not allowed myself to ever think the end was ny. even flat on my back down and out, i would not accept that as the end zone there. >> hope she listens to you. i would love to see her in olympic games. >> you can do it! >> coming up tomorrow on "starting point," supermodel turned activist christy turlington burns will join us. divisions and donations this morning with fallout from the black community to the gay community asking was it evolution or flip-flop? some african-americans abandoned the president and how powerful is the message behind the money? sex suit. a cnn exclusive in the john travolta case. the attorney for the two males

going on camera with new details. what the lawyer is saying about what really happened that night at the beverly hill hotel. plus this -- >> this is barn number eight where the body was found and the barn backs up to the racetrack itself. this is the backstretch. you can see the twin spires in the background there. this is where the horses ran on the backstretch of the kentucky derby. >> behind the track. cnn gets unprecedented access at churchill downs. the murder and the mystery. is the killer living among those who work here? "newsroom" begins right now. good morning to you. i'm carol costello. we begin this morning with the repercussions happening already after president obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage. most of the outrage coming from his largest group of supporters, african-americans, who some believe may bail on him. take north carolina for example. mr. obama captured 95% of the vote from black supporters in

2008. the same-sex marriage issue is not popular among african-americans. the majority of black voters defended amendment one defining marriage as solely between a man and a woman. critics accuse the president of flip-flopping to energize his liberal base. he denied that on abc. >> i think it would be hard to argue that somehow this is something i would be doing for political advantage because frankly, you know, the politics it's not clear how they cut. i won't spend most of my time talking about this. frankly my job as president right now and my biggest priority is to make sure that we're growing the economy and putting people back to work. >> the president's announcement, however, prompted a flood of donations from the gay community. and a fund-raiser tonight at actor george clooney's hollywood home sure to be filled with same-sex marriage supporters is expected to raise a whopping $15 million for mr. obama's

re-election. it's unclear how the president's endorsement of same-sex marriage will play out. pastors will talk about mr. obama's evolution in church on sunday. baptist bishop william shields tells the atlanta journal constitution, i disagree not on political reasons but biblical reasons. it's not anti-gay this or anti-person this, it's pro-marriage. it's a 3,000-year-old institution. that's how the majority of pastors feel about same-sex marriage but not all. the bishop at new dimensions church in chicago joins us now from chicago. welcome, bishop. >> thank you, carol. very happy to be here. >> we're happy you're here. you support gay rights but you sure paid a price. you say you lost everything at one point when you came out in support of gay rights. tell us about that. >> i appreciate a gospel of inclusion and i believe that all human beings are equally loved

by god and redeemed by christ through the finished work of the cross. i take the bible seriously. just not literally. it's more important what jesus said about god than what the church says about jesus. i did experience a fallout. it's shifting now. like the president said, many african-american pastors and many pastors period are slowly and eventually evolving into a broader and more expansive consciousness when homosexuality is not going away. we believe in changing times it's important to stand for what we pledge to the allegiance, liberty and justice for all. >> let's go back to fallout and what happened to you when you came out in support of gay rights as an illustration of how passionately that many african-americans feel about this issue. >> sure. well, i got what i call -- some people call it the left foot. sometimes the left finger of fellowship. they said we're not interested

in you. many millions still support me but many in my church about 5,000 or 6,000 walked away. we lost the property. we lost the building. that's the risk that people take. they don't want -- a lot of preachers actually don't have a theological issue. it's a business decision. they can't afford to lose their parishioners and their parson e parsonages and salaries. they stay quiet. the president may have considered that until the pressure was on him to go ahead and come out before the election and state his support of same-sex marriage. i took a risk. a hard risk. >> and you did pay a price. as you say, you are coming back. historically the black church has been on the front line of civil and human rights issues. there would be no civil rights without black people and black preachers. when it comes to gay rights, african-americans have played a more religious role. i mean, i know you said you think it's a business decision but really is it? >> in many cases from the

conversations i've had with hundreds of pastors and in fact i had a lot of pastors calling me and texting me last night when they knew i was coming on. i asked what do you think about this? many don't support marriage but they support the president. others support both because they realize that their congregations are filled with gender loving people and their staffs often and music and particularly the black church has been led by many people who have to stay in the closet or get excommunicat excommunicated. we're conflicted. we understand biblical theory. the first african-american president takes on what abraham lincoln did when he signed emancipation proclamation. he was a republican. it was unpopular. the scripture clearly says slaves obey your masters. he took an unpopular position but millions of us including the president are now free to be the

president of the united states. it's a responsible role. the church has always been involved in civil and social justice. the black church particularly should be at the headlight and not the taillight on this issue. we should be the first to say let's give freedom and justice to everybody even though it may be against some of our personal preferences. >> finish your thought. i'm sorry. >> i'm just disappointed there aren't more pastors coming forward but i'm also excited that hundreds and all across the border in all demnominations supportive of the president's decision. the nation's intelligence community under the microscope. the director of the national intelligence service launching an internal search for leaks that publicly exposed al qaeda's plot to bomb a u.s. bound airliner. he wants to know if secret information came from 16 agencies under his watch. there's a new face on the

nation's most wanted list. the fbi is adding adam mayes. 12-year-old alexandria bain and her 8-year-old sister have been missing since late april. a reward of $175,000 now being offered in the case. in the next hour, jurors resume their deliberations in the jennifer hudson family murder trial. william balfour is the entertainer's former brother-in-law accused of killing hudson's mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew. balfour was in a jealous rage and built their case on circumstantial evidence. complete fiction is what a lawyer for john travolta calls a federal lawsuit of accusing the actor of sexually assaulting two male massage therapists. in an interview you see only on cnn, kareen wynter did that interview joining me live from los angeles. good morning. >> good morning, carol. you know, it's pretty shocking. lewd displays, unwanted advances

and sexual assault. these aren't clock points from a screen play but a real life drama involving john travolta and an attorney representing two male massage therapists. the first incident allegedly on january 16th in beverly hills. the second at a fancy hotel spa in atlanta on january 28th. now in both cases the attorney claims travolta stripped nude before the men, demanded a sensual massage and grabbed men by their genitals. they are suing for $2 million each claiming asa ing ing assaul battery. the attorney described what allegedly happened to john doe number two when called to give travolta a massage in his hotel room. this is what he said. >> my client reluctantly goes up there. he's in the bedroom setting up his table. gets his table set up.

and john travolta comes into the room and gets completely naked in two seconds and my client tells him, well, i guess get on the massage table. puts a sheet over him. kicks it off with his legs. travolta keeps taking it off. my client keeps putting the sheet back on. travolta takes it off saying it's uncomfortable my client has a my level of responsibility terms of his job and remain professional travolta goes into he likes a lot of glute work and he likes his glutes done meaning his buttocks. >> believe it or not, there are more details graphic in this lawsuit. he admitted neither man filed a police report or tried to press charges against travolta and one shared details of the alleged encounter with ""national

enquirer."" we spoke to travolta's attorney who denies claims. he provided evidence including a restaurant receipt that shows travolta was in new york at the time of the first alleged assault and not in l.a. as the lawsuit claims. pretty wild stuff. >> okay. so there are two accusers now. any chance there could be more? >> the attorney basically told us this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as travolta goes. he read to us what he said were e-mails, texts, from other men who he said are coming forward with similar allegations. i pressed him for more details on that. he said they would come out at trial. here's what he also said. >> travolta will have to get on the stand and answer my questions as to where he was and i will parade the 100 or so witnesses that we've located so far. >> how many people are coming

forward? >> droves. i can't even keep track of all of them. >> this is an incredible case. travolta's attorney says that man right there is just seeking his 15 minutes of fame. he denies any misconduct by travolta and says the men in this lawsuit are trying to get money out of the star. we'll have to see where this ends up legally. carol? >> kareen wynter reporting live for us from los angeles. still ahead, same-sex marriage and the power of gay money. we'll look at how president obama's reversal is prying open donor's wallets and the families of two people who died in a duck boat accident will split $15 million and there are more settlements in the case. ♪ under blue moon i saw you

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it's just about 15 minutes past the hour. time to check our top stories. two explosions ripped through the syrian capital of damascus. state media reporting more than 50 people killed in nearly 400 injured in what they describe as a terrorist attack. two opposition groups blame the regime for the blast. there's been a settlement in the duck boat accident. the families of two hungarian students who died will split $15 million. a barge towed by a tug boat hit the duck sending those on board into a water. the move follows tuesday's vote banning same-sex marriage in north carolina's constitution. democrats say the convention is staying in charlotte. later this hour, president obama heads west for a star studded reception. his re-election campaign is raking in $15 million from

george clooney's fund-raiser and those checks were written before mr. obama voiced his support for same-sex marriage. it's not just liberal hollywood celebrating his new stance. $1 million in contributions poured in within the first 90 minutes of the president's announcement. in fact, many campaign analysts predict the single issue will draw a windfall of gay money. that's a term being kicked around in political circles. darlene, welcome back. >> thank you for having me. >> we're glad you're here. so the president evolved. the money is coming in. is this it or will gay rights groups fight for more? >> well, as you know i said the other day this is a very important step for the president to take and i believe that the community will be celebrating this for quite a number of weeks and months to come and i also believe that there's a lot more work to do and that we have to continue to move forward on that

work. >> what kind of work? what's the next step? >> well, one of the most important issues that we've been talking about is about workplace protections for the community. we still continue to face discrimination in the workplace and in employment and as you mentioned recently, this is a very important issue for all americans for all american families and of course that means it's important for us to have the opportunity to go in and have gainful employment and contribute fully to society and so that's a very important issue that we need to keep pushing congress toward making sure that we enact a law that actually protects us against discrimination in the workforce. >> some might say the president put himself out there politically because we don't know how this will affect his re-election campaign. why ask him to do more? why not leave this where it is? >> well, the reality is that, you know, this is one among the very important issues that affect our lives. what the president came out for

when he stood for marriage equality was actually fairness and equality for all people in this country. the truth is that we still don't experience fairness. the people who would choose to get married are a small segment of our community but the vast majority of us still continue to experience discrimination. we have to keep moving forward until we actually experience justice in society. >> i want to touch on defense of marriage act. that's a 1996 law that bans recognition of same-sex marriage at the federal level. the president ordered the justice department not to defend that. and also when he came out with his statement in support of same-sex marriage, he says he'll leave that issue up to the states. what would you like the president to do? should he fight harder to take back the defense of marriage act? >> absolutely. i think the president has said that clearly in his actions with the department of justice, it's clear that he thinks that it

should be repealed and he needs to fight for respect for marriage act to be passed in congress. >> darlene nipper, thank you for being with us this morning. >> thank you. john edwards' defense is gearing up for its chance to prove the former presidential candidate is not guilty. the prosecution expected to wrap up its case today. we'll tell you what kind of fireworks to expect. thousands of college students are graduating this weekend but they're going to have a tough time finding a job. still ahead, a look at what new grads can do to get a foot in the door. rhubarb pie. lettuce shower. made by bees. toucan sam. that's not cheese. grass fed. curry. gingersnaps. soup can tower. 5% cash back. right now, get 5% cash back at grocery stores. it pays to discover.

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federal prosecutors are expected to wrap up their case today in the john edwards trial.

it's been an emotional roller coaster. the jury heard from a witness who broke down in tears while she talked about elizabeth edwards' last days. >> reporter: the prosecution is expected to rest its campaign finance case against former senator john edwards here in greensboro today. the government is not expected to call to the stand rielle hunter, his former mistress, the woman with whom edwards fathered a baby girl. the government started winding down their case on wednesday with testimony from deputy white house communication director who was an adviser to john edwards during his run for president. she was also a friend of edwards' late wife, elizabeth, and testified before he sat with a big tv network interview for the case she warned him not to do so if he was going to lie. she also broke down crying on the stand and recounted her friend, mrs. edwards, last day

of cancer dying without a man who loved her around her. she talked about a meeting she was summoned to attend in late 2007 with mr. and mrs. edwards and fred barron where she says the topic of rielle hunter was openly discussed. that conversation suggest that edwards and his wife had knowledge about the barron couple's attempts to keep the affair quiet before rielle hunter's baby was born. the conversation is also important because edwards' knowledge is one of the things the government has to show in order to prove its case to the jury. carol? >> now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. the question this morning, what is your reaction to president obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage. now that the dust has settled after his announcement, the question is how will this affect the way americans vote? it's hard to say. there may be some signals. for one thing, the president

needs support of african-american voters. some of the same voters who helped overwhelmingly pass north carolina's amendment banning same-sex marriage. obama's announcement worried some black supporters. edward is president of the georgia state conference of the naacp said the strategy will not turn people strictly democrat for romney. what it does is keep them home and that's even more dangerous than anything else. a recent gallup poll shows americans are split equally on same-sex marriage but polls also show that young voters and independents more in favor of legalizing it and obama needs those voters to win in the fall. and in telling abc's robin roberts why he changed his mind, it didn't hurt. t the president mentioned his ever popular wife and children. malia and sasha have friends whose parents are similar sex couples. it wouldn't dawn on them that somehow their friends' parents

would be treated differently and frankly that's the kind of thing that prompts a change of perspective. not wanting to somehow explain to your child why somebody should be treated differently when it comes to the eyes of the law. >> keep in mind the president also gave himself some wiggle room saying the matter should be decided not by the federal government but by states. the talkback question for you today. what is your reaction to president obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage? facebook.com/carolcnn. i'll read your comments later this hour. also after the break, we'll talk about how mr. obama changed his mind on this issue. was it an evolution or a textbook flip-flop.

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students across the country are graduating this month and in

a new study shows they're going to have a tough team fiime find job. alison kosik is at the new york stock exchange. has it gotten worse or better? >> it's not getting any better. for just about everybody who doesn't have a job who wants a job, it's hard out there. no doubt about it. when you look at these young people, they are actually having a harder time finding a job than other age groups. the underemployment rate is higher. it goes a step further than the actual unemployment rate. it counts both people who are out of work and those who are working part time but want to work full-time and when you look at that age group of 18 to 29 years old, 32% of those people are underemployed. if you look at every other age group, that underemployment rate is under 14%. this is a big worry. underemployment rate for young people is getting worse and why is this happening? there aren't enough jobs being created. also employers are nervous about the economy. they're not looking to hire

full-time workers. they are looking to hire more part-time workers because it's cheaper to do that because they don't have to pay benefits or make a big commitment so it's definitely hurting that certain age group there. carol? >> alison kosik reporting for us from the new york stock exchange. good morning. i'm carol costello. they are looking for leaks that exposed al qaeda's plot to bomb a u.s. airliner. clapper wants to know if the secret info came from 16 agencies under his watch. in 30 minutes jurors resume deliberations in the jennifer hudson family's murder trial. william balfour is accused of killing hudson's mother, brother and nephew. they have built their case on circumstantial evidence.

the olympic torch was lit in greece today for run-up to the 2012 summer games. next week the torch arrives in england for a nationwide relay before reaching london for the opening ceremonies. let's talk more about the political story everyone is talking about today. president obama's support for same-sex marriage. here's a look at how his stance evolved over the years. >> there are a host of things that are civil rights and then there are other things such as traditional marriage that express a community's concern and regard for a particular institution. >> marriage is not a civil right as far as you're concerned? >> i don't think marriage is a civil right. my feelings about this are constantly evolving. i struggle with this. there's no doubt that as i see friends, families, children of gay couples who are thriving,

that has an impact on how i think about these issues. i think same-sex couples should be able to get married. >> there you have it. let's bring in will cain and roland martin, both cnn contributors. you heard the president. was this an evolution or a classic flip-flop? will? >> well, i'll tell you what it is. symbolically for those that support gay marriage like myself, it's a big deal. it's a big deal symbolically that the first sitting president of the united states has personally endorsed gay marriage. substantively he punted. it's something appropriate for states to decide which is same position that dick cheney has maintained personally for quite some time. now, finally, we're using this word evolved. this isn't an evolution. there is a consistency. president obama sided on the side that was political advantageous to him.

he chose to support gay marriage when it was political advantageous. i think he deserves credit for this but this is a politically motivated position. >> do you agree? some people say this might hurt president obama because -- >> it will. >> it would energize the conservative base. >> both can be true. >> look, this is very simple. the president on this issue was a political hypocrite. now i know people out there are saying my god, roland, you are criticizing president obama. when he was running for the state senate, he filled out a questionnaire himself, signed it himself, stating he was a supporter of same-sex marriage. when he decided to run for u.s. senate and then when he decided to run for president, he changed his position. if we're going to criticize mitt romney and republicans for changing their minds for political reasons, we should be bold enough to criticize democrats. this is what happens

unfortunately in politics. politicians will take a position because it benefits them politically. so now that he's -- look, no one was under any kind of belief that he didn't support same-sex marriage. everybody knew from the moment back before '96 why he was actually doing this. now he's simply come out and made it clear in terms of no more evolution, no forth, it's political gain. let's know it and accept it as reality. >> roland you lean left and will you lean right. this is a surprising conversation. >> i'm sitting pretty much straight up. >> okay. will, let me roll this by you. how is president obama's evolving views on gay marriage different from governor romney's evolving views on abortion? can you boil it down to the same thing that both men came to this conclusion for political

reasons? >> look, whatever you're dealing with a approximately tipolitici take a position with a greater hope of taking an actual position in government. earlier you asked me if so many people suggest this has a political cost to president obama, how could it be a politically advantageous thing for him to do. the riding the fence wasn't working anymore. it didn't work specifically after joe biden forced his hand. this will come at a political cost. roland and i have been talking all morning on and off tv. this will hurt president obama in many, many states that have had referendums by the voters to reject gay marriage. his previous position just wasn't one that was sustainable anymore. >> okay. >> the problem that mitt romney has, carol, is that president obama's supporters will accept his position on this. mitt romney is trying to get

people on the right to accept his evolving position. that's been his biggest problem. not the general but his own party. that's the biggest problem here. >> all right. roland martin, will cain, another interesting conversation. thanks so much. howard stern, is he too raunchy to be a judge on "america's got talent" and they are telling advertisers to drop the show right now. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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he began his career in london and went to transform the way women around the world style their hair. >> you have that individual style. so do my hair care products. use them. they work. >> if you don't look good, we don't look good. we take pride in you. if you don't look good, we don't look good vidal sassoon. >> i remember that commercial like it was yesterday. los angeles police say he's died of natural causes at his los angeles home. he was 84 years old. sassoon helped develop signature hairstyles like the bob and created a successful hair care line that had his name, he's survived by his wife and three children. howard stern known for raunchy shock jock antics may not be for spotting talent but the newest judge on "america's

got talent." the new season starts on monday. now the parents television council is telling advertisers to jump ship but stern told nbc he's a good show. >> someone should be fired for putting me on a family show. listen, i am a serious judge on "america's got talent." they came to me when piers morgan left the show and said we think you would be a good judge. i watched the show. i'm a fan of the show. i'm not going on the show to disrupt the beauty of "america's got talent" because i love the show. >> a.j. hammer, host of "showbiz tonight," do you believe him? he's kind of a lose cannon, isn't he? >> he knows what to do in the right venue. his radio show is different from this television show it howard knew that this would happen when he took the job on "america's got talent" because there are people who don't know who he is

and he's joking that whoever hired him from the show should be fired is kidding. he's been a fan in support of "america's got talent." he's working for that show. he says he's a serious judge who won't disrupt what works and that's not stopping the parents television council trying to turn advertisers against the show to force stern out. they say his vile antics could ruin one of the few family shows on television. stern told matt lauer on the "today" show that they should pay millions of dollars because the more they keep complaining about him, the more interesting and controversy he becomes and i think maybe they should watch the show before predicting what he'll do. anyone who really listens to howard knows there's so much more to him than the reputation that ptc parades around and complains around. remember richard pryor? he was this great comedian.

when he did his standup routine, it wasn't clean. it was raurcnchy. he did family friendly movies and go on the tonight show. you will see a different side of howard if you don't know him from his radio show when you watch "america's got talent." i think he'll rock it. >> we'll see. thank you. our talk back question today. the question for you. what's your reaction to president obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage? facebook.com/carolcnn. i'll read your responses after a break. bebecacaususe e heherere a at, wewe'r're e ononlyly a abob. fifindndining g yoyou u ththe e isis a allll w we e do. wewelclcomome e toto h hot.

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45 minutes past the hour. time to check top stories. the day after being the first president in history to publicly support same-sex marriage, the president heads west today. he'll be fund-raising in seattle and los angeles wrapping things up with a reception at actor george clooney's home. it's expected to raise a whopping $15 million for his re-election campaign. two explosions ripped through the syrian capital of damascus. state media reporting more than 50 people killed. nearly 400 injured in what they describe as a terrorist attack. two opposition groups blame the regime for the blast. there's a new face on the nation's most wanted list. the fbi is adding adam mayes, the tennessee man accused of abducting two girls and killing their mother and older sister.

12-year-old alexandria bain and her sister kyliyah have been missing since late april. the son of the man found dead hours after the kentucky derby says the killer must be one of the stable workers. wilson perez spoke exclusively to ed lavandera. >> reporter: the mystique of kentucky derby day draws tens of thousands to watch a millionaire's game. the glamorous fashion, a tip of the hat to a bygone era. on that side of the racetrack it's a completely different world. that's where all of the fanfare and beauty of race day takes place. it's a different story on this side of the track. this is the forgotten side of a horse track. it's called the backside. a secluded world of transient workers in the horse racing industry. some 600 people live on the backside of churchill downs in louisville, kentucky.

it's where 19-year-old wilson perez worked alongside his father, edan perez until his body turned up in barn number eight just hours after one of the most famous horse races in the world. wilson perez is speaking about his father's murder for the first time. how difficult have these last days been? wilson says it's been very hard supporting everyone in my family. i need to stay strong. wilson perez is one of adan's seven children and their family lives in guatemala and wilson begged his father to bring him to the united states two years ago so they could work together. they groomed horses. son walking in father's footsteps. the last time he spoke to his father was around 11:30 saturday night just a few hours after the final race of derby day. wilson says his father called from a restaurant he was out with friends. [ speaking spanish ]

>> he said everything sounded normal in that phone call and he called to ask him where he was and what he was doing and everything sounded normal. about five hours later adan perez turned up dead. this is barn number eight with the body of perez was found and it backs up to the racetrack itself. this is the backstretch. you can see the twin spires in the background there. this is where the horses ran on the backstretch of the kentucky derby. stable hand hernandez shows us where perez's body was left. access to the backside of churchill downs is restricted. workers are registered and carry special identification which heightens the mystery. is the killer living among those who work here? >> the outside world doesn't see this world. they don't know what the backside of a racetrack is like. >> reporter: churchill downs

chaplain says this hispanic immigrant community keeps to itself. workers are transient moving from horse track to horse track. the work is exhausting, seven days a week, no vacation. some clean barns, groom and feed horses. workers can live for free on these grounds. most come from central america. workers tell us most people earn between $250 and $800 a week. wilson perez hasn't stopped works even as he tries to get his father's body buried in guatemala. he says he wants answers for what's happened here and he wants whoever is responsible to be found guilty. he can only wait for investigators for solve his father's mysterious murder, ed lavandera, cnn, louisville, kentucky. hardly for sale. front end damage is a mystery. you have your chance to own the motorcycle that led to bobby

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the question for you today, what's your reaction to president obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage. this is from lisa. regardless of how it plays out politically, i did not vote for obama and never would, it was the right thing to do. richard says i campaigned for president obama, but this time i will not vote, i would rather go to work. this from pandering, he comes out after north carolina voted

for same-sex marriage, he came out to make himself look like a hero. and mark, proud to be a supporter of president obama, i am glad he said what he did. please, keep the conversation going, facebook.com/carolcnn. i'm george howell in atlanta, a man wanted for killing a mother and a daughter and kidnapping the other two. in just a few minutes, we're going to be getting the latest on mortgage rates, we're going to tell you where things stand and what it means for the economy. also faster airport security lines could become reality. the tsa is expanding its precheck program to 35 of the nation's airports. the question is, are you willing to give up a lot of personal information to speed through

security? we'll have that story in 20 minutes.

nnchts "today's" health for her, let's talk fit nation, ever wondered when or how to stretch before that workout. i spent some time with our fit nation atlantic director and she has some great tips for you. so do i stretch after i run or before i run? >> i like to do it at the end of the day, not surrounding my workout. i like to do a dynamic warmup and put in static stresses, like

we're doing now, i like to do at the end of the day. the person that's beside me has her face on the ground. is she better than me? >> it doesn't necessarily have to be a competition? >> it's not a flexibility competition. >> everything's a competition. >> oh, yeah, if you want to get in shape with me every thursday, i'll have a tip on how you can get there. >> we have heard these words before, the miami heat moving on, the new york knicks are coming home. the stars came out for the heat last night.

lebron james petrino's accident on that bike triggered an investigation revealing an inappropriate relationship leading lead ing to his firing as razorbacks football coach. hamilton and the rangers had some fun on the tarp at camden yards last night. the game with the orioles was rained out. the next hour on cnn newsroom starts right now. just ahead on the newsroom--we're talking to a log

cabin republican about his thoughts on mr. obama's comments and the timing of it all. learn why your dream day at the airport may soon be reality. plus the fallout over a ferrari in the far east. >> how has this public relations stunt led to a public relations disaster. the fallout and -- after his big announcement, emotions are still raw, sit an act of political courage or cold calculation, the president for what it's worth says it's neither. he says he's simply following the religious convictions he sharings with his wife. >> we're both practicing chris s christians and this pocks may

put us at odds with the views of others. when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is not only christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it's also the golden rule, treat others the way you want to be treated. >> the debate over sa-- some sa that mr. obama's support will cost him votes from southern democrats. you called the president's announcement offensive and callous, why? >> for those who are following the issue down in north carolina, there was a very serious debate on the ballot measure in north carolina that actually, unfortunately passed, this is known as amendment one,

they put into the constitution, not allowing not only gay marriage or civil union status in that state, but not recognizing any kind of intrastate trance ferl from the state of new york. but it was the right thing to do, while we are critiquing of delivery, i want to make it real clear where we stand, we lobby for a repeal of the defense of marriage act. there certain was calculus on the president's party. >> does it really matter if it's offensive or not if you're working for a cause? >> it was the right thing to do, so the focus here is obviously on the issue of marriage

equality. we're for it. many of those people who are for it. it isn't the only issue voters will be looking at. so there's the question of how does this move the needle on the broader campaign. i think it's going to help law makers and those running for office to delineate their views. >> isn't this an odd place for you to be in as a gay republican, because some say the president's endorsement of gay marriage will invigorate conservatives and it's the only thing that will, you know, in other words, it will make them excited about voting for mitt romney. >> there's a conservative case for -- precluding one being able to practice their individual liberty to get married to those they love is certainly

anti-conservative. former bush colleague ted olson is the lead prosecuting attorney on the case to repeal doma. >> so in light of all that, i guess i'm wondering why you just can't celebrate the endorsement of president obama as a gay man. >> our critique is giving a pass to mitt romney. we have been very critical of governor romney as to where he stands and he's been twisting himself up on this issue. it's not as if we're just deeming president obama on his delivery yesterday. >> clark cooper, thanks so much for joining us this weekend. president obama's reversal

on same-sex marriage underscores the contrast of governor mitt romn romney. >> i have the same view on marriage that i had when i was governor, my view is that marriage itself is a relationship between a man and a woman and that's my own preference. i know other people have differing views. this is a very tender and emotional topic as are many social issues. but this is a view i have had since running for office. . today the prosecution is expected to wrap up its case against john edwards and it's not looking like ed edwards mistress rielle hunter will testify.

towards news that campaign funds were hiding his affairs. also william balfour is jennifer hud's former brother-in-law. he's accused of killing hudson's mothe mother-- the fbi is in dire need of your help this morning. ad ad adam mayes is the newest fbi's most wanted. a reward of $175,000 is being offered for information that leads to mayes arrest. let's check in with george howell, he's been following this case closely. any new leads. >> we saw investigators charge adam mayes and his wife teresa

mayes. obviously the search continues. right now. >> any information that could lead to his capture that, could lead to an arrest. you're starting to hear the pain in that community since the death of joanne and adrian. >> there's just a dark cloud over our school and over our community. it's just the heaviness, our hearts are heavy, we're saddened for our -- we're concerned no doubt with the uncertainty of what these other two young

children are experiencing or have experienced. and it's one of those situations where as adults there's no way we can wrap our minds around something like this. >> right now, thereeresa maze i two counts of aggravated murder. from the arrest atv, she that she drove the body from tennessee to mississippi. she's charged with four counts to conspiring to commit, especially aggravated kidnapping. so that's where we are now. >> so the fbi is offering this $175,000 reward. are many tips coming in.

>> the fbi is getting some tips, but obviously not enough. they are trying to find mayes, they believe these girls are in danger and they're doing their best to try to track them down and they want any tip they can get. the family of two students killed in the philadelphia duck boat accident will pretty a $15 million settlement. the accident happened nearly two years ago when a barge towed by a tug boat plowed into a tour boat. the impact pushed that boat and those aboard under water. this just in, mortgage ratings hit a record low again. allison kosik is at the new york stock exchange. i didn't know they could go lower. >> this marks the skrekd straight -- it's at 3.83%. this of course is coming from freddie mac's report that comes out every week. here's how far they have fallen. you look at five years ago,

mortgage rates were more than 6%. people are asking why are they so low? it's because of the economy. >> it pushes more zbaj rates down, one analyst says mortgage rates are likely to start rising as the economy improves. you want to see the economy improve, you want to see it get better, but we also want our low mortgage rates, it doesn't work both ways, however. >> it's difficult to refinance, you have to have perfect credit, it's hard to get a hold of the banks and talk to an actual person. it takes forever. and the paper work --? >> forget it. you need to hire someone to do your paper work. here's a scenario for you, if you bought, let's say at the end of the boom, in 2007, the

average rate was at 6%. so if you have a $200,000 loan and refinanced today, you would stay save about $300 a month, that comes out to about $3,700 a month. i would say call the company that issued your mortgage, call your lender. >> you just call every day and leaving really long irritating message, and finally they'll get back to you. >> it's like stalking, though. >> i'm telling you, it's true, it's awful. a publicity stunt for italian automaker ferrari, boy, did it backfire. it was the money shot in

ferrari's new commercial in china. the only problem the spin outtook place on the ancient city wall. it dates back to the ming dynasty. so that stunt left thick, black tire treads that could not be cleaned up. ferrari is apologizing, profusely. you might be excited about the presidential campaign, but our next guest says it might be the most boring election ever, like the worst reality show you can think of. body checks and bat down -- the tsa says it will get you through a little bit that isser, but there is a catch. ♪ [ male announcer ] we believe small things can make a big difference. like how a little oil from here

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15 minutes past the hour, the justice department plans to sue arizona sheriff arrest pie owe. arpaio -- were following the law during traffic stops. rescuers at the site of a deadly russian plane crash say they have not found any survivors and they plan to start removing bodying from the area tomorrow. wreckage of the plane was found in a mountainous area in indonesia. after it disappeared during a test flight on wednesday, 15 people were believed to have been on board. national intelligence -- the

review will not include the white house or national security staff which are technically not part of the intelligence community. are you a frequent flyer? stop me if you have heard this one before. a special program where you hand over lots of your personal information and then the government lets you sail right through the security line. here's the details on the tsas plan to expand it's precheck program. >> keep your shoes on? check, belt too? check. even a jacket? check. this is precheck. >> if you're in a hurry, the benefit is that you get through security a lot faster and you don't have to take your computer out of the bag or your liquids, or your shoes off and that saves some time. >> it's a fast track route, complete with a dedicated security lane that will be in 35 of the busiest u.s. airports by

the end of the year. the idea is that travelers who give the government more personal information, your name, birthday and gender and are well known to the airline like frequent flyers are less of a security threat. tsa administrator john pistol calls it reducing the haystack of risk. >> it's a paradigm shift both for tsa and the traveling public and the way we engage in a partnership and say, let's work together to say if you're willing to share some information about yourselves, then we can work with you, perhaps to have expedited physical screening so we can focus on those who we know less about and can focus on those higher risks that we assess. >> precheck is free and only for domestic u.s. flights. select american citizens are invited to join by airlines. tsa officials won't disclose exactly who gets an invitation, but it's clear that they are very frequent flyers.

>> the more prescreening that we do with individuals because they're willing to share information, then we can make some prescreening decisions and expedite their physical screening at the check points. >> the program costs $100 and requires u.s. citizens to be fingerprinted and interviews by customs officers. in return, they also get to use the fast lane and speed through customs. these expedited screening programs are proven popular and tsa is expanding them to include some senior citizens and kids. some will still go through security, and some will be picked for random screening. evolved thinking, a big flip flop in a political buzz session is coming your way next.

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howard stern is -- now the parents television council is telling advertisers to jump ship. but stern told nbc, he's a good judge. >> what a crazy idea to put me on a family show, somebody at nbc should be fired for that, don't you think? listen, i am a serious judge on "america's got talent" and they came to me when piers morgan left the show. and they said, you know, we think you would be a good judge. i have watched the show, i'm a fan on the show. i'm not going on the show to

disrupt the beauty of "america's got talent" because i love the show. >> a.j. hammer, host of "showbiz tonight," so what do you think might happen on monday? >> i think it's going to be a big surprise to anybody who doesn't think that howard is right for this gig. he's certainly for stranger to big battles. he knew this would happen when he took over as judge on "america's got talent." we haven't really seen howard in his new role yet. but still the sponsors say he could run what they call one of the few family friendly shows on tv. howard told matt lauer on the "today" show that nbc should be paying agt -- i think they're just being narrow minded about what howard is all about.

he says he wants to make the most of this new opportunity. and carol, i know that people that don't listen to him regularly and have that antiquated view of him, will see howard in a whole new life come monday. >> i have to talk about john travolta because you guys got an exclusive interview with the attorney for the man accusing travolta of sexual assault. >> the attorney who represents the man who is making these allegations, and he says they are not convinced of travolta's claim that he wasn't in l.a. when the first attack was alleged to have taken place, that was january 16. here's what he had to say to koreen. >> there's a certainly upper echelon of people who would routinely stay there. and these records and who was there and the witnesses, it's really not that difficult to prove. but in the bigger picture, we

can clearly establish that this is his custom habit and practice and it is consistent and it has been going on for many years. >> really, really strong claim there obviously. and travolta's attorney provided "showbiz tonight" with a restaurant receipt from the night in question, that travolta wasn't on the west coast as these allege d understand dernt were to have occurred. now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day, the question for you this morning, what's your reaction to president obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage. now that the dust has settled after this big announcement, the question is, how will this

affect american's right to vote? for one thing, the president needs the support of african-american voters, some of the same voters who overwhelmly passed amendment one banning same-sex marriage. edward is president of the georgia state conference of the naacp tweeted, this strategy is not going to turn people who are strictly democrat for romney. what it does is, it keeps them home and that is even more dangerous than anything else. end quote. a recent gallup poll shows americans are split equally on the subject of same-sex marriage. in telling robin roberts why he changed his mind, it didn't hurt the president to mention his ever popular wife and kids. >> malia and sach thsha, they h got friends who are same-sex

couples. it wouldn't dawn on them that their friends's parents are not streeted equally. that's the kind of things that prompts a change of perspective. >> keep in mind, the president also gave himself some wiggle room saying the matter should be decided not by the president but by the states. joe biden basically forced his boss's hand on the issue, so should president obama be thanking him or cursing him? our political buzz panel weighs in on that part of the story after a break.

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just about 30 minutes past the hour. the fbi needs your help in finding alleged killer ama'am mayes. police believe he has 12-year-old alexandria bain and her sister angela. today the prosecution is expected to wrap up it's case against john edwards and it's not looking like edwards mistress rielle hunter will take the stage. the testimony supported the prosecution's argument that

edwards new campaign funds were hiding his affair. the world editor who quit in the midst of a phone hacking scandal is being tested today at a government hearing. colson who stepped in as spokesman for david cameron this year stepped down, of course this is all taking place in britain. political buzz, rapid fire look at the best -- serious xm radio host and comedian pete dominic on the left and cnn contributor will cane on the right. welcome. >> thank you. >> first question, president obama expresses support for same-sex marriage and the comedians start mining for gold. >> this is a monumenting event, you know why? this is the first time that joe biden said that obama didn't have to apologize for.

he changed his campaign slogan from forward to fabulous. >> a new cabinet commission, decorator of the interior. really. >> but seriously, this gave is campaign a twist. the obama campaign is already attacking mitt romney saying his policies would hurt same-sex couples. house speaker john boehner is telling fellow republicans to force an issue fight. so will the president's stance on same-sex marriage help or hurt the romney campaign, will? >> i'm going to set aside personal feelings on this issue, this is strictly a personal analysis. i think the issue of same-sex marriage enforcing loyalties, so those who -- now they're slapping his back. those who are opposed to it were probably going to vote for mitt romney also anyways. and now they're going to look to turn out for him even greater.

that's what it's about, it could affect turnout, it could affect obama's turnout negatively, and romney's positively. >> building on that, this was a good issue for the bush election 2004, 11 states put it on the ballot. the country has evolved with the president. who wins on this? we're not seeing romney making a big deal out of this. the president wins on this. i had somebody call in to my radio show, i was going to put my finger on my nose and vote, but now i'm going to campaign for obama. will's right, the net gain, we won't know yet. >> and online petition calls on democrats to ditch charlotte as the democratic convention city because of north carolina's passage of that same-sex

marriage -- but should the democrats say see ya to charlotte? will? >> could you pick a worse place than charlotte than the democratic national convention? but also occupy wall street is in charlotte this week. they are occupies the bank of america shareholder's meeting, and charlotte is a huge banking center outside of new york. but no, you cannot pull-up stakes and mover this late in the game. there is no prospect, no way, no how they can move out of north carolina. >> pete? >> the democratic national convention is at the bank of america stadium. i learned that in north carolina, you can marry your cousin, but not if he's gay. the last time north carolina, men on the issue of marriage was to ban interracial marriage. so they took a big, black eye,

in my point of view. but the idea of moving the convention, they already have and a and an namic liberal base. . >> on to this third question, 20 seconds each, the white house says joe biden forced the president's hand on the same-sex marriage issue, if you're mr. obama, do you put duct tape on biden's mouth or do you thank him? littl will? >> you just put up with it. i don't know if you thank him or duct tape him, you just -- biden brings you some benefits, he knows the legislative process behind the scenes. biden also knows how to run his mouth and he will run his mouth and you will, obama administration put up with it. >> pete? >> americans are so disenchanted

with politicians because we feel they are so dishonest. god forbid a politician like joe biden speak his own truth. i hope he gets out there and gets asked about marijuana, legalizing marijuana, maybe you could push the president on that. or maybe he could say, there are six more seasons of the shap pell show, or universal health care, and the president would move a little on those issues. >> thanks for playing today, guys. you might be excited about the presidential campaign, but a lot of people say it probably will be the most boring election ever, like more boring than the worst reality show you can think of. we'll talk about that. and investigators are searching for clues on whoever killed a man hours after the kentucky derby. the victim's son say the killer could be wandering around churchill downs.

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feel good about your decisions. the son of the man who was found dead hours after the kentucky derby says the killer must be one of the stableworkers. >> the mystique of kentucky derby day, brings tens of thousands of watch the race. what many people might not know about horseracing is, that on that side of the racetrack, it's a completely different world, that's where all the fanfare and

the beauty of race day takes place, it's another story on the other side. some 600 people live on the backside of churchill downs in louisville, kentucky. it's where 19-year-old wilson perez worked alongside his father. until adon's body turned up just hour after the race. wilson perez is speaking about hiss father's murder for the first time. how difficult have these last days been? wilson says it's been very hard supporting everyone in my family, i need to stay strong. wilson perez is one of adon's seven children. wilson begged his father to bring him to the united states two years ago so they would work together. they groomed horses, son walking in father's footsteps.

wilson says the last time he spoke to his father was around 11:30 saturday night, just a few hours after the final race of derby day. wilson says his father called from a restaurant, he was out with friends. he said that everything sounded normal in that phone call, he asked him where he was and what he was doing and everything sounded normal. >> about 30 minutes later, adon perez turned up dead. the barn backs up to the racetrack itself, this is the backstretch, you can see the twin spires, this is where the horses ran -- access to the backside of churchill downs is mostly restricted.

workers are registered and -- is the killer among those who -- >> the killchurchill downs chap says this most hispanic immigrant community keeps to themselves, workers here are transient, move from horse track to horse track. the work is exhausting, some clean barns, groom and feed horses, workers can live for free on these grounds, most come from central america. workers tell us most people are earn between $250 and $800 a week. >> because he wants answers to what's happened here and he wants whoever's responsible to be found ghilt. he can only wait for

investigators to solve hiss father's mysterious murder. the presidential race, the most boring election everybody, our next guest describes that it's the worst kind of reality show, with joe biden playing the only interesting character. we'll talk about that, coming up. two of the most powerful women in business are keeping it all in the family on the fortune 500 list. frontier communications ceo maggie wilderodder and denise morrison are sisters, 15 months apart. they are the eldest of four daughters, all of whom followed in their father's footsteps. for three hours a week, i'm a coach.

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lost before. this is his biggest fight yesterday. in the other corner, he's defending the title he won four years ago. are you pumped for this clash of the titans? well, mike tiabbi is not, obama versus romney is the worst reality show on tv since the tila tequila days. welcome. >> thanks for having me. nice you're here. so really boring, didn't president obama surprise evolution, and give the election some life? >> what, i'm sorry? >> his evolving views on same-sex marriage, didn't it pump up the race? >> if you notice, that was really joe biden that injected that lit plot to us into the race. yeah, i guess there's going to be a few controversies here and there. but really it lacks the same kind of thrills we had four

years ago when we had some -- it was something like that every week, and we're just not having that this time. >> purely from a reality show television aspect, i think it was the most entertaining election we have had. >> the race is neck and neck, are you suggesting the two men are at a virtual tie simply because voters are bored right now? >> i saw that poll. i don't believe it. i don't know any campaign analyst out there who are making a choice of who's going to win. in the press, there's this general feeling this this election is a foregone conclusion, you have a relatively popular incumbent,

the economy is not doing terribly, and especially as a major fundraising advantage almost always wins and obama has raised a lot more money than romney has. could romney win? yes, it's possible. i just don't think it's likely and that takes a lot of the suspense out of the race. >> didn't you hear james carville who said many people feel exactly what you just said and he thinks that's dangerous because he thinks democrats could lose. >> that's possible and one of the things we have to remember, in the media, we all get caught up in this. i think there's very few political taboos, and one of the big one is you can never say that something is a foregone conclusion, it's our job in the media to drum up interest, we have to sell advertisers and get viewers and ratings, so we can't say it's over six months before it happens, so there's a strong

incentive by all the pundits, including me, to come out and say this could happen, that could happen, it's just a subconscious poll that drives all of us in the media. >> give me some redeeming value in the selection, in light of what you all just said. >> it's still the presidential election, it's the most powerful position in the world. there's always going to be a lot of drama about it. there's going to be quite a lot at stake. but this election feels a lot like 2004, scum, when you had a very powerful andincumbent chal. it leads to an anti-climatic ending, which is you have to think about in this case. >> i'm going to leave that to our viewers to see if they can

come up with a name. >> matt tiabbi, thank you so much for joining us. students will do almost anything to stay in the classroom. we'll ask our political correspondent if this really helps students study. [ male announcer ] if you stash tissues

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this is so bizarre, we had to bring in our senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen. what exactly are they pumping into their systems to study better? >> we're told that it's amino acids. and amino acids are used as alternative medicine by some people. but certainly never in this way. there's no proof that these amea amine know acids are going to -- as i understand it, these tests in china are a huge big deal. it's not like the s.a.t.s or something, where it's part of your vurks this is their future. so we're going to go all out and make sure we do something. -- the school actually helped pay for all of this. >> huh-uh. >> uh-huh.

>> didn't they. >> is this safe? >> not to mention the fact that you're putting a needle into your arm, we don't know who did the needle insertions, did the school nurse come and do them or did they do them on each other? it's just generally a bad idea. >> i don't see it coming to the united states any time soon. >> i don't either, but i do want to tell you something, though, we can look at this and laugh, and say oh, my goodness, how could they do this. but a year ago, i watched a young man named jared study for his exams, and hi was very open about taking adderall. but he's illegally taking

prescription drugs to focus more. >> don't do zblachlt you shouldn't need to do that. >> we asked you to talk back on one of the big stories of the day, the question, what is your reaction of president obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage? i'll read your responses after the break. does any mother ever feel like their kids are adults? i have twins, 21 years old. each kid has their own path. they grow up, and they're out having their life. i really started to talk to them about the things that are important that they have to take ownership over. my name's colleen stiles, and my kids and i did our wills on legalzoom. [ shapiro ] we created legalzoom to help you take care of the ones you love. go to legalzoom.com today and complete your will in minutes. at legalzoom.com, we put the law on your side.

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we asked you to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. the question for you this morning, what's your reaction to president obama's reaction to same-sex marriage if my gay cousins who have been together longer than i have been alive don't deserve at least as much rights as the -- >> this country was founded on christian values, and obama just made a mockery of christian values. >> since god created gays and