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Jeep Warning Raises Gas Tank Concerns; WSJ: Credit Card Sales Monitored; Critical Zimmerman Hearing Today; Interview with Dr. J.

Aired June 07, 2013 - 10:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: 10:31 in the east. How nice of you to join me. I'm Christi Paul in today for -- for excuse me Carol Costello.

We're watching tropical storm Andrea because it's a massive rain- maker. I want to show you some of the video we just recently got in from Jacksonville, Florida.

Boy, this thing is moving up the East Coast right now with wind speeds that have dropped, by the way. But the storm has prompted some flash flood watches. I say some but for a huge swath of the country across parts of 13 states. Now, the projected path is similar to tropical storm Debby, if you remember that. And that dumped up to two feet of rain last year.

So do be careful if you are in that area.

You know, we've had some pretty frightening this week, didn't we, about Jeep Grand and Cherokees and Libertys. Let me remind you the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the design of the gas tanks in some models dating back to 1993 poses a risk of spilling gas and fire if the SUV is hit from behind. Well, the Chrysler group is fighting the recall for 2.7 million vehicles saying the analysis was faulty.

So let's talk to automotive analyst from New York and correspondent from AOL and Time Warner Cable News. Lauren Fix, Lauren thank you for taking some time for us this morning. So let me ask you, how common is the placement of gas tanks in the rear of the vehicle as we see in the Grand Cherokee or Liberty? I mean how many of us who don't drive those cars should be aware?

LAUREN FIX, AUTOMOTIVE ANALYST: Well, here is the thing, that was the design standard of the time. We're talking about 10 years ago, where it was very common to put a gas tank behind the axle. Now, this is true in these Libertys and these Grand Cherokees. However, the actions that they were referring to NITSA is referring to is literally one vehicle in a million years of driving.

So the chances of that happening, so the case that was brought to NITSA, and this is what I want people to be aware was a vehicle that was standing still when a tractor-trailer hit a Grand Cherokee that caused a fire. That would cause a fire in pretty much any vehicle. And the solution that NITSA is suggesting is absolutely not a good solution. They are talking about skid plates underneath the vehicle that is used for off-roading. It is not used for cars in the streets.

So you as a consumer, you need to know that an older vehicle is not going to have the same safety standards as something that was built today. And if you look at the new Grand Cherokee which was totally different, I think that Chrysler actually has a case. They've won against NITSA before as they did in '97 with the Dodge Stratus.

PAUL: So you're saying that we can be pretty confident in vehicles we drive if we drive vehicles that were made at what date? From what date on?

FIX: Well the fact is that every car as it gets older is going, if it's been in accident has a higher chance of damage. Now think about it, if you've got an SUV and a car or an SUV and a tractor-trailer, you're going to have bumper heights that are different. Those regulations and rules have changed. When these vehicles that you're showing were built, they exceeded the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration standards.

So what you need to know so is that if it's an older vehicle, you are concerned about it, take it to a collision shop, have someone look underneath it before you purchase that vehicle or if you own that vehicle. If there is rust, if there is damage, get it repaired because that substructure underneath the car is what is actually protecting you.

If you're concerned about that specific vehicle, you look at the stats from all of the vehicles that were built during that time period and you will find that the Jeep Grand Cherokee was actually on the lowest end of the fatalities. What you're showing there was something that was hit by a tractor-trailer.

Anything that's hit at zero miles an hour actually multiplies by 23 times the energy. That's a lot. And that would -- I don't care if you're driving another SUV, two tractor-trailers hit at that speed, there is going to be that same type of explosion.

PAUL: All righty. Hey, Lauren Fix.

FIX: Yes.

PAUL: We appreciate all the insight today. Thanks.

FIX: Thank you.

PAUL: Sure.

Well, it turns out, the government has millions of Americans' phone records. It's all a part of a huge surveillance program designed to help in the hunt for foreign terrorists. Should you care that the government is snooping around?

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PAUL: I bet you've been having a lot of debates in your personal conversations between security and privacy, haven't you? And how much freedom should we give up to be safe? Well in the latest CNN Time ORC poll taken two weeks after the Boston Marathon bombing, by the way, about half of those asked were not willing to give up some civil liberties to curve terrorism.

But 40 percent say they would. Those numbers aren't much different we should point when you break it down by age. Only a third of Americans un 50 would give up some freedoms. But that number jumps to half when asked the people 50 and older. Well Paul La Monica is the assistant managing editor for CNNMoney.

And Paul on top of that we need to point out we're learning this morning from the "Wall Street Journal" that our credit card transactions are being monitored, possibly along with e-mails, and phone records. So I'm wondering, you say you're not worried. Why not?

PAUL LA MONICA, ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR, CNNMONEY: Well, I wasn't worried if the initial reports which were just about Verizon phone records. I didn't particularly care if, you know the government knows that I called my wife five minutes ago and that's all they know.

Credit card information, obviously, a much bigger concern, a lot of people are worried also about whether or not e-mails are being tracked. And that obviously, it is a slippery slope. So I think people are legitimately concerned. But I want to caution that those reports on credit cards, you know are pretty vague in the "Wall Street Journal." So I'm not really sure how legitimate those are just yet.

PAUL: You know that some people, I know that it said it's legal under the Patriot Act. But what about the Fourth Amendment here which affords us a right to unreasonable seek and seizure and search, or search and seizure, I should say? Isn't that contradictory to what's going on here?

LA MONICA: It definitely is when you look at I guess the letter of the law. Without question, I understand why people are worried. Of course, you know that amendment of the Constitution predated you know things like 9-11, and I can understand why the government is interested in being able to monitor certain pieces of data in order to hopefully, avoid another terrorist attack along those lines of the Boston bombing or even worse like 9-11, but yes, there is definite reason for Americans to be worried about the fact that the government is increasingly looking at more and more personal information.

PAUL: Well not only that but you know a lot of people might say, look, I don't have anything to hide, so go ahead. But you also think, what if they misconstrue my name or my conversation with somebody else who might be having something questionable or sinister going on. It's not unheard of to know -- people in the government are still people. They're human. People screwing up.

LA MONICA: Oh, definitely. There are clearly mistakes. You obviously, we've all heard stories about people being erroneously flagged on no flight lists. I do think, though, that some people need to take a breath and you know look at this in a bigger picture here. I don't get the sense that the government has all these agents in the bowels of some building looking at every single piece of data.

So I think for most people that are just going along their daily lives and they are posting kids, you know their pictures of their kids on Facebook, or they're buying an album from iTunes, that's not the type of information that the government really cares about.

PAUL: All right, Paul La Monica thank you so much for giving us your input here. You can check out Paul's columns by the way at Buzz.Money.CNN.com and we're going to be right back.

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PAUL: Critical hearing in the George Zimmerman case under way. The last hearing before the trial starts on Monday. CNN's Martin Savidge is there in Sanford, Florida. And Martin I know today the judge could make this crucial ruling on the voice analysis of the 911 tapes, yes?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. We are still anticipating that. The hearing is going on. It could take some time. There are a number of experts expected to testify. Here's the reason why. The 911 call the one where you hear someone screaming in the backgrounds and then you hear the gunshot which, of course, ended the life of 17- year-old Trayvon Martin.

What is crucial is that the legal thinking here is that whoever is screaming for help is clearly the victim in the case and whoever is not screaming must be the aggressor. And that is one of the issues still to be determined at trial, who was the attacker in all of this that went down? Was it George Zimmerman or Trayvon Martin?

George Zimmerman's defense team claims it was Trayvon Martin that began this alter categories. If you can figure out who is screaming for help that would be key. The problem is the science her is very debatable. The prosecution says they got three experts who can identify that the person screaming for help is Trayvon Martin or at least not George Zimmerman. That would be very detrimental to the defense the self-defense of George Zimmerman argument that he is making. So they're trying to block the analysis of the 911; complicated but crucial -- Christi.

PAUL: Very crucial, yes because it's the sound that we have from the actual altercation.

Thank you so much Martin Savidge, we appreciate it. And the top stories are coming at you next.

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PAUL: I'm Christi Paul in today for Carol Costello, so glad to have you with us. Let's check our top stories for you.

First of all, a bus flipped over in Tampa this morning. That's a school bus there. There were two boys and the driver on board. Now one of the children tells our affiliate, WFTS, a car ran a red light and hit that bus. The boys weren't hurt. But we know the driver was taken away on a stretcher. Tropical storm Andrea, a massive rain-maker moving up the East Coast right now. Wind speeds have dropped but the storm prompted flash flood watches across 13 states right now. A similar path that's similar to Tropical Storm Debby which dumped up to two feet of rain last year.

And a new jobs report shows employers still cautious about hiring. 175,000 jobs were added in May. The unemployment rate ticked up a tenth of a point to 7.6 percent.

Still ahead, 30 years since he led the Philadelphia 76ers to an NBA title, he can still dunk, people. There he is. Julius Irving, Dr. J in the house -- we are talking to him next.

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PAUL: Well, Game one of the NBA finals as you know goes to the San Antonio Spurs. Spurs beat the Miami Heat 92-88 last night. Tony Parker scored 10 points in the final quarter, including this, this decisive off balance shot five seconds to go and it's in. Game two Sunday in Miami.

So while Monday may be a dog's night in the finals the spotlight is going to be on a basketball legend. NBA TV premiers the documentary, "The Doctor" profiling the life and career of Julius Irving. And Dr. J, himself with us now, hello, how are you?

JULIUS IRVING, FORMER NBA PLAYER: I'm good, Christi, how are you?

PAUL: I'm good. Thank you so much. You know before we get to that documentary, I want to know who do you like in the NBA finals and why?

IRVING: What a game last night. Let me tell you. That last jump shot with two-hundredths of a second to go, coming out of Tony Parker's hand was a dagger. And it's only game one. It's probably going to be a long series. I'm excited about seeing the adjustments.

But you know, being an old ABA guy, I'm pulling for the Spurs. I know there's going to be the haters out there. I'm pulling for the Spurs.

PAUL: Everybody's got their own loyalty, right, their own alliances. "The Doctor" I know, this documentary comes out on the 30th anniversary of your Philadelphia 76ers winning the NBA time. I'm wondering, when you look back, what is your most cherished memory of that run? Do you have one?

IRVING: I guess the culmination of the forum in L.A. After going to four finals, seven years, and losing three times in a six-year period. And it was very, very important to validate, by winning and to have Moses Malone (ph) and Reese Cheeks (ph) and they had Tony. Sweep the Lakers and do it in style, I'm an old Rutger league player so style points count for something. That's probably the most precious of the basketball memories of wrapping up the championship in style with 12-1 record in the playoffs and a 4-0 record against the former champions.

PAUL: You know, as we watch some of this video with you, you were known for long hang time highlight reel dunks, of course. You are 63- years-old now, but I understand you can still dunk them.

IRVING: You know, I actually can. I, once a year, I like to go in the gym an test my mettle. So earlier.

PAUL: Just once a year?

IRVING: Just once a year. The other times when I go in, it's pretty much to watch my kids and grandkids play. I'm usually on the iPad while they're playing. But earlier this year I went in and me and my friends, we got a few of my son's 8th graders together and played them full court. After we beat them, I went out and dunked the ball three times. I said, now I'm set for the next three years. My son looked at me and said, "No. Next year, you've got to come and do it again."

PAUL: So when you watch your kids and your grand kids. Do you see anything in them that mirrors you do you think?

IRVING: I probably inadvertently introduced them to the game of basketball but the fact that they have become passionate about it. They want to go to camps. I have a 14-year-old who wants to go to Duke University and become a duky. So I guess, you know, some of that is genes. Some of it is just having a little success, you know, breeds high expectations.

PAUL: Wow, Dr. J., you know, you have given us all so much to watch and cheer for over the years. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us. Best of luck to you.

IRVING: My pleasure. Make sure you watch the documentary.

PAUL: We sure will. Definitely we'll get.

And thank you so much to all of you for joining us. "THE DOCTOR" June 10th. CNN NEWSROOM continuing right after the break. Go make some good memories this weekend.

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ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone, I'm Ashleigh Banfield. We have a busy show ahead, to say in the very least. And we begin this morning with what you say and what you do --