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Cancer Doctor Accused of Killer Coffee; Mystery Deaths in Motel Room Solved; Obama Talks Immigration Reform; Tebow's Career Gets a Revival

Aired June 11, 2013 - 10:30   ET

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

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): George Blumenschein survived but he has suffered serious damage to his kidneys, even needing dialysis to try and repair the damage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Ed Lavandera joins us live now.

LAVANDERA: And --

COSTELLO: Go ahead Ed take it away.

LAVANDERA: Oh I'm sorry about that Carol. I was just going to say that Dr. Gonzalez is out on bond and her attorney had also told us that they have had already several meetings with prosecutors here in Houston and they're hoping that they will take a new look at this case. And they say this is completely out of character.

So it will be interesting to see how that continues to develop here in the weeks ahead.

COSTELLO: Absolutely. Ed Lavandera reporting live for us this morning. Thanks so much.

LAVANDERA: You bet.

COSTELLO: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning. Thanks so much for being with us. I'm Carol Costello. Checking our "Top Stories" at 33 minutes past the hour.

The U.S. now building a case against the man behind those intelligence leaks -- former contractor Edward Snowden. And the British newspaper "The Guardian" says it will soon reveal new details about the government program which may be monitoring your phone calls and e- mails. Snowden now in hiding. Earlier this morning Russia said it will consider an asylum request for him.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela remains in serious but stable condition as security has increased at the hospital where he's being treated. Fences and gates have been set up near entrances. This is Mandela's fourth day in intensive care. Mandela's ex-wife visited him on Monday. And his daughter has flown back to South Africa to be with him.

You're looking at damage that's behind after tornadoes ripped through parts of Maryland. Parts of homes and buildings northwest of Baltimore were destroyed while much of the region deals with severe rain and flooding.

Three mysterious deaths in the same hotel room now that baffling case has been solved. The deaths began last month at a Boone, North Carolina Hotel.

CNN's Alina Machado is live in Boone with more for you. Good morning Alina.

ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORREPONDENT: Good morning Carol. Those deaths happened in the same second floor hotel room in the area right above the pool. That's the area you're looking at right now. This hotel remains closed, but police tell us carbon monoxide maybe to blame.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MACHADO (voice over): A frantic call for help.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh ma'am, this is awful, please.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ok so there's -- so there's two people in the room at this time, is that right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At least two that we know of. It's a woman and young child. The child is in the bed.

MACHADO: After 11-year-old Jeffrey Lee Williams and his 49-year-old mother Jeane are found unresponsive inside a room here at this Best Western Hotel in Boone, North Carolina.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just please hurry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ok. Don't hang up ok?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not hanging up, ma'am. This just happened to us last month. So please come help us.

MACHADO: When paramedics responded to the hotel Saturday afternoon, Jeffrey was dead, his mother barely alive. Both were staying inside room 225. That's the same room where Darrel and Shirley Jenkins, an elderly couple from Washington State, were staying when they died on April 16th.

MARK BRUMBAUGH, JENKINS' FAMILY ATTORNEY: It was really a shock to hear that that room had been occupied again after what had happened to Darrel and Shirley Jenkins.

MACHADO: Boone police say preliminary autopsy information for the Jenkins couple was inconclusive. Their deaths remained a mystery until now.

CAPTAIN ANDY LEBEAU, BOONE POLICE: It was just within the past 24 hours that the toxicology reports have become available indicating that there was a lethal level of carbon monoxide -- as a matter of fact 60 percent in their blood level.

MACHADO: Authorities say elevated levels of carbon monoxide were found inside room 225 on Saturday. Investigators are still working for find out how the odorless gas got into the room.

LEBEAU: The room 225 is located above a maintenance room and pool which contains a heater. And so of course we suspect that that could be a source of the carbon monoxide. But the officials come in and starting that they're going to do a comprehensive investigation and look at all possible aspects.

MACHADO: An attorney for the hotel released a statement saying in part "The health and safety of guests who stay at our hotel is our number one priority. We are cooperating fully with authorities." The attorney for the Jenkins family is expressing dismay that this happened again.

BRUMBAUGH: My clients are extremely upset that this had to happen again or was allowed to happen again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACHADO: The Boone police chief says in North Carolina, carbon monoxide detectors are not required in commercial building hotels, but he's hoping this tragedy will help change that -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well a question for you and did anyone stay in that room between when the Jenkins stayed and when this little boy who died stayed?

MACHADO: Police tell us at least one other couple did stay in room 225 in that time period. Police reached out to that couple and they told them that they were ok -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right Alina Machado reporting live for this morning.

In just a couple -- actually we'll take you live to take a look at the East Room and what's happening there. Now as you can see, President Obama is now being introduced. He'll soon begin remarks on immigration reform.

We're going to take a quick break, we'll come back and hopefully the President will be speaking.

All right, we're going to stay because the President as you can see is beginning his speech. Let's listen.

(BEGIN LIVE FEED)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well good morning, everybody. Welcome to the White House.

It is a pleasure to have so many distinguished Americans today from so many different walks of life. We've got Democrats and Republicans, we've got labor and business leaders up on stage, we have law enforcement and clergy -- Americans who don't see eye to eye on every issue in fact in some cases don't see eye to eye on just about any issue but who are today standing united in support of the legislation that is front and center in Congress this week, a bipartisan bill to fix our broken immigration system.

And I have to say please give To Lou another round of applause. It takes a lot of courage to do what To Lou did, to step out of the shadows, to share her story and the hope that despite the risks, she could make a difference. But To Lou I think has representative so many dreamers out there who have worked so hard. And I've had a chance to meet so many of them who have been willing to give a face to the undocumented. And have inspired a movement across America. And with each step they reminded us time and again what this debate is all about.

This is not an abstract debate. This is about incredible young people who understand themselves to be Americans, who have done everything right, but have still been hampered in achieving their American dream.

And they remind us that we're a nation of immigrants. Throughout our history, the promise we found in those who come from every corner of the globe has always been one of our greatest strengths.

It's kept our workforce vibrant and dynamic. It's kept our businesses on the cutting edge. It's helped build the greatest economic engine that the world has ever known. When I speak to other world leaders, one of the biggest advantages we have economically is our demographics. We're constantly replenishing ourselves with talent from all across the globe.

No other country can match that history. And what was true years ago is still true today.

Who is beeping over there? You're feeling kind of self-conscious, aren't you? That's ok.

In recent years, one in four of America's new small business owners were immigrants. One in four high tech start-ups in America were founded by immigrants; 40 percent of "Fortune 500" companies were started by first or second generation American. Think about that. Almost half of the "Fortune 500" companies when they were started were started by first or second generation immigrants.

So -- so immigration isn't just part of our national character. It is a driving force in our economy that creates jobs and prosperity for all of our citizens.

Now here is the thing. Over the past two decades, our immigration system hasn't kept pace with changing times and hasn't matched up with our most cherished values. Right now our immigration system invites the best and brightest from all over the world to come and study at our top universities and then once they finish, once they've gotten the training they need to build a new invention or create a new business, our system too often tells them go back home. So that other countries can reap the benefits, the new jobs, the new businesses, the new industries. That's not smart. But that's the broken system we have today. Right now our immigration system keeps families apart for years at a time. Even for folks who technically under the legal immigration system should be eligible to become citizen, but it is so long and so cumbersome; so (inaudible) that families end up being separated for years.

Because of the back log of visas people who came here legally were ready to give -- give their all to earn their place in America end up waiting for years to join their loved ones here in the United States. It's not right. But that's the broken system we have today.

(END LIVE FEED)

COSTELLO: All right we're going to step away. As you can see, President Obama pressing for immigration reform -- a bill is set to come up before the Senate very soon. And of course it's a controversial bill because it includes an earned path to citizenship, something many lawmakers considered amnesty.

If you want to continue to monitor this live press conference that President Obama is holding, you can go to CNN.com/TV. We're also monitoring another press conference soon to begin in Foxboro and this has everything to do with the NFL, Tim Tebow and the New England Patriots. We're expecting an announcement very soon making it official that Tim Tebow will indeed became -- become part of the New England Patriots.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: All right. Let's take you back to Foxboro because the New England Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick is enthusiastically addressing reporters about the addition to his team. That would be Tim Tebow. Can we go back there?

BILL BELICHICK, HEAD COACH, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: -- rolling to our fourth week here of OTAs/mini camp. And I feel like the team has gone out there and they've done a pretty good job --

COSTELLO: All right. I didn't mean for us to take his actual words because I think he's said everything he's going to say about Tim Tebow. Andy Scholes is here. We were monitoring Bill Belichick's comments when we were in the commercial break. What did he say?

ANDY SCHOLES, "BLEACHER REPORT": Well, of course every question from a reporter right away was all about Tim Tebow. And in classic Bill Belichick fashion, he's like "He's a good player. He's going help us. We're looking forward to it."

COSTELLO: Yes, great -- whatever.

SCHOLES: He's not going to expand on this. They asked him about, you know, what about the craziness that comes with Tebow mania and he was just like, "Well, we've been in front of big crowds before. It's not going to faze us." So that's pretty much what you're going to get from Bill Belichick, you know.

COSTELLO: After all, they have had Giselle up there in the owner's box. Can we do the tape turn on Bill Belichick so we can hear a little bit of what he said about Tim Tebow? Ok. Here it comes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BELICHICK: Rolling into our fourth week here of OTAs/mini camp. And I feel like the team has gone out there and they've done a pretty good job. We have another day here working the elements. And you know, hopefully by the end of this week we'll be in a decent position to go into training camp.

We've been installing a lot of information on a lot of our schemes and had a chance to execute them. This is not -- without pads on so there's still a lot of work to do there. You know, I think that for the most part we've gotten good cooperation from everybody. Good work on the field; definitely better than we were a few weeks ago. We still have a long, long way to go.

So just keep taking it one day at a time. Hopefully we finish up well this week and put things in place to start off a good training camp.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What can you tell us about your decision to sign Tim Tebow? What is it about his personality or attitude that -- reason to believe that, you know, he can make --

BELICHICK: Anything we do -- anything we do is what we feel is in the best interests of the team. You know, Tim is a talented player, smart and works hard. So we'll see how it goes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coach, I cover politics for a TV station in New Hampshire, but I'm here today. How much of a consideration was the attention that I'm sure you knew was going to come with signing Tim Tebow before making that decision?

BELICHICK: None. We try to do what's best for the team.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Coach, how do you deal with a player coming in with all this fanfare and celebrity, do you have to sit him down and talk to him about all that you're doing. Is there any way you feel special when you get all this fuss?

BELICHICK: In all honesty, we've been in bigger crowds than this before.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pardon me?

BELICHICK: I said in all honesty, we've been in front of bigger crowds than this before. So we'll just keep doing what our job is. We're going to try to get better as a football team individually and collectively. And that's what we're going to do?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How do you plan to use him? BELICHICK: What position? I'll do what I think is best for our football team. So I don't know -- we'll see.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it possible he could be used on special team defense in addition to offense?

BELICHICK: We'll see. I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Specific to his on field traits (ph), what are some of the things that you liked about Tim when you were evaluating him from last year and the year before that?

BELICHICK: He's a talented guy, he's smart, he works hard. We've all seen him play. He can do a lot of things. We've seen that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Specific to that position, though, do you have an idea of a 53 man roster?

BELICHICK: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can talk about your relationship with Tim? Have you known him a long time? Obviously there are things about him that you like (inaudible).

BELICHICK: Yes, I like Tim. I have a lot of respect for Tim.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have a close relationship over a lot of years I understand?

BELICHICK: Never coached him before. Certainly close with a lot of the players I've coached through my career.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are people around the league who question his ability to play quarterback in the NFL. Can you just say how you feel about that?

BELICHICK: I think I've already said that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm talking about specifically (inaudible)

BELICHICK: I've answered the question twice. He's a talented player, he's smart and works hard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you have to discuss with him some of the (inaudible) stuff that seems to come with him, the way that his training camp was covered last year and (inaudible) what goes on outside of football?

BELICHICK: Look, we have a team full of players. Everybody has a job to do and I'm certain he'll try to do the best that he can. We'll all try to do our jobs the best that we can.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the team standpoint, I mean I know you always try to eliminate distractions. Are you worried that this could cause a distraction in case, just looking around? (inaudible)

BELICHICK: Hopefully there will be more than that at the games on Sunday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you have any objection to Tim kneeling down and praying after he makes a big play, Tebowing as it's come to be known?

BELICHICK: I think, you know, we've already talked enough about him. We'll see how he does and just go from there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you care if he does that? That's what he's kind of known for. I mean do you have any objection?

BELICHICK: I think I've covered it. Anything else?

(inaudible)

BELICHICK: Good, solid. He's improved every year he's been here. He's done a good job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know Tim had a chance to work with Vinnie Testaverde (inaudible). Did that weigh into this decision at all?

BELICHICK: I haven't talked with Vinnie in a couple years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is he the second quarterback or it's just a situation where you could see Tim come in and competing with him for that spot?

BELICHICK: Right now everybody is out there just trying to learn their positions, learn our assignments and we'll let the competition go in training camp like we usually do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much does a player though actually learn coming into this part of the season during mini camp to adapt to the system?

BELICHICK: I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it different with every -- like you say sometimes it's different --

BELICHICK: I mean we've been in three weeks of OTAs. So whatever that is, that's what it is. Four weeks is four weeks -- a week of training camp is a week of training camp. A regular season game is a regular season game. I mean, you know, it all adds up every day. So you can do the math. I don't know.

(inaudible)

BELICHICK: He'll do what he can do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much have you stayed in touch with Gronkowski over the last few weeks? Any concern about his availability?

BELICHICK: All our players except one of them are here bright and early through the season up until this week. So we see them all on a regular basis. (inaudible)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Belichick, are you even thinking about (inaudible)

BELICHICK: We go through personnel on the league on a daily basis, personnel department and we meet periodically I from time to time all throughout the year, all 365 days basically.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You had some strong words in response to a report last week saying you didn't like Tim as a player. Were you upset that something was being put out there on your behalf?

BELICHICK: I don't have anything to add.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any conversation with Urban Meyer in the last 48 hours about Tim playing.

BELICHICK: No. But whatever conversations I have with anybody would be between myself and that person any way, so it's not -- I don't think that's anything that would be shared publicly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a sign out there that Tebow is (inaudible) he just needs a couple adjustments? Perhaps to try as a quarterback, do you see it that way? Studied him enough --

BELICHICK: We'll see how it goes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much was Josh's background been -- -- helping in part of a decision?

BELICHICK: I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He drafted him, you would think that he would be part of that decision?

BELICHICK: There's a lot of people in the organization I think. And all decisions like they usually are. I can't put a percentage on it if that's what you're looking for.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A couple of last questions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was the general reaction? I know you don't want to talk about specific conversations or general reactions. And Tebow's camp got a call from you guys.

BELICHICK: I don't know you have to talk to him about that. You'd have to talk with (inaudible). I don't want to represent what somebody else said or thought.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obviously Tebow was available (inaudible)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All right. We're going to step away. That's Bill Belichick, you know, telling us that Tim Tebow is indeed a member of the New England Patriots.

Andy Scholes is here and I'm starting to feel sorry for Tim Tebow. I mean all those -- I mean other football players joining a new team wouldn't be put through the ringer. He's not even there.

SCHOLES: Yes. It's one of the reasons that Tebow has had so much trouble finding a team and the circus that comes with him. He didn't ask for this. But it's just part of the deal.

COSTELLO: Well, I like how Bill Belichick's responses are always kind of entertaining. But when asked what position Tebow would be playing, Bill Belichick said --

SCHOLE: Talented play, smart, works hard. He would not commit to say he's going to be a quarterback. So makes you think maybe they're bringing him in and have some alternative positions they'd like him to try out like say a tight end. Rob Gronkowski is their tight end right now. He's dealing with lots of surgeries this off season. He's questionable to start the season.

Who knows? But we don't even know if Tim Tebow can catch a ball because he's been resistant to a position change.

COSTELLO: Well, he -- I'm sure he's going to try out for backup quarterback, right?

SCHOLES: That's where he wants to play. But you heard Bill Belichick mention -- he's asked about Ryan Mallard. Ryan Mallard was a third- round pick, just a couple years ago. So he's highly thought of as well. So it's not like they're looking for a backup quarterback. So I guess Tebow has got -- he's got a long road ahead here trying to prove himself again that he can play the position.

COSTELLO: It is curious that the New England Patriots would pick up Tim Tebow -- it's just curious. With a guy like Bill Belichick who doesn't like to call attention to himself who looks like a schlump there -- at all times, actually. Not just on the football field.

SCHOLES: To me, it looked like he was almost looking forward to that press conference and going out there and giving those three word answers and just dismissing all kinds of questions the media was trying to ask. So it's funny to see Bill Belichick in that role especially when everyone always wants to ask about Tim Tebow.

COSTELLO: I heard what you said about Gronkowski, but do the New England Patriots really need Tim Tebow? They have a backup quarterback.

SCHOLES: Yes. Like I said, they have a backup quarterback. They don't need him. So someone in the organization must feel that they can use him and make him be successful on the field for them.

COSTELLO: We'll see what happens. Andy Scholes, thank you so much.

And thank you for joining us today. I'm Carol Costello.

CNN NEWSROOM continues after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Ashleigh Banfield and we have a very busy show ahead. The day's main news and as always, our take on daytime justice.