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Accused Sergeant to Meet Attorney; Zimmerman's History of Calling Police; Illinois Republicans Voting Today; Santorum Says Jobless Rate Doesn't Matter; Bill Seeks More Irish Immigration; Dear Kari: Open Letter to Soldiers; Three-Year-Old Boy Gets Patted Down; Pre-nups not Just for Married Couples; Broncos Close to Signing Manning; Ten-Year-Old Girl Records Ski Jump

Aired March 20, 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: Hi, Soledad. Thank you and good morning to all of you. I'm Carol Costello.

Stories we're watching right now in the NEWSROOM. The soldier accused of killing Afghan civilians could meet with his lawyer again today at Fort Leavenworth as they plan their defense strategy. The attorney says Staff Sergeant Robert Bales wasn't drunk the night of the shootings and cannot remember what happened that night.

Federal prosecutors have the FBI now investigating the death of Trayvon Martin. Some people are outraged the watch captain who shot the unarmed 17-year-old is not facing charges. George Zimmerman said it was in self-defense and police say there is no evidence to refute that.

New outrage over the pat-downs at the airport. It's because of this YouTube video showing a screener patting down a 3-year-old boy in a wheelchair. The boy's father shot the video about two years ago but he's just now sharing it saying he became enraged all over again after coming across it over the weekend.

And on this first day of spring, we're seeing more severe weather. In Oklahoma, it's heavy rain that's causing the problems. Forecasters say flash floods are possible in Oklahoma and surrounding states. And in Texas, a tornado touches down about 30 miles from San Antonio. There are report of damages and injuries and one person remains unaccounted for.

The Denver Broncos are in final contract talks with Peyton Manning. If the Broncos sign the NFL's top free agent quarterback, it will likely mean the end of Tim Tebow's time in the Mile High city. Tebow helped lead the Broncos to the playoffs last season despite poor passing stats.

Now let's go in depth on the case of Staff Sergeant Robert Bales. He'll likely meet with his attorney again today at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Bales' wife has now put out a statement. Carolyn Bales says, quote, "What has been reported is completely out of character of the man I know and admire," end quote. "The victims and their families are all in my prayers as is my husband who I love very much." Another quote. She and her two children have the added stress of moving out of their home in the Tacoma area. The Bales have been having money problems. Their house was put up for a short sale just before the shootings.

Now let's head to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and Ted Rowlands.

Ted, what have you got for us this morning?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Carol.

We are getting a little bit more information through Bales' attorney, John Henry Browne. It's been nine days since the shooting in Afghanistan. After meeting with his client, Browne says that Bales told him that he doesn't remember the actual shooting itself. He says he has memories before and after but doesn't remember exactly that period of time where, of course, 16 innocent Afghanis were gunned down including nine children.

We are at Fort Leavenworth outside and today John Henry Browne is expected to meet with his client again during the day and according to the folks here at the post he'll be back again tomorrow. You mentioned those financial issues that Bales had. We're learning more about that as well.

First of all, he -- you mentioned the issue in Washington with his real estate. He had a condo that he had foreclosed upon and also this house that was put up in a short sale scenario. But also in Ohio before he joined the military, he was with a financial group and they were accused of bilking an Ohio couple out of $1.5 billion. It wasn't a criminal prosecution in the case. However, an arbitration report specifically named Bales and said that he engaged in fraud.

We're also learning about a bizarre incident in 2008 where Bales was behind the wheel of his car, got into an accident, and then scurried into the woods in his army fatigues with blood on his -- on his forehead. We talked to a witness. We tracked down a guy by the name of Mark Bennett. Take a listen to him. He ran into Bales shortly after that accident and this is what he says Bales did immediately after the accident.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK BENNETT, SAW BALES AFTER DWI INCIDENT: We asked him if he needed help. And he was on the cell phone saying something like, man, I really screwed up. Whoever he was talking to. He said, I really screwed up. And we said, well, do you need help? It appeared like he had blood on his face. And he was kind of ignoring us and walking up the hill away from where there would be help. There was a gas station about a third of the mile down the hill. And he's walking up the hill away from a help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: So, Carol, today again the lawyer, John Henry Browne, will be meeting with Bales. Still no charges in the case have been handed down by the military. We still don't know how long he'll be held here at Fort Leavenworth. Whether he'll be moved and whether the trial proceedings as they start up will be at another facility or here -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ted Rowlands reporting live for us from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

In just a few minutes, we're going to talk to a military wife and blogger who's written an open letter to Bales' wife Carolyn. She wants us to know what Carolyn is going to through and she wants Carolyn to know that it isn't her fault.

New developments this morning in the shooting death of an unarmed Florida teenager. The FBI and federal prosecutors have now joined the investigation. Outraged protesters are demanding justice for 17-year- old Trayvon Martin. He was only carrying candy and iced tea when a volunteer watch captain, George Zimmerman, killed him last month.

Zimmerman says it was in self-defense. He has not been charged. Sanford, Florida, police say there is no evidence to refute his story. But Martin's dad told Anderson Cooper, it's racial profiling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRACY MARTIN, TRAYVON'S FATHER: I think it's just a matter of profiling, which I think that's an issue that Mr. Zimmerman himself considers as someone suspicious. A black kid with a hoodie on, jeans, tennis shoes. But as you said, thousands of people wear that outfit every day. So what was so suspicious about Trayvon that Zimmerman felt as though he had to confront him?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Martin's family is petitioning the district attorney's office to prosecute Zimmerman. So far more than half a million people have signed the petition on change.org.

We also have some new insight into George Zimmerman's determination to report crime. He frequently made calls to police to report suspicious activity even when he was not on duty as a volunteer watch captain.

Here's a sample of one of those calls although we don't know exactly what happened as a result of it. But listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, VOLUNTEER WATCH CAPTAIN: Our neighborhood got burglarized or robbed today. And my wife saw one of the kids that did it and we see someone that matches his description in the neighborhood right now again.

UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: And is he white, black or Hispanic?

ZIMMERMAN: Black. He just went between the houses to the back. Shoot. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Since 2001, Zimmerman has made 46 calls to police. We'll have more of those calls and what they could mean. That's coming up in the next hour of NEWSROOM.

Parts of the south on alert this morning for heavy rains and possible flooding.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It hit. It hit. It hit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: This after a tornado touched down in Texas yesterday about 30 miles from San Antonio. Hundreds of calls have poured into local officials about damage and injuries. At least one person remains unaccounted for.

Meteorologist Rob Marciano is tracking all of this strange weather we're having.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And it continues. I'm just being told we have some live pictures out of Divine, Texas, where that tornado touched down. Let's take a look at it. Aerials, I believe, from our affiliate. It's a little bit rough by now because we're just feeding them to you as we get them here into the CNN NEWSROOM. Some damage there. A few injuries as Carol mentioned. One person unaccounted for. But no fatalities at the moment. That rough weather has moved off to the east.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: And severe thunderstorms a threat as this slow moving storm pushes off to the east into, as you know, Carol, record breaking heat for probably the fifth or sixth day in many cities, 80s as far north as Chicago and through Atlanta, and that looks like it's going to hang around. So it's kind -- it's helping certainly feed some of the heat and moisture into this system which is creating some of the severe weather across Texas.

COSTELLO: Well, I know it's hot here in Atlanta. But the pollen count yesterday was 9,000.

MARCIANO: Yes.

COSTELLO: Normally at this time of year it's in the hundreds. Right?

MARCIANO: Right. Even at 6,000, I think, was the old record. So we're off the charts there and that's going to continue for the next couple of days until we knock it down with some of this rainfall. But spring has sprung last night officially but obviously it's been here pretty much since Christmas.

COSTELLO: Yes. It's rain and pollen here. Thank you, Rob.

Voters as you know going to the polls in Illinois right now to pick a Republican presidential candidate. And two of those candidates are now battling over the importance of the unemployment rate.

Paul Steinhauser is in Wheaton, Illinois.

Paul, hello.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Yes, here we go again, Carol. Another Tuesday, another primary day. It seems like deja vu all over again.

As you mentioned, I'm in Wheaton, Illinois, the suburbs of Chicago. Here's the brand new polling in this state. This is from American Research Group. It came out over -- it came out yesterday and was conducted over the weekend. And you can see, according to this public opinion survey, Mitt Romney with a 14-point advantage over Rick Santorum, the former senator from Pennsylvania.

You can see Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker and Ron Paul, the congressman from Texas, further down here. So it's really kind of a -- shaping out to be a two-person race in Illinois. Polls have been opened for about two hours now.

Fifty-four delegates at stake today, Carol, 54 delegates up for grabs. And it's proportional. So not winner-take-all. You don't have to win to grab some of those delegates. And it's an open primary. That means that of course Republicans can vote in this GOP presidential primary but so can independents and so can Democrats.

Carol, this part of the state up here in suburban Chicago, I guess you can say more Romney country, a little bit more of a moderate vote. He is supposed to do well here. Rick Santorum supposed to do well down state, more rural, more conservative voters -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Rick Santorum made news again for something he said although he probably didn't mean it the way people took it.

STEINHAUSER: Yes. And this was a big talker last night. Rick Santorum was talking about the major issues in this contest. And he was talking about health care and then he segued to the economy. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't care what the unemployment rate is going to be. It doesn't matter to me. My campaign doesn't hinge on unemployment rates and growth rates. There's something more foundational that's going on here. We have one nominee who says he wants to run the economy. What kind of conservative says that the president runs the economy? What kind of conservative says, I'm the guy, because of my economic experience that can create jobs?

(END VIDEO CLIP) STEINHAUSER: So the bigger point he was trying to make was it's more than just the economy. Health care, other important issues. But he did have to say, of course, I do care about jobs. I do care about unemployment.

Carol, as you can imagine, the Romney campaign and candidate himself quick to react. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm concerned about the people that are out of work. One of the people who's running also for the Republican nomination today said that he doesn't care about the unemployment rate. That doesn't bother him.

I do care about the unemployment rate. It does bother me. I want to get people back to work. I'm concerned about those that are out of work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: Just a little taste, I guess you could say, of the rising acrimony between these two candidates -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes. Would have been better if he didn't say one person and Romney had said Rick Santorum. But it was interesting.

(LAUGHTER)

Paul Steinhauser, thanks so much.

Michelle Obama was David Letterman's guest on "The Late Show" last night and the first lady got emotional when talking about her dad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: My father had multiple sclerosis. And I never knew him to be able to walk. But my dad worked so hard. And he loved it so much. And I think from him I learned just absolute complete, unconditional love. The notion that kids really don't need anything but to know that their parents adore them and I think that's the greatest gift they gave us. Just their constant support and, you know, stability, and that's really what we try to instill in our girls.

I mean you talk about raising kids, it's just really -- you know, we had rules. We had boundaries. But there wasn't anything my dad wouldn't do for us. And -- don't make me cry.

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW": No.

OBAMA: This isn't "Oprah."

(LAUGHTER)

It's supposed to be "Letterman."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Coming up in the next hour, the first lady talks about her shopping trip to Target and what happened when she thought her cover had been blown.

And video, YouTube video of a disabled child getting patted down by a security screener. A TSA agent. Well, this thing has gone viral now and it's fueling more criticism about how far TSA agents should go. You'll hear from the child's father who shot and posted this video. That's coming up.

And it looks like Peyton is coming and Tebow is going. Denver decides on their quarterback of the future. So where could their current QB land? We're going to talk about Tebow coming up.

Plus, there is one immigration issue that seems to have support from both sides of the aisle. And it all has to do with luck of the Irish. We'll tell you why just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day to Ireland's Prime Minister Edna Kenny. He's having breakfast in the United States, courtesy of Vice President Joe Biden and President Obama after meeting with the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Later, the prime minister will lunch with Republican House Speaker John Boehner. No stress here. America has always had a soft spot for the Irish, even it appears when it comes to immigration. Yes, there is a bipartisan effort to increase immigration for one particular group, the Irish.

Republican Senator Scott Brown and Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer argue Ireland deserves 10,500 more special work visas because the U.S. immigration policy has limited the number of Irish entering the United States and, well, we need Irish immigrants because they are highly skilled.

Roy Beck is president of NumbersUSA.com. His organization is opposed to this move.

Welcome, Roy.

ROY BECK, NUMBERSUSA.COM: Good morning.

COSTELLO: So what's wrong with granting Irish immigrants more work visas?

BECK: Well, first of all, there are 20 million Americans who are unemployed or have been forced into part-time work, 20 million still. So why would the Senate be talking about increasing foreign work visas at all? The Senate ought to be talking about how to decrease foreign work visas.

And secondly, this is really patently offensive. This is not the 1860s or 1840s. There's nothing in immigration law that discriminates against the Irish.

I mean, it's just ludicrous. The Irish are treated the same as people all over the world. And yet, now, we have Ireland lobby saying we want special treatment. Why? Because we speak English?

In fact, on our Web site, we've had people coming on accusing us of being anti-Irish and saying these are exactly the people we should have come in. People who speak English. People who are white. They're not Mexican.

It's like, that's why this is so offensive.

COSTELLO: Well, we did ask Republican Scott Brown and Chuck Schumer to come on our program. Both declined. But we do understand that Senator Brown is running in a tight race for a second term in the Senate. And here he is actually at a St. Paddy's Day roast, complete with a shamrock corsage.

And, I guess, we're not going to see that. But we did have pictures of him yesterday at a roast. He was wearing a big shamrock corsage and as we know, Massachusetts has a large population of people of Irish descent.

BECK: Yes.

COSTELLO: But Brown's office still sends us a statement. And this is what he said. "The Irish have been unfairly shut out by our immigration laws. To maintain the close bond between the U.S. and Ireland, Senator Brown is working in a bipartisan way to add the Irish E3 program."

So, he says it has to do with voters of Irish descent in Massachusetts, but everything to do about fairness.

BECK: Well, his Democratic opponent, or likely Democratic opponent, Ms. Warren, has come out for this as well. Yes, I mean, it's pandering.

This is what you see with immigration a lot of time. Immigration in many ways is a pork barrel kind of policy. And you can be sure that if they pass this Irish bill to give Irish special privileges, you will see one nationality group after another asking for the same thing.

Where is the concern for the 20 million unemployed Americans?

Yes, this is just bold-faced politicking that's at the expense of the unemployed Americans.

COSTELLO: Well, but if you look at the figures, and Senator Brown's office sent me the figures, Ireland doesn't get anywhere the near the numbers that other nations get. It does seem unfair if you look at the numbers.

BECK: Yes. But, see, the thing is that there are quotas for every nation that are exactly the same. But in addition to that, there's unlimited quotas for spouses and minor children.

So, what happens is that because a lot of things have happened in the past, particularly because of amnesties from especially Mexico and other Latin American countries, that means you have a huge percentage of the people who come in as spouses and minor children are coming in from those countries. They're not coming in from Ireland.

But in terms of the quotas for workers, Ireland gets the same shot as everybody else.

COSTELLO: OK. So final question: this bill is now, what, in the Senate? Is it close to passing? Do you think it will pass?

BECK: Well, we're fearful I will say. Senator Schumer, Democrat from New York, seems to think he's got 53 Democrats lined up to do this. I don't know -- this is Democratic Party of the working people.

I think it would face a lot tougher scrutiny in the House. I think the house is more concerned about the working people, unemployed when it comes to immigration. We're going to see.

COSTELLO: Yes, we are. And we'll keep following it as well.

Roy Beck, thank you so much for joining us this morning.

BECK: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Can you imagine what the wife of the soldier accused in the Afghan killings is going through? The tidal wave of questions? She has two young kids, too.

Coming up, we're going to talk to a military wife and blogger who has written a heartfelt open letter to Carolyn Bales.

We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The lawyer for the U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians says the case is tough because of the social, legal and political ramifications. But one military wife is calling attention to another victim in this story, a victim who may be overlooked: Staff Sergeant Robert Bales' wife. Her name is Carolyn.

And while she's coping with that shocking news about her husband and where to go from her, she's still got two small children to raise and a tough financial situation to deal with.

Lori Volkman is a military wife and a blogger. She has written an open letter to Carolyn Bales.

And Lori joins us now from Vancouver, Washington.

Welcome, Lori.

LORI VOLKMAN, MILITARY SPOUSE, BLOGGER: Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: What inspired you to write to Carolyn?

VOLKMAN: You know, when my husband was deployed, I had an online journal that I kept that helped me keep a connection to the military spouse community and in thinking about what those moments must have been like when she was first figuring out what was happening, I felt that probably she was going to be not a part of the main story and someone who had been overlooked by some of the rest of the community and that it would have been important for someone to reach out.

I didn't know her. I thought the best way to do that would be to think about how I would feel and I wrote an open letter on my blog.

COSTELLO: Lori, I want to read part of your letter and here it is. I'm going read it.

You say, "I can't imagine the questions that flooded your brain like a rush of moving water threatening to drown you and offering no relief for a gasp of air. What exactly happened? Has he been injured? Where is he now? Is he safe?

When can I talk to him? When can I see him? Why can't I see him? Am I in trouble?

Is there anyone I can call? Is there anything I can say? Anything I can't say?

How do I know it's true? Do I hire an attorney? How much will it cost? Where will I get the money?

Is he even getting a military paycheck now?"

You know, something else, she's at Ft. Leavenworth with her children for protection. So, it's hard to imagine what she's going through.

VOLKMAN: I think she's in protection closer to her home up here in Washington state. I think she does have some attachment to the military community here. She's getting some calls from some friends so that's good news.

But the thing I thought of immediately of course is as military spouses, we operate very often in an absence of information. Something we have to learn to deal with on a regular basis. And, you know, that was one of the only things I would really relate to was what that was like when I was in those situations, operating without information and the amount of questions that I had that I knew either didn't have answers or that I might not ever know the answers to.

COSTELLO: Sergeant Bales is accused of such horrible crimes. You know, some people might not be so sympathetic toward his wife. How would you respond to those people?

VOLKMAN: You know, Carol, I thought about that before I posted that letter and sort of braced myself for what I thought would probably be quite a few negative comments.

I am surprised to have seen exactly the opposite of that. I have received thousands and thousands of visits to my Web site since I posted that letter and I don't have a single negative comment. What I do have is an outpouring of support military spouse and an understanding at least from the current situation so far, that she's not a participant in any of these acts. She's done her duty to hold up the home front, take care of the kids and she's continuing to do that now as the story unfolds.

COSTELLO: Lori Volkman, thank you so much for being with us this morning.

VOLKMAN: Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: And to helping us understand. Thanks so much.

Well, this video has gone viral. It sparks heavy criticism of the TSA. You'll hear from a father whose 3-year-old son got hands-on attention from a security screener.

We'll have more for you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The opening bell just rang on Wall Street. Stocks ended on a high note yesterday. Dow futures are down about, oh, 77 points this morning. Of course, we'll keep an eye on the market throughout the day. We'll keep you posted.

A video posted online by an angry father stirring up old emotions about those TSA pat-downs. This YouTube video shows a 3- year-old boy in a wheelchair being thoroughly screened by a TSA agent. The boy's father said it is not acceptable for another person to put their hands on his child.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT DUBIEL, FATHER: There's another human being putting their hands on my child. That's not acceptable. If he was putting his hands on my child at McDonald's or any place else, we would immediately have him arrested and we would call the police.

LIZZIE O'LEARY, CNN AVIATION AND REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Did you feel the agent was intrusive or disrespectful?

DUBIEL: I think the whole exercise was intrusive and disrespectful to a human being. And especially a 3-year-old human being.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: CNN's Lizzie O'Leary interviewed the father and she's now joining our conversation.

Lizzie, the weird thing about this is, is this incident happened two years ago. So, why is the father just posting it now?

O'LEARY: I asked him that, Carol. What he said was that this had happened. He had forgotten about it and the old emotions were sort of reignited when he was going back and looking through family photos.

But it is very important to point out that this happened almost two years ago. In large part because the way kids under 12 are screened has changed since then. So, in September, the TSA put in basically new rules that allow kids another chance through a metal detector or screening machine, limited pat-downs, you would still see those explosive pat-downs, those white swabs. But there have been a lot of changes to the way kids are screened.

Also, we've seen elderly folks. Program announced yesterday where folks over 75 can also have some different types of screening because of a lot of objections to the way TSA does screening.

COSTELLO: So this type of screening that we're seeing behind you would not go on today?

O'LEARY: Well, this is a really open question because the child is in a wheelchair and in that case, think about it, a wheelchair is metal. It would set off a metal detector, it might set off one of the other screening types of machine. You would still see some pat downs and that's important to note.

But the overall question of what happens to kids when they go through screening, certainly something that's important to parents but it's been changed over the course of the past year as the TSA has tried to modify the way it does screening. They call it risk based security. They try to focus on people who are more of a risk. And it also has the added benefit of moving some folks through security faster.

COSTELLO: OK. So, now that we have all of the information, what does this father -- I mean, what does he want to see happen?

O'LEARY: I think he would like to see as he told me, less intrusive screening but it's also important to note for fairness that he did not file a complaint. He did not speak to a supervisor after the incident.

He did ask to be pulled into a smaller room. He said it was hard to know what was the right thing to do, we also wanted to get our kids and family on a plane to Disney World and just get the whole thing done with.

COSTELLO: Yes, I can understand that too.

Lizzie O'Leary, thank you so much.

A battle brewing between Texas and the federal government over funding for women's clinics. Thousands of women caught in the middle may lose the only health care they can afford.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: "Dancing with the Stars" is getting some big scores from fans.

Kareen Wynter is in Los Angeles with our highlights. I'm surprised by this because when I watched "Dancing with the Stars," I didn't even recognize some of the celebrities.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what a lot of people are saying. It's not glitzy and glamorous enough this season. But anyway, off to a good start, Carol. A big night on "Dancing with the Stars" last night. That's because the judges were handing out record scores for the first night of competition, with Jaleel White, you'll remember him as Urkel. And opera star Katherine Jenkins. They both 26 out of 30 in terms of points.

Now, White told "Showbiz Tonight" after the show, he's just humbled on being on the show and happy to have nailed his performance after rehearsing, Carol -- get this -- an impressive his performance 500 times. That's quite a charm, right?

COSTELLO: Wow.

WYNTER: There are people complaining on the stars saying, as you mentioned, Carol, the season that there isn't enough glamour or controversy coming from the cast. But, you know, judging from the first night, the actual dancing competition, looks like it will be fierce on the dance floor.

I don't if you have your favorites this season. You may want to get into it more, Carol. But, wow, those are big numbers for the first night, right?

COSTELLO: There's video. I was hoping to see it. I forgot it was about dancing and not about the celebrity. Oh, yes.

Let's talk about Ashton Kutcher because I'm envious.

WYNTER: Wow.

COSTELLO: Is he really shelling out big bucks to take a trip into space?

WYNTER: You know he is. Ashton Kutcher only does it big. And for a mere $200,000, Ashton has signed on to become the 500th passenger on Richard Branson's commercial space program, Virgin Galactic.

Now, Branson announced the news on his blog, writing, quote, "I gave Ashton a quick call to congratulate and to welcome him. He's as thrilled as we are at the prospect of being among the first to cross the final frontier and back with us and to experience the magic of space for himself."

Now, Branson's space program, Carol, it hasn't sent anyone into orbit just yet. Branson says they're in the final stages of production on his space ship, but he promises he'll produce a very safe rocket in part because the billionaire and his family, they're going to be among the first passengers on board. So, it better be safe, right?

COSTELLO: Right. That would be bad.

WYNTER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Kareen Wynter, thank you.

If you want information on everything breaking in entertainment world, be sure to tune into to "Showbiz Tonight" at 11:00 p.m. Eastern on HLN.

And a prenup is usually an agreement for people getting married, but not anymore. Coming up, why more unmarried couples are getting that prenup.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Prenups aren't just for married couples anymore. A growing number of unmarried couples are getting them too.

Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange.

Really?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Really. Yes. And you know what? It's definitely a trend, Carol, that's catching on.

So, if you're not married, what this is really called is a cohabitation agreement. In fact, a Pew study found that almost 40 percent of divorce lawyers are seeing an increase in number of cohabitation agreements being taken out.

It really is similar to a prenup, because what it does is that it really spells out legalities. It's a legal contract that addresses custody issues, financial obligations, who gets shared property and right to make medical decisions. It's especially useful if a couple is buying a home, raising a family but is not married.

Now, here is the reason why you see more of these agreements happen because many states don't have cohabitation laws. So, having one of these agreements, it protects you if you break up. It also gives you some rights if your boyfriend or girlfriend dies -- Carol.

COSTELLO: OK. So is it a good idea to get one if you're cohabitating?

KOSIK: It is if you want to protect your finances, yes. And you know what? We're seeing more and more of this because the reality is many couples, they aren't getting married. In fact, there is a study -- study shows that the number of adults tying the knot is actually at a record low.

And, you know, when you think about it, many relationships end in a long drawn out legal battle just like divorce. What this cohabitation agreement does, Carol, is make the process easier if that's possible -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I know -- if that's possible. Alison Kosik, thank you.

KOSIK: Yes. Welcome.

COSTELLO: Just ahead, it looks like Peyton is coming and Tebow is going. Denver decides on their quarterback of the future. So where could their current QB land? We're going to talk about that and more next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: I am sure you've heard by now John Elway may have found the quarterback to take Denver to the promised land and it isn't Tim Tebow. The Broncos are close to signing Peyton Manning and that's causing Tebow haters to tweet like this.

"Tebow, it was a fun year. Good luck in Miami or Jacksonville or on the Professional Bowlers Association tour."

And this tweet. "Elway, why hast thou forsaken me? Tebow, 3:19"

L.Z. Granderson, are you laughing yet?

L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN.COM CONTRIBUTOR: I'm laughing. That was pretty good. I like the 3:19.

COSTELLO: Oh geez, but if you really boil this down, Tim Tebow did what he was supposed to. He got the Broncos to the playoffs. He did it with class. He didn't complain. He was humble. Knew he had to get better. And now the Broncos like take on Peyton Manning, a man who might have a glass neck.

GRANDERSON: Well, you know, that tells you two things. One, John Elway never believed in Tebow. You know he benefited from Tebow mania but he never believed that Tebow was going to be QB that will lead them to the future.

And you're right, if you're willing to get rid of the guy who just won you your divisional championship in exchange for a 35- year-old with a suspect neck, then that tells you just how highly they think of both Peyton Manning and how lowly they think of Tebow as a quarterback.

COSTELLO: Ouch. I guess the problem is --

GRANDERSON: It is what it is.

COSTELLO: I mean, some teams -- some teams are supposedly interested in Tim Tebow. The Cleveland Brown is one, Jacksonville is another one. I can't remember the third one. But they're all going to have the same problem that Denver had with Tim Tebow. He's going to have these passionate fans and the passionate fans are going to force the team to do something they might not be ready to do.

GRANDERSON: Well, I don't think the fans are going to force teams to do something they don't want to do, but I think it will be somewhat of a PR nightmare if Tebow isn't winning. Look any team that's actively -- actively pursuing Tim Tebow, one, is losing, so any good news -- any news is good news for them.

And two, they don't have a quarterback anyway. And so if you are in Jacksonville with a relatively new owner or if you're a Cleveland Browns that you know you haven't had much of anything to cheer about, then why not get a guy who sold more jerseys than anyone else in the NFL who will bring a lot of press to you, positive and negative tweets, but at least he'll have people interested in your team. Because you haven't been wining and you don't have the QB of the future. So you won't be winning without someone so you might as well pick him, right?

COSTELLO: Ok, L.Z., I'm going to ask you the big question because you're an ESPN guy.

GRANDERSON: Ok.

COSTELLO: You're a CNN guy, you know sports. Can Tebow become a great quarterback?

GRANDERSON: It depends on the system that he's implemented in and whether or not the franchise believes in him. He's not going to grow and benefit from where we see -- saw him last season if the franchise that picks him up doesn't work with what he can do, mask what he can't do, and gives him the time and believe in him to continue to develop and grow.

In other words, he is still a long-term project and unfortunately in sports, professionally and in the NFL where contracts aren't guaranteed, you don't have a lot of time. So the question boils down to can Tebow get up to speed fast enough to earn that respect, or is he just going to kind of be kind of a curiosity in pop culture down the line?

COSTELLO: I don't know. He's a big -- I mean, have you ever seen anything like the Tebow phenomenon before? I haven't. I can't remember anything quite like the love or the hate people have for Tim Tebow.

GRANDERSON: Right. It's a great story, it really is and he really is a good guy. I have met him several times. I have met him from a point where he was at Florida when he was winning championships. I've met him last, I've talked to him again this past season. He's a really good young man and he's a young man that anybody will want to attach to their franchise.

The problem is the NFL is not about being good or bad. If it was, then the league would look totally different. The problem is about winning and losing. And as long as he wins, he'll have a spot, but the way that he plays right now, that doesn't guarantee it for the future.

COSTELLO: Yes, but he made the playoffs. L.Z. Granderson --

(CROSSTALK)

GRANDERSON: He did make the playoffs.

COSTELLO: I know. L.Z. Granderson, thank you.

We're following lots of developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with Ted Rowlands.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Still no charges against Staff Sergeant Robert Bales. We are expecting he'll meet with his attorney again here at Ft. Leavenworth. Coming up at the top of the hour, we'll tell you what he's been telling his attorney about that massacre in Afghanistan.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: 90,000 American troops are still fighting in Afghanistan and their commander is here in Washington today and he's giving us some hints about what's next for those troops and how this latest incident may affect them. I'm Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon. I'll have that.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And I'm David Mattingly in Atlanta. The Justice Department is now launching its own investigation into the killing of Trayvon Martin. I'll have that story in the next hour.

COSTELLO: Thanks to all of you.

Also beefed up security at synagogues in New York after a deadly shooting in France. We'll tell you why officials in the United States are so concerned.

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COSTELLO: A 10-year-old girl documents her very first ski jump, and now over 600,000 people have watched her brave plunge down the slope. Here is more from Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: this is how ski jumping looks when the big girls do it, but to a little girl, it looks like this.

ZIA, 10-YEAR-OLD: I'll be fine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have fun.

ZIA: I'll do it.

MOOS: Her name is Zia and she's a fourth grader in Park City, Utah. ZIA: Here goes something, I guess.

MOOS: But it's not going yet.

ZIA: You can do this. I'm going to -- I'm going to jump.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got it.

ZIA: Whoa, my ski is slipping off.

MOOS: Zia's mom, Jennifer Terry, posted the helmet cam video on YouTube. Now she's not up there alone. You can hear an instructor chiming in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just remember, never snow plow. Ok.

ZIA: No snow plows.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you keep it straight, you'll be fine.

ZIA: Ok.

MOOS (on camera): She's standing atop the 40 meter jump having already mastered the 20.

ZIA: Just longer, just a bigger 20, that's all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Have fun.

ZIA: Just a bigger 20.

MOOS (voice-over): But even a self-described tomboy is entitled to a last-minute whimper.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You'll be fine.

ZIA: Ok. Go.

MOOS: This viral video reminded America's most accomplished female ski jumper --

ZIA: Yes.

MOOS: -- of herself. You mean you grew up that on very jump.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I grew up on that jump and I did that same thing about 20 years ago. Yes, it seemed huge to me then.

ZIA: Just the suspense at the top for the first time freaks you out. That's the only thing. It's so fun.

MOOS: Well, even on the beginner's 40 meter jump that last step --

ZIA: Here goes something.

MOOS: -- is a doozy. Jeanne Moos, CNN.

ZIA: 60 seems like nothing now.

MOOS: New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Stories we're watching right now in the NEWSROOM.

The soldier accused of killing Afghan civilians is expected to meet with his lawyer again today at Fort Leavenworth as they plan their defense. The attorney says Staff Sergeant Robert Bales was not drunk the night of the shootings, but he cannot remember what happened that night.

Federal prosecutors and the FBI now investigating the death of Trayvon Martin. Some people outraged. The watch captain who shot the unarmed 17-year-old is not facing charges. George Zimmerman said it was self-defense.

And Illinois Republicans are voting today for a presidential candidate. The latest poll showing Mitt Romney leading Rick Santorum by 14 percent. 54 delegates up for grabs.

Happening right now on Capitol Hill though, there is a hearing on how the civilian killings and the Koran burnings in Afghanistan have affected the U.S. mission there. Marine General John Allen, who is in charge of American forces in the country, is testifying about the recent developments before the House Armed Services Committee. That's him. He's just about to sit down.

We want to bring in our Pentagon correspondent, Chris Lawrence. He'll be monitoring this hearing. What do we expect to hear from the general?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's likely that he's going to echo what a lot of top commanders here at the Pentagon have been saying, Carol, which is stick to the plan, stay the course. What the military really wants is to get a second good fighting season. They're going to get this one, this spring into this summer, which is when a lot of the heavy fighting takes place in Afghanistan. Things slowed down in the winter there because of the --