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CNN NEWSROOM

"Dream Defenders" Hold Overnight Sit-In; Juror: Zimmerman Justified In Killing; Outrage Over Tsarnaev The Cover Boy; Northeast Roasts In Sweltering Heat; "Stand Your Ground" Fight; Costa Concordia Captain On Trial

Aired July 17, 2013 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Stifling heat and no water.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is sweat on just about every inch of my body so it's pretty gross.

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COSTELLO: Maryland sizzles and 200,000 lose water service for days.

Also Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law under fire.

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ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Separate and apart from the case that's got on the nation's attention, it's time to question laws that senselessly expand the concept self-defense and so dangerous a concept in our neighborhoods.

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COSTELLO: And Juror B37 takes some heat.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I believe he played a huge role in his death. He could have -- when George confronted him, he could have walked away and gone home. He didn't have do whatever he did and come back and be in a fight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Her fellow jurors say B37's opinions are her own.

Plus, accused Boston bomber a dreamy cover boy? "Rolling Stone?" why?

And enter sandman, a Yankee get star treatment at the home of the Mets and yes, the great Mariano Rivera delivers.

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MARIANO RIVERA, NEW YORK YANKEE: I think that the only one that will top this is the World Series.

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COSTELLO: You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. Good morning. Thank you so much for being with me. I'm Carol Costello. Versions of "Stand Your Ground" around the books in over half the country, but if Attorney General Eric Holder has his way, those laws would be gone.

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HOLDER: We must stand our ground to ensure that our laws reduce violence and take a hard look at laws that contribute to more violence than they prevent.

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COSTELLO: In Florida, ordinary people can use deadly force if attacked in or outside of their homes, and the attorney general is not alone in his fight against that law. Those "Stand Your Ground" laws are just one of the reasons that these people called the "Dream Defenders" converged on the governor's office in Florida. They're pushing for lawmakers to create a Trayvon Martin civil rights act.

Victor Blackwell joins me on the phone from Tallahassee because Victor, you're literally following the story. You're walking along with these protesters.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): That's right, Carol. It's more than just the former appeal of the stand your ground law here in Florida. The "Dream Defenders," that's the first of three demands they have. They want the state to end war on children specifically they are mentioning zero tolerance policies in schools and communities across the state. They want to have an honest conversation about racial profiling.

During this trial of George Zimmerman, there was a discussion of profiling, but they thought it should have gone a step further to also include racial profiling. Now there are about 15 of these "Dream Defenders" who stayed overnight, but the number have increased throughout the morning as the video you saw from yesterday. They got up to about 75.

Expect that number to get to about 100 or maybe 125 today as through social media the tales of their movement is flowing. Now this is a group of students, mostly students from schools across the country -- across the state, rather so they're coming here during the day, only about 15 of the leadership staying overnight.

Now the governor, they're asking every day about 10:00 to speak with them. Here's what will happen in the next few minutes, Carol. They're sending in today a 9-year-old boy. His name is Eman Gabriel. His birthday was actually yesterday. His family wanted to have a party for him. We're told that he wanted to be here instead. He will lead this group and say I'd like to speak with the governor.

They'll be told that the governor is not here because he's in Pensacola, Panama City and then he will wait there and say, we will be here as long as it takes. As you know, the governor release a statement saying immediately following Trayvon Martin's death, Governor Scott called for the bipartisan special task force with 19 citizens to review Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law.

This task force listen to Floridians across the state and heard their view point and expert opinions on this law. They recommended that the law should not be overturned and Governor Scott agrees. This group, of course, disagrees and they'll be there as long as it takes to change it -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, they may be there a long time because I just interviewed the co-sponsor of the "Stand Your Ground" and he said, yes, we can have a conversation about it, but "Stand Your Ground" had nothing do with the George Zimmerman trial. Nothing to do at all, in fact, it didn't even enter into the courtroom drama. It was only brought up afterwards.

BLACKWELL: I spoke with the Executive Director Ahmar about that. I said, is although it was part of the conversation, it was not part of the defense team. He sees it as what he's hoping will not lead to another Trayvon Martin, another George Zimmerman situation, and while we have this conversation going, this is the time to address the law and have it reform or appeal -- their goal repealed.

COSTELLO: Victor Blackwell reporting live from Tallahassee. We'll check back. Thanks, Victor.

Just ahead, prying open the jury room door in the George Zimmerman murder trial. One juror speaks exclusively to CNN and raises eyebrows with comments like this one.

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ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, CNN'S "AC 360": When you lay your head tonight on your pillow, in your heart, in your head, you're 100 percent convinced that George Zimmerman in taking out his gun and pulling the trigger did nothing wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm 101 percent that he was -- that he should have done what he did except for the things that he did before.

COOPER: You mean he shouldn't have gotten out of the car. He shouldn't have pursued Trayvon Martin, but in the final analysis, in the final struggle --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When the end came to the end --

COOPER: He was justified.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was justified in shooting Trayvon Martin.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: At the bottom of our hour more exclusive interview with Juror B37. Why her blunt comments have prompted some of her fellow jurors to speak out and say, she doesn't speak for us.

Also this morning, a squeamish overlap of crime and pop culture, "Rolling Stone" magazine is an icon in the music industry so is it giving the rock star treatment to an accused terrorist. Take a look at that. This morning, "Rolling Stone" is facing an online fire storm for this cover boy shot of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. He is accused of carrying out the Boston marathon bombing along with his brother who was later killed during a police shootout.

Erik Wemple is the media critic for the "Washington Post." Good morning, Erik.

ERIK WEMPLE, MEDIA CRITIC, "WASHINGTON POST."

COSTELLO: You're welcome. I know what the Twitter-verse is saying, but what do you say about this cover?

WEMPLE: I think it's fabulous. I think it's great way to depict the suspect or alleged bomber in this case simply because all we know about him at this point is that he did, according to all his friends, all other witnesses interviewed after this terrible event said that he was a well adjusted sort of good guy, good guy to hang out with, party with and so forth and think this is journalistically accurate and quite frankly responsible.

COSTELLO: So get ready for a firestorm to go around. I'm going to read a few comments. This is from Moracca. He's actually a CBS correspondent now. He said who knew "Rolling Stone" was the magazine for dreamboat terrorist boys. Here's another one from Boston radio host, John Dennis. He asked was "Rolling Stone" rag unable to find a picture of Hitler looking like a rock star. I mean, can't you understand that for the victims of this bombing that this would be disturbing?

WEMPLE: I can totally understand that. This is a very fresh incident. It's a fresh and tragic and terrible, terrible incident but we have to remember a journalist's responsibility, responsibility of a magazine, is to portray the truth and the truth in this case is that, as I just said, that this guy was widely regarded as a well adjusted guy. How does he go from well adjusted high school student, wrestler, buddy of everybody, to a suspect or a perpetrator in this event? I think that is a very important question. I think the "Rolling Stone" puts it there for us right on the cover of the magazine.

COSTELLO: Some people might say that "Rolling Stone" is glorifying the image of this handsome young man because you know there are a number of young girls or women for some bizarre reason or twist are idolizing this guy.

WEMPLE: Listen, in terms of the photo availability of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Go ahead, Carol. Go ahead and look at Google images and see what you can play with. "Rolling Stone" did not alter this image. It took an image and placed it on the cover. I mean, what I think is going on here is a lot of the people who are upset out there are channelling a sense of responsibility -- are wanting to attach horns or iconography that turns him into a devil. I think the evidence against him does that amply. So I'm perfectly evidence happy with evidence presented today.

COSTELLO: I know "Rolling Stone" does fine journalism, but it's known as a music magazine. What if it did have Charlie Manson on the cover like that, actually it did.

WEMPLE: It took down a general, right. It took down Stanley McChrystal as we learned again from the death of Michael Hastings. "Rolling Stone" does an awful lot of long-form investigative journalism. It's covers politics heavily. It does this stuff. I think peple need to sort of not just about Justin Bieber and rap and rock. It's about a lot of things. And so they can do this, OK? "Rolling Stone" can go ahead and do this.

You know, that they kick up a firestorm, I thing, is proper. That's the role of magazines to calm the question how we view people who did terrible things, how we view society, how we view crimes. That's the point of a magazine, I'm sorry, but if people have to start to think a little more deeply about what Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was or is or how he's evolved, I don't think that's a bad thing.

COSTELLO: All right, Eric Wemple, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us this morning. We appreciate it. Thank you.

WEMPLE: Appreciate you having me on.

COSTELLO: A Russian lawyer helping NSA leaker Edward Snowden the fugitive will leave the Moscow airport in the next few days. His situation could be resolved within a week. As you Snowden officially applied for temporary asylum in Russia after being holed up at the airport for three weeks. But today Russian President Vladimir Putin says ties between United States and Russia are far more important than a fugitive scandal.

Temperatures are soaring across the nation and the northeast is really sweltering. Highs over 90 degrees so combine that with humidity and it feels like a suffocating 110 degrees in some places. Here's CNN meteorologist Indra Petersons with more.

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INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): The heat is on. Dangerous temperatures are scorching much of the nation from the Midwest all the way to the northeast. The heat can be deadly. This year alone excessive temperatures have taken the lives of nearly 20 children left alone in hot cars. And amid all of this heat thousands of residents near Washington, D.C., are waking up to a water shortage.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's hot, number one, and I'm concerned about personal hygiene and I have babies in the house.

PETERSONS: Crews shut down a major water main for repairs last night. With temperatures expected to hit near 100 degrees this week, they're anxious to get that water flowing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We suspect it will be from three to as long as five days for everything to be returned to the way it was. PETERSONS: And the scorching conditions aren't letting up along the eastern seaboard. At New York Citi Field last night thousands tried to stay cool at the Major League Baseball all-star game where temperatures soared into the 90s. Hot spots popped up all over the city.

(on camera): Wow that's shot, 123 degree slide, yes, that's fun, that's 134 degrees steaming concrete in my face, 96 degrees, ouch.

(voice-over): Temperatures in the 90s combined with humidity will make it feel like it's passing the 100-degree mark.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hot, exhausting. There is sweat on just about every inch of my body so it's pretty gross.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: I love her comment. But I guess, Indra, maybe the bright spot is the entire country will be dealing with this soon.

PETERSONS: Yes. I mean, that appears to be what's going on. We see the spread all the way each into the Midwest. We're talking about major metropolitan cities here, Southern New England and New York. We know that stands right here in it. Now Philadelphia, and not even Ohio but Minneapolis. Can you imagine that? Minneapolis 95 feeling like 100 degrees with the humidity, I feel like a broken record when I say please don't leave your children or pets in the car and yet we just reported, 20 people. In 10 minutes you go from 80 to 100. We're starting at 95. You know what a death trap it is.

COSTELLO: It's happened to me, I know. It's nasty. Indra Petersons, thanks so much.

It's the case that's putting Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law under the microscope, but it isn't the Zimmerman trial. Coming up how one woman's use of deadly force that has people questioning stand your ground.

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COSTELLO: While Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law did not play a direct role in the George Zimmerman case, it's playing a big role in another Florida trial. Melissa Alexander was sentenced to 20 years in prison after a jury convicted her of aggravated assault. She fired a gun into the air after fighting with her husband. The law would not allow her to use stand your ground. John Zarrella explains why.

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JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the wake of the George Zimmerman verdict, social media is abuzz about yet another Florida case, her name, Marissa Alexander, and now she's got some high profile supporters, including Reverend Jesse Jackson who visited her inside jail Tuesday and is ramping up efforts to renew her freedom.

She was prosecuted by Angela Corey's office, the same office that handled Zimmerman. But unlike Zimmerman, this one involved Florida's controversial stand your ground law and unlike Zimmerman, Alexander is doing time, a lot of it, 20 years mandatory, and she didn't kill anyone. She says it was self-defense, but last year Alexander was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He managed to get the door open and that's when he strangled me, put his hands around my neck.

ZARRELLA: Alexander is talking about her husband, Rico Gray. She was in the bathroom when Gray came after her. Alexander managed to get away, made it to the garage and grabbed her gun. She fired, striking the wall. During an interview with CNN --

MARISSA ALEXANDER, FACES 20 YEARS IN PRISON: He was threatening to kill me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you went out the door, your life would have been easier.

ALEXANDER: I would have lost it.

ZARRELLA: Alexander's attorney invoked Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law. She feared for her life.

ALEXANDER: I believe when he threatened to kill me, that is what he was going to do.

ZARRELLA: But the court denied her immunity from prosecution. Her trial attorney, Kevin Cabin told CNN, quote, "she had a legitimate self-defense claim based on the history of abuse at the hands of her spouse." Her husband had been arrested on abuse charges and received probation for an earlier incident. He ultimately testified, quote, "I begged and pleaded for my life when she had the gun." Alexander's motion for bond pending appeal has been denied.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: John Zarrella joins us now from Miami. So is there any way she can get out on bond while she awaits her appeal?

ZARRELLA: Yes. You know, that's what they're trying to do. But at this point, they just had the bond hearing last week, Carol, and the judge said, no, you're staying in jail. There's no telling how long it's going to be before her appeal is actually heard by the appellate court in Tallahassee. One Florida congresswoman came out very strongly and said if ever there was a case when "Stand Your Ground" should be applied, it was this one. But as we know, it was not.

COSTELLO: Were the complicating factors that it was a domestic and it seems that those cases are judged differently, and, two, both individuals in this case are alive.

ZARRELLA: Yes. I talked to her trial attorney and he said there was never any doubt in his mind that they had a very, very strong case for stand your ground. Bottom line they were shocked they were not allowed to use that. COSTELLO: John Zarrella, thank you so much.

A year ago the cause to Concordia ran aground. The latest on this cruise ship disaster next.

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COSTELLO: It was a year and a half ago that the "Costa Concordia" ran aground off the coast of Italy. The ship capsized killing 32 people on board. The trial finally began for the captain of that ship. He is facing three separate criminal charges, involuntary manslaughter causing a maritime disaster and causing personal injury to the 150 passengers hurt in the accident.

Joining me by phone from Italy is journalist, Barbie Nadeau. She's covering the trial. Barbie, what was the first day been like?

BARBIE NADEAU, JOURNALIST (via telephone): It was very dramatic. They detailed how each of the 32 victims died, where they were found, whether they drowned, and whether they were wearing lifejackets which, as you know, it was a recollection of the event. There was a 5-year- old girl that lost her life, and those details brought back the reality of the disaster. It was a day of general housekeeping.

For the 200 plaintiffs who are also being heard during this criminal trial. In Italy criminal trials and civil trials are heard in tandem. The island is suing the captain for damages for causing the problems on the shore and the Italian environment ministry who's seeking damages for the environmental disaster that was in the Mediterranean. It was really day of lawyering, if you will, Carol.

COSTELLO: How is the captain going to defend himself, like he abandoned ship and took one of the lifeboats?

NADEAU: One of his lines of defense is there may have opinion 32 deaths. There were survivors. He steered the ship so they could almost wok on the Iraq's off the ship. He also said he wasn't -- he didn't abandon the ship, that in the chaos he was pushed off the ship. So one of the things his defense lawyers are really trying is include the Costa cruise company in the procedure because he says he was on the phone to his bosses in the city of Genevieve and they persuaded him to abandon ship. It's happening during the abandoned -- the process of abandoning ship. So his defense is a little bit weak, I think, by any mare measure, but he has valid points.

COSTELLO: All right, I know you'll continue to follow the trial. We'll check back with you. Barbie Nadeau reporting live from Italy this morning.

Coming up in the NEWSROOM, a juror tells CNN's Anderson cooping George Zimmerman was totally justified in shooting Trayvon Martin.

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