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Prosecutors: Baby Killed over Playstation; Colorado's Pot Boom; Red Cross Attack in Afghanistan; A-List Stars Considered for "Rodham"

Aired May 29, 2013 - 10:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for being with me. Time the check our "Top Stories" now at 32 minutes past the hour.

Mystery surrounding the death of a former star college quarterback Cullen Finnerty -- he went missing while on a family fishing trip. Police were able to find his pontoon boat. But they were unable find his body until now.

So far, police do not expect foul play. Finnerty spent time with the Baltimore Ravens after leading Grand Valley State to three division 2 national championships.

Royal Caribbean passengers are heading home after a late night fire disabled their cruise ship, but the company is getting praise for its quick response despite cutting short the Caribbean vacation for more than 2,000 passengers. Travelers gave the crew high marks as well as the offer of a full refund.

More images of storm damage coming in this morning from Flint, Michigan. You can see a home that's been absolutely destroyed after what's believed to be a tornado passed through late last night in nearby Mount Morris, Michigan. You can see knocked down trees took out power lines and damaged other homes in the area.

It's been more than two months since a young baby girl became the face for gun violence in Chicago. Police say the little girl was shot over a Sony Playstation. Her father was actually the intended target. Now, a career criminal sits in jail charged with her murder.

Ted Rowlands is in Chicago with more. Good morning, Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. This case really hit home here in Chicago. It's so tragic on many levels.

First off, a six-month-old little girl dies in a shooting and then we find out the core of this may be tied to a video game.

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ROWLANDS (voice over): The killing of six-month-old Jonylah Watkins shocked the city of Chicago, her tiny casket became the image of a new low in Chicago's struggle with gun violence. Jonylah was shot in her father's arms while they were sitting in this minivan.

JONATHAN WATKINS, JONYLAH WATKINS' FATHER: This man ruffled me and my wife.

ROWLANDS: Jonathan Watkins says he had pulled over to change Jonylah's diaper and was kissing his daughter just as the gunfire erupted.

WATKINS: She was crying when they -- when they were shooting off the noise, so I called out the child on my chest. And she was looking at me at eye to eye.

SUPT. GARRY F. MCCARTHY, CHICAGO POLICE: Jonylah was obviously not the intended target of this assault. Her father, Jonathan was.

ROWLANDS: Police say the suspected shooter 33-year-old Koman Willis was trying to kill Jonathan Watkins over a Sony Playstation which had been stolen along with some drugs from his home.

In court Tuesday prosecutors alleged that Willis admitted to the shooting to a friend and that cell phone and surveillance evidence links him to the crime. Investigators say Willis was an early suspect and while it took nearly three months to build the case, they were determined to solve it.

LT. KEVIN DUFFIN, CHICAGO POLICE: This was a real hard one for the team and everybody up here -- I'm -- almost without a doubt. We all have our own kids, especially when it's a young child like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: And Koman Willis, 33-year-old gang member, who is in jail now, is being held without bail at this point. Carol, they postponed his bail hearing which took place yesterday until next week. His side says that they want more time to develop some mitigating circumstances here.

His lawyer says that he is not guilty in this. We'll wait and see. The state says they have a lot of evidence.

COSTELLO: All right. Ted Rowlands reporting live in Chicago this morning.

It's the new pot economy. We're talking about the new face of urban farming as marijuana becomes legal in Colorado.

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COSTELLO: It's one big idea to help cash-strapped states. If people want pot, sell it to them. That's what Colorado was getting ready to do. Last fall voters there approved a ballot initiative to allow pot to be sold legally for personal use in retail stores. But it's also now legal to grow your own weed.

CNN is putting Colorado in the spotlight this week. And as Jim Spellman found out, that gives urban farmer a whole new meaning. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chloe Villano a long-time marijuana advocate voted along with 55 percent of Colorado voters to legalize pot in last year's election.

(on camera): Who is this?

CHLOE VILLANO, MARIJUANA GROWER: Rudy Villano.

SPELLMAN: Rudy has a little pot leaf collar?

VILLANO: Yes a cat. Yes.

SPELLMAN: It's made out of hand. What do you like about -- about smoking cannabis?

VILLANO: I just like the way it makes me feel like as far as like pain.

SPELLMAN: Colorado is in a sort of holding pattern. The state law allows possession of small amounts of marijuana. And it's available in dispensaries for medical marijuana patients.

But it won't be sold in retail stores until next year. It is, however, now legal to grow your own cannabis. And that is exactly what Chloe is doing.

(on camera): Let's see your grow.

VILLANO: OK. Let's go.

SPELLMAN: So this is -- this is not a big apartment. You're still able to grow marijuana in here?

VILLANO: Yes, you just have to make sure that you can control the smell.

SPELLMAN: Even here in your bedroom in this apartment you can grow marijuana?

VILLANO: Yes I mean this huge tent is full of 12 plants.

SPELLMAN: Let's have a look. Wow. You are growing these 12 marijuana plants right here in your one bedroom apartment in Denver?

VILLANO: Yes, sir.

SPELLMAN: Chloe works as a consultant for the medical marijuana industry and as a medical marijuana patient, Chloe is allowed to grow up to 12 plants. Non-patients can grow six.

VILLANO: I'm definitely what I would call a cannabis connoisseur. So, you know, as a patient and as somebody who enjoys the plant, I definitely know good cannabis and I grow some of the best cannabis. SPELLMAN: People like Chloe are flocking to The Grow Store, where they help people set up and maintain home marijuana grows. General manager Ted Smith says it's not just new growers, but a different kind of grower.

(on camera): What are the new demographics? Who are the new people coming today?

TED SMITH, THE GROW STORE: We have a lot of married couples. We have a lot of 40 and up, 50 and up, 60 and up individuals coming in.

SPELLMAN: Some enjoy growing as a hobby. Some grow for the sake of discretion, everything happening in the privacy of their own homes. And others just want to grow the highest grade weed they can.

SMITH: In today's culture, they want absolutely the finest quality product with the least of you know, inconsistencies.

SPELLMAN: So between $150 and $500 The Grow Store will set the grower up with the equipment needed to grow about a pound of marijuana every 12 weeks. It's illegal to grow cannabis outdoor in the view of others so growers need a light source, ventilation, maybe an air filter to keep the smell away from the neighbors, soil and nutrients for the soil.

Some of the materials are the same used to grow more conventional plants. But some of these products have a distinctly stoner vibe.

SMITH: So this product is called "Cushy Cush". And it is a blossom booster.

SPELLMAN: Growing marijuana in your basement or bedroom may be legal but it's not exactly easy.

SMITH: I tell our customers that if you're just getting into the fray, if you will, that they will be a MacGyver within six months, because you will have so many different hurdles that you've never considered.

SPELLMAN: Chloe Villano says her MacGyver marijuana grow is worth it. She hopes her cannabis consulting business will continue to grow and even when retail stores open, Chloe says she'll keep growing and smoking her home grown weed.

(on camera): Is it comforting to wake up every morning in your bed looking at your marijuana plant?

VILLANO: Awesome. We go to bed together, we wake up together.

SPELLMAN: Jim Spellman, CNN, Denver.

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COSTELLO: Yes we have some tragic news out of Afghanistan in the city of Jalalabad. We've just got word that a Red Cross office -- there's been some sort of explosion there, in fact, we just got word that insurgents in Jalalabad attacked that Red Cross building. And there was a tweet -- can we put the tweet back up there from the International Red Cross -- this is the tweet that came out. "We confirm that an incident just took place at our office in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. We'll provide more information later, once we know more."

We don't know if any -- anybody has been killed in that Red Cross office building. We don't know who the insurgents are exactly but we can certainly guess. Of course when we know more about this attack -- and you can see the pictures there and the smoke coming from the building -- when we know more about this attack of course we'll pass the information along to you.

We're going to take a quick break. We'll be back with more in the NEWSROOM.

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COSTELLO: When you think of Hillary Clinton you probably don't normally think of Scarlett Johansson. The actress could be playing Clinton in a new movie called "Rodham". The independent report said Johansson is being considered to play Hillary Clinton during her law school years in the 1970s. Like you see here in the photo, that's Hillary Clinton in the 70s.

We decided it would be kind of a fun topic to talk about. So we have invited David Gergen, a CNN senior political analyst and former advisor to Bill Clinton and Nischelle Turner, our showbiz correspondent. Welcome to both of you.

DAVID GERGEN, A CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Thank you.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN SHOWBIZ CORRESPONDENT: Hi, guys.

COSTELLO: We basically invited David so we could torture him with questions like do you know who Scarlett Johansson is, David?

GERGEN: I'm going to defer to Nischelle on everything except when we talk about Meryl Streep.

COSTELLO: OK. Got you.

OK. So first of all, Nischelle, it is interesting that this movie is being made, number one. And number two, that it might come out in 2016 which would be -- the timing of the next presidential election?

TURNER: Yes. You know, that's pretty ironic timing there, right, Carol. 2016 for a release date on a biopic about Hillary Rodham Clinton. Now, the interesting thing is David just talked about Meryl Streep. Now Meryl Streep would be perfect to play Hillary now. But we're talking about this movie is going to focus on the years 1974 when Hillary was 26-years-old and was an attorney for the House Judiciary Committee.

So they're looking at Hollywood actresses around that age. You talked about Scarlett Johansson but there's a couple of other really A-list actresses that are being considered for this movie. You got Scarlett Johansson, but also Reese Witherspoon who was an Oscar winner playing June Cash in "Walk the Line", Jessica Chastain who we all know was nominated this year for "Zero Dark 30" playing Maya in that movie, and also Amanda Siebert, who was in "Les Miserables" this year as well. Those four ladies according to the director, all being considered to play this role.

COSTELLO: OK. So David Gergen, you know Hillary Clinton. When you look at those actresses, do you think Hillary Clinton? Because, you know, they're sexy bombshell. And I'm not saying that Hillary Clinton is not attractive -- she is an attractive woman. But when you think of Hillary, you think of, you know, intelligence and savvy and smarts.

GERGEN: Yes, yes, that's what you think of. But you got to remember in the '70s, she was in the Watergate hearings. I was on the other side. I was in the Nixon White House at that time. And I can tell you she already had a reputation. She was tough as nails and she was wily as well as smart. And, you know, that might suggest that Jessica Chastain. I mean if you can be in "Zero Dark 30" as she was, there is a lot of Hillary in there that you have to remember.

The amazing thing is how much she has changed. I think the actress who played for those years will be very different from the actress who would play her today because I think she's more of a (inaudible) person and grown enormously in maturity and her grace, but back then, she was a fire brand.

COSTELLO: And does it intrigue you that this movie, number one -- I'll ask you the same question I asked of Nischelle -- number one that this movie is even being made and that it's supposed to come out in 2016, David?

GERGEN: No the smell of green is very strong out in California when it comes to movies. This is going to -- if she declares and there is a reasonable chance she will be a candidate, this will be a very hot movie. If she doesn't declare it, it will be an interesting question. You have to take your risks in life.

I think it's a smart move. I'm looking forward to it. I think a lot of us don't know her as well we would like to know about her roots and where she came from. She had a complex life. She had a complex family life. And of course, her early days with Bill Clinton, that can be a very, very, let us say, pretty scorching movie.

COSTELLO: Who is behind the movie, Nischelle?

TURNER: Well the director's name is James Ponsoldt (ph), he directed a movie this year at Sundance called "The Spectacular Now." It was a hit at Sundance. So he's one of those Indie film makers. But I have to say the folks over at the "The Daily Beast" say that they have gotten a look at what could be a potential script. They say that it's a very good script and they say that there could be an award-winning role for whoever plays Hillary Rodham Clinton and plays her well.

I have to say, Carol, you talked about Hillary is known for being smart and intelligent. All four of these actresses are very, very good actresses and can morph into many roles. You know, Amanda Siebert just also played Linda Lovelace in a biopic for her as well and just transformed into that role.

So that's what an actress does, you know. All of these ladies I think will be very capable to play the role of a young Hillary.

GERGEN: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK. And just one more question about the movie's supposed timing in 2016 David. I would suspect that the Republican candidate, whoever that might be, might be a little upset that there's going to be this big Hollywood movie coming out with these huge giant stars in it portraying Hillary Clinton. Let's just assume she is going to run just for fun.

GERGEN: Well, I think it's a very good question because the early indications as Nischelle said -- early indications of treatments is going to be sympathetic to both Hillary and to Bill Clinton. And that gives you some advantages. Hollywood has naturally, of course, gravitated towards the Clintons for some time now.

But yes, you've got some disadvantage. I think the issue becomes whether, in fact, the film truly captures who she was. Because she was tough on the outside, she was a rebel. But Hillary also, as you know, has a very feminine side. There is a vulnerability to Hillary that we saw for a moment in New Hampshire when she ran this last time that was very fetching to voters. I think that if they can capture the complexity of Hillary, it will be, indeed sympathetic but if it's more (inaudible) logical and tough-minded and all the rest and it doesn't show that softer side then it could backfire on her. Let's wait and see.

COSTELLO: We'll see. David Gergen, Nischelle Turner. Thanks so much.

TURNER: Carol can I just -- Oh, I'm sorry.

COSTELLO: Go ahead. Quick though.

TURNER: thank you. I was just going to say quickly the movie does chronicle the early relationship between Bill and Hillary and there are some indications that there is a couple of love scenes in there. So it definitely could show a different side of Hillary.

COSTELLO: All righty then. Nischelle Turner and David Gergen, thanks so much. We'll be right back.

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COSTELLO: At 55 minutes past the hour, time to check our top stories.

Powerful winds in Southern California whipped up a sandstorm and shut down portions of the 14 freeway for several hours yesterday. A thick pile of dust reduced visibility to near zero in Lancaster and is blamed for several car accidents. Officers who arrived on the scene had to break out goggles and masks to work the scene. Bad news for the fans of Andre 3,000; a representative for the singer has confirmed that his mother Sharon Benjamin Hodo (ph) has died. Officials say she died of natural causes in her Atlanta home. She was only 58-years-old.

In the six weeks since the Boston Marathon attack, bombing victim, Sidney Corcoran (ph) says her main goal was attending her senior prom. She not only accomplished that but last night she was also crowned queen. The 18-year-old suffered near fatal wounds from shrapnel. Sidney graduates next Friday.

Fifty little fingers and fifty tiny toes -- that's right. It's quintuplets. A woman in Salt Lake City gave birth Sunday to three girls and two boys. According to our affiliate KUTV the babies weighed between two and four pounds each. Everyone, including mom, is doing well.

Beyonce may have helped coin the term "bootylicious". But in case you were not clear, it's not an invitation. Check this out. Queen B obviously wowed in Copenhagen last month when a fan reached up and patted her derriere. Listen to how she responded.

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BEYONCE, SINEWR: Now, I will have you escorted out right now, all right?

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COSTELLO: It probably wasn't the kind of attention he was trying to grab.

That will do it for me today. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Carol Costello.

"CNN NEWSROOM" continues after a break.

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