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Sanford Police Sought Charges in Trayvon Case; JetBlue Pilot's In-Flight Breakdown; Gingrich Lays Off One-Third of Staff; Three's Company; Natural Gas Industry Booming; Critical Moment for Health Care Law; SAT/ACT Anti-Cheating Steps to Kick In; L.A. Dodgers Sold for $2 Billion
Aired March 28, 2012 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: That's a good looking cake, Soledad.
(LAUGHTER)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN HOST, "STARTING POINT": It's very little. I'm going to have a third of it.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Save me some. Thank you, Soledad. And good morning to all of you. I'm Carol Costello. Stories we're watching right now in the NEWSROOM.
The pilot who lost control not of the plane but of himself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take it down.
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COSTELLO: If you had to pick people you really need to hold it together, an airline pilot during a flight would be at the top of the list right up there with a surgeon.
The Newt machine gets more lean. Gingrich cuts a third of his staff and trims back his schedule. But he's still in it to win it and say he's got Romney, Santorum and Obama right where he wants them.
Nationwide outrage over a Florida teenager's killing might not have been so fever pitched if local police had charged the shooter the night it happened. Now we're learning they wanted to do just that. So why didn't they?
And the rocky mountain wildfire that won't let up. More lives, homes and property lost. Hundreds of firefighters from across the country are coming in to help get that fire under control.
And from basketball legend to baseball owner, the L.A. Dodgers might be calling Magic Johnson the boss.
We begin this morning with much more information on about the captain who had a mid flight meltdown. We have new information on who that pilot is and the JetBlue passengers who pounced on him when he unleashed this terrifying rant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My god, I m so distraught. We've got Iraq. We got Israel. We got Iran. We've got to get down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: A federal law enforcement official identified the JetBlue pilot as Clayton Osbon. This morning he is in the hospital under observation. His LinkedIn account shows he's flown with JetBlue for just under a dozen years. It also shows Osbon graduated with a bachelor's degree in physics from Carnegie Mellon University. His neighbors in Savannah, Georgia, say they're shocked.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELTON STAFFORD, NEIGHBOR OF JETBLUE CAPTAIN: Wow. This is -- I just don't know what to think. Obviously, you know, something has clicked or something. He's a straight headed guy. Very level headed. And very professional. So I know he loves his job. We've talked about it a little bit. But I am as shocked as anybody would be about this news.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: We have reached out to the pilot's wife but she is not talking right now. But we are hearing from the CEO of JetBlue.
Lizzie O'Leary is our aviation and regulation correspondent. She's in Washington.
Lizzie, what is the CEO saying?
LIZZIE O'LEARY, CNN AVIATION AND REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's been talking about this, Carol, certainly in response to a lot of questions from the flying public and from others sort of trying to understand what was going on here. The airline yesterday is saying this was a medical situation. They had a medical issue with the pilot. Many folks have been writing in on JetBlue's Web site saying this seems like something perhaps a little bit more than that.
We of course know that law enforcement is looking into this including the FBI. I want to play for you the JetBlue CEO's response to questions like the one you see there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVE BARGER, JETBLUE PRESIDENT, CEO: Really what happened at altitude and the call into FAA is that we had a medical situation. That's how we responded. Clearly especially in today's media is real time, Matt, so we know that. It also became a security situation. So I think as we know less than 24 hours later, it -- it started medical but clearly more than that. (END VIDEO CLIP)
O'LEARY: Now, look, Carol, we know from several of the passengers on board that people seem to cooperate in trying to subdue the pilot. They were directed by members of a flight crew. To do that you have about half a dozen passengers pitch in and help.
COSTELLO: Well, Lizzie, let's face it. When we first heard about this incident, they were saying that this pilot had a panic attack. But the pilot was screaming out things like there's a bomb on the plane and al Qaeda is here. I mean that's more than a panic attack. And it begs the question, are pilots screened for their mental health?
O'LEARY: They are. Look, I think it's very important to point out that pilots, particularly commercial airline pilots are one of the most highly trained self-selected groups of people. Now, in terms of how all of these works, every year pilots up to the age of 40 are screened both physically and mentally and then after the age of 40 it's every six months.
This gentleman would have been every six months. But I do want to point out that there have been some sort of changing rules that we've seen in terms of talking about mental health. For example, the FAA has recently allowed pilots to fly on four different types of anti-depressants but they also say you have to have an incident free year prior to getting back behind the controls of a plane.
So there are a lot of questions about whether pilots are fully forthcoming with all the details of their mental health and whether they are in some ways stigmatized not to reveal all of those things. There are a lot of questions, we should point out, about this particular incident. We don't know all of the specifics. But I do want to reiterate to viewers that by and large all airline pilots certainly on the commercial aviation front are a very highly trained and very sort of self-selected group of physically and generally mentally fit people.
COSTELLO: Point taken. But I'm sure you'll remain on this case. Lizzie O'Neil (sic) reporting live from Washington.
Some of the passengers who helped the subdue the captain are brushing aside praise for their quick action. Instead they say it's the co-pilot who may have saved the lives of the 141 people on board.
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TONY ANTOLINO, JETBLUE PASSENGER: The co-pilot of the flight, you know, he really I think is the hero here because he had the sense to recognize that something was going horribly wrong and he was able to persuade the captain out of the cockpit. That was really the first step in allowing this to play out the way that it did and, you know, thankfully we're here to be able to talk about it.
Yes, that's step one. Step two, absolutely I think everybody's impulses kicked in when the situation continued to escalate. I think myself and the four other guys that jumped on him kind of all felt at the same time that this is -- enough is enough and we need to do something. We cannot allow him to try and gain access back into the cockpit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So let's talk about the co-pilot and what exactly happened inside that cockpit.
Miles O'Brien is an aviation expert and pilot.
Welcome, Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, AVIATION EXPERT AND PILOT: Carol, good to see you.
COSTELLO: Nice to see you, too. So let's talk about what that co-pilot did. At the moment he noticed something was wrong, what was he supposed to do and what did he do?
O'BRIEN: Well, imagine being inside that cockpit, sitting in that right sear, and looking to the left seat and you see this erratic behavior. Maybe buttons being pushed. Maybe dials being turned that were completely inappropriate. Maybe air traffic controls commands that were being ignored. We don't know exactly what was happening. But as a co-pilot, if I were in that situation, I think the thing I would do would be to as firmly and politely as possible remind the captain what the clearances were and what the rules of flying were. And then be thinking about a way to neutralize that situation.
My hunch on this one, Carol, is that this is a long flight. Almost transcontinental to Las Vegas. I suspect this co-pilot did a lot of good talking until such time as the captain, nature took over and the captain had to take a biomedical break. And I think that's probably what happened here. That would be my strategy if I were in that seat.
COSTELLO: So when the pilot finally left the cockpit to go to the bathroom, the co-pilot locked the door, which was pretty smart actually. But is there like a list of things you should do in these kinds of situations like that?
O'BRIEN: Well, you know, there are operating manuals that every airline has that are approved by the FAA that go through some of these scenarios. What happens if a crewmember for whatever reason becomes incapacitated. As a matter of fact they frequently in simulators would drill situations where they're about to take off and one of the crew member plays as if he's having a heart attack. What is that sole crewmember supposed to do? What is the decision mechanism. Well, this is not too unlike that, whether it's a heart attack or a mental breakdown, what does that crew person do? In this case it looks like he played it perfectly.
Now you got to remember these co-pilots and frequently the co- pilot, or the first officer more accurately, has more time in the type of aircraft than the captain him or herself. So in this case that first officer could have easily -- well, not easily but it would have been a handful, but he would have landed that plane just fine on his own.
But as it happens in almost every flight, there is another pilot flying, an employee who's flying as a passenger in the back. In this case he came into to assist. It wasn't mandatory to get the plane on the ground but it's always good to use the resources on board.
COSTELLO: Miles O'Brien, thanks so much for enlightening us because, you know, it makes us feel a little better at least. Thank you, Miles.
Coming your way at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, we're going to talk with a passenger. Her name is Sara Straw. She was in the bathroom when the pilot started banging on the door. She frankly thought she was going to die. We're going to talk to her at 10:00 a.m. Eastern.
It's safe to say Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign is gasping for air unless, of course, you're Newt Gingrich. The day after his campaign announced a picture with Newt would cost supporters 50 bucks, Gingrich is laying off a third of his staff. Still, Gingrich insists he's in it all the way to the convention. Here's what he told Bill O'Reilly on FOX News.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have no incentive to get out because I have a set of ideas that include --
BILL O'REILLY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: No, I get it. I get it.
GINGRICH: $2.50 a gallon gas, et cetera.
O'REILLY: I got it.
GINGRICH: So I have every incentive to stay in.
O'REILLY: But you don't have any money. Are you going to spend your own money?
GINGRICH: If necessary. But that's not the point. We are raising some money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Political editor Paul Steinhauser, he's in Washington for us.
You know, Paul, what Gingrich really needs is a debate. He needs one bad.
(LAUGHTER)
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Those debates did wonders for him, remember? Listen, Newt Gingrich was left for dead last summer when he had a previous shake-up in the campaign. But Carol, you're absolutely right. He did great in those debates. He surged in the polls. He was a frontrunner briefly at the end of last year. But that went away obviously.
Hey, Carol, he does have financial difficulties. No doubt about it. Listen, he spent more money than he raised in February. And as the beginning of this month, guess what, he had more money than he owed than he had in the bank. And that's never a good thing.
But as you -- you just played that sound from Gingrich and he said similar things this morning on a radio interview here in Washington, D.C. He says, listen, my strategy is if Romney doesn't get to 1,144 delegates to clinch the nomination, I'm going to take this all the way to the convention. That's what he says, Carol.
And he says this, this plan to downsize an already very modest campaign will only help him do that. But let's be honest. What do Republicans think? Look at this. This is our brand new CNN/ORC poll.
Check this out, Carol. Most Republican voters saying, you know what, Newt Gingrich, get out, look at that. Sixty percent say it's time you drop out. Similar numbers for Ron Paul. A lot lower for Rick Santorum.
And Carol, here's the other notion, what happens if Gingrich gets out? It actually helps Romney more than Santorum -- Carol.
COSTELLO: OK. So you've been around politics for a long time. You talked to a lot of politicians, what's in his head? I mean most Republican voters want him to get out of the race. They think he's hurting the Republican Party if he takes this all the way to the convention. So what's in his head telling him I got to stay in this race?
(LAUGHTER)
STEINHAUSER: I wish I could get in his head. But obviously I can't. Listen, he still thinks -- he says he's the best person to debate Barack Obama one-on-one come the general election. And he thinks if Romney, if Romney doesn't clinch the nomination by the end of the primaries, that if he's around, anything could happen in Tampa.
Let's see if he really stick to that plan, Carol. It's still a long way to go.
COSTELLO: Paul Steinhauser, thanks.
A surprising turn this morning in the Trayvon Martin case. According to the "Miami Herald" and the initial police report, charges of homicide and manslaughter were considered against the shooter, George Zimmerman, on the night he shot Martin. But it was the state's attorney's office that prohibited the police from making an arrest.
Martin Savidge is in Sanford. So, Martin, this case just gets curiouser and curiouser.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it does, Carol, but I should point out, you know, this is really not new information. It's just new information that's being framed in a different way. We have known ever since the tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin back in February 26th when we got the initial police report, that there had been at least listing -- and let me read it to the -- te offense description that is listed on the initial police report is, quote, "manslaughter/unnecessary killing to prevent an unlawful act."
That is on what is the original police document. So we've known about this. But here's what's different. And this is what the police chief -- and I'm going back to Chief Bill Lee has said. He could not charge him with manslaughter under the Florida law as it stands now. And again, I'm sorry I'm going to have to read you notes. But this is complicated and you need to know it exactly.
He said that according to authorities because Zimmerman had said that it was self-defense, Chief Bill Lee said that he really didn't have a probable cause. And this is where it comes down to real nitty- gritty. Under Florida Statute 76.032, you've got to have probable cause. If it's self-defense, you cannot charge him with manslaughter. You can only investigate and that is what the state is doing. Investigating.
COSTELLO: And you're talking about the "Stand Your Ground" law just to make it clear.
SAVIDGE: Exactly. And that is the statute that everyone has been talking about here. Once George Zimmerman said, look, I was fighting to save my own life, he changes everything as far as the ability of the law enforcement in Sanford to go after him on a manslaughter charge. They couldn't do it. That's what Chief Lee said. That's what the department maintains now.
COSTELLO: And you're also seeing the difficulty of the special prosecutor in this case because she is not immediately moving to charge him with a crime.
SAVIDGE: No, because you see, she got the case last Thursday when the governor said that, well, it's now in your hands. So she has her own set of investigators that sort of essentially have to start all over again. So even though it's been nearly -- it's been over a month, of course, since the shooting and nearly a month at that time, they have to start and begin exactly talking to witnesses. Going over the crime scene. Talking to Zimmerman. They haven't talked to Zimmerman yet. And that will probably be the last thing they do. They want to get everything,, as we would say, their ducks in a row before they start talking to him. So that's why it seems like it's taken a long time. It has taken a long time. It's a complicated process. They're trying to get it right. But many people are extremely frustrated at how long it does take. Carol?
COSTELLO: I think that's an understatement. Martin Savidge reporting live from Sanford, Florida. The anger surrounding George Zimmerman continues to grow and some are paying for that anger even though they have nothing whatsoever to do with the shooting. Case in point: an elderly couple was forced to leave their home, thanks to this retweet from film director Spike Lee. That tweet listed the couple's address as George Zimmerman's and then read feel free to reach out and touch him and he means Zimmerman.
Zimmerman doesn't live at that address, never did. That didn't stop the cafeteria lunch lady and her elderly husband from receiving hate mail and unwelcome visits from reporters.
Here's what the couple's son told the "Orlando Sentinel." He said, "This is really scary, ands I'm concerned for my family. It's scary because there are people who aren't mentally right and will take this information and run with it."
William Zimmerman, the son, says his parents are living in a hotel.
From Sanford, Florida, to Capitol Hill, public outrage has driven the case of Trayvon Martin and prosecutors say it's made it even tougher to investigate.
Listen to voices on opposite sides of the legal mine field -- one calling for patience, the other demanding justice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. FREDERICA WILSON (D), FLORIDA: Trayvon was hunted down like a rabid dog. He was shot in the street. He was racially profiled. Mr. Zimmerman should be arrested immediately for his own safety.
ANGELA COREY, FLORIDA STATE ATTORNEY: The political outcry makes our job harder because any time there's a misunderstanding of the process based on what we are required to do under Florida law, it makes our job more difficult.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Just about an hour from now, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson will join us. She'll tell us about yesterday's hearings that she did attend with the parents of the slain teenager.
Still to come, a massive and fast moving wildfire scorching thousands of acres near Denver putting people there on ever more high alert.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's always one more thing you can go back for. And, you know, I would load the car and look at the plume of smoke, and, you know, bigger, bigger. You have to draw a line and say, you know what? It's time to get out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Rob has got the latest fire forecast after a break.
Plus, new rules for your teenager when they take their SAT or ACT exams. Find out why they are going to have to submit their picture now.
And March Madness over mega-millions. No one won last night, $476 million now at stake.
You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: A search is under way for a woman missing in an area near Denver that was devastated by that fast-moving and out of control wildfire. The fire has killed an elderly couple and scorched 4,500 acres so far.
Meteorologist Rob Marciano is here.
And, you know, we've been waiting for those winds to die down. They are calmer today.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, they were calmer yesterday. They were able to get some aircraft up there yesterday. They had an extra hundred firefighters that came in. But still, zero containment. There's going to be a press conference in the next hour and that will give us more information to see what kind of progress they made overnight last night.
Let's first talk about where this is and give you perspective as to how close to Denver. And are the western suburbs of Denver threaten. The red area, that's the area that's burn. That's where the fire is.
The blue area, that's the area that's been evacuated, 900 plus homes there. And then beyond that, southwestern suburbs of Denver, they are not threatened at the moment. We do have winds that will be an issue today. Mostly to the north of the fire zone and especially across parts of Wyoming could see 30 to 40-mile-an-hour wind gust.
But down across the fire zone itself, likely less than that, gusting to about 25. The relative humidity levels are going to be very, very low between 5 percent and 12 percent. So, that certainly doesn't help them and we're not going to get any sort of rainfall.
This is one computer model we use with high resolution view. Look at potential for wind gusts across that area. Blues are about 15 to 20 miles an hour. Any time you see a spot of green pop up there, that means it could gust as much as 30 miles an hour. If that happens today, that's going to be an issue going forward as far as what they're going to have to handle.
But tomorrow will be stronger. But today, I think the winds are going to cooperate and hopefully get more in the way of air support. They only got two choppers, one tanker and then one single engine plane in there to help with this thing. So, I think they need more in the way of resources. This may have caught them by surprise.
COSTELLO: Well, let's hope the winds cooperate at least.
MARCIANO: Yes, they will. Yes, they will.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: OK.
COSTELLO: Will and Kate plus Harry? The royals have a new roommate. If you think sounds like three's company, your right.
And later, the ugly side of the mania over "The Hunger Games."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Kate and Will plus Harry? That's right. Britain's Prince Harry has moved in with his brother William and his new wife, Kate, at Kensington Palace. You can't help but say, oh, that sounds a lot like three's company.
Let's head live to London and check in with Max Foster.
So, that's kind of nice.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, they are very, very close all three of them.
Prince Harry, you know, he's had a fantastic tour. We talked about that, Carol, on the show in recent weeks. He toured the Caribbean. He came of age. When he came back a senior royal source told me that he wanted to move out of his dad's place at last, Clarence House, and move over to Kensington Palace where his brother and sister-in-law are.
We're told he's actually living in a small apartment. It used to be servant's quarters. So, not as grand as where duke and duchess are staying.
When they move into a larger apartment, he's going to take over the cottage where they are apparently. And they're all going to be there happily together.
But this is part, Carol, of a much bigger plan because William and Harry see themselves as a partnership. He's not the spare Harry. And going ahead when William takes a throne, we're going to see a jewel kingship if you like. They'll do things together. This is going to be a slimmed down monarchy.
What they're doing is preparing for that, saying to the world, we're together. We're a partnership. And this is an element of that.
COSTELLO: That's just amazing to me. You don't hear those kinds of stories often. I mean, the brothers get along. They're willing to share power. They live in the same place. Their parents must have done great job.
FOSTER: Well, they are very, very close. I think what they went through with Diana, of course, and walking behind that coffin. Harry was just 13 years old. It would have brought them together.
They both accept that they have complementary skills. Harry is much more lively. William is more serious. And Catherine now is part of that mix.
And Harry recently had a bit of a slip-up. He described Catherine as his sister. But palace has told me that actually it's really telling and they're quite happy that he did that because that relationship really is that close
And the three of them moving ahead, they're going to be seen as a threesome. And on the jubilee you'll see them traveling together. And going ahead, you're going to see those three together.
Who knows what will happen when Harry gets a girlfriend but hopefully she'll fit in.
COSTELLO: That makes me happy. Thanks, Max Foster. I feel happier. I do.
Natural gas is like gold these days. The industry is doing so well it could create 200,000 new jobs. We'll get more details for you after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: You hear the bell ringing at the New York Stock Exchange.
Here's a good headline for you this Wednesday morning. The natural gas industry is expected to create thousands of new jobs.
Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange. She has more details on that.
Hi, Alison.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Let's talk about those jobs. Between workers at factories and related suppliers, the American Chemistry Council says 200,000 jobs could be added because of this boom in natural gas production. Chemical companies are building plants to take advantage of an abundance of natural gas supplies. Plus, right now, natural gas is pretty darn cheap. Prices hit a 10-year low yesterday.
So, what you're seeing happen are proposals to build these new plants in the U.S. in the next five years. In fact, proposals are for 30 new plants to be built.
What happens is companies use ethane, which is found in natural gas to build a variety of products. Everything from plastic, to fertilizer. And so, what you see are natural gas producers jumping on the bandwagon because of all of the demand for it.
Royal Dutch Shell is opening a new facility in Pennsylvania. Dow Chemical is opening plants on the Gulf Coast.
But just like with anything in life, Carol, there's a tradeoff. You're getting these jobs but also some of these ways of extracting natural gas are controversial like fracking. You got to take good with the bad -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Wall Street has been having a tough time lately. What's the problem?
KOSIK: Still having a tough time. Look at that, a flat open right now. The Dow only up about three points.
Look, the Dow has fallen four of the past six sessions but because of big gains that we had on Monday, the dips really haven't made a huge impact.
What's been going on is U.S. economic news coming out hasn't been the best. Housing reports have shown continued weakness in sector. Durable goods orders came out this morning from February. They went up but not as much as expected.
But, you know what? Markets are holding up pretty well so far this year. Look at the Dow. It's up 8 percent. The NASDAQ up almost 20 percent.
So, not such a huge surprise. You see a bit of a pause. Everybody is taking a breather -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right. Alison Kosik like at the New York Stock Exchange.
In just about a half hour, the final day of arguments begins in the historic health care debate. It's a critical moment for President Obama's signature legislation.
Today, there are two separate sessions at the Supreme Court. The key questions, can parts of the president's affordable care plan remain law if the individual mandate is ruled unconstitutional? Also who will pay for expanding Medicare in the states?
Of course, the health care law helped give rise to the Tea Party. Remember those contentious town hall meetings nearly three years ago now? Now, this is the moment they have been waiting for. Protesters have been in front of the court making their displeasure known.
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has riled against the law and vowed to repeal it if she were elected president. She addressed protesters yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), MINNESOTA: We have to let the American people know we have not waved the white flag on surrender on socialized medicine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So, let's bring in Amy Kremer. She's chairman of the Tea Party Express. She's been expressing her opinions of the law.
Welcome.
AMY KREMER, TEA PARTY EXPRESS: Thanks for having me, Carol. Good to be here.
COSTELLO: So, a lot of people said yesterday it was not a good day for the Obama administration in arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court. What went through your mind?
KREMER: Well, look, I mean, I don't think we should even be here at all. The American people didn't want this legislation from the beginning. They still don't want it. The recent polls show that. They shoved it through anyhow.
But at the end of the day, it's unconstitutional. I believe it's unconstitutional and I hope that the Supreme Court finds that it is unconstitutional.
COSTELLO: And, of course, the most contentious issue is that individual mandate., the requirement that all Americans must buy some form of insurance. A lot of people say if that part of the law goes down, so does the rest of it. Is that OK with you? Should the whole law go away or just parts of it?
KREMER: No, I want the whole thing ripped out by the roots. I want it done with.
We don't need to overhaul our health care system. We need to overhaul our insurance system. You don't need to burn down the house to remodel the living room.
And there are free market solutions that could be put in place like purchase of insurance across state lines, getting rid of pre- existing condition clause and other things that can be put in place instead of government taking over our entire health care system.
COSTELLO: Well, here's the thing, Amy. If the individual mandate goes down, the pre-existing condition part of the law that requires insurance companies to pay for people with pre-existing or give insurance to people with pre-existing conditions, it would go away because there's no way that insurance companies would agree to pick up the cost for that.
So, do Republicans or the Tea Party have any plan in place to replace Obamacare with something more palatable?
KREMER: You know, I believe I'm almost positive that Tom Price came out with a plan last year. Tom Price is a doctor from Georgia. He's actually my congressman.
There have been a number of plans that have been offered. But you know, they're not interested. It was shoving this Obamacare down our throats. The American people don't want it.
COSTELLO: Well, that's not what I'm asking you. I'm asking you if Republicans and Tea Party leaders get their wish and this law goes away, there's still 50 million people in the country who are uninsured.
What do you do about that and what Republican leader or Tea Party leader has a plan to take care of those problems in this country?
KREMER: That's what I just said. There are free market solutions that will work. Tom Price has put together a plan and offered it, I believe, last year.
COSTELLO: That's a state lawmaker. I'm talking on a federal level. Somebody with real say --
KREMER: He's a congressman, Carol. He's a congressman. Yes, he's a congressman.
COSTELLO: OK.
KREMER: He's on the federal level. He's a doctor. He understands this. So there are -- there have been plans that have been offered but nobody is looking at that now.
What everyone is looking at is constitutionality of this law. Why is it the federal government can come in and make you buy a product and at what point if they declare that this is constitutional, at what point do they -- does it stop where they don't have to make you buy something, or where they can't force you to buy something?
That's the real issue here. I don't want some bean counter sitting in a panel in Washington, D.C. to determine what is the best thing for me when that decision should be made between my doctor and myself.
Washington needs to get out of the way. Washington is a problem. They're not the answer.
COSTELLO: Let me just ask you this last question. I apologize for making that mistake, Amy.
KREMER: That's OK.
COSTELLO: If the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the law is constitutional, will that be okay with you?
KREMER: Well, I mean, if they rule that it's constitutional, that's what they decide. But we are working very hard to take back the U.S. Senate and we want to make President Obama a one-term president and we'll repeal Obamacare because it's going to drive this country over a cliff.
We cannot afford this. It takes over one-sixth of our economy. It's going --
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: So, what you're saying is the U.S. Supreme Court decision if it rules the law is constitutional won't matter and you'll continue your fight?
KREMER: Absolutely we will. We want to repeal Obamacare. As I said, we want to rip it out by the roots.
We want to put in place free market ideas and solutions that will work that give people choices and not that the government mandates us to have this plan or that plan.
COSTELLO: Amy Kremer, thanks so much for being with us today. We appreciate it.
KREMER: Thanks for having me.
COSTELLO: Your teenager will have new rules to follow when they take their SATs and ACTs this year. Find out what they are. That's just ahead.
And next up, the ugly side to "The Hunger Games" craze.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE GOMEZ-MARQUEZ: My name is Jose Gomez-Marquez and I use toys to make affordable medical devices. When you'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 box.
You need an expert to take a screwdriver at it. You may not have the courage to hack a thousand dollar device but you definitely have the courage to hack something that's $5 and if you add to it becomes something as powerful as a thousand dollar medical device.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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COSTELLO: Kind of a disturbing new development to "The Hunger Games" craze.
"Showbiz Tonight" host A.J. Hammer joins us from New York.
And, A.J., there's been some offensive comments on Twitter from the movie's fans. Why?
A.J. HAMMER, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" HOST: It's really disturbing, Carol. A few ignorant tweets about "The Hunger Games" have understandably set off this firestorm. Now, if you haven't seen the film or read the books, one of the more touching moments in the story involves a young girl named Rue.
But several people were job set that the actress playing the character is African-American. A Tumblr blog called "Hunger Games Tweets" compiled these messages and fans of the film have been up in arms about it.
I want to read a couple of the tweets and again, they're just despicable. But one says, "KK call me racist but when I found out Rue was black, her death wasn't as sad," with #Ihatemyself.
Another read, "Why does Rue have to be black? Not going to lie, kind of ruined the movie."
COSTELLO: Oh!
HAMMER: OK. Well, these comments, yes, I mean, it's terrible.
I have to point out -- the comments don't just reflect ignorance of people that wrote them. They also show a pretty poor grasp of the book because the author clearly intended for this to be played by a person of color and most and I can't emphasize this enough, Carol, most of the fans are really upset over tweets because Rue is one of the more popular and sympathetic characters in the book.
Fortunately, these offensive tweets have been removed by their authors. In some case, the accounts have been deleted. But just terrible that people would actually take the social media and write this kind stuff.
COSTELLO: That's a danger of tweeting. You can say anything you want. You don't have to give your name. So, I guess your defenses are down, right?
HAMMER: Exactly.
COSTELLO: Probably wasn't the best way to put it. You know what I mean. Let's talk about this -- 20th Century Fox is pulling ads for an upcoming movie because of the Trayvon martin case. Why?
HAMMER: This is a case of really bad timing for the new film "Neighborhood Watch." It stars Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill. Twentieth Century Fox has decided to pull the trailer for the film from theaters in Florida after the ongoing controversy surrounding Trayvon Martin.
In the trailer, the three actors roll around in a suburban neighborhood like want to be tough guys. Now, the film is supposed to be a science fiction comedy. Something you don't get from that description.
And when the studio decided to pull the trailer, here's what they said. "We're very sensitive to the Trayvon Martin case, but our film is a broad alien invasion comedy and bears absolutely no relation to the tragic events in Florida."
But the trailer does at one point have Jonah Hill pretending to shoot at someone. So, it does seem like a sensible step for the studio to take in this case.
COSTELLO: Got you. A.J. Hammer. Thank you.
Jane Fonda is about to hit the big screen as Nancy Reagan. A.J. will be back with us next hour with that story and more in showbiz headlines.
Megamillions. No one won last night, $476 million now at stake. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
And new anti-cheating rules for students taking the SAT/ACT test. Find out why they will need to show a photo ID before and during those tests.
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COSTELLO: After a few days of peace and quiet, reports of booming noises were again heard around Clintonville, Wisconsin. CNN affiliate WBAY says at least 60 people called police saying they were shaken by rumbling last night. Some said they heard very loud booms. No reports of damage have been reported and there's been no confirmation of any seismic activity.
Gas prices continue to rise; 19 days in a row now. The national average is $3.91 a gallon. That's up 17 cents just this month. That's according to AAA.
The mega millions lottery jackpot is growing by leaps and bounds. No one won last night's estimated $363 million jackpot. It is expected to hit $476 million by Friday's drawing. That would make it the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history.
From now on it's going to be harder for students to cheat on their SAT and ACT college entrance exams. New sweeping security measures will kick in this fall requiring numerous photo ID checks.
CNN's Mary Snow explains why the changes are being made now.
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MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was these arrests tied to a cheating scandal in a wealthy New York City suburb that prompted new security rules for college entrance exams. Now everyone will be affected. Front and center was 19 year old Sam Eshaghoff. He told CBS's "60 Minutes" that students paid him around $2,500 to take their SAT test for them.
Nassau County's District Attorney says she found 55 kids who either got paid to take the SAT or ACT test or paid others to take it.
(on camera): How easy is it to cheat on the SAT?
KATHLEEN RICE, NASSAU COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Well before today it was incredibly easy to cheat. There were a number of loopholes that made it possible for kids to pay someone else to take the test for them. SNOW: Prosecutor Kathleen Rice says a fake ID was all that was required. To change that, she says, "Students will have to upload a photo of themselves when they register for the test and it will be put into a data base. On the day of the exam a photo ID will be required to match the registration.
Scott Farber, who runs a prep course for students taking college entrance exams, questions why it took so long.
SCOTT FARBER, PRESIDENT, A LIST EDUCATION: It seemed very, very strange that a test that was this important that was tied to billions of dollars of financial aid and ultimately students' futures had not have those things in place before. Seemed very strange.
SNOW: When the cheating in Nassau Country first came to light, test administrators said the problem was not widespread.
KATHRYN JURIC, THE COLLEGE BOARD: ECS data previously had suggested that impersonation was not a systemic issue. From the onset we said one case is one too many and that's why we committed from the very beginning to work with the district attorney to -- to further enhance the security processes.
SNOW: But Rice is convinced the cheating isn't contained to Nassau County.
RICE: I don't think there's any question that this is going on across the country. It's not just kids here in New York who come up with this idea.
SNOW (on camera): Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice says another big change is better disclosure about scams. She says the way the system is currently set up, it makes it difficult for administrators to inform colleges, even parents about cheating.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: A magic deal for the Dodgers. Magic Johnson joins other investors to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers for -- get this -- $2 billion; that would be a record. We'll hear what the Lakers legend is saying. That's coming your way next.
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COSTELLO: A group including Lakers legend Magic Johnson purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers for $2 billion. That price tag would be the highest ever for a pro sports team. The deal still must be approved by a federal bankruptcy court. The Dodgers as you know filed for bankruptcy protection last year.
Real estate developer Frank McCourt has owned the Dodgers since 2004, but McCourt has had financial troubles in recent years including an expensive divorce with his wife, Jamie, who was CEO of the team. Magic Johnson says the sale will start a new chapter for the Dodgers. He told ESPN "I'm thrilled and honored to be one of the owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers. We are very happy for the Dodger fans in L.A. and all over the country."
Major League Baseball's regular season began today in Tokyo with the Seattle Mariners beating the Oakland A's. The two teams traveled to Japan's devastated tsunami zone. They put on a clinic for local little leaguers. MLB officials also presented a check for half a million dollars for restoring a stadium.
The players served lunch to the kids and their families still struggling one year after the earthquake and tsunami hit.
New Orleans Saints head coach, Sean Payton says he will decide later this week whether to appeal a year-long suspension for the team's bounty program. Payton also says he plans to name an interim coach by the end of the month. One name being bandied about is retired coach, Bill Parcells.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN PAYTON, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS HEAD COACH: He's a great teacher. Certainly I'm biased having worked with him. But he's a hall of fame head coach.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: ESPN is reporting Payton and the Saint's GM Mickey Loomis met with Parcells yesterday. If Parcells does take the job that would push back his likely induction into the pro football hall of fame by five years.
We're following a lot of developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with Dan Lothian.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, there were some tough questions yesterday in the Supreme Court challenging the individual mandate in the health care law. This is the third and final day of oral arguments. How are things shaming up for the Obama administration? I'll have that story at the top of the hour.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Martin Savidge in Sanford, Florida where there are reports today that the lead investigator wanted to file charges of manslaughter against George Zimmerman for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. So why weren't charges filed? I'll have that story coming up at the top of the hour.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Sever Weather Center. We're tracking this fire southwest of Denver, Colorado which still at this hour has zero containment. 4,500 acres burned, dozens of homes destroyed as well and search and rescue crews are on site. The details are coming up at the top of the hour -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Thank to all of you. Also we'll talk with passenger Sarah Straw. She was in the bathroom when a JetBlue pilot started pounding on the door. She said she thought she was going to die. We'll talk to her in a few minutes.
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COSTELLO: And good morning to you. I'm Carol Costello.
Just ahead of the NEWSROOM, new information on the pilot whose rant led JetBlue passengers to spring into action.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my God. I'm so distraught. We've got Israel. We've got Iraq. We've got Israel. We've got Iraq. We've got to get down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: This morning we know the pilot's name, his experience, and we will talk to a passenger who said she feared for her life while she was in the bathroom -- in the bathroom as the pilot pounded on the door.
And just minutes ago the Supreme Court justices began their third and final day of hearings on President Obama's health care reform. We're getting a rare listen to the discussion and arguments from inside the courtroom.
Plus, Newt Gingrich guts his staff. The presidential hopeful lays off one-third of his campaign --
