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New Day
Firebombs and Gunfire in Egypt; Israel Watching Egypt Unrest; Venezuela Offers Snowden Asylum; Madeleine McCann Case; Police Talking to Friend of Hernandez; George Zimmerman Trial: Mothers of Trayvon, George Testify; Royal Baby Watch
Aired July 06, 2013 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Just three days after a coup toppled the government, violence is erupting across Egypt. People are being killed in the streets. The death toll is climbing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SYBRINA FULTON, TRAYVON MARTIN'S MOTHER: My youngest son is Trayvon Benjamin Martin.
GLADYS ZIMMERMAN, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S MOTHER: My son, George.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: It was the testimony of two mothers that electrified the Zimmerman court Friday. Now the question is, who will the jury believe?
And will it be a girl or a boy, brunette or red head? We are in full countdown mode for the royal baby.
Good morning, everyone. Great to have you with us on this Saturday morning, July 6th. I'm Pamela Brown.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Good to have you with us this "NEW DAY," this Saturday.
And we are starting with the chaos across Egypt. The death toll there is rising.
BROWN: At least 30 people are dead and more than 1,000 others are injured. Violent clashes broke out between supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsy and his opponents and the army.
BLACKWELL: CNN'S Reza Sayah is in Egypt's capital, Cairo. He joins us now on the phone.
Reza, after seeing this video of what happened overnight and throughout the last few days, give us an update, what is the situation like there right now?
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Victor, this morning things are quiet so far. However, supporters of the former president, Mohamed Morsy, are still out in areas where they protested yesterday. They're not there in big numbers at this hour, but their tents are still there and they plan to be back later today.
And this is going to be another test for them. How will they come out today? Are they going to come out in big numbers? Will they come out tomorrow and the next day? When you talk to some of them, they some we'll keep coming out until we get our president. These are protesters who are angry. They say this was a president who was fairly and democratically elected and his ouster by the armed forces and Egyptians who didn't like him after just one year in office goes against the most basic principles of democracy, they say, and they want him back.
And they're also fuming because they sense there's an aggressive campaign to stifle them. They point to the arrests of the Muslim Brotherhood leaders. The fact that Morsy's being held in custody. Their TV networks have been shut down. And, Victor, they're basically asking why.
BLACKWELL: Reza, I've got a question about another former Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak. He's in court today. Tell us about that.
SAYAH: Yes, he's in court on charges that he led this deadly crackdown back in 2011. Of course last year he was convicted in an initial trial and sentenced to life in prison. He appealed that sentence. So he's being tried again. So remarkable that you have over this two and a half year span, two leaders, first Hosni Mubarak, the former dictator, now Mohamed Morsy, both in custody and facing charges. Mohammed Morsy hasn't been charged yet, but he's being investigated on accusations that he incited deadly violence.
BLACKWELL: All right, Reza Sayah live from Cairo for us this morning. Thank you.
BROWN: And Egypt is, of course, a close ally of the U.S. and it's one of only two Arab nations that has made a peace deal with Israel. CNN's Vladimir Duthiers is in Jerusalem this morning.
Vladimir, nice to have you here with us. Any official word from Israel about what's happening in Egypt?
VLADIMIR DUTHIERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, there has been no official word from Israel, primarily because analysts that we've spoken to says that this remains, at least for the time being, an internal Egyptian matter. Now, Mr. Morsy, over the course of his presidency, his one-year presidency, had kept in place some of the deals that they had agreed to with Israel, primarily the 1977 Camp David Accords which established peace between the two countries. Mr. Morsy was also instrumental in helping to broker a cease fire between Hamas and Israel that has so far lasted over the last eight months.
But there had been some concern within Israeli circles that Mr. Morsy and the Muslim Brotherhood in general ultimately had an Islamic agenda that they were trying to implement. And thus you saw people take to the streets in protest. One of the analysts that we spoke to yesterday said that the chief concern of Israel is still just one thing, and that's security. Here's what she told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHIMRIT MEIR, ISRAELI ANALYST: Israel, first of all, needs to be in sync with the United States and then issue this very important point. But it has to stay out of it. This is an internal Egyptian issue and we should let Egyptians decide their own future.
DUTHIERS: What is Israel seeing from this vantage point?
MEIR: So this is, I think, what official Israel is interested in -- security mostly and fighting terror. Egyptians from their own perspective and their own interests, decided to take control of - on the situation in the Gaza border and not to allow smugglers, weapons smugglers and Hamas fighters to go into Egypt from Gaza.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DUTHIERS: That is, in fact, the chief concern of Israel, which is their security. Now, they have had a very, very good relationship with General Ceci (ph), the general who ultimately removed Mr. Morsy from power. He had kept lines of communication open between Israeli officials and the Egyptian military, so there is some cautious optimism, Pamela, that going forward in the future that whoever is running Egypt will continue to keep in place some of the very, very important peace agreements and also keeping in control Hamas and some other groups that may be dangerous to Israel's security and to their stability.
Pamela.
BROWN: OK, Vladimir Duthiers, thank you so much for that. We appreciate it.
And it's a dangerous situation there in Cairo. CNN's own Ben Wedeman is in Cairo. We take a look at what happened while he was filing a live report near Tahrir Square. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Have come to an end and I'm told we're told - I think we're having some problems here. They're trying to take away our camera. Have come to an end and I'm told we're told --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: As you see there, the soldiers took Ben's camera away, but Ben tells us that they later agreed to return it without the video footage, however. We just hope our reporters over there are staying safe.
BLACKWELL: Certainly.
Edward Snowden might finally have a place to call home other than Moscow's airport. Venezuela state media reports the president has offered asylum now. You know Snowden leaked details of the NSA surveillance program and the U.S. wants him back. But this is a chance for him to escape in a country that is not afraid to tick off the White House. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen joins us now from Moscow.
Frederik, is there any response from Snowden or his handlers?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far we haven't heard from Snowden. One of the things, Victor, that we have heard, however, is that yesterday evening apparently, he applied for asylum in six additional countries. However, the platform WikiLeaks, where all of this was made public, didn't say which countries that actually was.
Now, Venezuela was always pretty far at the top of his list of countries that he wanted to go because of the fact that they have very bad relations with the United States. One of the things that Venezuela's president, Nicolas Maduro, said during that speech where he said that he would grant Snowden asylum, was that he felt that someone like Snowden needs to be in the country of Bolivar and Chavez who have traditionally been people who have fought against American imperialist aggression. That certainly is their view. So they feel like they're doing a service, not only to Ed Snowden, but also to many other people as well.
One country that's going to be very happy about that news is Russia, which is, of course, where Snowden still is at Sheremetyevo Airport transit lounge. The Russians have becoming increasingly uneasy with his stay here. They've considerably said that he should try and find a place to go as fast as possible and there was actually a tweet from a Russian official earlier today saying they're very happy about this new development and they feel that Venezuela would be the best option for Ed Snowden, Victor.
BLACKWELL: All right, Frederik Pleitgen in Moscow with the update on Snowden there for us. Thank you.
BROWN: And to Florida now where the trial of George Zimmerman is in recess for the weekend. Prosecutors rested their case yesterday after nine days of testimony from 38 witnesses.
BLACKWELL: Yes, Friday also saw some pretty emotional testimony some would say from the women who may have known the victim and the defendant best, their mothers. Our Martin Savidge is in Sanford, Florida, with the recap.
Martin.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pamela and Victor, it was always anticipated that as the prosecution was getting ready to rest, its last witness, or one of them, would most likely be Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin's mother. But I don't think anybody ever anticipated that you would see both mothers take the stand in a single day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE (voice-over): Just who will the jury believe? A grieving mother who lost her youngest son? Or the mother who stands to see her son possibly spend the rest of his life behind bars.
DISPATCHER (voice-over): What is your (INAUDIBLE). UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): There's gunshots.
DISPATCHER: You just heard gunshots?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
SAVIDGE: Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin's mother, stoically listened to the screams and gunshot recorded the night her son died. Then was asked what has become a key question.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ma'am, that screaming or yelling, do you recognize that?
SYBRINA FULTON, TRAYVON MARTIN'S MOTHER: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And who do you recognize that to be then?
FULTON: Trayvon Benjamin Martin.
SAVIDGE: Hours later, Gladys Zimmerman, George's mom, listened to the same 911 call and was asked the same question.
MARK O'MARA, ZIMMERMAN DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Do you know whose voice that was screaming in the background?
GLADYS ZIMMERMAN, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S MOTHER: Yes, sir.
O'MARA: And whose voice was that?
ZIMMERMAN: My son, George.
O'MARA: And are you certain of that?
ZIMMERMAN: Because he's my son.
SAVIDGE: Other family members also testified. Jarrvis Martin said he was certain the pleas for help were from his younger brother, Trayvon. While Zimmerman's uncle said the moment he heard those screams on the news, he knew who it was.
JORGE MESA, ZIMMERMAN'S UNCLE: I heard that. But more I heard that, I felt it inside of my heart. I says, that is George.
SAVIDGE: Much of Friday's testimony centered on the autopsy of Trayvon Martin. Though shot in the heart, Dr. Shiping Bao said it was possible the teen didn't die immediately.
DR. SHIPING BAO, MEDICAL EXAMINER: It is my opinion that he was still alive, he was still in pain, he was still in suffering.
SAVIDGE: Bao said Trayvon's only other injury was an small abrasion to a finger which he called "superficial." The defense got Bao to reveal a number of potential procedural missteps and it didn't help the prosecution when the medical examiner repeatedly said he had no memory at all of Martin's autopsy.
BAO: I do not remember any.
SAVIDGE: The day's final drama came as the prosecution announced it was ready to rest. The defense immediately asked the judge to dismiss the case, arguing the state had not proven second degree murder. Judge Debra Nelson listened carefully, then gave her answer, motion denied.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: At 9:00 Monday morning, the defense will carry on. As to who they may call to the witness stand, it's possible you could see some witness deja vu. Some of those that were called to testify for the prosecution actually sounded pretty good for the defense. They may be back. It's also anticipated the defense will have its own experts to refute some of the science and it's possible that this case could be in the hands of the jury by Thursday.
Pamela and Victor.
BROWN: All right, Martin Savidge, thank you so much for that.
BLACKWELL: Let's turn to your money now. There was a surprise jump in the July jobs reports, 195,000 jobs were added last month. Good news there. That was much higher than what analysts expected or predicted at least. The unemployment rate, rather, stayed at 7.6 percent. And when it comes to hiring, the biggest gains were in the leisure and hospitality services. You know, a lot of people are headed to vacation, they need to staff up. Seventy-five thousand jobs were added in those sectors. Wall Street liked what it heard. The Dow gained 147 points.
BROWN: And coming up right here on NEW DAY, new leads in a six-year- old cold case. Madeleine McCann vanished while on vacation with her parents. You may remember that story. We're going to tell you why police now say she could still be alive.
BLACKWELL: And new details in the murder case involving former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez. Just what was he keeping in his secret hideaway? We'll tell you about that. A friend is spilling the beans on that to police.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: New details this morning in a six-year-old cold case.
BROWN: British police now say they think this little girl, Madeleine McCann, may still be alive. Here she is right here. She was just three when she disappeared at her family's holiday home in Portugal. CNN's Nick Valencia joins us now with the very latest on this story.
So, Nick, there's a reason police believe she's still alive. So we know what evidence, what new evidence they have right now?
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I spoke to the metropolitan police department this morning. They say this new evidence was a development after combing through more than 30,000 pages of documents related to the case. Now, if you remember, back in 2008, Portuguese authorities, they stopped their investigation, closed it, they hit a dead end. That lead Madeleine McCann's parents to opening up a new investigation, appealing to the prime minister of the U.K. He set aside some money. That lead to a new - brand new investigation where they identified 38 suspects, 38 persons of interest that were in Portugal at the time of Madeleine's disappearance. They're all from European nations. And the U.K. will be working with those governments to try to identify those people. But right now the big headline from this is that police believe that she may still be alive.
BROWN: Yes (ph).
BLACKWELL: And there's a new element that could really help maybe bring her home and get some more attention. It's this new photo that's been created -
VALENCIA: That's right.
BLACKWELL: To show maybe what she looks like now.
VALENCIA: Yes, they've -- they've advanced forward. She just had a tenth birthday, if she is still alive. So that picture actually came out a year ago. It's on findmadeleine.com. They've been aggressively going after. And the parents actually spoke very recently about how difficult it has been on the family.
BROWN: You know, Nick, we - as you -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATE MCCANN, MADELEINE MCCANN'S MOTHER: And I don't really want them to have the burden of this, of having to keep looking and looking and looking and not being able to stop, you know. So we need to find her now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VALENCIA: The Portuguese authorities have been criticized at length for bungling the investigation. In fact, at one point they even named the parents as suspects. Of course, they were cleared, but the parents were very upset that not all avenues were pursued. In fact, at the very beginning, they were unwilling to treat it as a criminal investigation. They thought that she had wandered off. That lead to a halt in resources. Now, though, it seems that there may be something more sinister at play here.
BROWN: And we've heard other promising leads before. We're hoping that this actually leads to something more promising, Nick.
VALENCIA: The parents seem to be more hopeful now than ever. So, yes, we hope. The little girl is missing. She's still gone.
BROWN: Yes.
BLACKWELL: All right, thank you, Nick.
VALENCIA: Yes. BROWN: Thank you.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
BLACKWELL: The breaking news this morning. We want to show you these pictures, flames, the result of a major train derailment in Canada's Quebec province. This video was posted online. This is the small town of Lac-Meganic. There are about 80 tanker cars on the train. They reportedly contain some flammable liquid. We don't know a lot about what the liquid is, but I don't know if that matters right now. you've got these cars that are burning. You can see how big this fire is. People actually running in the video. Five firefighting vehicles have been dispatched. Maybe that will increase. Again, 80 cars burning. The town is asking for more help. No information about casualties right now. But you look at these pictures --
BROWN: Unbelievable.
BLACKWELL: You can only imagine waking up to this. Still in a predawn in this video. Again, 80 tanker cars in the small town in Quebec, Lac- Meganic. And we'll get you more information as it comes in.
BROWN: Unbelievable.
BLACKWELL: Also, an NFL player, we've been following this story for a while now, arrested, charged with murder. We saw Aaron Hernandez taken from his luxury, multimillion dollar mansion.
BROWN: But why did he also have a shabby apartment 20 miles away? We'll have more on the evolving case up next. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez has been in the spotlight since being arrested for murder last week.
BLACKWELL: Yes, but away from that spotlight, police have turned to a man much less known and he may have an important story to tell about the night that Odin Lloyd was killed. Susan Candiotti has more.
Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Victor and Pamela, as potentially incriminating evidence mounts against former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez, more questions arise about a man who may be playing a key role in the investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Not much is known about Carlos Ortiz, but what we know is intriguing. The district attorney identifies Oritz as one of two men in a car with accuse murderer Aaron Hernandez the night Odin Lloyd was gunned down execution style.
BILL MCCAULEY, ASST. DISTRICT ATTORNEY, BRISTOL COUNTY: It was a conversation that occurred in the car when he gets into an argument with the victim.
CANDIOTTI: How might investigators know about what went on in the car? A law enforcement source tells CNN, Ortiz is cooperating with authorities but won't go further.
PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: If Ortiz is a cooperating witness, that's a big, big break for prosecutors.
CANDIOTTI: Ortiz, for now, faces only an illegal weapons charge for allegedly telling police he was carrying a gun the day Lloyd was murdered. Ortiz pleaded not guilty to the gun charge. His attorney declined comment to CNN.
According to a search warrant, Ortiz told police the day after Lloyd's murder he and Hernandez drove to this two-bedroom apartment. Police call it a flop house. Documents show the football player leased it almost 20 miles from his luxury home. No explanation why. A neighbor says she barely saw the famous renter.
CAROL BAILEY, NEIGHBOR: No suspicious activity, no girls, no -- nothing other than just typical guy stuff. You know, a little bit of loud -- a little bit loud, a little bit of cigarette smoke, a little bit of maybe pot, but nothing that you wouldn't expect from a bunch of guys.
CANDIOTTI: Hernandez has pleaded not guilty.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: Hernandez' troubles don't end there. In nearby Boston, police are examining an SUV registered to the former tight end, discovered last week. Sources say that SUV might be involved in an unsolved double drive double murder last summer. As for Lloyd's murder, CNN has learned a grand jury is already calling witnesses, some scheduled to appear within the next two weeks.
Pamela and Victor.
BROWN: Thank you to our Susan Candiotti.
BLACKWELL: Paula Deen's troubles, they are not over, but this time the FBI is involved in her latest crisis.
BROWN: And the mothers of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman can't both be right, but both swear that it's their child crying out for help on a 911 call.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Bottom of the hour now. Welcome back, everyone. Great to have you with us on this Saturday morning. I'm Pamela Brown.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. It is good to have you on NEW DAY. The last time you were here, this was some other show that shall not be named.
BROWN: Yes. That's in the past. Focus on the present here, NEW DAY.
BLACKWELL: How you feeling in these new digs? It's a beautiful view there we have.
BROWN: Yes, it sure is.
BLACKWELL: This is nice.
All right, here are five things you need to know this morning.
Syria's off the top. One, rising violence across Egypt has killed at least 30 people. More than 1,000 others have been hurt. Now supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsy clashed with his opponents and armed security forces. The military forcibly removed the increasingly unpopular Morsy from power Wednesday and we could see more protests and unrest today.
BROWN: And at number two, Venezuela may be ready to grant asylum to intelligence leaker Edward Snowden. State media reports that the president made that offer to the NSA analyst turned fugitive. Nicaragua's president says that he can make the same offer, quote, if "The circumstances permit." Snowden is he believed to be holed up somewhere in Moscow's airport.
BLACKWELL: Number 3. The New York medical examiner has identified the remains of a firefighter killed in the September 11th terror attacks. 37-year old Lt. Jeffrey Walz was last seen in the North Tower of the World Trade Center of the 2,753 people killed in the attack, more than 1,100 have not had their remains identified.
BROWN: And number four. It seems like the saga just won't end. The FBI has a man in custody who they say tried to blackmail Paula Deen. The 62-year old allegedly threatened to release true and damaging information about the celebrity chef unless he was paid a quarter of a million dollars. They've reported extortion attempt to be a five days after a deposition set off the collapse of Deen empire.
BLACKWELL: Number five now, and that's in Florida. The mothers of slain teenager Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman took the stand yesterday in Zimmerman's murder trial. Now, both mothers testified that the screams heard on that infamous 911 call came from her son. The testimony came as prosecutors rested their case after nine days of testimony. 38 witnesses. The judge dismissed the defense's request for an acquittal. Now, the trial is set to resume Monday at 9:00 Eastern. Sybrina Fulton, Gladys Zimmerman, they were not the only family members to take the stand yesterday.
BROWN: That's right. CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin in Sanford, Florida, with reaction to the testimony. Sunny.
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Victor and Pamela. It was an emotional day here in Sanford, Florida in the courtroom on Friday. It became really the battle of the family members. Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin's mother testified that she believed it was her son, Trayvon Martin, who was screaming for help on the 911 call that the jury heard. Javaris Fulton, Trayvon Martin's brother also testified. And he, too, said he believed it was the sound of his brother's voice screaming on the 911 call. But the defense called Zimmerman family members to say, no, they believed it was their loved one who was screaming on the 911 call. Gladys Zimmerman, George Zimmerman's mother testified. We hadn't heard much from her, we hadn't seen her during this trial. But she testified very clearly that she thought it was her son, George. And then finally, Jorge Mesa, George Zimmerman's uncle testified. He is a deputy here in Florida. A deputy sheriff. And he said he was positive that he heard George Zimmerman's voice screaming for help.
So, of course, now the thought on everyone's mind is who will the jury believe? Too soon to tell, but certainly an extremely difficult and emotional day here in Sanford. Back to you, Victor. Pamela.
BROWN: Sunny Hostin, thank you so much. As she said, who will the jury believe? Who will you believe? The mother of Trayvon Martin or Gladys Zimmerman, whose son is on trial for his life.
BLACKWELL: Now, watch as both mothers reacted the same 911 tape. Each, again, claimed the screams are coming from her son. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Prior to your son's death, had you heard him crying or yelling prior to his death? Had you ever heard him while he was growing up, while you were raising him, had you ever heard him crying or yelling?
SYBRINA FULTON: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. I want to play a recording for you, ma'am.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 911, do you need police, fire, medical?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe both. I'm not sure. They are just coming screaming outside.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, what is the address of (inaudible)?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 1211, 23 Blaine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 23 Blaine. Is this in the (inaudible) townhomes in Sanford?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. And is that a male or female?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It sounds like a male.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you don't know why?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know why. I think they are yelling help. And I don't know. It sounds like (inaudible) hurt.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does he look hurt? (SCREAMING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't see him. And I don't want to go out there. I don't know what's going on there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is totally right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are sending --
(SCREAMING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think they are yelling help?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. What is your - you don't know --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just heard gunshots.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You just heard gunshots?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ma'am, we have screaming or yelling, do you recognize that?
FULTON: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And who do you recognize that to be, ma'am?
FULTON: Trayvon Benjamin Martin.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (inaudible) Does he look hurt to you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't see him. And I don't want to go out there. I don't know what's going on there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is totally right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are sending.
(screaming)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think he's yelling help?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: what is your --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were you able to hear that voice in the background?
GLADYS ZIMMERMAN: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the background.
GLADYS ZIMMERMAN: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You heard, of course, a woman's voice in the foreground, correct?
GLADYS ZIMMERMAN: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know whose voice that was screaming in the background?
GLADYS ZIMMERMAN: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And whose voice was that?
GLADYS ZIMMERMAN: My son, George.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And are you certain of that?
GLADYS ZIMMERMAN: Because he's my son.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL: Yes, you know, I have no children myself. Obviously not a mother. But you can only imagine a mother listening to those screams and it's mother believing that that is her son crying out for help. How difficult that is. You know, there as a lot of discussion leading up to this day, that this would be so emotional to see Sybrina Fulton on the stand. And I got to say, that I did not see a lot of emotion there. She was very well prepared, very elegant, but was that maybe because she was so well prepared by the state? We'll ask legal experts. That's beyond me, I don't have a J.D. But we'll talk about that, coming up.
BROWN: Yes, but it is interesting to see both of the mothers there. And they were adamant. They didn't skip a beat when asked whose voice was that in the 911 call. And it was also interesting to hear not just from the mothers, but other family members. We heard from Trayvon Martin's brother --
BLACKWELL: Yes.
BROWN: who said that at first, he didn't want to believe that it was his brother shouting at that 911 call. And later said, yes, that was my brother. The uncle of George Zimmerman saying he heard it on TV, knew that was him.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
BROWN: So, it's just - both sides are very strong in their opinions.
BLACKWELL: And we'll see what affect this will have.
BROWN: Yes.
BLACKWELL: Is it a wash? You got both moms claiming it's my son.
BROWN: Right. Is it a wash? That is the question. Yep.
BLACKWELL: We will have that conversation, coming up actually in less than an hour, we'll have much more on yesterday's dueling testimony from the mothers of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman.
BROWN: A former prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney weigh in on who the jury is more likely to believe here.
BLACKWELL: We're just two weeks into summer and already we have seen wild weather. We'll get you caught up on everything from record heat out west to the flooded Fourth down south and we're even heading outside where our own Karen Maginnis braving the (inaudible) elements dealing with the humidity and we appreciate it, Karen. She is outside CNN headquarters here in Atlanta.
BROWN: But first, this holiday week has seen a government takeover in Egypt. Extreme weather across the U.S., as we were talking about, and the ultimate sacrifice of 19 firefighters. Here's a look back at the week in pictures.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: That is just a headache. More than that, it's damaging. Look at this. Northern Arizona. They had the heat. The southern part of the state is getting smacked by monsoon rain. The Tucson fire department had to rescue a few drivers who got caught in the flash floods yesterday. Look at this mess. And the officials are reminding drivers to be careful again today. You never want to try to drive through this.
BROWN: No.
BLACKWELL: I don't know why that person got in the car and tried to cross a road that looked like a river anyway. But that's their choice, we saw what happened. A chance for more rain is in the forecast.
BROWN: And it seems like we see that every time, right?
BLACKWELL: Every time there is a video of a car just stuck out there.
BROWN: Yes.
BLACKWELL: I can make it. No, you can't.
BROWN: No, you can't.
BLACKWELL: Hey, that massive rainfall in Tucson isn't the only case of extreme weather we've been seeing this week.
BROWN: Yes, from one extreme to the other. From record heat out West to a saggy south. This has hardly been your usual summer. Karen Maginnis has been tracking the heat. She's braving the elements outside, smart move to wear here the pony tail right now, Karen. It's hot out there.
KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Right. It is. And the overcast, gray, misty skies are not unusual so far this summer for Atlanta. We've seen almost double the amount of precipitation we normally would. We've seen just about ten inches of rain when typically we should see just a little bit less than five inches, but it's not just in Atlanta. It's all across the southeast with very heavy downpours and we're seeing the heat across the northeast and the southwest, with the heat near record-setting levels. Well, we go from Moore, Oklahoma, back in May, the devastating EF-5 tornado that killed dozens of people, injured hundreds, all the way out to the searing heat in the desert southwest. It has been an extraordinary summer.
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MAGINNIS: The Saturday swelter is on along the East Coast. New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, all sizzling. Making a feel like they are in triple digit conditions, thanks to the high humanity. Emergency officials in the Big Apple have now opened the city's many cooling stations with heat advisories now extending through the weekend.
The big-time heat didn't keep the crowds from flocking to the spectacular light shows this extended holiday weekend. But the blistering temps were just too much for some. 120 people received medical attention at Boston's esplanade.
It's a very different picture across other parts of the nation. Heavy rains and floods continue across much of the south. Parts of the Florida Panhandle, received as much as 18 inches of rain. There is also the high threat of rip currents, with thousands heading to the beach this weekend. One North Carolina man drowned off Holden Beach, the fourth drowning in the area this week. And in the west, golf ball- sized hail pummeling parts of northern California and New Mexico. A summer surprise for an area that normally sees temperatures in the 90s.
No doubt, this season has seen its share of extreme weather from deadly tornadoes to massive wildfires, widespread heat and floods, and especially severe summer impacting us all.
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MAGINNIS: So, Victor and Pamela, today in Boston, in the mid to upper 90s and Atlanta will hardly make it to 80 degrees. We'll be back just after the 7:00 hour.
BLACKWELL: Wish we can get rid of the rain, though.
BROWN: I know.
BLACKWELL: Thank you, Karen.
MAGINNIS: You got it.
BROWN: Well, you know, you may have now looked out on the weather this holiday weekend. But rather things you might - that might have worked in your favor. So, many of you right now in the middle of that long holiday weekend. Maybe headed out for a road trip. And if you plan on filling up before you hit the road? You might be in for a pleasant surprise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BROWN: Whether you drive a gas guzzler or not, it's a good bet you are paying extra attention to prices at the pump if you are on the road this holiday weekend.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never really know what is going to happen. It goes up and down all the time.
BROWN: Good news, right now, they are going down. The national average for a gallon of gas is just below $3.50 a gallon.
MICHAEL GREEN, MANAGER, AAA PUBLIC RELATIONS: It's often a myth that gas prices rise heading into a major holiday. It turns out that's really not the case. In fact, this year, gas prices have dropped for 20 days in a row.
BROWN: The reason? Gas supplying is up, while consumer demand is down.
GREEN: One, the economy remains quite weak. Two, people are driving more fuel-efficient cars and three, people really just aren't driving as much as they used to.
BROWN: AAA says this year's prices are the third highest on record for Independence Day, right behind $3.57 a gallon in 2011. And a long way from the sticker shock we experienced in 2008, that gas prices of more than $4.
Be prepared to dish out more on your holiday road trip if you are driving in West Coast states like California and Washington. The cheapest spots? Southern states like Florida and Georgia, which have the lowest prices in the country. Still, some would rather stay at home than fill up.
(on camera): Are you driving anywhere for the Fourth?
MAURICE JENKINS, DRIVER: Yes, I'm going to drive my significant other crazy. That's about as far as I can afford to get with these prices.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: He might not be the only one doing that this weekend.
BLACKWELL: You're right.
BROWN: So --
BLACKWELL: You know, the thing is - we look at these prices, and say, oh, 3.34. What a bargain.
BROWN: But remember the days where it was $1.50 and we thought we are never going to go over $2.
BLACKWELL: Right. And I remember, it was just once, just once, paying 99 cents a gallon.
BROWN: Wow.
BLACKWELL: Just once. I know there are people say I remember it was $5 would fill up my F-150. I get it.
(LAUGHTER)
BLACKWELL: But $3.34 is a bargain. That is just unbelievable.
BROWN: I know. Anything below $3.50, we're like, oh, this is great.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
BROWN: Like, you know, don't get too comfy with these prices, they usually go up by the fall, also the unrest in Egypt could cause prices to go up. Because crude oil, it's already around $100 a barrel. So, don't get too comfortable.
BLACKWELL: Let's celebrate we have a weekend.
BROWN: Let's celebrate this.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
BROWN: The world awaits a future king or a queen?
BLACKWELL: Yes, we head live to London, where the country is on a royal baby watch. If I had an accent I could imitate, I would do it. But I don't.
BROWN: Come on. Don't you have an accent?
BLACKWELL: Oh, we'll use yours. Prepare for big news from Prince William and his wife Kate.
BROWN: Hidden talent.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: All right. Victor is extra excited about this story.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
BROWN: A nation waiting for their future king or a queen. The U.K.'s royal baby watch is in full swing this weekend.
BLACKWELL: Yes, both reporters and well-wishers are already camping out outside the hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge could give birth to the heir at any moment. CNN royal historian Kate Williams is live in London. Kate, what is the latest there? And how is the city preparing? Because people here are really excited. I know people there have to be excited, too.
KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL HISTORIAN: Yes, good morning, Pamela and Victor, from London. We're really excited here. I'm much in - not many of your viewers will be able to believe it, but it's really hot here. We're really excited, and we all are out in the street. People are camping out. People have spent millions, apparently, on decorations for their houses, world souvenirs, because everyone wants to have a royal baby party. But we just don't know when it's going to be. It could be this week, it could be next week, it could be tomorrow.
BROWN: And you said, Kate that are what - people already spending millions altogether.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
BROWN: A lot of people cashing in on the baby. Bibs, cups, even yes, a royal baby training potty, is that right?
WILLIAMS: Golden potties, golden bibs, there are so many souvenirs. It really is a bonanza over here, we're almost more excited than we were for the royal wedding. Because this time, it's so historic. The future king or queen.
BROWN: And the Royal Mint will actually give a silver penny to any infant born on the same day as the royal baby, right?
WILLIAMS: That's great. It's really cool. The Royal Mint, well, are going to made in Britain, what they are going to do, is they are going to make a commemorative silver coin for any baby born on the same day. So, roughly in Britain, we have 2,000 babies born every day. So, they've made 2013, just to be sure. And you get them in a special pink pouch for girl, and a blue pouch for a boy. So, that's very sweet.
BLACKWELL: And you know, there are even bets that are being made on, if this will be a boy or a girl. But really not as important as it once was to the British monarchy.
WILLIAMS: That's the fascinating thing, Victor. Always the big question with a baby, is boy or girl? It's always been so important in Britain, because if it's a boy, it gets to be heir to the throne, but girls only get to inherit if they have no brothers. So, Victoria had no brothers, no sisters, Elizabeth II just had the younger sister. Now if Kate has a girl, she will be our next queen. So, finally, we've come to female equality in Britain about going on to the throne. So, it's a big moment, and a big moment for history.
BROWN: So exciting.
BLACKWELL: Yes, Kate Williams, thank you so much.
WILLIAMS: Thank you.
BLACKWELL: We'll, of course, continue to watch.
Edward Snowden has not had many choices since fleeing Moscow.
BROWN: But two countries could be ready to give shelter to the NSA leaker.
BLACKWELL: Egypt slides closer to chaos. We'll have a live report from Cairo in a few minutes.
And a long national Dwight-mare - yes, Dwight-mare is over. The waffling big man will suit up for a new basketball team next season. We'll tell you which. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Good morning, New York City. Take a look at this. I mean just excite, a live look at Lady Liberty. Standing crown, standing throne, amid Independence Day weekend, I was just out there, on Independence Day, and it was, of course, a reopening after Hurricane Sandy. Huge crowd out there, and it's going to be gorgeous, warm there today. Today, sunny, and the highest 93 degrees. So, get out there, enjoy it.
BLACKWELL: Great shot, good day.
BROWN: Yes.
BLACKWELL: Enjoy it. We're just coming up at the top of the hour here. Let's go to sports.
BROWN: Yes, why not? Tell me. A special day is coming up tomorrow, at Yankee Stadium. The New York Yankees will host 4,000 fans from Newtown for their game with the Baltimore Orioles.
BLACKWELL: Yes, victims of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting will be recognized in a free game ceremony. The city policy and fire personnel will present the Colors, and the National Anthem will be sung by the Newtown youth voices.
Big news in the NBA, apparently big man Dwight Howard, is taking his talents outs of L.A. Jeff Mishel (ph) is here with more on this morning's Bleacher Report. Jeff, people have been waiting for this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the answer is the Houston Rockets. He says that's where he thinks he has the best chance of winning a title. And Howard says he's betting $30 million on it. That's how much less Superman will get playing for the Rockets instead of staying with the L.A. Lakers. The big man announced his decision on Twitter with this, quote "I've decided to become a member of the Houston Rockets. I feel it's the best place for me. I'm excited about joining the rockets and I'm looking forward to a great season. I want to thank the fans in Los Angeles and wish them the best.
Now, right afterward, Kobe Bryant unfriended Dwight Howard on Twitter. Kobe Bryant is not playing.
And Kobe is probably happy to invest (inaudible) the latest Dwight Howard at an Instagram picture this is right here with new teammate, James Hordon, with the message, Houston, we have liftoff.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm happy! The last 40 minutes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the British term for hissy fit? Oh, it's hissy fit. Andy Murray threw one in Wimbledon when it had to stop in the middle of the summer final, so the roof could close in the empire set, it was getting too dark. The lights needed to come on. When they did, some great tennis. Murray, keeping Britain's hope alive of a men's champ. He wins in four sets. In the final tomorrow, Murray faces top seed Novak Djokovic, who played the longest semi in Wimbledon history to advance. A Brit has not won the men's title at Wimbledon in 77 years.
Check this out! St. Louis Cardinals feature Joe Kelly doing the worm. He was trying to distract his teammate Shelby Miller during a pregame interview. So, then he starts just throwing things at him when he couldn't distract him that way. Baseball players have way too much time on their hands, guys. And they pretty much come up with every possible way to entertain themselves at a long day at the ballpark. And that includes doing the worm, which is exactly I know what you guys do as well to prepare for every broadcast.
BROWN: Yes, during our commercial breaks --
BLACKWELL: Underrated dance.
(LAUGHTER)
BLACKWELL: Jeff Fischel, thank you so much.
FISCHEL: All right, guys.
BROWN: Well, thank you so much for starting your morning with us.
BLACKWELL: Next hour of NEW DAY SATURDAY starts now.
