General Motors, the nation's largest automaker, will file a bankruptcy petition at 8 a.m. ET, according to a source with direct knowledge of the proceedings. Getty Images/FILE

Here are the big stories on the agenda today:

• Breaking now… Air France confirms to CNN that a flight from Rio de Janerio bound for Paris is missing.  It fell off the radar.  There are 216 passengers and 12 crew members on board.
• D-day for General Motors.  What was once the world’s biggest automaker will file for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this morning.  President Obama will address the nation about the government takeover at 11:55 AM ET.  The saying was “as goes GM, so goes the nation.”  So now what for the nation?  We’ll speak to Michigan’s governor about the fallout for her state and the ripple effect across the Midwest, the country and the continent!
• And – a long-time target of anti-abortion activists - killed in cold blood.  Kansas Doctor George Tiller was gunned down at his church in Wichita.  Tiller was one of the only U.S. doctors performing late-term abortions.  A suspect is in custody, and police are still trying to determine a motive.  We're live in Wichita with this developing story.  We’re also talking to a woman in the same profession who knew Tiller for 30 years, about living with the constant threat of violence.

In this handout image provided by the White House, Judge Sonia Sotomayor speaks with President Obama in the Oval Office of the White House May 21, 2009 in Washington, D.C.

Happy Friday everyone.

A developing story out of North Korea – The North has reportedly test-fired another short range missile off its east coast. That's the sixth one this week. And this morning Defense Secretary Robert Gates is revealing whether more U.S. troops are headed to the region. We are live from the Pentagon with a report.

There are new questions about President Obama's Supreme Court nominee. Pro-choice and pro-life groups are demanding to know where Sonia Sotomayor stands on abortion rights. The White House says the president never asked her. We'll explore whether the future of Roe v. Wade could hang in the balance.

And General Motors – on the brink of bankruptcy. Despite getting more than 19-billion of your tax dollars. So what does it all mean for you, Detroit, and the nation? We'll get some insights from somebody who knows.

South Korean soldiers look at the North Korean side as they visit an observation post in Paju near the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas on May 27, 2009. Getty Images

Good morning everyone. We have breaking news this morning: A serious jolt to the caribbean. A powerful 7.1 earthquake hit off the coast of Honduras within the past two hours. A tsunami watch was issued for Honduras, Belize and Guatemala. That watch has since been cancelled. So far there have been no reports of any damage or injuries.

There are several other big stories we'll be breaking down in the next 15 minutes. Including, a big thumbs-up for the U.S. economy. President Obama declaring the country is back from the brink of economic disaster... and Americans are calmer and more confident about the future. We'll break down what the economic booster shot could mean for your money and your future.

And this morning, an exclusive report into the questions that run through our minds when we fly. How competent is the crew? Are they trained to deal with an emergency? This morning we uncover so-called "pilot mills" and how getting "a quick ticket to the cockpit" is putting your safety at risk.

We're also following developing news overseas. U.S. and South Korean militaries are on heightened alert this morning. U.S. officials telling CNN the North appears to be preparing to restart generators at a nuclear plant used to make bomb-grade plutonium. All this playing out as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton uses strong language to warn the communist regime it will face consequence

Pakistani policemen and rescuers search for victims in the rubble of a destroyed police building following a suicide car bomb attack in Lahore on May 27, 2009. Getty Images.

Here are the big stories on the agenda today.

• Breaking now… North Korea upping the ante this morning, threatening war – after South Korea joined a U.S. effort to limit WMD trafficking.  There are also reports that U.S. spy satellites have detected signs the north has restarted its main nuclear facility.
• Breaking out of Pakistan: gunmen targeting police in a ruthless attack. At least 23 people are dead after an apparent suicide blast in the northeastern city of Lahore.  Officials say the attack was well-coordinated, and reduced a police building with hundreds inside to rubble.  Over 250 people are also said to be wounded
• President Obama is using a west-coast fund-raising tour to sing the praises of his Supreme Court Nominee, Federal Appeals Judge Sonia Sotomayor.  He was in Vegas last night and is heading to Los Angeles, today.  The president's pushing for quick approval in the Senate, but Republicans are saying, not so fast.  Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell is calling for a vigorous confirmation process.  We’ll ask the leading Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee what he will ask the judge – first.
• From elation to isolation in matter of months. The same-sex marriage roller coaster continues in California.  The state’s highest court has upheld a ban on same-sex marriage, but the fight is far from over.  Opponents of the ruling say it only makes them more determined.  Protests lasted all through the night.  They are promising to put “prop 8” back on the ballot next year.

South Koreans burn a mockup of a North Korean missile during a rally on May 25, 2009 in Seoul, South Korea. Getty Images

Here are the big stories on the agenda today:

• North Korea has reportedly test-fired a new round of missiles overnight.  The launches coming after Monday’s apparent underground nuclear test.  The move rattled nerves around the world and provoked a stern warning from President Obama.  Our pentagon team's been up through the night working their sources, and our own Christiane Amanpour, who’s been inside North Korea and seen its nuclear program firsthand will join us live with her unique insight.
• Home at last.  A teenage cancer patient and his mother return to Minnesota after a week on the run from court-ordered chemotherapy treatments. This morning we're hearing from both of them and looking at what's next legally and medically.
• The daughter of former undisputed Heavyweight Champ Mike Tyson is on life-support, after a freak accident at her home in Phoenix.  Authorities say four-year-old Exodus Tyson was playing around on a treadmill when she apparently got a cord wrapped around her neck.  She was found by her seven-year-old brother.  Tyson was in Las Vegas at the time.
• In just a few hours the California Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether to overturn controversial Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriages in that state.  If the justices uphold the ban, they will also have to decide whether to dissolve the marriages of 18-thousand same-sex couples who wed before the November 4th election.