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Did Edward Snowden Have Help?; Legal Marijuana; Arrest Made in Package Bomb Case
Aired February 14, 2014 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, I want to bring in Deb Feyerick now.
So, Deb, where does this investigation into Alfred Wright's death stand right now?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are so many questions here surrounding this.
First of all, you know, the sheriff called off the search after four days. The family really believes that during his disappearance, Alfred was actually held captive and then tortured. The official autopsy found that there was no trauma. However, an independent pathologist said there is a high possibility that there was homicidal violence.
So, you look at the where the investigation stands now, all we can say is that the Rangers are looking into this. The Justice Department has been asked to review the findings. That's going to happen out of a local office. But the DA has recused himself. The Texas attorney general has said no, not in his jurisdiction.
There is a lot of movement, but all we know is the family wants answers as to why he disappeared, especially when he knew that help was so close, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, Deb, I look forward to your special, "Mysterious Deaths," Saturday night 7:30 eastern and Sunday night at 11:30 Eastern. Deb has been working on this for quite some time. Deb, thanks.
Well, bullying in the Miami Dolphins locker room may be much worse than we ever even realized. A new report from the NFL reveals startling details about the alleged abuse of Jonathan Martin by teammate Richie Incognito. But it also say that Incognito was not the only one harassing players and Martin was not the only victim.
The report names three players as the alleged bullies. You have got John Jerry now, a guard drafted in 2012, Mike Pouncey drafted one year later, and of course Richie Incognito, who we have been talking about from the very beginning.
Well, Chris Draft played in the NFL, spent his professional in a number of locker rooms. And Martin was not supposedly targeted by three players. When you look at the numbers and how big this is getting, I guess, first of all, does this surprise you?
CHRIS DRAFT, FORMER NFL PLAYER: It doesn't surprise me.
PHILLIPS: Tell me why. Is the culture? Do you just mess with people?
(CROSSTALK)
DRAFT: It doesn't surprise in terms of just a culture. But it doesn't surprise me because when you are saying is it just two people, you are talking about bullying, is it just isolated to just those two people?
The fact that there are some other people that are involved, that really -- it does not surprise me so much.
PHILLIPS: So if you say it doesn't surprise you, does this happen in locker rooms across the country? Do guys -- because we know boys will be boys in the locker room.
OK? I have been messed with in a locker room when having to cover football years ago in Green Bay. I won't lie. But is it just -- always just been accepted or now this is a unique situation where we have become more politically correct and someone is standing up saying...
DRAFT: I think exactly what you're saying. More politically correct means you are more aware of what's going on. Also, when you add in text messages where you absolutely see exactly what's going on.
Their back and forth is just crazy when you read what they are saying. When you say crazy things in the locker room, it's one thing. But when you allow that to get that, it's a whole 'nother thing.
PHILLIPS: When you were in a locker room, though, do you remember crazy things like that, do you remember nasty, foul, disgusting, brutal, racial comments?
DRAFT: I'm going to tell you I think there is a line. There's when you go over that line, and you can absolutely see that they went over that line.
But, again, you could see from Richie and Jonathan, they were actually going back and forth. They were past that line. But because they kept it to themselves, they were kind of OK.
PHILLIPS: But there was talk that Jonathan wanted -- was doing that hoping that Richie would leave him alone. Like, OK, if I just pretend like I can take it, that I will be his buddy, then he will back off.
DRAFT: The key is, it's just wrong. It's just wrong. Just even going back and forth with it, it's wrong. PHILLIPS: Why do you have a different attitude? Right? Why weren't you and your buddies ever popped for stuff like this? What's the difference between you and guys that have no problem doing it?
DRAFT: It's basically the culture. It's what do you allow to happen. As a team, the focus is what you do on the field. Sometimes, off the field as long as it doesn't get in the way of what's happening on the field, they might let it get by a little bit more.
But what you saw right there is at some point what happens off the field is going to come on the field. That's what tearing Miami apart right now is they sat back and they saw these things happening and they didn't do anything about it.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: But has it happened in the past and teams haven't done anything about it? Because that's just the way it goes. Hey, man, you want to roll in the NFL, you have to be able to put up request being bullied.
DRAFT: I think in certain areas, you will have -- certain teams will have a culture that can be a little bit crazy.
It's hard because before you, all you did was see what was on the field. Now we are starting to see these behind-the-scenes type of things.
PHILLIPS: Like we never saw before.
DRAFT: Right.
There has been a little bit of bullying depending on what the team, it can be more or less. But as long as they performed on the field, people didn't worry about it so much.
PHILLIPS: Let me ask you this then. Is the dynamic different depending on who the coach is? OK. It's a leadership thing then as well?
DRAFT: But, also, I think what you have to look at is with Miami, if you are the Miami Dolphins and you're in the AFC East, what does that coach want? He says, we're going to against the New England Patriots, so we have to dominate them.
We have to run the ball. If they come down here and it's 90 degree weather, the Jets, the Buffalo Bills, we have to dominate them. That mind-set is what you are trying to put on your players. But if you allow that to go a little bit too far and with the wrong guys leading it can turn into something...
PHILLIPS: OK. Take down the opposing team, but don't take down your own teammates. It's just disrespectful.
DRAFT: That's that fine line.
PHILLIPS: How do you expect to win when you have teammates that are not all together.
It's just -- let me ask you, is this finally going to change things? Are we seeing a domino effect where this is just not going to be tolerated?
DRAFT: I think absolutely. Absolutely.
Around the league, they will have to internally really look at what's going on. And I think -- but this is not interesting that is new that you have to really look at how your team is being put together. This is something that is just coming to a head because they took it to the another level.
If you want a good team, you can't have things like this. You cannot have players at each other's necks and you can't have them talking crazy to each other, because again eventually it's going to come on to the field. The ultimate goal with football is winning.
PHILLIPS: Let me ask you, Chris -- and let me know because I can keep talking about this all hour, so give me a wrap if I need to wrap.
Chris -- I'm getting the wrap. Final question. If Incognito said things to you like he did to Jonathan, what would you have done? Go back to the moment, all right?
(CROSSTALK)
DRAFT: The difference is, I played with him in Saint Louis.
When he was saying certain things, I'm saying come on, Richie. Come on, man. Come on over here. Come on over. The problem is he's a little bit older so he's a little bit more of a vet. I'm looking for who is that person on the Miami Dolphins that will call him over and say, Richie, that's enough, that's enough?
PHILLIPS: You told him that's enough?
DRAFT: It's enough.
PHILLIPS: That worked for you?
DRAFT: But he wasn't saying to the level of what we are talking about here in Miami, but he's that kind of a guy, that if you allowed him to do a little bit more, he can keep going. But we know those people. Somebody has to say no, slow it down, slow it down.
PHILLIPS: Chris Draft, great job. Thank you.
Unbelievable video to show you from Pennsylvania. Take a look at this, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, 100 cars and 18-wheelers piled into each other outside Philly. It happened this morning. The wreckage spanning several miles, 30 people injured, and state police say the melting ice may have caused a glare on the road for drivers to be involved like this.
But one driver who got stuck in all that mess happened to be a teacher. Surely her students thought, OK, no class, right? No. Lynn McNulty actually got on her iPhone and hooked up FaceTime and told students to get on their iPads because, ladies and gentlemen, class is in session.
Lynn McNulty joining me now via FaceTime.
Lynn, there's no doubt you love your job. Explain how teaching came from FaceTime came to mind as you were there stuck in the turnpike.
LYNN MCNULTY, TEACHER, THE HUN SCHOOL OF PRINCETON: We were stuck on the side of the road. We were parked. There was nowhere to go. The school I teach at, which is the Hun School of Princeton, we're a one- to-one iPad school. I knew we had the technology and we had the ability. And I knew my students would do it. It was a great opportunity.
PHILLIPS: I love it. What was the class?
MCNULTY: It was A.P. European history. We're doing the Crimean War, truly exciting stuff.
PHILLIPS: There you are in traffic and you are talking about that with your students and was there a lot of good back and forth? Were they really taking this seriously or were they kind of amazed at what you were doing?
MCNULTY: I think they -- they took it very seriously. They are a great bunch of kids and I don't think they are that surprised, because they use technology all the time at Hun.
It's really integrated into our culture and it's part of who we are. They just picked up the ball and ran with it. It was great. We really did have a good discussion. I was very impressed.
PHILLIPS: What do you think stood out the most? Was communication strong? Could you hear everything? Were you impressed to the way the students really came in? They could have flaked out and thought, OK, let's just joke around with McNulty and let's have some fun.
But it doesn't look like that's what happened. They were very serious.
MCNULTY: They took it very seriously. A lot of them are really dedicated students. They just knew I meant business. If I'm going to sit on the side of the road and talk to them, they knew I was serious. Our technology coordinator, Mark Davies, helped make sure everything was running smoothly. I could hear them great and they could hear me.
PHILLIPS: For full disclosure here, are you going to give them some extra credit, because, come on, they...
MCNULTY: Oh, yes.
PHILLIPS: Yes, they came to the plate, don't you think, Lynn?
MCNULTY: Oh, yes. I may bring some donuts in on Tuesday too. PHILLIPS: There you go. We are glad you are safe. We think it's fantastic that you were able to still conduct class. Thanks so much for FaceTime-ing with me, Lynn.
MCNULTY: Thank you so much.
PHILLIPS: I love this technology. Yes, you can teach a class and we can talk live on CNN. It's fantastic.
I hope my kids have a teacher like you once they're in high school.
MCNULTY: Good. Well, thank you.
PHILLIPS: Coming up, a couple in Tennessee killed when a bomb sent to their home exploded. The suspect in the case, their son in law, and this is not the first time he has actually been in trouble with the law.
Also, Edward Snowden, he said he needed no one's help when he downloaded top-secret documents from the NSA. Well, a new report says, not so fast.
And next, making money off legal marijuana just got a whole lot easier. We will tell you about it next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Making money from legal marijuana just got a whole lot easier thanks to the federal government.
The Justice and Treasury Departments announced new rules allowing banks to legally take money from state-licensed marijuana businesses. The new rules let banks do business with legal marijuana shops without being prosecuted.
Now, remember, marijuana is still illegal under federal law. Some banks were refusing to take money from legal marijuana businesses in places where it's legal like Colorado and Washington straight -- Washington State, rather. They were afraid obviously for repercussions.
We are talking again with justice reporter Evan Perez.
Evan, let's talk about how significant this policy change is for marijuana businesses. There is a lot of people relieved.
EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it really brings a lot of these businesses out of the shadows.
That's the big concern for the federal government. They don't like this, obviously, that a couple of these states have already legalized marijuana. You have about 20 states where medicinal marijuana is already legal. It's still legal under federal law.
I have talked to the dispensary owners and people here in Washington, D.C., who have had to go around from place to place, trying to get a bank to do their business for them and to take deposits or to let them open a checking account.
And until today, that's been essentially illegal for all these banks to do. They could all get prosecuted for money laundering. This helps make it at least a little more clear where these banks can accept these deposits and help bring these businesses out of the cash- only business, which has been a big concern also for the Justice Department, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes, Justice Department, IRS, law enforcement, you name it. Right?
PEREZ: Right.
PHILLIPS: Evan Perez, thanks so much.
The NSA, the National Security Agency, says that Edward Snowden did have help obtaining the government secrets that he eventually leaked to the world. It was inside help, but apparently unwittingly.
Barbara Starr with us live from the Pentagon.
So,Barbara, who actually helped Edward Snowden?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, hi there.
According to a memo now sent from the NSA to members of Congress obtained by our own Joe Johns, apparently, Snowden was able to convince a fellow worker to give up his password, something Snowden has denied. He said he didn't trick any other people into helping him.
But according to the NSA memo, that simply is not the case. What the memo tells Congress is that Snowden got somebody to enter their secure password, and then he was able to use it.
Let me just read a bit of the memo to you. It says: "At Mr. Snowden's request, the civilian, a civilian employee of NSA entered his PKI password at Mr. Snowden's computer terminal. Mr. Snowden was able to capture the password, allowing him even greater access to the classified information."
It looks now like the NSA has learned this was one of Snowden's techniques. The civilian NSA employee has left the agency and been dismissed, of course. He violated security protocols. The memo says that matter has been briefed to the Justice Department. And very tantalizing, they say there is a contractor and an active-duty military member also involved in this, but the memo doesn't give any further details.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: The memo doesn't mention James Clapper, right, the director of national intelligence, or the outgoing head of the NSA. Does that mean that they are totally clear on this with regard to accountability?
STARR: Well, you know, no one has suggested -- let's take the basic part of it.
No one suggested that they violated any protocols and that they knew anything about it. General Alexander, the head of NSA, scheduled to retire in the next several weeks, long-scheduled retirement, his replacement, already that nomination on the way to Congress.
As for Director Clapper, he serves as the pleasure of the president. It would be up to President Obama to decide if he still has confidence in James Clapper to run the intelligence community.
PHILLIPS: All right, stay tuned. Barbara Starr, thanks so much.
Coming up, Facebook giving you some options, 50 new options, in fact, to choose your own gender. Some say, well, that's still not enough. What do you think? We will talk to somebody who actually helped develop this in just a few minutes.
Also, a couple in Tennessee killed when a bomb sent to their home exploded and the suspect in the case, their son-in-law. And this is not the first time he has been in trouble with the law.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, we are still waiting for a verdict in the so-called loud music murder trial. It's actually the third day of deliberations. That's Michael Dunn right there. He could face up to life in prison.
Dunn opened fire on an SUV full of teenagers in 2012. And it was during an argument over their blaring rap music. Well, three of those bullets struck and killed this young man, 17-year-old Jordan Davis. Dunn says he fired in self-defense and he actually told the court that Davis and his three friends were armed and they threatened him.
A legal expert actually told me a short time ago that loud voices were heard from the jury room yesterday, hitting -- or hinting, rather, of a struggle among jurors. We're following that closely.
Also, the son-in-law of a Tennessee couple killed by a bomb is charged with planting that device that caused their deaths. He is 49-year-old Richard Parker and he's accused of murdering his in-laws. The son-in- law is a convicted arsonist and Tennessee authorities say that he was convicted in 1993, serving four years probation.
Well, Jon Setzer died when a bomb exploded Monday outside his home in rural Tennessee about 30 miles from Nashville. His wife, Marion, died of her injuries on Wednesday.
A short time ago, I actually had a chance to speak with the Setzers' pastor. And he told me that the suspect is married to the Setzers' oldest daughter, Laura, and they live in a house right behind the Setzers. Also, the pastor told me that Marion Setzer was pushing for a private meeting with him.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE RIPSKI, PASTOR: She was in worship Sunday school on Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon, she was at Stephen Ministries meeting.
Monday morning, before this happened, she was at a women's Bible study. On Sunday morning, she came up to me and said I still intend to get with you. She had said about a month or so ago, I want to set up a time for an appointment to come by and see you. She had not been able to do that and she indicated that she still did.
PHILLIPS: So she was wanting to see you. She obviously had something on her mind.
RIPSKI: She was wanting to see me. I did. I don't know what it was. Of course, my mind goes to, did she want -- did she have some sense, was there something going on that she wanted to talk to me about? I will regret our not having been able to get together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: I want to bring in our legal correspondent Jean Casarez.
Jean, first of all, what do you think about what the pastor said?
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I have just been riveted to these pastors. There's two pastors. There is this pastor and Pastor Kevin Ulmet, who has also been on CNN.
And the family was deeply religious. And they have such an insight. I just got off the phone with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Of course, the question I had, Kyra, is, why? What could be the motive for this?
And I was told that it's part of the investigation, but that that's where the investigation is focused now, to understand the whys. I was also told that law enforcement had spoken with Richard Parker. I asked when, how many times? I wasn't told. But that corroborates what Pastor Kevin Ulmet told us on CNN last night, saying that at the hospital when Marion was in critical condition and the family was there, he said that he saw law enforcement talk with Laura, the daughter, and Richard, the son-in-law.
So, there is a lot that we don't know, but we want to play for everybody a little more of what law enforcement and officials have to say about the investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK GWYN, DIRECTOR, TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: I'm not going to go into the particulars of the investigation, only to say that obviously the evidence and the leads that we ran led us to Mr. Parker.
JEFF FULTON, ATF: We don't want to discuss the make up of the device. It was clearly a functioning, destructive device and did horrific damage killing those two people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CASAREZ: And here are the facts.
This is the indictment right here. This is a premeditated murder case, a double murder case in Tennessee. We do know the initial court appearance for Richard Parker will be on Tuesday at 9:00 in the morning. Kyra, he is being held on $1 million bail.
PHILLIPS: We are finding out more about him, the fact that he was a convicted arsonist. We found that out today.
(CROSSTALK)
CASAREZ: That's interesting.
(CROSSTALK)
CASAREZ: ... state of mind, but it was over 20 years ago. I don't think it would come into a trial.
PHILLIPS: Interesting. OK.
Well, what about this note that was attached to the bomb? Are you hearing anything about the contents of that?
CASAREZ: What we have heard through law enforcement is that it doesn't go to motive. It is useful as far as handwriting, right, and that it could be attached.
I think it will be a critical piece of evidence and I also think law enforcement is probably looking through the home that was not bombed, the home of Richard Parker and his wife and children, to see contents of the computer, receipts, anything for bomb-making materials.
PHILLIPS: Jean Casarez, thanks so much.
CASAREZ: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well, coming up, scientists say that they have found a way to grow lungs in a lab. And what it could mean for people in need of a transplant, we are talking about that a little later.
Also, Facebook's new push to help users better express their own identities with 50 options to select your gender. We are going to actually talk to one of the individuals that was behind the plan. That's next.
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