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New Day
Smothering Heat Wave; George Zimmerman Verdict; Holder Targets "Stand Your Ground" Law; North Korean Ship Seized; Monteith's Deadly Cocktail
Aired July 17, 2013 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Epic heat wave. Heat emergencies across huge chunks of the country, and now 100,000 people stuck boiling with no water.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: CNN exclusive. We're learning more about what happened inside the Zimmerman jury room. One lone holdout who wanted to convict and four jurors are now speaking out.
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: The other whale's tale. The video of a diver saving this giant whale has gone viral. We will hear from the brave rescuer who helped free the giant beast.
CUOMO: Your NEW DAY continues right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: What you need to know.
UNIDENTIFEID MALE: The North Koreans were trying to get away with something.
ANNOUNCER: What you just have to see.
JUROR B-37: He played a huge role in his death. When George confronted him, he could have walked away and gone home.
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan and Michaela Pereira.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: Good morning, everybody. Welcome back to NEW DAY.
It's Wednesday, July 17th, 8:00 in the East, I'm Chris Cuomo.
BOLDUAN: Hey to everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan. We're here with news anchor Michaela Pereira.
Was there a holdout? That is the question in the jury room. We have much more from that revealing CNN exclusive interview with one of the George Zimmerman trial jurors. Did they want to find him guilty initially? How did they end up where they did?
CUOMO: Now, if you've been watching the show and I hopefully you had, I'd referred to the fact that we're going to talk to Ben Jealous, the head -- the CEO of the NAACP.
He had a health emergency with one of his staffers and he's standing by their side. So, he's going to deal with that emergency and we're going to get him on as soon as we can because it's an important discussion, and we wish them the best -- the staffer the best.
PEREIRA: We certainly do. Obviously, the tragic death of actor Cory Monteith it was so many by surprise. We now know -- there was an overdose that killed him.
We're going to talk about his struggles to recover from a drug addiction with Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
BOLDUAN: First up this hour, from Maine to Ohio, a stifling heat wave is making life difficult for millions of Americans. It's hitting really everybody. Temperatures in the 90s but will feel like it is in the 100s.
Let's take a look at this map and all the deep red that you will see right there. The heat wave is hitting the Middle East, the mid- Atlantic.
CNN meteorologist Indra Petersons is live in New York's Times Square with more on this.
Indra, yes, it's summer, it's hot. But this is hotter than hot.
INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Exactly. That's what we talk about, July is simply hot. But these degrees are 10 degrees above normal and you throw in that humidity and, that's where you have this oppressive heat, of course, the danger that is affecting a big chunk of the country today.
Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETERSONS (voice-over): The heat is on. Dangerous temperatures are scorching much of the nation from the Midwest all the way to the Northeast. The heat can be deadly.
This year alone, excessive temperatures have taken the lives of nearly 20 children left alone in hot cars. And amid all of this heat thousands of residents near Washington, D.C., are waking up to a water shortage.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's hot, number one, and I'm concerned about personal hygiene and I have babies in the house.
PETERSONS: Crews shut down a major water main for repairs last night. With temperatures expected to hit near 100 degrees this week, they're anxious to get that water flowing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We suspect it will be from three to as long as five days for everything to be returned to the way it was. PETERSONS: And the scorching conditions aren't letting up along the Eastern Seaboard. At New York's Citi Field last night, thousands tried to stay cool at the Major League Baseball all-star game where temperatures soared into the 90s.
Hot spots popped up all over the city.
(on camera): Wow, that's shot, 123 degree slide.
Yes, that's fun, that's 134 degrees steaming concrete in my face.
Ninety-six degrees, ouch.
(voice-over): Temperatures in the 90s combined with humidity will make it feel like it's passing the 100-degree mark.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hot, exhausting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is sweat on just about every inch of my body. So it's pretty gross.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PETERSONS: And here's the problem -- millions of people are affected by this heat wave, all of southern New England, where we're about New York, Philadelphia and today stretching even farther to the West. Temperatures in the upper 90s with high humidity, making it feel like it is over 100 degree. Of course, everybody does need to be safe out there.
CUOMO: Indra, as we've been saying, you know, you have to remember, you've got older people around, your neighbors, go check on them. People with kids, like the woman in this piece was talking -- check on them. People are going to need help dealing with this heat.
BOLDUAN: That's for sure.
CUOMO: Indra, we'll be back with you. Thank you very much.
Now, breaking overnight, peaceful protesters over the George Zimmerman verdict last night in Los Angeles. Like I said, they stayed peaceful. The police said the violence would not be tolerated again.
And in an exclusive CNN interview, one of the jurors who acquitted George Zimmerman says he did nothing illegal and was justified in shooting Trayvon Martin. Miguel Marquez is in L.A. with the very latest.
Good morning, Miguel.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning there, Chris.
There's a lot of concern about new violence here in Los Angeles. Police drawing that line in the sand and so far here in Los Angeles it appears to be holding this as four more jurors come out wanting to be heard. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARQUEZ (voice-over): The call for justice now in the Florida governor's office, a sit-in demanding the reversal of the state's "Stand Your Ground" laws.
(CHANTING)
MARQUEZ: Protesters vowing to stay until they speak directly to Governor Rick Scott.
This, as we are hearing more from the only juror speaking out. Juror B-37 saying they wanted to find George Zimmerman guilty of something, but the evidence and law just didn't add up.
JUROR B-37: I feel bad that we can't give them the verdict that they wanted. But legally, we could not do that.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Do you think Trayvon Martin played a role in his own death?
JUROR B-37: Oh, I believe he played a huge role in his death. He could have -- when George confronted him and he could have walked away and gone home. He didn't have to do whatever he did and come back and be in a fight.
MARQUEZ: And four other jurors saying B-37 doesn't speak for them. In a statement saying, "Serving on this jury has been highly emotional and physically draining experience for each of us. The death of a teenager weighed heavily on our hearts, but in the end, we did what the law required us to do."
(CHANTING)
MARQUEZ: Frustration at that decision turning to protest and calls for action.
(on camera): These protesters here in Los Angeles have come to police headquarters to make the point that the death of Trayvon Martin has prompted what they hope say national movement.
Why are you marching? What do you hope to achieve?
MOURSESE FLINT, PROTESTER: I'm hoping that at least the DOJ will look at this case and see that his civil rights were -- I think the civil rights were violated.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Frustration over the verdict in a few places has turned violent.
A photographer and reporter assaulted in Los Angeles.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those men just got here. You all right, man?
MARQUEZ: The tension in the streets mirroring what went on the jury room, according to Juror B-37, who says the trial weighed heavily on all of them, even bringing them to tears. Despite all, she says --
COOPER: In your head, you were 100 percent convinced that George Zimmerman in taking out his gun and pulling the trigger did nothing wrong?
JUROR B-37: I'm 101 percent that he was -- that he should have done what he did, except for the things that he did before.
COOPER: You mean, he shouldn't have gotten out of the car, he shouldn't have pursued Trayvon Martin? But in the final analysis, in the final struggle --
JUROR B-37: When the end came to the end --
COOPER: -- he was justified?
JUROR B-37: -- he was justified in shooting Trayvon Martin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARQUEZ: Now, Juror B-37 told Anderson Cooper another interesting thing. One hold out juror in that final vote, they all put their vote on a little piece of paper, put it into a tin box and that juror held on to her ballot for about a half hour before making her decision. But, finally, relenting realizing the evidence did not add up, she says, to either second degree murder or to manslaughter, gave in, cast her vote and here we are today.
Chris, back to you.
CUOMO: All right. Miguel, thank you very much. We're going to have much more from Juror B-37 later this hour. Why did some of them change their minds and rule the way they did? She explains.
BOLDUAN: Eric Holder is responding to all of this. He wants to redefine self-defense in the wake of the George Zimmerman murder trial verdict. The attorney general telling the NAACP "Stand Your Ground" laws encourage violence in our nation's neighborhood rather than prevent violence.
Dan Lothian is live at the White House with more.
Good morning, Dan.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kate.
And this is the most extensive comment by a top member of the Obama administration in the wake of the Zimmerman verdict. The attorney general telling his own personal story, but also condemning "Stand Your Ground" saying that these kind of laws allow and might even encourage violent situations to escalate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LOTHIAN (voice-over): As demonstrations against George Zimmerman's not guilty verdict continued across the country, Attorney General Eric Holder for the first time took aim at "Stand Your Ground" laws.
ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: It's time to question laws that senselessly expand the concept of self-defense and sow dangerous conflict in our neighborhoods.
LOTHIAN: Speaking to the NAACP in Orlando, this first African- American attorney general also got personal revealing his own experience with racial profiling as a young black man.
HOLDER: I was stopped by a police officer while simply running to catch a movie at night in Georgetown in Washington, D.C. I was at the time of that last incident a federal prosecutor.
LOTHIAN: Now, his Justice Department is under pressure to bring criminal civil rights charges against Zimmerman. More than 1 million people signed a petition on the NAACP Web site.
A federal investigation was opened last year and Holder says his department will continue to review evidence from the FBI and the Florida criminal trial.
Meantime, Reverend Al Sharpton is calling for vigils around the country this weekend.
REVEREND AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: I think the president has made a statement of consolation. We don't need consolation. We need legislation and we need some federal prosecution.
MARQUEZ: White House Spokesman Jay Carney said the president acknowledges passions are running high.
JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: He echoes the call for calm reflection that Trayvon Martin's parents made in the wake of the verdict.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LOTHIAN: President Obama did a round of interviews yesterday with Spanish-language television and why they talked about immigration, the Zimmerman case did not come up -- Chris.
CUOMO: All right. Dan, thank you very much.
We also have new details this morning on that North Korean ship seized in the Panama Canal. Analysts say weapons parts found hidden inside the ship could be upgraded to shoot modern military aircraft. Remember, the North Korea-bound ship had been through Cuba.
CNN's Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon with the latest.
What do we know, Barbara? Good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Chris. Now, Cuba is giving their side of the story, North Korea is not talking and the U.S. wants to know exactly what was on that ship.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR (voice-over): U.S. intelligence had been tracking the ship for days and knew that the Panamanians would stop it, a senior U.S. official tells CNN.
Officials now believe the cargo on board was a radar used to help Cuba SA-2 surface to air missiles hit their targets and that Cuba was possibly sending it back to North Korea for an upgrade.
According to a statement by Cuba's foreign ministry, the equipment found by Panamanian authorities included 240 tons of obsolete defensive weapons being sent to North Korea for a repair.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to take some time to confirm the details of this case, but that kind of export will be a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
STARR: According to the British military publisher, Jane's, on May 31st, the North Korean ship first entered the Panama from Cuba at its stated destination. It went through the canal on June 1st, and next reappeared on the northern end of the canal on July 11th.
Jane's says the ship was riding differently in the water, a strong suggestion of a new cargo load. Bags of sugar marked "Cuba" now visible in the cargo, laid on top of the weapons material.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's provocative is that it wasn't declared. It had to be discovered. It had to be uncovered. So, the North Koreans clearly were trying to get away with something.
STARR: But the discovery of the cargo wasn't the only drama. Panama's President Ricardo Martinelli said the ship's 35 crew members resisted arrest and the captain initially suffered what seemed to be a heart attack and then he even tried to commit suicide.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: The Panamanians are now asking for a team of international inspectors, including U.S. personnel, to go through the entire ship because only part of it has been inspected.
But, still, really, a big mystery if it's all old, obsolete equipment, why did the crew and captain fight so hard to keep the Panamanians away -- Chris, Kate.
CUOMO: That's the question. Barbara, thank you so much. And, hopefully, we'll get an answer.
BOLDUAN: Yes. Thanks so much, Barbara.
There is clearly a lot of news developing at this hour, let's get straight to Michaela for the latest.
PEREIRA: Good morning, everyone.
New this morning: NSA leaker Edward Snowden could be days away from leaving a safe haven inside Moscow's main airport. That's what a Russian attorney is saying. Snowden applied for temporary asylum in Russia three weeks after arriving from Hong Kong. The U.S. wants him sent home to face espionage.
More than 2,200 firefighters have been battled in to battle a fierce wildfire in Riverside County, California. It's been called the Mountain Fire. It destroyed seven homes so far and burned through about 8,000 acres. High temperatures, dry brush and steep terrain had made fighting the Mountain Fire difficult proposition. Officials there report 10 percent containment.
Asiana Airlines deciding not to pursue a lawsuit against San Francisco television station KTVU. That station apologizing for broadcasting phony, racially offensive names of the pilots aboard Flight 214 after it crashed. Also, more than 80 people aboard have initiated legal action against Boeing, the company that made the airplane. They may also take on Asiana Airlines in the next few days.
Right now, the Costa Concordia cruise ship captain is on trial, asking for a plea bargain. The case against Francesco Schettino centers on several questions, including why it allegedly took him more than an hour to issue an order to abandon ship and why he allegedly left the vessel before all passengers that abandoned it.
The ship was carrying more than 4,000 people when it ran aground and turned on its side last year, 32 people died. Schettino denies manslaughter and abandoning ship charges.
This is really strange. Italian astronaut almost drowned in outer space. NASA aborted a spacewalk outside the International Space Station after water somehow started filling up inside his helmet. It got so bad he was actually having a hard time hearing and seeing. NASA is trying to figure out where the water came from.
Two possible culprits, a drink bag that is attached to the space suit and a cooling system that holds about a gallon of water. So bizarre.
A diving dog from Texas now up for adoption. Meet Bunny the Labrador Retriever. She was rescued from a shelter by Tammy Stanley. When Bunny got into Stanley's pool, she revealed a hidden talent. She, apparently, can dive underwater to pick toys up to 13 feet deep. I mean, it's really amazing.
This video of Bunny is making the rounds on YouTube, and Tammy is hoping maybe some of this extra attention will help find Bunny a new home. That is quite a skill.
CUOMO: How old is the dog, do we know?
(CROSSTALK)
PEREIRA: Do you want more? What do we got? Miguel, you got that information?
(CROSSTALK)
PEREIRA: I don't know, but it seems like a fairly young dog.
CUOMO: That is very cool how that dog was cork screwing down there. Somebody should adopt that dog.
BOLDUAN: Are you thinking maybe you?
CUOMO: That is a very cool dog. A fisherman might find that dog handy.
CUOMO: Swim down there and get that fish for me, talented dog.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: I hope they're watching the show. Hate for them to miss an opportunity like this. Dog is just one year old.
BOLDUAN: Cute, cute, cute.
CUOMO: Coming up on NEW DAY, we have much more of CNN's exclusive interview with juror B37. Why did some of the jurors change their mind and finally decide to acquit George Zimmerman? She explains.
BOLDUAN: And we now know that "Glee" actor, Cory Monteith, died of a heroin and alcohol overdose, but what makes that combination such a dangerous mix? Dangers enough alone. We'll ask CNNs chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Welcome back to NEW DAY, everyone. Cory Monteith deadly cocktail. According to a toxicology report, the 31-year-old star from the TV hit show, "Glee," died from an overdose of heroin and alcohol early Saturday morning. And Canadian officials say there's no evidence to suggest Monteith's death with anything other than a tragic accident.
CNNs chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is here with more. I mean, alcohol, heroin, they're dangerous enough separately. What makes this combination so lethal?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: And you're right. first of all, either one of those in too high a dose could cause death. What happens is you get sort of what's known as a synergistic effect. And I've seen this -- you know, we did a whole documentary about this prescription drug overdoses which lead to deaths every 19 minutes in this country. It's amazing still to think about that.
But the same sort of thing here. What happens is the body's central nervous system, the things that you account on it to do, regulate your heartbeat, drive to breath, they just sort of stop. So, it suppresses that. Someone goes to sleep. They no longer have the drive to breathe, and that's ultimately will lead to death. It's a tragic sort of thing, but again, that's the most common scenario here and it happens over and over again. These two things working in combination.
PEREIRA: Forgive my ignorance. I know so little about addiction and heroin specifically. He'd gone through rehab. We've known that. We talked about it here. He had gotten clean. If somebody is clean and then uses, can that be a shock to the system in a different way, too?
GUPTA: Yes. Absolutely. And keep in mind, we're talking about heroin. It is one of the most addictive substances on the planet. So, people go through rehab and then they relapse. That is not considered a failure in the addiction community. That is part of their rehab, often. So, that is almost expected. About 60 percent of people will relapse after going through rehab.
So, yes, it is one of these substances. If you try it, about a quarter of people, 23 percent of people will become addicted to it. So, it is very difficult after you go through rehab if you try it again, you're likely going to go through the same cycle and it's just something that plays out over and over again.
PEREIRA: Does it take a further toll on the body because of that rehab process or no? It's still affecting the body in the same way?
GUPTA: It affects the body in the same way, but oftentimes, it's when you're on the substance, the impact on the body in the short term, we talked about the tragic death, but in the short term, you can have --
CUOMO: Also, there's a tendency when you relapse to binge, because you have to remember, we've been talking about this, Sanjay, you know this so well. It's not about the drugs. There's a deeper problem going on, even calling it an accident, the death, clinically, legally, nobody killed him. He did not kill himself intentionally, but that's what the drugs are doing.
You're self-medicating. There's a bigger problem. And when you have been clean, sometimes, the disappointment of falling off will lead to a binge and that's an even bigger --
GUPTA: I think you're absolutely right. And you know, when they talk about the pains, a lot of people say, well, people start to self- medicate because of pain, be it physical, be it psychic, be at whatever, very true. But oftentimes, if the stage that we're talking about, Chris, the pain is from the addiction and you're just so self- loathing as a result of falling off the wagon, however, you want to describe it that it just becomes this perpetuating cycle.
BOLDUAN: And also, you -- we heard from folks who are close to him that on even that day or the day prior, that he looked great, that he said he was looking really good. I mean, does that tell you that -- are there any signs that a family member or a friend can look for if someone is approaching that edge once again?
GUPTA: It's a great question. You know, Kate, I called a few of my sources because I wanted to know the answer to that, as well, and it's hard. Oftentimes, there is somebody who sort of knows but hasn't asked. It's a difficult question to ask. But what I think is striking, what somebody told me is that, oftentimes, when someone is recovering or, you know, they're no longer using or if they are, they may look the same.
You know, they may look terrible, feel lousy when they're withdrawing from heroin. They may feel lousy when they're using heroin. So, sometimes, you can -- look, I'm no longer using, I feel lousy, that's expected, but in fact, it wasn't true all along.
CUOMO: Especially heroin. They'll call it --
BOLDUAN: Yes.
CUOMO: -- when their entire body, when they're off the drug, just telling them, just take the drug and you'll feel better and they do because it makes their chemical balance different. And the problem is, you know, with families, there's so little that you can do. It's such a hard situation, that even when you notice signs, it gets to be such a battle, it draws the whole family down. It's such a huge problem.
PEREIRA: What are the signs that you can look for? Because again, if you don't know, it's not just the stereotypical idea of somebody that's coming off the drug, how can you tell if there's somebody that you love that is maybe using this stuff?
GUPTA: They're vague, and it's hard. But you know, changes in sleep, changes in eating, changes overall in behavior. Those are some of the big ones. People who are suddenly having wild mood changes like going from one extreme to another, that could often be a sign. But you know, look, I mean, that can describe so many different things.
You know, we talked about him going through rehab as well. Only about 10 to 20 percent of people who are using right now actually every -- even make it to rehab. So, in that sense, he was actually on a better path. In a vast majority of heroin addicts who are out there, you know, some several hundred thousand out there right now.
BOLDUAN: Ten to 20 percent, that's so low. Oh, my God. All right. Sanjay, thank you so much. Great to see you.
GUPTA: You got it.
BOLDUAN: Such a tragedy. And don't forget to tune to "Sanjay Gupta MD." It airs weekends right here on CNN, Saturday 4:30 eastern and Sunday 7:30 eastern.
CUOMO: Coming up next on NEW DAY, convicted killer, Jodi Arias, back in court. We're going to tell you about the life or death decision ahead of her.
BOLDUAN: Plus, the royal baby countdown continues for the soon to be parents, William and Kate. We'll take a look back at some of the highs and lows of the last nine months.
CUOMO: Isn't there a special coming up about it?
BOLDUAN: Oh, there might be.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOLDUAN: Welcome back to NEW DAY, everyone. It's Wednesday, July 17th. I'm Kate Bolduan.
CUOMO: It's one of the songs in my wedding. I'm Chris Cuomo along with our news anchor, Michaela Pereira.
PEREIRA: You're surrounded by brown-eyed girls.
CUOMO: I am.
(LAUGHTER)
CUOMO: And I love it.
BOLDUAN: Lucky man.
CUOMO: Coming up this half hour, the only juror from the Zimmerman Trial that's talking. She says several of her fellow jurors changed their minds. We're going to have more of Anderson Cooper's exclusive conversation with the woman known to us only as B37.
BOLDUAN: Plus, the clock is ticking, everyone. But so far, no royal baby. We'll take a look at Kate's pregnancy highs and lows and tell you about the very personal Christmas gifts that she gave to some of her royal family members. That first Christmas.
But, first, Michaela has the five things you need to know for your NEW DAY.
PEREIRA: All right. Let's do it. At number one, tens of millions of Americans suffering through a third day of extreme heat and humidity. The heat wave backing a big portion of the northeast and Midwest. It could last until the weekend.
NSA leaker, Edward Snowden, could be days away from leaving his safe haven at one of Moscow's main airports. That's according to a Russian attorney working with him.
