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Ambushed Cop Waved Off Help; Gunman's Dark Military Past; Gasoline Prices Up Again; U.S. Women Reach Soccer Final; Hate Groups on the Rise in U.S.; Obama Calls Rival "Romney Hood"; Oregon "Not Ready" for Major Quake

Aired August 07, 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, Brooke. Thanks so much.

Happening now in the NEWSROOM. Profile of a killer. New details this morning about Wade Michael Page, his military service, his music, his beliefs, also new, his family speaking out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURIE PAGE, GUNMAN'S FORMER STEPMOTHER: What has changed him, I have no idea. And obviously, we're never going to know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: We're in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, as a community tries to heal.

Price shock. Gas prices spiking overnight, now almost up 30 cents in just a month. What's behind the price at the pump and what you'll be paying come labor day.

The big one. Startling new report out saying Oregon could get rattled by a major earthquake just like the one that struck Japan. A 9.0, not if, but when? Is the northwest ready?

And Robin Hood, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. The mythical character now front and center in the political fight over your taxes. The president has a brand-new punch line aimed at Mitt Romney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's like Robin Hood in reverse.

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: It's "Romney Hood."

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Sherwood Forest hasn't seen anything like this.

NEWSROOM begins right now.

And good morning. Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Carol Costello. We begin with new details of heroism emerging this morning from that deadly shooting rampage near Milwaukee. Satwan Singh Kaleka was president of the Sikh Temple, and he died trying to protect his fellow worshippers. He was armed but only with a butter knife. Police say he saved lives by delaying the killer just long enough for others to escape.

And this is Lieutenant Brian Murphy, the first police officer to arrive on the scene. The gunman was waiting as Murphy attended to a victim, the killer walked up and shot him nine times, even critically wounded Murphy's greatest concern was for the other victims. When his fellow officers finally reached him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF JOHN EDWARDS, OAK CREEK, WISCONSIN POLICE: And as they approached him, he waved them off. He waved them off. He'd been shot nine times. One of them very serious in the neck area. And he waved them off and told them to go into the temple to assist those in there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: David Mattingly is in oak creek, Wisconsin.

So David, how is Officer Murphy doing this morning?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As of the last update we got from the hospital, Carol, and that was yesterday evening, they were saying he was still in critical condition. We know that he's undergone two surgeries. That's two surgeries that we know of, and was said to be resting comfortably.

His boss, the police chief, was saying that he has a long road of recovery ahead of him. Not going into any sort of detail about the wounds that he had, but we know the most serious one that he had was actually a shot to his neck. So he had a lot of serious injuries that he was going to have to be dealing with.

And this -- they're calling what happened to him was an ambush by the killer, that Officer Murphy showed up and immediately went to the aid of someone who had been shot there right outside the temple. And then the killer turned his gun directly on him, firing eight to nine times at him.

And it's really remarkable that he was able to keep his wits about him and as the paramedics arrived, waved the paramedics off and was saying, please, help the people inside the temple first. So a lot of people really appreciating the work that he was doing there and marveling at the fact that he was able to survive this kind of attack.

COSTELLO: David Mattingly reporting live for us this morning. Now a closer look at the gunman who killed those six people. In about 10 minutes, we'll hear from civil rights organization that tracked the suspect, Wade Michael Page, for more than 10 years. And it was his ties to a white supremacy group and possibly a domestic terror group that also drew the attention of the feds.

"The L.A. Times" reports law enforcement officials took notice but felt there wasn't enough evidence to open a full investigation. His former stepmother says his hatred must have boiled up in the decade since she lost touch with him.

Here's what she told CNN affiliate KUSA.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAGE: I would not have known that was Wade. What has changed him, I have no idea. And obviously, we're never going to know. He had Hispanic friends and he had black friends. You know, there was none of that.

I'm totally devastated. His father is devastated. We're pretty much in shock. So my heart goes out to those people. I'm as devastated for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: But Page didn't keep his hatred a secret. We told you he was the front man of a white power band. Listen to some of the words of one rage-filled song.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What has happened to America that was once so white and free? Now our mission is overrun by (EXPLETIVE DELETED) and Jews and (EXPLETIVE DELETED) scum.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: According to "The New York Times," Page told neighbors he had seen combat after 9/11, and he supposedly had a 9/11 tattoo in honor of those who died in New York's twin towers. The tattoo part may be true, but the combat part is certainly not.

Chris Lawrence is our Pentagon correspondent.

Chris, Page was in the service. He did have problems. Tell us more.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Carol. You know, at first glance, nothing really jumps out at you. But as we start digging into his service record a little bit more, you start to see some of these issues.

First of all, there was no combat. In fact, by the time terrorists attacked the United States on September 11th, 2001, Page had been out of the army for several years. And while he was in the army during the '90s, he was never deployed. He went to several bases around the United States but saw no combat. So that part is not true.

He was involved in psychological operations. It has a connotation of a very classified, very secretive, but what we believe Page was involved with was more lower-level propaganda. You know, dropping leaflets in foreign countries, things like that. When we -- when you look at his service record and dig a little bit deeper, you can see that he got a general discharge under honorable conditions.

It's not as bad as dishonorable, but it basically means the army is saying, look, this isn't working out for us. It's not working out for you. You could separate now and go on your way. What the basis of it was basically was a drinking problem. One of the men that he served with says he got drunk and showed up to formation. That led to him being busted down from a sergeant to a specialist and ultimately separating from the army.

COSTELLO: So Chris, were there any racist or violent red flags when he was in the army?

LAWRENCE: Nothing specifically in his service record. In other words, Carol, no incidents, no actions that we know of. But when CNN spoke with his former army buddy, he said, look, he talked a lot about the racial holy war to come. He would complain about minorities a lot. He would talk about the revolution. But this soldier says, you know, it was a lot of talk. And he said that that's all I thought it was. He said this -- he was a very smart guy. I didn't agree with his views, but I liked him as a person.

And he said, I didn't think it was going to go, you know, as far as actions. And then when you look, Carol, I mean, he knew this man back in the '90s. Here we are 15 years later, hard to predict anything like this was going to happen so far removed.

COSTELLO: Chris Lawrence reporting live from the Pentagon this morning.

In other news, authorities are investigating the cause of a fire that destroyed a mosque in Joplin, Missouri. The FBI was already investigating a fire there last month that damaged the roof. Surveillance video of the July 4th fire showed a man throwing an incendiary device at the mosque. Security cameras were destroyed in Monday's blaze.

In money news, gas prices, I am sure you've noticed, they have gone up, way up. The question is why this time? The average price of a regular unleaded gallon of gas today is $3.65. That's an increase of 14 cents from just a week ago.

Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange. Tell us why.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know why, because, Carol, there are a lot of different factors that go into that price of a gallon of gas, and part of it has to do with something we've been talking a lot about -- corn. Corn is a key ingredient in ethanol. And ethanol is a key ingredient in gas. It makes up about 10 percent of the fuel that you put in your car.

Now because the summer's drought has taken out a ton of that corn crop, that's really driven up the cost of ethanol. Also, you have to remember it's the peak driving season. Kids are out of school. Everybody is taking trips. So prices do tend to be higher at this time of the year.

Now currently the Midwest is feeling the biggest pinch. The average prices are around anywhere from $3.90 to $4 in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, and mainly because of some refinery problems there that are hitting output. The good news is that the pipeline there in the Midwest has -- that's been shut down in July. It's expected to reopen today.

Also some high prices, of course, on each of the coasts, but that is the usual suspects there, New York and California -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Alison Kosik reporting live from the New York Stock Exchange.

Let's talk Olympics now, shall we, because the U.S. women's soccer team is moving on to the gold-medal match after a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Canada. Alex Morgan scored the decider in the 123rd minute last night. Oh, but this win came with controversy.

Zain Verjee is in London.

The Canadians are saying we were robbed.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: I know. It was so close. I mean, it was really down to the very last few seconds in extra time. And Alex Morgan clinched it for the United States. The Canadians, you know, your neighbors just had it, and then they lost it.

It was such an exciting match. And what this does, Carol, it puts the U.S. back into a final with Japan. Now, they've got a bone to pick here. And the reason is, is because the U.S. lost to Japan back in the Women's World Cup Final in 2011. So they're looking in amazing shape and they're hoping to get gold.

The U.S. women's football/soccer team has got gold in the Olympics three times, and they're hoping to make it four. And the final is on Thursday in Wembley -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Can't wait. Let's talk about Usain Bolt because he's not resting on his 100-meter laurels, no. He's running in the 200- meter, and I'm guessing he won his heat today.

VERJEE: Yes, he did. Very comfortably. You know, here in London for the next few days, it's basically going to be the Bolt show. Let's just call it that, OK? He did his heats a little bit earlier today. He did a great job. He says that, you know, don't call me a legend just yet. He said, I want to win the 200 first. Then call me a sprinting legend. The thing is what he really wants to do is do something that nobody's ever done before, which is to win back-to-back, two golds in two Olympics in the men's 200 meters. The only thing he's done is the same thing that Carl Lewis has done, which is both of them won the 100 meters back to back in two Olympics.

So he's really trying to make history here. He wants to beat his own world record which is I think it's like 19.19 seconds. Yohan Blake, his compatriot from Jamaica, is going to be pushing him really hard because he actually beat him in the qualifying heats in Jamaica for the Olympics. But Bolt says this is his favorite race, the 200 meters, and the final's going to happen on Thursday -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Oh, I can't wait. Awesome. Zain Verjee reporting live for us from London.

American Airlines is offering a brand-new service. Guess what. You can have your luggage delivered so you don't have to wait at that pesky baggage carousel after your flight. So how much will it cost you? We'll tell you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Exactly 15 minutes after the hour. Checking our top stories now.

John Edwards' former aide Andrew Young will not face contempt charges. Young was accused of providing investigators sensitive secret material in Edwards' federal corruption investigation. Edwards' former mistress Rielle Hunter had filed a lawsuit trying to reclaim sensitive materials.

To Syria's largest city, Aleppo, where opposition activists report fierce shelling and more bloodshed. This comes a day after Syria's prime minister defected. The opposition also says dozens of people have been killed across Syria today.

In money news, American Airlines is offering to deliver your bags to your home, office or final destination. The charge, 30 to 50 bucks depending on the number of bags. The airline says it will deliver your bags in one to four hours if the destination is 40 miles or less.

To sports now, where Yahoo! is reporting the perks of winning an Olympic gold medal. One of London's trendiest nightclubs is offering a free $3,000 cocktail. The drink contains 24-carat gold leaf champagne with a set of handmade 18-carat gold rings. You're going to run right out, I know.

And in Japan, who wants a Wendy's baconator if you can buy a lobster burger. Wendy's, the fast food chain, is reportedly offering a bun stacked with lobster claws, mustardy mayonnaise and sprinkles of caviar, or you can get the lobster surf and turf burger. Each sells but only in Japan for about 17 bucks apiece.

Let's get serious now and turn back to the gunman who opened fire at the Sikh Temple in suburban Milwaukee. One civil rights organization had been watching Wade Michael Page, the suspect, and tracking him for years. And the Southern Poverty Law Center says Page is just one of many right now.

There are more than 1,000 hate groups in the United States. That number nearly doubled from the year 2000. The hate movement has been growing since Barack Obama was elected -- Barack Obama, rather, was elected president.

Heidi Beirich leads the group's intelligence project and is an expert on various forms of extremism. She joins us via Skype from Montgomery.

Welcome, Heidi.

HEIDI BEIRICH, SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER: Thanks for having me.

COSTELLO: I want to center on Page's bands, the bands he played in. One was called Welcome to the South. This particular song that we're going to hear is called "Definite Hate." Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What has happened to America that was once so white and free? Now our mission is overrun by (EXPLETIVE DELETED) and Jews and (EXPLETIVE DELETED) scum.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Apparently I've read he had some sort of record label. Does this stuff get wide play?

BEIRICH: Yes, you'd actually be surprised at how much of this is and how many people listen to it. I mean it's a subculture certainly, the white supremacist movement, but there are many, many bands and many, many labels. Sometimes they put this out for free and distribute it at schools, if you can believe it. It's used as a recruiting tool for the movement.

COSTELLO: Wow. In an interview Page said he started another band, his band, called End Apathy, because it would be, quote, "The start towards moving forward." What did he mean by that, do you suppose?

BEIRICH: Well, I mean, it sounds particularly ominous now in the wake of the shootings. I mean, there are certain people in the movement who begin to feel like their leadership isn't really doing anything to bring on white revolution. And the band name End Apathy sounds like what Page was thinking is that it was about time to take action, to maybe become a lone wolf and do something to bring that revolution to fruition. And I just -- I think that's what the band name means, as we look at, you know, what happened the other day.

COSTELLO: Page attended a music festival called Hammer Fest. This festival is held all over the country. Like you say, these songs are used to recruit. Is this festival used to do that, too? BEIRICH: Yes, I mean, they really are like lollapaloozas or Oz fests of hate. They bring bands from all over the country together to get -- and skinheads literally come from around the world to hammer fests to dance, to be in the mosh pits, to fight. I mean it's a really violent subculture, and it's the number one way skinheads get to know each other, get involved in the movement. And they're pretty regular. I mean they happen every few months across the United States.

COSTELLO: How many people attend these festivals?

BEIRICH: You know, it depends. It can be in the hundreds in some cases, a little more in others. They're really restricted events. I mean usually you have to know somebody in the movement who's willing to tell you where to go. It's not like these things are advertised in public. And then they give you the coordinates and you show up at these venues which tends to be on private land. But usually a few hundred people at each of the events.

COSTELLO: And, you know, they have First Amendment rights so I suppose cities can do nothing to keep them out, right?

BEIRICH: Yes, that's absolutely right. Everybody has the right in the United States to say the horrible things like the End Apathy band said, Page said. So there's nothing to be done about that. What happens, though, oftentimes at these events is the violence spills over. These people get so enraged, they, you know, drink a lot of alcohol and we've had hate crimes occur after hate music events. And that's a real problem for law enforcement and for all of us.

COSTELLO: Your organization kept an eye on Page for, what, 10 years? Did you ever inform authorities of his existence?

BEIRICH: No. I mean, look. We track literally thousands and thousands of extremists. We collect all this kind of data on them from Web sites and publications. And there are a lot of people in our files that are just like Wade Page with the tattoos, the connections to skinheads or other extremist groups. It's a relatively rare few who step over the line and perpetrate violence.

COSTELLO: So apparently this guy bought a gun legally. You kept an eye on him. Authorities were aware of him. So that kind of brings you to the question, what can you do to stop these kinds of shootings?

BEIRICH: Yes. You're right. This is a really difficult situation because of First Amendment protections which we're all proud that we have in this country. It's -- it really is nearly impossible for law enforcement other than to keep a wary eye on people involved in extremist movements to know when someone's going to step over the line from saying hateful things about other populations into doing something.

It's a definitely tricky situation. And I know that the FBI and other law enforcement agencies are constantly concerned about this. We do trainings with law enforcement to make them aware of the potential dangers. But to know when one individual is going to take action is just nearly impossible.

COSTELLO: Heidi Beirich of the Southern Poverty Law Center, thank you so much for joining us this morning.

BEIRICH: Thanks for having me.

COSTELLO: Some believe the Sikh Temple shooting in Wisconsin may have been inspired by anti-Muslim sentiment. So what can be done about Islamophobia in America? It's part of our "Talk Back" question today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day, the question for you this morning, what can be done about Islamophobia in America?

No one knows why Wade Page allegedly chose the Oak Creek Sikh Temple. Maybe as horrible as it sounds, it was convenient. Maybe it was because worshippers there had brown skin or because they wore turbans, or maybe, as so many have speculated, the gunman thought Sikhs were Muslim.

Oh, many of us say. Now we get it. After all, Page had that 9/11 tattoo on his arm. Who knows? But again, a religious group felt compelled to tell the nation they were peaceful and not militant Muslims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KANWARDEEP SINGH KALEKA, TEMPLE MEMBER: Ignorantly takes it out on a community that he thinks are responsible which is ludicrous in every way. I mean not only are we Sikh, we're not Muslims, but Muslims themselves aren't even responsible as a group for that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Many observers say Sikhs have been unfairly targeted ever since 9/11, but that implies Muslims can be fairly targeted. Well, they are targeted. A mosque was destroyed by fire in Missouri. The FBI suspects arson. In Tennessee, neighbors have been -- have been trying and trying to keep a mosque from opening in Murfreesboro. And in Washington, D.C., prominent politicians hint extremist Muslims are influencing our government despite dubious evidence. But as a society, how can we stem anti-Muslim sentiment?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK POTOK, SENIOR FELLOW, SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER: I think in the longer run, in a matter of months and even years, yes, we are looking at the -- the very real possibility of more domestic terrorism along these lines. You know, we've seen it in Europe as well as here, and I think this is accelerating, not decelerating.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: So the "Talk Back" question today, what can be done about Islamophobia in America? Facebook.com/carolCNN. Facebook.com/carolCNN. Your responses later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: U.S. stocks heading for a higher open this morning, and a third straight day of gains. Investors remain optimistic ahead of more U.S. corporate earnings reports. And in case you're curious, ringing the Opening Bell today executives and guests of Taro Pharmaceuticals.

It's 30 minutes past the hour. Good morning to you. I'm Carol Costello.

Stories we're watching right now in the NEWSROOM, several members of Penn State's Board of Trustees have filed an appeal with the NCAA. They're contesting sanctions handed down in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. They claim Penn State's president did not have proper legal authority to sign the agreement without the board's approval.

Gibson Guitar Corporation agrees to pay a $300,000 penalty for illegally importing exotic wood from Madagascar and India. Their deal with the Justice Department allows them to avoid criminal charges. Gibson will also make a $50,000 community service payment to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The psychiatrist who was treating the Aurora, Colorado, shooting suspect, James Holmes, contacted university police six weeks before the July 20th movie theater massacre. That's according to CNN affiliate KMGH which also says Dr. Lynn Fenton requested a background check on her patient and had contacted the university threat assessment team.

In just a few hours, we'll know if Jared Loughner changes his plea to guilty in connection with last year's deadly shooting rampage in Arizona.

CNN's Kyung Lah is in Tucson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The federal case against Lee Jared Loughner could change dramatically later today. It all depends on what happens inside this building. This is the federal courthouse here in Tucson, Arizona, where Loughner is set to appear. He is accused of killing six people and wounding 13 others in a mass shooting that stunned this community and reverberated all the way to the nation's capitol.

It happened on January 2011 at a Safeway grocery store in Tucson. Among the people injured, U.S. representative -- former U.S. representative, Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head. Now Loughner is set to appear on a court hearing to determine whether or not he's competent to stand trial. If he's found competent, according to court filings, his lawyer has requested a change of plea hearing. Now currently Loughner has pled not guilty. A guilty plea would stop a lengthy and painful trial for the victims. In addition to the former representative, there were six people who were killed. Among them, a federal judge and a 9-year-old girl.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Tucson.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: So let's bring in our legal contributor Paul Callan.

Paul, welcome.

PAUL CALLAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY AND FORMER PROSECUTOR: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Jared Loughner, he originally pleaded not guilty. If he's found to be sane and competent to stand trial, why would his attorneys then decide to change his plea to guilty even if it's only on the one charge?

CALLAN: Well, they're fighting the death penalty here, Carol. The biggest thing that they face, if they go to trial and he's found guilty by a jury, is that he would be put to death. If he pleads guilty to the single count, agrees to a life sentence, he avoids the death penalty. So that's really the only reason that defense lawyers would consider this. Of course, the bigger question is why would prosecutors consider it?

COSTELLO: Exactly. So will it all boil down to what the psychiatrist says on the stand?

CALLAN: Well, it does because it's a two-part proceedings. The first thing is he's got to be found competent to stand trial. And let me tell you something. He's had such severe mental illness that he has not even been able to be brought into a courtroom in recent times. There's been a big fight on the medications that he takes.

To be competent to stand trial, you have to understand the proceedings against you and be able to assist your lawyer. If he meets those two tests, even if he has severe mental illness, he can plead guilty. So now today the issue will be, is he competent to stand trial? And if that answer is yes, then at a subsequent time, he can enter a guilty plea if both sides agree.

COSTELLO: But that's tricky, is it? I mean he could have periods of lucidity, right? Or he could be receiving medication and be sane in those instances. So how do you parse it out?

CALLAN: Well, you raise some great questions because lawyers, defense lawyers particularly when they're fighting a death penalty, a lot of times they try to say no, I don't want my client to be medicated because they know if he's medicated, he becomes competent to stand trial. Also, you lapse into competency and non-competency depending upon your mental state.

So this is very, very tricky stuff with a severely mentally ill individual. And we're seeing a lot of cases like this lately. I mean, we're going to see it in the Colorado massacre case as well with the Holmes case as we look at the death penalty and mental illness and the interrelationship between the two.

COSTELLO: I was just going to ask you that.

CALLAN: So this is sort of a test case. Yes.

COSTELLO: This is a test case for the Holmes case, right?

CALLAN: Well, it is because I think it's going to give the public a really good look at how difficult the process is. And you know, the law basically says if you understand the difference between right and wrong and you can control your behavior in any way, you are not insane. And somebody who may suffer from severe mental illness is not legally insane.

In this case, in the Loughner case, he had researched assassinations. He planned this. He was pulled over by the police. He was quite lucid before the shooting. So you would think prosecutors would be confident that they could prove their case here. But obviously, they're not. They must know that he's having mental problems in jail, and they're afraid that during a long trial, he'll lapse into obvious mental illness and maybe will get a not guilty finding. And this is what lawyers look at, prosecutors and defense attorneys, in evaluating these cases.

COSTELLO: Paul Callan, thanks, as usual, for your insight. We appreciate it.

CALLAN: Always -- OK. Always nice being with you, Carol.

COSTELLO: It took a herculean effort to get NASA's newest rover on Mars, and now more amazing pictures. We're going to show you some new photos from the red planet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: This morning we're getting some more incredible pictures from NASA showing the landing of the Mars rover Curiosity. Take a look. This was shot on board Curiosity moments before landing. That silver disc you saw was the heat shield. I don't know if you could see that, but it was the heat shield floating away.

The heat shield is a 15-foot piece of equipment designed to protect the spacecraft as it enters a planet's atmosphere. All of this was taken by Curiosity's Mars Descent Imager. That's the technical name. A camera mounted near the bottom of the rover. This camera took about 300 still images, which is about four pictures per second. It was documenting the final 2 1/2 minutes of landing as the spacecraft made its way towards the Gale crater on Mars, which could have been a lake at one time. Who knows? Once Curiosity was finally on the ground, NASA was able to piece together the images to make this stop-motion video. These pictures are low resolution, obviously. We should get better quality photos in the coming months after the rover gets all of its equipment up and running.

Now take a look at this. This is a picture that was taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, that little tiny parachute on the left side is Curiosity as it descends onto Mars, the red planet.

And finally check out this photo. It was taken by Curiosity, one of the first color pictures from Mars. It's not the greatest quality. That's because the clear camera cover is coated with dust caused by the landing, but that cover can be removed, and we can look forward to much clearer images. But just unbelievable.

Let's talk showbiz now. Sony Pictures released an official trailer for the Osama bin Laden manhunt movie called "Zero Dark 30." Check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole world is going to want in on this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want targets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where was the last time you saw bin Laden?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god, is that what I think it is?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: OK. You know this movie is quite controversial. "SHOWBIZ" correspondent Nischelle Turner is in Los Angeles.

This has become a political football. Are they --

NISCHELLE TURNER, SHOWBIZ CORRESPONDENT: It definitely has.

COSTELLO: -- showing previews of this movie? Will you get to see it before it comes out?

TURNER: Well, I certainly hope so. You know, we usually get to screen movies ahead of time if we do the sit-down interviews with the cast, so yes, I'm definitely pushing for this one, Carol. And you know this is controversial because some people are accusing this film of being a propaganda movie for the Obama administration.

And critics, including Congressman Peter King, were also claiming that director Katherine Bigelow and her writing partner got inappropriate access to confidential information while she was working on the script. Now Bigelow and her screenwriter Mark Bowl are declining comment when they're asked about their sources for the script.

Mind you, though, these attacks were being made before production had even started on the movie. And the movie's current release date of December means it's not really going to have any impact on the election, but I am sure that both sides would like to see this film before the election happens.

Now according to an interview in "Entertainment Weekly," the filmmakers insist the movie is not political and that you really don't even see the president on screen.

Now, Bigelow and Bowl were the creative forces behind the Oscar- winning "Hurt Locker." So the expectations for this movie, well, they expect it to be a contender in the Oscar race, too -- Carol.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Well, let's talk about that release date. Now it's December.

TURNER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Was there an earlier release date originally?

TURNER: You know, I don't -- I think it was always around then. You know, when movies are released in November and December, those are the movies that people really look to for the awards season. They're released around that time, and that's -- those are the movies that the industry says these are probably the best movies of the year. So around -- releasing it around that time is more so for awards season than to probably release it after the election.

COSTELLO: Interesting. OK. Let's go to something kind of juicy. Elton John versus Madonna again.

TURNER: Yes. Let's lighten this up. The hits just keep on coming with these two, don't they? So here's the latest. Elton John was giving an on-camera interview in Australia when he just went off. And when I say off, I mean off. He said Madonna's career was over. Her tour was a disaster. And she looked like, quote, "a fairgrounds stripper."

Yes, he said that. We did reach out to Madonna to see if she had a response to these slams. But, you know, she hasn't gotten back to us yet. Madonna did take the high road the last time Elton and his camp took some shots after the Golden Globes. So maybe she'll just say, never mind and I'll do that again.

There is a report, though, from an Australian publication that Elton's team thought that these comments were being made off the record. And if you see the tape, yes, the interview feels a little informal, but Elton has been in this game for a long time, Carol. So I think he knows if you're sitting in front of a camera wearing a microphone like I'm talking to you right now, this is going to be recorded, correct?

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: I think so. He's a smart guy, that Elton John.

TURNER: Yes. COSTELLO: And he doesn't like Madonna.

TURNER: Exactly. No.

COSTELLO: Nischelle Turner, thank you so much.

TURNER: All right. No problem.

COSTELLO: Sharon Osbourne tells NBC she quits. Nischelle Turner will be back in the next hour to tell us why.

And who can forget that devastating earthquake that hit Japan last year? Not many people were prepared, and now we're learning the very same thing could happen here in the United States, and we're not so prepared either.

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COSTELLO: Forty-seven minutes past the hour.

Checking our "Top Stories" now. President Barack Obama has a new attack line to hammer his Republican rival on their competing tax plans. One that includes a new name for Mitt Romney.

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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He'd asked the middle class to pay more in taxes so that he could give another $250,000 tax cut to people making more than $3 million a year. It's like Robin Hood in reverse. It's "Romney Hood".

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The Romney camp disagrees with the study the President used to deliver his speech. Romney is attending fund-raisers in Chicago and West Des Moines, Iowa later today.

In money news more good news for homeowners. In recent months, foreclosures are slowing while home prices and new construction is up. Major home builders telling "CNN MONEY", it feels very much like we're starting to come off the bottom.

In weather news tropical storm Ernesto is heading for Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and it could become a Category 1 hurricane by the time it reaches land sometime after midnight tomorrow. Rain could fall as far south as Belize.

You never want to think about when the big one might hit, but a lot of Americans need to be ready for a major and I say major earthquake. Who can forget that powerful earthquake that hit Japan last year, all the devastation and destruction the entire cities gone. Now a new study says a quake that powerful as powerful as the one that hit Japan could hit Oregon in the next 50 years.

Michio Kaku is a professor of physics at the City University of New York. He's also the author of "The New York Times" best-seller "Physics of the Future". Welcome.

MICHIO KAKU, PHYSICS PROFESSOR, CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK: I'm glad to be on the show.

COSTELLO: I'm glad to have you here.

So well, when you say the big one could hit Oregon in the next 50 years, it doesn't sound as bad, at least. I mean, how worried should we be?

KAKU: Very worried. We're sitting on a ticking time bomb. There is a 40 percent chance of a huge tsunami and earthquake hitting the coast of Oregon and Washington State in the next 50 years.

We are overdue. It's like being 10 months pregnant.

COSTELLO: You don't usually hear about earthquakes in Oregon. You always hear about them in California or other places.

KAKU: That's because we have a Cascadia Fault which is a 700- mile scar off the coast of northern California, Oregon, Washington, going all the way into Vancouver. But the last time it erupted was in the year 1700, 312 years ago. But here is the rub. Scientists recalibrated the interval between giant earthquakes in that fault going back 10,000 years, and they were shocked to find that the average interval is 240 years. And it's been 312 years since the last earthquake. We are living on borrowed time.

COSTELLO: So we seem to be pretty good at predicting an earthquake. How good will we be in this instance, giving people a warning?

KAKU: Well, the people in the area know that there is this Cascadia subduction fault but they think it's not going to happen in their lifetime. Now we have to revise all the probability figures.

And remember, that a tsunami in the Cascadia Fault could be a hundred feet tall. That's enough to swamp the entire coastline of the Pacific Northwest, devastate Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver and also the soil could undergo what is called liquefaction and turn into quick sand in which case buildings would slide into the ocean and roads would then also dissolve into the sea. It's a nightmare beyond comprehension and it could happen in our lifetime.

COSTELLO: Ok, I'm scared now. So how do you prepare for that? I mean is there any way to prepare?

KAKU: Well, the scientists at the Oregon State University which released this report have stated that we have to at least start to upgrade our building codes and, of course, we have to re-look at evacuation plans.

And remember, that Japan is the world's leader in building earthquake-proof buildings but you saw the devastation in Fukushima where the tsunami and the earthquake flattened most of the city. And that country is the most advanced in terms of earthquake preparation. We have to be even better.

COSTELLO: And who is responsible for that? I mean no city -- states don't have much money at this time of, you know, economic malaise.

KAKU: Well, we still have some time. It's a 40 percent chance of a big one in the next 50 years. By the way, previous to this report, it was thought that the chance of a big one was 10 percent; 10 percent over the next 50 years. Those numbers have ratcheted up dramatically to 40 percent so there is still time to make preparations now.

COSTELLO: Oh I hope someone does it.

Michio Kaku, thank you so much for being with us this morning. We appreciate it.

What can be done about Islamophobia in America? That's what we're asking you today. Your answers next.

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COSTELLO: We asked you to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. The question this morning, "What can be done about Islamophobia in America?"

This is from Kyle. "People assume because people follow Islam, they are automatically radical and terrorists. People need to stop fearing everything around them and learn to be more accepting."

This from Angela. "The Muslim community have to quit hiding the radicals that live within their communities and help us find them."

This from Ken, "Hate and prejudices have existed since the beginning of time. This is human nature and there's nothing more we can do to try to promote understanding and education in our children."

And this from David on Sikhs being unfairly targeted. He says, "It doesn't imply Muslims can be fairly targeted. What it implies is that many American bigots are too ignorant to even get their hate right or maybe it doesn't matter. They just need someone to hate and strike out against to cover up their own shortcomings."

Keep the conversation going, Facebook.com/CarolCNN; more comments in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM which starts right after a break.

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