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New Evidence Regarding MH370; Iraqi Immigrant Watching First Snowfall Shot & Killed; Alleged Killer of Boris Nemtsov Reportedly Pleading Guilty; Boko Haram and ISIS Joining Forces; Police: Teen Killed By Officer Was Unarmed; Thousands To Cross Iconic Bridge; Car Crash Victim Advocates To Change Cell Laws

Aired March 08, 2015 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Happening right now in the in the NEWSROOM.

New evidence into what happened on Malaysia airlines flight 370 which vanished one year ago today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Hundreds of pages of documents supporting back ground information have now been released.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Plus, hiding their faces behind pieces of paper. Five suspects are now behind bars for the murder of one of Putin's biggest critics.

And a mystery in Dallas, police say an Iraqi immigrant watching his first snowfall in his new American home town is shot and killed by an unknown assailant.

The NEWSROOM starts right now.

Hello, everyone. And thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

New revelations today in the search for Malaysia airlines flight 370. It has been one year since the plane vanished. And now, a new report from Malaysian authorities is raising new questions. Among the findings is that the battery for the plane's flight data recorder had been allowed to run out more than a year before the plane actually disappeared. Investigators also say they found no signs of stress or unusual behavior among the plane's crew leading up to the disappearance. And there's still no explanation for why this fight veered so far off its original course.

CNN aviation correspondent Richard Quest has been going through the hundreds of pages of these documents.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) QUEST: Hundreds of pages of documents supporting background information have now been released. And although they don't give us any information about what happened in the cockpit, we still don't know why the plane went missing or indeed, where it ended up. They paint a very detailed picture of the aircraft, its systems, its crew, and how air traffic control performed on the night and it's not a pretty picture.

On the question of the pilots, there is simply no evidence that the captain is in any way unstable. In fact the reports specifically said the captain's ability to handle stress at work and home was good, there was no known history of apathy, anxiety, irritability, no significant changes in his lifestyle, interpersonal conflict or other stresses.

There is more in the state (ph) that neither the pilot, the captain nor the co-pilot had any financial problems. They had regular bank accounts, regular mortgages, insurance policies, and the like, nothing out of the ordinary.

In terms of what happened on the night. Here we see a very different picture. Confusion and chaos somewhat between Ho Chi Minh (ph) in Vietnam and Kuala Lumpur as they look for the plane. And many hours going by with seemingly nobody having any urgency that this was not turning into a crisis.

And the underwater locator, batteries, have actually expired. Now, we don't know what the effect might have been in terms of could they have lost it the full 30 days, but clearly, we have been told previously they were good, now we know they are not.

The picture we are getting of what happened on the night, certainly contributed to the fact that now we have no idea where the plane has ended up.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Richard Quest, thank you so much.

The Australian prime minister also addressed the search for the missing plane. He cautioned that people need to be realistic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY ABBOTT, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: We can't go on forever. But as long as there are reasonable leads, the search will go on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Two hundred thirty nine people were on the plane, and that means hundreds of family members are still without answers.

CNN's Anna Coren takes a look at what the search means to them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On a simple chain around her neck, Danica Wicks wears her most precious possession.

DANICA WICKS (ph), MALAYSIA FLIGHT 370 VICTIM'S WIFE: It's the only piece of his that we are close to us.

COREN: On March 7th last year, her husband Paul kissed her goodbye at Perkins national airport and asked her to look after his wedding ring. He was heading to a mine site in Mongolia via Kuala Lumpur and said if anything should happen to him, the ring would go to the son who married first.

The next day, Paul boarded MH-370.

WICKS (ph): My life stopped that day. And so that's what I remember of my life. I'm feeling now just a mix distance (ph). People see you coping. When can (INAUDIBLE) is existing.

COREN: For 12 months, the mother of two has been desperately searching for answers. Unable to come to terms with the fact her husband is gone.

WICKS (ph): You have create your own scenario to your kids and you can't be as (INAUDIBLE), but someone, you know, your best friend, you maybe husband, you know, and the father of my children went through any of that. I don't want that for him. And it's the not knowing that really lame destroys you.

COREN: Danica knows the likely hood of Paul walking through the door in slim. But she holds on to eternal hope.

WICKS (ph): You know, when I'm alone, and I think if he comes back, I see our wedding pictures, if he comes back, it would be amazing, you know. And for our kids have grown too much, you know, they usually change. It's been 11 months when Paul left and we're coming up on his second birthday on 9th of April.

COREN: Danica Wicks has been hardly critical of the way the Malaysians have handled this crisis, saying the Malaysians black of transparency has been just as appalling as their insensitive treatment of the families. And while the search continues for MH-370, Danica is terrified. But if nothing is found in the priority area, the operation may be called off.

WICKS (ph): That's so unfair, where does that leave us? We can't move beyond the MH-370. They may be able to. But they don't come home at night to an empty house and two young children who should have their father here, who should be here, who has every right to be here. And if not, they have been legally and morally contracted or committed to finding them and bringing them all home for us. And that's what they should do.

COREN: With mementos of Paul scattered all around the house, Danica refuses to accept she may never know what happened to her husband.

WICKS (ph): I'll never stop thinking about him. He's done everything for us. He's amazing. And so, if I know if the shoe was on the other foot, he would never stop looking for me, and I won't stop looking for him either.

COREN: Anna Coren, CNN. Perth.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And one of five men arrested in connection with the February killing of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov has reportedly pleaded guilty. That man is previously served as an officer in a Chechen police battalion, two of the men have been formally charged. The other three are listed as suspects. Nemtsov who was an outspoken critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin was shot in the back as he walked with his girlfriend near the Kremlin.

CNN's senior international correspondent Matthew Chance is live for us now in Moscow.

So Matthew, what is the connection between the suspects, especially the one that pleaded guilty so Nemtsov?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's the really interesting question. You put your finger right on it. And we don't know if there is any link to them.

I mean, what the authorities here say the investigators is that these people, they have been charged now with this, not just with carrying out the attack, carrying out the killing, but also of organizing it as well. There are five suspects that have now been for the most part charged. And so, the suspicion is that one of them was the government (INAUDIBLE) drove the getaway car and the three others were involved in some way in plotting and organizing the killing of Boris Nemtsov.

And what we don't know at this point, and that is fact because it is just of the trial or perhaps because we will know, is what would have motivated them and who, if anyone, ordered them to carry out this attack against Boris Nemtsov who as you point out was one of the fiercest critics of the Kremlin in Russia.

And so, that is the living mystery hanging over this.

WHITFIELD: So four of the men are Chechen, Putin has a long history of battling Chechen rebels. Is anyone questioning why Chechens would want a Putin opponent killed?

CHANCE: Well, I mean, there's a lot of speculation about why that might be. And there's been in the Russian media, conspiracy theories, the Chechens may have been hired by the enemies of Russia, the Ukrainian government has been mentioned, as a matter of fact, to carry out this killing in order to make Russia look bad, certainly it's the position of the Russian government that that was a provocation, in order to cast Russia in afternoon extremely bad light.

But I think the fact of the matter is that, Chechnya is an extremely loyal part of the country still, even if there's not a war anymore. And there are now guns for fire there. And these individuals, if indeed they are responsible for actually carrying out the attack, could well just have been hired by any party who wanted Boris Nemtsov dead.

And so, you know, the fact that they caught the triggerman doesn't necessarily shed light on why Nemtsov was killed.

WHITFIELD: Right. This is mystery continues to deepen, a mystery with so many layers and the layers just skipped deeper and longer.

All right, thanks so much Matthew chance in Moscow. Appreciate it.

All right, back to the U.S. now. And now to Selma Alabama, where huge crowds are now crossing the Edmond Pettis Bridge. What an extraordinary picture. Of course, yesterday it was historic and extraordinary. Today, at 3:30 p.m., the march is to officially begin. You're just now seeing the mass of people who have collected there in these live pictures here.

Now, there have been many days that this 50th anniversary has been commemorated. Yesterday you saw the president of the United States there. Our live coverage there all day long and our live coverage continues there today, the marchers will take to the bridge in a symbolic move. It was a bloody Sunday. It was March 7th, 1965.

Yesterday was the official date, March 7th. But traditionally, John Lewis, he was congressman you see right there with the president of the United States yesterday. Traditionally and for years now, John Lewis and others have taken that walk across the bridge on a Sunday, even if March 7th landed on a Friday.

So today you will see large masses of people who will cross the Edmond Pettis Bridges. And then tomorrow, they will actually begin - many people will begin a march from Selma to Montgomery. Back in 1965, it took five days over that march to culminate over a 54-mile path.

Yesterday the president talked about progress and still work to be done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What they did here will reverberate through the ages. Not because the change they want was preordained, not because their victory was complete, but because they proved nonviolent change is approximate possible. That love and hope can conquer hatred.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: It's been an extraordinary weekend. I anchored our live coverage there yesterday. And we continue with our live coverage throughout today. And of course, all live images you will see tomorrow as well right here on CNN.

Again, the official walk expects to begin at 3:45 eastern time.

All right, still ahead, an Iraqi immigrant escapes ISIS only to be gunned down right here in the U.S.

Nick Valencia is following this tragic story.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is a sad. It's so tragic.

Ahmed Al-Jumaili had only been in the country for 20 days, fleeing the threat of ISIS for the safety of suburban Texas only to be shot and killed. I'm Nick Valencia in Atlanta coming up after the break we'll have the search for his killers.

You are watching the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A mystery in Dallas, police say an Iraqi immigrant watching his first snowfall in his new American home town and hot and killed by an unknown assailant. He died right in front of his wife and brother.

Our Nick Valencia has been following the story. So Nick, what do police belief? Is this a hit or is this a random shooting?

VALENCIA: Well, the impart part of it all, Fred, is that police have very little information. They say they're asking for the public's help. Their best lead may be the surveillance video that we're about to show you. They say they have increased patrols in the neighborhood. And Crime Stoppers is offering $5,000 for information leading to arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA (voice-over): Police say this surveillance video from a camera posted on a nearby school shows the four men who may be linked to the murder of Ahmed Al-Jumaili. Bullet holes in the car outside his suburban Dallas apartment show where the 36-year-old Iraqi immigrant was shot and killed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

VALENCIA: Through tears his father in-law says al-Jumaili recently left Iraq to escape the growing threat of ISIS. In north Texas, he would also be reunited with his wife after a more than a year apart. For excitement for their new life together was no secret.

On Thursday night, Jumaili had gone outside with his wife to watch his first ever snowfall.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are looking for safe place, well-educated environment, good environment, what it got us, one bullet in his heart.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is no shortage of sadness for the loss of this beautiful young man, who has only just come to this country 20 days ago. And we don't as Texans want that to be his welcome.

VALENCIA: Members of the Muslim community say they want to know the motive and whether Al-Jumaili was targeted because of his race. Police are pleading for the public to help. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tests are ongoing now to determine if one more

rifle was fired and whether the physical evidence that we have been able to get from the crime scene is related to any other offense. As you can see, we have little information to go on.

VALENCIA: For now this video may be the best lead police have to find the man responsible for the death of a man who left the threat of violence only to become a victim of it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: Now, a vigil for Ahmed Al-Jumaili will be held later today there in Dallas about 6:30 local time. They put a pleading to stop the violence, end its violence.

WHITFIELD: Do they know, police, do they know whether this family, whether he individually or he and his wife have ever been threatened or has anyone ever made any comments to them?

VALENCIA: You know, that's what they're looking into right now, member of the Muslim community, very suspicious. They believe that there's something more sinister at play here. That he was perhaps deliberately targeted. But police say that there's no indication of that. They just really don't have very much evidence to go on right now other than that surveillance video that we just showed you.

WHITFIELD: God, that's sad story.

All right, thanks so much bringing us new details as you get them. Nick, appreciate it.

All right, still ahead, could two different terror groups made up of violent Islamic extremism be joining forces? Find out why Boca Haram may be ready to team up with ISIS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, checking our top stories.

A dolphin trainer who what supposed to be hired at one of the world's largest aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia may have killed himself after video surfaced of him allegedly abusing dolphins. CNN has not independently verified the authenticity of these videos. But Spanish police say Jose Luis Barbaro was found dead his vehicle in Majorca Saturday. They are treating the case as a suicide. A source tells Atlanta affiliate WSB Barbaro was expected to become vice president of the Georgia aquarium in Atlanta. Barbaro's employer in Spain is denying the abuse allegations.

The Christian community is mourning the loss of Reverend Fred Craddock. He was often called a preaching genius. At the end of sermons, everyone would and reflect instead of clapping or saying halleluiah. The 86-year-old died Friday in Blue Ridge, Georgia. The cause of his death has not been released.

And extra security is now in placed at a United Nations base in Northern Mali following a deadly attack there this morning. Unknown attackers fired dozens of rockets killing a U.N. peacekeeper and two civilians. At least 12 other people are wounded.

And could Boko Haram and ISIS be a step away from joining forces. In a newly released audio recording, it is hears that the leader of Boko Haram is pledging his support to the head of ISIS, Abu Bark al- Baghdadi. The Nigeria base Islamist terror group has proven to be every bit as cruel and violent as ISIS has been in the Middle East.

CNN's senior international correspondent Nima Elbagir joins us now.

So Nima, do intelligence officials believe this recording is authentic?

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're still waiting to hear back from the Pentagon on this. But in terms of the idiosyncrasies and the added pronunciation in terms of the words and the terminology that he's using, this is very much in keeping with what we have heard before, (INAUDIBLE) in previous recording.

It does sound very much like him. And if it is him, the reason that it's giving so many people pause for thought right now. If it is him, then this will give ISIS an arc of allegiance to stretches now from one coast of Africa to the other going to Libya, Egypt, Algeria, all the way now down into West Africa, to one of the most successful terror groups on the African continent in terms of what Boko Haram could offer both to ISIS?

WHITFIELD: And I guess this is just kind of reading into this, you know, the psychology of Bioko Haram. But what would Boko Haram gain by pledging to ISIS?

ELBAGIR: They're very much under pressure at the moment. There is a multi regional forces back by the African Union that has actually succeeded in eroding a lot of that territory. Book Haram, at one point, apparently the side of Belgium. This was some pretty expansive territorial foot print and that is now very much under pressure.

What they get from ISIS, we are already seeing what they are getting from ISIS in terms of much more sophisticated propaganda machines being deployed here, a very different look to their video, and propaganda translates often for these kinds of groups into the lifelines of foreign recruits and foreign donations. And if Boko Haram continues to be squeezed, in a way that it has, it's going to need a lot of that to turn back that tide, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. And Nima, any evidence that the two are indeed coordinating anyone in Intel who seems to believe that's the case?

ELBAGIR: Not as yet. Although, what we're seeing just purely from that new media arm, it does look very similar to what we have seen in the past from ISIS. And the contacts we have reached out to are using that at the moment as proof that this could very possibly be happening. But of course, until they run that voice recognition software, we're not going to be have any definitive.

WHITFIELD: All right, Nima Elbagir, thank you so much from London. Appreciate it.

All right, protests in Madison, Wisconsin now after police shot and killed an unarmed 19-year-old.

CNN's Rosa Flores is covering the story for us live from Madison.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. You know, take a look at the house behind me. This is the house where 19-year-old Tony Robinson was shot and killed by police. It is still a crime scene two days later. So why are police saying that lethal force was justified and why is the community so angry? Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Hello again. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks so much for joining me. We're learning more about the fatal police shooting of an unarmed teen in Madison, Wisconsin.

An officer responding to a disturbance call opened fire after police say 19-year-old Tony Robinson assaulted him. According to public records, Robinson pleaded guilty to armed robbery in December of last year.

And the police chief says the officer, a 12-year department veteran, Matt Kenney, had used deadly force before. Our Rosa Flores is live for us now in Madison, Wisconsin.

So Rosa, what more about this investigation and why is so much being brought up about the past of both the officer and the victim?

FLORES: You know, if you just look behind me, Fred, it's very telling because this is almost day two and you can see

that there's still crime scene, where this incident happened.

Take a look, you see that there are Madison police here, guarding the crime scene and there are actually investigators inside of this house, very telling given the fact that it's been almost 48 hours. This community has been angry, has been in fear, and they are asking for justice.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES (voice-over): Hundreds of demonstrators hit the streets of Madison, Wisconsin -- following the shooting death of an unarmed 19- year-old at the hands of police.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to just let them know that I'm there.

FLORES: Tony Terrell Robinson's mother devastated and overcome by emotion.

ANDREA IRWIN, VICTIM'S MOTHER: My son has never been a violent person, never, and to die in such a violent, violent way.

FLORES: Police paint a different picture of her son, scanner traffic capturing the dramatic the chain of events. UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Look for a male black light skin.

FLORES: Police say they received several calls about Robinson Friday evening, first about the teen jumping in and out of traffic and dodging cars.

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: A call for the same suspect.

FLORES: Then about an alleged battery incident.

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Tried to strangle another patron.

FLORES: The situation escalating when Robinson entered what families say is his best friend's house. Officer Matt Kenny arrived, heard a commotion inside and forced his way in according to police.

Officials say Robinson attacked Officer Kenny who then fired the deadly shots. Kenny suffered a blow to the head. Robinson was administered CPR at the scene, but later died at the hospital.

CHIEF MIKE KOVAL, MADISON POLICE: He was unarmed and that's going to make this all the more complicated for the investigators, for the public, to accept, to understand that deadly force had to be used.

FLORES: This is not the first time the 45-year-old officer used lethal force. Kenny was exonerated for an incident that took place almost eight years ago, a fact that doesn't sit well with Robinson's family and friends.

LORIEN CARTER, TONY ROBINSON'S AUNT: He was a beautiful, beautiful young man. He stood 6'4", 200 pounds.

FLORES: Robinson's aunt and grandmother speaking out not buying the account from police.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are not speaking the cop shot him because he was afraid of him.

FLORES: Protesters calling Robinson's killing their Ferguson.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm hurt. I'm frustrated, I'm angry.

FLORES: As another family faces an all too familiar anguish, the community deals with an all too familiar question. Was the use of deadly force necessary?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: And as we take another live look, you can see a small memorial here, a sign of the solidarity of this community for Robinson and for his family. Now one of the things that I want to point out, Fred, is that as you have seen Madison Police officers behind me, their police cruisers, you might be wondering why are they at the crime scene.

They are only protecting the crime scene. Because in the state of Wisconsin, by law, when there's an officer involved shooting, the department doesn't get to investigate itself. The investigation is in the hands of the DOJ -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: So Rosa, this was a friend's house, does that mean that there were witnesses inside the home with Robinson to see what happened just prior to the gun going off?

FLORES: You know, this -- family members do tell us that this is his best friend's house that he used to hang out here all the time with his friends. One of the witnesses told us she was next door and she heard the scuffle, and she heard the gun shots.

We're actually going to bring you that shortly in a few hours, but she describes the scene, very chaotic, a very thin wall between her home and the home where these shots were fired and she's going to explain what was going through her mind when she was hearing the scuffle.

She explains that these kids, as she calls them, these 19-year-olds, they were good kids, like any other 19-year-olds, sometimes they would be horsing around playing, but never drugs or alcohol, she mentioned, that they were good kids and that they were her next door neighbors.

WHITFIELD: All right, very confusing situation. Rosa Flores, thanks so much. We look forward to your next report with that account as well.

All right, still ahead, live coverage of the Bloody Sunday commemoration march continues, CNN's Ryan Young is in Selma, Alabama. Huge crowds yesterday and it looks even bigger today -- Ryan.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The crowds here are enormous. You can see all the people that have filled the streets, thousands of them coming here. We'll have a live report. How people feel coming back here for Bloody Sunday 50 years later.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: And we're continuing our live coverage of Bloody Sunday, our remembrance march in Selma, Alabama. In just about one hour from now, thousands of people will begin to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge walking in the footsteps of those who marched for equal voting rights 50 years ago.

I was accompanied by a number of colleagues when anchoring our show from Selma yesterday bringing to you President Obama and U.S. Congressman John Lewis' speeches live for you, well today, as you see in these live pictures, a huge crowd remains.

And leading our coverage there, our live coverage there today in Selma are Ryan Young, you were in the thick of the crowds yesterday, and it looks like we have huge crowds today. What's the atmosphere like? Is very similar from yesterday or is there something different today?

YOUNG: Something definitely different because everyone in the streets. I often wondered if the crowds are bigger here today than they were yesterday. Look at the bridge. Look at all of the people who have flooded into this area, wanting to come out here to make sure they could cross the bridge on Sunday.

Obviously Saturday was a presidential bubble, so it was hard for people to get in here with so many streets being shut down. There are food trucks that now line the streets and people have come to make sure they're able to commemorate this moment.

In fact we're bumping into people who were here 50 years ago and we talked about the idea that you wanted to be here with your mother.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was here 50 years ago and so was mom. Somehow we got separated back then, but I'm determined for us to stay together today, but yes, I was here.

YOUNG: When the president's speech yesterday, how did that resonate since you were here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow, it brought back so many memories of the struggle, the struggle that is ongoing, a struggle that we must commit to take an active part in, because we want what we deserve, we want freedom, equality for all people.

YOUNG: And we talked about the fact that people are not always voting, after people gave up their lives to -- how does it feel to know that people are not getting out to vote like they used to?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If they only knew how many lives were taken, how many lives were lost and the struggle, I think they would get out. But we got the keep going out there and reaching the people and encouraging them the significance of the vote and how hard it was to get the right to vote. And I believe that it's going to get better.

YOUNG: People have really lined up to see how they could do this. I want to walk over here just a little bit. And you said you were also here 50 years ago, and you wanted to be here too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I sure did.

YOUNG: Tell me why.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I wanted my daughter and my grandson to feel what I felt back in those days, 50 years ago and 50 years ago, it wasn't this many people. It wasn't. So the people that showed up were really impressive.

YOUNG: When you see this crowd and how large the crowd is, how does it strike you that there are all people of all nationalities and race?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's amazing. I would never have thought that we would come this far, but we have a long way to go.

YOUNG: When you heard the president's speak yesterday, what stuck out to you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a lot. Just to even see him up there, you know, to speak, in this day and ages to have a black president, I thought that was tremendous. YOUNG: Fred, we have heard that over and over again that hug between John Lewis and President Obama meant so much to so many people, to put that pose from 50 years ago where he was down on the ground and now he's standing tall with the president.

So many people say that's the picture that we will remember. But if you look at this crowd, you really have to look at this bridge. It is amazing to see the amount of people here. It's more of a festive type mentality because people are standing together and they are having a reunion and talking just about the time.

It's been quite amazing and people have been talking a lot about watching it with you guys yesterday with your five hours in coverage.

WHITFIELD: Well, it was an extraordinary moment yesterday and it continues throughout the weekend. We know that March 7 falls on a Saturday and that's why you have the president and the former president, and the U.S. congressmen, all there on the stage together.

But today is a day that traditionally, for many years now it's become the tradition of retracing those steps and walking over the Edmund Pettus Bridge to mark Bloody Sunday.

And traditionally, the U.S. Congressman John Lewis and the Reverend Andy Young and many other foot soldiers are there. Just real quickly, have you seen any of them there today?

YOUNG: You know, quite honestly, all I see is a sea of smiling people. We haven't really seen the dignitaries, so to speak, but everyone is walking together, everyone wants to be here, so we haven't seen the security that was sort of involved in that, but a lot of smiling faces.

WHITFIELD: Well, that's fantastic. All right, thank you so much, Ryan. We are going to check back with you later on. Again, the actual march begins less than an hour from now. Thanks so much from Selma.

All right, straight ahead, what time is it? Apple is hoping that next time someone asks you that question, that you'll be answering with their latest product. But first this Open Court Report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With 470 straight wins and seven paralympic gold medals, Ester Vergeer is the most decorated player in the history of wheelchair tennis. She was left paralyzed at the age of 8 after a risky operation to remove a birth defect.

ESTER VERGEER, WON 470 STRAIGHT MATCHES: Sports play such a big role in the whole process of accepting your disability in practical way of how to use your chair and what to do if you fall out of it, but then also the fact that you realize that you can still be part of it, you can still be part of society and still have a really fun social life.

We'll pretend this is one of those sports that you have to be really fit for, to move your chair, to move yourself on the court and be on time to get the ball. But you have to have the flexibility and the pace in your arm to hit a ball really hard.

I think the fact that it's physical, it's tactical, it's mental and it has everything, and that's probably why I love it so much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, checking our top stories right now, President Barack Obama tells CBS' "Face the Nation" that there's one thing that would make him walk away from a nuclear deal with Iran, he says Iran has to agree to a stringent inspection system with both unprecedented transparency or no deal.

An international group of negotiators hope for an agreement outlined by the end of March. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned last week that Iran should not be trusted.

And another milestone for the Clint Eastwood film "American Sniper," it is now the number one grossing domestic film of 2014 according to the "Hollywood Reporter." The film has made more $337 million topping the "Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1."

The idea of a computer watch, it's not new, Apple's version will be. Apple is expected to preview its new watch tomorrow in San Francisco. Apple has said that the watch would cost about $350 and the high-end version could be as much as $10,000. That would be Apple's most expensive product ever.

And in a new series for CNN, Bill Weir is traveling the globe to bring you many of the world's wonders, now he finds out what it's like to wander among the tortoises of Gallapagos.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL WEIR, CNN HOST, "WONDER LIST" (voice-over): Henry Moreno used to scratch out a living farming this piece of land surrounded by fences to keep the wild tortoises out. After he tore down those fences and started charging tourists a couple bucks to wonder amongst them, he is one of the richest guys in town.

(on camera): At $300 a day, that's nice, they're good business partners these big guys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I can testify, it is more satisfying seeing a giant tortoise out here than in here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow, you can see more of Bill Weir's trip to the Galapagos Islands on the "WONDER LIST" tonight at 10 p.m. right here on CNN.

And more live coverage of what's taking place right there in Selma at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, a commemorative Bloody Sunday march straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: On average more than nine people are killed every day in crashes involving distracted drivers. Well, now one victim is trying to lower that figure by changing the laws. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has her story in this week's "Human Factor."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Being stubborn may have saved Jaycee Good's life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALEL: My mom doesn't appreciate it nearly as much. I think it's my best characteristic.

GUPTA: In 2008, on the day she graduated from college, Jaycee and her parents were in a car accident caused by a teenager using a cell phone. Her mom and dad were killed. Jaycee was given a 10 percent chance of survival.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My pelvis was shattered, I had a damaged liver, my lungs were both partially collapsed and I had a traumatic brain injury, which put me on the edge of death.

GUPTA: Jaycee fought back, refusing to give in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wanted my life back. I had the reputation of I was the one who is going to save the world.

GUPTA: Her call to action came after the driver who caused the accident wasn't convicted. There was no law against the use of cell phones.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I spoke at a press conference in Pennsylvania trying to get a hand held ban and a texting ban, and finally it went into effect that texting and driving is illegal.

GUPTA: And now the 28-year-old also speaks around the country to raise awareness about the dangers of using a phone behind the wheel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am so grateful that I still have everything that I do in spite of having lost so much. Part of life is getting hurt, escaping unscathed, I survived for a reason and with a purpose to make some other lives a little bit better.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)