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CNN Saturday Morning News

Search Resumes for Body in Sinkhole; Government Spending Cuts Under the Sequester; Same-Sex Marriage Debate; McIlroy Leaves Honda Open With Toothache; Flacco's $120 Million Contract; Christie Snubbed by CPAC; Murder Trial of Jodi Arias; Teaching Sex Ed to 5-Year-Olds; Eat like a Local in Baltimore

Aired March 02, 2013 - 08:00   ET

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

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I'm Brianna Keilar in for Randi Kaye.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. It's 8:00 here on the East Coast, 5:00 out west. Thanks for starting your day with us.

Let's go to Florida where we are waiting for a news conference to begin on that sinkhole tragedy yesterday. Rescuers are trying to find Jeff Bush. He's presumed dead, but his body has not been recovered after the earth opened up and swallowed him.

Let's listen.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

RONNIE RIVERA, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FIRE: I'm the public relations officer for Hillsborough County fire rescue.

At this time, first of all, I want to say that our hearts go out to the families of Wicker (ph) family and the Bush family, because they do not have their family member with them at this time. We are here, because we want to give you an update about what we're doing for the families.

First of all, we started our operations this morning, our conducted operations started at 7:00 this morning. That's what we're doing right now. And I want to let you know that we set up a fund for the family, a donation for the family.

We actually have a website. Anybody that's interested to help the families that are affected by this incident, the website is www.firefighter-relief.com. Anybody can go on that website and be able to donate to the family.

Also, we have an email set up for the family members. We ask that you please, if you want to know anything about the family members or contact the family members, you go to this email. The email is wickerfamilyhcfr@gmail.com.

Any questions, like I said, please refer them to that email and also the website as well. I will not be taking any questions at this time. This is just an informational press conference. Like I said, we just started operations this morning, so we don't have any more details to give you at this time.

And thank you. I will not be taking any questions at this time. Thank you.

(END OF LIVE COVERAGE)

BLACKWELL: So there we had the public information officer there in Florida, talking about the story of Jeff Bush. Imagine your brother, your son, relative, sleeping in his bed and just falls into a hole under the house.

Let's go to John Zarrella. He's there in Settner, Florida.

John, what are authorities telling you about the search for this man?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now it's considered and has been since yesterday in the afternoon, a recovery operation, not a rescue operation. They obviously believe that he has perished, that Jeff Bush perished yesterday when he was literally swallowed up in that hole.

Now, you can probably see that piece of equipment in the distance behind me there and that is a ground penetrating cone, is what it's called. And they were using that all yesterday afternoon.

And what they're doing with that is they are literally and you can see the men wearing those tethers and the harnesses. And that is because they are concerned that if for any chance this ground, this ground, which is very unstable, should give at any time, they don't want to lose any more people.

What they're doing that is, they're drilling holes, they're trying to get an idea of the scope, the dimensions of this sinkhole, because it is very unstable and they do believe that the sand is very soft all around this area where that house is, from the measurements that they've taken yesterday and this morning.

And that being said, that's why the concern that it will continue to cave in and the sinkhole will continue to grow. So they're going to work throughout the day today, finish doing their measurements, get a handle on how best to get into that house.

You know what they said yesterday, Victor? At a press conference, they said, we don't know when we're going to get into that house. We don't know if we're going to get into that house, if they're going to get into the house. That's how concerned they are about the instability of the ground around it.

BLACKWELL: John Zarrella, we'll continue to watch this and check back with you later; thanks.

KEILAR: Thanks, John.

To Washington now, where overnight, $85 billion in Federal funding slashed from the budget. President Obama signed the order, triggering those forced spending cuts after lawmakers failed to work out a deal. BLACKWELL: But before that, our own Jessica Yellin asked the president why he didn't just lock lawmakers in a room until they could reach an agreement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am not a dictator. I'm the president. So, ultimately, if Mitch McConnell or John Boehner say we need to go to catch a plane, I can't have Secret Service block the doorway.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN's national political correspondent, Jim Acosta, is at the White House.

Jim, Congress will still try to come up with another plan, right?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we'll have to see, Victor. You know, the president signed this into law, essentially, he executed this order last night at 8:30 p.m. This is it right here.

And OMB, the Office of Management and Budget sent over an 83-page letter to the speaker of the House, John Boehner, detailing, line by line, where all of these cuts are going to be going into effect over the next several weeks, over the next several months, depending on which department of the Federal government you're talking about.

And you can just look at the numbers, they're pretty staggering, $289 million for the Centers for Disease Control, nearly $1 billion for FEMA, $3 to $4 billion for operations and maintenance for the Navy, the Army, the Air Force, and then the list goes on and on.

And so that's why the president, in his weekly radio address, is saying, essentially to the leaders of Congress, hey, let's get back to the bargaining table. Let's work out some kind of deal to make these cuts go away.

Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

OBAMA: I still believe we can and must replace these cuts with a balanced approach, one that combines smart spending cuts with entitlement reform and changes to our tax code that make it more fair for families and businesses without raising anyone's tax rates. That's how we can reduce our deficit without laying off workers or forcing parents and students to pay the price. I don't think that's too much to ask.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Now, in the Republican weekly address that was put out by Cathy McMorris Rodgers, she's a top Republican in the House, she said that the president, in calling for new revenues, he wants to close some loopholes and deductions to raise revenues. They're calling those taxes increases and she's saying well the president just wants to use that for more stimulus spending and that's a nonstarter for Republicans.

So Victor and Brianna, they are very much dug in on both sides at this point and there's no real sign that anything's going to get worked out anytime soon.

KEILAR: And Jim, this was an interesting press conference yesterday, because it's not every day that the president goes sci-fi when he's answering reporters' questions.

ACOSTA: That's right. He came out yesterday and as we heard when he answered that question about why not just lock the leaders into the room, he said, well, you can't use a "Jedi Mind Meld" on congressional leaders up on Capitol Hill. And that got everybody going because it was sort of a mixture of both a "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" reference. And the White House, trying to have some fun with that, put out a tweet yesterday saying that these aren't the spending cuts that you're looking for, that Americans are looking for which was an obvious reference to the Jedi Mind Trick pulled off by Obi-Won Kenobi when he said, "These aren't the droids you're looking for," in the very first "Star Wars" movie.

I hope I have that reference right.

Of course, Twitter exploded over the whole thing. But the White House had some fun with it. But not a lot of fun with these spending cuts. These are going to be kicking in and I suspect that over the next several weeks, we're going to be hearing from the American people about them. They're not going to be too pleased, Brianna and Victor.

BLACKWELL: Not at all. Jim Acosta, thank you.

ACOSTA: You bet.

KEILAR: We've got much more ahead this hour. Here's a look at what's coming up.

It's the economy, stupid. No, we're not talking spending cuts. Why same-sex marriage isn't just about morals, it's about money.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were you crying when you were shooting him?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: A brutal cross-examination of a suspected killer. But were the tears genuine or all part of the act?

And what is too young for sex ed, 12? 11? How about five years old? Chicago thinks it's OK. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KEILAR: History unfolding this week in the battle over same-sex marriage, with President Obama's latest and arguably boldest evolution on the issue. On Thursday, he formally expressed support for same-sex marriage in California, setting up a high-stakes constitutional showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court later this month. Then yesterday, citing the declaration of independence, he made it even more clear where he stands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: We cannot discriminate against same-sex couples when it comes to marriage. That the basic principle that America is founded on, the idea that we're all created equal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: But the contentious issue is not just about morality or God and scripture anymore. It's also about money and yes, taxes which is why some of the country's biggest companies, like Apple, Cisco, Nike, to name a few, signed a legal brief Thursday in support of Obama's argument. So joining me now to talk about this, Brian Moulton, the chief legislative council at the Human Rights Campaign and Thomas Peters from the National Organization for Marriage.

Let's start, guys, with the president. Are there legal -- or should I say, political or legal ramifications for a sitting president to be writing a friends of the court brief to the Supreme Court on this issue? You first, Brian.

BRIAN MOULTON, THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN: Absolutely. The court, obviously, is going to take the government's position and it really is now the U.S. government's position, that proposition eight is unconstitutional, into account, when it's looking at this case. And the solicitor general is going to be able to be there and speak to the justices about that position as well. So I think it will have a big impact for the court.

KEILAR: Thomas, what do you think?

THOMAS PETERS, THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MARRIAGE: Well, I think, obviously, when the president says something, the Supreme Court listens. But I think what he's managed to do is he's politicized the issue. And I think that will actually allow for the Supreme Court to really make sure that the rights of the people of California, the seven million Californians that voted to protect marriage are respected and ultimately upheld.

KEILAR: But, at least at this point, at least, 100 high-profile Republicans have also expressed their support of same-sex marriage this week. This was a huge development. What does this mean, though, for the future of marriage now that you also have business giants in the mix?

PETERS: First of all, it wasn't high-profile Republicans. The one thing these people had in common, besides the fact that they are ostensibly Republican, that they were out of office. They don't have to face the voters with their found marriage views. In fact the top Republican they found was Jon Huntsman, whose millions only got him a third place finish in New Hampshire.

KEILAR: These are pretty high-profile -- I don't know if I can agree with you on that.

PETERS: I totally disagree. The Associated Press had a report that the Republicans who have come out for same-sex marriage, while in office, get kicked out of office. So, you know, if this is -- the Republican grassroots do not support redefining marriage. That's very simple (INAUDIBLE).

KEILAR: But, it seems that overwhelmingly, even when you look at polling, I would have to say, that there are an increasing number of Americans, including Republicans, self-identified Republicans, who support it.

So I'm just wondering if you see, and obviously, I think that you would, Brian, that there may be a bit of a shift here that we saw this week.

MOULTON: Brianna, first of all, there are two members of the House of Representatives, Republican members on that brief, currently serving members of the House of Representatives who are very strongly stepping up for marriage equality. So it is not the case that these are, you know, nobodies on a brief, 100 plus major Republican leaders, who are respected in the party and have a voice, a conservative voice to bring to the table on this issue. So I think that's really unfair to dismiss something like that. And these are major U.S. companies that you are mentioning that have weighed in both on the prop eight case and on the case challenging the Federal defense of marriage act, because it does hurt them, their ability to do business and their ability to treat their employees fairly.

KEILAR: Thomas, I know your objections, obviously, have to do on the issue of morality. But on this issue --

PETERS: No, that's not true. No, that's not true. That's not why I strongly support the institution of marriage. It's because marriage best serves the needs of children.

KEILAR: But the point that I'm getting at is that when we talk about this as a business imperative, let's take a look at what this filing says. It says, recognizing the rights of same-sex couples to marry is more than a constitutional issue. It is a business imperative. So what do you think about that? Do you agree with that? Do you disagree with that? Is it about more than that? Is that not enough?

PETERS: I strongly disagree with it, because, first of all, the top 10 states for growth right now in this country, nine of them have marriage protection amendments. And so, you know, where this argument comes from is the left wing, UCLA Williams Institute, which has been peddling this argument for years, that gay marriage is an economic stimulus. The very states that are currently trying to, they're trying to legalize gay marriage, like New York and California, are not exactly in an economic picture of well-being. So, look, strong states like Indiana are moving towards marriage protection amendments. North Carolina recently passed its marriage protection amendment by 61 percent. The fact of the matter is that protecting marriage protects children and it helps businesses.

KEILAR: But, Thomas, let me ask you this. Because you have businesses now that are saying, it's costing us money. They say and this obviously gets a little complicated, but they say, same-sex couples are required to pay a Federal income tax on health benefits provided to a spouse through an employer-sponsored health insurance plan.

Some employers reimburse employees for the extra tax paid. That requires extra time and money. They say it's costing them money.

Do you disagree with that?

PETERS: Well, let's look at -- you used the adjective complicated and you're right, it is complicated. But here's one complicating factor that I think is being ignored in this broader debate. You know, the president is arguing in the Supreme Court that gays and lesbians are politically powerless class. And now you've been telling me time and time again that all these corporations support redefining marriage.

So I would actually ask Brian, which is it? Are gays and lesbians actually a politically powerless class or do all these corporations, the vast majority of people support redefining marriage because you can't have it both ways. I believe the majority of Americans believe in protecting marriage and I believe that gays and lesbians are an incredibly powerful political class that are trying to redefine marriage for all of us.

KEILAR: Brian?

MOULTON: I would say, first of all, you know to his earlier point, I think it's really clear that all of these companies supporting marriage and ending DOMA are doing it because they think it is right for their employees and right for the American economy and so I think that speaks volumes and much more than, you know, what particular states' economies look like that have marriage equality.

In terms of political powerlessness, without getting into too much of the weeds of constitutional jurisprudence, it's one of the several factors the court looks at when it decide how to weigh in on laws that discriminate based on a characteristic like sexual orientation.

But it's really ridiculous to suggest that gays and lesbians are politically powerful or we wouldn't be here. We wouldn't be talking about fighting against amendments that are approved by legislatures and the voters that gays and lesbians are unable to stop at the ballot box, that take away their right to simply be in a relationship that's equal and recognized.

You know, you have six members of the House of Representatives who are gay or lesbian in a body of 435 people. It's not as if we are overrunning the halls of power. We have a long way to go.

KEILAR: And this is obviously a conversation that we will be having in the months to come with both of you.

Brian Mollton and Thomas Peters, thank you.

MOULTON: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: A sinkhole opens up under a house in Florida and a man living in the house just vanishes. We'll have more from the moments after he disappeared.

Coming up, golfer Rory McIlroy walks off the course and leaves the Honda classic, but it gets worse. Wait until you hear his excuse.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Let's talk sports now and start with the story that has the golf world talking. Rory McIlroy, top-ranked player in the world, he walked off the course yesterday in the middle of the Honda classic. What's his excuse? A toothache.

Jared Greenberg is here with more in this morning's bleacher report. Jared, this guy won this thing a year ago and now he's just walking away, pretty suspicious.

JARED GREENBERG, BLEACHER REPORT: You know what, Victor, actually I don't think I can do this right now. I kid! I kid! I kid!

You know, at first, Rory McIlroy said he wasn't in a good place mentally, now he says he's not in a good place dentally. The world's best golfer walked off the course during his ninth hole yesterday. He hasn't been on his A game. First he told reporters that he was not in a good place. Then later, McIlroy apologized for his sudden withdrawal, saying his sore wisdom tooth wouldn't allow him to concentrate. No truth to the rumor, Victor, that Roy has a tooth-hurty dentist appointment -- get it, 2:30? I just think every six-year old that's watching got the joke. I'll take any audience.

Joe Flacco needs to make an appointment with a financial planner. Less than a month after leading the Ravens past the 49'ers in the Super Bowl, Flacco is reportedly set to put pen to paper on the richest deal in the NFL history, six years, $120 million.

This dude is just ridiculously athletic. Brent Williams leaving it all out on the field. The North Carolina State center fielder with an Olympic diving-type effort. I give him a 10, a 10, a 10. Not Hercules, but Mr. Williams, we may not be done with him just yet. Because he and the wolf pack are off to an impressive 8-1 start this season.

Dunk a basketball, get $1 million. No, not for the average Joe. It's being offered to the world's best baller. LeBron James by one of the all-time greats, Magic Johnson and it's not for any ordinary dunk. Magic wants LeBron to give in and finally participate if the NBA's slam dunk contest. Dunks like this, that you're watching here prior to Miami Heat games have fans racing to their seats earlier than normal. Fans and Magic want LeBron to take his talents to New Orleans in next February's midseason showcase. If he does, Magic says he'll pay up. Stay tuned. For all of your entertaining sports news, including a preview of today's huge rematch on the college hard court between Duke and Miami, be sure to logon to bleacherreport.com. That's going to do it for our update.

Back to you, Victor.

BLACKWELL: How's that tooth? A little better?

GREENBERG: It's a little sore. We'll get some Novocain, it'll be all right. I battled through it, though. I'm tough.

BLACKWELL: We appreciate it. Take a couple of minutes, get yourself together. Thanks, Jared.

Brianna?

KEILAR: Thanks, Victor. Well, those forced spending cuts, they're in effect and I'm sure that you have a lot of questions about how when and how those cuts are going to be felt. We'll answer your questions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: The longer these cuts remain in place, the greater the damage to our economy, a slow grind that will intensify with each passing day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Bottom of the hour now. Welcome back everyone. I'm Brianna Keilar in for Randi Kaye.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Thanks for starting your morning with us. Here are five stories we're watching this morning.

KEILAR: Rescuers are back at the scene of a sinkhole in Florida. They are searching for the body of Jeff Bush who was in his bedroom when the earth collapsed beneath him.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 CALLER (voice-over): We need an ambulance and the cops. But (ph) he's stuck underneath the house. The house just fell through.

911 DISPATCHER (voice-over): OK. And what happened to the house?

911 CALLER: The bedroom floor just collapsed and my brother-in-law is in there. He's underneath the house.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. Hold on one second. Let me connect you with EMS. OK

911 CALLER: OK.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

KEILAR: That was the 911 call made to police early Friday morning.

BLACKWELL: Authorities say the hole is growing bigger and could actually swallow up the rest of the house.

The man charged in last July's movie theater massacre in Aurora, Colorado, may plead not guilty by reason of insanity. In court papers made public yesterday, lawyers for James Holmes say they can't make a final decision on the plea until a judge rules on their motion challenging the constitutionality of Colorado's Insanity Defense Law.

As it stands, people who invoke it must disclose potentially incriminating information. Now, in this case, that could include Holmes' mental health record and plus a notebook he reportedly sent to his psychiatrist.

Overseas now, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is fighting for his life. That's the word from his Vice President who spoke with supporters last night. Nicholas Maduro says the President is undergoing chemotherapy at a Caracas military hospital. In December, Chavez had his fourth cancer surgery in Cuba, which made him miss his inauguration. His supporters held mass for him at the base's chapel last night.

KEILAR: One Republican lawmaker says a conservative organization may have written off the next president. The chairman of CPAC says New Jersey Governor Christie -- Chris Christie was not invited to his annual conference because his recent positions were not conservative enough. Republican Congressman Peter King calls CPAC's decision a mistake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: That's a suicidal death wish. CPAC to me loses all credibility. You have a Governor who is conservative, he's balanced the budget, he's taken on public employee unions, he's pro-life, and yet he has a 74 percent favorable rating in a Democratic blue state. So here's a person who has shown that blue-collar conservatism works. That it appeals to working men and women. That it appeals to women. And these are the areas where we've been suffering.

Chris Christie is doing the job, but they say because he fought for the aid for New Jersey, which he was entitled to, the same aid that every other state has always gotten, he won't be accepted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: For his part, Governor Christie says the snub did not bother him.

President Obama has pulled the trigger on $85 billion in forced spending cuts after he and Republican leaders could not hammer out a deal. Here's how you could be affected. There would be fewer FDA safety inspections of food manufacturers. As many as 70,000 kids might lose access to Head Start programs. Unemployment benefits could be cut by more than nine percent, and there could be four million fewer meals per seniors. You might also be waiting longer at those airport security checkpoints.

BLACKWELL: And you still may have lots of questions about the $85 billion in cuts over the next seven months. And our Tom Foreman is getting the answers for you.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Victor, Brianna, here is a pretty hot question we've been getting from several sources. In this case, on Twitter from (inaudible) who asks, "Does congressional pay get cut? And (inaudible) asked on Twitter "How can the American people be assured that the salaries of Congress are cut 20 percent? The answers in order are "no" and "you can't".

Congressional pay is not part of the sequester because of the 27th Amendment, which says changes in congressional pay, even if approved, can only take place when the next Congress moves in. This was done to keep members of Congress from giving themselves big pay hikes.

But it also means no one in Congress can take a cut right now, despite some saying they voluntarily want to do so.

Sean McGruder on Facebook says his town school superintendent has warned of, quote, "Devastating effects on local education from Head Start to high school, taking money from programs that serve low-income students and those with disabilities. Can you tell me if this is true?"

It is true if you read that statement carefully. Many of the efforts to educate low-income students or those with disabilities are funded with federal dollars. Cut those dollars, and yes, those programs will suffer.

The Department of Education is predicting thousands of layoffs. But does that mean most teachers are in danger?

Well, here's a related question, from Knoxi Blue. "High school art teacher. I'm screwed, right?" Not necessarily. Remember, most teachers, most schools get the vast bulk of their funds from state and local governments. If your school district is struggling to pay its bills, ripples from the sequester won't help, but they also would not, in all likelihood, be the primary reason that teachers might lose jobs. Victor, Brianna?

KEILAR: Thanks, Tom. And if you have questions about the forced spending cuts, send them to Tom Foreman using the hash tag #asktomCNN on Twitter.

BLACKWELL: Sex, lies, and a murder trial. We're talking about Jodi Arias and speaking to a defense attorney about her chances of proving she is the victim and not a killer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUAN MARTINEZ, PROSECUTOR: Would you agree that you're the person who actually slit Mr. Alexander's throat from ear to ear? JODI ARIAS: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Let's talk about this Jodi Arias trial. She's charged with first-degree murder for the brutal killing of her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander in 2008. Now, she's been on the stand for almost two weeks as prosecutors chipped away at each story.

Now, initially, she told police she had nothing to do with his death. Then she said it was self-defense. Now, if Arias is convicted, she could get the death penalty.

You know who I want to speak with about this, Paul Callan, our legal contributor.

Paul, you've been a prosecutor and a defense attorney, so I'll ask you to wear both hats in this. Jodi initially said she had nothing to do with it, blaming this attack on intruders, and then she claims self- defense. Because she has lied leading up to this, how sensitive, how credible is her case?

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think her case is not credible at all. I mean, I -- you know I've been watching and covering trials for many, many years and I -- I prosecuted murderers and I've defended murder cases. This is the worst defense I have ever seen in the history of defenses.

Now, God knows if the jury comes in and finds her not guilty, I'll look like an idiot.

But I'm telling you, she's been on the stand for ten days. She's given a story that indicates that she planned, deliberated and then stabbed a guy 27 times, slit his throat and then shot him in the head. And she said that on the witness stand at various times. She admitted it in the course of a very, very effective cross-examination.

So unless you assume the jurors are idiots, I don't see a defense in this case. So -- and I'll be stunned if, in fact, they cut her a break and find her guilty of a lesser charge.

BLACKWELL: Yes, this attack, I mean, how do you overcome the assumption that at some point, Travis Alexander was no longer a threat if this truly was self-defense? At some point in these 27 stabbings and the gunshot, at some point, this man is already dead, right?

CALLAN: Well, not only is he already dead, Victor, but I think there's a misconception that's developed about self-defense through the years, especially with the battered woman defense and self-defense cases that are presented on television and in other context.

The law says you can't kill somebody else unless you are in reasonable fear that they are trying to kill you. And by all accounts, Travis Alexander was unarmed, as a matter of fact, it looks like he was naked, and somehow, Jodi Arias had a knife and a gun, which she used repeatedly on him. So if you just had those facts alone, where is the self-defense claim here?

You also have a duty to retreat. She could have gotten out of the house. And in fact, she's the one who went to the house. So if you apply the law of self-defense, I don't see it happening in this case.

BLACKWELL: So the guilt here, because she has admitted to killing him, she's, you know, said she killed him. That's obvious. The question is does it rise to the level of being a death penalty case? Is it a strong death penalty case?

CALLAN: Well, I think you're on to something here. And I think this is -- the only possible explanation for why these defense attorneys would put her on the stand for this length of time, to tell this sordid tale of this relationship and the details of the killing, would be that maybe the jury will look at her and say, you know, she's -- she's so sick, she's such a mental case that maybe she doesn't deserve the death penalty.

But my view of it is, when I was watching pieces of this testimony and bear in mind, I think you have to be in court to really have a sense of it, but it's that she's a cold-hearted, calculating killer. And she's exactly the kind of person you give the death penalty to. Now, you may be opposed to the death penalty for conscientious reasons --

(CROSSTALK)

Blackwell: Yes.

CALLAN: -- you think it shouldn't be imposed in any case, but if you're going to impose it, this fact pattern is one that you impose it on. And women very rarely get the death penalty. But the ones who have gotten it historically, they're black widow defendants. They're ones who had cold hearted calculated killings involving lovers. A lot of those have been put to death in American history.

BLACKWELL: Just the person I wanted to talk about this from the defense perspective, from the prosecutor's perspective -- Paul Callan, thank you.

CALLAN: Nice being with you, Victor.

BLACKWELL: And so was Jodi Arias a domestic abuse victim or a cold- blooded, calculating killer. Watch the AC 360 special report. "Sex, Lies & Audiotape: The Jodi Arias Trial." It's tonight at 9:00 Eastern on CNN -- Brianna.

KEILAR: It was seven days dominated by a murder in Mississippi and WikiLeaks' admissions. Here is your "Week of Crime in 60 Seconds."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A shoot-out in California leaves two police detectives dead. Authorities say Jeremy Goulet gunned down Sergeants Lawrence Baker and Elizabeth Butler Tuesday. When the police found him, Goulet was killed in a gunfight.

Marco McMillian, an openly gay Mississippi mayoral candidate was found dead near a levee, miles from his car. Police have arrested Lawrence Reid, age 22. The local sheriff's office says Reid faces murder charges.

The parents of a transgender first grader have filed a lawsuit against a Colorado school district. Roy Mathis' parents say that the school discriminated against their child when they refused to allow him to use the girl's bathroom. Roy was born with male sex organs, but identifies as a girl. The school district says it acted reasonably and fairly in the matter.

And on Thursday Army Private First Class Bradley Manning pled guilty to 10 of the 22 charges against him with regard to releasing classified information through WikiLeaks. He did not plead guilty to the most serious charge, aiding the enemy. And that's your "Week of Crime in 60 Seconds".

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: The man charged in the death of Usher's 11-year-old stepson will appear before a judge this weekend. Jeffrey Simon Hubbard is a friend of the family. He's being held without bond, pending his court appearance. A grand jury near Atlanta has indicted him of first-degree homicide by vessel.

Police say Hubbard was piloting the jet ski that collided with Kyle Glover last July.

Coming up, schools in Chicago will start teaching sex education a little earlier, maybe a lot earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. STEPHANIE WHYTE, CHICAGO SCHOOLS CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER: Because sex ed is a continuum of information and so with the foundations beginning at kindergarten through fourth grade --

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KEILAR: But is this something the school should be teaching in kindergarten or at all for that matter?

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KEILAR: When did you first learn about the birds and the bees? Well, if your kids are in Chicago Public Schools, they're going to start learning as early as kindergarten. This is a new policy that passed this last week.

Kindergartners and first graders will learn about anatomy, relationships and safety. By fourth grade, they'll learn about puberty and how HIV is transmitted. And fifth graders will learn about reproduction and contraception. Parents do have the option to keep their kids out of the programs. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHYTE: Because sex ed is a continuum of information, and so with the foundations beginning at kindergarten through fourth grade, we're really talking about what we consider family life. So we're doing lessons in kindergarten and first grade, my body, good touch, bad touch.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's to be taught at home before you go to school in the event somebody at the school touch you, you should already know what to do.

DR. BECHARA CHOUCAIR, CHICAGO PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSIONER: While some are concerned that sex education is not appropriate for younger grades, I'm here to report that from a public health perspective, it's an absolute imperative.

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KEILAR: We're going to get some insight on this from two comedians. Pete Dominick is in New York, so is Dean Obeidallah who's also a CNN.com contributor.

Pete, you are a parent, how do you feel about this?

PETE DOMINICK, COMEDIAN: Well, I'm all for it because I'm all for educating our children. I mean it's a misleading headline Brianna the idea that we're going to teach the birds and bees to kindergartens or sex ed. We're teaching kindergartners age-appropriate things like good touch, bad touch, and public safety. And there's nothing that's inappropriate. The only thing that I find controversial about this is that Chicago is allowing parents to keep their kids out of it.

This is a city. This is a place in the country where STDs are at their highest. One of the problems that we have is that half of Americans, Brianna, are too stupid not to get pregnant, you know. Half of parents, I should say, are too stupid not to know how not to get pregnant, not to know how to protect themselves. We need to educate people, and not allow the unambitious to have the only thing that they do be replicate.

KEILAR: So to that point -- and Dean, I'll have you answer this one -- we've heard about schools in other states not just doing sex ed at a younger age, but giving condoms to elementary school students and other schools giving out Plan B. How far is too far?

DEAN OBEIDALLAH, CNN.COM CONTRIBUTOR: That's a good question. When I was 5, I was more fixated on how does a slinky work or how does silly putty work. I don't think I had sex education in full until I had Internet access. That kind of changed my life on that.

But to be honest, you know, Pete makes a great point that the STD rate in Chicago, in that Cook County, is the highest in the nation. So while you might not want your children to have sex, at least teach them about the basics of it, about sex, about the idea of using condoms. And secondly, good touch/bad touch is really important. I just read a story yesterday. A man in New Jersey, you know, molested a four-year- old girl and the fact that if maybe she knew about good touch/bad touch, she would have screamed out and knew it was wrong. So I don't think that's ever too early to teach.

DOMINICK: To be fair, Dean has just learned what a condom is used for, Brianna. But the truth is, condoms --

OBEIDALLAH: Just right before we went on, exactly. I got it from his wallet. He's been carrying it around since fourth grade.

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KEILAR: Thanks, Pete.

DOMINICK: -- I'm happily married with two kids. But the truth is, we should provide contraception to people who are sexually active. Unfortunately, even at the young age of 13, they're sexually active. We want to prevent them from getting pregnant and ruining their lives.

KEILAR: OK. But what about at five, do you think that kids --

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KEILAR: -- no five for sex ed, do you think that kids are even --

DOMINICK: It's not sex ed.

KEILAR: Do you think kids are even understanding some of these topics that they'll be exploring in Chicago?

DOMINICK: They're understanding good touch/bad touch. If you say --

KEILAR: But what about -- they're also teaching --

DOMINICK: -- sex ed, it's misleading.

KEILAR: -- but they're also -- well, they're talking about that as well, but they'll also be talking about gender identity, sexual orientation --

DOMINICK: What's wrong with that?

KEILAR: I'm just saying, do you think that children understand this?

DOMINICK: There's nothing controversial about that, unless you want your kids to remain ignorant and to never learn anything, which they all then stereotypically, you know, the Catholic girls, the Jewish girls, they then reject and rebel against all of those things, because all of a sudden they discover it at a formative age.

Teach kids what they need to know in school and at home. Don't prevent them from learning these things because they're going to find out and you're not going to be in control. KEILAR: Dean, can you actually imagine a situation where they didn't give the parents the option to opt out of this if they're uncomfortable with this?

OBEIDALLAH: You need to do that. But I don't have any children --

DOMINICK: I disagree.

OBEIDALLAH: -- I spoke to my sister who is a psychologist, who has kids and who says to me, at 5 and 6 years old, they don't understand abstract reasoning. They're not going to understand the reproductive system in the big picture. What they will do understand though is good touch/bad touch. And that's the beginning.

And I also talked to other parents before I came in about this and some of them don't want to have this conversation, honestly. And at some level, it's the kids prompting it. They come home. They've learned something at school from a teacher, from a professional and then they have a more in-depth conversation with each parent.

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DOMINICK: I don't want to have a conversation that's uncomfortable, but I'm a parent, it's my responsibility to have conversations that's uncomfortable.

OBEIDALLAH: But each parent should have that right to choose what they want. They want to opt out they can. Or they want to have the conversation first themselves. Or maybe this school program initiates that conversation at home, which that is a good thing. No one would say it's wrong for parents to make that choice, when your child should learn about sex education, appropriate touching, anatomy, gay, lesbian. I think it's up to the parents to choose it. You're a parent, Pete, I'm on your side.

KEILAR: Obviously a very controversial subject. Comedians Pete Dominick and Dean Obeidallah, thanks for joining me.

OBEIDALLAH: Thanks for having us.

DOMINICK: Thanks Brianna.

KEILAR: A sinkhole opens up under a house in Florida and a man living in the house vanishes. We're keeping an eye on the house and the search for that missing man.

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KEILAR: A Maryland woman got on the wrong bus at the right time. Janai Stafford was waiting in the rain for the number 59 bus, but the number 18 showed up. The driver said he would take her to her desired route anyway -- nice guy. But while on the bus, the driver fell ill.

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JANAI STAFFORD, PASSENGER: He's just like, "Something's not right," I don't feel good. And I was just like, OK, I mean, you know, are you good? And he's just like, no. He's like, I don't feel good. And he just slumps over on the wheel, like passes out.

In an instant, like, I just grabbed the wheel and I put my foot on his foot. I didn't even know what foot -- I don't drive. So I didn't know what foot to put on -- you know, it's a bus. I'm just like -- it just so happened to be the right foot.

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KEILAR: She figured it out. She did, she figured it out. Stafford steered the vehicle to safety and called 911. The operator of the bus was hospitalized and later released.

BLACKWELL: All right.

When traveling to other cities and other countries, the best way to get a real taste of the place is through the local food. CNN iReport has teamed up with "Travel & Leisure" magazine to create this global list of 100 places to eat like a local.

Here's CNN's Jim Spellman in Baltimore with a seafood sample.

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NANCY FAIDLEY-DEVINE, FAIDLEY SEAFOOD: My grandfather started here in 1886 and it was a primarily fresh seafood.

JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When did the crab cake enter the picture?

FAIDLEY-DEVINE: When I came down and started working here. And I decided to make a gourmet crab cake.

SPELLMAN: Would you make us some crab cakes?

FAIDLEY-DEVINE: I sure will.

SPELLMAN: Excellent.

FAIDLEY-DEVINE: All right.

SPELLMAN: Do you use measurements or you just kind of know how to do it?

FAIDLEY-DEVINE: No, after you make this many crab cakes, you just know and you go by feel.

SPELLMAN: It's great. I'm sold.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really good.

SPELLMAN: Phenomenal.

It's so substantial, but it's light, and you just really taste --

FAIDLEY-DEVINE: The crab.

SPELLMAN: The crab. Like how good the crab is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man, this is really good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These are awesome. I'll have to get another one, for sure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just phenomenal. Every expectation and it's amazing.

SPELLMAN: Thank you so much for showing us how you make your wonderful crab cakes. Appreciate it.

FAIDLEY-DEVINE: You're welcome, Jim.

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BLACKWELL: Got to love Faidleys, one of my favorites. The list of "100 Places to Eat like a Local" will be revealed next week. And for more, check out iReport.com/100places.