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Casey Anthony Trial; Wildfire Threatens Nuclear Lab; Riots in Greece Hit Home; Ban On Drop-Side Baby Cribs; The Help Desk; No Green Card For Same-Sex Couples
Aired June 28, 2011 - 12:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: You're watching the Casey Anthony trial. The defense putting on its own witnesses. And Roy Kronk, very important to the defense here. This was the water meter reader who had discovered the 2-year-old little girl's remains, the skull and the other bones.
Joining us is Holly Hughes, our legal expert, to kind of explain and put this all into perspective.
Why was he so important today?
HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: He is key, because they are trying to say -- "they" being the defense team -- that Roy Kronk is the one who applied that Duct tape to the baby's skull. They're saying he found the remains in August, reported it. Nobody did anything about it, so he went back and took those remains, collected them up, held on to them for four months, and then decided, oh, now there's a big reward, so now I'm going to take them back out, put them back into that same area, scatter the bones around. And by the way, while I'm at it, why don't I take Duct tape and place the mandible -- which is the lower part of the jaw, Suzanne, for our viewers -- let me put it back in the exact anatomically correct position and tape it back on the head?
MALVEAUX: Why is that so important, though, the significance of the Duct tape? Why is that considered a murder weapon?
HUGHES: Because the prosecution says that she chloroformed her little girl -- "she" being the defendant, Casey -- chloroformed Caylee so she could go out and Party. And they say she had done all these Internet searches looking up how to make chloroform.
So she chloroformed the little girl, and then she took that Duct tape and she wrapped that tape around that baby's skull so that it covered the mouth and the nasal passages, which would have cut off her ability to breathe. She would have suffocated that child.
And they are claiming -- the prosecution says that's the murder weapon. If the defense can convince this jury that Roy Kronk applied the Duct tape, Casey doesn't have the murder weapons in her hand. You take it away from her, and she can't be responsible for first-degree murder.
MALVEAUX: Does this change at all their story, the defense story, that this child accidentally drowned?
HUGHES: No. And as a matter of fact, that's the really odd part, Suzanne.
They are asking the jury to make humongous leaps in logic. They start off with this story that the baby accidentally drowned in the pool, and Casey's father, George Anthony, scoops the body out, doesn't attempt CPR, doesn't attempt mouth-to-mouth, doesn't call 911. And remember, Suzanne, this is an ex-detective.
This is a man who was used to coming upon crime scenes and used to trying to save life and resuscitate. But what he does, according to the defense, is hold this dripping wet baby, Casey comes out and sees this, and he starts screaming at her, you're going to go to jail forever for child neglect for the rest of your life, your mom's not going to forgive you. And so he comes up with this great idea to cover the whole thing up and hide the body.
Now, the defense did not explain in opening what George did with the body, what happened after that. They told the jury we don't know how Roy Kronk figured out where the remains are. So they want the jury to believe all these things, but they have no evidence of it.
MALVEAUX: So, George, the father, he was up on the stand as well, and there were two things that he denied that seem pretty important. The first one is that he did not have an affair with one of the volunteers who was looking for this little girl's body. And the second thing is that he said he did not tell her that this was an accident that snowballed, that got out of control.
Why was he called today? Why was that important?
HUGHES: Absolutely. What they're trying to do again is prove that George Anthony is a liar.
The defense wants that jury to believe that he is an abuser, that he sexually molested Casey, his daughter, and that's why she didn't report anything, because she's used to lying. So when they put George on the stand, they are trying to say he is an adulterer, which means he's practiced at the art of deception.
Remember, if you're a married person having an affair, you've got to keep it quiet, you've got to cover it up. You don't want it to be on the front page. So they've got Krystal Holloway, AKA River Cruz. Let's face it, she's got some aliases.
MALVEAUX: This is the volunteer who was looking for the child.
HUGHES: Right, who says that she had an affair with George Anthony. They have got her waiting in the wings.
So they put George up first and let him say, I did not have a romantic relationship with her. And secondly, and this is huge, Suzanne, I never said to her that this was an accident that snowballed out of control. I did not say that ever. So you better believe we're going to see the defense calling Krystal Holloway, AKA River Cruz, to the stand to refute that and say absolutely, we had an affair.
MALVEAUX: To try to prove that he's a liar and that he's not credible.
HUGHES: Absolutely. He said it was an accident. Oh, yes.
MALVEAUX: All right, Holly. Stay with us. Obviously, we're going to be following all the twists and turns of the Casey Anthony trial.
Clearly, they're trying to throw everything they've got into this, into the defense. And we expect that this will continue about 1:30 or so this afternoon.
Also want to get you up to speed on some other big stories that we're following today.
There is a raging wildfire. It's chasing everybody out of Los Alamos, New Mexico, today.
More than 10,000 people are under orders to get out. Now, the fire is also threatening the Los Alamos National Lab. That is the nation's premier nuclear research facility. And officials say all hazardous material, however, is safe and secure.
Officials say that floodwaters lapping at Nebraska's two nuclear plants are more of an annoyance now than a safety concern. Operators are emphatic. They say even if water gets inside, they say it's not going to set off a disaster like the one we saw at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant.
Boston mob boss Whitey Bulger goes to court in two hours. That's happening.
Prosecutors are going to argue that Bulger, not taxpayers, should pick up the tab for his legal defense team. Now, Bulger is charged with 19 counts of murder. Prosecutors say that Bulger bragged that he had been back to Boston several times during the 16 years that he was on the run, and they say he described himself as armed to the teeth and was in Boston to take care of "unfinished business."
Well, anger boiled over in Greece today. A CNN crew got caught in the chaos. Just take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As you can see, there is quite a lot of fighting now going on between protesters, and we're being forced out of the way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Very dramatic video and really a dangerous situation. Union workers are protesting government proposals for state tax hikes and spending cuts, and the European Union wants those measures in place before it's going to give Greece any more bailout money.
Now, we're waiting on NASA to release new pictures of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. She attended an awards ceremony for her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, in Houston. That happened last night.
And her first public appearance -- that was her first since she was shot in the head. A reporter who was there says that Giffords was in a wheelchair but she was animated, and she stood to kiss her husband.
Well, no more drop-side cribs. Why they are being banned in every home across the country.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: More on the wildfire threatening one of the most secretive research centers in the world. The Los Alamos National Lab in New Mexico is where the atomic bomb was created. Well, it is closed today, and the town of Los Alamos is practically deserted now.
Floyd Strub joins us by phone from Santa Fe. That is where he went.
First of all, how close is the fire to the lab and to the town? Where were you when you were actually evacuated?
FLOYD STRUB, EVACUATED: I was in Los Alamos at my home. I actually left the laboratory about noon, anticipating the need to evacuate. And I am now in Santa Fe and trying to pass some time to see what happens with the laboratory, given the dire circumstances.
MALVEAUX: And Floyd, you evacuated yesterday from the lab, even before it became mandatory. Can you tell us why? Did you suspect there was going to be a problem?
STRUB: Well, mostly it was because the smoke had inundated the town. Previously, the smoke had risen to an altitude where it wasn't so difficult to be in town. But come Monday, the smoke was lower, and it was throughout the town, and it was very difficult to see, and breathing was a little difficult, at least in some areas.
MALVEAUX: And Floyd, you work at that lab. How protected is that lab to fire, to smoke, the kinds of things that we're seeing, this danger, this level of danger today?
STRUB: Well, first of all, I would like to point out that I'm not an official spokesperson for the laboratory.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
STRUB: But I can speak to you as a citizen of Los Alamos.
MALVEAUX: Sure. STRUB: And the town -- you know, 11 years ago we experienced a very similar event. So with the experience gained from that, people definitely have a sensitivity to their safety, especially in this fire circumstance.
MALVEAUX: Are there protections to this lab? Can you talk at all about any kind of protection to the lab?
STRUB: Yes. Keep in mind, the lab is 42 square miles, and the buildings are distributed around that 42 square miles. So, no single -- should there be a building that would become jeopardized, it wouldn't spread to other buildings so readily.
And also, keep in mind that these buildings are robust. Most of them are -- the hazardous facilities are concrete, and all the buildings at the laboratory are sprinklered (ph). So there's a lot of safety features built in.
And with the experience from the last fire 11 years ago, we learned a lot. And, you know, a lot of -- for example, the vegetation has all been thinned out, and a lot of precautions in that manner have taken place, as well as things like the evacuation itself was very orderly.
MALVEAUX: And Floyd, have you gotten any sense, any updates on when you might be able to return to work?
STRUB: Well, no, I haven't heard. But if the last event is an example, probably four or five days. This fire had spread very quickly, much quicker than the previous one. So I suspect that it may burn itself out quicker. I'm sure that's the hope.
MALVEAUX: All right. Floyd Strub, thank you very much. We appreciate your time and certainly hope that you'll be able to get back to work as soon as possible. But obviously, safety's first concern.
Our Carl Azuz is here to go "Beyond the Headlines," to kind of explain, what are we talking about? This super-secret lab here now closed, the area evacuated. What are they trying to protect?
CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Well, for one thing, what we do know at this point is there's no immediate danger to folks like Floyd Strub, folks who are on the ground there. So that's something good right now.
But Los Alamos is one of the nation's top national security research facilities. And there is some history there as well.
This laboratory was established in 1943. It was part of the Manhattan Project, and it had one purpose -- design and build an atomic bomb. In fact, the world's first nuclear bomb was detonated just 200 miles from the Los Alamos facility.
Now we're going to take a closer look for you. We've got a map right here showing you. The lab's about 35 miles northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, sits on 36 square miles of property owned by the Department of Energy. Almost 12,000 employees work at the facility, and all non-essential workers have been sent home until this fire gets under control.
MALVEAUX: What is actually inside of this facility?
AZUZ: A lot of high-tech stuff, Suzanne. Among other things, this lab is home to a particle accelerator. We're talking about super-computers as well. Nuclear material is at the facility.
Now, the central structures are well protected. That's what officials are telling us. And here's the statement that was front and center on their Web site this morning.
"Fire crews have contained a spot fire that started in a remote area of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. No other fires are currently burning on lab property. No facilities face immediate threat. All nuclear and hazardous materials are accounted for and protected."
But, be that as it may, just hearing the words "Los Alamos" and "wildfire" in the same sentence, those two terms don't play well together, Suzanne, and that's why --
MALVEAUX: A lot of people kind of worried about that.
AZUZ: Yes, exactly right.
MALVEAUX: Well, I'm glad it's not as bad as we think.
AZUZ: Not at this point.
MALVEAUX: All right. OK. Thanks, Carl.
AZUZ: Thank you, Suzanne.
(NEWSBREAK)
MALVEAUX: Right now in Greece, protesters are venting their frustrations with government cutbacks, and they are on the streets of Athens right now. The economy there, it's reeling, and the cuts are a result of demands from the International Monetary Fund that Greece get its finances back in order.
It's important to remember here that the economic problems in Greece could have an impact on you personally, especially if you've got a 401(k).
Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange.
And Alison, this is something that's going to affect all of us here, because there is a ripple effect. How does this happen here? What can we see about our own retirement funds if you take a look at these demonstrations in Greece? What's the connection?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, the demonstrations themselves, not having an impact on the market today. But you talk about what's happening in Greece financially, and it's really the big fear of the unknown that's the concern, that could wind up driving down stocks throughout Europe and here at home, the very same stocks that I'm talking about that are in the funds that make up all of our retirement portfolios.
In fact, one analyst says the biggest threat to the global economy in terms of what's happening in Greece is really all psychological, because when you think about it, the Greek economy, it isn't huge, but it's connected to a lot. It's like six degrees of separation.
If Greece defaults on its debt, it could disrupt the European banking system and cause investors to pull their money out of the markets. And a big problem here, Suzanne, is that we really don't know how big the ripple effect will be until it happens, so it's that uncertainty that really is that fear that could drive the market down -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And Alison, tell us about this prominent CEO who came out today with a strong warning that this is connected, this crisis in Greece. And why is he so worried about it?
KOSIK: Yes, this definitely caught our eye. You're talking about Josef Ackermann. He's the CEO of Deutsche Bank.
He said if it is Greece alone, that's already big. But if other countries are drawn in, it could be bigger than Lehman.
And we all remember what happened to Lehman. He's referring to the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers. It sparked a global financial crisis.
Lehman went down and AIG got a bailout. Bank of America took over Merrill Lynch. It went on and on. It really just shows how interconnected the financial system is globally.
And critics say, you know what? Stop here. These calls are alarmist because the fact is the U.S., it could deal with a Greece default because these critics say U.S. banks have investments in Europe, but they have been boosting reserves and can withstand Europe's problems better than before the financial crisis.
And it looks like the markets today are weathering all of the volatility going on in Greece right now. The Dow, up 118 points. Investors at this point, Suzanne, are optimistic that a deal can be worked out -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And Alison, a little bit on the lighter side, we have got somebody who we think is really upset about all the cuts in Greece -- this stray dog. Take a look at him.
His name is Loukaniko, and it means pork sausage in Greek. He might be the most famous pooch in Athens right now. Why? Because he's reportedly been barking alongside these protesters at these anti- government rallies since 2008. I mean, Lassie, eat your heart out. Not even tear gas or the riot police are enough to make him leave his comrades. And now --
KOSIK: Is someone trailing dog food along the way to keep him coming?
MALVEAUX: Well, we don't know exactly. We kind of suspect there's something behind this. Whether or not he's really ticked off about these budget cuts or if he's just hanging around for the treats, the protesters, they think and consider him an ally in this fight. But you see the dog everywhere.
KOSIK: Well, I would, too. Oh, poor guy. I hope he doesn't get tear-gassed. That's kind of sad.
MALVEAUX: No, he's doing OK, we understand.
KOSIK: He's good? Good to know.
MALVEAUX: All right. We'll have more after the break.
We'll see you, Alison. Thanks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown on some of the stories ahead.
Up next, drop-side cribs are now history. I'll tell you why the government says it's no longer an option for parents.
Then, no more bad shots, not even if you can somehow get your hands on a revolutionary new camera. We're going to get the big picture from Silicon Valley.
And later, it's got to be the eyes, right? It's a baseball star struggling during the day because his eyes are blue? We're going to take a look at Josh Hamilton.
Well, back to the lead story, the riveting testimony in Casey Anthony's murder trial.
We brought you extensive live coverage of testimony from the man who found the decomposed body of Casey Anthony's 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. You also saw live the Anthony family, the father, the mother, the brother.
Criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Holly Hughes, she is joining us again to make sense of this.
And first of all, we saw this meter reader, the water meter reader, come out. He's the one who discovered the body. Why was that so important that they put him on the stand?
HUGHES: It's critical to the defense, because the prosecution's theory of the case is that Casey Anthony, the defendant, Duct-taped her little girl Caylee's mouth and nasal passages shut so that she suffocated. So what they're saying is the Duct tape is the murder weapon.
What the defense is alleging is that Roy Kronk is actually the one who applied that Duct tape. And their theory seems to be, Suzanne, that he sees this body out in the woods sometime in August, he calls the Orange County sheriffs. They say to him, eh, we're not taking those calls, call Crime Line.
So he calls Crime Line, he reports it, nothing happens. Nobody comes out and does anything about it.
So they allege that he then picks up the remains himself, holds on to them for four months until the reward gets nice and big. And then Roy Kronk, who defense attorney Jose Baez called morally bankrupt in his opening, then comes up with this genius plan to take the bones back out to the woods in the same area, scatter them all around, and place the mandible, the lower part of the jaw, back in the anatomically correct position and Duct-tape it to the skull.
So what the defense wants you to believe is that Roy Kronk, this meter reader, has applied that tape and not Casey Anthony. So, therefore, it's not the murder weapon and she's not the murderer.
MALVEAUX: Does he have any credibility? Does he have a history of domestic violence? Is there anything that they've used against him to discredit him?
HUGHES: He does have a history of domestic violence. And, in fact, one of the allegations, that he used Duct tape on one of his ex- wives' mouths.
But here's the thing. I'm sure they've had motions in limine. Now, that's just the legal term for, let's talk about it ahead of time, Judge, before the trial. We've got this issue, we don't think the jury should hear it, so the prosecution would have said, if he's going to testify, Judge, we don't want them to get into it. It's past bad acts which cannot be brought up on a witness.
MALVEAUX: So they don't know about it? The jury doesn't know about it?
HUGHES: They don't, and I don't think they're going to be allowed to know, Suzanne. I think that they have probably done that motion ahead of time, said it's irrelevant, it's more prejudicial than probative, and there's no reason. I don't think the jury is going to hear it.
MALVEAUX: The father was on the stand as well, George Anthony, and he denied two things. One, he denied that he was having an affair with one of the volunteers that was looking for the 2-year-old. And then, secondly, he denied telling that volunteer that this was an accident that just snowballed out of control.
Was he convincing? Was that important?
HUGHES: I think -- I've got to tell you, I find George Anthony to be very credible as a witness. In those two things, you're right, they are major, because they defeat the whole idea that this was an accidental drowning, because what the defense wants is for this alleged mistress, Krystal Holloway, AKA River Cruz -- she's another one with a past.
And what I thought was brilliant, Suzanne, if you watched George Anthony testify, Jose Baez had him on direct, which means you can't sort of object to what your own witness says unless it's nonresponsive. So he says, well, do you know someone named Krystal Holloway, and George Anthony slips in, well, sir, I know her by a few different names. You know she's been convicted of fraud.
So you can't unring that bell. I mean, the jury heard that. They know she's a convicted liar.
So he said two really important things. Number one, I did not have an affair with this convicted liar.
MALVEAUX: Right.
HUGHES: And number two, I never, ever said this was an accident that snowballed out of control. So we're going to see the defense put her up to try and counter what George Anthony said and make the jury think he's the liar, not her.
MALVEAUX: And you brought up a really important point the last hour. You said it was what they didn't ask him.
They didn't ask him about this whole proposition that he sexually abused his daughter and that he accidentally -- he discovered the accidental drowning, the little girl, and tried to cover it up. They didn't ask that at all.
HUGHES: Right. They haven't gone there, Suzanne. And we have to wonder why. And I'm telling you, I think it goes back to Friday.
Now, they can still recall him. They can do that. But we are to the end of this trial. We are getting down to the wire, the nitty-- gritty.
Why not put him on the stand and just say it, just go after him? They haven't done it.
And you'll remember, we've talked about this, on Friday Lee Anthony testified. It was incredibly emotional.
Now, I've heard some reporters say the jury was lasting (ph) after that testimony, but I think he was sincere. I think for the first time in this entire trial, we saw true, real, genuine emotion from Lee and from Casey. And I wonder if seeing her brother's heart break like that did not get to her, and she started to feel guilty about throwing her family under the bus, because the very next day is when her lawyers went to the judge and said we don't think she's competent to continue, we think she's a little nutty.
I think she's trying to change the game plan on them, and they're nervous. MALVEAUX: All right. We've got to leave it there.
Holly, thank you so much.
HUGHES: OK.
MALVEAUX: We'll be following it. And we know this is going to continue at 1:30. We'll be following very closely.
HUGHES: Great.
MALVEAUX: Thanks.
Well, there's a warrant out for the arrest of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. And now some of the international community want to add rape to the charges against him.
John Vause is going to join us to discuss the criminal case being built against Gadhafi.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: There's already a warrant out for the arrest of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi but now the International criminal Court wants to add rape to the list of those charges.
Our John Vause is here to go beyond the headlines with the criminal case that is being built against Gadhafi. Tell us what this is about, John.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the ICC issued a warrant for Gadhafi, his son and also his son-in-law, essentially for crimes against humanity. The indiscriminate use of anti-personnel mines for cluster bombs as well as firing missiles into civilian areas in Tripoli, Misrata and Benghazi.
Now they want to add to that the charge of rape, but this is a little harder to prove. You have to go out for the prosecutors and show there is evidence, that there is a direct link between Gadhafi and systematic rape carried out by his men in the field. That's really hard to prove. Amnesty International was in Libya for a couple months, came up with no evidence, no proof. Human Rights Watch, as well. Been there for some time and reportedly came up with nothing.
That isn't to say it hasn't happened. We heard about Eman al- Obeidy, who, a couple of months ago, burst into that hotel room in the Tripoli hotel where all the international reporters were staying. She said that she had been pack-raped by Gadhafi's men.
Since then, our reporting by CNN has shown that women have been raped by Gadhafi's soldiers. In fact, Sara Sidner, who was there for some time, came away with a cell phone video. And there has been a lot of talk that Gadhafi's soldiers have been issued Viagra and condoms and that they were told by senior officers to go out and rape.
The open question in all this is how far up the command chain did that go? That's what prosecutors will need to prove. It's very difficult.
MALVEUAX: Some people are saying because of this, this would really discourage Gadhafi from stepping down because essentially, you've boxed him in. He's in a corner. And once he leaves the country, that's it. They can get him.
VAUSE: This is the argument. The international arrest warrant has an upside and a downside. The downside is it now means Gadhafi is more likely to dig in. He's not going to have a negotiated settlement where he goes into exile because only 43 countries around the world are not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which is the ICC. And those countries are places like China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Pakistan. I mean, they're not the kind of places that a former dictator wants to live out the rest of his days. So, he's more likely to dig in and not have a negotiated settlement.
The upside of the arrest warrant, though, is it puts pressure on all those around Gadhafi. And already, we've heard from the ICC prosecutor telling the aides to Gadhafi, you've got a choice here. You can be part of the solution. You can turn on your boss, you can arrest him. Or you can face prosecution when the regime finally falls.
And in the short term, what it could also do is encourage some more high-ranking defections. If you know there are repercussions at the end of all this, those who are very senior within the Libyan government may think it's time to get out.
MALVEUAX: So, how does it work, though? Because Libya never signed on to ICC authority in the first place to bring him to trial.
VAUSE: Well, yes. The Libyans say you can issue an arrest warrant for whatever you want but there's no jurisdiction here. And that's true. The ICC doesn't have a police force. It's dependent upon law enforcement agencies with those countries that are a signatory to it.
And this was a very similar argument which was had a couple years ago, when an arrest warrant was issued for Sudan's president, Omar al Bashir, first for crimes against humanity and then genocide. Bashir is still president in Sudan; he just arrived in China on a state visit.
So, I think it's suffice to say right now Gadhafi has bigger problems than this arrest warrant.
MALVEAUX: All right. John Vause, thank you very much.
VAUSE: You're welcome.
MALVEAUX: Well, a type of crib considered a death trap for children. As of today, it is illegal to sell or even donate them. We will tell you what to look out for.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: There's a new camera that's on the way. It could change the way you take and experience pictures. This is so cool. It is not how you set up the shot. It is what you can do with the picture after it's taken.
Silicon Valley correspondent Dan Simon tells us all about it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SIMON, SILICON VALLEY CORRESPONDENT: The point-and-shoot camera as we know it is becoming less important. Many of us now are content with the pictures we take from our cell phones.
But a new Silicon Valley startup called Lytro is poised to shake things up with what it says is a revolutionary new camera. Right now, it's just a tease. All you can do is check out some pictures on the company's Web site.
Not impressed yet? Well, watch this. You can change the focus of the picture after it's taken. See this mom in the background? Baby is slightly out of focus. Click on him and he becomes crystal- clear.
Check out this cafe. Sandwich looks very good but you want to see the man in the window? Just click on him, and he becomes sharp.
Ren Ng developed the technology while working on his Ph.D at Stanford. The breakthrough, says the developer, is the camera is able to capture more light than others.
REN NG, CEO LYTRO: The key to this at its core is such a powerful technology breakthrough that this will forever change how we all take and experience pictures.
SIMON: Just how much of a game changer is it? We spoke with Richard Koci Hernandez, a professional photographer now teaching at UC Berkeley. Lytro gave him a camera to test, but because the company is still in stealth mode, it put the device in a protective case. So, Hernandez hasn't actually seen it.
ROCHARD KOCI HERNANDEZ, UC BERKELY SCHOOL OF JOURNALSIM: It's masked. It's like a brick of plastic. I don't know what it is. I really can't tell you what is inside there.
SIMON: But Hernandez says he was instantly sold after taking his first picture.
HERNANDEZ: You know, my job pretty much dropped on the floor. There's no question about that. I knew immediately when I saw what it could do, it was just going to be a whole new ball game for photography.
To be able to now shoot a picture and be able to refocus it later and not have to worry about that, I think is a big deal.
SIMON: Lytro has set up shop in this nondescript office building in Mountain View, California, near Google. It's so secretive still, it wouldn't even let us shoot inside.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Dan Simon joins us live from San Francisco to put everything into focus. You like that line, Dan? Focus.
All right. How quickly, how fast can we get one of these guys?
SIMON: That's a great question. Of course, I asked the CEO that. He's just saying sometime later this year and they're not saying anything about price. Of course, that's what it's going to come down to in terms of whether or not you have widespread adoption is what is this going to be priced at. They say it will be competitive.
It's also worth noting he could have sold this technology to one of the big-time camera makers like Nikon or Canon, but he decided to keep it for himself. He thinks he's on to something and he will build what he says is a revolutionary product. Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: It's pretty cool stuff. All right. Dan, thank you.
Type of crib considered a death trap for children. As of today, it is illegal to even sell or donate them. We will tell you what you need to look out for.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Starting today, it's illegal to sell or even donate these so-called drop-side baby cribs. New federal rules were passed after dozens of children died. And our CNN medical producer, Miriam Falco, joins us to explain when a drop-side crib is, how does it work and how dangerous is this. This is what we're looking at here?
MIRIAM FALCO, CNN MEDICAL PRODUCER: Well, this is an example of a drop-side crib. And the -- it can be really, really dangerous. So far, at least 32 children have died since 2000 and 11 million cribs have been recalled, mostly because they were drop-side. And this is only since 2007.
So this is the concern that babies can get stuck. So, let me show you. You see this side is down already. The benefit of this is you can move the slides up and down, which is really, really convenient. I had a baby two and a half years ago, almost two and a half years ago, and I wanted one of these because I'm short and it's easy to put the baby in --
MALVEAUX: Sure.
FALCO: But right after I registered, I unregistered because I had heard the first warnings about these beds because these things can break. They can break in a couple of different ways. These parts of the -- that are so movable can break away. A gap can create -- be created between the mattress. And then let's pretend this is the baby. It can get stuck. It's not able to pull over right now, but it could get stuck between the mattress --
MALVEAUX: Between the mattress and actually this that moves.
FALCO: And these slats and the baby would suffocate or could get strangled. So another thing is they could fall through and all the way on the ground and injure themselves, too. So they're saying don't use these.
MALVEAUX: At all.
How do you know the crib that you have is safe?
FALCO: Well, if you buy it starting today at any store, they should not be selling anything that's not safe. That is the rule as of today. The only cribs that are going to be sold will be these ones that are supposed to meet these new standards. These new standards, not only are they not supposed to be drop-side, but the bolts all over the place should be stronger, the screws should be stronger. They also are concerned about the mattress. The supports for the mattress because even they can break, a gap can be created, a baby can slide through or the mattress can slide through and the baby falls down.
MALVEAUX: What if you can't afford a new crib, I mean, and you've got something like this? Is it good enough?
FALCO: Well, there are a couple things you can do. Really there's one thing you can do. And you can -- we have a video of this. You can get a piece that will keep these drop-sides from going down. You secure it here or on either side. The -- you can see it in the video right there. It will prevent the side from going down. It should make the crib sturdier. But really the recommendation is, if you have one, get rid of it, get a new one.
MALVEAUX: And if you buy a new crib, can you assume that that crib is safe for your baby?
FALCO: Well, you should ask. You should ask for proof that these new cribs are meeting the new standards. They should all -- every crib in the store now should be safe. And then in addition to that, there's a couple other thing you can do to make your crib safe. If everything is sturdy, it stays up.
MALVEAUX: Sure.
FALCO: You want to make sure that the crib is as empty as this one right here. No pillows, no blankets, no plush bumpers. You might think, oh, I'm trying to prevent my baby from getting dinged here. Well, the baby could suffocate. So babies should sleep with nothing. Just keep the temperature in the room warm or dress the baby warm and your baby should be safe.
MALVEAUX: OK, great advice. Thank you. And stay away from these.
FALCO: Yes.
MALVEAUX: All right, thanks, Miriam. Appreciate it.
So do you start the day of tired or refreshed? Kind of all depends on how much sleep you're getting, right? So, how much sleep do you think the average American gets? Is it, a, five and a half hours, b, seven hours, c, eight and a half hours, or, d, 10 hours? The answer coming up.
But first, here's some free money advice from the CNN "Help Desk."
CARTER EVANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Time now for "The Help Desk," where we get answers to your financial questions. Joining me this hour, Greg McBride. He's the senior financial analyst at bankrate.com. Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, she's the founder of the financial advice blog askthemoneycoach.com.
Holly in Chesterfield, Missouri, says, "my husband and I max out our 401(k) each year. We cannot contribute to a Roth IRA due to income limitations. If we invest in an IRA, we're not eligible for the tax deduction for the same reason. So should we invest in an IRA or perhaps just a mutual fund?" This is a great question.
GREG MCBRIDE, SENIOR FINANCIAL ANALYST, BANKRATE.COM: Well, you can't invest directly in a Roth IRA because of your income limit, but there is an end-around. What you can do is you can invest directly in a traditional IRA. You won't get a tax deduction, but then immediately convert that to a Roth IRA. You're going to have a minimal tax obligation as a result of that conversion and your future growth will be on a tax-free basis. Where it does get a little more complicated, however, is if you have other assets that are already on a traditional IRA basis and you're only converting a portion of that.
EVANS: OK.
Gino in Alabama says, "I'm 70 years old and I'm retired. What's the best way to invest my IRA with minimum withdrawals each year? I do not need the money to make my budget."
Lynnette.
LYNNETTE KHALFANI-COX, FOUNDER, ASKTHEMONEYCOACH.COM: Well, one thing I think people need to think about when they talk about withdrawal strategies, is to think about a percentage of money you're going to withdraw on an annual basis. A lot of financial planners say a 3 percent to a 4 percent withdrawal rate is about right. So just as a guideline, they should look at -- within that range.
The other thing, though, is to think about how much money you'll actually need. This person probably is in a pretty good position said, I don't need the money in order to make my budget. That means they've got some other cash put aside. That really opens up a wealth of possibilities to you. Maybe you can be a little more aggressive with this money and not be so conservative as folks would typically be when they're 70 plus.
EVANS: OK. Have a question you want answered? Send an e-mail any time to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: Before the break we asked you how much sleep you think the average American gets. Is it, a, five and a half hours, b, seven hours, c, eight and a half hours, or, d, 10 hours? Believe it or not, a study by the Labor Department found it was, c, eight and a half hours. We suspect it's those teenagers.
Well, a Major League ballplayer, he's blaming his hitting slump on his baby blues. That's right. Texas Rangers Slugger Josh Hamilton claims his blue eyes can't filter glare like people with brown eyes. In fact, his stats actually bear it out. He hits much better at night than during the day. Ophthalmologists say that Hamilton may be on to something. Hamilton's going to wear red contact lenses for now just to see if his numbers improve.
Well, at the mercy of customs and immigration agents, married same sex couples find no protection in the federal law.
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MALVEAUX: Marrying a U.S. citizen usually puts immigrants on the path to a green card. But if you're a same sex couple, that's not the case. One couple found that out the hard way. One of them is getting deported in a week. Soledad O'Brien has the story.
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SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nestled deep in the scenic hills of Vermont, Takako and Frances Herbert appear to be living the idyllic life of a newly married couple. But time is running out on their happiness.
FRANCES HERBERT, IN SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: So it's been like a ticking clock, yes. Anticipatory grief.
O'BRIEN: Takako, born in Japan, is just days away from being deported, even though she is legally the spouse of a U.S. citizen.
TAKAKO UEDA, IN SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: This is my family, because I have established for 11 years with Frances and, you know, our little dogs and cat and home and beautiful nature.
O'BRIEN: They were married on April 26th. Vermont is one of the few states where same-sex marriage is legal. With deportation looming, the couple got a lawyer.
O'BRIEN (on camera): So explain to me why, if a couple is legally married, as Frances and Takako are, it doesn't count for the federal government when it comes to immigration.
RACHEL PIVEN, IMMIGRATION EQUALITY: She should be able to sponsor the person that she is married to and the person that she loves for a green card. But because the Defense of Marriage Act bars the federal government from giving them any federal benefits on the basis of their marriage in Vermont, and so because immigration law is entirely federal, that means that there's no way that Frances, as an American, can sponsor Takako as her spouse. O'BRIEN: When's Takako due to be removed from the country?
PIVEN: Her visa runs out on July 5th.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): The Obama administration announced in February that it would stop defending DOMA, for the Defense of Marriage Act, in court, calling it discriminatory. And some recent deportation cases have already been suspended. Conservatives like Congressman James Lankford say that's not right.
REP. JAMES LANKFORD (R), OKLAHOMA: You can't, just as an executive branch, reach back to a previous law that is on the books and say we're not going to enforce that. That is the job of the president of the United States. So it's a pretty frightening precedent.
O'BRIEN: So is refusing federal benefits, like immigration rights to married same-sex couples unconstitutional? Attorney General Eric Holder says, maybe. Still, the administration has not yet stopped all deportations.
HERBERT: If she had to leave -- it's still really hard for me to think of that, even though the whole past year every season was, oh, God, this is the last season. Oh, this is our last Thanksgiving. Oh, this is the last birthday.
O'BRIEN: With time running out, Takako is packing for Japan.
UEDA: It's a heart-wrenching thing to do.
HERBERT: It will feel really, really criminal just because we're two women. That's all.
O'BRIEN: Reporting for "In America," Soledad O'Brien, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Randi Kaye.
Hey, Randi.