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United States and Iran Nuclear Talks Continue; California's First Ever Mandatory Water Restrictions; Boston Jurors Days from Deliberating the Fate of Marathon Bomber Suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired April 01, 2015 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: You say cannabis is listed in the church's documented its doctrine. Toobin, I hear your laughter, but let me just (INAUDIBLE) for a minute.

I mean, to the mid of this, you're creative, sir. Why do you want to establish this church?

BILL LEVIN, CHURCH OF CANNABIS: Because there's a need for a new religion. People are burned out on old doctrine. They offer guilt, they offer sin. Come on. We offer no judgment whatsoever. We're based on love, compassion, and health. Good things for us, you know, healthy, happy things.

There's no heavy doctrine. There's 12 pathways to life. There's no 10 commandments. We're not commanding you to do anything. We're suggesting to you this is a good pathway of life. And millions of millions of us out here smoke religiously. We have faith in one plant. With that faith, we've started a church.

BALDWIN: I imagine there are many subscribers of that faith, Bill Levin.

But Jeff Toobin, let's be serious for a minute because listen, I know that you can't smoke spot either recreationally or, you know, medically, in the state of Indiana, that is illegal. So how might this work? How might this be a test for this new law in Indiana?

JEFF TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, you know, his holiness, the stoner -- hold own your holiness -- the stoner Pope may be onto something here. I mean, this is what is so crazy about this is that the whole controversy about religion and government started with the native American religion that smoke cayote, right. So - and the whole reason, original reason behind the federal religious freedom restoration act was to make sure they were not prosecuted because they were a legitimate religion. This was a legitimate ritual of their religion. And Congress thought that was something that should be protected.

LEVIN: How dare you. This is a legitimate religion.

(CROSSTALK) BALDWIN: Whoa, whoa, whoa. He's not -- he's just explaining the background and how your church would work.

TOOBIN: That's right.

BALDWIN: Hang on, Mr. Levin.

TOOBIN: I mean to disrespect to his holiness on this. What I'm saying is this law leads to, in inquiries in this case the Indiana state government, is this legitimate religion and is this sacrament something that the government has a compelling interest in regulating? And that would be the key question here.

Now, there have been religions that say our religion says we can't pay taxes for the military budget because we're passed this. The Supreme Court said no, we have a compelling interest in making sure everyone pays taxes, so your religion doesn't get you out of paying taxes. But if this is a legitimate religion and the Indiana authorities recognize it, it may be that he would be allowed to smoke pot outside -- even though it's illegal under Indiana law, possible.

BALDWIN: So Bill Levin, I mean, I see you puffing your -- I think it's a cigar live on CNN -- I don't know. And you are hearing Jeff Toobin, who is pretty smart, saying there's a possibility you could move forward with this first church of cannabis. Let me end with your response, looking ahead.

LEVIN: It's going to be a great adventure for everybody.

BALDWIN: Jeff Toobin, think it's going to happen?

LEVIN: It's going to be fun.

TOOBIN: Well, it's lasted longer than four hours and 20 minutes so far. So it's going OK. I think it probably won't work out. But I think it does illustrate some of the complexities of this issue.

BALDWIN: OK. Segment going up in smoke.

But Bill Levin and Jeff Toobin, I appreciate you both very much. We'll see what happens.

LEVIN: I love you. Have fun sweetie.

BALDWIN: Really? Did he really just do that and say that? Lord, have mercy. Let's move on.

Breaking news in the nuclear talks involving Iran and the United States. One self-imposed did line passed, another today until now. We got word of another development. We're going to take you live to Switzerland. That's coming up next.

Plus, days after the plane crashed in France, a heartwarming letter from a passenger to the pilot. She said thank you for taking me home. The full, letter coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:39:13] BALDWIN: Here's our breaking news on nuclear talks involving United States and Iran. Late word coming from the state department that secretary of state John Kerry will stay there in Switzerland for yet another day to continue talking to Iran over its nuclear program. In fact, these are photos that we've just turned around for you from very recently when Secretary Kerry took a brief break from the marathon talks that self-imposed deadline to reach an agreement came and went yesterday. Another deadline set for today has now expired. So they march on till tomorrow.

What might all of this mean? Let me talk about this with Mark Dubowitz, the executive director for the foundation of defense of democracies and David Singer, national security correspondent for "The New York Times."

Gentlemen, welcome to both of you.

[15:39:57] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you Brooke.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good to be with you.

BALDWIN: David, phenomenal piece in the times this morning. And I want get to sort of the numbers and the symbolism and mistrust for decades. But my first question, just now that we know the deadline has been moved again, good sign or bad sign?

DAVID SINGER, NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Well, I think it is somewhat understandable, Brooke, because this was a deadline that was never a serious deadline for Iranians and was really designed by the U.S. and allies in order to take measure of whether or not to move forward to the next three months to get the ultimate deal.

The Iranians figured out some time ago that if they didn't care about the deadline and the Americans did, why give going up to this moment? And I think at some point secretary Kerry came to believe the American imposed deadline was actually working against America's own interests.

BALDWIN: I was talking to an ambassador yesterday and he was saying, Brooke, you always have to have deadlines diplomacy even though, you know, you are continuing potentially move the goalpost.

Mark, I know you say Iranians have systematically worn down the U.S. negotiating position. Do you think that this now extension of the deadline is that more proof of that?

MARK DUBOWITZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FOUNDATION OF DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES: Brooke, I think for the Iranians there's no deadline. Their happen to continue these negotiations and pocket more and more concessions. In fact, for Iranians and supreme leader of Iran, why agree to a deal today and give up on few you are concessions? So they continue to erode U.S. negotiating leverage. They continue to pocket new nuclear concessions. And I think they'll continue negotiations as long as they see it's heading in their direction. And so far, it appears to be doing so. BALDWIN: David, to the point in your piece that you wrote talking

about the different perspectives of the United States and Iran. You say Americans talk in a way about numbers and limits talking about sanctions and stock piles, et cetera. And Iran about preserving respect for their rights and sovereignty and it's much more symbolic and how, you know, those two don't necessarily jive.

SINGER: Well, that's right. For the Iranians, any discussion of the numbers and limits and so forth simply makes it appear at home, where they care about it, as if they are giving in to American demands or western demands. Their only real interest here is getting sanctions removed. And so, they've got to portray each of these changes, any concessions they give into, as temporary suspension of work. And when this agreement is over, that they'll be accepted as a full nuclear power, the way Japan is or Brazil.

For the U.S., the U.S. needs narrative that there are permanent limits placed or near permanent limits on the Iranians so that they would not be able to produce a bomb with material without giving us at least a year's warning. And the question is, can you design something that gives you those numeric limits, but also preserves the optics so that the Iranians can actually go along with it? And that's really what is taking so much time here.

BALDWIN: You make the point how its 35 years of just overcoming old suspicions referencing the notions that the U.S. is the great Satan. You talk about these, you know, westernized as American educated leaders around the table in Iran. And just oppose that back with of course back home in Iran and Ayatollah.

Mark, how do you think Iranians are perceiving secretary Kerry?

DUBOWITZ: Well my fear is that Iranians that really matters, the supreme leader of I Iran as the final decision maker on this perceives Secretary Kerry and President Obama as two desperate for a deal. That this is going to be the legacy capping, foreign policy with the president desperately needs given that his Middle East policy is in free fall.

And that the supreme leader is a patient man. He's been working on this for decades. His anti-Americanism is part of his DNA that is actually integral to his ideology and to the Islamic revolution. He's a patient man who will continue to negotiate and he will draw red lines which he has. He stuck to those red lines. And now, he is forcing Americans and our allies to accommodate his red lines. Then you see in the systematic steady erosion of our nuclear demands while his leverage is increasing not just the nuclear file. But the Iranians have also been gauge in the regional breakout where they're in control of four Arab capitals. And they perceive to be, at least, on the march which making them confident if not arrogant and may actually lead to increased intransigents at the negotiating table.

BALDWIN: Mark Dubowitz and David Singer, thanks to both of you.

The talks to continue in Switzerland.

SINGER: Thanks, Brooke.

[15:44:53] BALDWIN: You got it.

Coming up next, the drought in California, it's so severe. You heard this now, the governor of California issuing mandatory restrictions, the first ever in the history of the state. What he says next.

Plus, after hearing about the France plane crash, some are wondering who is really flying your next plane? One woman, though, had a different case. She wrote a very heartfelt letter to a pilot. We'll share that with you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:49:30] BALDWIN: Historic drought conditions have now forced California's governor to mandate for the first time ever mandatory water restrictions. We learned just a short time ago governor Jerry Brown made this announcement from a spot actually that should have been piled high with five feet of snow, instead, dry land.

CNN's Sara Sidner is following this unprecedented move in California. She's got more and so this is a huge, huge deal as you were outlining a bit ago. Walk me through some of the mandates.

[15:49:57] SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One of the mandates, it's sort of happening here, people are obviously the lawn watering, people are being told you have to pull back on that. What the governor has proposed is that 50 million square feet of lawn all across the state needs to be replaced with drought resistant plants and drought resistant, rocks, for example, instead of having grass. People are already doing that. You can see that kind of across L.A. there's a program that people are using where they don't have to pay for it. They get a rebate, the rebate goes to a company and they take all out of your grass, throw some rocks down, try to make it look good.

But there is also other thing, Brooke, that some people might be surprised about. When you go to a restaurant, for example, you now have to ask for tap water. They will give you bottled water but you have to ask for tap water. They will not just come and serve you water, right. And these sound like small incremental things but they are trying to reduce it by 25 percent, reducing the water usage. That's a huge amount of water when you think about how big this state is and how much water it uses. I mean, you look at agriculture and you look at all the water that has to be used for all those fruits and vegetables and nuts that you guys like over there in New York or across the country, a lot of that is --

BALDWIN: Yes, thanks for those.

SIDNER: It's, you know, sorry, I had to point that out. But it has grown here, for example, 90 percent of almonds in the country grown right here in California. So there's a lot of things that have to be done agriculturally but also for us folks, the regular folks just going to and from work every day, we have to pay a lot more attention and these water restrictions are serious. They are also talking about putting money into enforcement as well. So it's not just going to be one of those things where they say well, you should do this. It's you must do this or you are going to pay the price for it -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Sara Sidner with a huge warning for people in California. Thank you very much.

Now this, in the wake of the Germanwings disaster and news that the co-pilot may have deliberately crashed the jet, pilots are facing, you know, intense new scrutiny. But one British passenger simply wanted to change the narrative. So she wrote this emotional letter to airline crews to let them know travelers still support them and a pilot actually shared this letter on twitter and now it's everywhere.

So let me just read this for you here. It reads dear pilots of the plane taking me home. In light of the very recent tragedy in the French Alps and the loss of those poor 150 people, I feel the need to reach out to you and extend a compassionate hand. She goes on. At the end of the day, we are all just humans. Just trying to live this roller coaster of a life we have been handed. I understand events so horrific as this one affects those with your responsibility more than others and maybe sometimes a kind word random but heartfelt can make a difference. I'm hoping to create a ripple effect and spread some compassion and understanding. Thank you for taking me home. Thank you for doing so safely. Thank you for allowing me to live the life I do in Spain and split my time with my family in England, too. You make the excitement I feel now to see my family possible. I hope you get to see your family soon. I have had a wonderful flight and hope you have, too. You are making a massive difference and you are the reason I can smile tonight. Take care and spread love, kindest regards, Bethany.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:57:10] BALDWIN: Boston jurors are days from deliberating the fate of marathon bomber suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

CNN's Alexandra Field breaks down the evidence the jurors will have to consider.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The case against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the story you've heard, the evidence you've never seen before. Tsarnaev running from the blast site. Minutes later, shopping for milk at a whole foods grocery store in Cambridge and the blood-stained message meant to explain it all.

Marathon Monday. A surveillance camera near a bar catches Tamerlan and Dzhokhar walking down Boylston street carrying backpacks with the pressure cooker bombs inside. They split up. Tamerlan heads toward the finish line. Dzhokhar takes his place in front of foreign restaurant. There is a phone call between the brothers, then -- the first explosion.

Inside marathon sports, shattered glass, shell-shocked victims. Outside, video never seen before of the horror, the helplessness and the heroes.

Now, further down Boylston street in front of the forum restaurant there is confusion, heads turned toward the finish line. Dzhokhar gives a backward glance and leaves his backpack behind. 6-year-old Jane Richard uses loses her leg in the blast. Her 8-yeary-old brother Martin is hurt even worse. Their father Bill remembers it was the last time I saw my son alive, barely.

Lindsey Lew and Crystal and Campbell (ph) can't be saved. Three days later, all hell breaks loose. Six shots ring out on the MIT campus.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Officer down. Officer down. All units.

FIELD: Officer Sean Collier is killed. Surveillance cameras catch two men walking toward his squad car, then taking off less than three minutes later. A student riding by on a bicycle will place Dzhokhar at the scene of the crime.

Tamerlan confesses to the murder and the bombings after carjacking a Chinese grad student (INAUDIBLE). She testifies Tamerlan says you know who did it? I did it. Held at gunpoint and forced to hand over his ATM, Dzhokhar withdraws money from his account. (INAUDIBLE) makes his getaway when the brothers stop for gas. Dzhokhar is inside stocking up on snacks. Ming narrowly escapes Tamerlan's grip running for his life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are the suspect of marathon explosion.

FIELD: The manhunt intensifies. Police use a safety feature, the GPS inside the Mercedes, to track the brothers down. In Watertown there's a firefight. The brothers hurling pipe bombs and pressure cooker bombs. At least 56 shots are fired from the nine millimeter hand gun used to kill Officer Sean Collier. Police fire at least 210 shots.

Tamerlan dies after his brother drives the Mercedes over his body. A day later Dzhokhar is pulled out of the boat in a backyard hurdled this more than a police bullet. His message etch insensible. (INAUDIBLE) one body. You hurt one, you hurt us all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Closing arguments begin Monday. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for being with me.

"The LEAD" starts now.

END