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Tim Tebow Speaks Out; Health Care Reform on Trial; New Details in Trayvon Martin Case, Tebow Officially Headed to Jets; Iraqi Woman Beaten to Death; Director James Cameron's Deepsea Journey

Aired March 26, 2012 - 15:00   ET

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

ALINA CHO, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Alina Cho, in for Brooke Baldwin today.

President Obama's health care law goes on trial. The wife of the soldier accused of killing Afghan civilians says he's innocent. And the president's private comments are caught on a hot microphone.

Time to play "Reporter Roulette."

We begin with health care reform on trial, Rallies and more outside the Supreme Court as the highest court in the land begins to hear arguments over whether the Affordable Health Care Act can require nearly all Americans to have health insurance coverage.

You will hear from the justices in just a moment.

But first to congressional correspondent Kate Bolduan live outside the Supreme Court.

Kate, you were inside the courtroom when this was all going on. What happened today?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what happened today was a bit of what we're calling over here a bit of the warm-up act to the main event.

The question before the justices today while they're kicking off this three days of arguments, the question before the justices was should they even be taking this case and considering it now. And that's because the major provisions in this health care law don't go into effect into 2014.

The individual mandate, as you mentioned, requiring that nearly all Americans have health insurance in 2014 or they will take a penalty, so the justices, in taking up that question, it relates to pretty old -- a tax law dating back to the 19th century. In taking that up, they gave pretty clear signals today they did not think there were any barriers to moving on to the big question of the constitutionality of the individual mandate. Gave some pretty strong signals in the courtroom.

Listen here real quick to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She sums up pretty well what it seems a majority appeared to agree on in the courtroom today. (BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

RUTH BADER GINSBURG, ASSOCIATE JUSTICE, U.S. SUPREME COURT: All this talk about tax penalty, it's all beside the point because this suit is not challenging the penalty. This is a suit that is challenging the "must buy" provision.

And the argument is made that if indeed "must buy" is constitutional, then these complainants will not resist the penalty.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: You can also see there the language inside the courtroom was pretty was legally dense, probably a little arcane for people to understand.

CHO: You think?

BOLDUAN: But what she was summing up there when she said it's beside the point, basically we heard that from a majority of the justices. They're ready to move on, they're ready for the big game, they're ready -- not to give too many sports analogies here, but they're ready to take on the very important constitutional question that really all the crowds that have been out here, and all the signs and all everyone really is waiting to hear is for them to start talking and hear oral arguments on the question of the constitutionality of that individual mandate.

Today it seems like they were not putting up any barriers to getting to that point. I guess that is what we heard today.

CHO: All right, good, because if you understand all of that, I give you an A-plus. I want you to tell us what happens next? There's a couple days more of arguments. And then when is the decision due out?

BOLDUAN: A couple more days. As we have been saying, tomorrow is the individual mandate. Two hours of oral arguments, that's where everyone has all their eyes.

On Wednesday, there are two issues they will be taking up and we will talk more about that later, but it has to do with some side issues. If the individual mandate falls, does the entire health care law need to fall as well? Also a question about the expansion of Medicaid, do the states need to be on the hook for sharing of that cost, a greater share of that cost? That's coming up Wednesday.

When all said and done, despite the marathon public sessions, we're still not going to hear the final opinion coming down from the justices for likely three months. Normally, something big like this we will hear some time in June. Everyone is going to have to just sit tight, despite all of the talk and all of the excitement over this issue.

CHO: Well, not a bad assignment in the meantime. Chamber of Commerce weather there in Washington, Kate. BOLDUAN: Yes. Thank you.

CHO: Kate Bolduan, great to see you as always. Thank you.

And just a heads-up, live during this hour, I will speak to the young boy who came the face of this controversial law when he stood next to President Obama when the health care bill was signed into law. You're looking at him there, Marcelas Owens. You're going to find out what he's been doing over the past couple of years. He's 13 now.

Next on "Reporter Roulette," the wife of the soldier accused of gunning down Afghan civilians speaks.

Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence joins us live.

Chris, what did she say?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Alina, she said her husband appeared confused when she talked to him. She also said he loved children, and even compared him to a big kid himself. Listen to what he told "Today Show" anchor Matt Lauer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT LAUER, CO-HOST, "THE TODAY SHOW": You have spoken to him twice on the phone. Did you say, sweetheart, did you do this?

KARILYN BALES, WIFE OF ROBERT BALES: no, no.

LAUER: As a spouse, wouldn't you want to ask that question, quickly? Honey, why are they saying these things about you?

BALES: Not on a monitored phone call. We couldn't discuss those details. He was -- seemed a bit confused adds to where he was and why he was there.

LAUER: Will there become a time when you get to see Bob where you will look him straight in the eye and ask him?

BALES: Probably.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: So she was clearly concerned ability the military monitoring the call with her husband and obviously would hope to have a more open, honest face-to-face conversation at some point in the future.

CHO: There are also new details coming out about the specific of the March 11 attack. What are you hearing?

LAWRENCE: Defense officials are now saying based on the investigation that they have been doing ever since this shooting occurred, that it now appears that Staff Sergeant Bales left the base, went to one village and then came back to the base before going to that second village. That could have big repercussions, not only for how prosecutors prosecute the case, but also for the defense as well in terms of gauging what his mental state was. And when you have to think the prosecutors have charged him with premeditated murder, we're told by legal experts here at the Pentagon that that premeditation doesn't have to be a long time, over weeks and months. It could just be a matter of hours.

CHO: Chris Lawrence, thank you.

Next on "Reporter Roulette" Brianna Keilar in Seoul, South Korea, where a hot microphone made a very private conversation between Presidents Obama and Russia's Medvedev very public. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: An open microphone caught President Obama asking Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for space, basically for more time on the issue of the missile defense system in Europe.

The reason for that space, election-year politics. Part of the exchange was captured on camera as reporters and cameras entered the room where the presidents had been for 90 minutes in a formal one-on- one meeting. The reporters and the cameras coming in for a photo-op at the end of that meeting.

Here's the exchange.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is my last election. And after my election, I have more flexibility.

DMITRY MEDVEDEV, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT: I understand you. I transmit this information to Vladimir, and I stand with you.

KEILAR: This is a prickly issue for the two countries. U.S. leaders who are leading the NATO missile defense system efforts have said this would not be directed at all towards Russia. Instead, it would protect against a potential Iranian strike and would protect Europe.

But Russia's bristles at the idea of having a missile defense system so close to it border and says it violates Russian sovereignty. A top adviser to President Obama acknowledging the difficulty of making progress on the missile defense system in an election year. It's an election year for both the U.S. and for Russia, saying both presidents agreed to let technical experts discuss their positions on the matter so that it could create space to come to a solution, a resolution at a later date.

Brianna Keilar, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHO: Thank you, Brianna.

And that is today's "Reporter Roulette."

New today, CNN has learned that Trayvon Martin was serving a suspension from school on the day he was shot to death. You will hear why.

Plus, just a short time ago, his parents spoke out saying some people are trying to ruin their son's reputation. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHO: New details in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. It's been exactly one month since the Florida teen was shot to death by a neighborhood watch captain. CNN has learned that the teen had been suspended from school after marijuana residue was found inside his bookbag. And that's why he was visiting his father in Sanford, Florida.

His mother spoke out in the last hour. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SABRINA FULTON, MOTHER OF TRAYVON MARTIN: Comment that I have right now is that they have killed my son. And now they're trying to kill his reputation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: CNN's Martin Savidge is in Sanford, Florida, where emotions, as you just saw there, are running high.

Martin, there are fresh reports out of witnesses coming out with new information that could bolster the self-defense case of George Zimmerman, right?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly right.

This is information that was first reported in a local newspaper here in Orlando in which they described a fight, apparently, an altercation that took place between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin. At least this is according to the version that George Zimmerman has given in a statement to authorities as to what happened on the night he fatally shot Trayvon Martin.

And now the Sanford Police Department has confirmed those details. And the information essentially is this. It says that Trayvon Martin threw one punch at George Zimmerman, apparently striking him in the face and knocking him to the ground. The reports then go on to say that Trayvon was over George Zimmerman and was apparently driving his head into the ground or at least knocking his head against the ground several times.

This would seem to coincide, of course, with the information we already had from George Zimmerman's attorney who had maintained that his client during an attack had suffered a broken nose and lacerations to the back of his head. And it would also bolster, of course, the self-defense argument that has been put forward by his attorneys. That's the latest information we have got so far and again confirmed by the police.

(CROSSTALK)

CHO: Right. Because a lot of people were asking, how exactly was he injured in that attack?

Also, Martin, the family attorney, Ben Crump, spoke out in the last hour. We want you to listen to this and we will talk on the other side. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR FAMILY OF TRAYVON MARTIN: ... Trayvon Martin was suspended for had absolutely no bearing on what happened on the night of February 26.

We told you previously when you asked questions that he wasn't suspended for anything violent, and he wasn't suspended for anything criminal. If he and his friends experimented with marijuana, that is still completely irrelevant to George Zimmerman killing their son on the night of February 26. It is one of those things that the family said, what does that have to do with him killing my son?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: All right, that was Ben Crump, the Martin family attorney.

Obviously these are two separate things, Martin, but it does have -- there is a possibility, of course, that this could impact the case. How do you think that this news of the suspension will affect the case and affect the tone of this big town hall meeting that's going to happen tonight?

SAVIDGE: Well, you know, that's a very difficult judgment to kind of make. I think that in many ways people are going to look at this as possible character assassination on the part of someone lashing out now at the memory of a young man who is unable to defend himself.

So I think it is likely to add perhaps to the sense of anger. We already know that there were great concerns on the part of the community here. This is the civic center here. It only holds about 500 people, or at least that's the limit they're going to place tonight.

And so there were great concerns that with so many people coming, that would add to the anger. But they have set up some television sets in a nearby park. So everyone should be able to see. But emotions were already running high. Information like this is certainly not going to help in calming matters. The Trayvon Martin family has essentially said, look, we appeal for calm and we appeal for civil voices tonight.

CHO: Martin Savidge live in Sanford, Florida, on top of it as always, Martin, great to see you. Thank you very much. In other news, it's official. Tim Tebow is headed to the New York Jets football franchise. He spoke out at a news conference just a little while ago. We're going to hear from Tebow and bring in our Jason Carroll live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHO: Tim Tebow speaks out for the first time as an official New York Jet and says he's excited. I will say. Tebow will be a backup quarterback for the team.

Our Jason Carroll joins me from New York.

Sure getting a lot of press attention for a second-string quarterback, Jason. You were at the press conference today.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For a backup quarterback.

CHO: That's right. What was it like to be there?

CARROLL: It was really incredible to see that, some 200 members of the press showing up, think about this, for a backup quarterback. It's unprecedented. I don't think anyone -- a lot of people looking at the sports world would say, really, for a backup quarterback?

But this isn't just any backup quarterback, as you know. This is Tim Tebow. This is a man who has given himself through his athleticism on the field and through his faith off the field quite a reputation and I think a lot of people here in New York and nationwide just wanted to see what he had to say as being a New York Jet.

CHO: So what did he say? He talked about his faith, didn't he?

CARROLL: He did.

Look, I mean, everyone knows now about Tebowing. He talked about it, and when he gets on the field, he does that famous move that we have seen there. He says even he's been getting a lot of attention for it now, he says he's actually been doing that for seven years. And during the press conference, I said to him, look, obviously a lot of the attention is about your accomplishments on the field, but it's also about your faith. Listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM TEBOW, NEW JERSEY JETS: I'm pretty sure I'm not the first athlete that has gotten on a knee and prayed. But somehow it's known as Tebowing and I'm not sure why. It's not all a bad thing. If people are still somehow talking about prayer or talking about my faith, then I think that's pretty cool.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: So you there, Alina, he says it's pretty cool.

He says if this means more people are paying attention to Jesus Christ and Christianity, he says that's a good thing so he's all for it.

CHO: There's so much attention. They were following his every move. He went to see "Wicked" on Broadway over the weekend.

They can't get enough of this. It's on every tabloid, the front and the back cover. But the reaction in New York really has been somehow mixed, right?

CARROLL: A little bit mixed.

You look at some of the most recent polls, one poll showed 53 percent of folks actually support this, 44 percent do not. And some criticism, too. Some tweeting coming in from anonymous sort of folks saying why bringing this man in with all this type of attention. He was asked about that. He was saying look, I understand that people are saying these types of things. I'm here, this is about football.

The team says this isn't a publicity stunt. The team says this is about better football. And, in fact, the coach even saying that even though he is a backup quarterback, they might see him on the field as a running back, doing other things on the field in other roles as well.

(CROSSTALK)

CARROLL: Even though there's some criticism out there, Tebow says, I'm here, I'm all about trying to make the team better. I will do whatever the team asks me to do. Of course he wants to be a quarterback but he's willing to do whatever it takes to make the Jets a better team.

CHO: And apparently he and Mark Sanchez, the first-string quarterback, are friends. We will see have to see how that relationship plays out.

As for our relationship, I am a flight back to New York later on today and I will be back in our office tomorrow. Make sure you keep it clean. Got that, Jason?

(LAUGHTER)

CARROLL: I will keep it clean for you.

(LAUGHTER)

CHO: Thank you, Jason Carroll. It's great to see you.

CARROLL: You bet.

CHO: Coming up, a Miss Universe contestant in the Canada competition gets booted from the pageant after Miss Universe officials find out she was actually born a man.

Up next, we will talk live to transgender activist Donna Rose to get her reaction to the news. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHO: An ouster at the Miss Universe Canada competition. Listen to this, 23-year-old Jenna Talackova of Vancouver seen here on the right, the blonde, she made it to the finals, but no one that Talackova was actually born a man.

According to "The Vancouver Sun," Talackova underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2010. Now she's been disqualified from the Miss Universe Canada pageant.

In a press release, Talackova says -- quote -- "I'm very disappointed with the decision taken by Miss Universe organizers. However, I will look to turn this situation into a positive so that other people in a similar situation are not discriminated against in the future. Many thanks, Jenna."

Joining me now to talk about this is transgender activist Donna Rose.

Donna, when you see that statement and you know what happened, what's your reaction?

DONNA ROSE, TRANSGENDER ACTIVIST: I'm sad more than anything. It would be easy to say that I'm angry because those kinds of things happen all the time. Most people aren't called upon to validate their gender as a significant part of themselves the way that she has, especially kind of in this very public way.

But it seems like the same battle we have had since Renee Richards wanted to play tennis and just move on with her life and had to answer that question about what's a woman or what's a man.

CHO: She apparently said over Twitter she was disqualified for being born.

Having said that, we did get a statement from the Miss Universe organization, which says in part -- quote -- "As with any competition, the Miss Universe pageant has rules which apply to all of its franchises around the world. Additionally, the rules currently state that all contestants must be naturally born females. After review, organizers discovered that Jenna Talackova falsified her application and did not meet the necessarily requirements to compete in the 2012 Miss Universe Canada Pageant."

Donna, don't they have a point?

ROSE: No.

I am dubious about those rules for a number of reasons. First, they haven't appeared anywhere before. This is something that has happened behind closed doors over the last couple of weeks. In fact, I would go so far as to say that they have known about this for quite a while. She hasn't hidden it. It makes her sound like she's some kind of a hiding, deceitful person.

And in reality, the fact is that the international committee has decided that trans-people or people of trans-history can compete in their authentic gender. The Girls Scouts just recently has accepted a young physically male boy as a member.

So the recognition that gender is more than just a chromosome is something that I find still very troubling. So I don't buy into the fact that this is a rule and she didn't disclose herself so automatically she's disqualified.

CHO: But are you hopeful that this decision will be reversed?

ROSE: I am. I am.

There are still positive ways -- possible outcomes because each one of these, unfortunately, becomes another one of these learning opportunities that the world isn't as scary as some would make it out to be. Trans-people are integrating themselves into the society in all kinds of ways.

And so I find that, you know, to have to validate which bathroom you use or to have to validate what fitness center you go to or to have to argue about what clubs you can join, to me, it hearkens back to discrimination. And in most instances whether it's actually called out as being such, it is found to be such.

CHO: Donna Rose, I thank you for your perceptive on this.

ROSE: Thank you.

CHO: Now this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Drowned in her own blood with a letter next to her head saying, go back to your own country, you terrorist. We're not the terrorist. You are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: This young Iraqi woman just lost her mother to a brutal murder. Now new calls on police to call it a hate crime. We're going to tell you what happened.

Plus, bosses asking employees for their Facebook passwords? Is this the new trend? And is it legal? Joey Jackson is "On the Case" and that is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHO: An Iraqi woman who was viciously beaten in our southern California home has died of her injuries. Her family believes she was the victim of a hate crime. Here's what happened. Her teenage daughter found 32-year-old Shaima Alawadi on the floor of her suburban San Diego home on Wednesday unconscious and bleeding. A threatening note was discovered close by telling the family to go back to Iraq, calling them "terrorists." Former prosecutor Joey Jackson is on the case. Joey, this was actually the second note that was left. A week ago another note was left saying something similar and the family didn't take it seriously. They thought it was a prank. Police so far have not classified this as a hate crime. Don't you think that's going to happen? And if it does happen, how will that change the case?

JOEY JACKSON, ATTORNEY: Well, I think, Alina, ultimately it will. Now, here's the point. The point is there are 45 states in addition to the federal government that have hate crime statutes. What does it tell you? It tells you there's a need for it because sad, tragic, and horrific things like this do occur.

Now, whenever you take someone because of their nationality, their religious affiliations, or anything else, in this case, because she's from Iraq, and you bludgeon her with a tire iron that you hit her over the head with and leave her bleeding in her home, certainly leaving her a note saying go back to your country you're a terrorist, that's horrific, it needs to be punished.

In terms of how you charge it, whenever you talk about hate crimes, it enhances a sentence. This is a murder, let's call it what it is. However, when you add the added element of having it predicated upon animus of the individual and hating them for who they are and where they come from, it elevates the level of the punishment involved. And that's what will happen here. I think the fact that it will be treated as a hate crime is indeed inevitable.

CHO: Particularly on the case of Trayvon Martin, that case in Florida that has gotten everyone's attention.

I also want to talk about another story that got the attention of a lot of us in the newsroom. Recently companies have been asking new employees, prospective employees, to hand over their Facebook passwords. I mean, is this legal?

JACKSON: You know what, Alina, interestingly enough, I believe it is. I know there are various state attorneys general throughout the country who are going to speak to this issue when they're trying to get together legislation. But let's be clear on a couple of things. The first thing is, I understand from an employee or prospective employee's point it's an invasion of privacy. The don't think they should show it to an employer.

But understand from where the employer comes from, Alina. You have the right as an employer to hire people and do background checks that vet the people to make sure the individuals who work for you are who they claim to be. And I can tell you as an attorney, any witness who I am cross examining on the stand, my office goes through their Facebook so that I have anything in social media that they put out there.

CHO: Right. But it's one thing to do their own background check. It's a given that employers are going to do that. But it's another thing to say oh, by the way, can give me your Facebook pass word, don't you think? JACKSON: It is indeed. But it comes down to what access should employers have to your information. Now remember, an employer can be held accountable, that is liable and financially responsible, for any acts of their employees if they don't do a sufficient background check that are negligent, reckless, that are, indeed, intentional. So an employer is simply trying to protect themselves.

This is not something that's predicated upon simply being nosey or simply wandering down a lane and finding out what your prospective employees are doing. This is something that they're trying to do to protect their own interests.

So to be clear, there will be challenges, potential legislation, fights about it. When it comes down to it, employers have an interest to hire proper people and employees do indeed have a privacy interest. The point is, how far does it go and where does it extend? There will be challenges for sure.

CHO: That's right. Facebook says for its part says don't do it unless you want to get sued. So there you have it. Joey Jackson, great to see you as always. Thank you so much.

JACKSON: Thanks, Alina.

CHO: Up next, do you remember the kid who stood next to president Obama as he signed the health care bill into law? Look at him now. Marcelas Owens was -- hey, Marcelas. You were 11 at the time. Now you're 13. He lost his mom who died without health insurance and he's about to join me live on the first day the Supreme Court hears the case.

But first, a preview of CNN's "Next" list.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Jose (ph) Marcus (ph), and I use toys to make affordable medical devices. When we're using toys it demystifies the process of medical technology. Often we look at these medical devices and we think that they're a black. And you need an expert to take a screw driver at it. You might not have the courage to hack a $1,000 device, but you definitely have the courage to hack something that's $5. And it becomes something as powerful as a $1,000 medical device.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHO: Want to take you back to what's before the Supreme Court. Whether the government can order citizens to have health coverage is a public or political issue for most of us. But for one 13-year-old boy from Washington state, health care coverage is a personal crusade. Marcelas Owens was 11 years old when he stood by President Obama as the Affordable Health Care Act became law. He earned the spot after advocating for reform, lobbying even on his birthday. That's because Marcelas' mother suffered from high blood pressure. She got sick, missed work, lost her job, and ultimately lost her health care coverage. She then died, and Marcelas believes had she had her insurance, she would be alive today.

Marcelas Owens joins me live from Seattle. And also here is senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. Marcelas, it is great to see you. You are 13 years old now. It's been two year. I want you to take me back to the day when that bill became law. It was March 23, 2012. And there you are, alongside the president as he signed that health care act into law. He even gave you a high five. You're wearing almost the identical tie. What do you remember from that day?

MARCELAS OWENS, ADVOCATE FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM: I remember just being so nervous and thinking back to all to the amazing people that I met during the whole journey that I took. And I remember people coming up to me and commenting on me and President Obama's identical ties.

(LAUGHTER)

CHO: I bet. And you're wearing the same vest today, same shirt, different tie, but same vest that you were wearing when you met the president. Tell me, what did the president tell you?

OWENS: What I can remember from that day was he told me not to be so nervous. And mainly we gave each other high fives and he gave me a fist bump in the Oval Office, so that was cool.

CHO: It all happened very quickly, right, because this -- I think it was a sign you found out the day before and you took the red eye from Seattle all the way there. You packed your bag, went with your grandmother. I want to bring in Elizabeth Cohen now. Obviously the reason he was standing by the president is ultimately a sad story, his mother died. But had his mother Tiffany been alive today when the health care act became law, would she have health insurance?

DR. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: What happened with Tiffany was that she had a job, she had insurance. Because she was ill, she missed work. She lost that job. And then I don't know the specific, but I can't imagine that she could have gotten insurance. It would have been practically impossible to get insurance with pulmonary hypertension, which is what she had. This is such a dangerous disease, no insurance company wants to touch you.

Health care reform requires that insurance companies stop saying no to people with conditions like pulmonary hypertension, and that goes into effect in a few years. If she had been alive at the time where insurance had to take her, she would have gotten better care.

CHO: There would have been hope.

COHEN: There would have been hope, because there was no way she was going to get insurance with that disease. But if insurance companies had to take her, then she could have gotten care.

CHO: Marcelas, I want to ask you a little bit more about your crusade, because, obviously, you lobbied for health care reform. But, you know at the time you were 11. You're still so young. You're 13 years old. Why was it so important for you to be out there rallying for support for health care reform?

OWENS: Well, to me it was really important because there were a lot of people and a lot of people in my family who didn't have health care. And also what I believe is that when people die, you die with your legacy. And lobbying and advocating for health care was my mom legacy when she passed away. So I felt like I had to do for her. And then as I started to do it I really met a lot of great people and people with sad stories that I could relate to. And, you know --

CHO: How much of what is going on in the Supreme Court do you understand? Do you know what's going on with the Supreme Court hearing arguments on the health care reform law now? Do you understand what's happening in Washington?

OWENS: My grandma, she's trying to get me to help me understand mostly what's going on. But from basically my knowledge is that some people don't agree with the things that health care bill -- agree with some of the things that are in there. So that's basically all that I know.

CHO: Marcelas, I appreciate it. It seems like you understand a lot about what's going on.

Elizabeth, I want to ask you. Just in general, so many uninsured Americans, maybe 40 million, maybe close to 50 million uninsured Americans. But so many families affected as well, right? I mean, how is this impacting families? And how will it impact families going forward?

COHEN: Health care reform impacts families in many different ways. For example, if someone in your family has a preexisting condition, that person will you should health care reform be able to get insurance. Or let's say they have an expensive illness that costs millions and million to treat. It used to be insurance companies will put a cap on it and say, OK, you hit $5 million. You're out of here. I don't care that you have cancer. I don't care that you're in a terrible situation. Health care gets rid of those limits. So those families are obviously happy about it.

I have to imagine that there are also families who don't have insurance and don't want insurance, they don't want to pay for it. Health care requires them to buy insurance. And I imagine they're not very happy about health care reform. They, I'm sure, would say we don't want to buy it. We have the right to make our own decisions. Why are you forcing us to buy a product we don't want?

CHO: So complicated. I think many Americans want people like you to simplify it, me included.

COHEN: I can take all day long and do that.

CHO: OK, thank you very much, Elizabeth. Marcelas Owens, I think what you're doing is extraordinary. I wish you the very best of luck, and keep us posted on what you're up to, OK?

OWENS: I will.

CHO: All right, thank you so much.

Up next, Rick Santorum lashes out at a reporter, even curses. You're going to see what happened.

Plus, hear what the reporter asked that got the presidential candidate so fired up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHO: Rick Santorum lashing out at a reporter right after launching an attack on Mitt Romney. Santorum slammed Romney on his health care plan, saying on this issue Romney would be the worst candidate to go against the president this fall.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK SANTORUM, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Why would we put someone up who is uniquely -- pick any other Republican in the country. He is the worst Republican in the country to put up against Barack Obama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: Well, right after that, a "New York Times" reporter asked Santorum for clarification on that statement, and CBS News cameras captured his response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You said that Mitt Romney is the worst Republican in the country, is that true?

SANTORUM: What speech did you listen to?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry.

SANTORUM: Stop lying, I said he was the worst Republican to run on the issue of Obamacare. I have said uniquely, for every speech I give, I say he's uniquely disqualified to run against Barack Obama on the issue of health care. Would you guys quit distorting what I'm saying?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think he's the worst Republican --

SANTORUM: I said the worst Republican to run against Barack Obama on the issue of health care because he fashioned the blue print. I've been saying it at every speech. Quit distorting my words. If I see it, it's --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHO: Well, today in Washington Santorum said he had no regrets, saying, quote, "If you're a conservative and haven't taken on a "New York Times" reporter, you're not worth your salt.

"THE SITUATION ROOM" with my friend Wolf Blitzer starts at the top of the hour. Wolf joins me now with a preview. Hey, Wolf, great to see you as always. You have not one, not two, but three GOP presidential primary candidates on your show tonight, Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich. I imagine that you're going to get to that with Santorum today.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": We will. You'll see in the 5:00 p.m. eastern hour, Rick Santorum in the 4:00 p.m. eastern hour at the top of the hour. Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich will be joining me. They'll be joining me live, separate interviews with all three of these Republican presidential candidates. We'll probably have Ron Paul later in the week in "THE SITUATION ROOM" as well.

But we got a lot of stuff to talk about, including obviously the historic arguments being heard before the United States Supreme Court today, tomorrow, and Wednesday on the constitutionality on the mandates for health care reform. We're going to get into that and get into some foreign policy issues. And certainly we'll have a good exchange with Rick Santorum and that whole exchange with the "New York Times" reporter, as well. So a lot of good stuff coming up.

CHO: Nobody better to do it. All right, I'll be watching from the airport, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you.

CHO: We'll see you at the top of the hour.

Filmmaker and adventurer James Cameron made it to the bottom of the ocean yesterday. Up next we're going to talk live to Sir Richard Branson who's also racing to get to the bottom of the sea. He's with us next.

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CHO: A story I have been waiting all day for. Director James Cameron is back above water already after plunging to the deepest part of the ocean. We're talking about a dive more than 35,000 feet below sea level completely solo. Cameron spent several hours on the ocean floor, even tweeting from down there, all in the name of deep sea exploration. I got to understand how this Twitter thing happened 35,000 feet under the sea.

Anyway, famed thrill seeker and CEO of the Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson joins me now to talk a little bit about this, because you're a famous thrill seeker yourself. In fact, you're doing your own deep sea mission, and we'll talk about that in just a minute. But first I want to get your thoughts on what Cameron has done. What do you think about that?

RICHARD BRANSON, CEO, VIRGIN GROUP: It's remarkable. I mean when you think that no nation has managed to go below 17,000 feet in a submarine, only a few people have been further down before and they were at a solid ground -- they couldn't see out except a little tiny porthole. And so I think it's time that people are trying to build submarines to explore our oceans because the ocean's got lots to explore.

CHO: Right. And you're very interested in this yourself. Just to be clear here, Cameron went to the deepest point in the Pacific Ocean. You're going to go to the Puerto Rican trench, the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean. You've built your own submersible, a little bit different. Tell us about that project.

BRANSON: Yes, well, we have built a submarine which is, yes, more like a sort of hydro-jet. And the difference between that and Cameron's is that it will be able to travel greater distance under water. So I think in time we'll most likely put the two submarines together so ours can go down to the bottom and explore and then he can send submarine down for filming purposes because he's a past master at that. But the Puerto Rican porter trench is the deepest place in the Atlantic. It's deeper than Mt. Everest is high, and nobody's been down it. So in a few months time I'm planning to do that dive, and find out what's going on down there.

CHO: A few months time, so are we talking two three, or are we talking 12 to 15? I mean how close are you actually going to take this dive. And there we're looking at a picture of your submersible right there. Which you're right, it does look like a fighter jet.

BRANSON: In two or three months time we'll have a pressure test. If it passes the pressure test, and the pressure is something like 1,700 pounds of pressure on an airplane, so they've got to be very, very strong. Apart from the pressure test, we should be able to go down in three to six months' time and it happens to be five miles from Necker Island, where I live, so it's very convenient.

CHO: And tell us why deep sea exploration is so important? I mean why are you so intent on doing this?

BRANSON: Well, let's see, most things start by people like James Cameron or myself being explorers and seeing what we're capable of, seeing what technology is capable of. And as a result of that, then you can build bigger craft that scientists can go down in. And it's very important that we actually understand our oceans. I mean, we're doing enormous amounts of damage to our ocean. So if we can actually get down and see what's going on, we can learn from that and we can make sure that we protect our beautiful seas and we protect the species in them.

CHO: I hope to go with you, so please keep me in mind, all right, Richard Branson?

BRANSON: It's a single season. I'd be delight to escort you.

CHO: OK, great. Thank you, so much. Great to see you as always, Sir Richard Branson with his perspective on this.

That's it for now. I'm Alina Cho. "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer starts right now.