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No Grand Jury in Trayvon Martin Case; North Korea Plans Rocket Launch; 75 Killed In Syrian Clashes; Gingrich Says Romney Is Likely Nominee; Romney Pulls TV Ads; Remember Mike Wallace; Three People Gunned Down; North Korea Flexing Its Muscles; One Hundred Years For Titanic; Men Charged In Tulsa Shooting Spree

Aired April 09, 2012 - 13:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. I want to get you up to speed. No Grand Jury will be used in the case involving the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. That decision came just a short time ago from special prosecutor Angela Corey. Her office says the decision should not be considered a factor in the final determination of the case. An attorney for the shooter, George Zimmerman, calls it a courageous move. While an attorney for Trayvon Martin's family says the family is trying to have patience.

North Korea thumbing its nose at the world. Any day now, could launch this rocket which would violate a U.N. resolution. Much of the world sees this as a possible test for a long-range missile that would be capable of reaching the United States. Now South Korea is warning that the north is trying to provoke an angry international reaction. It says that the north plans to use that reaction as an excuse to go ahead with a third nuclear test.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE.)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Seventy-five people were killed in Syria today. Just a day shy of the deadline for the government to pull its forces from cities across the country. Now, the mounting death toll is dimming hopes that the Assad regime is actually going to follow through with its pledge to withdraw. Earlier there, we also saw clashes between rebel forces and Syrian troops at the Turkish border.

Republican presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich, says campaign front-runner, Mitt Romney, has the nomination all but locked up. This is what he said on Fox News Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You have to be realistic. Given the size of his organization, given the number of primaries he's won, he is far and away the most likely Republican nominee, and if he does get to 1,144 delegates, I'll support him. I'll do everything I can this fall to help him defeat Obama, because the primary goal of the entire Republican party has to be to defeat Barack Obama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Rick Santorum is not going to be on the campaign trail. Instead, he's staying with his daughter, Bella, who suffered from a chronic disorder. She's been in the hospital since Friday but is expected to be released later today. Mitt Romney's campaign said this morning, it is pulling a Santorum T.V. attack ad out of respect for the situation.

Pioneering journalist on a mission to find truth. That's how a lot of us remember Mike Wallace today. The long time "60 Minutes" correspondent died Saturday night at the age of 93. Wallace's colleague, Morley Schaefer, calls him, quote, "a one-man truth squad."

And Easter not over in Washington until the eggs roll. That's right. Today, the first family expecting 30,000 people for the annual White House Easter egg roll. It's a good time. This year's theme is, let's go, let's play, let's move, as the first lady's campaign to end childhood obesity in the United States.

Want to get back to our story. New developments in the Trayvon Martin case. We now have confirmation that special prosecutor Angela Corey is not using a Grand Jury in this case. Martin Savidge, he's joining us in Sanford, Florida. Martin, we know that there's no Grand Jury. What does this tell us about where this goes next?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, essentially what it tells us is that the special prosecutor in the case, Angela Corey, is now going to make the decision on her own, which is not out of character from what we've heard from many people that know her and that have known her over the years, and she told CNN herself this. I believe it was last week when she said that in cases like this, she has never used a Grand Jury and now she is sticking true to form.

The question though, Suzanne, is, you know, what does this do to the timetable? Many had looked at tomorrow, when the Grand Jury was going to be seated, as the start of a ticking clock that quickly we might get some sort of decision. Now, we know they're out of the equation, so we have no idea where we stand in that count down. It's possible she could make a decision at any moment, meaning today or it could still be days or who knows how far away -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Has there been any reaction there in the -- in the courthouse?

SAVIDGE: Actually, we're in front of the Sanford Police Department. This is where the dream defenders, as they are called, are protesting. They gathered together, they shared the news, and you can tell that the atmosphere behind us is a lot more relaxed than it was earlier today. They are blocking the front entrance.

It appears they were trying to provoke the police department into making arrests. That has not happened. In fact, the police department has announced that the police station here is closed. There's nobody here. And they've actually blocked the streets off to prevent traffic being any harm or hindrance to the protesters. So, the Sanford Police Department appears to be going out of its way not to have any confrontation and the mood here much more relaxed.

What do they make of the decision by the special prosecutor? No one really knows. Is it good as far as those who would like to see an arrest or is it good for those who don't? We just don't know.

MALVEAUX: All right, Martin, thanks. I want to bring in Roland Martin who's joining us from New York, because you actually -- you spoke to the attorney of Trayvon Martin's family, and give us a sense of how they're responding to this.

ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Again, what Ben Crump said is that the family is very cautious and are patient when it comes to this particular case here. They believe that he should be arrested, George Zimmerman should be arrested. That there's probable cause to arrest him right now. And so, they certainly -- you know, once this news came down and talking to other attorneys though, they said they did not want this to go to a Grand Jury, because you put it in a Grand Jury's hands and all of a sudden if they come back with no indictment then you're left with what?

And so, to what we just heard from Martin, one of the issues here is does this give the special prosecutor more time to actually review the evidence, do interviews, to make the proper call? If you go to a Grand Jury, then it could go either way. And so, what the family -- according to Ben crump, he says they believe there should be an arrest and that the family is very patient and hopeful that justice will be served.

MALVEAUX: And what does the family want people to do? Because there are a lot of folks out there, they're protesting today, they have the campaign that's going forward, and are they encouraging them to continue this or to just simply wait?

MARTIN: Suzanne, they absolutely believe that the public pressure is playing a critical role in this case. Remember, Trayvon Martin shot and killed on February 26th. Two, three weeks go by, nothing happens. All of a sudden, folks like myself on social media, we begin to talk about it, begin to drive the story. It hits national media, and all of a sudden, the DOJ gets involved with their investigation. And all of a sudden, the Seminole County D.A. steps aside, special prosecutor steps in. Rick Scott, the governor of Florida, he begins to appoint and folks begin to look at this. We begin to review of the stand your ground law. Bottom line is the public pressure drove this.

You know, Frederick Douglass said agitate, agitate, agitate, and power foresees nothing without a demand. And so, that's what you're seeing here. But what the family makes clear, they don't want to see vigilante justice. They want to see any of this drama. They want to see nonviolent protests. They wanted to see people exercising their first amendment rights and making sure that it is nonviolent and peaceful and the focus stays on justice, not on any side shows.

MALVEAUX: And Roland, we want to at least let our viewers know about Ben Jealous, you talked to him as well, the head of the NAACP. His statement saying, we hope this means Mr. Zimmerman will finally be charged, arrested, and brought to justice. There's always been sufficient basis for probable cause. There has never been a need for a Grand Jury. There has simply been a need for an arrest. And clearly, that's what the family is still waiting for.

MARTIN: Yes, and again, it's all a matter of being patient and people are saying, a time clock, when does it all begin? The key is justice might take some time, but you want to get it right versus actually rushing something and then you get no justice in the end.

MALVEAUX: All right. Roland Martin, thank you.

Here is a rundown of some of the stories we are covering over the next hour. First, three people gunned down in Oklahoma. All of them African-American. Was it a hate crime?

And North Korea flexing its muscles on the world stage with a rocket launch.

And then there is still a lot of excitement, a lot of passion for the story of the Titanic 100 years after the tragedy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Two men accused of going on a shooting spree in Tulsa, Oklahoma, are being held each on $9 million bond. Jake England and Alvin Watts are accused of gunning down three people, wounding two late -- that was -- happened on Friday evening. All the victims were African-American. Local police and the FBI have been looking into whether or not this was a hate crime. A racial slur was posted on England's Facebook page a day before the shootings. It mentioned the anniversary of his father's death and his girlfriend's recent suicide.

The Reverend Warren Blakely, Sr., he is President of Tulsa's NAACP. And, pastor, thank you very much for joining us, appreciate it. I understand that before these two were arrested, there were a lot of people in your community who were nervous. What is the mood now?

REV. WARREN BLAKELY, SR., PRESIDENT, TULSA NAACP: The mood is much better now. It's not -- somber, of course, but we are waiting to see what's going to happen to these gentlemen who were accused of this shooting, but we were at least in a more quiet kind of atmosphere. People can walk the streets now. They feel comfortable getting back into their everyday routine.

MALVEAUX: Did it surprise you that there was so much anxiety and fear in the community that people could be targeted for their race?

BLAKELY: I think so. I think we -- today, you don't think about that happening nearly as much as you did in perhaps years gone by. And so it did catch us by surprise to think someone would come into our own community and just indiscriminately shoot people because they were black folk. That bothered a lot of folk in our community. We have a lot of seniors who like to sit on the porches and this time of the weather, the kind of weather they like to be out and about. And so, it made folks go inside and made them rethink what's going on in our community. And so, yes, it kind of frightened a lot of folks and a lot of us in our community that happened today.

MALVEAUX: Was there anybody who felt it wasn't -- that they were not being racially targeted, that maybe this was just somebody who was randomly shooting or were most people convinced in the community that it was racially motivated?

BLAKELY: Most folks in this community, in north Tulsa especially, are convinced that it was a racially motivated shooting. All the folks shot were African-American. We did not know at the time, obviously, about the Facebook postings and those kind of things. But again, it was deep north Tulsa, and it was not just a thing where you can go right to the edge of the Tulsa area. It was deep north Tulsa. So, I think the intent was to go to (ph) where the African- Americans live, the intent was to shoot as many black folk as they could.

MALVEAUX: Are there racial tensions in the community in Tulsa?

BLAKELY: I think there are racial tensions in some degree, not nearly like it was in the 1921 race riots, of course, which was a real bad time in the history of this country. The largest race riot that there was in history that I can think of. And so, there has been some tension, but not -- I don't think the kind that would have made someone go through a community and start shooting people. I don't think kind of racial tension is highlighted at this day and time.

MALVEAUX: Did you know any of the victims?

BLAKELY: I knew one of the persons that was killed. She used to come to my church, as a matter of fact. She enjoyed a cappella singing, and so she would come and sit through our services until preaching time and she had another church home that she'd go to. She didn't, I guess, like my preaching, but she did like our singing. So, she would leave and go someplace else during that time. But she would come almost every Sunday.

MALVEAUX: What is being done now in terms of healing? Does there -- does healing need to take place here? I mean, you talk about fear and being targeted. Are whites and blacks in the community reaching out to each other and supporting each other during this time?

BLAKELY: I think so. I think so. I think yesterday, there was a prayer vigil. During that prayer vigil, there were almost as many whites as there were blacks. There is a healing that's coming. Sometimes bad things happen in their city, but good things can come as a result of it. I think it's a platform that we can stand on and build. I think the way the police handled the situation with the FBI and calling in folks to help, and it was solved so quickly, I think there is a basis for building some trust with our public officials and we're hopeful that that will be the case.

MALVEAUX: Well, you're encouraged. That's good. Pastor, thank you very much. We appreciate it. There's high anxiety over North Korea. The world is worried that a planned rocket launch could be more than what the North Koreans are claiming. We're going to get a look from inside the country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We're following a developing story regarding the Trayvon Martin case and whether or not George Zimmerman will face charges in his killing. I want to bring in legal analyst Sunny Hostin.

Sunny, can you explain to us, first of all, the decision that was made by the special prosecutor not to seek a grand jury, whether or not that tells us anything about whether or not Zimmerman will be charged.

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, I certainly don't think, Suzanne, that we can read too much into this. I don't think that we should think, oh, then because there's no grand jury, charges will definitely be brought or there will not be any charges brought. Bottom line is that prosecutors often times make these hard charging decisions themselves.

And Angela Corey is a seasoned prosecutor and she sort of gave an indication of what her practice style is in saying early on in this investigation that she always made these types of charging decisions herself when it came to the justifiable use of force. And so I'm not surprised by the fact that there is no grand jury going to be used in this case. And as a former prosecutor, I often make those hard charging decisions myself.

I think we also, Suzanne, need to remember that the April 10th date for the convening of a grand jury is a date that was set by the former state's attorney. And it's very clear to me, having been a prosecutor, that you don't wed yourself to a time line or to decisions made by other prosecutors when you have been appointed a special prosecutor to investigate and perhaps prosecute a case.

So no surprise for me. And I don't think we can read anything into this.

MALVEAUX: Does it help or hurt either side, the fact that you're going to have one person making this decision as opposed to say a 15-member grand jury?

HOSTIN: Well, you know, some people are in the school of thought that when you have an independent body of perhaps 23 people, lay people, looking at a case from a lay perspective, that there is -- that the process is a more fair process. I don't necessarily think that's the case because you also hear those that say, well, you can indict a ham sandwich. And there's something to be said for that because a grand jury, when it's convened, it's a secret proceeding. And, by the way, only the prosecutor gets to talk to that grand jury and the prosecutor's witnesses. So it's a very uneven playing field in front of the grand jury.

The fact that Angela Corey is taking this burden on her shoulders I think says a lot for Angela Corey. It says that she's willing to make those tough decisions and live with them in an especially high-profile case like this.

MALVEAUX: And, Sunny, real quickly here. Does this speed up the time table or slow it down in terms of whether or not we know whether or not Zimmerman is going to be charged?

HOSTIN: Again, we cannot read anything into this.

MALVEAUX: OK.

HOSTIN: She got this case March 22nd. For a case like this, stand your ground case, self-defense case, it's only been a of couple weeks. I think everybody needs to take a step back and let the investigation take its time.

MALVEAUX: All right, Sunny Hostin, good to see you.

North Korea stirring up more anxiety today as the world nervously looks on. South Korea is now claiming that the North is getting ready to conduct its third nuclear test. In addition to the nuclear fears, there are plans for a long-range rocket launch. Now, North Korea has already moved the rocket into position, but it insists it's just going to put a satellite into orbit. The rest of the world is worried it could be a weapons test in disguise. Our Stan Grant, he got a rare tour of the top secret launch pad. Here's what the man in charge of the site had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If you look for yourselves, with your own eyes, then you can judge whether it's a ballistic missile or whether it's a launch vehicle to put a satellite into orbit. To show that that's why we've invited you to this launch sight.

STAN GRANT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We certainly get the grand tour. Today shown all around the site. The control center. Even the actual satellite that will be launched into space on the rocket. One independent European analyst visiting the site says he sees nothing to be concerned about, but --

CHRISTIAN LARDIER, SPACE ANALYST: I don't know what they want to do in future, but today what we see is a space launcher.

GRANT: To travel to the site at Domchunle (ph), is to get an all too rare glimpse through the window of what's been dubbed the hermit kingdom.

GRANT (on camera): We'll be getting on this train here. We'll be traveling for about five hours until we actually get to the satellite launch site itself.

GRANT (voice-over): From the carriage of our train, a barren landscape. People scattered, working the harsh fields of a country where many people struggle even to eat. Not an issue North Korean officials were keen for me to pursue.

GRANT (on camera): Is it more important than food? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry, what was the question again?

GRANT: Is space technology more important than feeding your people?

You don't want to answer that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll have a chance before the interview.

GRANT (voice-over): To a country obsessed with its self-defense and presenting a strong face to the world, this, they argue, is money well spent. And anyway, as we are constantly reminded, this is a satellite launch, not a missile test.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Stan Grant joins us from North Korea.

And, Stan, I've got to say, it's an extraordinary effort that the country is making there, inviting foreign journalists to stay as long as you're staying. Do we think that this is part of an elaborate PR campaign? Do you think you are really getting the story on the ground there?

GRANT: Certainly a PR campaign, there's no doubt about that, Suzanne. One, you have the satellite launch. And, two, you had the 100th year anniversary of the birth of the founding father of North Korea, Kim Il-sung.

But let's get to that satellite launch. Of course a very contentious issue. We know what the United States and its allies think. They think this is a covert missile operation. In fact, further developing a missile that could ultimately strike its cities within the United States itself.

So what did North Korea do? They brought in the world's media and took us to a site that ordinarily is hidden from view. This is not called the hermit kingdom for nothing. Such a secretive country. They took us to the satellite. We went right up to the rocket itself. They took us to the satellite. A very small satellite that they say they are going to fire into orbit.

Of course we've seen and heard these stories before. I put it to them, can you deny that this is a missile test? They said, use your own eyes. We are not firing a missile. This is a satellite launch. The rest of the world, of course, yet to be fully convinced of that, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And, Stan, you used your own eyes there. You saw it firsthand. Did you get a sense that you were seeing everything, a full picture, or were there signs or indications that perhaps there were certain areas they didn't want you to see?

GRANT: No, the area itself was very open. They took us right throughout. They took us right up to the base of the rocket itself. They showed us the control center. They were going to great pains to say this is a satellite launch for scientific purposes. They say that it is their sovereign right.

Of course, a lot resting on that. Remember in February of this year that envoys from North Korea sat down with counterparts from the United States. They worked on a food deal in return for North Korea not pursuing its missile program. They say they're not doing it. Of course others saying they, in fact, are.

And now we're hearing from South Korean intelligence sources that North Korea may, in fact, be planning a nuclear test in the days to come. No response from North Korea about that. But take history as a guide. They carried out similar launches in 2006. They followed that with a nuclear test. The same story in 2009.

Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: That certainly is a big concern. And, Stan, we know that people there in North Korea are starving. Can you give us a sense -- you asked those officials whether or not they realize that this could cost their country a great deal of aid.

GRANT: Exactly. I put that question directly to them. How can you pursue a satellite technology/missile technology/nuclear weapons when you have to go to the world and ask them to help you feed your own people? But for that answer we certainly didn't get it from the officials. They cut short the interview at that point, waved their hands, and walked out of the room.

To really get a response to that, you need to look at the heart of the country, the soul of the country. The legitimacy of this government rests on its ability to repel any invaders, to show its own people that they are powerful. They talk about the 100th year celebration of Kim Il-sung's birth and saying that this is the year that we'll show the world they are both powerful and prosperous. Really? At the moment, they're not able to feed their own people. They're saying their priority is putting satellites into space.

Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And, Stan, very quickly here. Do they talk at all about the concern of South Korea and how South Korea would respond?

GRANT: No, they haven't talked about that. We have heard from South Korea and Japan that if any parts of this rocket were to enter their air space, present any risk, they would, in fact, shoot it down. North Korea in the past have said they'd consider that an act of war.

Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: We are following a developing story here in the case of Trayvon Martin. We have with us Ben Crump. He's the attorney for the family live from Tallahassee, Florida.

Thank you so much for being with us.

Just want your reaction here to the announcement from the special prosecutor that she is not going to call a grand jury to make that decision on whether or not to charge George Zimmerman.

BENJAMIN CRUMP, MARTIN FAMILY ATTORNEY: Well, Suzanne, we were anticipating that there would be no grand jury because the family has always been hopeful that there would just simply be an arrest. We believed from day one that they had enough evidence to arrest the killer of Trayvon Martin. And now, as the evidence has continued to unfold, we think there has been a plethora of evidence to simply affect probable cause to do an arrest. Not for any conviction, but for an arrest. And it's a situation that the family is trying to be patient and they're trying to have faith in the system, and they want an arrest. This was their son. It's now 42 days. They want an arrest. Just simple justice. They're not asking for anything that anybody else would want if this was their child.

MALVEAUX: Do they feel confident that this special prosecutor, this attorney -- state's attorney, will bring an arrest forward and will bring charges forward?

CRUMP: Well, as I talked to Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon's mother, she said that she's prayerful. She has tremendously faith and she's having faith in God to touch the heart of the prosecutor to go ahead and act within her discretion to just arrest him. And we hope today was a step towards that direction. So they are trying to have faith, as I said, Suzanne, and they're trying to believe in the system. And it's very difficult because so much time has passed now without an arrest. And so as they go through this day, they was praying that the announcement of no grand jury would also be followed by an announcement of an arrest.

MALVEAUX: So far that hasn't happened. Do you know, in speaking with Trayvon's parents, what they want people to do? There's been a lot of people who have gathered, protests, and marched and that type of thing. Are they instructing people to do anything as they wait and this tries their patience?

CRUMP: Well, they are asking that people continue to pray, as many people across the county and across the world have done. And they're asking for people to try to be patient. Let's try to have faith in the system because we do believe when an arrest is made -- because we expect an arrest to be made -- that it will show that there's equal justice everywhere in America. And so they're asking that everybody try to be patient and have faith, and we hope today is a positive sign. We're trying to look at it positively, as much as they can.

MALVEAUX: And, Ben, as an attorney, and knowing Angela Corey's record, do you have faith, do you have confidence that an arrest and charges are imminent?

CRUMP: We're praying an arrest is imminent. Ms. Corey has a track record for being a very good prosecutor. We hope that after the arrest is made that it is a very public trial so that everybody can see that all the evidence is presented and it's presented in a proper way and that, at the conclusion of the trial, everybody can have more faith in the system, because it was a trial that we all got to see firsthand because before we absolutely believe that had the groups and the crowds and the public and the media not got involved, Trayvon Martin's death would have been simply swept under the rug. And so the family is encouraged that so many people are watching, and we want them to continue to watch all the way to the trial because we want to make sure that everybody gets their day in court, that everybody gets their day with a judge and a jury. That then, Trayvon's parents as well as George Zimmerman.

MALVEAUX: All right. Ben Crump, thank you very much for your time. We appreciate it.

I do want folks to know that we asked for George Zimmerman's attorneys to join us live on CNN as well. They declined for a camera interview at this time, but they did give us a written response from Hal Uhrig. He says, regarding this decision, "Not surprised. Don't know what her decision will be. Courageous move on her part." That is coming from Zimmerman's attorney.

Moving on, 100 years later, the allure of the "Titanic," strong as ever. We'll take a look at a cruise ship following the same course as that historic voyage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here is a run down of some of the stories we're working on next.

A century after the sinking, still a massive fascination with the "Titanic."

And then the cease-fire in Syria going up in smoke as government forces show no sign of letting up on protesters.

Later, autism and obesity. How a woman's weight might affect the way her child's brain develops in the womb.

"Titanic" seems as popular as ever. We have popular books, the movie. We are now talking about a memorial cruise with more than 1,000 passengers, setting sail from England to retrace the doomed voyage.

So 100 years later, cruise ships still can't live up to the impossible promise of the "Titanic," that they're unsinkable. We saw that with the Carnival's "Costa Concordia," when it collided with rocks in Italy, killing at least 32 people.

Chad Myers joins me.

Chad, you have been on 20 cruises?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: At least.

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: That's crazy.

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: You must love that.

MYERS: Some platinum member of something I'm sure. I think it's a very safe way to travel.

MALVEAUX: Tell me about it.

MYERS: The teen family comes with you. There's a kids club if my son wants to go. He's 7 and he loves to do that. It's a closed system. You can get off and get on at different places. We went to Cozumel last time. We did zip lines. We went to Grand Cayman. He loves the Stingray City. But the risk of "Costa Concordia" is there. The risk of cruising is not zero. There is some risk there.

MALVEAUX: Why now? 100 years after the "Titanic," why are we seeing pictures like this? Is this human error or can something be done with these ships?

MYERS: Certainly, this was human error, but the boats are not filled with Styrofoam. This is not a Boston whaler you can cut in half and it will still float. This is a heavy piece of metal floating in the ocean. And its top heavy too. There's many decks above the water. It's much higher above the water than it's below the water. This is almost like a top heavy -- like it just wants to tip over. No, it doesn't, because there's a lot of ballast in the bottom to keep it from doing that. But there are things you can do if you're kind of a little cruiser that just doesn't want -- maybe the first time cruiser --

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: What can you do?

MYERS: My parents hate to fly, but it's the same kind of thing. They've never been on a cruise. But here is what you want to do. If you're on an airplane. you want to know where the exits are. That's kind of what you want to do on a cruise ship, too. A cruise ship, obviously that one, the "Costa Concordia" hit the rock. The biggest fear is going to be fire. If you want to know how to get out of your state room, where do you go? Do you turn left or do you turn right? The first thing you want to know is understand your deck plan. What is the closest stairwell? Is it left or is it right? You have to go to the muster station. That's a law.

MALVEAUX: What's that?

MYERS: Muster is when you get your life jacket on and you walk up to the deck or to a hall, the promenade, wherever you might be. That's for you to get a feel for where you need to go in an emergency. You really do have to do that.

I know people joke about it and they bring alcohol. and you're not supposed to, make a big party out of it, but it's important to know where to go. That's one of the things you need to know.

And know where the outside is. Know where the closest place to outside. I typically don't cruise in a balcony cabin. They're expensive. I cruise on an inside cabin because I'm a cheapskate.

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: Is it safer?

MYERS: I don't have a way to get outside until I find some place, other way to go. No, it's probably not as safe. But the risk of that "Costa Concordia" flipping over is not zero but it's not high.

MALVEAUX: I tend to avoid the cruises altogether. I had one cruise and I had a bad experience. Every got sick. It rained. It was a disaster.

(LAUGHTER)

MYERS: The risk of getting a bug, a stomach bug on a cruise ship is much higher than getting killed because it's going to sink. Trust me.

MALVEAUX: Right. I'm fascinated by the "Titanic." I'm one ever those people.

(CROSSTALK)

MYERS: And they are going to cruise right through where the icebergs were. They're going to travel the exact same path. They're going to have the exact same meals. They are going to be listening to the exact same music and many people are taking period costumes to go on the cruise.

MALVEAUX: They'll be dressing up in that time period?

MYERS: Yes.

MALVEAUX: Fascinating.

(CROSSTALK)

MYERS: It's a little macabre.

MALVEAUX: I'd like to talk to one of those folks, too, when they get off the ship. See what their experience was like.

MYERS: I'm sure. They're coming. I hope they make it.

MALVEAUX: Thanks, Chad.

MYERS: Sure.

MALVEAUX: Well, hopes for peace appear to be going up in smoke in Syria as the proposed cease fire starts to fizzle out. We're going to get a live report on a conflict the U.N. says has already cost more than 9,000 people their lives.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: It's almost deadline day in Syria. The government has agreed to pull its forces from cities across the country by tomorrow. But there is growing doubt that that's actually going to happen.

Our Ivan Watson reports from neighboring Turkey.

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IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It would take a major miracle to have any cessation of violence on Tuesday after the bloodbath we've seen in Syria over the last four to five days. Syrian opposition sources claiming more than 75 people have been killed on Monday alone. Syrian state media reporting funerals for 25 soldiers and security forces on Monday. And two deadly shooting incidents on two separate borders with violence spilling outside of Syria.

A Lebanese cameraman with Lebanon's el-Shadbid (ph) TV -- his name is Ali Shaban (ph) -- killed when somebody opened fire on his Jeep as he was traveling near the Syrian border in Lebanon. And on the Turkish border, a deadly gun battle erupting near the Syrian customs gates at Bob al Salama (ph) between rebels and government forces. Snowballed and spilled over the border as some of the wounded fled through a minefield to a border fence and to the nearby refugee camp in a Turkish area called Pelis (ph). Shots were fired by Syrian security forces into that refugee camp. A Turkish police officer was wounded as was a Turkish government translator. And more than 20 wounded Syrians tried to come through the border. They were rushed to a nearby hospital. The Turkish government lodged a formal complaint with the Syrian embassy here in Ankara.

Already relations between Syria and Turkey very strained, and this risks and threatens further escalation of tensions between these two neighbors as the Syrian crisis just gets worse.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Istanbul.

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MALVEAUX: It's got everything a blockbuster needs except for good timing. How a star-studded new comedy might actually not do so well at the box office because of the Trayvon Martin story.

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MALVEAUX: "Neighborhood Watch" -- I'm actually talking about a movie coming out this summer. You might have thought it was about the Trayvon Martin case. Well, that could be a problem for this film.

A.J. Hammer is here to explain it.

So, A.J., you've got this movie that's coming out here, very unfortunate with the timing. Made way before this controversial shooting took place. What are they doing?

A.J. HAMMER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, it's really an unfortunate situation for this film. The film, Suzanne, stars Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and Jonah Hill. The problem isn't actually the story. The story is a comedy about a neighborhood watch uncovering and trying to prevent an alien invasion. The problem is with the marketing campaign, especially the scene that was released of Jonah Hill pretending to shoot people out of the car window. You see the problem right there.

This trailer has been pulled from theaters. You can still find it online though. And 20th century FOX, the studio behind the film, said this video was part of an early marketing phase. It's wasn't intended for long-time use.

They did release a statement to CNN. I want to read to you what they told us. "We are 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. These initial marketing materials were released before this incident ever came to light. Above all else, our thoughts go out to the families touched by this terrible event."

Suzanne, I am sure the studio never imagined their film about aliens would ever get caught up in a controversial current-events story like this.

MALVEAUX: It's a good idea to put out a statement like that.

Let's talk a little bit about the report on tmz.com, that Whitney Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, wants to play her mom in a biographical movie. Is that right?

HAMMER: Well, it's the buzz right now. It's been building that Whitney Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, would be interested in starring in any movie about her mother. TMZ saying Bobbi Kristina thinks she's the perfect person to play her mom because nobody knows her better. But I did hear from the Houston family rep this morning that they story is not true. Bobbi Kristina is not talking about this. A Whitney moves, probably still a long way off, Suzanne. Casting Bobbi Kristina would be good for publicity, but it's not happening right now. We'll have to wait and see.

MALVEAUX: Yes, very fresh.

Thank you very much, A.J. Appreciate it.

You don't want to catch "Showbiz Tonight," on our sister network, HLN, weeknights at 11:00 p.m. eastern.

So the question, could a pregnant woman's weight affect her baby's development? There's a new study that makes a troubling link. We'll take a closer look.

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MALVEAUX: In medical news, a new study shows a mother's weight and her diabetic condition may be a factor in autism. Researchers found that obese mothers-to-be were 67 percent more likely to have a child with autism compared to normal weight mothers without diabetes or hypertension. So here's the technical explanation. The study's authors think that unregulated sugar in the body can expose the fetus to high glucose levels and that can affect brain development. The study was published in this week's journal, "Pediatrics."

At the White House, President Obama has been talking trade in the economy with the president of Brazil. She happens to be the country's first female president. And another woman has just joined the ranks of world leaders. The African nation of Malawi now has its first female president. Long-time women's rights activist and former vice president, Joyce Banda, took charge of the homeland Saturday. That brings us to the total number of female world leaders to 19. That is presidents, prime ministers and a chancellor. Count them all. More and more women run the world.

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MALVEAUX: Without him, "60 Minutes" might not have existed. That's what the shows executive producer is saying about Mike Wallace. Wallace died at the age of 93.

Sandra Endo takes a look back at his long and distinguished career.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE WALLACE, VETERAN JOURNALIST: I'm Mike Wallace.

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He was known for his hard- hitting journalistic style and hard-hitting style and aggressive questioning.

WALLACE: How many blacks are there on your campaign staff?

RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I couldn't honestly answer you.

ENDO: But decades before millions of TV viewers watched him on "CBS News," Mike Wallace already had a colorful career. He was born Byron Leon Wallace in Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1918. After graduating from the University of Michigan, he started his career in radio. His work as a radio host landed him spots in TV, as an actor in a police drama, as a program host, and even in commercials.

WALLACE: Get Golden Fluffle. That's some apple pie.

Are you the least bit afraid of what might happen --

ENDO: But his is love for news made him drop that type of work in 1963 when "CBS News" hired him as a correspondent.

WALLACE: I'm wagging my finger at the president of China.

(LAUGHTER) ENDO: His feisty, brazen style made him a good fit for the network's new magazine show "60 Minutes," which debuted in 1968. Wallace didn't cower to American or world leaders. He said this to Ayatollah Khomeini during the Iran-Hostage Crisis in 1979.

WALLACE: Imam, President Sadat, of Egypt, a devoutly religiously man, a Muslim said what you are doing now is, quote, "a disgrace to Islam" and he calls you, imam, --forgive me, his words, not mine -- "a lunatic."

ENDO: Media critics say Wallace's attack-dog style was relentless.

HOWARD KURTZ, CNN'S RELIABLE SOURCES: Sometimes he's gone too far. He pioneered the ambush interview, which has fallen out of favor. He used hidden camera investigations. He really taught generations of younger journalists about how to go get that story.

ENDO: In 2006, he took on a smaller role on "60 Minutes" and, by 2008, had triple bypass surgery and retired from public life.

WALLACE: If you had made your living in the early days of black- and-white television, as I said, you thought sometimes it was a little like the early days of flying.

ENDO: But his CBS relationship with viewers spanned decades. And he'll have an ever-lasting impact on the field of journalism. Mike Wallace was 93.

Sandra Endo, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Love him.

CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Ashleigh Banfield.

Hey, Ashleigh.