Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Afghans Launch Anti-U.S. Protests; Massacre Suspect's Family Moved; President Obama Responds to Critics on Gas Prices; High Gas Prices are Hot Topic on the Trail; March Madness Tuesday; "Most Troubled Base in the Military"; More Americans Now Work 2 to 3 Jobs; Grit and Bear It
Aired March 13, 2012 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Soledad. Thank you.
I am Carol Costello. Just ahead in the NEWSROOM, Afghan government officials come under fire as they visit the site of Sunday's massacre. This as the Taliban issues a fresh warning. It will take revenge by killing and beheading Americans anywhere in the country.
Republicans battle for the Deep South. Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are neck in neck as voters go to the polls in Alabama and Mississippi today. A total of 84 delegates are up for grabs. And Democrats can cross over to vote.
And President Obama gets grilled on gas prices.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREG WARMOTH, WFTV REPORTER: Two-thirds of Americans today said that they don't feel as though you're doing enough to control gas prices.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So what did the president say? We'll hear his response.
And former "News of the World" editor Rebecca Brooks is arrested a second time. British Police arrested the former aid to media giant Rupert Murdoch and five other people. It stems from the alleged phone hacking scandal that now closed the newspaper.
We begin this hour, though, in depth in Afghanistan and a reality check on the safety of American troops there. Anti-American protests are boiling up again this morning two days after a killing spree. The Taliban now vowing to avenge the killings by beheading Americans anywhere in the country.
The suspect in the attack, a U.S. Army sergeant, has been moved to a safer confinement area in Kandahar. A few hours ago Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in the region. He'll try to shore up the strained relationship between the two allies as it threatens to unravel. Also this morning, insurgents opened fire on a delegation of Afghan government officials as they visited the site of the massacre. At least one brother of President Karzai was among the group. He is safe. A soldier and a civilian were wounded, though.
We are covering this story from all angles so let's begin with the new threat against Americans. Sara Sidner is in the Afghan capital of Kabul.
So, Sara, is this anti-American anger isolated or are you seeing it build?
SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we're seeing is just one protest in Jalalabad which is in eastern Afghanistan, pretty far away from the Kandahar province which is in southern Afghanistan. But we -- what we saw this morning was somewhere between 400 to 500 people out in the streets. We understand from officials that many of those who were chanting down with America and down with Obama were university students who gathered.
They were peaceful protests. There were no damages to any of the buildings there or anything like that. They did manage to close the road, a very important route between Jalalabad and Kabul. And authorities have been working to reopen that road.
But I want to talk a little bit about what has happened in the villages where the massacre happened with an alleged U.S. soldier going on a shooting rampage killing 16 people. We are told from a council member there, a provincial council member, that as they were at a funeral and that included some very high-level Afghan officials including the brother of Hamid Karzai, President Karzai, that suddenly there was some small arms fire and then a rocket propelled grenades.
They could hear the blasts going off. There were several people injured. At this point in time we're told that the people who were injured were all Afghan soldiers. And so a very scary scene there. They're at a funeral and then this happens and then you have the Taliban. This morning I got an e-mail from the Taliban saying that they were, for revenge, planning to behead any Americans who are in the country -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Sara, you know, how seriously is the U.S. military taking this threat, to behead any American?
SIDNER: Well, they're certainly taking it seriously enough to heighten security at several of their bases. Obviously some of the soft targets I'm sure security has been heightened there as well. Everyone knows that the Taliban has the capability of pulling off something like this but often times the bases are so well guarded these things will happen to people like aid workers.
So I'm sure that also groups like UNICEF, groups in the country like UNHCR, very, very worried about protecting those people who are trying to be on the ground and trying to make things better for the people here of Afghanistan. But yes, there's a lot of concern among folks that this is a threat that could be carried out and people are taking it quite seriously -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Sara Sidner live in Afghanistan for us.
The military still has not identified the U.S. soldier accused in the killings but we have been able to fill in some of the blanks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): Military sources tell us he's in his mid- 30s with a wife and children. He's an infantry sniper, trained to fire fatal shots from up to 800 meters away. We've also learned the suspect had suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2010 during his third and final deployment in Iraq. He was treated for the trauma, cleared for duty, and deployed to Afghanistan in January.
His medical history is now part of the investigation which is being handled by the U.S. military. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says the suspect could face the death penalty if he is found guilty.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Let's take a closer look now at the suspect. Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon working her sources.
Barbara, I understand there are some new concerns about this soldier's family in the United States. What can you tell us about that?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, U.S. officials are confirming to us that over the weekend his wife and children were moved onto the base, onto the Lewis-McChord military base in Washington state. They apparently lived off base, moved there for their own protection in case they were to face any harassment from the community or any unpleasantness.
Obviously this has to be just terrible for them. His name has not come to light yet. That is expected to be made public by the military once there are charges. Then we are likely to learn this man's name. Some of the other things on the table right now, a decision about whether or not to move him back to the United States for prosecution. He's currently at the Kandahar detention facility in southern Afghanistan.
They will have to decide if they want to move him back to the states for any potential further detention or potential trial, of course, so all of these things are on the table even, as Sara reported, there is growing concern to make sure everything is being done that needs to be done to keep U.S. troops safe -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And, Barbara, I know you're continuing to work your sources. We'll get back to you on the 10:00 a.m. Eastern hour of NEWSROOM. Thank you, Barbara. President Obama says the shootings have made him even more determined to get U.S. troops out of Afghanistan. And the White House could speed up that withdrawal now set to be completed by the end of 2014. "The New York Times" is reporting the administration may bring home nearly half the 90,000 troops by early next year. The move had been considered for weeks but gained new urgencies -- new urgency, rather, after Sunday's attacks and recent Afghan outrage of the U.S. burning of Qurans.
President Obama says no decision has been made and he is warning against, quote, "a rush for the exits."
At the bottom of the hour we'll talk to a reporter from "Stars and Stripes." She will explain why the newspaper is calling the soldier's home station in Washington state the most troubled base in the military.
Have you been outside yet? The first official day of spring is only one week away but, boy, is it warm outside. Temperatures are expected to be 20 to 30 degrees warmer than normal this week and that's all over the country. The people who run the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington think the trees may bloom weeks earlier this year in mid March instead of early April.
Record high temperatures have been set in many states. Expect that trend to continue for several days. Many areas in the south will even see highs in the 80s.
You might have a hard time finding Tide detergent. With retail prices rising, Tide is becoming liquid gold. People actually stealing it off the shelves so they can resell it and make a few bucks. Tide is typically -- you know, it typically costs $10 to $20. At least one person has already been cashing in in this black market for Tide.
Minnesota police say a man stole more than $25,000 worth of the stuff. Some national retailers like CVS are even thinking about special security to make sure Tide detergent isn't taken off the shelves illegally.
Skyrocketing gas prices are giving Republicans a wedge against the president but can he really do anything about affecting those prices? We're going to talk about that next.
And you still have time to join our March Madness bracket challenge. Need help filling out your sheet? We have it coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The latest polls show Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich neck in neck going into today's Mississippi and Alabama primaries. An American Research poll shows Romney up by two percentage points in Mississippi. That is within the margin of error. The same polling firm found similar results in Alabama. Another statistical dead heat for Gingrich and Romney. Rising gas prices are having an impact on the White House race. GOP candidates charged the president with not doing enough to keep prices low. The president responded to his critics in an interview with our Orlando affiliate WFTV.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WARMOTH: Two-thirds of Americans today said that they don't feel as though you're doing enough to control gas prices. It's huge for the economy.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, look, the -- as long as gas prices are going up, people are going to feel like I'm not doing enough and I understand that because people get hurt when they're going to the gas station and seeing those prices rise every day.
WARMOTH: Your opponents say that they can get gas prices down in the $2, $2.50 range. What do you think Americans should be OK with?
OBAMA: Well, first of all, nobody believes that. They know they're -- you know, that's just politics. Our oil production --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Let's bring in our political director, Mark Preston. So President Obama is offering interviews to local television stations across the country. They're all asking him about gas prices and you heard his answer, not the greatest answer. I don't see many people out there feeling better about paying higher gas prices after listening to the president.
MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: No, certainly not. But this is what you call a pocketbook issue. It's something that's going to affect everybody whether it's middle income, lower income, or even the folks who are making over $200,000.
You know what's interesting about this is that this has become such a major issue at this time in the campaign. And in fact, what we're seeing from polling just out yesterday from the "Washington Post" shows that nearly 2/3 of all Americans disapprove of how President Obama is handling the gas price issue. So clearly, as it always is, energy is going to be a big issue heading to November.
COSTELLO: Unless gas prices suddenly go down by November, which I guess they could by a little bit, right?
PRESTON: Yes, they could, but doubtful given all the unrest that we see in the Middle East right now, what's going happen with Iran and all that. And I'm sure Christine and others can talk more about that. But the fact of the matter is, when you have all of these problems in the Middle East how can gas prices go down?
COSTELLO: OK. Well, that's the question we wanted to ask this morning. How can gas prices go down? Our money -- our money guru, Christine Romans, is here to break down the plans by each candidate because each of them has a plan. And I don't know about President Obama.
Does he have a plan, Christine?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, no. I mean he says his plan is long term and it's an all-of-the-above approach. I mean one of the criticisms from the White House is that the GOP keeps talking about drill more, drill more, drill more, or just approve the Keystone XL Pipeline.
And the president and his team have been saying, look, you've got to do a lot of different things. And it takes a lot of time to diversify the American economy. Just yesterday the president gave an update on his energy plan saying that we have -- the more domestic oil production in this country than any other time over the past 10 years, Carol, and a record amount of natural gas production.
Well, the industry says that's because of the previous administration, not his. You know, the president's approval rating has been slipping. And it goes hand in hand with these gas prices. I mean this is a CBS/"New York Times" poll that shows 47 percent disapprove of the president. The same poll recently had his approval rating at 50 percent and many say it's because of gas prices.
Now Newt Gingrich is the one on the campaign trail saying $2.50 gas. Vote for me it's $2.50 gas. The president has said, come on, that's phony. He says it's phony to go on the campaign trail and promise lower gas prices. But Newt Gingrich wants more domestic drilling and he wants to develop oil shale reserves.
Mitt Romney also wants more domestic drilling. He also has talked about nuclear power and funding more money for alternative energy research. And Rick Santorum, he also says more domestic drilling, more oil shale refinery -- refining and he says he would approve the Keystone Pipeline on the first day of his presidency but, Carol, the bottom line here --
COSTELLO: Christine, come on. I mean, you can talk about more domestic oil drilling all you want to. But that's going to take some time. That's not going to make gas prices go down in the short term.
ROMANS: Carol, it's an election year. Look, you have Gingrich on the campaign trailing calling him President Algae and saying that, you know, he's beholden to radical environmentalist interests and that he doesn't -- you know, look, this is all campaign election nearing. The president can talk about that in those local television interviews.
But the gas prices, as Mark Preston says, pocketbook issue. They feel it every week. People are looking for somebody to blame.
The White House here has to figure out how not to be the one they're blaming about it. It is right now about Iran and the Middle East. So, how the president deals with that actually may very well affect the price of gas.
COSTELLO: So let's ask Mark Preston this question. So, Newt Gingrich seems to be resonating with people when he says, you know, hey, I can get gas prices down to $2.50 a gallon. And even if he really can't in the short term, that message is still resonating. So, what are the rest of these candidates do?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, I mean, look, it all comes down to slogan, slogans, slogans. That's what wins you elections. And that's when you say, I'm going to get your gas down to $2.50, people say, "I'm on that" -- just like Herman Cain when he said 9-9-9, when nobody understood what 9-9-9 meant, said we're on board until they started to pick that apart.
I mean, look, you and Christine are absolutely right when it comes down to this. You might disagree with the president's energy policy, you might think it's wrong, the Republicans might have better idea, but it's disingenuous to say I'm going to get your gas down to $2.50 certainly this year. Not going to happen.
COSTELLO: We'll see how many votes Newt Gingrich gets, right, because that's resonating in the South, especially, because they drive everywhere in the South. They like their cars.
Mark Preston, Christine Romans -- thank you so much.
Two of the world's most powerful leaders know all work and no play is no fun. They're finding some time for a little March Madness.
Plus, at the bottom of the hour, a closer look at the massacre in Afghanistan and the home base of the accused soldier. A reporter from "Stars and Stripes," a military newspaper, will explain why it's called the most troubled base in the military.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: As we all know, NCAA March Madness has arrived in the United States. Even a couple of world leaders have a date for a game.
Zain Verjee joins us from London with details.
Apparently, the British prime minister will be partaking in our March Madness.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: He will. He's very happy about it, darling. The British Prime Minister David Cameron will be having a good time during March Madness. He's going to be seeing a game with President Obama in Dayton, Ohio.
He'll be having a little more fun and games than usual, Carol. He'll be taking a trip on Air Force One, which is pretty rare.
You remember this video when he and the president previously played ping pong with each other. By the way, the British prime minister sucked. Obama just beat him.
COSTELLO: I don't know about bragging rights. Hey, I beat him at ping pong.
(LAUGHTER)
VERJEE: No, it isn't. But, you know, under all of this, you know, warm and fuzzy stuff, some really serious issues that they need to be talking about.
You know, first of all, Afghanistan, front and center and politics right now. And both these countries have the most troops in Afghanistan. And they're going to be talking about the pullout. Also you can't talk about Afghanistan without talking about Pakistan.
Syria is also a country that's on the front burner. They're going to need to figure out what to do with Syria and how to help the opposition. So some really critical issues.
They do have a professional relationship. They do have a little chemistry and a personal relationship, too. But it's a serious and they like to call it special alliance -- Carol.
COSTELLO: They do. Zain Verjee, live in London for us.
If you haven't filled out your bracket yet, we understand. You want to win. You can't figure out how to dominate March Madness madness. We get it. And we have help this morning.
College basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy of KenPom.com joins us via Skype from Salt Lake City.
Ken, welcome.
KEN POMEROY, COLLEGE BASKETBALL ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Hey, first off. Why do we stress over this, filling out our rackets?
POMEROY: Well, I think we just want to prove our superiority over our co-workers and it's a stressful time trying to predict things that are very difficult to predict.
COSTELLO: Exactly. That should make it fun though, but I'm very competitive myself so I understand.
So, you say efficiency plays into picking the teams that win. What do you mean by that?
POMEROY: Yes. You want to pick teams that are good at scoring and are good at preventing scores. Both of those things are very important in basketball. And those are the kind of things I look at on my Web site, how well does a team score the basketball every time they have it and how well do they prevent scores every time they have it. Teams that do that will go pretty far.
COSTELLO: So, I've also heard the point differential matters a lot. If teams win by a lot, they're a good pick.
POMEROY: Yes. Exactly. Teams that build up big scoring margins, typically they're immune to those controversial officiating calls that tend to happen in basketball.
Your teams like Kentucky, Ohio States, they'll build up pretty large margins. So, the bad calls go against them. If teams make lucky shots against them, they're still kind of bullet proof of these kinds of events.
COSTELLO: I've also heard that teams who wear blue uniforms tend to win more.
POMEROY: I think there might be something to that if you're a Kentucky fan. Not sure about that rule in general. I might stay away from that one, Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, there are some wacky things that sort of enter into the picture when you look at the winning teams over time, aren't there?
POMEROY: Yes. Absolutely.
You know, last year's probably fresh in people's mind. You look at teams like VCU and Butler, they that made the Final Four. They were both pretty lowly seated. They were not highly thought of heading into the tournament. They did things that they hadn't done all season.
And those kinds of things happen. That's why your bracket ends up looking like mess in the first weekend.
COSTELLO: OK. So, if you want to pick a Cinderella team, and people do, that's when you're like scoring the big points and win, so what's the best Cinderella team to pick this year?
POMEROY: I'll give you a couple, Carol.
Wichita State is pretty good. They don't have a lot of name recognition. They'll have to play Kentucky in the sweet 16. So, a lot of people will shy away from them, but very good, balanced team.
I'd also throw Memphis out there as a team that could surprise some people. They're team that got seated eighth in the tournament, suggesting they're the 30th best team in the country. They're probably about the tenth or twelfth team. So, that's a team that can do some damage as well.
COSTELLO: OK. I'm going to put you on the spot. Who do you like to reach the Final Four?
POMEROY: I'm going to go with Kentucky, Ohio State, Kansas, and let's go with Missouri as well.
COSTELLO: That would be the Ohio State. That is my pick to win it all.
Do you think the Ohio State can do that?
POMEROY: I like it, Carol. I like your pick, yes. The Ohio State -- they're, A, a very good team and, B, most of your friends are going to pick either Kentucky or North Carolina. But Ohio State has pretty similar chances to win it as the other two teams.
I think if you want a different pick, a way to distinguish yourself from other people in your bracket pool, I think Ohio State is a great pick.
COSTELLO: I feel good about myself now.
Ken Pomeroy, thank you so much. We appreciate it.
POMEROY: Thanks a lot, Carol. Go Buckeyes.
COSTELLO: Go Buckeyes. I love Brutus Buckeye. He's cute.
You have until tonight's halftime of tonight's Western Kentucky- Mississippi Valley State game to get in our March Madness bracket challenge. Head to CNN.com/brackets. And join the CNN group. See if you can pick the games better than any of us.
In just about five minutes from now, troubling new questions about the home base of a soldier accused of murdering Afghan civilians. A reporter from "Stars and Stripes," a military newspaper, will explain why that base is called the most troubled base in the military.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: On Wall Street, stocks are riding a four day winning streak.
Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange.
So, will it be number five today, Alison?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It very well is looking that way, that at least it could start that way. The bulls are revving up. We're about 40 seconds before the opening bell rings.
Dow futures right now are pointing about 60 points higher. And, you know, this recent stock run-up that you've seen is happening because there have been several generally upbeat reports on the economy. For one, that jobs report last week. It showed solid gains, and then this morning we got retail sales numbers for February showing a pretty good gain there as well.
Now, Wall Street is going to be looking to the Fed to acknowledge that there are improving parts of the economy. Policymakers are holding their meeting today. Interest rates are expected to stay at historic lows.
But investors really want to see what the Fed says about the economy, if the Fed is more confident and if it's going to be considering any new stimulus measures.
Also, looking to help stocks today. The E.U. signed off on Greece's second bailout. That's at $170 billion bailout. Yes, it keeps Greece from defaulting at least for now.
Once again, looks like we're starting off in the green. The Dow up 21 points, just about a few seconds into the day of trading -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right. We'll check back with you next hour. Thank you, Alison.
Checking our top stories now:
Republicans battle for the Deep South. Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are neck in neck as voters go to the polls in Alabama and Mississippi today. Total of 84 delegates up for grabs. Democrats can cross over to vote.
President Obama gets grilled on gas prices.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WARMOTH: Two-thirds of Americans today said they don't feel as though you're doing enough to control gas prices. It's huge for the Florida economy.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's one of the reasons we passed the payroll tax cut at the beginning of the year, so that people would have more money in their paychecks, more money in their pockets to help absorb potential high prices of gas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Afghan government officials come under fire as they visit the site of Sunday's massacre. This as the Taliban issues a fresh warning it will take revenge by killing and beheading Americans anywhere in the country.
The U.S. soldier accused of the massacre was stationed in Washington state and Joint Base Lewis-McChord has a bad reputation. It's seen a troubling spike in suicides and four soldiers from there are linked to the thrill killing of Afghans in 2010. It's been called a rogue base.
And "Stars and Stripes," the military newspaper, calls it the most troubled base in the military.
Megan McCloskey is the national reporter for "Stars and Stripes." She joins us from Washington.
Megan, thank you for being with us this morning.
MEGAN MCCLOSKEY, NATIONAL REPORTER, STAR AND STRIPES: Thank you for having me. Happy to be here.
COSTELLO: Thanks so much.
Because we're just trying to understand how this soldier could do something so horrible. Many people are blaming the base from which he came, which is in Washington state. Is that a fair characterization?
MCCLOSKEY: Well, it's very early at this point. Details are scarce on who this soldier is and what his background was. We only know that he was on his fourth deployment. That means he had been stationed at quite a few bases over his career. But, you know, he did come from Lewis-McChord, his latest base, and that is a base that has struggled in the last few years.
COSTELLO: Why has it struggled?
MCCLOSKEY: You know, there seems to be an issue at their hospital with caring for soldiers, specifically in terms of mental health disorders. Recently, their commander has been suspended while there's an investigation into how they handled nearly 300 cases of post-traumatic stress disorder.
There was a memo that circulated saying that any soldier who was going to have post-traumatic stress disorder would cost the government millions of dollars over the course of treatment and that they need to be good stewards of the taxpayers' dollars. So, now, they're looking into whether or not soldiers who deserved post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis didn't get it.
In addition, they did just prosecute about a dozen soldiers who were involved in those thrill killings as you said earlier. Just as they wrapped that up, now they have another soldier who has committed civilian atrocities.
COSTELLO: I thought there were steps being taken to solve some of these problems at this base. What can you tell us about those steps?
MCCLOSKEY: Well, they have started with the investigations. There had been a few years ago, investigation into how National Guard soldiers were treated when they came through the base. And as a result of that, there was some change in leadership and some new policies were put in place. But now, it seems that the active duty soldiers are also struggling.
Recently, the commanders have started holding town hall meetings for the base so soldiers and their families can come forward and have their voices heard. But at this point, it's probably too early to tell if these measures have been successful.
COSTELLO: You write for a military newspaper, so you talk to military people all the time. When they heard about this horrible thing that happened in Afghanistan and they found out that this soldier, three tours in Iraq, on his fourth tour in Afghanistan -- is there a sense that we're forcing our military people to do too much?
MCCLOSKEY: I think there is a sense that the force is fatigued, that individual soldiers are stressed.
Now, it's not to say that all of the military is, but there are individuals who are struggling. The suicide rates are up, post- traumatic stress disorder. There's a breakdown of the family. We have high divorce rates. We've had increased domestic abuse and other crimes, substance abuse.
So there is a significant portion of our force who is struggling. It's not to say that everybody is. But soldiers and Marines and other service members, they're tired.
COSTELLO: Yes. And I guess the biggest question is what do you do about it?
MCCLOSKEY: Well, that is the question. They're trying to increase what they call dwell time, which is the amount of time that service members get at home with their families before they're deployed, with the drawdown of the Iraq war and as we wind down in Afghanistan that will become much more possible. So, folks who have deployed three, four, five times in the last 10 years will start to get some time at home.
COSTELLO: We hope so.
Megan McCloskey from "Star and Stripes" -- thank you for being with us this morning.
MCCLOSKEY: Thank you for having me.
COSTELLO: Still ahead on NEWSROOM, flood warnings in effect for parts of Louisiana. We'll take you across country.
And we know who got the final rose. Ben on ABC's "The Bachelor" chose his bride on the season finale. The winner took the rose. But did she say yes?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Ah, thank goodness, the wait is over for fans of the ABC series "The Bachelor." Ben's search for his soul mate has finally ended and the winner is?
We'll leave that to A.J. Hammer.
Hi.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Hey, Carol. I didn't know you were so excited about this.
Listen, it is no surprise to fans of the show that Courtney Robertson took the ring from fluffy hair Bachelor Ben. The rest of the female cast, they didn't seem to like her very much. There were a lot of viewers who weren't fans of her behavior.
But Courtney -- make no mistake about it -- she has been the star of the season, with her special love for breaking the rules. Her seeming inability to keep her clothes on, and for staging a mock wedding on a date with the bachelor a few episodes ago. The happy couple ended the finale with promises of love and a future together.
But the tabloids have them splitting up in real life with Bachelor Ben already looking for love with other ladies.
And, Carol, I know you, like me, must be shocked, shocked that a relationship created by reality TV may not, in fact, pan out.
COSTELLO: I know. That tears me up inside. It really does. It does.
Hey, let's talk about a happier union. Dick Van Dyke. Talk about your May-December romances.
HAMMER: No kidding. And his newly wed, they didn't meet on a reality show. It's very nice to see this.
The legendary Dick Van Dyke married a makeup artist named Arlene Silver. They got married in a small ceremony at a chapel in Malibu. They met six years ago at the 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards when she did his makeup.
This is Van Dyke's second marriage. He was married for 36 years. He also spent 30 years with a girlfriend.
So, Carol, I think it's safe to say he's not afraid of commitment. We, of course, congratulate the happy couple and assume that this relationship will outlast the ones made during most seasons on "The Bachelor."
COSTELLO: I hope so, because Dick Van Dyke seems like a great guy. He just does.
HAMMER: A classic.
COSTELLO: A.J., thank you.
A.J. will be back with us in the next hour for more showbiz headlines.
Coming up: a best selling book is set to be a blockbuster on the big screen. It premiered in theaters last night. Tell you how it went.
And brakes on a plane can be just as important as the engines. We'll explain what happened to this Delta jet.
Plus, more people are hustling multiple jobs to stay ahead. L.Z. Granderson tells us why he thinks jobs or getting a job or how many jobs you have, all of that's changed forever.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Checking stories cross-country now.
Louisiana is getting a bit of a break today after record flooding. More than a foot of rain fell in several parishes in a short amount of time causing flash floods. Boats and air boats were used to rescue many stranded in their homes and cars. Roads in Lafayette were covered in eight feet of water.
Closing arguments begin today in the Rutgers roommate spying trial. The former Rutgers student is accused of spying on his gay roommate, Tyler Clementi, who later committed suicide. Dharun Ravi faces 15 counts in connection with that death.
Live pictures of a Delta plane that rolled off a taxi way at Atlanta's airport early this morning. The planes engines were being tested when there was a problem with the plane's brakes. Luckily, there were no passengers onboard that airplane.
Tough times are forcing many people to reinvent how they work. Others are frying to find work or hold onto the jobs. For some, that means taking on extra duties for the same amount of money. For others it means working two or three jobs to make just to make ends meet.
L.Z. Granderson writes about this growing trend. And I know L.Z. you have friends with two and three jobs. I do, too. But you say this could be the new norm.
L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN.COM CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, absolutely. I think that what we're seeing because of technology, so many professions are disappearing in such a much more rapid pace that it's almost like this form of economic cannibalism where the most viable job industry would be technology but good technology is actually kind of eliminate professions of jobs.
COSTELLO: So what should we be doing about this? I mean, instead let's say, for example, you're a journalist and we know that many jobs in the field of journalism have been eliminated and probably won't ever come back.
GRANDERSON: Absolutely. I mean, newspapers are the fastest or the industry that's shrinking the most out of every other industry in this country. So there are a lot of journalists who are remaking themselves. You know we're going to the other side of becoming publicists, some of us are becoming grant writers, some of us are becoming speech writers. We're learning how to use the skills that we have as professionals to work outside of the profession we thought we're always going to be in.
And I think this is very important especially for high schoolers and college students to be thinking about. You know you can certainly target yourself for a career, but it's also important to have skills that are easily transferable to other jobs because you may not end up with a 9-to-5.
COSTELLO: Well see, it's interesting you say that because when I talk to college students, and I do a lot, they want a good old- fashioned job in journalism. They don't realize that those jobs are even fewer, you know, the number of jobs in the field of journalism are even fewer than they were before.
GRANDERSON: Right.
COSTELLO: But I mean, a part of me thinks because young people still want those kinds of jobs, those kinds of jobs will always be around.
GRANDERSON: Well, they will always be around but just not in the same numbers that we have grown accustomed to. And I think it's important that as you do talk to journalism students, and I -- I as well, I let them know, you know, two and three of the papers that I worked at, they don't exist anymore, not in the same way. They've been greatly downsized or they've been forced to move locations and they kind of have shrunken in terms of page counts. And so you have to learn how to do other things.
You know when I look at my career, you know, I work for two different companies. I work for you guys, for CNN. I also work for ESPN. I also do speeches on the side. I'm hustling, baby. I'm trying to make ends meet just like everybody else.
COSTELLO: The other interesting thing that you find when you talk to college students is they want their own thing. They don't want to work for any person. They want to develop their own company, their own small business. They don't say I dream of working here or there anymore. They don't say that.
GRANDERSON: Well, I think that's really smart. We have to learn how to be job creators of one. And we used to be that in this country before we got so industrialized. You know we became a lot, we were a lot more self-sufficient. And I just think that technology is requiring us to be that creative again.
The recession is slowly coming back. We've added another 200,000-plus jobs for the third straight month. That's all fantastic. But if you look at the wages of some of these jobs, what you're finding are people still not making as much as much as we used to. And you need to find other ways to supplement your income.
For some people it's fixing cars on the weekends on the side, for some it's fixing hair in your kitchen for some of the people in your neighborhood, or cutting hairs on the front porch, doing whatever you need to do to help make ends meet. I think that is the new norm and I think the numbers are all suggesting that.
COSTELLO: I don't -- I don't know, it's kind of depressing, but in another way if you look at it --
GRANDERSON: No. No. Don't think of it as depressing. But just think of it as a new era in this country's job history. You know, we used to work based upon when the sun was up and when the sun came down and things like that.
So it's just a progression in our rich history in this country.
COSTELLO: I know and we all should embrace change and find a way to love it. L.Z. Granderson, thanks for being with us today.
GRANDERSON: Yes, absolutely.
COSTELLO: You can always read what L.Z. has to say just log on to CNN.com/opinion. Another suitor steps up in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes. Reports say a third team has held talks with the NFL's most sought after free agent. That story is in sports and that's eight minutes away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Stories we're working on later today in the CNN Newsroom.
At noon Eastern, Senator Jack Reid and Representative Joe Courtney will deliver 130,000 letters to Capitol Hill. They're asking Congress to stop student loan interest rates from rising.
Then at 6:40 p.m. Eastern, President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron will be in Ohio to watch Mississippi Valley State take on Western Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
And voters in Mississippi and Alabama have until 8:00 Eastern tonight to choose a Republican presidential candidate. CNN will have live coverage for you of all the primary results.
We're following a lot of developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with Sara Sidner.
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know as rocket propelled grenades and gun fire after -- the funeral is underway in the village where a massacre happened on Sunday allegedly committed by a U.S. soldier and we're also hearing from the Taliban who is saying it will seek revenge by beheading any American in Afghanistan. We'll have an update coming up at the top of the hour.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange. Do you still have money fitting in your flexible spending account? If you do, if you don't, rather, use it this week, you're going to lose it. I'm going to have details on the deadline and how to spend down your account quickly.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLTICAL EDITOR: I'm Paul Steinhauser outside a polling station in Gardendale, Alabama. As you just mentioned, it's primary day here in Alabama and in neighboring Mississippi. I'll tell you what's at stake for the Republican presidential candidates at the top of the hour.
COSTELLO: All right, thanks to all of you.
And if you're using social media to network for that next job or connect with a former colleague, you might want to think twice about the information you're posting. Mario Armstrong tells us how to protect that information. That's coming up just around 10:45 Eastern.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Tiger Woods' injury may not be as bad as first thought. Tiger withdrew from the Doral following the 11th hole on Sunday. He could be seen favoring his left leg after hitting that approach shot. See him there?
Yesterday he tweeted his doctor told him the injury was just a mild strain of his left Achilles. Tiger said he is been cleared to hit balls later in the week and he's hoping to play ball -- he's actually hoping to play Bay Hill which starts a week from Thursday. That's the last tournament before the Masters.
The NFL free agent period starts this afternoon but don't expect a Peyton Manning deal by the end of the day. ESPN is reporting Manning held talks with the Miami Dolphins coach and Indianapolis last. Manning reportedly will also meet with the Tennessee Titans today or tomorrow. Manning met over the weekend with the Broncos and the Cardinals.
Manning as you know was released by the Colts last week. He may be the most highly prized NFL free agent of all time. I bet he goes to Miami, don't you?
The NCAA tournament kicks off tonight; four teams vying to join the field of 64. In the first game, Western Kentucky plays Mississippi Valley State. BYU takes on Iona in number two. And you can watch tonight's game on our sister network, TruTV.
And you have until halftime of tonight's first game to get in our March Madness Bracket Challenge. Head to cnn.com/brackets. Join in the fun. See if you can pick the games better than any of us.
It is being called the great grit battle of the 2012 Republican presidential campaign. Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yankee candidates down south, feel like they have to grit and bear it.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I like grits.
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I understand grits.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is a grit, anyways?
MOOS: Grits are what some call the latest primary after Mitt Romney fell into a steaming pot of grits.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Creamy, perfect grits.
MOOS: All Governor Romney did was try to joke around about grits.
ROMNEY: I'm learning to say y'all and -- I like grits and the things are -- strange things are happening to me.
MOOS: If you think that's cheesy, it got cheesier.
ROMNEY: Morning, y'all. Good to be with you. I got started right this morning with a biscuit and some cheesy grits, I'll tell you.
MOOS: Then Newt Gingrich started to stir the pot.
GINGRICH: Unlike one of my competitors, I have had grits before.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stir it continuously.
GINGRICH: As a Georgian, I understand grits. I even understand cheese grits. I even understand shrimp and grits. How's that?
MOOS: Once the grits were bubbling hot --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Add a few dashes of hot sauce.
GINGRICH: If you don't understand grits, there's a pretty high likelihood you don't understand the rest of the south either.
MOOS: For those that don't understand grits, they basically consist of ground corn.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I always like butter on mine or gravy, sometimes tomatoes.
MOOS: You say tomato, I say tomato. And if you never tasted grits, the author of "Gone with the Grits" cookbook says --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You'll learn to love them.
MOOS: Better learn fast before the Southern primaries are over. Cousin Vinny came south and after only one serving of grits he was able to use what he learned to cook his adversary on the witness stand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How could it take you five minutes to cook your grits when it takes the entire grit-eating world 20 minutes?
MOOS: Now Newt is trying to trap Mitt with his grittiness.
GINGRICH: With shrimp, with cheese, with gravy -- I get it.
MOOS: And Mitt, next time Newt mocks you about grits, just tell him what Flo the waitress told her boss from the TV show "Alice".
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kiss my grits.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN --
ROMNEY: I got it sort of right this morning with a biscuit and some cheesy grits. I'll tell you.
MOOS: New York.
ROMNEY: Delicious.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
