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Will Stocks Have Another Super Tuesday?; Interview with Turkish Protester; Sean Parker's $2.5 Million Wedding Settlement; Military Chiefs Set to Testify; Miami Heat Advances to NBA Finals
Aired June 04, 2013 - 09:30 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. Thank you so much for being with me. I'm Carol Costello. Thirty-one minutes past the hour. Stories we're watching right now in the NEWSROOM. The opening bell ringing about now on Wall Street. Doing the honors today, Portugal secretary of state of finance, along with some European company executives. Just FYI.
Alison Kosik is at the New York stock exchange. Hi, Alison.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. The Dow kicked off quite a strong start yesterday for the month of June, closing higher by triple digits. Thought, momentum could slow down a bit today. Still, even if the Dow manages just a small little gain, it will add on to what's really become a nice run for stocks.
And did you check the calendar? Today is Tuesday, and that's of interest, because the Dow has closed higher for the past 20 Tuesdays in a row. Gaining 1,500 points in the process. There are a lot of theories on why this is happening. Some say it could be that mutual funds don't clear their weekend orders until Tuesday. Others say it's computer algorithms, which do a lot of the stock trading, recognize the trend and keep buying on Tuesday, some say people don't like Monday, so when stocks fall on a Monday, Tuesday is a natural reversal, while others say, Carol, it's a fluke. There's just no rhyme or reason at all to the trading, and some could say that's every day on Wall Street, Carol.
COSTELLO: Exactly. Interesting, though, thank you, Alison.
General Motors makes a return to the P&P 500 after close of trading this Thursday. It will replace A.J. Heinz, which is set to go private. The automaker was kicked off the index after 2009 bankruptcy filing and $50 million government bailout. The government hopes to finish selling off the remainder of its GM shares, acquired as you know as part of the bailout. I hope they do that soon.
Major Nidal Hassan, the man accused of killing 13 people at Ft. Hood in 2009 has asked a judge for a three month delay in his case to prepare a new defense. Yesterday, that same judge ruled Hassan can indeed represent himself at the court martial, with the assistance of military lawyers. Jury selection for the trial set to begin tomorrow. Hassan could face the death penalty if convicted. Just ahead in the NEWSROOM, protesters in Turkey keep up their demonstrations against a leader who's called them vandals and dissidents. We'll talk to one of the protesters in Turkey trying to get her story out, via social media.
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COSTELLO: Hundreds of thousands of union members have joined the already massive protests in Turkey. The said it was imperative to fight, quote, "fascism in the government." Astoundingly, Turkey's prime minister has left the country, telling supporters everything will be fine when he returns. He claims this whole thing is being fueled by social media. And he blamed the riots not on his policies, but on vandals, extremists, and dissidents. Joining me on the phone form Izmir, Turkey is Yudit Namesh (ph) she's a psychologist and Loyala University, Baltimore grad who's been using social media to get the story of these protests out to you. Welcome.
YUDIT NAMESH (ph), PROTESTER: Hello, I'm a vandal from Izmir, Turkey.
COSTELLO: Thank you for joining us. We appreciate it. I've been looking at your Facebook page, lots of postings, but at the very top, you say this is not about a park, because originally everybody thought that the government was going to wipe out this park, demolish this park and build a shopping center, and that's what sparked this whole thing. In your mind, why are these protests taking place?
NAMESH: It started as a park, because this government's environmental policy has been growing more and more aggressive. They just decided to build a third bridge (INAUDIBLE) they cut a number of trees. There are 12 more (ph) nuclear plant happening in the Black Sea area, but that's just the environmental part. We are actually -- the protesters are actually concerned about these government's actual interventions in people's daily lives, like abortion rights or medical practice in child delivery, or couples kissing, hugging in the street. One after the other. So I think it's a buildup of frustration.
COSTELLO: So, you say the government's cracking down on every day life in Turkey and is the government becoming more religious, that it?
NAMESH: Well, Assad recently said that he's trying to build a religious youth, a religious generation. However, that's not -- that doesn't represent the entire Turkish people at the moment. Doesn't even represent his voter base. It is mostly -- of course, there is a religious group, but we're trying to live side by side independently, trying to voice everybody's belief for everybody's rights at the moment, so it's not -- not about religion, it's about as I'm trying to just talk to his voter base, rather than talk for his all people.
COSTELLO: The prime minister says he's been Democratically elected and protesters are being fueled by people like you on social media. He calls you dissidents and vandals, how do you respond to that?
NAMESH: Most of our posts on social media have been directed to provide legal help, medical help, logistical help for people on the streets protesting. For example, last night, the night before, there had been violent attacks from the police and also undercover cops.
The Turkish -- the police has just confirmed, there are police -- undercover police on the streets, attacking people with sticks, so what we're trying to do on social media is reach out to the people there, tell them which apartment buildings that they can hide in, tell them where the police is coming now, if they are going to be arrested what rights do they have. We are trying to coordinate, you know what to do and the consequences of the police brutality. It's not ideological, it's not slogans, nothing anti-governmental, trying to coordinate help.
COSTELLO: Thank you so much for sharing your story. Yudit Namesh (ph). Thank you so much.
He may have made billions and billions off Facebook, but Shawn Parkerwas just slapped with a multimillion dollar fine over his enormous wedding. This was a $10 million wedding, it was insane. We'll tell you more after this.
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COSTELLO: Talk about a wedding. Media mogul Sean Parker, you probably know him best for building Napster or for cashing in on Facebook. He actually was played in the movie "Social Network" by Justin Timberlake.
Well, here are pictures of his wedding. (INAUDIBLE) He's a billionaire, so he can afford this. He spent $10 million on his wedding, he basically built a movie set in the woods in California, complete with cottages and waterfalls, there were dance floors. One thing the wedding lacked though, was proper permits and now he's in trouble. A.J. Hammer, is in New York for more. Hello.
A.J. HAMMER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Details, details. Carol this comes from the "go big or go home" category this morning. When you are as rich as Sean Parker is, you can throw yourself any kind of wedding you want. And he did. Spending a reported $10 million on the ceremony with Alexandra Lenas, and that doesn't include the $2.5 million fine he's now paying to the California Coastal Commission, which according to the commission is going to be used, thankfully, to protect California's redwoods and promote coastal conservation.
Now according to Parker's representative the couple who already have a baby girl together, tied the knot on Saturday night; 300 family and friends were there for a romantic, magical setting. It was in the woods of Big Sur, in California. And yes Carol it's that magical setting that got him into all kinds of trouble apparently being in the natural beauty of one of America's scenic locations, not enough for the billionaire. He built that Hollywood style set for his celebration with those waterfalls and bridges, fake ruins.
Of course the catch is he didn't have permission to build any of those structures at all.
COSTELLO: He built fake ruins?
HAMMER: Yes, you've got to have fake ruins if you're going to do that kind of a wedding come on.
COSTELLO: Well I was wondering what could you possibly spend $10 million on all at once? I can't even -- I can't even grasp, I can't wrap my head around that.
HAMMER: Well I can fill you in if you would like some of the details. And first of all by the time the authorities realized there was any kind of a problem, the set was already built Carol. So instead of making him remove everything before the wedding, they agreed on this payment instead which seems like a good idea. The ceremony went on. And what's an extra $2.5 million after all.
But let me give you a few of the other details from the wedding. All of the guests were provided outfits to wear they were designed by the same person who designed the costumes for "Lord of the Rings", she also designed Parker's wardrobe.
Parker actually tweeted back in April, that the outfits were inspiring and that they wouldn't look like "Game of Thrones" characters at the wedding.
The bride had more say in her particular outfit. It was more traditional. But who was their staff photographer? The wedding photographer? It was the famed fashion photographer Mark Seliger. Who is one of their performers? One of my favorite singers Lorena McKinnick who I'm sure if you know her music provided the perfect ethereal soundtrack for what I'm sure was a fantastic event. And look, $2.5 million to protect coastal conservation, you can't (inaudible) with that either.
COSTELLO: Yes and all those hobbits that stood up for them.
HAMMER: Yes that's nice. You'll be hearing from the wedding party now.
COSTELLO: Yes I know. Thanks A.J.
HAMMER: You got it.
COSTELLO: Wow.
Still ahead on the NEWSROOM an airline says student on a class trip got a little too rowdy so guess what AirTran kicked them off. The school's response next.
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COSTELLO: Fifty minutes past the hour. It's time to check our "Top Stories".
More than 100 students and their eight chaperones were kicked off an AirTran flight after the crews says they would not stay seated and they continued to use their cell phones. One of the group's chaperone says the airline has blown the whole thing out of proportion. The New York high school students were traveling to Atlanta for a senior class trip but not anymore. Jail house (inaudible) are getting a look at life behind bars for accused Cleveland kidnapper, Ariel Castro. The reports show he spends most of his days either lying on his mat, pacing the floor, or staring out the small window in his cell. Castro has also been doing some cleaning and reading his inmate manual. He's being held on $8 million bond. He's accused of holding three women captive for nearly a decade.
The Midwest is facing a massive flooding threat as water from the Mississippi River breaches a levee in West Alton, Missouri and residents were asked to leave.
And in the town of Grafton, Illinois, the Mississippi expected to crest today but flood waters have already made the list of the top five floods in the river's town history.
What's being called an unprecedented hearing is under way right now on Capitol Hill. You are looking at live pictures as the top leaders of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines are set to testify before a Senate panel investigating sexual assaults in the military.
Under consideration, a controversial bill that would give uniform prosecutors instead of commanders the authority to investigate these cases. Military's brass is against the proposal, but advocacy groups and some lawmakers say the change is needed because commanders have failed to address this pervasive problem. We'll keep you posted.
Actually if you would like to see more of today's hearing, were streaming it live on CNN.com. You go there and you will see it all.
Still ahead on the NEWSROOM, Miami Heat fans celebrate the teams return to the NBA finals. We've got the highlights of the conference clincher in "Bleacher Report."
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COSTELLO: The Miami Heat took care of business last night against the Indiana Pacers winning a sudden death game seven. Jared Greenberg has more on this morning's "Bleacher Report". Good morning Jared.
JARED GREENBERG, "BLEACHER REPORT": Good morning Carol
It's deja vu all over again in Miami nothing better in fourth than a decisive game seven. And as the cliche goes big time players step up in big games. The guy we're about to show you is not the person we're referring to. Can we get a funny Joan Rivers fashion line here? We got one, Carol?
COSTELLO: What was that?
GREENBERG: Ladies, you can open your eyes, hey there he is, recently retired David Beckham also in Miami. He's wearing white for the whiteout and he's watching LeBron James getting angry at the rim. He had 18 first half points, finished the game with 32. He was clicking on all cylinders. Dwayne Wade snapped out of his slump, he finished the game with 21 points. Heat blow out the Pacers earning their third straight trip to the NBA finals, Miami welcomes San Antonio for game one on Thursday.
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LEBRON JAMES, MIAMI HEAT: I've had multiple dreams about it and you know, to see a dream become a reality and I'm just very blessed. Our team is blessed. And you know we're just happy that we're able to represent the Eastern Conference in the finals.
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GREENBERG: A football legend has died. Deacon Jones was the cause of dozens of quarterbacks having sleepless nights. The first ballot Hall of Famer introduced football fans to the term that we use on the regular now, the sack. The NFL was often forced to change some of the rules because of how dominant Jones was during the '60s and '70s. Jones played for three franchises, most notably the Rams. Deacon Jones died of natural causes at the age of 74.
Bruins a step closer to the Stanley Cup finals and the guys from Boston got fancy. What a pass by Milan Lucic, David Krejci buries it. Take another look, Lucic scoops between his own legs Boston now to a quick start all over Pittsburgh 3-0 in the first. Boston leaves no doubt about it, routing the Penguins 6-1. Boston leads the best of seven series 2-0.
It is time for Tuesday tricks, Carol, your favorite time of the week.
COSTELLO: Oh I'm ready.
GREENBERG: Southern Cal incoming freshman Zach Smith the long snapper coming to college with some skills. None of this actually useful on the football field but maybe David Letterman who was interested to some stupid human tricks. Actually it is pretty impressive. Indoors, outdoors, steady or moving targets, it doesn't matter.
COSTELLO: He hit the cameraman.
GREENBERG: He did and not on the spot he wants to get hit. USC is just hoping that he can get -- get it to the punter like this in the fall. USC known for producing some great linebackers, running backs, quarterbacks, well actually I take that back, not -- not so good on the quarterback front.
But maybe now USC will be known as long snapper U. Zach Smith we look forward to him on the gridiron this year.
COSTELLO: Oh, I needed that on this Tuesday. Thanks so much Jared.
GREENBERG: You got it.
COSTELLO: The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM after a break.
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