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Florida's Deadly Force Law Questioned; Massacre Suspect Faces Homicide Charges; Standoff with Suspect in French Murders; Romney's Win in the Heartland; Romney Wins Illinois Primary; President Fast Tracks Pipeline; Interview with Congresswoman Frederica Wilson; Yellow Dust Covers the Southeast; Mysterious Booms Puzzle Experts; Broncos Welcome Manning; Hockey Game Makes History

Aired March 21, 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. Good morning and good morning to all of you. I'm Carol Costello. Here are the stories we're watching in the NEWSROOM right now.

Widespread demands this morning for justice for Trayvon Martin. Supporters in Florida, New York and online rally. They want the man who killed the unarmed teenager arrested.

President Obama leaves this hour to go on a four-state tour where he'll announce plans to speed up the permit for the southern half of the Keystone oil pipeline. Critics say he gave into pressure from rising gas prices.

Mitt Romney is in Maryland today fresh off his decisive win in the Illinois primary. Romney is now almost halfway to the delegate finish line.

And hundreds of French police have surrounded an apartment where a gunman remains holed up. He's suspected of killing seven people in a series of shootings including four people outside of a Jewish school on Monday. Authorities say they expect him to give up soon.

And there's been another strong aftershock in Mexico. It measured 5.0 on the Richter scale. It's the latest of several aftershocks to follow yesterday's 7.4 magnitude earthquake. At least 500 homes were damaged and 11 people injured.

And you won't be able to find that so-called pink slime at Safeway anymore. The grocery store chain says it will not sell anymore ground beef made with it. Pink slime is filler made with cheap scraps used in dog food and cooking oil. Safeway says customer concern drove its decision.

And you're looking at a picture of Atlanta underneath all that pollen. Here's what you need to know about pollen count. A reading of 120 is considered extremely high. Levels above 5,000 have been registered in many parts of the southeast this week and no relief is expected until a storm system moves through at week's end.

We begin in depth this morning, though, in Florida. And the growing outrage over Florida's "Stand Your Ground" gun law and how that law may have played into Trayvon Martin's death.

Here's what we know right now. An 11:00 a.m. rally is scheduled in Sanford, Florida, to protest the gun license given to the shooter. And in Martin's home town of Sanford, Florida, demonstrators called for the arrest of George Zimmerman. Zimmerman is the neighborhood watch leader who claims he shot the teenager in self-defense.

The city commission will hold a special meeting at 5:00 p.m. Eastern with the public invited to talk and a grand jury is scheduled to hear the case on April 10.

This morning we want to talk more about that -- that deadly force gun law in Florida also known as "Stand Your Ground."

John Zarrella is in Sanford, Florida, where the governor is now talking about giving "Stand Your Ground" a second look.

Tell us more, John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Carol, back one year ago, 2011, the number of cases of justifiable homicide in Florida were 40. Back in 2005, just before this law was passed, the number was a third that number. So it's tripled since this law took effect in 2005.

With that as the backdrop and all of the mounting pressure, Governor Rick Scott in Tallahassee yesterday came out and said, look, if this law is being abused, then maybe we need to take another look at it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK SCOTT (R), FLORIDA: I think it's good to go back and look at an existing law and see how the impact and the consequences of it so I think once we finish this investigation if there's something that we need to adjust, I'm hopeful that -- you know, that the legislature would be interested in taking that up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: Now there's already one South Florida legislator who is talking about taking another look at the law and maybe providing some amendments or trying to get some amendments to the law through.

Now the bottom line, in essence, what the law says is that if you have a reasonable belief that your life and safety is in danger as a result of an act or a threat, then bottom line, you can use force to protect yourself.

So the question, of course, is, as Governor Scott is saying now and as others have been saying, you know, is this law being abused? Is it being applied properly? And going forward, I think, Carol, we're going to see some movement at least to take another look at this law given that you've got the governor now saying it as well -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I know that that line reasonable belief, like, who decides that and what exactly is that. That's the sticking point, right?

ZARRELLA: Right.

COSTELLO: John Zarrella, we're going to talk more about this -- go ahead.

ZARRELLA: Yes.

COSTELLO: Go ahead.

ZARRELLA: No, I was going to say you're absolutely right. That is absolutely one of the sticking points.

COSTELLO: John Zarrella live in Florida.

"Stand Your Ground" type laws are on the books in 21 states. The National Rifle Association lobbied for these laws. Law enforcement in general lobbied against them.

"In Session's" Beth Karas is from our sister network truTV.

Beth, you've been studying this law. The question in the Martin case, was the gunman George Zimmerman in imminent danger during his encounter with Trayvon Martin. So how do you prove or disprove this in light of the "Stand Your Ground law?

BETH KARAS, CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION" ON TRUTV: Well, in order for "Stand Your Ground" to be in effect, three things have to occur. If you're going to get immunity from prosecution. You have to be engaged in something lawful or actually the statute says you cannot be engaged in unlawful activity. So Zimmerman better be carrying that gun lawfully because if he was not carrying it lawfully, "Stand Your Ground" doesn't apply.

The second factor is, you have to be somewhere where you have a right to be. Now he is in a public place arguably. He has a right to be there. So did Trayvon Martin have a right to be where he was as well. But there may be a sticking point there because a dispatcher we hear on the 911 calls says, you know, you really don't need to go out. Just stay. Wait for the police. You don't need to be there.

My question is whether or not factor two, element number two, right to be where he is, is somehow challenged because of that.

Then the third thing is the language that John just read. You have to have a reasonable belief that your life or your body is threatened in some way or you have to perceive it reasonably. Did he really think -- was he reasonable in thinking that Martin was reaching into his waistband. He had nothing on him but some iced tea and some Skittles.

But people do shoot and they are reasonable in believing they're about to be attacked and sometimes the person they kill doesn't have a gun on them. This is a -- it's a controversial law, though, because you don't have to retreat to safety. Zimmerman could have retreated to safety but he chose to continue following Martin. This law allows that. And that's why it's a little bit controversial because one could argue he provoked Martin. If they had some sort of a fight, maybe he provoked Martin. And that's why Martin said, what are you looking at me for? Maybe threw a punch. But you can't provoke and then say, I was justified in shooting and killing him.

COSTELLO: But, still, it puts police in a strange place because reasonably believing your life is in danger, it's not a high standard and it's very hard to prove. And to prove that the person saying that is possibly lying.

KARAS: Yes, it is hard to prove when the other person involved in the altercation is dead. Absolutely. And that is probably why, as John just reported, the number of justifiable homicides has tripled. It's hard. Now there are some witnesses who at least heard some things, maybe saw some things, we do not know all the facts. So that's why Zimmerman is not under arrest. He may never be arrested but he might be arrested but they need to investigate. They need to talk to these witnesses.

That's what the grand jury will do. When people go in the grand jury, they are sworn to tell the truth and that will be an investigative grand jury determining whether or not to bring charges.

COSTELLO: Beth Karas, many thanks this morning.

Trayvon Martin's death is prompting outrage in Washington, too. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson represents Martin's home district. And she is speaking out about the case on the House floor and right here on CNN. We'll talk to her live at 9:30 a.m. Eastern.

The case against the U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians could enter a new stage tomorrow. Staff Sergeant Robert Bales is expected to be charged with homicide. He could face other charges as well. He's met for the last two days with his lawyer in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. John Browne said he doesn't see much evidence against his client so far.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN HENRY BROWNE, ATTORNEY FOR STAFF SERGEANT BALES: I don't know what the evidence is. You know we all heard what the allegations are, right? And I'm a defense lawyer so I deal with the evidence. And I don't know about the evidence in this case. I don't know that the government is going to prove much. There's no forensic evidence. There's no confessions.

You know, I don't know. I'm not assuming, not saying that we're not taking responsibility for this in the right way at the right time. Well, tight now, you know, I don't -- I'm interested in what the evidence is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Browne also says it could take two years to prosecute the case.

French police are on high alert this morning as they surround an apartment house in Toulouse. Mohammed Merah is suspected in a series of killings over the past 10 days including a shooting outside of a Jewish school on Monday. Police actually raided the apartment yesterday but pulled back after the suspect wounded two officers.

Diana Magnay is at the scene of that standoff.

Diana, do police still believe the suspect will give himself up at some point?

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, he said he would a couple of hours back and he hasn't. The question is, whether he's still in negotiations with the police who are surrounding the house. He is effectively cornered.

This siege has been going on for nearly 12 hours now starting at 3:00 a.m. in the morning local time. It's now 2:00 p.m. But police say that they believe that the suspect is a heavily armed and he has a Kalashnikov, an Uzi with him. He threw a pistol out of the window earlier and said to police that he would hand himself over but that doesn't seem to have happened.

He also alerted them to a -- a car that he had loaded with weapons parked nearby the house which they have found. So a very tense situation here with a man who has told authorities that he was responsible for the murders that have terrified this neighborhood, terrified Toulouse and France really over the last 10 days. He says that he's associated with al Qaeda and that he killed those children in that Jewish school on Monday to avenge the deaths of Palestinian children -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Diana Magnay reporting live for us from Toulouse, France.

It was being called a must-win for Mitt Romney and that's exactly what he did. He can add the Land of Lincoln to his win column. Still some big questions for independent voters.

And later, is the pressure of rising gas prices getting to the White House? The White House changing course or appears to be changing its course on a key pipeline project. We'll talk more about that in a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Mitt Romney is in Arbutus, Maryland, this afternoon for a town hall after racking up a decisive win in yesterday's Illinois primary. Romney captured 47 percent of the vote and despite some momentum from his wins in the south, Rick Santorum only grabbed 35 percent of the votes.

This win brings Mitt Romney's delegate count to 562 of the 1144 he needs to win the presidential nomination.

Jason Johnson is an independent analyst from Hiram College. He joins us now.

Because independents were an important part of the voting process in Illinois.

JASON JOHNSON, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, POLITIC365: Right.

COSTELLO: And they came through for Mitt Romney, although 60 percent of the voters said they voted for Mitt Romney because he could beat President Obama. So in a perfect political world where we all did what we're supposed to and we're all responsible, is that a great reason to vote for a candidate?

JOHNSON: That is not a ringing endorsement at all. That's sort of, like, I went out with you because you were the only person that was home on Friday. You know? And Mitt Romney really has that problem. You can't win presidential elections voting against the other guy. People have to want to vote for you. It's the same lesson with John Kerry. That's the same lesson with Bob Dole. And Mitt Romney has that problem. No one's voting for him. They're just voting against Obama.

COSTELLO: So, what can he do? Because he can, like, you know, kind of like fashion his message in another way to appeal to independents because he's going to go to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and Maryland where he should do well.

JOHNSON: He's going to do better. But here's the problem -- Mitt Romney is, with Obama, he's kind of like a boxer who knows he can't win. So, he's going to keep trying to hug the guy and then hope he gets in body blows at the end.

Romney knows he can't beat Obama on charm. He can't beat Obama on presentation. He can't beat Obama on intensity. But he hopes if he can keep the race close by talking about the economy, talking about gas prices, maybe they'll be an October surprise and he can pull of a knockout at the end.

COSTELLO: Well, it's funny you should say that because we have something that Romney said I think a couple days ago that really illustrates what we were just talking about. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We once built an interstate highway system and the Hoover Dam. Now, we can't even build a pipeline. I mean, we once led the world in manufacturing, in exports, investment. Today, we lead the world in lawsuits.

You know, when we replace a law professor with a conservative businessman as president, that's going to end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: OK. So that seems to be resonating especially with President Obama because guess what? He's embarking on a big energy tour and it will end in Oklahoma, right by that Keystone pipeline.

JOHNSON: Yes. You know what's interesting? He's fast tracking certain parts of it.

Look, the problem is that Mitt Romney has difficulty finding the proper policy space because everything Republicans usually talk about, Obama starts to do. They want to talk about Afghanistan and Middle East and Obama has already killed Osama. They want to talk energy prices, Obama starts to move with the pipeline.

So, it's going to be hard to find something where Obama isn't doing what the Republicans wanted any way. That's part of Romney's challenge.

COSTELLO: Well, he's sort of doing what -- I mean, the Keystone Pipeline, he's speeding up permits on the southern portion of the pipeline and not the northern portion where the controversy lies, right?

JOHNSON: Right. Exactly.

COSTELLO: It's sort of a bit of political gamesmanship, you could call it. So, do independents realize that sort of thing?

JOHNSON: Yes. And the thing about independent voters -- first off, there aren't many real independents. Most are leaning right or leaning left one way or another. Ultimately, it's going to come down to who do we believe as American citizens can fix this economy? Doesn't matter who started it. It matters who's going to end it.

Do people believe Mitt Romney will do a better job or can Barack Obama do a better job? Eight-point-three percent unemployment is not good. It maybe better than what we were, but it's not good. And whoever can convince us that they can fix that relatively soon, that's going to win.

COSTELLO: Yes, if gas price keep going up, that's even more troublesome. They went up another penny today.

JOHNSON: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Yes, Jason Johnson, thank you so much for coming in. We appreciate it.

So, is the pressure of rising gas prices getting to the White House? Today, as I said, the president will announce he's speeding up approval for part of the controversial Keystone pipeline. Dan Lothian will tell us what this is really about. That's coming up.

And witnesses tell what they saw after an unarmed teenager's killing and they question what the shooter said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't believe it was self-defense because of what we saw when we walked out on the porch. If it was self-defense, why was he on his -- on Trayvon's back?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: More from a CNN exclusive interview with those witnesses. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The Keystone pipeline -- President Obama now saying he wants to fast track the southern portion of the controversial project. He'll be talking about that as he heads out on a four-state swing to push his energy program. He leaves the White House in just about 30 minutes, hitting Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, and most importantly, Cushing, Oklahoma, where that southern part of the pipeline begins.

Republicans quickly pounced on the move, rather. House Speaker John Boehner saying, "Only a desperate administration would inject the president of the United States into this trivial matter. The president's attempt to take credit for a pipeline he blocked and personally lobbied Congress against is staggering in its disingenuousness. This portion of the pipeline is being built in spite of the president and not because of him."

Let's bring in White House correspondent Dan Lothian.

Oh, ouch! So, put this in perspective for us. What's going on here?

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, there's obviously politics at play here. The president is under enormous pressure. First of all, there are environmentalists who are very concerned about these pipelines, believing that there could be leaks and the impact that this could have on the environment.

On the other hand, there's pressure on the president as well because of the high gas prices. And while gas prices are not directly connected to these pipelines, I think the American public has a hard time seeing the difference there. And so, the president is going there to show that he's doing something not necessarily to bring down the gas prices now but to help the nation in terms of the future and the energy problem.

But politically as you see, you just pointed out, Republicans are taking shots at the president here, saying that this is just a P.R. stunt, that it's essentially -- as one person described it, one official described it -- it would be like a governor issuing a fishing permit.

So -- but nonetheless, the White House saying it's an important trip that the president is taking, to talk about a long-term energy fix for this country.

COSTELLO: OK. Just so we get it. There was already a permit for the southern portion of this Keystone pipeline. President Obama is just speeding up the process so he's already in favor of this part of the pipeline being built.

LOTHIAN: That's right.

COSTELLO: It's the northern part of the pipeline that's controversial that he's holding up. Republicans charge it's because of the president's environmentalist friends that he's doing that.

LOTHIAN: That's right. And I think it's important to point out that there are two pipelines we're talking -- or two portions of the pipeline that we're talking about here. Back in January was when the president denied that permit for that pipeline that would run across the border from Canada into the United States because of environmental concerns.

At the time, Republicans attacked the president saying that this was an opportunity for him to create jobs by allowing this pipeline to happen. Nonetheless, the president concerned about the environmental issues knocked that down.

The second portion of the pipeline is the ease of glut of oil that needs to be refined down in the Gulf Coast in Texas. So, this oil flows from Cushing, Oklahoma, down to the Gulf Coast. That's what the new pipeline, the southern part of the pipeline will do. That is something that the president has supported and, in fact, in February the White House put out a statement saying that they would expedite permitting for that portion of the pipeline.

COSTELLO: Got it. Dan Lothian, live at the White House, we'll talk more about the Keystone Pipeline in the next hour of NEWSROOM.

The death of Florida teenager is stirring up anger and outrage across the nation and the halls of Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. FREDERICA WILSON (D), FLORIDA: Stand up for Trayvon Martin! Stand up for justice! Stand up for our children!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Congresswoman Frederica Wilson on who needs to answer for Trayvon Martin's death. We'll talk to her after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

As he starts a four-state swing today, the president will announce plans to speed up the permit for the southern half of the Keystone oil pipeline, which will stretch from Canada to the Gulf. He's promoting his energy plan but critics say he's caving into pressure from rising gas prices.

A pair of smaller aftershocks have rattled southern Mexico after yesterday's 7.4 magnitude quake. Hundreds of homes were damaged. Nearly a dozen injuries reported. Authorities say the damage estimates will continue into today.

Hundreds of French police have surrounded an apartment where a suspect remains holed up. Mohammad Merah is accused of killing seven people in a series of shootings including four people outside of a Jewish school on Monday. Authorities say they expect him to give himself up soon.

And a new development in the Trayvon Martin case. Ben Jealous, president of NAACP is calling on Sanford police chief to resign.

Martin was shot to death by a neighborhood watch leader in Sanford, Florida, last month. The shooter, George Zimmerman, says he acted in self-defense. Zimmerman has not been charged.

Two witnesses who saw what happened after the shooting are casting doubt on George Zimmerman's claim of self-defense though.

The women who lived in that Sanford, Florida, spoke exclusively with Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, "A.C. 360" HOST: So you didn't hear or see any altercation, any struggle?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

COOPER: You only heard the cry, or the whimpering as you describe it, and then the shot?

MARY CUTCHER, WITNESS: Yes.

COOPER: So you believe whatever altercation or tussle or whatever there was, you believe that happened elsewhere, but you didn't witness it?

CUTCHER: I believe that it had -- it had to have started from where the first person that called 911 and said, "There's a fight right outside my porch."

COOPER: How far away is that person?

CUTCHER: It's a couple doors down. And from that point to where his body was, you know, two or three doors down, it's hard for me to believe that -- and at the time that we heard the whining and then the gunshot, we did not hear any wrestling. No punching. Fighting. Nothing to make sound like there was a fight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Outrage over Trayvon Martin's death is being voiced loud and clear on Capitol Hill, too. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson represents Martin's home district in Florida. She delivered an impassioned speech on the floor of the U.S. House, calling for justice and an end to racial profiling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILSON: Mr. Speaker, I am tired of burying young black boys. I am tired of watching them suffer at the hands of those who fear them and despise them. I am tired of comforting mothers, fathers, grandparents, sisters and brothers, after such unnecessary heinous crimes of violence.

No more hiding your criminal racial profiling by using self- defense to get away with murder. Stand up for Trayvon Martin! Stand up for justice! Stand up for our children!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Congresswoman Wilson joins us now live from Washington. Thank you for being with us.

WILSON: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

COSTELLO: Thanks for being here again.

The family of the shooter, the family of George Zimmerman, the shooter, denies race was a factor here, saying, you know, he has many minority friends and family. He's of mixed race himself.

How do you respond to that?

WILSON: Well, the more I hear the evidence coming through -- and Trayvon is my constituent, his family are friends. I've known them all of their lives. I have been speaking with them over and over.

And everything I hear sounds racist to me. It has racial overtones. Even the conduct of the police and the investigation has racial overtones. It took the family three days to get the body released from the coroner's office to be shipped back to Miami for the funeral and the burial. I mean, just the things that they have done. It's unconscionable.

COSTELLO: The NAACP is calling for the Sanford police chief to resign. Would you like to see it happen?

WILSON: Not only would I like to see it happen, but I'm joining to make sure that it happens.

COSTELLO: How are you going to do that?

WILSON: I represent Miami-Dade County. That's where Trayvon lives. That's where his family lives.

And the people there are outraged. They are collecting signatures. They told me they need one million signatures.

They are outraged. They are seeking justice. They want justice to be delivered for Trayvon.

So, I will join in with whatever cause for resignation of the police chief because I think and all of the evidence and all of the conversations I've had with the family members, that's where it began, with the police chief and Mr. Zimmerman who I believe was racially profiling Trayvon and then he murdered him.

COSTELLO: We know that federal prosecutors and the FBI are now investigating this case. A grand jury in Seminole County, Florida, is convening in three weeks. It seems the wheels of justice, although they move slowly, they are moving now.

Do you think that charges will eventually be brought against this Mr. Zimmerman?

WILSON: Let's hope that charges will be brought against him. I think with the involvement of the Justice Department and the FBI, charges will probably be brought against him.

But I'm not sure about that grand jury. I have to make sure that the grand jury at least represents some people who look like Trayvon and then I'll have some faith in the grand jury and the kind of indictment that they will bring forth from their convening.

That particular -- Florida has a history of racial profiling of young black boys. I've buried too many.

COSTELLO: The last question I would like to ask you about is this controversial state law. This "Stand Your Ground" gun law, which allows people to meet force with force if they feel they or someone else is in danger.

What's your opinion of that law?

WILSON: I think that law does not apply in this particular incident. I don't think that they can convince anyone with good common sense, any of the Justice Department, that "Stand Your Ground" law has anything to do with this. This is racial profiling. And this is murder.

COSTELLO: But do you think -- some people are calling for the law to be revoked. The governor of the state of Florida says we need to look over this law and see if it works or not.

WILSON: I think that's always important in laws. When you put new laws on the book and they don't work and they work against the people, I think it should be looked at and repealed, and perhaps that bill started out as a bill called the Castle Doctrine. As it moved through the House and the Senate, things were added onto it. I think that too much was put into this legislation and it probably needs to be repealed.

I think the Florida legislature is already discussing that and the governor is discussing it. So in Florida or any other state where laws have passed, there's always a mechanism to repeal them.

COSTELLO: Congresswoman Wilson, thank you for joining us this morning.

WILSON: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

COSTELLO: Strange booming sounds are keeping people up at night in Clintonville, Wisconsin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sounds like a bomb going off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was like little tremors.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: House was shaking. Windows was shaking. It was quite loud, sounded like it was in the house almost.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: It's a mystery. Nobody knows yet what's causing them. We'll talk about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm often asked if I was granted a wish from a magic fairy, would I wish my biological legs back. I always say absolutely not. Bionic limbs are part of my creation. They become part of my identity. What's really fun is they are upgradable.

So every few months, I get a hardware and software upgrade and as my biological body ages, my artificial limbs get better and better. So, it's interesting that I'm kind of getting better and better at least that part of my body any way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: "The Situation" dealing with some real life drama off the set of "Jersey Shore."

Showbiz correspondent Kareen Wynter is in Los Angeles.

So, please, fill us in.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Carol, the "Jersey Shore" gang always in the news.

Well, "The Situation" is publicly denying reports he's in rehab for drug abuse. But one his spokespeople is telling "Showbiz Tonight," quote, "Michael Sorrentino, 'The Situation,' has spent the last several weeks in an undisclosed location for much needed rest and recuperation after his extensive production and appearance schedule." It sounds a little bit like rehab, right, Carol?

But, Sorrentino himself, he's tweeting about it. "Don't believe everything you read or hear."

So, whatever is going on with "The Situation," Carol, the team from "The Jersey Shore" is being uncharacteristically tight lipped about it. The popular MTV reality show is sure to have a very different look this season with "The Situation's" co-star Snooki being pregnant.

And now this bit of mystery to deal with. How can we handle the suspense, right?

COSTELLO: I don't know. I'm dying right now.

Different kind of drama in Rosie O'Donnell's life.

WYNTER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Her talk show was canceled. She held a celebration.

WYNTER: She did. A little bit. A big one, in fact.

The talk show veteran Rosie was able to get over her cancellation on OWN to celebrate her 50th birthday. And in a scene, right out of the hangover, Rosie wound up partying with -- get this, Carol -- Mike Tyson. Tyson had just taped one of Rosie's last episodes before the party. So, he stayed on with his family to enjoy the birthday bash and he reportedly led the crowd when it came time to sing "happy birthday."

Other guests included some of Rosie's staff and 50 other women who are turning 50. As for her talk show, Rosie is saying publicly that Oprah was very supportive of her during production and when it came time for Oprah to cancel the show, she was fair about it and treated Rosie with dignity.

So, there you go. Happy birthday, Rosie.

COSTELLO: Good to hear. Yes, happy birthday.

WYNTER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Kareen Wynter, thank you.

Actress Kathy Bates reveals a personal life and death battle. Kareen has details, another showbiz headlines in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM.

The sneezing, the watery eyes, the itching in the back of your throat -- that's right, it's already pollen season. We send Rob Marciano out into the thick of it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The southeast is coated in yellow. Record levels of pollen have been common place throughout the region this year but the yellow dust is attacking the allergy prone across much of the United States. These pretty things from Connecticut are coming along with high pollen levels that are driving many people to their medicine cabinets.

In Atlanta, you can literally scrape the pollen off the ground with a shovel. The city has experienced two straight days of record pollen. And I mean record pollen counts. Rob Marciano is putting his sinuses on the line out among the trees in Atlanta's Piedmont Park. I guess much of the southeast is praying for rain.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes that's one thing that will help wash things away. Of course, what brought all of this on and not just in the southeast but across much of the eastern two-thirds of the country is the ridiculous warmth that we've seen in the past really a couple of months.

So spring has sprung early to say the least by a good two to three weeks in many areas and on top of that some folks have seen record breaking heat and dry conditions. So that has just caused everything to bloom and blossom early. And boy if you are out here and you don't have -- and you have any sort of sensitivities to pollen, you haven't packed your Zyrtec, your Allegra, your Claritin, you've got an uphill battle for sure.

It's not just Atlanta. Let's take a look at the top five cities according to Pollen.com. The top five worse cities as far as pollen count is concerned today Birmingham, Alabama obviously that's -- we're in the same climate regime there. Huntsville. Cape Girardeau as far north as that. I mean Chicago seeing unusually high pollen counts as well. Gulfport, Mississippi and Meridian, Mississippi.

You know folks out here in the morning typically folks will be working out here across Piedmont Park in the morning. And not everybody is sensitive. But we ran into a few folks that are dealing with it here in Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mostly in the morning. You get a few sneezes and some sniffles and a little bit of wiping of the nose, tissues and stuff like that. But it's not too bad in the mornings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have like nose and eyes, everything. And the headache, you know that's the worst one. So I have to, you know, go to the doctor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything is dusty and sneezing and red eyes are starting but --

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody you talk to will tell you they're having issues with the pollen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: Yes, I'm one of those guys. I did take my medicine this morning. So I'm ok for now.

Another reason that folks and I might be ok is that the pollen although record-shattering the past couple of days -- over 8,000 and 9,000 particles per cubic meter, the old record was 6,000. Normal would be about you know 1,000, maybe 2,000 this time of year and that would be high. So we're at ridiculous levels; 5,000 or just over 5,000 is the number -- the number today.

How about the forecast for today across the U.S.? You can see the red on this map. That indicates where pollen counts are going to be high and the culprit this time of the year typically in the way of some trees out across the south you've oak, mulberry, sycamore, birch, sweet gum (ph) and that kind of stuff and then up to the north you've got the -- the maples and the -- and the elms as far north as Connecticut as you -- as you pointed out.

Here in Atlanta, though, they are blooming just a little bit. Midtown to the Piedmont Park. Don't ask me what that tree is, I've been trying to figure out, I don't know but I've seen a number of red -- red maples that have bloomed and I can -- you know -- you know what you deal with here, Carol.

And we're looking for some rain. And it's not going to come today. Although it's a little bit more humid. And I think that may have helped things out just a little bit.

COSTELLO: Okay. Rob, get indoors. Protect yourself against that evil pollen. Thanks so much.

Checking stories cross-country now. The arson squad in Fort Worth, Texas investigating a firebombing at a state senator's office. Somebody threw a couple of Molotov cocktails into Wendy Davis's office. She wasn't there and nobody was hurt. Davis says she doesn't know if the attack was politically motivated.

A huge debris field is still smoldering in Brooklyn, Alabama this morning. The fire is threatening homes rebuilt after last year's devastating tornadoes. Debris from that tornado is fueling the fire.

People in Clintonville, Wisconsin, aren't getting a lot of sleep because they keep hearing loud mysterious booms. Nobody knows what's causing them. The city has already ruled out gas leaks, military activity or mining explosions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN MOERICKE, CLINTONVILLE, RESIDENT: It wakes you right out of your sleep. I don't care how heavy a sleeper you are, you hear that bang. You're up.

LISA KUSS, CLINTONVILLE CITY ADMINISTRATOR: It happens for a split second and then it might not be for two hours then it happens again. And so it's so difficult, there's nothing to monitor after it's over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Coming up in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM, we'll talk with the city administrator in Clintonville to see if she can help solve the mystery.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's official. Denver Broncos quarterback, yes, his name is Peyton Manning. It may take a little while to get used to that, Jeff Fischel.

JEFF FISCHEL, ANCHOR, HLN SPORTS: Yes you know Peyton Manning wanted a home where he thought he could win a Super Bowl. And he picked and found a place in the Broncos. The Broncos of course are used to having great quarterbacks going back to John Elway, they think they found the guy to get them to a Super Bowl.

Peyton Manning introduced yesterday as the new Broncos quarterback. It took a five-year, $96 million deal to get it done. No signing bonus, of course Manning spent his entire career with the Colts. He thought he would finish his career with the Colts. But he needed to find a new home when the Colts released him. That means he now has one in Denver.

Of course he missed all last year with the neck injuries. You have to wonder if the Broncos are a little worried about that. They've kind of written that into the contract.

Yesterday at the press conference, Manning wrote about the man he's replacing at quarterback, Tim Tebow.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEYTON MANNING, NEW DENVER BRONCOS QUARTERBACK: If Tim Tebow were here next year I'm going to be the best teammate I can be to him and he and I are going to help this team win games. If other opportunities present themselves for him, I'm going to wish him the best. He's going to be a great player wherever he is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FISCHEL: That's the big question, right. So what happens to Tim Tebow now? Now that one question has been answered, now the next one. Where does Tebow go? You've got to think he won't be in Denver much longer. Some -- some spots where he could land, the Jets maybe, where he could play maybe part time as a quarterback, not the full-time starter. The big spot, perhaps Jacksonville makes the most sense; he's back to his roots. Of course he was a Florida Gator. They would go nuts to see him in Jacksonville, even if they didn't necessarily win a ton of games.

All right, NBA last night, check out Utah Jazz guard Jamal Tinsley, this move against the Thunder he goes right between the legs. And the hoop. Watch again. Naji Muhammad (ph) can't believe it. Tinsley scores, the Jazz go on to win 97-90.

The women's NCAA basketball tournament going on right now. Baylor, the heavy favorite, they are the number team. Watch, their leader, Britney Griner dunks, 6'8, Britney Griner, she dominates college women's hoops and she dunked in the game. She's just the second woman to dunk in the NCAA tournament.

COSTELLO: That's awesome.

FISCHEL: It's incredible. She is the best player in women's college hoops.

COSTELLO: And congratulations Jeff on the new baby.

FISCHEL: Thank you, we're very happy in the Fischel home. I'm very excited to bring home --

COSTELLO: I saw a picture. And that is one cute baby.

FISCHEL: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Thanks, Jeff.

We're following a lot of developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with Diana Magnay.

MAGNAY: Hi, I'm in Toulouse where police are surrounding the house of a man they say is the gunman who killed seven people in the last ten days. That siege now in its 12th hour. We'll have the latest coming up.

ZARRELLA: I'm John Zarrella. Two women tell what they saw the night Trayvon Martin was shot. I'll have that story at the top of the hour.

LOTHIAN: I'm Dan Lothian at the White House. President Obama hits the road to promote his energy policy, but Republicans see it as a PR tour. I'll have that story at the top of the hour.

COSTELLO: Thanks to all of you.

And if you want pink slime in your ground beef, you'll have to go somewhere else to shop besides Safeway. It is the latest grocery store chain to kick it out of the meat department. Sure pink slime sounds gross but does the nickname make the beef filler sound more awful than it really is? We'll explore that issue next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: A hockey game makes history during intermission. CNN's Jeanne Moos explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hockey and romance go together like beer and kissing on the kisscam.

Guys bending their girl over, once in a while someone famous like Tom Hanks smooching his wife.

It is all usually very heterosexual. Except when pseudo-gay couples ham it up or there's a girlie tease. But wait a minute, this is no tease. This is love. Love on center ice at the Toronto Maple Leaves versus Ottawa Senators hockey game the other night. It was the Ottawa team's very first gay proposal, complete with lovey-dovey jumbo screen message. "My love for you is a journey, starting at forever and ending at never." They used a ruse to get Alisha Walton in the blue out on to the ice. Her girlfriend, Christina Beonte, surprised her, reaching into her jeans pocket.

The crowd cheered. After all, this is Canada. And gay marriage has been legal here for seven years.

Christina, by the way, picked the Bruno Mars song "Just the Way You Are".

(on camera): But no matter where you stand on same sex marriage, there is something sinful about this union, something unnatural.

Alisha is wearing Toronto's jersey while Christina is in Ottawa's. Wearing the jerseys of bitter rivals? These women weren't born dressed this way, that's a choice.

An online comments, there was plenty of booing. Someone posted, "I would rather have my kid seeing a hockey fight than two lesbians kissing."

Well, at this game, fans got to see both. There was a fight. Guy on guy, girl on girl, girl on girl on lion mascot? Jeanne Moos, CNN.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations to Christina and Alisha!

MOOS: -- New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)