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Clock Ticks in Trayvon Martin Case; Indonesia Hit by 8.6 Earthquake; Romney Vs. Obama after Santorum Quits Race; Hillary Clinton Recalls Killing of bin Laden; Zimmerman Ignores Lawyers, Calls Hannity?; Santorum Backers Weigh Options; "Hunger Games" Sequel Shocker; N. Korea: Rocket Fueling Under Way; Arkansas Fires Bobby Petrino

Aired April 11, 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. That was deep. Hi, Soledad. Good morning. Good morning to all of you.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Good morning, I'm Carol Costello. Stories we're watching right now in the NEWSROOM.

Where is he? Stressed out, losing weight and isolated as his lawyers bail. Florida and the nation ask this morning where is George Zimmerman?

Rattled, breaking overnight, an 8.6 earthquake slamming Indonesia not far from an area where a quake left tens of thousands dead in 2004.

Battlefront. The Obama-Romney faceoff intensifies as Santorum steps aside. We ask this morning where will his voters go?

Harrowing moments the night the U.S. captured Osama bin Laden. For the first time new details as Hillary Clinton describes minute by minute the courageous SEAL team mission and what one moment had her holding her breath.

Sequel search. The director of "Hunger Games" not hungry for more and calling it quits, saying he will not come back. CNN now hearing from him this morning. So we're catching fire via box office bust.

And dining with the stars. "Modern Family" to the first family. The Pritchetts mingling with the Obamas. Clooney, Spielberg and the dog from "The Artist." It's a White House Correspondents Dinner to remember.

This morning the clock is ticking and the tension is building in the Trayvon Martin case. A few hours from now the parents of the unarmed teenager will hold a news conference with civil rights activist Al Sharpton.

Also this hour, we're expecting comments from U.S. attorney general Eric Holder. The feds have been investigating whether the fatal shooting could be prosecuted as a hate crime.

At the state level, special prosecutor Angela Corey says she'll release new information within three days, all of this unfolding as the shooter, George Zimmerman, remains in hiding and out of touch with his own attorneys. They say his disappearance forced them to resign from his case.

Let's head to Sanford , Florida, now and CNN's George Howell.

George, what are we looking for in Angela Corey's announcement, the special prosecutor?

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. At this point it could very well be a decision in this case. It could just be an update on the facts of the case. No one can really say with certainty at this point what that announcement will be. But we know that it will happen here within the next several days. A big announcement from the state attorney's office.

We know that that came just a few hours after we learned that George Zimmerman's defense team will no longer represent him. We know from that press conference that they had just the other day that he contacted a FOX News host about this case. We also know that they lost contact with him on Sunday. That's the last time they talked with him.

And that he also reached out to the state prosecutor on his own without a defense team, without legal representation. We know that the state attorney's office decided not to talk to him without representation. So at this point his attorneys are out of contact with him. Not representing him. But they did make it very clear, even this morning on "EARLY START" that they still believe in the facts of this case that he acted in self-defense on February 26th. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAL UHRIG, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S FORMER ATTORNEY: We believe that there's information and evidence in the possession of the prosecutor, the investigators, the police department, Department of Law Enforcement, that if publicly known might change some of the course of public opinion. We're not at liberty to disclose it. We don't have possession of it.

What little we know might disclose a confidence as to where we learned about it and we're simply not going to go there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: George Zimmerman has made himself public in a way by creating a Web site. The Realgeorgezimmerman.com. His attorneys did not know about that specific Web site initially. They later learned that it is legitimate. But again, that's something that also caught them off guard.

COSTELLO: George Howell reporting live from Sanford, Florida. Thank you.

George Zimmerman may not be talking to his own lawyers but he's a big part of the conversation in the conservative media. In just about 10 minutes we'll talk to Howie Kurtz of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES". He'll talk about George Zimmerman as the new rallying point for the right.

A big scare off the coast of Indonesia today after two massive earthquakes trigger tsunami alerts. The 8.6 and 8.2 quakes sent people scattering from buildings and boats to higher ground. No immediate reports of damage or casualties in Banda Aceh, an area devastated by a quake-triggered tsunami in 2004 but the big question today, is another tsunami possible?

A man who knows this is Rob Marciano.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, they did get a tsunami, at least locally there right along at the coast of Sumatra. In some cases over three feet and the tsunami, they come in fast and furious. They may go pretty far inland. But the tsunami watch as of 10 minutes ago for the rest of the Indian Ocean has been officially canceled.

This is an 8.6 magnitude quake. It was very, very close to where the 9.1 magnitude quake in Banda Aceh, happened back in 2004. But it was just off the fault line and likely more of a strike slip fault, meaning a horizontal movement versus a thrust that would really get the ocean shaking. So that's the good news there.

You saw the shaking and the damage across parts of northern Sumatra, but at this point, no injuries as you mentioned or fatalities at the moment reported. But a big scare. There are -- there are some pieces of video coming off the Internet that look real but we'll try to get confirmation of this three and four-foot tsunami coming onshore with some serious force. Enough to scare people and have them running for the hills.

Tourists now in places like Phuket and other places in Thailand and Sri Lanka are being allowed to go back down to the beaches and enjoy their vacation.

COSTELLO: OK. I'm glad it wasn't worse. And I hope it remains that there are no serious injuries. Rob, thank you.

MARCIANO: You bet.

COSTELLO: To the world of politics now. Consider this addition by subtraction. Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney inches closer to the nomination with Rick Santorum's decision to quit the race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK SANTORUM (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I know a lot of folks are going to write, maybe those even at the White House, game over, but this game is long, long, long way from over.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: Santorum's departure may not be a game changer. After all he was already a very distant second behind Romney but it may clear Romney's last obstacle.

According to our most recent CNN/ORC poll, in the GOP horse race Republican confidence is even weaker for the two remaining challengers. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul. Together their numbers barely pass Santorum's. Voters don't think either has a shot at winning the nomination.

CNN's political editor Paul Steinhauser is in Washington to talk about what's next for Mitt Romney. Of course Romney's focus is on Obama and November. And the gloves are off. I do find it -- actually we're going to play this sound bite from Romney surrogate Chris Christie, because he hit the president's politics with a one-two punch. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: We're turning into an paternalistic, entitlement society. That will not just bankrupt us financially, it will bankrupt us morally. Because when the American people no longer believe that this is a place where only their willingness to work hard and to act with honor and integrity and ingenuity determines their success in life, then we'll have a bunch of people sitting on a couch waiting for the next government check.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So it's interesting, Paul. President Obama is going to be -- he's going to be holding a little news conference. He's going to be sitting down with millionaires and their secretaries to push the Buffett Rule. And Mitt Romney is going to go to, what, Connecticut? And he's going to visit a business owned by a woman and I don't think that's an accident, do you?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Not at all. You know, the general election now getting under way in earnest, Carol, as you mentioned with the primaries basically coming to a conclusion. And you've got two candidates, President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, who are about as far apart on the issues and philosophy as you can get when it comes to the role of government, when it comes to regulation of big business in Wall Street.

You name the issue, these two candidates are about as far apart as we've seen in presidential election in a long time.

You just played that sound there from Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor. He's a leading surrogate for Mitt Romney. Maybe a possible running mate choice for Mitt Romney. What does the president say when it comes to Republican philosophy? Take a listen to Mr. Obama's words from a fundraiser yesterday in Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They want to spend trillions of dollars more in tax breaks for the very wealthiest of Americans even if it means adding to the deficit, even if it means gutting things like education or clean energy or Medicare.

Their philosophy is simple. That if we just let those who have done best keep on doing what they do, and everybody else is struggling to get by, somehow that's going to grow the economy. They're wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: So, Carol, what you're seeing the president doing, what you're seeing Chris Christie and Mitt Romney doing, trying to portray the other person, kind of paint them right now. Get an early jump.

You mentioned, Mitt Romney. Yes, today, Connecticut, and yesterday in Delaware and in Pennsylvania. Really reaching out to women voters. Listen, we've seen all the polls, Carol. That big gender gap. Pretty, pretty pronounced.

Take a listen to Mitt Romney and his pitch to women voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The real war on women has been the job losses as a result of the Obama economy and if we're going to get women back to work and help women with the real issues women care about, good jobs, good wages, a bright future for themselves, for their families, and for their kids, we're going to have to elect a president who understands how the economy works and I do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: You know, we always talk about independent voters are so crucial. They are. But Carol, I tell you, female voters, the women vote is going to be a big, big deal in the November election.

COSTELLO: As it should be.

(LAUGHTER)

STEINHAUSER: As it should -- exactly.

COSTELLO: Paul Steinhauser, live in Washington, thank you.

Happening now, fire warnings are up in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Brush fires have already burned 2600 acres. High winds are pushing flames across tinder dry conditions. The region has been reeling from a dry spell after Alaska's snow and spring showers.

New fallout and new outrage in that wasteful spending scandal to General Services Administration. The agency which is supposed to safeguard how your tax dollars are being spent has canceled an upcoming conference after embarrassing videos revealed a lavish gathering in 2010. We're also learning today the GSA employee who was responsible for that event was later given a $9,000 bonus. The University of Arkansas fires Bobby Petrino days after his motorcycle accident exposed an inappropriate relationship with a female employee. Twenty-five-year-old Jessica Dorrell was riding with Petrino when his motorcycle left the roadway and crashed. The school says Petrino knowingly misled administrators.

Charles Manson comes up for parole again today. Today his state appointed attorney will ask that Manson be placed in a mental hospital. Manson has been denied parole 11 times.

A Korean Air passenger jet makes a safe emergency landing on Vancouver Island after the airline got a bomb threat at this call center. Two jet fighters intercepted the plane with 147 people on board and escorted it to a military base in British Columbia.

Later today school officials at U.C. Davis will release a long awaited report on this incident. You remember that? A task force has been investigating why university police officers used pepper spray to these peaceful -- on these peaceful student protesters last November as they sat huddled in a line. Eleven protesters were treated for the effects of the spray. We'll keep you posted.

A "Titanic" memorial cruise is back on course this morning. A passenger reportedly developed heart problems, which forced the ship to turn back toward Ireland where the sick passenger was air-lifted. The cruise is also still dealing with rough weather and 20-foot waves. Many passengers are sea sick and a floor show had to be canceled.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is revealing new and riveting details on what exactly it was like in the White House situation room during the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound. The atmosphere so tense Clinton says no one could breathe for 35 minutes. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: When we gathered that Sunday, it was a pretty intense, tense, stressful time because the people who were actually doing it on the ground were thousands of miles away. We did have good communications so we -- in the White House there's a large situation room in the whole protected sort of secret area in the basement.

And there are smaller rooms so we were in one of the smaller room when the attack began. And we were able to have some communication so we were in real time aware of what was happening.

And I'm not sure anybody breathed for, you know, 35 or 37 minutes and for me the worst part was when one of the helicopters -- if you remember looking at drawings of what the compound looked like, there was a -- there was a yard and there was a wall and as the helicopter went in, the tail got stuck and it was not flyable.

That had been planned for but it was still somewhat, you know, worrisome that this had occurred.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: CNN foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty, she's at the State Department this morning. And you listened to Hillary Clinton's comments. Tell us what else she said. It was riveting.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that really is the word, Carol. And you know we all remember that picture of Secretary Clinton kind of in the middle of the -- of the bunch of men and she has her hand up to her mouth. So you can tell that there was a lot of drama.

And let me set the scene of where this all came from. She was giving a speech last night in Annapolis at the Naval Academy and talking about U.S. foreign policy, Asia Pacific, et cetera, and then at the end of her prepared remarks, one of the young future officers asked her a question about Osama bin Laden and that's where she went into this really long explanation of what she saw, what she felt during this operation.

Let's listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: And we got the word that they thought they had killed bin Laden, but think about what they had to do because it was imperative that we take the body. The decision had to be made to blow up the disabled helicopter, which didn't completely work because of the way it was positioned.

So, the SEALs had to take the women and children out of the house to get them away from the site of where the disabled helicopter was. You didn't want any collateral damage.

All of this is happening. You know, the body is going out. The women and children are coming in. The reserve helicopter is on its way but it's not there yet. You know, there was a lot of breath holding.

And then, finally, all of the helicopters were up and out and on their way back to Afghanistan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGHERTY: So you have to remember, of course, Secretary Clinton used to be a senator from New York and that was where of course 9/11 much of it happened, so she had this personal memory that was quite strong -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes. I'm just surprised she went into all that detail. And she also talked about, you know, this spontaneous eruption of relief when the mission was finally called a success.

DOUGHERTY: You know, she remembered in fact recalling the people -- especially the young people who gathered outside the gates of the White House after Osama bin Laden was killed and she actually said something interesting, that she believed that they could think about the future in a way they hadn't been able to think about it before.

And that is actually true, because although terrorism continues, there's no question, the seminal person who was involved in that is now gone.

COSTELLO: Jill Dougherty live at the State Department.

Coming up on NEWSROOM, you get a college acceptance e-mail, only to find out it was a mistake. That actually happened to hundreds of applicants. What went wrong is coming up.

And George Zimmerman won't talk to his lawyers, but apparently he has no problem talking to the media. What's more weird? Well, we'll tell you when we come back.

And a controversial North Korea rocket launch could be hours away. A live report from Pyongyang coming up.

You're watching NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: George Zimmerman is probably the most controversial and mysterious person in the country right now. A lot of people are calling for his arrest. His former legal advisers were just hoping for a call from him period.

And what many analysts call a bizarre news conference, Zimmerman's lawyers said their client, well, he didn't call them, but he did call Sean Hannity of FOX News.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAL UHRIG, ZIMMERMAN'S FORMER ATTORNEY: We learned he called Sean Hannity of FOX News directly and not through us. And we believe -- I can't confirm this -- we believe that he spoke directly with Sean off the record and he's not even willing to tell us what our client told him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Sean Hannity felt compelled to respond.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS: I was contacted by an individual that we in fact believe was George Zimmerman. He reached out to me. We spoke on the phone about his case. I agreed not to report on the contents of that conversation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Howard Kurtz from "The Daily Beast" and CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES" is with us now.

Hi, Howie.

HOWARD KURTZ, HOST, CNN'S "RELIABLE SOURCES" (via telephone): Good morning.

COSTELLO: First of all, you have been around a long time. As you watch this news conference held by these lawyers, what went through your mind?

KURTZ: This is the most bizarre spectacle I have ever seen. These guys feel compelled to hold a news conference to drop a case because they can't get their client to return phone calls, respond to e-mails, respond to text messages but he's calling up Hannity? I mean, you couldn't write this in a Hollywood movie.

COSTELLO: Well, I was just wondering, do you think the lawyers were using the media or are they really concerned for their client?

KURTZ: Well, you know, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they are trying to represent or were trying to represent George Zimmerman. They both said that they still believe that he was not guilty of murder. But, you know, lawyers have a responsibility to represent their clients well and if your client refuses to communicate with you, it's kind of hard to do that.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, most attorneys would not advise their clients to call the media. But reporters aren't obligation to report what was said to them in confidence by a person accused of a crime, right?

KURTZ: Yes. No, I don't think Sean Hannity did anything wrong here. I mean, every television show on the planet, I'm sure, including some at CNN, is trying to book George Zimmerman. Hannity is the recipient of a call from a guy who says he's George Zimmerman, who wants to talk to him off the record. If I got that call, I would have said fine. You establish a rapport with the person. If you can commit him to come out of the air later, maybe you can learn something, even if it's off the record, that might inform your coverage.

So, Hannity -- it does tell something about Zimmerman that he's a FOX News fan, probably a Hannity fan. And that he felt compelled to want to tell his side or at least establish some kind of contact with Sean Hannity while he's blowing off his lawyers.

COSTELLO: Well, it is interesting, you know, when you watch the media, when you watch FOX and when you watch MSNBC, there are kind of clear lines drawn, so, maybe it's no surprise that George Zimmerman chose to call FOX.

KURTZ: Carol, I have almost never seen anything like the ideological split here. For the first week or two, FOX News played down this case. And as more evidence came out, that Zimmerman had told the police that Trayvon Martin had attacked him, and he was acting in self-defense, FOX jumped on this, made many, many segments that are taking sympathetic to Zimmerman side.

Whereas MSNBC led by Al Sharpton, who has a show there and, of course, is calling for Zimmerman's arrest very much in the camp of Trayvon Martin.

So, it has become very polarized, and so, you're right. Not surprising that if he's going to call some network, that George Zimmerman would call FOX.

COSTELLO: Interestingly enough, the Martin family is going to an event hosted by Al Sharpton and they'll be appearing together later this afternoon. So, it's been a strange, strange split.

I just want to play you a bit of what Rush Limbaugh had to say. It's not just FOX News. It's sort of like -- I don't want to call it a conservative movement. I'll leave that to you, Howie.

But let's listen to what Rush Limbaugh had to say about George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: The Trayvon Martin situation caused happiness somewhere in the civil rights community because it gave them a shot in the arm. It launched them. It allowed them to get in gear and start leveling the charges that they always love to make about the country.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So this -- it's become very political, hasn't it?

KURTZ: Political and polarized. I will disagree to this extent. I don't think anybody -- anybody -- is happy about killing of an unarmed 17-year-old teenager.

But it is true that some people on the liberal side are using this case to take a stand against what they see as anti-black prejudice and they see as lax gun control laws and things like that. And people on the other side, I didn't mean to suggest it was just FOX News, conservative columnist, commentators, pundits, you name, certainly being much more sympathetic to George Zimmerman.

And at this point, I'm compelled to add, Carol, we still don't know what happened. When Zimmerman is not talking to his own lawyers but talking off the record to Sean Hannity, it's going to be a while before we find out more about what happened on that tragic night.

COSTELLO: Howard Kurtz, thanks for joining us this morning.

KURTZ: Thank you, Carol. Good to talk to you.

COSTELLO: Rick Santorum supporters are feeling lonely today now that their candidate is out of the race. They are wondering who to back. We'll have more on that story ahead.

And a bear roams in an L.A. suburb sending residents scrambling. We'll tell you the outcome.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Checking stories cross country.

A big oops for UCLA. Nearly 900 students who are on the university's admissions wait list -- they received e-mails last week saying they had been accepted but it was all a mistake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSHUA MOSCOT, UCLA FRESHMAN: I think that's a pretty big mess- up. But I don't think it's end of the world.

KATHY LAM, RECEIVED UCLA ACCEPTANCE LETTER (via telephone): Well, I feel like since (INAUDIBLE) you know, they have that name and that receipt, I feel like they shouldn't have made a mistake like this. I mean, I guess things do happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: An updated e-mail with apology went out days later. The error being blamed on a financial aid mix up.

Look at this robbery caught on camera in Portland. One by one, a flash mob of 16 teenagers walks into a convenience store and they take items off the shelves and they walk out. Police say about $200 to $300 worth of goods were stolen.

A 400-pound black bear caused a scare in a Los Angeles suburb. He was spotted on camera roaming a neighborhood and he sent a homeowner running. After a few hours, fish and game officials caught up with the bear, tranquilized it and this morning, the bear is back in the Angeles National Forest.

Now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. The question this morning: rich versus poor, if that's where America really is, who's right, Romney or Obama?

Game on. The 2012 election is down to Romney versus Obama. In other words, get ready for class warfare. The sharpest salvo came from Romney surrogate Chris Christie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: The American people no longer believe that this is place where only their willingness to work hard and to act with honor and integrity and ingenuity determines their success in life. Then we'll have a bunch of people sitting on a couch waiting for the next government check.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: For President Obama, the election is all about fairness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They want to spend trillions of dollars more in tax breaks for the very wealthiest of Americans, even if it means adding to the deficit. Even if it means gutting things like education or clean energy or Medicare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: On FOX News, Republican pundit Dick Morris accuses Democrats of stoking class envy and fear with talks of cuts to entitlement programs. Yet, conservatives hitting back with terms like socialism and welfare state.

In campaign speak, Romney equals the rubber baron, Obama, the welfare president. Translation: Democrats say sound government programs and higher taxes on the wealthy help the economy. Republicans say less government, less regulation and lower taxes accomplish the same thing.

So the talk back question: rich versus poor, if that's where America really is -- who is right, Romney or Obama?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN, Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.

He won them over with their conservative positions on same sex marriage, abortion and contraception. Now, Rick Santorum supporters are free agents looking for a new candidate to back and they are laying out some conditions. We'll have details for you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Rick Santorum supporters are waking up today with a pressing question on their minds. With their candidate now out of the race, who should they back? It's a real dilemma for many evangelical voters who have serious problems with the likely Republican nominee, Mitt Romney.

Tony Perkins, a leading social conservative, was on CNN this morning and he had this advice for Romney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY PERKINS, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL: If Mitt Romney wants to capture some of that support that Rick Santorum gained with very little money, based solely upon his message, then Mitt Romney needs to pick up that message not just when asked in debates or cornered by a reporter to say I'm pro-life or, yes, I support marriage, but intertwine that in his message.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: CNN.com religion editor Dan Gilgoff is in Washington.

Hi, Dan.

DAN GILGOFF, CNN.COM RELIGION EDITOR: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, explain to us exactly what Mr. Perkins means. What should Romney do when he's out making campaign speeches?

GILGOFF: Well, I think that Tony Perkins speaks to this reality that a lot of social conservatives are waking up to this morning. And that is that there is this huge lingering disappointment very late in the primary race.

And social conservatives are disappointed for two reasons. One, they loved Rick Santorum. Santorum was one of them, both personally and politically. He was outspoken Catholic and advocated on issues like abortion, which even a lot of Republicans are afraid to touch.

The other reason they are disappointed is because reality is setting in that Mitt Romney is almost certainly going to be the nominee of the Republican Party to face Barack Obama this fall. And so, they are coming to terms with that reality. And all of these months in, Mitt Romney still hasn't closed the deal with these voters.

COSTELLO: What does he need to do? I mean, he's a devout Mormon. He says the right things when he is cornered by reporters, right? He's reached out to them. He's told them I really mean this. I had like an education and I think differently now.

I mean, what more can he say to win over these evangelical voters?

GILGOFF: Well, you know, a lot of it -- and Tony Perkins spoke to this too, is about outreach and the vigor of the outreach to social conservative leaders. There are a lot of religious conservative leaders who I spoke with who say that even those that are on board with Romney say they haven't really heard from the Romney campaign. A lot of them feel ignored and neglected and shirked.

So, I think one of the things that Romney is going to have to do is pick up the phone, he and his campaign, and reach it out to these leaders in a serious way. Without that kind of outreach, he's going to suffer from this enthusiasm deficit.

Are social conservatives going to pick up the phone for him and go out and knock on doors for him? That's the grassroots organizing that successful candidates from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush have depended on to win their elections.

COSTELLO: You know, just a bit about the difficulty that Mitt Romney has. I mean, he can't really speak their language because he has to attract other voters as well.

GILGOFF: Right. And this is precisely where you don't want to be as a candidate this late in the race. I mean, the primary is winding down. We're moving toward the convention this summer. The candidate wants to have the base locked up so that he or she can move to the center.

And right now, Mitt Romney has two big problems. One is shoring up his own base and people like Tony Perkins are speaking to his inability to do that. And two, move to the center and get those moderate independent voters that are essential to put them over the top in November.

So, he has to fight a two-front war right now which is hard.

COSTELLO: Dan Gilgoff, thanks so much.

And if you want to read Dan's column, it's on CNN.com/Belief blog, right? CNN.com/belief blog.

GILGOFF: That's right, Carol. Good to see you.

COSTELLO: Nice to see you, too, Dan. Thank you.

Still ahead, fallout from Castro comments. The Miami Marlins pick a fill-in manager to take over while Ozzie Guillen serves his suspension. More on that story coming up in sports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANE MCGONICAL, GAME DESIGNER: There are a billion people on the planet now who qualify as gamers. There are games you can play to learn how to start your own business. If you are unemployed and want to start your own company, there's a game you can play to learn how to do that. When I tell people, hey, do you want to cure cancer or Alzheimer's? You can do that by playing a game.

Games are an extraordinary way to tap into the best version of yourself. The most determined, the most creative, the most resilient.

I'm Jane McGonigal. I'm a game designer. And I'm the inventor of Super Better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Guess who is coming to dinner at the White House? A few of the stars from the first family's TV show, host A.J. Hammer is here with details.

So, spill it.

A.J. HAMMER, HOST, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: It's correspondents dinner. And I'm betting the first family is just thrilled that some of the cast from "Modern Family" will be attending the White House Correspondents Dinner.

Sofia Vergara is going to be here; Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Julie Bowen, Eric Stonestreet -- all expected to show up.

And since we're talking about "Modern Family," which happens to be one of my favorite shows on television, well, I must take an opportunity to show a clip. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got lights and ornaments at our place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, it would be great. It's the angel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, where is it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gloria, it's up in your attic. Would you get it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not the attic. It's dirty and there are spiders.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It won't be Christmas without it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It won't be Christmas with it. It's December 16th.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Luke, we'll help Gloria. He's not scared.

UNIDENTIFIED KID: Oh, good. You won't find me in the attic.

UNIDENTIFIED KID: That might be exactly where they find you.

UNIDENTIFIED KID: Mom?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have a party tonight. You promised I could go if I got a B on my test. I studied. I write stuff. What was the point of that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: One of the best shows on TV.

The Correspondents Dinner is going to be fun, too. It's hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. It happens on April 28th.

And, Carol, as you know, this is one of the most glamorous nights in Washington. You got stars and politicians mixing with the fourth estate, and some other celebrities expected to be there -- George Clooney, Steven Spielberg, Daniel Day-Lewis, Viola Davis, Reese Witherspoon.

COSTELLO: Wow.

HAMMER: Quite the guest list this year, Carol.

COSTELLO: Wow, you're not kidding. Maybe I'll try to get in. It will be a big no from bosses.

OK. So, let's move onto our next topic, shall we? From one of TV's favorite TV shows to a blockbuster movie hit "The Hunger Games." We understand there's big changes that might upset some fans.

HAMMER: Yes, it may. We talked about this being a possibility. Now it's the truth. Gary Ross, director of the blockbuster hit "The Hunger Games" will not participate in the sequel "Catching Fire." There were multiple reports that had Lionsgate, which is the studio behind the film, and Ross fighting over salary and some other issues but as both sides announce that Ross wouldn't be back, they are both saying that this is an amicable parting.

Lionsgate said they hope to work with Ross again down the road.

Ross in what I think was a relatively emotional statement called "The Hunger Games" the happiest of his professional life. But this is what he said as he departs. "I decided not to direct 'Catching Fire'. As a writer and a director, I simply don't have the time I need to write and prep the movie I would have wanted to make because of the fixed and tight production schedule."

So, no word yet, Carol, on exactly who is going to be picking up the job as director of the next film. It is scheduled to be released next year.

COSTELLO: "Hunger Games" was good, too. So I'm a little worried myself.

HAMMER: We'll see what happens.

COSTELLO: Thank you, A.J.

A.J. will be back with us in the next hour with more "Showbiz Headlines" including a swan song for a "Dancing with the Stars" favorite. What the popular talk show co-host is saying today.

A North Korean long range rocket is being fueled right now and the controversial launch could be just hours away. We'll have a live report from inside North Korea.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: A Korean Air passenger jet makes a safe emergency landing on Vancouver Island after the airline got a bomb threat at its call center. Two NORAD Jet fighters intercepted the airliner; 147 people were on board. NORAD escorted that jet to a military base in British Columbia. It's been undergoing an intensive safety check ever since.

Tensions on the rise on the North Korea peninsula as North Korea prepares to launch a long-range rocket possibly within hours. Pyongyang claims it's putting a satellite into orbit but the United States and South Korea insist the purpose of the launch is much more sinister.

Joining us by phone from Pyongyang inside North Korea is CNN Stan grant. Hello, Stan.

STAN GRANT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes hi, Carol. You're right. You know this question persist does isn't? Exactly what is North Korea up to? Now they've opened the doors to the international media, really a historic, unprecedented step and taken us right up to the launch. We got up close to the rocket. They have taken us around the facility. And just this day they took us out to the command center all to try to reinforce this message that this is not a missile launch. That this is in fact a satellite launch.

They say that the United States is confused about this. The U.S. says, no, this is a seriously provocative act. It's also in violation of United Nations -- the United Nations resolutions.

There's a lot riding on this. Here is a country that can't feed its people that needs international food aid and they did have a deal with the U.S. to provide that aid back in February.

That now appears to have been scuttled by this move but they are determined to press ahead with that. That window is now opening. It's likely to happen in the -- in the next few days at least; all of the red preparations are now in place. The rocket is there.

The satellite has been placed into it to be fired into orbit. The big question has still not been adequately answered what is going to be fired into space, a satellite or a missile -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well it's curious I mean, why would North Korea invite -- because that's really unusual for North Korea to say come on down and watch our satellite launch. I mean why do you suppose they did that?

GRANT: Unusual is an understatement isn't it? I mean this is an extraordinarily secretive country and this is a very, very sensitive program.

There were two reasons for that, one that they want to be able to show that this in fact a satellite launch. I've said before if they were to proceed with their missile program they will be putting at risk this food aide that they desperately need.

But there is another issue here. This is the 100th anniversary of the birth of the founding father of North Korea Kim Il-Sung. There's going to be a massive celebration here. This is the year that they wanted to be able to say that they have arrived as a powerful and prosperous nation.

Well you can say that when you can't feed your people there's really a question that many of you are asking and how they can spent money on this when they count their big lose also raising a lot of concerns. But they are determine to go with it. Power is the legitimacy of this regime. They want to be able to show to their people that they are powerful. They want to be able to show that they can deter any threat, Carol.

COSTELLO: Ok so how will officials be able to tell whether this is the satellite or a missile?

GRANT: This -- what -- what they say will be able to happen is that this will be tracked, they will be able to track this from the tracking station here and see if it has in fact been successful.

But we've been speaking to analysts here and this is where we enter a gray area. The launch vehicle itself, the rocket is a dual purpose vehicle. The analyst we'd been speaking to say it can be just to use for a warhead as it is for a satellite.

This is about the technology even if they were to put a satellite into orbit, the technology could be transferred and used for a much more sinister purpose and they have been able to develop missiles that could travel as far as cities in the United States -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Stan Grant reporting live from inside North Korea. Thanks Stan.

GRANT: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Forget the snow and freezing temperatures. Play ball in Detroit the Tigers staged another late inning comeback. Oh my God they're amazing.

Sports in less than 10 minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We asked you to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. The question for you today, "Rich versus poor, if that's where America really is who's right -- Romney or Obama?"

This from Kim, "Lower regulations, less government, lower taxes -- all double-speak for 'Please help me further enrich my obscenely wealthy backers'".

This from Tim, "Obama's plan to go after the rich simply because they're rich is anything but fair."

This from Thomas, "Less government and less regulation plus Bush Tax cuts gave us the recession and deficits, two wars unpaid for and high unemployment. It's a no brainer."

This from Clifford, "Democrats want to steal from those that earn something of value and give it to someone who hasn't, for the sole purpose of buying their support."

And this from Bill, "Jobs, jobs, jobs; America needs jobs not partisan bickering and battling ideology."

Keep the comments coming, Facebook.com/carolCNN, Facebook.com/carolCNN. And thanks, as always for your comments.

Coming up at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, being told you look and speak like Charles Manson would actually frighten a lot of people but imagine finding out you might also be the notorious killer's son. Matthew Roberts thinks he might be that man. We're going to hear from him in the next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: What lessons can we learn from Bobby Petrino, Jeff?

JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS: Oh, behave. I think really -- the truth, oh my goodness. Head coach, Bobby Petrino of Arkansas, he built the Razorback football program into an SCC power. 34 and 17 record in his four seasons there, but in the last 10 days his kingdom collapsed.

It started with that motorcycle accident. He didn't mention a female member of his staff was with him. The married of four later admitted to an inappropriate relationship with 25-year-old Jessica Durrell. Then it was revealed that Petrino showed favoritism in hiring Durrell and had given her $20,000.

Arkansas athletic director, Jeff Long says Petrino was fired with cause -- meaning no contract buy out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF LONG, ARKANSAS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: He used the athletic department. He used the athletic department funds to hire for his staff a person with whom he had had an inappropriate relationship. He engaged in reckless and unacceptable behavior and put his relationship in the national spotlight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FISCHEL: In a statement Petrino said, "the simplest response I have is I'm sorry."

The Miami Marlins say bench coach, Joey Correll will be interim manager while Ozzie Guillen serves a five-game suspension. The Marlins are punishing Guillen for his comments about Fidel Castro in the "Time" magazine saying he loves and respects Castro. Guillen apologized in both English and Spanish yesterday aware that what he said angered many in Miami's Cuban American community. It remains to be seen if they will accept his apology.

It was football weather in Detroit -- snow flurries, temperatures in the 40s for the Rays and the Tigers. Who wants that? Prince Fielder, that's the game winner. The Tigers come back again and win, 3-2 over the Rays, and one of two undefeated teams in baseball.

COSTELLO: Four and O, baby.

FISCHEL: Yes.

COSTELLO: Prince Fielder is good. He's used in Milwaukee weather because he did fine in Detroit.

FISCHEL: And always has to do with lots of money, too.

COSTELLO: I'm happy with him.

Thanks, Jeff.