Mitt Romney took the opportunity during an interview with Fox News on Wednesday to push back against President Obama, saying the only person he was “out of touch with is Barack Obama.” Romney was responding to the continued charge that he doesn’t have connections with grassroots voters, adding,  “I’m in touch with the American people." Romney has taken some heat on the campaign trail for talking about friends who own NASCAR teams and saying his wife owns two Cadillacs.  The former Massachusetts governor added that Obama’s presidency is a “throwback” to the big-government, welfare state under Jimmy Carter.

Ignoring pleas from around the globe to halt the process, North Korea said Wednesday it would launch a rocket as weather allowed over the next few days. "We don't really care about the opinions from the outside. This is critical in order to develop our national economy," an official said. The North Koreans have claimed the rocket is a weather satellite for a “peaceful space program” while international foes believe it’s the next step in nuclear-rocket development in the Communist country. Despite warnings issued from the U.S., Russia, and China, North Korea said it was fueling the rocket for a near-future launch.

A lawyer for George Zimmerman, the Florida man who killed the unarmed Trayvon Martin during a neighborhood watch patrol, said his client will plead not guilty to second degree murder charges announced Wednesday. Zimmerman, who is now in police custody in Seminole County, will also ask to be released on bond, said Mark O’Mara, Zimmerman’s new attorney. Zimmerman was charged by a special prosecutor after more than a month of nationwide protests because local authorities declined to arrest Zimmerman. He is due in court at 1:30 pm EST on Thursday.

Just three weeks after a powerful 7.4-magnitude quake hit southern Mexico, the country suffered another tremor Wednesday. A 6.5-magnitude earthquake rocked western Mexico and reverberated more than 200 miles in Mexico City, causing buildings in the capital city to sway. A large-scale evacuation took place, but government officials said there were no reports of damage. The tremor occurred 41 miles below the surface, so much of the energy dissipated before it reached the city. The government remains on alert for aftershocks.

The Justice Department announced Wednesday that it will file suit against Apple and several top publishers, alleging that their pricing of iPad books is illegal price collusion. E-book prices differ from the prices of physical books because they are set by the publisher, rather than the seller, in a system pushed by the late Steve Jobs. Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, and Penguin are also included in the suit, which was announced the day after Apple’s value surpassed $600 billion.

It’s hard to imagine what assurances Bashar al-Assad could give at this point, but United Nations envoy Kofi Annan says he’s received “further clarifications” from the Syrian leader and that he plans to abide by the peace plan. So far, Assad has responded to the peace plan by increasing attacks on the opposition, reportedly killing at least 100 people yesterday. “If everyone respects it I think by six in the morning on Thursday we shall see improved conditions on the ground,” said Annan.

It’s an international murder mystery that keeps getting more intriguing. Friends of Neil Heywood, the British businessman who was found dead in a Chongqing hotel room, say he felt he was “in trouble.” Heywood had been summoned to meet with the representatives of Bo Xilai, the local Communist Party chief who has since been stripped of his position in the prestigious Politburo. He told his confidants that he left documents that detailed Bo’s family’s overseas investments with his lawyer in Britain after he had a falling out with Bo’s wife, Gu Kailai. Chinese authorities have classified his death as an intentional homicide and have arrested Gu as a suspect.

Mitt Romney is feeling magnanimous. Even though he and Rick Santorum sparred for several months for the GOP presidential nomination–and the fight often turned ugly–the former Massachusetts governor said he would consider his formal rival as a running mate. During a campaign stop in Rhode Island on Wednesday, Romney told supporters that “everybody is on” his list. He then said, “I don’t have a list yet … But I can tell you that the people who I had the privilege of running against would surely be among those I would consider.”

Joe Eszterhas has some harsh words for Mel Gibson. The Hollywood screenwriter accused Gibson of “hating Jews” and using him to repair his reputation. In a nine-page letter, Eszterhas said Gibson never intended to make The Maccabees, their joint project that was put on hold Wednesday, because he was anti-Semitic and described Gibson as “wild, crazed, and explosive.” Eszterhas charged that Gibson essentially denied the Holocaust and wanted to use the film to convert Jews to Christianity and often used racial slurs. "You continually called Jews 'Hebes' and 'oven-dodgers' and 'Jewboys,'” Eszterhas wrote.

Hit her banking account one more time. Britney Spears is expected to join Simon Cowell as the newest X Factor judge, to the tune of $15 million, making her the highest paid reality star in television history. There are a few details left to work out, but now that the both sides have agreed on her fee, the deal is said to be imminent. As part of the agreement, her fiancé, music producer and manager Jason Trawick, will produce the show.

Yikes, has Alec Baldwin never heard the phrase “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you”? The 30 Rock star had another Twitter feud on Wednesday—this time with the Today show, which is also on NBC. After Baldwin’s alleged stalker made the news earlier this week, reporters staked out his apartment—including reporters from Today. Baldwin sent out a bunch of angry tweets, including “The television crew camped out outside my apt said they were from the Today Show. #howthemightyhavefallen”; and “A story about stalkers brings out stalkers in the media. But, the Today Show?” In another tweet, Baldwin wrote, “I think I’m leaving NBC just in time.”

Newt Gingrich said his campaign was on a shoestring budget, but this is pretty bad. The candidate may not appear on the ballot for Utah’s June primary after a $500 check from his campaign bounced. A Utah election official said they tried to get in contact with the Gingrich campaign but were unable to do so. Gingrich previously acknowledged that his campaign is $4.5 million in debt. Yesterday, after Santorum bowed out, Gingrich sent an email to supporters saying he was “the last conservative standing.”

Following Rick Santorum’s departure from the presidential race, evangelical voters are gravitating, albeit reluctantly, toward the inevitable nominee. Mitt Romney received an endorsement from the National Organization for Marriage, joining other Christian conservatives who have rallied behind Mitt in the last 24 hours. But all evangelicals aren’t ready to run into the Mormon candidate’s arms just yet. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and a Santorum backer, said Romney needs to “demonstrate a genuine and solid commitment to the core values issues.”

The Brits are already in the throes of pre-Olympics panic, with M.P.s expressing concern that London’s Heathrow airport wasn’t prepared for the event. In a letter leaked on Wednesday, members of the House of Commons's Culture, Media, and Sport Committee worried about “long queues at immigration,” planes being “left on runways” for long periods, and other traveling inconveniences that might discourage tourists from returning. After attending a briefing by Heathrow’s BAA operator about the airport company’s preparations for the Olympics, the M.P.s weren’t confident that Heathrow was ready for the “huge number of competitors, Olympic family and visiting tourists.”

Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey announced Wednesday evening that George Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman was arrested Wednesday and in the custody of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, his new attorney, Mark O’Mara, told CNN. Corey said that it was her duty “to find the full truth” surrounding the February killing that has captured the nation’s attention for much of the last three weeks. Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon’s mother, spoke out earlier Wednesday, saying, “I know without a shadow of a doubt that justice will be served.”

Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn resigned Tuesday after the company launched a probe into his “personal conduct.” According to a company statement, “Prior to the completion of the investigation, Mr. Dunn chose to resign.” Dunn started with the company as a sales clerk in the 1980s and became CEO in 2009. Best Buy shares rose slightly when the news of Dunn’s departure broke, but fell nearly 6 percent on the news of the probe. One equities analyst said, “It’s good news that he’s gone. But this adds another layer of uncertainty.”

Now that Mitt Romney is (almost) officially the Republican presidential nominee, President Obama’s reelection campaign is focusing all of its attention on making sure Mitt doesn’t try to shake the public’s memory clear of everything he said during the primary. A new video, entitled Memories to Last a Lifetime, takes a look back at all of the “severely conservative” statements Romney made while on the trail, urging voters to “remember.”

Santos Roman of Bridgeport, Conn., is in prison after his 5-year-old stepson brought 50 packets of heroin to school for “show and tell.” According to police, the boy came to school carrying Roman's jacket. When it was his turn to present, he took out 10 bags of heroin. The teacher grabbed the bags, notified the principal, and called the police. Shortly thereafter, Roman came to school, spotted the jacket in an empty classroom, and ran off with it. He’s being held on $100,000 bail.

A day after they held a press conference announcing they had cut ties, George Zimmerman’s former lawyers said they are worried about the neighborhood watchman’s emotional state. Hal Uhrig and Craig Sonner said Wednesday that they stepped down as Zimmerman’s legal counsel because he had told the prosecutor they were no longer representing him, and he had stopped contacting them. “Frankly his actions here recently don’t speak of someone who is completely doing very well,” Uhrig told NBC’s Today. “He’s not a bad guy, he might just be an emotional beat-down guy by this process.”

Three months after the death of Whitney Houston, police have finally concluded their investigation into the Grammy-winner’s death, reiterating that they found no indications of foul play. Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mark Rosen confirmed they had closed the case Wednesday after reviewing Houston’s full autopsy report, which attributed the 48-year-old singer’s death to accidental drowning. The coroner’s office said cocaine use and heart disease also played a role in her death. Houston had cocaine in her system when she was found dead in a bathtub Feb. 11, a day before she was scheduled to attend the Grammy Awards.

Chinese surveillance boats blocked a Philippine warship from arresting Chinese fishermen who had crossed over into what Philippine officials assert to be their waters. Albert Del Rosario, the foreign secretary for the Philippines, demanded that the Chinese resolve the tension peacefully, but as of Wednesday morning, the two countries were still at an impasse. Philippine sailors boarded the Chinese vessels on Tuesday, finding large amounts of illegally procured coral, giant clams, and live sharks inside at least one of the boats. Last year, the Philippines also accused China of interfering in the nearby Spratly Islands. The Chinese have in the past asserted sovereignty over the area, which is believed to be rich in gas and oil.

An 8.6-magnitude quake has struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province—the same region that was rocked by a devastating tsunami in 2004. There were early fears of a tsunami, but within a few hours India lifted its tsunami warning, as did the Pacific tsunami center, which had issued warnings for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and others. Waves up to one meter, or 3.3 feet, were seen off the coast of Aceh, and the area was rocked by an 8.2-magnitude aftershock shortly after the initial quake. Officials cautioned that the earthquake occurred in such a remote area that it could take days to find the extent of the damage.

Let the apologizing begin. UCLA administrators are in damage-control mode after the university sent updated “provisional” financial aid packages Saturday and Sunday to admitted students and mistakenly added 854 nonadmitted high-school seniors to its mailing list. The letters contained the line: “Once again congratulations on your admission to UCLA, we hope that this information will assist you in making your decision to join the Bruin Family in the fall." UCLA spokesman Ricardo Vazquez issued an apology Wednesday.

With Rick Santorum out, Foster Friess, the retired investor who spent almost $1.7 million on Santorum’s campaign, is getting behind Mitt Romney. “I’ve got some plans as to how I might be able to be of help,” said Friess. Friess suggested he might throw his weight behind Karl Rove's Crossroads group, which plans to spend $300 million attacking President Obama and supporting Romney. In fact Friess says he might've already given to the organization: “I know that I have contributed to some other groups, but I can’t remember which ones. There are so many of them. They’re all over the place.”

First the banks won’t lend, now they’re back to lending to risky borrowers. As banks look to make up for fee income barred by new regulations, they’ve gone back to offering loans and credit cards to borrowers with bad credit. Credit-card companies gave out 1.1 million new cards to borrowers with bad credit in December, up 12.3 percent from the month before. Capital One is especially aggressive, wooing customers just out of bankruptcy. Lenders are also giving more auto loans to people with bad credit. Analysts say the banks are attracted to the high-interest rates borrowers with damaged credit pay.

Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey will charge George Zimmerman in connection with the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, sources said Wednesday, but it is not immediately clear what the charges will be. Zimmerman shot and killed Martin, 17, while acting as a neighborhood-watch volunteer, and was initially not charged in the teenager’s death because Zimmerman claimed he acted in self-defense. The resulting public outcry  caused a review of the charges, although Zimmerman has reportedly since been out of communication. Martin’s parents held a press conference Wednesday during which they urged Zimmerman to come forward. Authorities said they knew the whereabouts of Zimmerman, but said that he was not in Florida.

Bobby Petrino will not return to coach the University of Arkansas football team, the school's athletic director revealed Tuesday. Petrino, who has coached the Razorbacks since 2007—and is married with four children—was having an "inappropriate relationship" with a 25-year-old female employee, Jessica Dorrell, a former Arkansas volleyball player. Petrino didn't immediately tell his bosses that Dorrell was with him when he wrecked his motorcycle on April 1. The former coach of the Atlanta Falcons led the Razorbacks to a 34–17 record while at the helm.

Nine suspected illegal immigrants died Wednesday when their van crashed just after a Border Patrol stop in the south Texas town of Palmview. The van had been gutted to hold 19 people. Four men managed to flee the wreck, but two of them were captured by authorities. Some of the passengers fled during the Border Patrol stop, and the agents pursued them on foot. The van took off when the border agents pursued the fleeing passengers. The agents returned to their vehicle and found a scene of carnage a few blocks away.

A coroner has ruled rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose’s death a suicide, a month after he passed away from what his agent said were complications from prostate cancer. Montrose, 64, was found dead in his living room on March 3, having shot himself. The guitarist, who played with influential musicians like Van Morrison and Boz Scaggs before forming his own band in 1973, allegedly suffered from depression for much of his life. His family has released a statement saying that Montrose was “tormented” and asked that the public understand “why we wanted to keep this news a private family matter as long as possible.”

UC Davis released a report saying that campus police should not have used pepper spray to clear out an Occupy protest on November 18 of last year. The use of such force “should and could have been prevented,” the report said. Police said that they felt trapped by the protesters and used the pepper spray to get away from them. But the report said, “On balance, there is little basis supporting Lt. Pike’s belief that he was trapped by the protesters or that his officers were prevented from leaving the Quad. Further, there is little evidence that any protesters attempted to use violence against the police.”

Mass murderer Charles Manson was denied parole for the 12th time Wednesday, and he did not bother to attend the parole hearing, even though it could be the 77-year-old’s last chance for a hearing. In 1969, he directed his followers to murder seven people, including actress Sharon Tate—whose sister said that she planned to attend Wednesday’s hearing. Manson was convicted and sentenced to death in 1971, but in 1977, his sentence was commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole, and Manson remains eligible for parole hearings every five years.

North Korea could launch its rocket tomorrow, despite international objections and warnings. The hermit state said it is injecting fuel into its long-range rocket “as we speak,” meaning there is one more stage before it is ready to launch. North Korea claims the rocket is simply meant to put a weather satellite into orbit, but other countries say it is a disguised ballistic missile test. There is also concern that North Korea will follow the launch with nuclear tests, as it did in 2009. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that “recent history strongly suggests that additional provocations may follow.”