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Immigration Reform in the Works; Wall Street Reacts to Fed Decreasing Stimulus; Remembering James Gandolfini; Jury Selection Whittled Down to 40 for Zimmerman; Conversion Therapy Ministry Shuts Its Doors, Issues Apology to Gay Community

Aired June 20, 2013 - 11:00   ET

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

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I'm Ashleigh Banfield -- a very busy show ahead. Today's main news and, then as always, our take on day time justice. A major move by the U.S. Senate expected any moment now to secure the United States-Mexico border as part of a bigger immigration reform bill.

CNN broke the news of the plan at the plan in the works yesterday which includes a border surge that would double the number of border patrol officers to more than $40 billion. It would also include 700 miles of fencing.

CNN's congressional correspondent Dana Bash and chief political analyst Gloria Borger join me now live from Washington.

First to you, Dana, the news, the nuggets of what exactly has happened overnight, how we've come this far and if we've come far enough?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Those are all really the key questions.

Let's just start with the big picture here, and the big picture is that conservatives in the Senate feel that they have enough of a deal with regard to what conservatives elsewhere really want to see from this immigration bill, and that is, as you mentioned, beefing up border security

The whole idea and the whole goal in the Senate is to get the biggest vote as possible in order to try to force the Republican-led House to actually bring this bill up at all.

So what they've done is they have come -- when I say they, we're talking about some conservative senators -- have come up with a deal to beef up border agents at the border, to double the size of the fence, to beef up security in the interior of this country.

So what they're hoping, and we're talking about the Gang of Eight, the four Republicans, four Democrats who really came up with the crux of this bill, is that that will be enough to maybe put this in the 60- plus range of "yes" voters.

And so that's what they're hoping that they're going to get the House to do. BANFIELD: And really, this is a numbers game, Dana, when it comes right down to it. Get as many numbers as possible out of the Senate, appease as much as you can so that it forces John Boehner's hand to say, I really can't ignore this, I have to bring this to the floor and the house? Is that it?

BASH: that's a big part of it, there's no question. Because legislation, you know, anybody who has seen schoolhouse rock and has paid attention in their civic class knows they can get the biggest vote in the world in the senate, but if it doesn't get the house, it's not going anywhere. Politically, this is critical. Politically, there are enough Republicans, especially those with aspirations of higher office, say Marco Rubio of Florida, understand that if Republicans don't at least take this step to make the Hispanic community happy, to appeal to the Hispanic community, they're not going to get anywhere big picture in terms of the White House and any other big positions politically in this country. The other number, when you say it's a numbers game, we have to remember is 27 percent. That is the percentage that the Republican party, that Mitt Romney got back in 2012 from the Hispanic vote. That is the lowest ever for a Republican president, and that is what sent Republicans into scramble mode in order to get this done so they can try to repair the damage that they really admit they've done with the Hispanic electorate.

BANFIELD: so you can see how border security can sound like a good thing and bad thing all in one sentence.

Gloria, is beefing up security problematic when it comes to Democrats? You can't just assume they're in the bag for this.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Democrats -- the problem the Democrats had was that there was a goal of a 90 percent apprehension rate, or with a requirement, I should say, in the original bill that you have a 90 percent apprehension rate. Now that may become a goal instead of a requirement in exchange for all these boots on the ground at the border. Very important. But Democrats also, Ashleigh, and I should say this, they are very well aware of public opinion when it comes to border security, and if you look at polls, including one that we just did, by an almost 2 to 1 margin, voters say you've got to deal with border security first.

BANFIELD: Let me put up that poll, Gloria. I'm assuming this is the one you're talking about. It's a CNN poll done on June 13. The main focus of U.S. immigration policy, and here are the answers. Border security, 62 percent say, yes, path to citizenship, 36 percent.

BORGER: right, so Democrats are aware that this is a very politically potent issue here, because people do want the borders secured first. It's a question of how you go about it. And if it's too stringent, as Democrats believe the original version was or some version that Senator Cornyn of Texas is advancing, for example, they consider that a poison pill. Because if you say a 90 percent requirement that we have to apprehend 90 percent of the people coming across the border before we get to the path to citizenship, they believe that's way too draconian. But if it becomes a goal and you've got all these boots on the ground and you're really working on it, that may become a little bit more palatable to them.

BANFIELD: we're going to keep an eye on it. Dana, I think as you've described it, the senate floor can look a little messy at times. You know what, I'm hearing you've got something for us, some breaking news. What is it?

BASH: on that point, it's a nice segue, and that is that we did expect the senators to go to the senate floor this hour in order to explain this amendment, this deal that they broke through on last night. Now we expect it not to happen until 2:00 p.m. eastern, so there you go. It just shows you that's the senate. It is not always a smooth place, but that's why we have to keep tabs on exactly how this is working.

BANFIELD: my parlance of messy was appropriate, then, is what you're saying?

BASH: very much so.

BANFIELD: Dana Bash and Gloria Borger, your shift is extended to at least 2:00, whether you like it or not.

I want to move to other news happening on Wall Street, and it's also messy. You might go further to say it's ugly.

Here's the start. That is not a good minus sign, the Dow losing more than 228 points at this point, and the nosedive takes us below 15,000.

Look at that. Holy cow. Investors are now reacting to the Fed chief's comments that the pace of stimulus may be reduced in the coming months. Does that mean the spigots are being turned off?

CNN's Christine Romans is here with me today. Sometimes I can't believe the activity I see with a very slight comment, and other times I'm shocked it's not greater, but this has been a bit of a freefall from yesterday but the slide is faster.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It's faster and you're seeing it encompass all different kinds of markets.

We're talking gold prices at a two-and-a-half-year low. Gold is down about 5.5 percent just today. Oil now below $96 a barrel. Big move there. Interest rates on the 10-year yield are rising and overseas markets down one to three percent.

This is the world reacting to the economy being well enough so they can pull back sometime next year.

BANFIELD: Can I ask a stupid question?

ROMANS: What's your stupid question.

BANFIELD: First of all, if the economy is doing better, and we all knew the stimulus is temporary, why is this such a surprise?

ROMANS: That is a great question, because this is exactly what everyone said they thought would happen, that the Fed would say stimulus is going to continue, but they would give a road map for how it would be tamped down. That's exactly what happened.

The nagging worries you still see in global markets. Record unemployment in Europe. China's factory output is the slowest in nine months. Last year China's growth was the slowest in 13 years, and there's this worry that if you have no Fed in the U.S., you have no growth.

Look how much money the Fed has been pumping into the system. You have the Fed's balance sheet that has exploded and you still only have two percent growth in the U.S.

If you've got China slowing and the Fed pulling back at the same time, what is that going to mean for markets, for investors, for interest rates, for stocks? That's what you're seeing the unease about today.

BANFIELD: Wrap it up for me today, if you would. Not to suggest you'll give me a number, but where do you see this day ending?

ROMANS: I see the day ending down, but our mortgage rates are probably going to start to rise.

They're at 3.98 percent on a 30-year fixed; 15-year, 3.04 percent. Those are brand new mortgage rates this morning. I suspect you'll see those rise next week.

Your 401(k) taking a hit the last couple days. Plus we're coming up on the year-end on the quarter. They're saying we've had a great start to the year, we're going to take some off the table.

BANFIELD: Summer, too, don't you see a shift?

ROMANS: Yes, and people have had a good run this year. Wouldn't you want to book some profits?

BANFIELD: I was going to get into the market and I was really lazy and busy and I didn't, so there.

Christine Romans, let us know what happens if anything goes a little crazier. Thank you.

I have other big news that I want to bring to you. And it is just really a sad story to tell. And you probably know something about it. In fact, look at this. You can't even wake up to two papers not showing exactly what we mean.

This is a huge outpouring of grief, sudden, unexpected in death of a legend. You know? Really. The death of James Gandolfini.

You probably know him best as the Emmy Award-winning TV show star from "The Sopranos." In fact, he won three Emmys for Tony Soprano's role as the tough boss with the hint of a soft heart, and all the troubles that the rest of us have to go through as well. That's the series that ran for six years on HBO. James Gandolfini died while vacationing in Rome yesterday, just 51 years old, and the doctors there say the likely cause of his death was a heart attack. However, that's what they say was likely, an autopsy still expected to be carried out sometime today.

Before his body can be released to the family, the United States embassy first has to issue a death certificate, and the embassy has actually reacted to this as well, saying that they learned about this in the media.

They released this statement, "We are all deeply upset from this premature loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. James Gandolfini was an Italian-American and represented an excellent example of the deep cultural exchange between the Italians and the American society."

But they haven't been contacted yet by his family. They need to have that contact before they can get working.

He shot to fame in "The Sopranos," but he was also a really an established stage and screen actor. Before that role came his way, he had prominent roles in movies, and afterwards as well.

Of course, Hollywood is mourning his death also, fans around the world, all with their outpouring of grief.

The actor who played his wife, Carmela, on "The Sopranos," Edie Falco, put out this statement not too long ago. She said, in part, "I am shocked and devastated by Jim's passing."

By the way, everyone called him Jim, not James. James was the formal name.

"He was a man of tremendous depth and sensitivity with a kindness and generosity beyond words. My heart goes out to his family."

And she was his partner for a better part of a decade, if not a little bit longer and said in her statement that she was just so happy to have shared that partnership with him.

Barbie Nadeau joins us live now from Rome. I can only imagine this is making a lot of waves in Rome as well.

What's the latest on the information about the cause of death, the autopsy? I know you're six hours plus from us. Is there any development, Barbie?

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, by Italian law, an autopsy for any death has to be conducted within 24 hours of that death happening.

Of course, he was pronounced dead at 11:00 p.m. last night, just 20 minutes after he had this ill health, presumably a heart attack.

They're saying they can't confirm anything directly, but they're saying they really don't expect any foul play or anything of that nature.

He was very well loved in Italy, too, of course, because his mother was from Naples, and he really exemplified this Italian-American person in a way that made Americans proud.

He didn't embrace the stereotypes that many people embrace when they play an Italian. And Italians loved him and there's a state of shock and mourning here, too, flowers outside the hotel where he was staying and things like that.

So, you know, it's really been a sad moment, but there are a lot of details yet to come.

BANFIELD: All right, Barbie Nadeau watching it for us. Thank you, live reporting from Italy today.

An organization that claimed to help turn gay people straight does a big 180. See those words? "I am sorry." Shutting its doors, apologizing to the LGBT community. More on that coming up and why it happened.

Also a murder investigation, an NFL player and a media frenzy, but Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is so far keeping mum about all of it, amid reports he's been questioned in connection with a death of a man near his home.

The right person in the right place at the right time, and that, my friends, is an understatement. A baby falls two stories from a fire escape, and you will not believe who was underneath and there to catch that child. You will meet that person, coming up.

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BANFIELD: And then there were 40. Forty potential jurors who have made the cut so far in the George Zimmerman murder trial in Florida, and the weeding continues today. If all goes according to plan, a full panel with six jurors and the alternates they need should be seated by the end of this week. That's the hope. That's the hope.

But those selected are going to be locked away from their lives for weeks on end, becoming more high profile than they have ever been before. And that is not an easy task to get through. Jean Casarez joins me live from Sanford, Florida. The jurors, Jean, have been dealing with questions about race and guns and television and reasonable doubt, and these are all really big factors but it's a lot for, say, a hairdresser, or a mechanic or a lawyer, even, to have to face all of a sudden. What's the story about what these jurors are back in their concerns about being in a huge case with the klieg lights on them, effectively on them, and also being locked away for that long?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ashleigh, let me tell you what just happened in court minutes ago. A juror raised their hand, it was a female juror and she said, "I've got to tell you, I have never heard such a dissection of what our role is to be as a juror as we have had this morning from you. I appreciate it. It's confusing, but I really appreciate it."

And I've got to tell you, Ashleigh, the seriousness in that room this morning of all the constitutional issues that Mark O'Mara is bringing to the table, presumption of evidence, burden of proof, circumstantial evidence. He particularly is questioning an African-American juror, I think, more than any other juror this morning, and he just asked her a short time ago, what was a life decision that you've had to make? And she said, well, it would have to be moving from Chicago here to Sanford, because I wanted a better life for my children, but I had to give up my job. And he said, you thought about this. You looked at both sides. And he said, was it a decision beyond a reasonable doubt to come here or was it a preponderance of the evidence, more likely than not I'll come. She had to agree it was beyond a reasonable doubt, and of course he's talking about the liberty, the life in prison term that his client could be facing he's facing.

BANFIELD: Well, Jean, doesn't it really honestly come right do - I have said this in my work with you for the last almost 10 years, reasonable doubt. What does it mean to be reasonable? What is reasonable to you? People are asked for the legal definition of it, and there isn't one. And when it comes down to the battle between Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman, there is a missing bunch of evidence in ten seconds or so. Is that the reasonable that Mark O'Mara is trying to hammer down before he picks a juror?

CASAREZ: I think you're exactly right. And he has gone through that definition, just as you said, step by step, word by word, breaking it down with common sense examples. Circumstantial evidence he's gone into, that if cookie crumbs are around your daughter's mouth, it doesn't necessarily mean she stole the cookie out of the cookie jar, maybe her brother got the cookie and put it in her mouth. Just common examples that the jury can relate to.

BANFIELD: Oh, man, and sometimes you even say unless it's on videotape, that would say to me, there is just no reasonable doubt there at all that the guy did it. Until you hear that tapes can be manipulated. So it's a really tough question for jurors to have to come to grips with. Jean, thank you. Keep us posted how those questions go and when ends up on that panel. Jean Casarez live for us in Sanford.

Attacking gay people for more than 30 years, the Christian group known as Exodus claim to offer a, quote, "cure for homosexuality." But now it's shutting down and offering a big apology for what they're saying is years of undue judgment. I'm going to tell you all about this in a live report right after the break.

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BANFIELD: Lawyers for fashion moguls Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, yes better known as Dolce&Gabbana say they plan to appeal a 20-month prison sentence for tax evasion. They were convicted of that and attempting to avoid taxes on over a billion dollars in royalties. Four other associates are also facing prison time in this case. Both Dolce and Gabbana are continuing to deny those charges. A pool party reportedly leaving one man in a coma and sickening several others. Organizers of the Yeagermeister-sponsored pool party thought it would look really cool if you pour liquid nitrogen to the water. Yes, it did look cool, but the liquid nitrogen reacted with the chlorine in said pool and all that smoke you're seeing is actually a toxic fog. To complicate things, it's really hard to see people who are passing out in the water. Yeagermeister tells "Telegaph" newspaper that it is investigating the incident. I think that might be an understatement.

A knock-down, drag-out battle expected in Miami tonight. You know what I'm talking about. Miami Heat locking horns with the San Antonio Spurs as the winner takes all game 7 in the NBA finals. I know John Berman is on the edge of his chair right on this one.

The Heat's mega-star LaBron James and the Spur's big man Tim Duncan, they both already have championship rings, so this one might be a little more about pride, this grudge match. Either the Heat is going to repeat its champ, or the Spurs are going to become only the 4th to win game 7 in an NBA finals on the road. It will be a late night for all the morning show hosts who have to, have to watch.

Here's something surprising a lot of people, perhaps. A conservative Christian group that focused on trying to cure gay men and women of homosexuality has decided to shut down, close up shop. The group is called Exodus International. Its president Alan Chambers, who has admitted he is attracted to men, is now apologizing to gays and lesbians and transgenders and Queer all over the world. He even apologizes that went on to say that some people have gone ahead and killed themselves because of this theory that they need to be cured or can be. This story of the church will be exposed on Oprah's OWN network tonight. Gays and lesbians were outraged at Chambers and demanded the ministry be closed down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No matter how many times I pleaded with God to take this away from me, I couldn't do it on my own.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are responsible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The organization needs to shut down. Shut down. Don't tweak it, don't try to improve it, shut it down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: CNN's Nick Valencia is following this story for us. Nick, this has been controversial for quite some time, but this decision seemed like quite a surprise. Was it, and why was it a surprise?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, sure, it was a surprise. It caught a lot of people off guard, but we have to be very clear about something, Ashleigh. They say they're closing their doors. What it looks like more is a re-branding. They're opening up a new ministry. It's called Reduced (ph) Fear. It will have the same board members. This time though, they're sort of changing their tune. They say they will be more welcoming, more wide open ministry, and this is all in response to the new generation of Christian. But, before they decided to, as they say, close their doors, Exodus International did release a full-fledged apology, an I'm sorry, a mea culpa which read in part,

"More than anything, I am sorry that so many people have interpreted this religious rejection by Christians as God's rejection. I am profoundly sorry that many have walked away from their faith and that some have even chosen to end their lives."

And if you remember, Exodus International became infamous, or famous, depending how you look at it, for their endorsement of reparative therapy or conversion therapy. Ashleigh, that's the idea that through therapy someone can change their sexual orientation and go from being gay to straight. They say they've helped thousands of people. And a lot of people Ashleigh are looking at this though as a half-hearted apology.

While they do say they're closing their doors, they're not apologizing for their strict stance on what the scriptures say in the Bible when it comes to marriage, when it comes to sexual orientation. They are some critics out there that are saying they're sort of talking out both sides of their mouth here, Ashleigh?

BANFIELD: Well, they can talk out both sides of their mouths, but something tells me that quote you just put up on the screen, Nick, will end up in a courtroom somewhere as a bit of a mea culpa if you look at it one way or the other. Nick Valencia, thank you for looking into that for us.

The acting world has really lost a great one. We're going to look back at the legacy that was left behind by James Gandolfini. Jim, to those who knew him and the many who loved him. We're going to talk to one man who said that man on your screen changed TV forever.

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