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Memorial for Colorado's Prison Chief; Teen Accused of Shooting Baby Before Judge; Cyprus Bailout Boosts World Markets; Relief at the Pump; Teen with Down Syndrome Climbs Everest; Can Bloomberg Buy Gun Control?; Florida Gulf Coast University Makes March Madness History
Aired March 25, 2013 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for being with me. Checking our top stories at half past the hour, it is the first week of spring, but millions of Americans are not buying that. A wicked storm is dumping about 7 inches of though snow from St. Louis to Pittsburgh. Schools have closed and airlines have canceled hundreds of flights.
In just about 90 minutes, a public memorial will begin for the Colorado prison chief killed last week. Tom Clements was shot in the chest when he opened the door of his home. The chief of staff for Colorado's governor says Clements was expecting his daughter to be at the door. Despite the tragedy, Clements family wants to focus on forgiveness.
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ROXANE WHITE, CHIEF OF STAFF, GOVERNOR HICKENLOOPER: Last night at the family memorial, Lisa asked us to find forgiveness and to pray for forgiveness and that we double down on the efforts that Tom had made to create a better system. And so today my commitment to Tom, our commitment to Tom, is we will double down on the reforms he was working on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The investigation into the shooting centers on a former Colorado inmate and gang member, Evan Ebel, who was killed in a shoot- out with Texas sheriff's deputies. He's also being investigated for the death of a Colorado pizza delivery driver.
The Italian Supreme Court will decide if Amanda Knox should stand trial again for the murder of her roommate. The American student, whose story captured worldwide headlines, spent four years in an Italian jail before her murder conviction was overturned. If the court approves a retrial, Knox might be forced to return to Italy.
In health news this morning, many parents are giving their children solid food way too soon. That's according to "The New York Times," quoting the CDC.
It says nearly one out of every 10 parents surveyed said they gave their infant solid food when they were as young as 4 weeks old. Forty percent say they fed their child before they were 4 months old. Doctors say parent should wait until their baby is 6 months old before giving them solid food.
A 15-year-old boy who is accused of killing a 13-month-old baby just appeared before a Georgia judge. He's the younger of two teenagers charged with first-degree murder in the baby's death last Thursday.
CNN's Nick Valencia is outside the court in Brunswick, Georgia where the teen was arraigned. Tell us what happened.
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. Yes, I'm outside of the Glynn County courthouse where this 15-year-old suspect made his first appearance in front of the magistrate. Now it's worth noting that the court or the judge has not told CNN whether this 15-year old will be tried as an adult. We were initially told by police that he was being treated as a juvenile.
They also initially told us that he was about 14 years old. Now when this juvenile entered the courtroom, he looked back at the back row, just a room full of journalists; there were no family members. The family, in fact, says that they were not allowed in there.
This juvenile looked back at the journalists, not saying anything. He appeared to be drowning in that orange jumpsuit and he addressed the judge only to acknowledge the charges that felony murder charge against him.
The judge asked the juvenile whether or not he had any procedural questions, at which point he just acknowledged and he said, "No, sir."
Now after exiting the courthouse, Carol, I came out here and the family of that 8th grader, the 15-year-old 8th grader, told us that the suspects do not know each other. They claim that this juvenile had nothing to do with the incident.
They also tell CNN that the 17-year-old threatened to kill the juvenile. Now we asked the attorney for the 17-year-old De'Marquise Elkins whether or not this client knew that 15-year old. He did not answer the question. In fact he's going to hold an 11:30 am press conference in just a little over an hour now. We'll be there and we'll bring that to you. But that's the latest from the courthouse, Carol.
COSTELLO: So is the court alleging that the 15-year old wielded the gun in this case?
VALENCIA: Well, we understand from police it was an anonymous tip that led them to this juvenile suspect. The police tell us that, during questioning and interrogation, that the juvenile suspect pointed at the 17-year-old as the fatal shooter.
It's also worth pointing out that the mother, Sherry West (ph), the mother of that 13-month old who was shot and killed, told us that it was the 17-year-old, it was the older suspect, who was the fatal shooter, Carol. COSTELLO: All right. Nick Valencia reporting live for us this morning.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, one tiny island nation's help boosts U.S. markets. And a little less pain at the pump. Find out what's helping push gas prices down.
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COSTELLO: Cyprus bailed out and world markets and U.S. markets for that matter go wild. Let's head to Wall Street now. Zain Asher live in New York. Tell us what's happening.
ZAIN ASHER, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Carol. The Dow is up slightly. We're at roughly 14,541; S&P also hovering at around 1,564, less than one point away from its record high. We're inching to it.
The Dow, as you know, hit a string of records two weeks ago, but we watch the S&P a little bit more closely, because it's bigger; it's 500 stocks as opposed to the Dow's 30. You know, many mutual funds track there.
Take a look. The last time we hit a record was 2007. Now it's up 9 percent in just three months. It's pretty good for an entire year, let alone three months. The S&P pulled back slightly last week because of concerns about Cyprus. Now it looks like we have dodged a bullet at least in the near term.
Cyprus is not going to be forced out of the Eurozone. Plus ensured deposits under 100,000 euros are going to be protected and markets are certainly reacting positively to that.
But a lot of questions remain unanswered, Carol. You know, this is the fourth European country to get a bailout, a reminder that Europe isn't even close to being out of the woods.
Also what message does this bank tax send to depositors across Europe? Is this a new way of dealing with a crisis, taxing deposits, closing banks, that kind of thing?
How long will it take for Cyprus' economy, which relies heavily on tourism and foreign deposits, to recover from this? But I think the feeling here is that this is a small country, so the global markets aren't going to be too heavily impacted from this, Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh, we like riding the roller coaster that is Wall Street. We're used to it by now, Zain.
ASHER: I know. Certainly a roller coaster, yes.
COSTELLO: That's true. Thanks so much, Zain.
Ain't no mountain high enough. See how a teenager with Down syndrome is leaving historic footprints on the world's tallest mountain. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's 41 minutes past the hour. Checking our top stories; good news for spring breakers and others hitting the roads. Gas prices have dropped four weeks in a row now. The average price is $3.71. That's 22 cents a gallon cheaper than a year ago.
The IRS is apologizing for the "Star Trek" inspired video that the agency used to train employees. The video and another one that parodied "Gilligan's Island" were part of a conference three years ago. The IRS now says the clips, quote, "did not reflect the best stewardship of resources" and that "policy changes ensure videos like these will never be made again."
Prince Harry gearing up for another visit to the United States. He will head this way for several days in May to focus on promoting charities that he supports. His trip includes stops in Washington, Colorado, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. He'll skip Las Vegas this time.
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COSTELLO: History on Mt. Everest, where a 15-year-old Oregon teenager became the first person with Down syndrome to climb to base camp. He trained a whole year before going with his dad on the two-week 70-mile hike.
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JUSTIN REIMER, FATHER: He actually led the way. We were dragging, we were experiencing our own sense of disability as we went up into the mountains and he led us all the way to base camp. It was just an amazing experience and we just praise God that we made it. We made it there safely, and we made it back.
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COSTELLO: The trip was part of a mission to raise money and awareness for disabled children.
In sports, as if the Miami Heat wasn't already hot enough with its winning streak, the team's merchandise is flying off the shelves, sales of Heat items up 30 percent this year compared to 2012. That's according to Sports One Source. If the team keeps winning through its April 9th game, it would break the league's record of 33 straight wins.
Bet you can't take your eyes off of this video. A great white shark (inaudible) charges a diving cage in South Africa. Jan Zapetra (ph) narrow opening. You see it thrashing around just (inaudible) and flashing its monstrous teeth just inches from two terrified divers.
Yes, everyone was OK. The diver closest to the shark was just married the day before. But as I said, everyone is OK.
Our "Talk Back" question this morning: Can New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg buy gun control? Your responses and our panel ahead.
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COSTELLO: "Talk Back" question: Can Bloomberg buy gun control? New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, through his Mayors against Gun Violence group, is dropping $12 million of his own money on gun control ads.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My dad taught me to hunt and I'll teach my kids. I've owned a gun all my life and I'll fight for my right to keep it. Background checks have nothing to do with taking guns away from anyone. Closing loopholes will stop criminals and the dangerously mentally ill from buying guns. That protects my rights, in my opinion.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Tell Congress don't protect criminals. Vote to protect gun rights and our families with comprehensive background checks. Demand action now.
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COSTELLO: All right. So the ads also target Democratic senators who are undecided on new gun control measures. The NRA is calling Bloomberg's money bomb an attempt by the New York City mayor to impose his will on the American people.
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WAYNE LAPIERRE, PRESIDENT, NRA: They don't want him in their restaurants; they don't want him in their homes; they don't want him telling them what food to eat. They sure don't want him telling what self-defense firearms to own and he can't buy America.
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COSTELLO: Joining me now to talk more about this, Jason Johnson, our chief political correspondent for "POLITICS 365" and political science professor at Hiram College; and Patrick Millsaps, Republican strategist and former chief of staff for Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign.
Welcome to both of you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Carol.
COSTELLO: Good morning.
OK, so Jason, the ad features a guy in a pickup wearing a hat, talking about background checks. Good optics. Doesn't look like he's from New York City. Is it effective?
JASON JOHNSON, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, POLITICS 365: I mean, all he needed was chew tobacco and be watching "Hee-Haw." I mean, it was great. It -- but here's the thing. I don't -- Bloomberg isn't buying anything. If there is any group of political people in this country who have a right to talk about gun violence, it is mayors of major cities because they're the ones talking to cops every day.
They're the ones talking to victims every day. They're the ones dealing with the emergency room costs of people being shot all the time. So I think this is perfectly legitimate lobbying. It's no different than what the NRA does. They're just mad that governors are getting politically active and getting smarter with their optics.
COSTELLO: Well, and more than one viewer -- because I asked this question of my Facebook friends, Patrick, and I'm just going to read you one from Randi (ph) about Bloomberg, "He's no more buying gun control than the NRA is buying and blackmailing members of Congress to be against it. It's the same thing, isn't it?"
PATRICK MILLSAPS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, if they're buying and blackmailing members of Congress, then apparently they failed with Harry Reid, since he's the one that is single-handedly dismantling this bill that the Democratic Party said the country needs.
You know what, I'm for the Bloomberg ads because I think they are going to backfire as much as Mitt Romney's Etch-A-Sketch did. Yesterday when Bloomberg was interviewed, he said that this was a way for him to educate people.
And, you know, in these red states where I live in South Georgia, you know, we don't need the education from Michael Bloomberg about our guns, rights to guns. Look, we are -- most people are in favor of some type of background checks. In fact, in Georgia, to have a carry permit, you have one.
What I'm -- and the devil is in the details. I am not confident in Eric Holder and his -- the Department of Justice to implement laws, new laws on the books, when he won't even enforce the current gun laws on the books.
COSTELLO: So, Jason, does Patrick have something here that Mayor Bloomberg's reputation as, you know, a guy who runs a nanny state or tries to, does he really have any sway over people who are like, you know, kind of on the fence?
JOHNSON: This is a political red herring. I mean, oh, it's -- this week it's Michael Bloomberg and it used to be Nancy Pelosi and it used to be Barack Obama. You can use all these sorts of scary liberal Democratic names, but that doesn't change the reality on the ground, which is that police who don't tend to necessarily vote Democratic, even police are in favor of what a lot of these mayors are suggesting.
That's what makes this different. Michael Bloomberg may be the face right now, but he is speaking for mayors not just for New York, from places like Atlanta, from Cleveland, from Detroit, from Indianapolis, mayors who are saying I need a different way for Congress to respond to this particular problem.
So I don't think the fact that Bloomberg's name is on it is going to cause problems. It might raise attention towards the issue.
COSTELLO: And Patrick, more than one police chief, they're all for background checks. The NRA is fighting back against these ads dollar for dollar. So do you think it's just a little nervous?
MILLSAPS: Well, I don't know who is more nervous. I mean, if there was such an overwhelming public groundswell of support for this type thing, Bloomberg wouldn't be worried about putting these ads.
The other thing is is that people keep demonizing the NRA and Wayne LaPierre and I'll be the first to admit that Wayne LaPierre's post- Sandy Hook speech was a rhetorical train wreck.
But the fact of the matter is the NRA is representing a lot of people that are very interested in this -- in this issue. And if -- again, if there was such a ground roots swell (sic) for this, I don't think Bloomberg would even be worried about running these ads.
COSTELLO: I just wanted to bring this up, because it was so bizarre, that comedian Jim Carrey, he put out this gun control kind of ad, and you have to kind of watch it because I can't explain it. But it's very offensive. Let's watch a bit of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NARRATOR: On the ones who sell the guns, he'd sic the vultures and coyotes. Only the devil's true devotees could profiteer from pain and fear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: OK. I know it's from "Funny or Die," but it's making -- it's making the rounds online. Does this sort of thing really help the cause, Jason?
JOHNSON: I think it does, because it brings a different audience in. You got to remember, "Funny or Die" has like a sketch of Mike Tyson dancing to "Every Little Step I Take" and Don Cheadle as Captain Planet. So I mean, "Funny or Die" uses these celebrities for all sorts of different kinds of issues.
But I think it's valuable because people are going to pay attention to this. People who aren't watching the news are going to say, hey, Jim Carrey talked about this particular issue, too. So I think it's valuable. Anything that raises awareness and ends up helping out these mayors to represent the police and the people who are victims, I think it's positive for the body politic.
COSTELLO: But it does reinforce a stereotype, doesn't it, Patrick, of people who are for gun rights as merciless killers?
MILLSAPS: Well, Jim Carrey preaching about gun control is like Anthony Weiner teaching about proper Twitter use. It -- they have no credibility. And every time these celebrities do something like this, it's -- people are very quick to point out how many -- how many movies they were in, shooting people, killing people. It's the -- it's just hypocrisy because we -- they want to focus on the gun control part, but they don't want to look at the influence of games and movies. And I'm not saying that that's part of it or could -- but it should be looked at if we're going to have a true debate about keeping kids safe as Jim Carrey's trying to say, as opposed to just blaming the gun as the end-all be-all devil of the universe.
COSTELLO: Well, we'll see what happens after the Easter break when our lawmakers take up the issue of gun control.
Jason Johnson, Patrick Millsaps, thank you so much for being with us today.
MILLSAPS: Thanks for having me.
COSTELLO: If you'd like to join in the conversation, please do. Can Bloomberg buy gun control? Facebook.com/CarolCNN or tweet me @CarolCNN.
Here are some of your comments.
"If the Newtown slaughter of 20 children didn't move this country to stricter gun laws, all the money in the world will not."
This from Christopher, "Can he buy gun control? Who knows? Should he have the right to try? Of course. This is America. He can spend his money as he pleases."
This from Pa, "I hope and pray that he can buy gun control. The gun makers have much more money and they're buying prevention of gun control."
Facebook.com/CarolCNN or tweet me @CarolCNN.
For some, this March Madness is, will, maddening. These unexpected winners are ruining brackets left and right. We'll have the highlights for you next.
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COSTELLO: It's March Madness like we've never seen before. A team in only its second season in Division One has made NCAA basketball history.
Carlos Diaz joins me. Carlos, everybody is talking about Florida Gulf Coast University. Who are they?
CARLOS DIAZ, HLN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Carol, I have no idea. Back to you.
No, Florida Gulf Coast University is a small college in Ft. Myers, trying to become the first number 15 seed to ever advance to the Sweet 16. And they did so. After stunning number two seeded Georgetown on Friday night, Florida Gulf Coast University actually had an easier time in the next round on Sunday against San Diego State. And Florida Gulf Coast, they're just not beating teams, they're beating teams with swagger, with high flying guns that you're seeing next to me. And then, of course, there was a little chicken dancing going on on the bench. And then they showered their head coach, Andy Enfield, in the hallway after the game, a little Gatorade bath. And they talked about their emotions afterwards.
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ANDY ENFIELD, FLORIDA GULF COAST HEAD COACH: The only water I had was the water they threw on me when I got in the locker room. So I haven't cried yet. I might cry tomorrow.
SHERWOOD BROWN, FGCU PLAYER: Something that we like to do, we like it to get the crowd involved as you guys who watch the game, you seen that over the course of the game, the whole crowd started to get behind us, even if they're not from Ft. Myers or, as I like to say, Dunk City.
But --
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DIAZ: I love the swagger these guys have. They take on number three Florida next.
Now number one seed Indiana taking on Temple, IU is looking to make back-to-back Sweet 16s for the first time in near 20 years. Indiana has struggled throughout.
Then you had a great block there by IU's Christian Watford, followed by a huge 3-pointer by Victor Oladipo allowing Indiana to end the game on a 10-0 run and the Hoosiers hang on to win, picking my alma mater, Indiana, is, by the way, the only way that my bracket is staying alive, because two of the four teams I had in the Final Four have already been sent home -- thank you St. Louis and New Mexico.
The Ohio State Buckeyes won in dramatic fashion yesterday. Aaron Craft decided to nail a 3-pointer with less than a second left to give the Buckeyes a 78-75 win over Iowa State. Ohio State has now made Sweet 16 in four consecutive seasons, Carol.
COSTELLO: That's the Ohio State.
DIAZ: I'm sorry. I forgot. The Ohio State University.
COSTELLO: I'm still doing pretty good in my bracket.
DIAZ: Really? I'm in last place.
(CROSSTALK)
DIAZ: Yes, I'm in last place. I -- obviously I don't know anything about guessing.
(LAUGHTER) COSTELLO: We all just guess. Let's be honest. We all just guess.
Carlos Diaz, thanks so much.
I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much to joining me today. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Ashleigh Banfield.
