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Police Take Polygraph Tests; A Good Time to Remodel; Did UNC Deny Rape Charges; Busted for Laughing Too Loud; Two Civil War Soldiers Laid to Rest; Rocker on NRA's "Enemy List;" Fallon Fox Announces She's Transgender
Aired March 09, 2013 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Live and happening right now, winter weather at its worst. Once-beautiful beachside homes now falling into the ocean.
Shut out: visitors to the White House turned away, no tours because of forced budget cuts.
Want to be a cop in this town? Fill out an application and take a lie detector test to prove you're not a racist.
A rising star in women's mixed martial arts. Only one thing: she was born a man.
And charged for laughing too loudly. There is nothing funny about this story. OK, well, maybe a little.
Hello, everyone, I'm Don Lemon. Those stories and much, much more this hour right here in the CNN Newsroom.
We're going to start with this weather emergency up on the Massachusetts coast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (voice-over): I want you to take a look at what's happening in Newbury and on Plum Island, a wild winter storm causing houses to topple right into the water, just tipping them off their foundations.
It's already a bad spot for beach erosion. But the weather this weekend is worse than some long-time residents have ever seen, they say. Demolition crews are tearing down what's left of the houses for safety reasons.
In the Rockies, though, the same problems, only colder. Heavy snow, super-high winds, blizzard conditions around Denver; 8 to 14 inches of snow are expected today.
And this is Clinton, Connecticut, on the Long Island Sound. Enough with the snow already, everyone is saying. So many storms this winter, and now this nor'easter have drained the snow budgets in several Connecticut towns. They're starting to dip into their rainy day funds to pay for plowing crews and snow damage.
A little while ago we talked with Joe Atwater from our Boston affiliate WCVB. He's on that stretch of Massachusetts coast, where several homes just crumbled off their foundations today.
JOE ATWATER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So all of this erosion, this has happened over a number of years. And just this winter, we've had so many storms here. And you look at this angry ocean, and it continues to just erode the beach and really put these homes in jeopardy here.
So they knew it was coming. They tried to prepare. There's some loopholes they have to get through. They put some sandbags down there, but just not enough in this storm and all of the storms we've had here this winter.
You can see the waves. They're just bashing this house. The deck there, it's been moving around all morning. The real concern here is that the sea will pull all of this debris out and then bring it back in and bash it against some of these other homes, compromising more homes here.
Now, right next door to us, you can see this foundation. That is not looking good this morning. So crews there keeping a close eye on this home, because, yes, along with the other, it certainly could collapse here.
Now, we are at a home that is secure. We're on a deck here on Plum Island. You can see some of the other crews out here.
But I just wanted to show you this house that teetered over, and went on to the beach yesterday. There it is. And it's still hanging on.
But the waves, they are battering that home this morning. There's some concrete slabs down at the bottom, maybe protecting it. But what crews want to do, they want to try to dismantle these homes so that the debris doesn't erode more of the shoreline.
But we're going to have to wait for high tide here because the waves, they're coming in.
Now, if you come back this way, and I just want to show you these stairs, because this is absolutely incredible. If you look down these stairs, this deck used to lead right to a beach, then the water.
And look down the stairs. Everything is gone here. Obviously, this is something these homeowners have been battling for years. But when you look at this, it really is discouraging.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Incredible images there of homes just being pulled from their foundations by the surf.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LEMON (voice-over): And more amazing video here to show you. And this is not weather-related. But the U.S. Coast Guard had to rescue a sailboat crew in California's Channel Islands. Look at that. The sailboat broke apart in rough conditions, forcing the crew to abandon ship and call a mayday.
One of the crew members died. The rest were hoisted up to a helicopter and flown to safety.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Other news now. Taliban militants say they are trying to send a message to newly appointed Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (voice-over): They're claiming responsibility for a deadly suicide bombing that rocked Kabul today during Hagel's visit. Hagel wasn't injured, but at least nine people were killed and 14 others injured. Hagel is in Afghanistan to thank U.S. troops for their commitment and get a better understanding of the situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The stage is set for electing a new pope as the wait begins for the white smoke signal. On Tuesday, the 115 participating cardinals will begin the secret election process. The chimney that sends up those white smoke signals when a pope has been chosen, already in place now. Our Ben Wedeman is in Vatican City.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Don, the Vatican is in its final preparations for the conclave on Tuesday. Today they put up the chimney over the Sistine Chapel where that white smoke or black smoke will be released inside the Sistine Chapel itself.
There are now two stoves, one from the 1930s, which will be used to burn the ballot; another which will be used to burn the chemicals to signal either black or white. A pope has not been elected or "Habemus Papam," a pope has been elected.
Now on Saturday, the Vatican announced that they had disfigured the fisherman's ring and seal of Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, thereby rendering it invalid.
We also learned on Saturday the timetable for the conclave, 7 o'clock on Tuesday morning. The cardinals, 115 participating in the conclave, will begin to move into the Casa Santa Marta, the residence where they will sleep, eat and pray between the votes.
At 10 o'clock in the morning on Tuesday, they will hold a special mass for the election of the pope.
And at 4:30 in the afternoon on Tuesday, they will walk from Casa Santa Marta to the Sistine Chapel to begin the first and only vote to take place on Tuesday. If they don't elect a pope then and it's not expected that they will, Wednesday morning they will be at it again and we will have the long wait for the white smoke signaling the election of the next pope, Don.
LEMON: All right. Ben Wedeman, thank you very much for that, Ben.
Venezuela's presidential election could take place in a matter of weeks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (voice-over): State television is reporting the vote will be held on April 14th. Until then, former Vice President Nicholas Maduro will serve as the country's leader. Now Maduro was sworn in as the interim president yesterday. The opposition criticized the move as unconstitutional. Long-time leader Hugo Chavez died of cancer on Tuesday.
Former South African President Nelson Mandela is in the hospital again. But officials say there's no cause for concern.
The presidential office released a statement saying the 94-year- old Mandela is being treated for an existing condition and stress, that it's all part of a routine checkup. Mandela was recently treated for a lung infection and gallstones.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Controversial court verdict surrounding last year's deadly soccer riots in Egypt are triggering a new explosion of anger.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (voice-over): Thousands of people protested in Port Said after the court confirmed death sentences against 21 defendants. In Cairo, where most of the 21 victims were from, celebrations initially broke out, but it quickly turned violent after the court also acquitted seven Port Said police officers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Two people were killed in clashes with police; 21 U.N. peacekeepers who were detained by Syrian rebels have now been released. They were handed over to Jordanian authorities at the border today. Rebels had detained the Filipino peacekeepers in a Syrian village near the Golan Heights.
A spokesman for the opposition said rebels took the peacekeepers to protect them from fighting in the area. They are reportedly unharmed. Meanwhile, fighting in the area resumed after the handover.
Earth avoided a close encounter with an asteroid today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LEMON (voice-over): The asteroid, the size of a city block, passed by our planet. But it was more than 604,000 miles away. We got lucky, because the asteroid was only discovered last weekend. Search telescopes can't find objects of that size until they get close.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Coming up here on CNN, firearms in a kindergarten? It's now legal in one state. I'll explain, straight ahead.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: A new law in South Dakota. If you work in a school, you can carry a gun. And that means teachers, school board employees, even volunteers. And even in kindergarten classes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (voice-over): The law was signed by South Dakota's governor yesterday. It goes into effect July 1st, and according to the working of the gun law, it's all about security and defense on school property.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Remember the 7-year-old suspended from his Maryland school for molding his breakfast pastry into the shape of a gun?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (voice-over): We told you about Josh Walsh's pastry problem last weekend. Now a Maryland lawmaker says it's time for some common sense. State Senator J.B. Jennings introduced a bill that would ban schools from suspending kids for childish acts like molding food into gun shapes.
Jennings does not want his bill to become part of the larger gun debate. But, he says, schools' zero tolerance rules are going way too far.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Those forced government spending cuts have wiped out one of Washington's popular attractions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (voice-over): Starting today, White House tours have been cancelled through September, the end of the fiscal year. And the finger-pointing has already started. Republicans say the move is designed to stir public anger. The president's spokesman says the Secret Service simply had to make tough decisions to comply with the cuts. (END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, until recently, the president and congressional Republicans have done a lot of talking to each other, and about those spending cuts, but very little talking to each other. They've been talking at each other. Here is a sampling of the president's political offensive before the cuts took effect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: None of this is necessary. It's happening because a choice that Republicans in Congress have made.
And the policies that the Republicans are offering right now are the exact policies that got us into this mess.
If congressional Republicans refuse to pay America's bills on time, Social Security checks and veterans' benefits will be delayed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: But the hardball strategy seems to be changing. The president seems to be launching what Washington calls -- well, it looks like a charm offensive.
So let's talk to CNN's Emily Schmidt; she's live in Washington with more on what's behind the president's sudden busy social calendar.
He has been doing a lot of eating lately, a lot of lunches and a lot of dinners, Emily.
EMILY SCHMIDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, you'd better believe it. Those political fundraising dinners have been replaced by these political meetings, the mandatory budget cuts that are shrinking spending began March 1st, just about the time the White House began reaching out to Republicans in those very public ways.
President Obama is slated to meet with House Republicans Wednesday, Senate Republicans Thursday. He will meet with House and Senate Democrats this week, too. That's on top of the dinner, the lunch, the phone calls he made to GOP lawmakers last week.
President Obama said in his weekly radio address today he thinks compromise is possible. Some Republicans in these gatherings have called it a first good step, but they have also been cleared, Don, to say there is no negotiating taking place quite yet.
LEMON: We didn't see a lot of public negotiating before the budget cuts deadline a little more than a week ago. So why now, Emily?
SCHMIDT: You know, one reason certainly could be timing. Congress has to act by March 27th, you know, to avoid that government shutdown. On top of that, we're just a few months away from the issue of increasing the federal debt limit once again. President Obama wants some action there.
He would also like to be able to focus on some of his priorities, like immigration reform and gun control laws. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says in an exclusive interview that's going to air on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" tomorrow, that the president is focused on solutions.
Some Republicans have been more critical. This includes House Speaker John Boehner. They suggest the president's strategy may be more about looking good and making Republicans look bad in an effort to win control of the House in those midterm elections.
There are years of disagreements here. And as some senators have pointed out, you don't get common ground over just one dinner.
LEMON: We're beginning to see, Emily, the impact of the budget cuts, cancelled White House tours that we've been reporting, smaller long-term unemployment checks, news of air traffic control towers that might soon close.
Could these talks across the aisle reverse some of these impacts soon?
SCHMIDT: There are a lot of people who want to know the answer to that question and the answer is, we don't know because it's only the beginning of $85 billion in cuts. As you mentioned, some of those are already happening. Unless there is compromise quickly, it's likely you're going to feel those cuts before you see any kind of compromise.
This outreach also goes beyond these cuts that you've been talking about. They want to look to see if there's any room for what we're calling that grand compromise, something that looks at can you tackle the deficit with a combination of taxes and entitlement reform. Those are issues that may prove to be even bigger than those billions of dollars in cuts, Don.
LEMON: All right. Emily Schmidt in Washington, thank you very much.
New research shows if you want to be happy as you get older, maybe you should pick up one particular pastime of today's generation. What is it? That's next.
But first, this.
For more than 400,000 children living in foster care, the small things that can make a big difference in the life of a child are often out of reach. But this week's CNN Hero has found a way to give a little piece of childhood back to those who often have no one to ask. Meet Danielle Gletow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been in and out of foster care for most of my life. When you move from place to place, you don't really get the same connections that your peers have. You get very insecure. You don't think that people really care about your desires and wishes.
DANIELLE GLETOW, CNN HERO: When I became a foster parent, I realized a lot of these children decide that it's not worth wishing anymore, because it isn't going to happen. People have made promises to them that they haven't kept.
Do you want to check any of the babies?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure.
GLETOW: All right. Here you go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
GLETOW: Everything is brand new.
I thought, how do we give them the feeling that people are out there that care about you even if you've never met them?
My name is Danielle Gletow and I've helped make wishes come true for thousands of foster children all over the country.
Anybody, anywhere, anytime can look at hundreds of wishes from children in foster care: working on auditioning for a play; he needs the radio in order to practice with his audition CD.
Wishes are as unique as the children who make them, and so personal.
Isn't that beautiful?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
GLETOW: These small things make an enormous difference in the life of a child. It's really just a kid being a kid.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My wish was for a suit so that I could attend a family member's funeral. It meant a lot that someone took the time and they knew that that was important.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This looks awesome.
GLETOW: When a child's wish is granted, we are reassuring them that their voices are being heard.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you, Evie (ph).
GLETOW: That there is this big world out there that just wants to wrap their arms around them and protect them and we need to all step up and do that. (END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: If you're an older person, there's new advice on how to be happier. And you're going to want to sit down for this one, because the advice is to be happier, you have to try to play some video games. And it's too hard to play those games standing up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "GRANDMA'S BOY")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Walk over here.
OK, go in this room. OK. Use your telekinesis power to lift those objects.
That's great. Go in there. Go in there.
DORIS ROBERTS, ACTRESS, "GRANDMA LILLY": OK. Is this a good or bad guy?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a bad guy. He's a drug dealer. Kill him.
"LILLY": Oh. I hate violence, but oh, drugs are bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP, "GRANDMA'S BOY")
LEMON: That's a scene from "Grandma's Boy."
And Jeff Gardere's with us. That -- Jeff, you're a psychologist. That's exactly what you're talking about. You read this study. It says older folks should play those games, but, I mean, don't most of them hate video games?
JEFF GARDERE, PSYCHOLOGIST: Yes. And that's the point, Don. Getting them out of that comfort zone, getting them to be much less sedentary and exploring new things that can excite them and what we've found and what the study found, these seniors are actually enjoying the video games.
And we have to look at the chemistry here, what happens to neurotransmitters of serotonin, which helps you become more focused, and dopamine, which gives you a little bit more pleasure in what you're doing with the video games, now are released much more in the brain.
And so you see that these seniors now are much more excited. And I think it's -- I think it's absolutely wonderful.
LEMON: There are older people who are always doing something. I mean, think about Regis Philbin, he's 81 years old and this week he said he's going to host a sports show on -- he's going to do it on FOX. He is as sharp as a tack. We were watching him on television.
I mean, can video games help some people be as sharp as Regis Philbin, or is that something that's just inherent?
GARDERE: Well, I think a lot of people, perhaps, who -- seniors who have not been exercising their brains enough, now these video games will help them as far as staving off dementia or memory problems, which are quite normal for people in their 50s, 60s, 70s, of course.
But someone like Regis Philbin is a product of what we see in many studies. These are people who exercise their brain power all the time, constantly challenging themselves to (inaudible) so they're using all parts of their brain.
So as they get older, now they are much -- they're using their cognition much more, and they are able to remain much sharper and have much less memory loss.
LEMON: It's not just exercising your brain, too. You have to keep -- you have to keep moving, physically keep moving, as well. That's important.
GARDERE: You have to physically keep moving, and social interaction is important. And these people playing these video games are playing with other people, so that also increases the social interaction.
LEMON: Let's talk about putting yourself in danger and why someone would do it. Let's look at another story.
A 24-year-old intern, Diana Hanson, died this week. She worked with animals at a big cat sanctuary in California. She was attacked and killed by a 350-pound lion, Jeff.
In these pictures you can see she is pretty familiar with the big cat -- it's a scary cat. Everyone has been asking -- it sounds a bit odd to most people.
Why would someone put themselves in danger, in with an animal like this? Is it inherent? Is it something that some people just are prone to doing and others would not do?
GARDERE: Well, that's a great question. When we talked about this neurotransmitter, dopamine, we know that there are some people who have a higher threshold to get this neurotransmitter to be released to feel pleasure. She could have been one of those people. She needs more risks. She needs more thrills to do that.
But what we know about her, what her father has said, was that this was a woman, even as a child, who was fascinated by big cats. And so she did something that she really liked, and she packed a lot of life into a very short amount of time. And why he feels at peace with the fact that his daughter is now gone.
LEMON: Jeff Gardere, thank you very much. Good to see you.
GARDERE: Always, Don. Thank you, sir.
LEMON: Coming up. Want to be a cop in this town? Fill out an application. Take a lie detector test to prove you're not a racist.
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LEMON: Coming up on half past the hour. Let's get a look at your headlines now on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON (voice-over): Winter storms this weekend tearing up the New England coastline. This is Plum Island, Massachusetts. At least two beach houses just tipped over into the ocean and many others are badly damaged. This is the second powerful storm to chew up that area in a month. Beach erosion is bad and the protective sand dunes are all but gone.
Former South African President Nelson Mandela is in the hospital again but officials say there is no cause for concern. The presidential office released a statement saying the 94-year-old Mandela is being treated for an existing condition and stress, that it's all part of a routine checkup. Mandela was recently treated for a lung infection and gallstones.
It appears Kenya has a new president. The electoral commission announced today that Uhuru Kenyatta captured just over 50 percent of the vote. Kenyatta is the son of Kenya's founding leader and he is facing war crimes over election violence in 2007. His main rival, the country's prime minister, says he will challenge the results in court.
You might be grumpy in the morning from lack of sleep. Daylight saving time starts at 2:00 am -- saving. No S. So remember to set your clocks ahead one hour tonight. You'll sacrifice an hour of sleep tonight in exchange for a few months of extra daylight. Daylight saving time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: A small Tennessee town trying to clean up its act. But it's not the citizens, it's the police force that's doing the housekeeping and housecleaning. Several high-profile incidents cast a negative spotlight on how the cops treated outsiders, especially minorities. Jonathan Martin of WSMV in Nashville has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JONATHAN MARTIN, WSMV: Home to just over 4,000, Coopertown is a small town, recently making headlines that some neighbors tell us has led to an awful reputation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just that it's kind of a, you know, racist town. And, you know, that people were scared to drive through there.
MARTIN (voice-over): New police chief, Shane Sullivan, is trying to turn things around. SHANE SULLIVAN, CHIEF, COOPERTOWN POLICE CHIEF: I'm not going to tolerate any racial slurs or racial remarks. I don't do it, and no one here in my staff is going to do it.
MARTIN: He says any officer wanting to work in Coopertown must now take a polygraph test. Among the questions the private firm will ask, have you ever committed a racial or hate crime.
SULLIVAN: All our polygraph questions revert back to criminal activity. And that's one of them.
MARTIN: They won't ask about using racial slurs. But Sullivan says the results from the two-hour test should tell him whether or not the candidate has good moral character.
This move comes after video surfaced last summer where you hear a Coopertown officer using a racial slur after stopping a black driver. That officer was fired and the police chief later resigned and then the four-member department dissolved.
Several years earlier, the department was accused of targeting Hispanic drivers, and also made national headlines for becoming a notorious speed trap.
Neighbors we talked to today say a lie detector test won't fix all the problems. But they agree it's a sign Coopertown is moving in a better direction.
UNIDENTIFIED COOPERTOWN RESIDENT: People are ready to move on, because they don't want to be associated with the past and have the stigma that the last people that were in office put on the town.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Jonathan Martin reporting.
A New York man arrested. The charges? Disturbing the peace for laughing too loud.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
ROBERT SCHIAVELLI, CHARGED WITH LAUGHING TOO LOUD: I just kept doing it until he went away because he kept staring at me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: You can't make this stuff up. We'll talk about it right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: The housing market is looking up. It's a great time to remodel your home, to make it just right for your family. But it also could help you later when you decide to sell. CNN's Christine Romans has the details in today's "Smart is the New Rich."
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CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: The decision to move or to renovate is never easy or cheap. And not all renovations pay the same returns. And did you know that most renovations don't even return your entire investment?
Here's some of the better renovations, building an attic bedroom, a minor kitchen remodel or upgrading to vinyl siding. Those return more than 70 percent of your costs.
On the other hand, look at backup generators, sun room additions, a home office remodel. Those only recoup about half of what they cost when it comes time to sell.
SAL ALFANO, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, REMODELING MAGAZINE: Kitchens and baths are still very attractive rooms. They're the rooms that buyers look at and pay a lot of attention to. And an upgrade in one of those rooms can make a big difference in resale value of the house.
ROMANS (voice-over): If you're planning to sell, focus on basics.
ALFANO: Anything that has to do with the systems of the House, so the mechanical statements, HVAC, heating, air conditioning. Good roofing, good siding, good windows, all of that is taken for granted. If those need upgrading, those are things you want to do first.
ROMANS: If you're planning to stay, focus on things that improve your quality of life.
RON DONATO, DEFINO REALTORS: Long-term goal over short-term goal is very important. If they plan on being here 20, 30 years, then basically just put the improvements in that make you enjoy your home.
ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, Christine, thank you very much. Good advice.
A dump truck driver found himself in quite a precarious situation in Ohio today. His truck hit a pedestrian bridge and then rolled over with half of it dangling down to the road below. Can you believe that? No serious injuries, though. The section of Interstate 90 through Cleveland is closed through the rest of the weekend.
A Russian ballet dancer says he's not entirely to blame for the acid attack on his rival. Pavel Dmitrichenko confessed that he hired a man to rough up the Bolshoi Ballet's artistic director, but says he never told the guy to use acid. The dancer and his alleged co- conspirators will be in police custody until the investigation is over. Aerosmith singer, Steven Tyler, is one step closer to winning a battle against the paparazzi. A measure dubbed the Steven Tyler Act passed the Hawaii State Senate this week. It would allow celebrities to sue photographers for taking invasive photos on private property. Tyler owns a home in Maui, and he asked a Senator from his district to sponsor the bill after paparazzi took a photo of him and his girlfriend. The bill now goes to Hawaii's state house. A New York man charged with disturbing the peace after laughing too loud?
The University of North Carolina under investigation for how it handled sexual assault cases involving current and former students. Did they sweep them under the rug?
I want you to listen to the student who filed a sexual assault claim against UNC.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNIE CLARK, STUDENT FILED SUIT AGAINST UNC: It's about justice. This has been going on for far too long all across the country. And nothing has been done about it. And so we finally decided to seek help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Let's talk law and justice now. Criminal defense attorney, Holly Hughes, is here to talk back with us.
Holly, one young woman says she went to the school official and she was told this. I can't believe this when I heard this. "Rape is like football. And if you look back in the game, would you have done anything differently."
HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY & FORMER PROSECUTOR: Right. That's not the first time we have heard those allegations. There is another young lady who has come also forward and, when she spoke out publicly, first, they have to go through the honor corps, which is student-run at UNC. And they said to her, when she complained of rape, no, there was no rape. And they asked her questions and they said she -- they made me feel like I had done something wrong, like I was being questioned when I was there reporting rape. Then they found no finding of rape. And when she went out on campus and said, you know, they're not taking sexual assaults here very seriously, they filed a complaint against her for disrupting campus life and making the life of the alleged rapist hard, even though she never named him.
LEMON: She thinks it's retaliation.
HUGHES: She does think it's retaliation.
LEMON: What's the school saying?
HUGHES: The school is, of course, denying all of these allegations. They are claiming they take sexual assault very seriously. But interestingly enough, one of their former administrators has stepped down in order to join the students in this federal civil rights suit, saying she was told as an administrator to underreport sexual assault. So there's a lot going on on both sides here.
And interestingly enough, Don, they have now taken away the honor court's ability to hear sexual assault cases. They said maybe, in retrospect, it's not a good idea to let students review these. They have now appointed a special administrator to hear those, which tells you they know something was wrong with the process if they are correcting or changing it.
LEMON: OK. Let's go to serious to not so serious. There is a New York man who was charged for laughing too loudly.
First, let's listen to him and then we'll talk about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
SCHIAVELLI: I got two appearance tickets for laughing out a window in my own house.
I think it's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: How can you be charged with laughing? Is that a crime?
HUGHES: No. The crime they charged him with is disturbing the peace. But there's a big back story here, Don. This man is disabled. And he says that his neighbors make fun of him. They call him names. They mock him. And he says, I laugh to just sort of protect myself. Let me just laugh it off. So he said, yes, I laugh loudly, but I'm inside my own house and I'm not disturbing them. I'm laughing in response to them picking on me, to making fun of my being disabled. And he says, what are you supposed to do when somebody calls you a retard? I'm not going to get angry. I'm not going to go after them. I'm just going to laugh it off.
So his attorney asked the judge, you know, come on, your honor, exercise some discretion, throw this out. The judge won't throw it out.
LEMON: So is he going to be fined. What happens? Community service?
HUGHES: Well, there is possible jail time. Of course, there's also a fine. So his attorney, if he can't get the dismissal, is probably just going to try and work out some kind of fine, so this poor man does not get incarcerated when it looks like he may be the victim here, Don. This is -- you know, it's about laughing, but it is no laughing matter.
LEMON: I was going to say -- yes. HUGHES: This poor man is looking at possible loss of liberty.
LEMON: I said not so serious, but it is serious.
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: It is serious for him, sure, sure.
LEMON: Thank you, Holly.
HUGHES: Absolutely.
LEMON: Holly will be back at 10:00 eastern when she will talk about the murder trial everyone is talking about, the Jodi Arias trial.
See you then, Holly.
And before that, join Anderson Cooper for an "A.C. 360" report, "Sex, Lies and Audiotape: The Jodi Arias Trial." That's at 9:00 eastern right here on CNN.
A funeral 150 years in the making. Two Civil War soldiers buried at Arlington, but scientists still have no clue who they are. The race to find their identity, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Hugo Chavez will become the latest in a line of world leaders to be put on permanent display, at least according to interim Venezuelan president, Nicholas Maduro. The government says it has decided to embalm Chavez's body to put it in a glass tomb. The fiery socialist leader died of cancer Tuesday. He joins other leaders such as Lenin, Stalin and Mao, whose remains have been preserved and put on display.
A band played "America the Beautiful" when two Civil War sailors were buried this week at Arlington National Cemetery.
CNN's Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, tracked the incredible detective story that led to yesterday's moving ceremony.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shoes worn by a sailor 150 years ago, perhaps in the final moments of his life on board the "USS Monitor," a renowned Civil War battleship.
(on camera): This is extraordinary. We are looking mismatched, but a pair of shoes that one of the sailors wore.
DAVID DROP, MARINER'S MUSEUM: He had a different shoe on his left foot than his right. And it's hard to explain why that is. One of the possible options is that, as these guys were leaving the ship the night of the sinking, it was chaotic, it was dark. STARR (voice-over): The shoes, just one clue in a detective story that started 240 feet below the surface of the sea. Who were the two men whose skeletons were found in the ship's turret in 2002?
The Navy is burying them with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery, not knowing the answer yet.
(MUSIC)
STARR (on camera): This is the 120-ton turret of the "USS Monitor," sitting in this water preservation tank right now.
This is the precise spot where they found the remains of the two Navy sailors.
(voice-over): More clues -- buttons from a uniform, a gold ring, a comb, some coins.
The Monitor itself made history as the first iron-clad ship. Caught in the storm on December 30, 1862, off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, it flipped over and sank. 16 sailors were lost.
Captain Bobbie Scholley led Navy dives to the wreckage.
CAPT. BOBBIE SCHOLLEY, NAVY DIVE TEAM COMMANDER: We needed to take all the appropriate steps necessary to recover those sailors with all the honors and dignities.
ROMANS: A military lab analyzed the bones. DNA samples were taken, facial reconstructions were made. African-American sailors and officers were eliminated. The remains were Caucasian. The buttons, not from officers' coats.
The list is now down to five or six men. Two possibilities, Robert Williams and William Brian.
Back at the water's edge in Virginia where the Monitor battled the Confederacy, the official who oversees the ship's legacy says it's more than just history.
DAVID ALBERG, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION: Whether it was 150 years ago or two weeks ago in it Afghanistan, the nation's commitment to bringing her fallen home, laying them to rest and returning them to their families, stays as strong today as it ever was.
STARR: Barbara Starr, CNN, Newport News, Virginia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Coming up, rocker, Jon Bon Jovi. A lot of people love him, but the NRA apparently doesn't. Find out why he's on the gun group's enemies list. That's just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Big news from baseball. New York Yankees legend, Mariano Rivera, is retiring when this season is over. For 18 years he has been one of the most dominant relief pitchers in all of baseball. Rivera is 42 years old and missed most of last season with a knee injury. He has more saves, 650, than any pitcher in baseball history.
The NRA despises Jon Bon Jovi. The rocker is very out spoken about his support for tougher gun control laws.
CNN's Victor Blackwell talked to Jon Bon Jovi about his views.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The NRA put you on its list of enemies.
JON BON JOVI, ROCK STAR: oh, well.
BLACKWELL: Why would they do that? What are your thoughts on this proposed ban on some semi-automatics?
BON JOVI: I'm all for it. I'm all for it. I think background checks should be mandatory. I don't believe that you need assault weapons in the woods to hunt. I believe that 50-round clips doesn't really make it fair game, does it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Bon Jovi talks more about his long career and his upcoming album. We'll air the entire Jon Bon Jovi interview around 7:40 eastern time.
Music, movies and technology are coming together this week at South by Southwest, that festival in Austin, Texas. This year, one big draw is none other than Grumpy Cat from Facebook and commercial fame. Folks are lining up to see the famous kitty. But it is, look only, don't touch. It's "look only, don't touch." There are also stars on hand, of the two-legged variety.
And our Nischelle Turner ran into one of them, actor, Jim Carrey.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Don. South by Southwest has become one of the premier festivals of it kinds in the entire United Sates, I would say. It's music, film and technology, altogether in one place, and that is in Austin, Texas.
There are big movies premiering here with really big stars.
I sat down with one of the stars of the movie, "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone." That's Steve Carell, Jim Carrey and Olivia Wilde. And this movie is about magicians and their Las Vegas act, kind of that big-than-light mentality.
I don't know if you ever have interviewed Jim Carrey, but if you have, you know it's one of those buckle up and just go for the ride. You never know what you're going to get.
So here is what happened when Jim Carrey decided he wanted to show me a card trick.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM CARREY, ACTOR: We learned magic.
TURNER (voice-over): I was going to say -- first, I thought it was like a pack of cigarettes.
(CROSSTALK)
TURNER: OK, what are you going to show me here?
CARREY: Right, pick a card.
STEVE CARELL, ACTOR: Nice fan, by the way.
CARREY: Thanks. Good cameraman.
OK, show the camera.
TURNER: Do you see it? All right.
CARREY: Now put the card back in the deck, anywhere at all. Fantastic, would you like to shuffle it?
TURNER: Oh, I'm the worst.
CARREY: Hold on to that for a second.
TURNER: Oh, I'm not the worst. Steve is the worst.
CARREY: Perfect, OK.
(LAUGHTER)
CARREY: Is that your card?
TURNER: No.
(LAUGHTER)
CARREY: Is that your card?
TURNER: No.
(LAUGHTER)
CARREY: Is that your card?
TURNER: No.
OLIVIA WILDE, ACTRESS: Do we have time for that?
CARREY: Is that your card? Is that your card? Is this your card? Is this your card? Is this your card? Oh --
(CROSSTALK)
CARREY: Is this your card, is this your card?
TURNER: Just throw them all out.
CARREY: Is this your card? Is this card?
(CROSSTALK)
TURNER: You're not good.
CARREY: Is this your card? Is this your card?
(LAUGHTER)
CARREY: Sorry.
TURNER: I still haven't found my card, Jim.
WILDE: You will find it in your pants. That is the weird thing about this trick.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TURNER: OK, so it obviously was not there, where Olivia Wilde said it was. But this was the deck of cards. And I tell you what, I have looked all through the deck of cards, and I still can't find the ace of diamonds, which, of course, was my card.
So there's a lot going on here at South by Southwest. Lots more stars coming and going. Lots of more starts that are coming and going. Lot of music, film and technology all in one place -- Don?
LEMON: All right, thank you, Nischelle.
We'll go live to Austin and talk to our technology correspondent, Laurie Segall, in our 7:00 hour here on CNN, and find out what is hot at South by Southwest
She is a successful mixed martial arts fighter revealing a personal secret. Her story is the first known in the history of the sport. We'll tell you why she is talking now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Fallon Fox is undefeated in her first two mixed martial arts bouts. She also came just forward and announced she is transgender. Fox is 37 years old and had kept her medical history private until she revealed to "Sports illustrated" she was born a man. She had gender reassignment surgery in 2006.
Earlier, Fox told our Brianna Keilar why she chose to go public with the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FALLON FOX, MMA FIGHTER: I didn't plan to come out. There was a reporter that contacted me. He was told rumors that I was transgender, the term that I like to use. I pretty much had no choice, because he was digging around, asking people about me. So if it was not for that, I would have preferred to keep my personal medical history to myself, because it is a matter about my personal medical history. And I don't think that anybody should have to reveal the personal medical history if they don't feel they want to.
I think that some people have a tendency not to pay attention to science in general, which is the way that we find out about the world around us. It is just a thing that happens to human beings. But I think, for the most part, the reaction has been positive. It is just some people, some of society just doesn't get it yet. And this is what we're trying to do is inform people and let them know about transgender athletes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, Fox is the first transgender athlete in the growing sport of mixed martial arts.
I'm Don Lemon, at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. I'll see you back here one hour from now.
THE SITUATION ROOM with Wolf Blitzer begins right now.
