i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." the news continues in "the situation room." >>> good evening. i'm john king. two major breaking news stories. just released court documents reveal new details about the night trayvon martin was shot and killed and why authorities decided not to go with manslaughter but instead to charge george zimmerman with second-degree murder. the launch window now open and the world is watching. north korea is about to launch a harmless satellite. critics see a stabilizing ballistic missile test in the works. >>> we begin tonight with high anxiety over north korea's threat to launch a satellite, a launch pentagon officials believe is to test a ballistic missile capable of launching a nuclear warhead capable of sitting the main land. weather is such that officials believe the launch could come at

meantime, football fans before i turn it over to wolf blitzer.d university of arkansas now has a new head football coach. his name is john smith. he's the one that gets the job. he worked as special teams coach for the razorbacks, there he is, during the 2009 and 2011 seasons and he was coach at webber state and he replaces petrino as head coach who was out there not too long ago. and that does it for me, i'm brooke bolduan in headquarters in atlanta. now to my colleague wolf blitzer "the situation room begins right now. >> brooke, thanks very much. happening now, breaking news. a case of mad cow disease confirmed in the united states. we have new information just coming in from u.s. agriculture officials. also, a turning point for mitt romney as five states hold republican presidential

meantime, football fans before i turn it over to wolf blitzer.d university of arkansas now has a new head football coach. his name is john smith. he's the one that gets the job. he worked as special teams coach for the razorbacks, there he is, during the 2009 and 2011 seasons and he wasch

i'm wolf blitzer. i'm wolf blitzer. "the situation room". -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> united nations is calling north korea's attempted rocking launch deplorable and destabilizing, even though it broke apart and fell into the sea and now, u.n. officials are warning the nation. stan grant is getting rare access inside north korea. stan? r. >> reporter: it started with a day of so much hope. this was the crowning achievement, the day they put a satellite into orbit. it went terribly wrong. that will not deter this nation. they're going to press ahead with more. ♪ from disaster to glory in a day. in north korea, history is what you make it. as always is here. this is about the power of images and the worship of their leader. two massive statues of the founder of the country and his son, kim jong-il. watching over the third generation of this dynasty, the newly crown eed se preem leader kim jong-un. this is how north korea is responding with the scene of triumph, this massive statues. when you're ruled by a pe

it was a good moment. >> yeah, especially for wolf blitzer. pete? >> yeah.nk will cain might be on "the situation room" this afternoon. my favorite moment, carol, come on. let's start at the beginning when he was honest and said paul ryan's budget was right wing social engineering. what about when he talked about his gazillion air salary for achistorian. recently at the nra convention he said everybody in the world has a god-given right to own a gun. i mean, i don't have enough time for one moment, carol. he will be missed as a comedian, for sure. >> oh, geez. chris, pete, will, thanks for playing today. >> thank you. >> we mentioned that the secret service has a new scandal to deal with, this one out of el salvador. secret service agents there reportedly got drunk and partied with strippers. got a statement from the secret service and i'll read it now, from the secret service. the recent investigation in colombia has generated several new stories that contain allegations by mostly unnamed sources. any information brought to our attention that can be assesse

wolf blitzer god it's repulsive. >> i see you smiling. i don't know why. >> i'm smiling at how crazy this all is. >> how should you have phrased what you wanted to say? this is an awful way of saying it. she's a hard working woman raising five boys, especially someone who has m.s., breast cancer. look into the camera. if ann romney is talking to you right now talk to her. >> mrs. romney, i applaud your decision to stay home and raise five wonderful boys. >> i didn't hear an apology. >> i sent out an apology this afternoon. >> you didn't say it right now. >> i assume that she saw my apology this afternoon. if not i apologize. >> oh! oh! >> like catholic school. >> exactly. it was like a scolding vice principal there. if i was going topologies because i assume the obama administration pressured her. i would be like i'm not doing it. >> cnn should apologize for wolf blitzer. >> it's amazing how they refuse to take a stand on the situation, always neutral but obviously taking a stance on this issue, taking a side, and wolf blitzer is doing so

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >> you certainly could say the general election campaign began this week when republican candidate rick santorum declared "the race is over for me." now that mitt romney's toughest challenger is out of the picture, romney and president obama are taking direct jabs at one another. let's bring in our senior correspondent, joe johns. romney, it's his race, he's the challenger. he moved to the right during this campaign, the primary season, but now presumably he's got to move a little closer to the center. >> it does sound that way certainly, wolf. it's been a very good week for mitt romney. now it's up to him and his staff to keep it going. we've essentially entered the general election phase of the 2012 campaign with lightning speed thanks to social nemedia d controversial remarks by romney's wife anne by political strategist hillary rosen. recent polls show mitt romney running behind president obama with women voters by double digits. the question is how

not on whether it was going to happen. >> as woft blitzer put it, this is the official bet gining tohe presidential race and this seals the deal for mitt romney. i can't imagine that anyone disagrees and yet, dafd gergen, we're not hearing from his campaign that an endorsement is an inevitability. >> it's a surprise and otherwise a wise departure from the race. this is to avoid an embarrassment and to put a period at the end of the a remarkable rise in his career, a revival of his career. i do believe he will embrace romney before this is over. but i'm surprisehood edidn't do it today. some people when they leave think i need my day, then he'll get his day. >> newt gingrich is still going into florida, asking the advi supporters of rick santorum to go to h iz website. what are the odds that gipg going is going to get a conservative boost from santorum's voters? or do you think his supporters will coalesce behind the leader? >> i don't think so. i think this is basically over because many people are starting to coalesce behind mitt romney. i tell you, i talked to a very senior person

in the meantime let's go to wolf blitzer.ooke, thanks very much. happening now, all u.s. options

i'm wolf blitzer, you're in "the situation room." but we begin with the obama administration, pressing hard right now for legislation that would ensure that the wealthiest americans don't pay a lower income tax rate than the middle class, this drawing iss -- let' bring in our chief white house correspondent, jessica yellin. jessica, the president's getting ready to score some political points on this issue? >> reporter: the white house says this is all about policy, but on a campaign conference call they could not -- behind the push for the buff let rule. >> it's the front page of the website, president obama bushing the buffet rule. >> if you make more than a million dollars a year, you should not pay less than 30% in taxes. the buffet rule says if you make more than a million dollars a year, you should not pay a lower tax rate than your secretary. >> the rule would apply to anyone who makes more than $1 million. right now with that money comes from investments in the stock market, they could pay 15% or even less in taxes. far lower

i'm wolf blitzer, and you're in i'm wolf blitzer, and you're in "the situation room." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> this just coming in to "the situation room." we are live here in brussels, belgium. i'll have the exclusive joint interview tomorrow with the secretary of state hillary clinton and the defense secretary leon panetta tomorrow from nato headquarters right outside brussels. lots to discuss including the situation in afghanistan. certainly a crisis right now and what's going on with iran and its nuclear program north korea and a lot to discuss with the secretary of state and secretary of defense. i just got in to brussels and flew in with the secretary of defense just a little while ago, but right now we want to get to politics. we have a brand new cnn poll that's just coming out and it sheds new light on the presidential race. look at this. 56% have a favorable opinion of president obama. that's what they think of him as a person and not necessarily his performance as president of the united states. 42% have an unfavorable view. 44% view mitt romney favorably.

i'm going to wolf blitzer with breaking news for us.olf, to you. >> piers, the moment that mitt romney has been waiting for, we're ready to make a projection right now. and as you've been saying, three for three for mitt romney tonight. we can now project that mitt romney is the winner in the state of wisconsin. earlier we projected a win in the district of columbia and a win in maryland. three for three for mitt romney tonight. he wins in wisconsin. 42 total delegates at stake in this primary. a big night for mitt romney. you saw the exit poll numbers. he was ahead by about seven points. the official numbers show it tighter right now but based on the exit poll numbers as well as the official numbers coming in right now, we can now project that mitt romney will carry wisconsin. so the race continues. the race continues to april 24th when pennsylvania is coming up. it's going to be a huge night on that tuesday. piers. >> thanks a lot, wolf. we'll go back to john, the senior adviser to rick santorum. there we have it, it's official. three

i'm wolf blitzer. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >> let's begin with the breaking news in a case that has gripped the entire nation. a senior law enforcement source says george zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain who shot dead an unarmed teenager trayvon martin will, in fact, be charged. florida's special prosecutor has scheduled a news conference two hours from now. of course, we'll bring that to you live. let's go to cnn's martin savidge. he's in sanford, florida, watching all of this unfold. set the scene for us, martin. what do we know right now? >> reporter: we know that sanford is, of course, the epicenter and right now there is a lot of tension in this town in the leadup to that special announcement that will come from the special prosecutor at 6:00. what we do know is that she has said quite plainly and this was the press release, the wording and it is very carefully worded. the release says, quote, miss corey is prepared, rather, to release new info

, wolf blitzer, joining me live with a preview.ng on on the campaign trail or is it pretty quiet? >> there's always a lot going on. mitt romney, you know, he's threatening to spend probably $3 million between his own campaign organization, the super-pac that supports him to crush santorum in his home state. a lot of santorum supporters are saying maybe it would be more dignified for him. the counter argument, of course, is if he wins in pennsylvania, he's got some momentum, and may is a hopeful month for santorum, kentucky, arkansas, where he could potentially do well. ron brownstein will join us, david gergen will join us and we have a lot coming up on north korea and this rocket launch they're getting reddy to do. we'll have our own stan grant who's in north korea. i went to korea with him back in 2010. >>> i remember seeing you do your report from north korea, i was very jealous that you got that assignment, my friend. >> it was a real good assignment. rick santorum's little daughter bella is out of the hospital. is she okay? >>

look at what wolf blitzer did. we're winning, quote, unquote the war against women by 20 points.nce, don't you think? and it immediately made people able to go she is criticizing stay at home moms. >> she was talking about jobs and if there is anything that she has said that was even a little wrong is that ann romney has never had a job. but even if she said that, people would have jumped on what she said. being a stay at home mom not a job. >> but as you said ann romney has lived a privileged life and i think that was hilary's original point, was this is not the economic reality that most people face. >> there was a "new york times" report that i think came out today, i think that was saying that the majority of stay at home moms are actually women who did work, who many of them are women who did work who lost their jobs who decided you know what, screw the workplace, i'm going to stay home because my kids need me. they give an example of one woman who sold her car. she and her husband figured out how to cut back on everything and -- so she could stay home with one of her kids w

i'm wolf blitzer? i'm wolf blitzer? you're in "the situation room. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> we're also learning that george zimmerman, the shooter of trayvon martin, will be speaking publicly within the hour, maybe within the half hour, we are told, he's going to be speaking. we'll have live coverage of that and his first public comments on television. george zimmerman will be making a statement. we'll see what he has to say. that's coming up this hour as well, but let's get to the other breaking news we're following. rick santorum bows to reality and says the presidential race, as far as he's concern side over. with with the suspension of his campaign he leaves mitt romney the clear path to the nomination and a november matchup against president barack obama. let's go straight to our national political correspondent jim acosta and he was there when he made his statement in pennsylvania. i know you've spoken to santorum aides. what else are they saying? >> reporter: wolf, what they're telling me and i j

blitzer. president was over at the hol cast memorial museum and he ordered the intelligence community to start preparing intelligence reports to try to take on the issue of mass atrocities and genocide. as you know, the intelligence community is always looking at national intelligence estimates. estimates on whether iran, for example, is trying to build a nuclear bomb, what's going on in north korea, is al qaeda getting ready for more terrorist operations in the universitted . we're going to get into that, fran townsend, our national security contributor will be with us to discuss it. the president says they're on the losing side in syria, they better make quick decisions unless they want to be charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes and stuff. >> we saw mitt romney ahead in the primary in pennsylvania and he's out with florida senator marco rubio. we have a little bit of the sound from early today. >> there's only one person that's running for president that understands that, there's

now we go to the special "situation room" with wolf blitzer live from brussels, belgium tonight.

wolf blitzer coming up on cnn. wolf has a preview, big night for mitt romney and newt gingrich.call it quits after a tough campaign for him. we have full analysis of what's going on on the political front. also, i have an interview with madeleinal brooit, the former secretary. she speaks about part of the life that was hidden from her during and after world war ii. until she reached the age of 59 she was about to become secretary of state of the united states she did not know that her parents were jewish, that she lost jewish relatives in the holocaust. she's now written a new book about that, and a whole lot more. that interview coming up in the next hour. and in our 5:00 p.m. eastern hour a story that has shocked me. it's a stunning development. imagine this, don, a country that receives billions and billions of dollars in u.s. assistance. we're talking about afghanistan. hamid karzai tells the secretary of state of the united states that an american congressman is not welcome to visit that country. dana rohrabacher, he's here, congressman of california, a member of the house

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> a sharp battle is unfolding here in washington over a bill to extend lower interest rates on student loans. millions of students are involved in this. it's a bipartisan goal, but there's partisan bickering over how to pay for it and now the white house is upping the ante with a veto threat. our congressional correspondent kate bolduan is watching this unfold. what are you seeing on capitol hill, kate? >> this fight against student loans is about much more than student loans but it's drawn familiar battle lines. house republicans versus president obama and congressional democrats. >> reporter: defying a veto threat from president obama house republicans push ahead friday to pass a bill extending lower interest rates for federally funded college loan, about you it wasn't without a healthy dose of political theater. >> and they picked this political fight where there is no fight is just silly. give me a break. >> r

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> the obama administration replies to a rare order from a federal appeals court. the latest round of a sharp dispute over the nation's health care reform law. we begin with president obama warning the supreme court against overturning his cherished legislation. judges hearing a separate case took offense at what the president of the united states said and they demanded a three-page written explanation. let's go straight to our congressional correspondent kate bolduan. she's working the story for us. today the attorney general of the united states complied with that demand. >> complied with that demand. i guess to use the sports metaphor the ball may still be in play on this one. i wouldn't call this a bombshell, but it's a strange twist in this political battle with no end in sight. three pages, single spaced. that was the unusual order by a federal circuit court. attorney general eric holder personally responded

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> it's been an amazing few days in the race for the presidency. newt gingrich is go to get out and mitt romney wing five more states last night, and all, but clenching the nomination and the general election campaign under way. our chief political analyst gloria borger is here in "the situation room." gingrich effectively, we knew which was going to happen for sure, suspending his campaign and santorum getting ready to endorse mitt romney. what's going on over here? this general election campaign clearly under way. we're going see six months of this now. >> we are. the first thing we're looking at is republicans and will they fall in line behind mitt romney. as you know, they're skeptical, conservatives about him. they're in the process of warming up to mitt romney. i've got some tape for you, wolf, from a focus wolf that was done by the annenberg center by pollster peter hart. these are republican voters in the s

. >> we are ten minute away from the wolf blitzer.blitzer, i feel like we haven't talked in a while. how are you? >> what am i supposed to do, just sit around and wait? >> i'm crying tears every night, but it's been so long. >> all right. >> how are you, and what do you have coming up? >> you've been off a little bit, too, right? you haven't worked every day? >> a monday here and there. >> you deserve some time off. >> thank you. >> you are doing an excellent job. i was going to tweet @brooke, and doing an excellent job and i got tied up with something else. >> thanks a lot, blitz perp. >> you're doing an excellent job. >> what we have coming up, the chairman of the republican national committee will join me live in "the situation room" during the 4:00 p.m. eastern hour. dan pfeiffer, the white house communications director, he's joining us in the 5:00 p.m. eastern hour as is michaelen of politico. he's got a new ebook entitled "inside the circus," what's going on in the republican race for the white house. we have a lot of news and f

. >>> coming up in a matter of minutes, this man, wolf blitzer. was just in the commercial checking at your twitter page,er is, and it looks like you're talking to the governor of south carolina today. >> she's really an amazing woman. i don't know if you know a lot about her, brooke. i didn't know that much about her, her personal life growing up in south carolina, in the small community where her family moved she was the only little girl except for her sister whose parents were from india, they were sikhs and her father wore a turban and a beard, let's put it this way, unusual and extraordinary some of the experiences that she had, even wanting to play kick ball with the other girls. there was a black team, a white team. they wanted to know if she was black or white and she couldn't participate in the beauty pageant because they didn't know if she was black or white. she tells these stories. i taped this interview in "the situation room" and she read says passages from the book. we'll talk politics and why romney, the man she supports is having

i'm wolf blitzer. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> an historic and stunning showdown is under way right now between the obama administration and federal judges. a three-member appeals panel all republican appointees has taken issue with the president's jawboning of the u.s. supreme court over the health care reform law. now an unusual demand from those judges is putting a lot of heat from the justice department in washington. brian todd is following this battle for us. brian, what's going on? >> reporter: one seasoned court analyst says federal judges almost never do this kind of thing. whether he intended to or not an appeals court judge has publicly taken on president obama and walked into the political fire. >> reporter: a barometer of how high the political stakes are for the president and his opponents on the health care law. a public sparring match between president obama and the courts. on monday, mr. obama says this about the supreme court's review of he

i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> mitt romney's primary sweep this week sounded the death nell for newt gingrich's campaign and the romney versus obama battle for the rouwhite house has shif up a gear. our national political reporter is following this. jim, what are you seeing now? >> with the republican race now over, there are only two men left standing, president obama and mitt romney and they're already throwing hard punches, even though it's only april. president obama's visit with college students in iowa may have been about financial aid but it was one more sign that school is in session in the race for the white house. >> some suggest that students like you have to pay more so we can help bring down the deficit. th think about that. >> the president has been doing his reelection homework basically ever since he got in office. from february 2009 on he's made 126 visit to 14 battle ground states. >> is it easier to make ends meet. >> no. >> mitt romney was just in one of those

i'm wolf blitzer, you're in "the situation room." >>> on this holocaust remembrance day, the president gave a powerful speech at the u.s. holocaust memorial museum right near in washington, d.c. speaking of -- government slaughter in syria which has now claimed more than 11,000 lives. jill dougherty is joining us with the latest details. >> at the museum, president obama referred to the unhappy record of the state department during the holocaust in world war ii. now he says preventing mass atrocities is no only a moral responsibility, it's a key security issue of the united states. >> reporter: barack obama shook hands with people who survived the death camp more than 60 years ago. he found new meaning in the phrase never again. >> never again is a challenge to nations. it's a bitter truth. too often the world has failed to prevent the killing of innocents on a massive scale and we are haunted by the lives we did not save. >> we are seeing the -- the killings in bosnia, the killings in darfur. they shock our conscience, but they are the extreme of a spectrum of uneasiness and intoleran

i'm wolf blitzer, you're in "the situation room." >>> it can be a politician's worst enemy as politicians from ronald reagan to barack obama have learned the hard way. now a would be president is having his own open mike moment, mitt romney speaking candidly at a public fund-raiser about eliminating tax deductions and other loopholes. jim, tell our viewers what's going on. >> this is sort of an open mike moment, even though there were no microphones, mitt romney has been reluctant to offer many details to voters. yet at a private fundrai-raiser over the weekend, romney was willing to get specific. >> reporter: for mitt romney, it was supposed to be a private fund-raiser. but two reporters overheard specifics from romney's deficit reduction plan that he has yet to share with the public. among other things, romney was considering eliminating the department of housing and human development, he talked about console -- the obama campaign was quick to pounce, accusing romney for having a penchant for secrecy. to be able to lift up the hood and kick the tires and make that determination before e

i am wolf blitzer in "the situation room." the news continues next on cnn.

now how do i live my christian life. >> clearly it wasn't with wolf blitzer.is was about his calling. how important is this, dan? >> he's an important political figure. this week he said to us, that he thought that mitt romney was a brother in christ. mitt romney is a mormon. i think that really is a big deal. one of the top goals of romney's advisers that work on religious outreach is to get vak evangelicaling to come out and say it's okay to vote for a mormon. now, osteen didn't endorse him, far from it. by coming out, though, and saying he is a christian, romney is a christian, one of us, that goes a long way in lending him legitimacy and making it, quote, okay for evangelicals to vote for him. i think it is a big deal. >> this church is no doubt massive. it preaches its own version of christianity to a degree. you asked him a little bit about this. what was his response? >> yeah, you know, he doesn't wade into politics. i think that's a big key to his appeal. i think you might see more preachers following his lead in this election. i think that a lot of am

. >> was that blitzer? it was not wolf blitzer. as you can see, the competition was stiff.hey must use exorbitant amounts of hairspray i'm guessing. i'm thinking you should try a little facial hair. >> i've tried. it doesn't work. doesn't work for me. i get little patches of gray. not pretty. >> so tragic. >> that's amazing. my gosh. wow. >> i was hoping if you could do it, you would be like a young santa claus, a young father christmas. >> i don't know how to take that. i would have one like that one right there. with the big -- yeah. >> we need to work on your style. >> thank you. >>> the man best known as white house party crasher lands up on the ridiculist ahead. >>> time now for the ridiculist. tonight we're adding the salahi scoffers. i know what you're thinking. who? tareq salahi. the guy who crashed the white house state dinner with his wife whose claims to fame are starring in the real housewives of d.c. and being kicked off of celebrity rehab because she wasn't really addicted to anything. that guy. well, it looks like tareq salahi is determined to get into politi

now to my colleague wolf blitzer in hollywood. >> thanks, very much, happening now, mitt romney's plans to turn around, what the can date said when he didn't know reporters were listening in. also new polls on the presidential contest just coming into "the situation room." the first since rick santorum dropped out of the presidential contest. how does romney do in a head to head matchup with mibarack obam. kim jong-un's first speech in public. i'm wolf blitzer, you're in "the situation room." >>> it can be a politician's worst enemy as politicians from ronald reagan to barack obama have learned the hard way. now a would be president is having his own open mike moment, mitt romney speaking candidly at a public fund-raiser about eliminating tax deductions and other loopholes. jim, tell our viewers what's going on. >> this is sort of an open mike moment, even though there were no microphones, mitt romney has been reluctant to offer many details to voters. yet at a private fundrai-raiser over the weekend, romney was willing to get specific. >> reporter: for mitt romney, it was supposed to b

now to wolf blitzer.e situation room" begins right now. >> thanks very much. >>> happening now, troubling more allegations of misconduct by u.s. secret service agents including heavy drinking, a strip club and escorts. we'll get d