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CNN Projects Santorum Wins Kansas; Anniversary of Japan Disasters; Flight Attendant Caused Panic on Flight; No Action against Shooter of Florida Teen; Couple Sues Florida Lottery over Misprint

Aired March 10, 2012 - 17:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: It took five people to restrain an out of control flight attendant who told everyone onboard the plane that it was going to go down. One of the men who restrained her talks to us live on this broadcast.

Incredible new video. The twister that ripped apart an entire community in Kentucky. You'll going to see it right here. Also, new images inside the Japan desolation zone on the one-year anniversary of one of the most natural and nuclear disasters ever.

I'm Don Lemon. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thank you so much for joining us. In the meantime, we are going to start with this -- a push for peace in Syria. Looks like it is going nowhere. The former U.N. Chief Kofi Annan met Syria's President today but Bashar al Assad flat out refused to consider talks with the opposition until the violence is over. He insists his forces are fighting armed terrorists. The two sides are expected to meet again tomorrow while Annan pushes the President to give aid group access to hard-hit town, the bloodshed goes on with at least 63 people killed just today.

Looking at tanks prowling the streets of Idlib in the north. And activist reports heavy shelling in the city. He tells CNN that security forces are searching house-to-house for members of the opposition. Anyone caught faces an ugly fate. Like this man. In Daraa, clearly wounded, bleeding heavily here and dragged by soldiers who load him into a military truck. CNN can't confirm the authenticity of this video or the fate of this man. The person who posted this online said, it was evidence of the government conducting mass arrests. Each town hopes to avoid the fate ever Homs. In that city, Syrian takes part in suicide, and suicide runs driving supplies across open spaces. Dodging sniper fire. Sometimes they make it other times, the drivers aren't so lucky. Security forces crushed resistance in that town but the violence isn't over.

We have a quick programming reminder for you. CNN's Arwa Damon and her team were inside the deceased Syrian city Homs. One of the most dangerous places in Syria right now.

Make sure you join us on Sunday night, as she gives us an eye-opening firsthand account, it's a CNN special called "72 Hours Under Fire," tomorrow night, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, sure it will be very interesting right here on CNN. Meantime, the armed wing of Hamas is promising revenge after a series of Israeli air strikes that killed at least 15 Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel says, the strikes were in response to a barrage of rocket attacks out of Gaza. Those rockets wounded four people in southern Israel. Israel released video of a strike hitting what it called the weapon manufacturing plant. A spokesman for the Palestinian authority said that quote, "Escalation will only raise tensions between the two sides."

Police in Kenya are pending blame for an explosion on al-Qaeda linked militants. The Red Cross now says, three people are killed in the blast in Kenya's capital of Nairobi. At least 40 people were hurt. Witnesses say, they heard several explosions possibly grenades at a bus station. There's been no claim of responsibility yet.

All right. Here in the United States, we're going to talk some politics. CNN is projecting Rick Santorum has won today's Kansas caucuses. And we have a CNN political director there. Mark Preston is standing by in Washington. Shannon Travis is there live as well at a polling station in Kansas. And we're going to start first with Mr. Mark Preston. So, Mark, this is expected since both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich pretty much ceded the state to Santorum. So, how big is this?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Look, it's huge in the sense that it's more wind at the back of Rick Santorum heading into a very critical two-state primary night where were not only going to see Alabama and Mississippi hold their primaries, but Hawaii will also be holding their contest on that night. So, a win is a win is a win, and for Rick Santorum, 25 delegates, at least 25 delegates right now, it's not a bad thing to pick up on a Saturday afternoon, Don.

LEMON: So that 25 delegates. Give us a good delegate breakdown here, Mark.

PRESTON: Sure, if we just take a quick look at the board, we have a new delegate estimate right now. You need 1,444 delegates to win the republican presidential nomination and the new delegate estimate shows that Mitt Romney is in the lead, of course, with 447. Rick Santorum with these at least 25 delegates in hand is up to 195. Newt Gingrich at 118. Ron Paul at 67. But let me just give you this little bit of information that it just come in, Don. This morning, Mitt Romney won 18 delegates. He sent his son over to Guam in the Northern Mariana Islands to serve as a surrogate. Those two territories participate in the nominating process. Mitt Romney won those. Well, my colleague right behind me Ashley is listening in live from a Rick Santorum event in Missouri. Rick Santorum has just said, he is sending his daughter Elizabeth over to Hawaii. There are 17 delegates at stake on Tuesday night in Hawaii. So now this just goes to show you, every delegate counts, Don.

LEMON: Yes. But there are more delegates that will be picked up in the Northern Mariana Islands and in Guam. Right?

PRESTON: Well, I mean, 18 right now that Mitt Romney has won than clean. He won them this morning. He put them in his pocket. They are in the delegate count right now. So he has won those clean. So now we're moving ahead. Of course what we saw today in Kansas. We have 15 more delegates to apportion as we see the results come in and figure out where they're going to end up. And then of course, we go into Tuesday night where at Mississippi and Alabama which was spending so much time looking at right now and then, of course, Hawaii, which Rick Santorum is now going to be fighting very lard from those 17 delegates at stake.

And it's all about the delegates and goes on until it's done in November. Thank you, Mark Preston.

Let's bring in now political reporter Shannon Travis, he's live at the Kansas caucus site. Shannon, what sense did you get from the voters today? What's on their minds?

SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes, you really have to be here on the ground to get a sense of how Rick Santorum pulled out this victory. Obviously a lot of the Republicans is a close republican caucus here, Don. A lot of them want President Obama ousted, that was one of their major concerns. They also expressed concerns about, you know, government spending and over taxation. But get this, Don. I spoke with a few people who even coming into this caucus today were undecided about who to caucus for. One woman told me you know, Shannon? I'm torn between Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney.

She pointed out in her mind that Rick Santorum she felt doesn't have as much experience as she would like in terms ever handling the economy but he speaks what, quote, "passion." She said about Mitt Romney that he has the experience, the business experience that she believes will help right the economy, but that she believes that she doesn't quite know who he is. So, a lot of undecided voters. That was something emblematic of a lot of the people that I spoke with. Also earlier today, Ron Paul was the only candidate here actively campaigning on caucus day. And I had a chance to catch up with him and talk to him about, again, his strategy of amassing delegates. Take a listen, Don.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, it's everybody's race to win. I'm sure even though Romney is not here, he's hoping, you know, always for the best. I think we all do that. So, but I never think it's a do or die for anything. Everybody's still in the race. There's no declared winner. So, I think we're all going to keep doing what we're doing, as maximizing our chances to get more delegates and we feel good about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TRAVIS: So, there again, Don, even though Dr. Paul has yet to win any contests of this political cycle. You just heard it right there. He says, he feels good about picking up the delegates so far as he has.

LEMON: This is a really conservative area with lots of evangelicals. So did social issues which Santorum's strength, drive the voters there?

TRAVIS: Yes, it did. I mean, that was another thing that you heard, another strain of thinking that you heard from some of the conservative voters at the caucus site that we're at today. But keep in mind that Rick Santorum has been riding that wave, the wave of social conservatism, through a lot of these contests. Here in Kansas. That helped propel him to victory in Oklahoma. Arguably in Tennessee and other places. North Dakota, he won recently as well. So, yes, that's definitely on the minds of some of the voters that I've spoke with today. But again, a lot of people felt like he speaks with conviction and passion.

LEMON: Shannon Travis. Appreciate it, sir.

TRAVIS: Thank you.

LEMON: Thanks, Shannon. Thanks, Mark Preston as well.

You have to hear this story, a new report finds HIV rates among some African-American women in the U.S. are almost as high at in parts of Africa. We're going to explain that after the break.

And the month of March, the month we're in right now is a very popular time to dump your spouse. Who knew? You're going to find out why. Back in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The story you'll going to be hearing a lot about. And it's sure to surprise you. A new national study found HIV in black women in certain parts of the U.S. almost as high as what researchers see in parts of Africa. Take a look at your TV screen right now. The study funded by the national institutes of health says, in these cities that we're looking at, New York, Newark, Baltimore, Washington, Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham. That in these cities, HIV rate for at-risk black women, five times the rate of black women overall in the United States. You know, black women suffer the most when it comes to HIV infections. Unbelievable study here. The study focused on areas known for a higher occurrence of the HIV virus. Researchers fold followed more than 2,000 women over two years. And make sure you join us tomorrow night here on CNN 7:00 Eastern Time. We're going in depth on this study about new HIV rates among black women.

OK. It is March, you've survived the holidays but in turn, you might have put a huge strain on your marriage and a report from a Seattle radio station, KPLU, lawyers say the month of March is the most common month to get a divorce.

Alduan Tartt, here joins me now to talk more about this. So, Alduan, this is really March madness. Right? Why? What's up?

ALDUAN TARTT, PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, people have gone through the holidays, have gone through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and then Valentine's. And there's nothing worse than feeling miserable doing Valentine's Day. And so, they say, that's it. Spring cleaning. Out with the old. In with the new. And it sounds harsh, but it's true. LEMON: Well, here's what -- when we're looking at the study, there's something called normal marital hatred. I mean, that's strong words in a strong phrase. What does that mean?

TARTT: That means there's a point within nine months to four years where every couple looks over and says, I don't want to be with you anymore. It's a normal phase. But a lot of people think that's a reason to get divorced. But that's just not true.

LEMON: OK. According to the CDC, half of marriages now end in divorce. So, give me the factors that lead to divorce.

TARTT: Well, one. A lot of people...

LEMON: Martial hatred.

TARTT: You know, that's normal, that's every couple. People have this fantasy idea, especially women of romance and marriages. The reality is, you have to tend to it, you have to work at it. And people look up and say, you know, what? We're not as -- you don't have the chemistry we used to. But in reality, the first nine months to four years is really almost like a cocaine high. Of chemicals in which you're drawn.

LEMON: Endorphin high.

TARTT: It's the -- the symbiotic I love you, you love me. And when it wears off, people don't know how to work to make the marriage stay together.

LEMON: You know, that's not realistic. When we say, normal marital hatred. There's nothing normal about hatred, right?

TARTT: That is true.

LEMON: Right. So, that means that people go into marriages for all the wrong reasons believing that it's going to be this, oh my gosh, I love you so much. That's not the real issue when it comes to marriage. So, that's probably why so many people get divorced.

TARTT: Look, they think because they're not getting along, that's not meeting my needs. Not realizing that you're responsible.

LEMON: No one is going to meet your needs but you. No one is going to meet...

TARTT: There it s.

LEMON: All right. I'm preached. All right. So, experts believed that as the economy gets better, divorce rate will get rise. Right? Can you do anything to prevent that? I guess but accept, be realistic about marriage? What marriage is?

TARTT: One of the things that holds marriages together is being able to make each other's dreams come true. And so, if you build your marriage around ambitions and make each other dreams come true, and not money. You'll be able to stay together for a long time.

LEMON: There you go. Real deal. Sorry about preaching, but, you know, hey.

TARTT: Hey, it's all good. People need to know if you're unhappy, it's not a reason to get divorced. Work harder. Work it out. Change yourself, both of you and you'll be fine.

LEMON: Right. Thank you, Dr. Tartt. Your interesting study. I appreciate your expertise.

Meantime, one year after the 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan, more than 3,100 people are still missing. Every time you see that video, I still can't believe it one year later. Next, we're going to take a rare look inside the devastated Fukushima nuclear plant and behind this tsunami. But first this.

Homeowners. Homeowners over pay an average of $471 a month for their mortgages. That's according to Credit Sesame. And this week's "Smart is the New Rich," Christine Romans takes a look at things homeowners can do right now to unlock the money they may have in their homes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Here are four ways for homeowners to unlock the money in their house. If mortgage rates are at least two percentage points less than the rate you're paying, you need to refinance. Even if you've done it recently. The 15 year is a popular refinancing tool. Those rates, 3.36 percent. Next, appeal your property taxes. Most people who do get money back. On average, around $1,300 a year. That's according to valueappeal.com. But do your homework. Call the assessor's office first to make sure you understand the formula for determining your home's value. The assessment listed on tax bills is often only a fraction of the real value that determines your tax. And do sweat the small stuff. They add up. Using a programmable thermostat will save you $180 a year.

This is according to energy star and don't overpay for your technology. Bundle your internet, you phone, your cable. Shop around. You can you save up to $60 a month if you switch to a bundle plan. You've got to make sure you assess your needs and you don't pay for too much. Are you paying for multiple boxes? Have you considered internet phone service and hour of comparison shopping. And several more hours of waiting for the proverbial cable guy could save you a bundle. I'm Christine Romans with this week's "Smart is the New Rich."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: It hardly seems that long but tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan that triggered a massive tsunami that engulfed entire communities and killed nearly 16,000 people. One year later, more than 3,100 people are still missing. Japan's earthquake became a triple disaster when it caused the worst nuclear meltdown since the Chernobyl disaster. And CNN's Kyung Lah got a rare look inside the devastated Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Inside a nuclear disaster. These are the nameless men tasks with cleaning up the crippled Fukushima Nuclear Plant. Nearly one year ago, this was the site of a triple meltdown, a force so powerful, radiation still leaks today. A 12-mile radius around the plant remains a nuclear wasteland, and yet these workers operate around the clock trying to contain the radiation and nuclear fuel amid the melted steel of the blown reactor buildings. Author Tomohiko Suzuki wanted to know more about these men who risk their lives for so little in return. So he disguised himself as a fellow contract laborer. He's looking into a small video camera.

LAH: This is a lens.

Disguised as a wristwatch. For six weeks, he captured images of daily life as a day hire. He came within feet of the crippled reactors. You can see the gaping holes left when nuclear fuel exploded through the walls. He draws past tanks holding contaminated water. Today, 6,000 gallons of emergency water is still being sprayed every hour into the reactor buildings, so the melted nuclear fuel doesn't overheat and spiral out of control again. Suzuki documented what he saw and the workers he met in a recently published book.

What is the primary message of your book?

TOMOHIKO SUZUKI: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)

LAH: Stop lying, he says. What is this lie that you're talking about?

SUZUKI: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)

LAH: There's no way you won't be radio actively contaminated if you work at the nuclear plants Suzuki said. The Tokyo Electric Company or TEPCO tells CNN it has nothing to say about Suzuki's book. The company maintains worker safety is a high priority, and protection from radiation exposure has improved since the early days of the disaster. But they do not dispute the scientific fact. This job puts workers at risk and it is that fact, Suzuki says, that explains why the men he met at Fukushima are average people. Not nuclear engineers.

(on camera) We know little else about the workers cleaning up the Fukushima nuclear plant. Many we've try to interview say that they're worried they'll lose their jobs if they'll talk. Suzuki says, he's heard that again and again. A fear that if the workers tell the public what it's like to work inside the plant, they'll be fired.

(voice-over) CNN was part of a recent media tour of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant where TEPCO hand selected workers for reporters to interview. Shatoshi Taromi (ph) is a contracted Toshiba worker for the nuclear plant. You're a young man. You're 33 years old. Why do you continue to work here?

SHATOSHI TAROMI (ph): (SPEAKING JAPANESE)

LAH: This accident happened at my plant, he says. It's my mission to keep working here. That sort of hero narrative is what TEPCO wants the public to hear Suzuki, not the real story.

Why are people working there?

SUZUKI: (SPEAKING JAPANESE)

LAH: For the money, he says. They're not worried about the health risks decades down the line. Today's bread. Tomorrow's meal. Rents for next month. That's what they're worried about. Kyung Lah, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: A quick programming note for you. Be sure to watch a CNN special report on last year's disaster in Japan. Look at that video. So, incredible to see a year later. It's coming up tonight midnight eastern on both CNN and CNN International. You'll going to simulcast that special. CNN's Kyung Lah will report live from Fukushima for the anniversary. You really don't want to miss that. It's going to be very interesting.

A manhunt in the state of Washington is underway for a man who shot and stabbed a deputy and attacked a judge inside the courthouse. That and mortgage, top stories coming up, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Wow. Take a look at this new video. This is from Kentucky. It's a home surveillance images from last week's violent EF-3 tornado that ripped through Morgan County. You can see the storm approaching. As a motorist tries to beat the storm, then as it hits. You can see debris and roofs being ripped from houses there. Look at that. Unbelievable. Pharmacist inside the store that captured video described it sounding not like a train but 100 trains all at once. Look at that. Bonnie Schneider, meteorologist, twenty one people dead from this. It's amazing video. It's 95 mile swath that cut through this.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's really incredible. The debris, we talk about a lot in preparations about watch out for debris flying. But to see it, literally come right off the roof of a house and then just be pummeled at anyone that in its path is incredible. And the amount of debris is also catching my eye here. You know, usually we see one or two pieces falling and typical tornado. This is incredible. The magnitude and the force of this storm here.

LEMON: Let's take a look at this a little more. Because we don't often get a chance to see this, Bonnie, and I don't know if this helps anything when it comes to, you know, forecasting these things. Just showing the damage, but maybe in terms of structures, you know, how to create structures that can withstand or at least do a better job -- look at that tree. Oh my goodness.

SCHNEIDER: That's not even completely uprooted. And that's what happens in the force of a tornado like this. And I do think, video helps in this situation. Because obviously, it would be unsafe to be there. So, the fact that there was a camera mounted that gives the surveillance eye, absolutely helps forecasters in the future.

LEMON: This is why you tell us, meteorologist. Look at the roof. Did you see that roof just come right off? This is why you say, you have got to get in a safe place, and because this debris just goes flying. Everything is a projectile. Every single thing.

SCHNEIDER: Outside the house, Don. And inside the house, too. That's what you have to keep in mind. You know, obviously, standing out here, we're seeing debris. But imagine what's going on inside those homes. You can see some of the interior shot here. Flying debris.

LEMON: Wow. All right. Bonnie, let's move on and talk about at least some better news now when it comes to Texans during a drought. Right?

SCHNEIDER: That's right. You know, it's always good to get rain. And hopefully not severe weather. And today, it's really more of a rainmaker event. I think doing into tomorrow, we'll start to see the risk for severe weather in terms of thunderstorms. But right now, steady rain. A swath of it working its way across the Dallas there, you are heading right into Oklahoma City. So, if you're headed in that direction, that's where you'll going to see some heavy downpours. Our forecast for precipitation, computer models show that we're looking at least two inches in the Dallas area, in North Texas.

This is all beneficial as well. We need it, but just keep in mind as I mentioned that risk for severe storms tomorrow. Not so much today. But through here, into Texas. Northern Louisiana including Shreveport. Incidentally, this is an area that we saw severe weather just over the past couple of days. So, it's going to come right in the same pattern once again. Elsewhere across the country, it looks pretty good. We're finally have high pressure building in the east. And temperatures will start to warm up as a result. It's been pretty mild out there and then all of a sudden, they got much colder.

So, we're getting back up to normal. Look at this. Nice weather. Highs tomorrow in New York, 60 degrees in Atlanta, 67. So, that sounds good. Something else, I want to mention very important for tomorrow, because I don't want you to be late. Oversleep.

LEMON: Da, da, da, daylight saving time and no S on savings.

SCHNEIDER: That's right. That's right.

LEMON: Just saving.

SCHNEIDER: And this is not something you'll do if you're in -- excuse me, Alaska or Hawaii, they don't do this. But it's important to note, 2:00 a.m. Sunday, you want to make sure you spring forward. If you have an early start on Monday morning, this is especially good to double check that you've done this. You don't want to be late as I mentioned.

LEMON: I want my hour back and I want it now.

SCHNEIDER: To get more daylight during the evening hours.

LEMON: We appreciate the temperatures though. Thank you, we appreciate it Bonnie.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

LEMON: We're right at the half hour now. We want to take a look at your top stories.

We start with at least 63 people killed in Syria today as a diplomatic push to end the violence hit a roadblock. Some of the fiercest fighting was in Idlib. Residents are terrified their town faces the same fate as Homs where security forces ruthlessly crushed opposition protester protesters. Former U.N. chief, Kofi Annan, is in Damascus this week, appealing for an end to the violence. But Syria's residents, they've dismissed calls for any dialogue. This president -- excuse me -- has dismissed calls for any dialogue.

Mississippi's attorney general not giving up after losing his legal battle over the state's controversial pardons. Jim Hood says he's looking into his options. He's looking to other options now. On Thursday, the state super court upheld pardons of more than 200 convicts, including four convicted killers granted by former governor, Haley Barbour, as he was leaving office.

Meantime, in west central Minnesota, a middle school student is suing her school district over Facebook. The 12-year-old says she was pressured to divulge her password and punished for statements she made on the social media network. The lawsuit claims that sixth grader's First and Fourth Amendment rights were violated. She's being backed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

A Canadian skier died after crashing during a competition. 29-year- old Nik Zoricic died of head injuries at the World Cup Ski Cross event in Switzerland. He was finishing the eighth round when he fell and slammed into the course's safety netting. Organizers cancelled the entire event after the accident including tomorrow's World Cup final.

We have some new information in to CNN. This is just in. Washington State authorities arrested suspects who they say shot and stabbed a deputy and attacked a judge inside of a courthouse. New information in. They've made an arrest there. Investigators say the man, Stephen Kravitz, stabbed a female deputy, threw her to the ground and then grabbed her gun and he shot her. Allegedly then he stabbed a judge who rushed to the deputy's aid. Authorities say the arrest, well, it took place without incident after the suspects' mother called police after seeing immediate reports about the incident. Both the deputy and judge were treated and released from the hospital. They've just made an arrest in that case.

Imagine flying on a plane and hearing the flight attendant yell, "We're going to crash"! What happened on an American Airlines jet? Can you imagine that? That report is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Do you fly a lot, this is not going to be your favorite story. If you have some fear of flying, it's not a good story as well, but you should watch. Because flight attendants are supposed to be a source of calm. Right? Yesterday, one triggered chaos onboard an American Airlines plane about to take off from Dallas. Listen to what passengers heard from this flight attendant.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Get off the plane! Get off the plane!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK. That was the flight attendant. The screams were not the worst of it. Passengers say the flight attendant when on a rant over the P.A. mentioning crashing several times and talked about problems with the union. This happened Friday on a flight, flight 2332, to Chicago. Look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURIE GRABE, PASSENGER: She said, I give up. She said it's not my fault that the plane crashes. And several times she referred to turning the plane around, and if the plane crashes, it's not her fault. She mentioned opening the doors and, at that time, we were taxiing towards the runway. So, obviously, they were afraid we were going to take off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: All right. So I want you to notice the man in blue with a cap on. See that? Connor Ford. He was one of the handful of people, fellow passengers and crew, who restrained the flight attendant before officers had to cart her away.

Connor now joins me live.

Hi, Connor. How you doing?

CONNOR FORD, AIRLINE PASSENGER: Hi, Don. How are you?

LEMON: I'm great. You're in Chicago, my former city there. The weather looks beautiful. You're safe. We're glad.

Let's go through this. Let's play through this. Play this through. You first hear the flight attendant over the P.A. and you think it's a joke. Right?

FORD: Yes. LEMON: Yes. So what specifically made you realize that something was definitely wrong and that this wasn't a joke?

FORD: You heard her escalate the conversation, and she started saying the plane was going to crash. The pilot's not listening. I had two boys sitting across the aisle from me who started screaming saying they wanted off the plane, the plane was going crash. So the second time, when she said "crash" is when, you know, I noticed the pushing in the galley with the flight attendant and a pilot and a passenger in first class, and I saw them shove her back from the cockpit, and so that's when I got out of my seat and went to go help.

LEMON: OK. So you're on the plane. You guys had -- you were taxiing already. Right?

FORD: Yes, sir.

LEMON: OK. So you're taxiing over -- you're sitting in coach. You're like 23-something. Right?

FORD: Yes. 23F.

LEMON: All right. You're in the back. And she's in first class. And there's an argument over the loud speaker. There are two different flight attendants. There's several flight attendants saying, who's in control here? I'm going to say this, I'm going say that. That's what first perked up your ears. Correct?

FORD: Yes.

LEMON: OK.

FORD: Yes, it was.

LEMON: Then you see fighting up front. You see another passenger in first, and then you go. What made you go up front? What triggered you to act?

FORD: I saw that they needed help, and that nobody was really in control. There was no pilot that came over. So you know, somebody had to take control. There was scared people around me. I saw that -- going to the front of the plane, that it was completely open, so, you know, I knew I could help. So I just got out of my seat, ran to the front, helped the other passengers and flight attendants, helped the lady who was having a very bad day.

LEMON: What did you do? What did you do to help restrain her?

FORD: I help -- I came around. They shoved her. I caught her in my arms. I placed my arm around her upper chest and subdued one of her arms and then put her in an open seat that was right on the right of me and just held her down.

LEMON: OK. OK. Hold on.

Ralph, hold on. Can we re-rack the tape running down and listen to it? Because she's screaming the entire time. I want our viewers to hear.

We're going to be quiet, Connor, and then I just want to hear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're probably not going anywhere. They're probably going to have to replace the crew.

Yes. (INAUDIBLE)

FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Get off the plane! Get off the plane!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we're also probably --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: It seems like she stops, she screams then she stops and then she is screaming more. Did she say anything as you guys were trying to hold her down?

CONNOR: She did. We tried to talk with her, to calm her down. It really wasn't working. She was talking about terrorists. How she hopes the plane blows up. You know, the screams sound really bad. But at that point, we did have her controlled. I was really just hoping we could get back and give her some medical attention. You know, she did say she was with the airlines for over 20 years. So you know, obviously, did something well for 20 years to keep her job. You know, but definitely, the screams did scare a lot of people.

LEMON: What do you make of it? What's the takeaway for viewers and for passengers?

CONNOR: You know --

LEMON: Especially after 9/11, people are very afraid to fly. Including -- I'm one of them. I have to admit that.

CONNOR: The takeaway is that -- thanks to people taking the footage so we can learn from what happened. Having the footage is valuable to us to learn from what happened that Friday morning. All the individuals that called 911. The response time on the tarmac. And then just -- not just myself. All the passengers did help and we rallied around one another and, you know, were able to take a bad situation and keep it, you know, pretty minimal, you know, once we pulled the plane over.

LEMON: Connor Ford. Appreciate it.

The flight attendant went to the hospital for evaluation. Not facing any criminal charges.

But, Connor, thank you. We're glad you and everyone is OK from that plane.

FORD: Thanks, pal.

LEMON: Next up, a Florida community in disbelief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My son left for Florida in a body bag while George Zimmerman went home to go to sleep in his own bed.

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LEMON: An unarmed teenager is shot and killed by someone whose job it is to keep the neighborhood safe. We're talking law and justice with attorney, Holly Hughes, coming up.

But first, among the relief organizations scrambling to respond in the wake of deadly tornadoes that struck the Midwest and south last week is 2008 "CNN Hero" Tad Agolia (ph) and his first response team of America. This week CNN's Rob Marciano caught up with Agolia (ph) as he brought his expertise, his help and hope to one devastated community.

(CNN HEROES)

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LEMON: This is a story all of you have been reaching out to me about on social media. We're going to go in depth. The family of a Florida teen is desperate for answers. 17-yeawr-old Travon Martin (ph) was shot and killed after an encounter with a neighborhood watch captain in Sanford, Florida. Police say the watch captain had called 911 to report seeing a suspicious person. Now a month has passed and there have been no arrests and no answers from local police.

We want to talk now to law and justice. Attorney, Holly Hughes, is here.

Holly, what has the teen's family done to get answers? I have to say, people are outraged. People are tweeting me, saying, are you going to do the story on Travon (ph). When are you going to do the story? When are you going to do the story? What's the family done?

HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY & FORMER PROSECUTOR: What they've done is gone to the police department. They've said, let us at least listen to the 911 call. Let us find out what the genesis of this entire thing was. This is a young man, Don, who was walking to the local store to buy his little brother some Skittles. OK? This is not a young man who's out there flashing gang signs and colors. He doesn't have a weapon on him. So the family has repeatedly said, let us listen to the 911 tapes, let us find out what was so suspicious about our young son walking to the store? They want to see the police reports. They want answers. And no one will help them. Nobody will disclosure.

LEMON: There's an issue with this watch captain. His name is George Zimmerman. According to our affiliate, WKMG, 911 dispatchers told the watch captain, George Zimmerman, not to interfere. He did it anyway. So could he face charges?

HUGHES: I don't understand why he's not facing them already?

LEMON: Really?

HUGHES: What we're talking about, he's an unarmed young man. How in the world did you shoot him? That is not equal force. That is not self-defense. Because you can't -- somebody punches you, you can't take out an Uzi and cut him in half. It has to be equal force to be self-defense. We're when talking about an unarmed young man, I'm surprised we haven't seen charges yet, but now that we are bringing light to the story -- you and I are talking about it here on CNN. The world is going to be talking about it. Hopefully, we will see something done, because he was advised don't interfere with this young man. Let us take care of it. The next thing we know, this child is dead on the sidewalk.

LEMON: We'll be watching and continue to report on the story. You better believe. Thank you for that one.

HUGHES: Yes. Absolutely.

LEMON: Let's talk about another interesting story now, Holly, out of Florida. A couple has sued the Florida lottery after a winning scratch-off was found invalid because of a misprint. The couple thought they'd won $500,000. What are the chances they get money here?

HUGHES: You know what? The lottery needs to pay up just for the P.R. aspect of it. Seriously, if any other corporation out there were to produce a defective product like that and give you something that doesn't turn out -- now you think you got a winning lottery ticket, right? That's kind of like you buy a blender, you think you're going to make marguerites, right?

(LAUGHTER)

What if the blender doesn't function like that and they go, whoops, sorry, we messed up. Give me a new blender or pay for this one.

LEMON: Right. Right.

HUGHES: It's the same type of thing. You're selling a service. You're selling a commodity. You're selling that -- what do they say, -- $1 and a dream. These people thought they got the dream. So legally, speaking, I think they've got a pretty strong case because they're not at fault. It's what we call the Doctrine of Clean Hands. They didn't do anything wrong. It's not like they participated in trying to make a misprint.

LEMON: If they sue they spend that much in legal fees to get the money.

HUGHES: But if the other party, if the Lottery Commission is found to be at fault, then they can ask for their attorneys' fees as well. Absolutely. LEMON: Seems like there should be a compromise. Just give us half or something.

HUGHES: Something -- what a letdown, Don. Half a million to zero, because, whoops, we made a mistake. Really.

LEMON: I didn't read this, but my producer said I think the chances of this happening is like one in 18 billion, something like that.

HUGHES: It is an incredibly high number. I read the same statistic. I can't tell you exactly what it was. But, yes, they say it only happens once in a while. But you were on notice that it happened so guess what? You should have corrected the problem. This is a problem with their printing machine.

LEMON: There it is at the bottom, 18 out of 12.3 billion tickets.

HUGHES: There you go.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Just read the bottom of your screen.

HUGHES: Absolutely.

(LAUGHTER)

HUGHES: CNN is on top of it, Don. We have the stats, baby, that's right.

LEMON: Thank you. Thank you.

Show everybody this. I'm digging this.

HUGHES: OK. Can we see this?

LEMON: I wear chucks (ph) and she did them in honor.

HUGHES: That's right.

LEMON: I didn't wear my chucks (ph) today. I did actually wear shoes.

HUGHES: Don's got some fabulous brown and black ones, so I bought these in honor of Don Lemon.

LEMON: Love having you.

HUGHES: Fantastic. Thank you.

LEMON: A 91-year-old man hides a disability from his family for years. His inspiring story of overcoming his painful secret, right after the break.

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(HUMAN FACTOR) LEMON: Thank you, Dr. Gupta.

The death toll in Syria soars to 63. An update when we come back.

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LEMON: Across Syria today, the death toll soared to 63 people. The Syrian army ramped up the shelling in places like Idlib where the opposition reports fierce concentrated attacks.

Meanwhile former U.N. Security General Kofi Annan met with Syrian President Bashar Al Assad to try to stop the carnage. Assad said no cease fire is possible while what he calls terrorists, armed gangs are threatening his country.

Los Angeles police arrested actor, Michael Madsen, last night. They were called to his Malibu, California, home to investigate a family disturbance. Madsen is facing a charge of cruelty to a child after an apparent fight with his teenaged son. Madsen is being held on $100,000 bail. And you probably know Madsen from movies like "Kill Bill" and "Reservoir Dogs."

CNN's projecting Rick Santorum the winner of the Kansas caucuses. 40 delegates were at stake in the contest. Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney essentially ceded Kansas to Santorum, focusing on Alabama and Mississippi, which hold primaries on Tuesday. We'll have a live report on Kansas minutes from now in "The Situation Room," so stand by.

New Orleans Saints quarterback, Drew Brees, says he knew nothing about a so-called bounty program run by the team's former defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams. In a letter posted on his web site, Brees said, "There's no place in the NFL for players to conspire to intentionally injure each other." Williams is accused of paying players for brutal hits that forced opposing players out of the game. One hour from now, hear my conversation with Hall of Fame quarterback, Fran Tarkington, and former defensive player, Lamar Campbell, about the scandal that has shaken the NFL.

I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. I'll see you back here in a moment with results from the Kansas caucuses.

"THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer begins in moments.