier. many here in washington are trying to figure out which side of president obama's red line syria is on tonight. while the administration says syria has used chemical weapons, it says it is not 100% sur

and pat -- conservative sides led by sam brownback, the governor is very much winning now.st a few weeks ago got the knee-jerk reactions. it seems to me if you are thinking about 2014 in sam brownback's kansas, you know, this is where you are going to be. >> i think that -- they are looking at that primary and that may be drive something of their decisions. i think that the bigger picture cannot be ignored. you know, in 2014, these people will be facing a voter and in a general election. and i think voters are smart. i think -- i think the ground has shifted. we know that between now and 2014, you know, doing the math, americans are smart. there will be 19,000 more gun deaths between now and 2014. americans know -- we will remember that. they are aware of it and the ground shifted in a way i don't think that these senators are really, really facing. you know, from the groundswell that i hear, and in a state like virginia. we have 26 new gun violence prevention groups in virginia. 26. since newtown. they have got -- they have to -- be thinking about the long game and that's

number four, sam brownback of kansas, 16 points under water. number three, in florida, rick scott, 20 points under water and potentially facing a challenge from our own charlie crist. number two, pat quinn of illinois. the most endangered governor in america, rhode island's independent governor lincoln chafee with a net job approval rating, catch this, of minus 40. besides quinn and chafee, the rest of the top 12 on the list are all republicans. tough for them. weigh you down? as soon as you feel it, try miralax. it works differently than other laxatives. it draws water into your colon to unblock your system naturally. don't wait to feel great. miralax. >>> welcome back to "hardball." when it comes to the country's economic future, president obama knows the country must act on both taxes and spending, that both sides need to compromise. his plan includes the smart and necessary move of shaking democrats out of their comfort zone on social security and medicare. it's not an easy concession to ask of a party that believes the two programs are sac

. >>> kansas governor sam brownback is expected to sign one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the bill passed by the state legislature on friday defines life as beginning at fertilization and imposes a host of new regulations. back to "caught on camera." >>> welcome back to "caught on camera." i'm contessa brewer. for police on patrol, any day could be their last as two veteran officers nearly found out. a brazen gunman ready for the kill. >> drop the gun! >> he was going to execute the officer. he had no intention of running away. >> he was prepared to take a bullet. >> in a fraction of a second, i made up my mind, i'm most likely going to get shot. >> it all goes down on september 6th, 2009, in kansas city, missouri. dean mcginniss is a 30-year veteran with the kansas city police department. he and his partner, officer eric turner, start their shift at 3:00 p.m. often the officers will ride together, but today, they're taking separate cars. after more than ten years working the same beat together, mcginniss and turner rely heavily on one another. >> we deal with a little bit

number four, sam brownback of congress, 16 points under water. number three, in florida, rick scott, 20 points under water and potentially facing a challenge from our own charlie crist. number two, pat quinn of illinois. the most endangered governor in america, rhode island's independent governor lincoln chafeee with a net job approval rating, catch this, of minus 40. besides quinn and chafee the rest of the top 12 on the list are all republicans. tough for them. try align. it's the number one ge recommended probiotic that helps maintain digestive balance. ♪ 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. otherworldly things. but there are some things i've never seen before. this ge jet engine can understand 5,000 data samples per second. which is good for business. because planes use less fuel, spend less time on the ground and more time in the air. sudde

. >>> kansas governor sam brownback is about to implement the nation's tough test anti-abortion lawst of the u.s. with a fury. >>> plus the president returns to connecticut on gun control today. >>> condy rice dons the green jacket at augusta ahead of the masters. >>> and have you ever wanted to attach enough balloons to yourself to fly? "early today" starts right now. >> announcer: this is "early today" for monday, april 8th, 2013. >>> very good morning to you. i'm richard lui. the pentagon has bolstered u.s. missile defenses because he cannot take the chance here that pyongyang will not soon engage in some military action. this despite a top official there saying he misspoke about north korea preparing for another nuclear test. nbc chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in the korean peninsula. >> reporter: what south korean officials are saying is that they have picked up activity around a test site that north korea has used in the past to detonate underground, in tunnels, its nuclear weapons. and originally south korean officials had said they thought that north korea could

number four, sam brownback of kansas, 16 points under water.umber three, in florida, rick scott, 20 points under water and potentially facing a challenge from our own charlie crist. number two, pat quinn of illinois. the most endangered governor in america, rhode island's independent governor lincoln chafee with a net job approval rating, catch this, of minus 40. besides quinn and chafee, the rest of the top 12 on the list are all republicans. tough for them. hey, this is challenger. i'll be waiting for you in stall 5. it confirms your reservation and the location your car is in, the moment you land. it's just another way you'll be traveling at the speed of hertz. all stations come over to mithis is for real this time. step seven point two one two. verify and lock. command is locked. five seconds. three, two, one. standing by for capture. the most innovative software on the planet... dragon is captured. is connecting today's leading companies to places beyond it. siemens. answers. >>> welcome back to "hardball." when it comes to the country's e

. >> yeah, he has all of the wherewithal that sam brownback has in texas, but he is not putting throughpaul family the five-minute rule goes for everything said by crazy uncle liberty -- [ inaudible ] >> stephanie: at precisely 5:01 [ inaudible ]. and this is once again the case right? >> yeah, this is -- my problem with rand paul is not that he is standing up against the abridgment of our civil liberties in the government, he is going to tell us it's freedom. this is based on a l.a. time's piece i read. there is no free speech left in the workplace. it's gone. so we're raising a generation of school children and workers who have no concept that their civil liberties are anything more than something that inconveniences their teachers and bosses. >> stephanie: video cameras and software keeps track of each key stroke. we are less free than we have ever been. >> right. because the institutions that rand paul applauds are -- >> stephanie: right. you make a good point in this unemployment environment. you said businesses are asking employees to work harder without providing the perks that w

host: sam brownback in the republican response.ichael scheer writing this morning -- on friday, the speaker of the house issued a statement in response to the president's budget. here is a portion of what he said. that was a reference to the plan put on the table last december. the white house officials say that he was taking a page from the plan and putting forth this new proposal. cq weekly has a piece on this -- weekly. q th on our line from democrats. good morning. caller: good morning. i would like to say that if you have money and united states money that has been made by ,eople in general, the labor and if corporations and rich of the country do not want to pay their taxes, they should have to leave the country or pay their taxes. is corporations as well as the rich in the united states. if they want me to pay my taxes , i doduce social security not know how many more acts they will go through. we should have a poor people's campaign come to washington dc and put them all out and let the people take over the government. than

governor sam brownback from kansas, look, we're not going to rely on the federal government to get usn to the state. >> washington is broke, big spending programs are running out of money and change is coming. the ideas of how to fix the federal government are now percolating in the states, 30 of which are led by republican governor. you see, you don't change america by changing washington. you change america by changing the states. and that's exactly what republican governors are doing across the country. taking a different approach to grow the state's economy and fix the governments with ideas that work. >> alisyn: well, there you go. and it's optimistic, right? i mean, if we can't rely on the federal government. if you've lost states and their ability to control spending, they're not just republican governors, governors around the country who have to present a balanced budget and that's one of the things-- >> and all 49 states are required to produce balanced budget for fun, but the states are very different from the federal government that way. take a look at the states that are p

satellite corp. 2013] >> following the release of the arch unemployment numbers bro ent obama and sam brownback talked about their plans. the president outlined his proposed changes to the 2014 udget and in the republican address brownback emphasized the pproach republicans want to take to grow the economy without raising taxes. >> you are in >> hi, everybody. our top priority as a nation and priority as president must be doing everything we can to reignite the engine of america's growth, a rising, thriving middle class. star and must th drive every decision. yesterday we learned our created 95,000 new jobs last month that. and out 500,000 this year nearly 6.5 million the past three years. we have more to do to get the economy growing faster so can body who wants a job find one. that means we need fewer elf-inapplicantsed wounds from washington like the crass the board spending -- across the spending cuts. cuts that will cost hundreds of thousands of jobs this year. we want to keep rebuild being the economy on a strong are growth that r creates good middle class jobs, choices.to make smarter th