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One Of World's Biggest Drug Kingpins Back In Police Custody; Michael Sam Speaks Out; Former Prime Minister Of Ukraine Freed, Mom Shames Daughter Via Social Media
Aired February 22, 2014 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
Hello again. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Here are the top stories we're following.
Busted again more than a decade after escaping from prison. One of the world biggest drug kingpins is back in police custody.
Plus, the first openly gay NFL draft prospect and Michael Sam says he just wants to be known as Michael Sam the football player, not the gay football player. More on his first public comments on the subject.
And Ukraine's president vote d out, but talking tough as the country's former prime minister is released from prison. We're live from Kiev.
One of Mexico's most notorious drug lords is under arrest today. Joaquin Guzman, better known as El Chapo, is the alleged head of the Sinaloa cartel. He was captured in a joint operation between Mexican and American forces at a resort in Mazatlan, Mexico. Guzman has been wanted on federal drug trafficking charges, and has eluded authorities for years after he broke out of a Mexican prison.
As Gary Tuchman tells us, this isn't the first time he's been captured by authorities.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is El Chapo Guzman back in 1993 after he had been captured. But in 2001 he managed to escape from prison while hiding in a large cart. Marijuana, cocaine, meth, heroin and murder are all parts of his business portfolio. Violence scenes like these. Bodies stuffed in garbage bags, police executed and journalists disseminated (ph) are directed connected to the rap of the Sinaloa cartel. Much of the blood is spilled here in Culiacan, the largest city in Sinaloa and the nerve center for the cartel.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Around here he is the legend of Sinaloa.
TUCHMAN: And that mystic is part of the reason people are protective of him. El Chapo was seen as a modern day robin hood helping the charm the Sinaloa economy with drug money. A common feeling, leave El Chapo and his cartel alone and he will leave us alone. Just drive around here, you will see how El Chapo and members of his cartel are idolized. Storefronts bear the name of the cartel leader. And it's not uncommon see El Chapo printed on the tops of license plate frames.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Culiacan, Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, we got full coverage of this story with Nick Parker in Mexico City and Evan Perez in Washington.
First, let's go to you, Evan. If you could tell us what took so long? Why has this taken so long?
EVAN PEREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via phone): Well, you know, he's been almost a mythical figure down there in Mexico. There are many times the Mexican authorities along with the DEA's assistant thought they had tracked him down and found him. In 2012, they thought they came close. But every time he seemed to get away and there would be almost like, where's Waldo-type sightings where he has show up at weddings or restaurants and people would tell these stories. He became the subject of (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) music in northern Mexico.
So, as you could tell, there's a lot of mythology that surrounds him. And this time it looks like the DEA along with Mexican police have been tracking him the last few weeks. I'm told my sources and it finally came to a head last night in Mazatlan where they finally were able to capture him. I'm told that part of this operation, again that has been going on for several weeks, has been surrounding, you know, the capture of several of his most violent lieutenants.
There have been several captured or killed in the last few months, and it appears that at least some of the information that they've garnered from those arrests and from those captures of those killings, has helped them track down Chapo's men.
WHITFIELD: All right, let's bring in Nick now.
Nick Parker, what can you tell us from Mexico City? What do you know about the circumstances of his arrest because he's arrested in a place that usually is kind of a resort? Was he on vacation, caught off guard? What do you know?
NICK PARKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, at this date we're waiting for a press conference from the Mexican government which should happen any minute now and will certainly give us more details in terms of the circumstances of it. But what we know from sources in the United States is that Mexican marines led the operation, supported by the DEA in an overnight operation. And they were able to apprehend him in a hotel, in this resort of Mazatlan which is an extremely popular city, in the state of Sinaloa, obviously the base of his cartel and a place that many U.S. tourists go to every year. I mean, even right now would be a peak time for U.S. tourists to go to Mazatlan.
So, I think that's one of the most curious and interesting things is that a lot of the mythology that surrounded Chapo Guzman is that he be found in a mountain retreat with a small, personal army. But it certainly appeared that that was not the case and that he was hiding at least now in plain sight -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And then Evan, if I could bring you back into the equation too. I mean, this isn't the first type that he has been captured. He was captured once before in Mexico like we mentioned at the very top. He somehow escaped from that Mexican prison. So do you have any insight as to how they will try to hold on to him, since clearly you know, he's got lots of friends?
PEREZ: Right, exactly, Fred. This is, as you said, it's happened before. So what I'm told is that authorities are in touch with Mexican authorities. They are, obviously, they vetted out the people who how they will be able to have control of him.
There is an outstanding order for him to be extradited to the United States. That's when he last was able to escape, in 2001. He was about to be sent to the United States as an indictment in California that charges him with obviously with drug trafficking and money laundering and a host of other activities. So right now, there a lot of authorities working the phones right now trying to make sure that he stays secure, and if possible, perhaps get him back to the United States, getting him to the United States to face all of those charges that are outstanding, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Evan Perez and Nick Parker, thank you, gentlemen. Appreciate it.
All right, we're going to talk a little bit more about that arrest, and what's next later on in this hour.
All right, and now let's talk about some sports. Shall we? Let's talk about the NFL draft, and also the winter Olympics. It is all winding down. Earlier, if you were watching CNN, you saw the potential NFL draft, highly publicized one lately. Michael Sam, he was taking to the microphones in Indianapolis today in what's called the NFL combine. It is kind of where all the college players go to kind of talk or catch the notice of teams or even scouts.
Well, Joe Carter is with me now to talk more about Michael Sam, how he did very poised and very impressive. But this is a big stage and he is enduring a lot more scrutiny than your average college player, right?
JOE CARTER, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Certainly. You know, some of the boots on the ground there said there was more media attention, there was more media gathered for this press conference than there was last year at the combine when Manti Te'o spoke for the first time to an open room of media. He took 12 minutes worth for the questions, 35 questions in all. And this is a week where you the player, obviously, in your early 20s, you're under a microscope, being examined both mind and body. And I thought Michael Sam, as you said, was very impressive when he got up to the podium today and took on those questions. And really, this was the first opportunity, the first step for him to be that first NFL openly gay player. This is a chance for Michael Sam to finally talk about Michael Sam. Here's a little bit of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL SAME, NFL PLAYER: Heck yes, I wish you guys would just say, hey, Michael Sam, how's football going? How's training going? I would love for you to ask me that question. But it is what it is, and I just wish you guys would see me as Michael Sam the football player instead of Michael Sam the gay football player. I love my fans. I love Mizzou. One of the best, one of the best schools out in the nation, and then out there, what they did, this past weekend, was just amazing, and I wanted to cry, but I'm like, I'm a man. But -- so I didn't -- so I just -- I want to thank everyone who supported me especially Mizzou, the students, my coaches. The whole organization, and every Missouri fan, I'm a tiger forever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARTER: And address what Michael Sam was talking about, last weekend, the West Borough the Baptist church protested on the opposite street of the Missouri campus. The Missouri student body through social media gathered thousands, 1,500 students or so, and they went arm and arm and create add human chain around the arena and pretested.
WHITFIELD: That's what the image was?
CARTER: Yes. They all wore buttons and shirts that said stand with Sam. I believe Sam is wearing a button today that says, stand with Sam. An incredible amount of support received from his university, incredible amount of support received from the athletic department and I think that that's kind of the suit the NFL needs to follow. Whatever team decides to draft him in May needs to follow that same suit, because Michael Sam is an interesting project here. It's going to be a PR and media mess.
As we said, it's a lot of follow. There's a lot of people interested, want to know about his personal life not so much as a football player because he is potentially going to be the first NFL openly gay player.
WHITFIELD: And it seems like he really is in the driver's seat because it was his decision to say I'm going to reveal this right now. And he even said in the press conference, the reason why I did it is because it is much better for me to present that than someone else doing some digging and later which revealed and, you know. He's not ashamed. He is not embarrassed.
CARTER: The timeline of how it broke down, he came out to his entire team in August. There were people that suspected he was a gay player and so he decided to put all of those rumors aside and say you know what? This is who I am. Accept me for who I am and that football team competed for almost a national championship. And there were in the FCC title game and they were -- that close to being in the national championship game. So, it didn't affect how the football team play and it shows a lot of respect for him, how the university handled, how the athletic department handled and how student body essentially protected him in the entire season and then allowed him the timetable to come out when he was ready to come out. WHITFIELD: And he stands very proudly and it really is impressive. Michael Sam. Yes.
CARTER: So we will see how it works out. It's on the football field. We'll see how the draft combine goes and obviously the draft in May.
WHITFIELD: All right, good. OK, we are not talking about winter sports.
CARTER: No.
WHITFIELD: But we will.
CARTER: Team USA lost the bronze medal game, for those wondering, 5- 0. It was rush shopping today, don't worry. We are not going home with a medal. It's over. Men's hockey.
WHITFIELD: OK. Thanks. Just a couple more days, winter games will over. I'd sad. I'm always sad at the end of the winter games because, you know, winter games are any -- I like it. It's exciting.
CARTER: It's a sign of spring.
WHITFIELD: That's true. Always sign of spring around the corner.
Joe Carter, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
CARTER: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right, we are going to talk more about the other top story we're following, hundreds of people filling Ukraine's capital to hear the opposition leader speak. She was just released from jail and she got a passionate speech, more on that next.
Plus, California is in midst of a nightmare's drought. And if you eat fresh produce, the grace will be an impact on your wallet.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, moving now to Ukraine, where the former prime minister and opposition leader just spoke to a huge crowd in Kiev. Yulia Tymoshenko left jail early today and went right to Kiev and the center square. Live pictures right now, in fact. In the center of it all, she is in a wheelchair and she spent most of her time in a jail hospital, in fact, 2.5 years in prison. Here what she had to say to the crowd just moments ago.
YULIA TYMOSHENKO, FORMER UKRAINE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): When I arrived to Kiev, I have not recognized Kiev. Barren cars, barricades, flowers, but it is a different Ukraine. It is a Ukraine of free people. You have given it as a gift to us, to everyone. To everyone who is alive, who is living today and who will live tomorrow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Nick Paton Walsh is live for us now in Kiev. So they explain more about what's happening and clearly people are riveted by her appearance.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly a very tense and still grieving atmosphere down in the crowd there. While she spoke, there was a medical emergency. Docs had to be called and a suggestion of maybe pro--government thugs roaming around the crowd causing manic as well.
Her broad message, extraordinarily emotional to say look, the heroes who died here will never die in our hearts. What they gave in their lives, we must protect. But also, was trying to sound a political, like not part of Ukraine's political. It was very clear political message from her as well. I quote her that we know Ukraine but the Ukraine you want, and I am the guarantor of that Ukraine.
She apologized, she said, on behalf of all Ukraine politicians and made political statements too. Yanukovych, the current president, should be brought to responsibility for what happened here, the dozens of deaths and live gunfire from police that happened near the square, also, that that country should have a European independent future. That really suggests that where she to get political office, we haven't heard statements about that, but a lot of, I think, what we've seen behind it may be headed in that direction, that this country will move towards the European union.
One other thing too, she did said, look, you made this change happen here. Not the diplomats, not the politicians. Stay here until you get what you want. So the idea of after hearing her, the people are actually about to go home is perhaps a little distant.
But I should add a note of skepticism here too, Fredricka because this is a woman, who has been in Ukrainian politics a long time, (INAUDIBLE) Ukraine politician by accident and irregularities. She has been to jail. She has been called a political prisoner by the United States. She has been on hunger strike in there and now emerged in a quite different climate where the elite she was formerly a part of, still under suspicion. She is trying to cast herself there and perhaps, a beacon of hope in a new generation, which is part of the old generation.
So much of the crowd down there will be listening to her words of hope and transformation recognizing the fact that she's part of that past too. But definitely here, an emotional speech and also one which I think sets her up most likely for some future bid or offer. But for now in a wheelchair trying to save me -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Yes, indeed. All right, thank you so much. Powerful stuff.
Nick Paton Walsh in Kiev.
All right, still ahead in this country, a mom finds her daughter misbehaving on Facebook and uses social media to shame her daughter into behaving better. Did she go too far?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A mom is furious after finding out her daughter snuck back into Facebook after being told not to be on the social media Web site. And apparently the girl was using Facebook to bully another kid. So what did the mother do? She chastised her daughter by shaming her on video and then posting it online.
Here's our reporter Michelle Sanders in Milwaukee.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell them that you can't be on Facebook.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't be on Facebook.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't have a boyfriend.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't have a boyfriend.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm reading my bible. Get your bible and show them you're reading your bible.
MICHELLE SANDERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It started with a fake Facebook page.
LORRAINE WALLS, MOTHER OF LUTISHIA: She got caught sneaking a page on Facebook twice.
SANDERS: One that quickly spiraled out of control for 12-year-old Lutishia.
WALLS: Don't get slapped because you're already in hot water. She had already snuck back on Facebook, talking to some young guy, and plotting a fight with her friend.
SANDERS: That fight wound up getting her suspended when her mom, Lorraine Walls, found out that this all began online, she decided to take action online.
WALLS: If you can get a child and expose that child to help that child, not to hurt them. I'm not out to hurt her. I want her to live. I want her to be somebody.
Now tell her that you're sorry.
SANDERS: The video took a life of its own on the web garnering more than half a million views, thousands praising the mom for her discipline tactics, others taken aback by moments like this.
WALLS: The next time she's on Facebook and I catch her on Facebook, I'm beating the hell out of her.
This mother is on Facebook talking to her child like this, but she never said anything about my child on Facebook under the wrong name. She never said anything about my child on Facebook being a bully. She never said anything about that. SANDERS: Walls also saying she doesn't hit her daughter.
WALLS: She doesn't get whooping. She is not getting beat. She is not getting abused.
SANDERS: Regardless of the criticism, Walls says she's not letting up on her preteen, calling it tough love for a cruel world.
WALLS: We have to save our youth. We got too many out there laying in the street dead because of gunshot wounds. We got too many coming up pregnant.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: OK. So was mom right or wrong? Depends who you ask. And that's why we've got clinical psychologist Dr. Jeff Gardere here to help us with those questions.
Because Jeff, you heard, you know, from the mom. She says here she's gotten a lot of criticism. Not necessarily about the Facebook, not necessarily about some of the action that her daughter apparently was involved in, but the fact that, you know, it was the second time around. The mom said, if I catch you on it again I'm going to beat you. So, what's your take on this? What's right? What's wrong, in your view about this?
JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Well look, I understand Lorraine's frustration with her daughter. Certainly it is a very tough world. I don't know what kind of environment they live in. It might be high-risk. So, she feels that she has to take things into her own hands. But we do know that by shaming your child into something, well, while certainly you're going to get maybe short-term compliance, but when it comes to long-term compliance, it may not be there. You're embarrassing this child to the world. And, frankly, Lorraine who is doing her best as parent, is embarrassing herself, too, by making inflammatory statements. So it's not the best parenting, but certainly I understand her frustration.
WHITFIELD: So is it your view that, I guess what catches your attention most is that it's very public? Had this kind of dialogue or interaction between mom and daughter been taking place at home, you might have less of a problem with it, but it's the fact that it has been showcased for all to see?
GARDERE: Yes, absolutely. I'll tell you what. I'm going to share a very personal story with you. When I was around seven years old, I acted out and did something, and my mom spanked me in front of my friends. I'm 57 years old now, and I still haven't forgotten that day. It was very traumatic. It didn't make me comply any better. It made me very resentful.
But I think what we need to do here is to find out why this young girl is a bully. What's going on with her? And this is something that mom needs to do. Have that conversation. Figure out what some of the behavioral issues and etiology may be and in handle that situation then. I think that's the way that we raise the IQs of our children, by being able to talk with them and leading by example, not shaming them.
WHITFIELD: But it sounds like this mom felt like you know what? By embarrassing my daughter in front of everyone, letting her know that, you know, plotting to bully someone, because that's the word to the mom, plotting to bully somebody is just not right. Getting on Facebook, talking to young boys is just not right in that mother's view and she felt she's already conveyed that to her daughter, but her daughter didn't hear her. If you don't hear me, I'm going to make sure you hear me by embarrassing you. You say that's not --
GARDERE: Well, you heard what she said? You're not going to get on Facebook. Now you're going to read the bible. Really, what's the incentive for the child to do that? And in fact, what mom is doing -- again, I don't want to criticize her, because she's doing her best, but she's also bullying her daughter in front of the world.
The better way to handle it is to do to privately, and learn lessons from that. This young girl needs to learn lessons, and mom needs to model the behaviors. But, again, I don't want to shame mom, because I think she needs to learn a better way. We all do. Parenting is a work in progress, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: It's a tough job. All right, Dr. Jeff Gardere in New York. Thank you so much.
GARDERE: My pleasure.
WHITFIELD: All right. He is one of the world's most powerful drug lords on the list of "Forbes" magazine's most powerful people, in fact, and more than a decade on the run, police have busted him again.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, our top story now this hour, one of Mexico's most powerful drug lords has been captured. Joaquin Guzman, better known as El Chapo is the alleged head of the Sinaloa cartel. He was captured by Mexican and American forces at a resort in Mexico. This man is wanted here in the U.S. on federal drug trafficking charges. And has even been name Chicago's public enemy number one. Guzman has been on the loose for years after he broke out of a Mexican prison back in 2001.
The former Ukrainian prime minister just spoke to a fiery crowd in the country's capital just hours after getting out of jail. Yulia Tymoshenko was released shortly after the country's president, someone she opposed, was voted out of office. Tymoshenko called the protesters heroes and she praised them for fighting against what she called a dictatorship.
And to the Vatican now, Pope Francis created 19 new cardinals today. He presented each with their traditional red caps and rings and asked them to live lives of humility. The group represents countries ranging from Brazil to South Korea, but there are no new Americans in the College of Cardinals.
All right, hundreds of protesters gathered at the Arizona state capital this week pleading with Governor Jan Brewer not to sign a controversial new bill. It would making it legal for businesses who refuse service to gay people on the basis of freedom of religion. Governor Brewer says businesses should be able to decide but that she's not sure it needs to be law.
A severe drought will not let up in California with one report saying the whole state is quote "abnormally dry." And now California's problem is impacting the rest of the nation. Farmers there produce half of the country's home-grown fruit and vegetables, and when that market gets hit, your grocery bill goes up.
Our Jennifer Gray lays it all out for us.
JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Fred, with the report that just came out, it shows that the drought is getting worse. Now, 68 percent of state covered in extreme drought, something that's never happened before. This is the worst drought California has ever seen and look at these numbers. We have a long way to go. Pretty soon, we could all be feeling the pinch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GRAY (voice-over): The drought that is plaguing California and as a result hurting the nation's food supply could get a whole lot worse. Friday, the federal government said it will not provide any irrigation water to central valley farmers, and only 50 percent of contracted water to surrounding urban areas.
JOSE DEL BOSQUE, CALIFORNIA FARMER: Rain is way, way behind. So we expected zero and this just confirms it.
GRAY: Joe Del Bosque is the farm who just a week ago gave President Obama a tour of his central valley operation. He grows almonds, spinach, cherries and cantaloupe. But without the federal help, California growers like Joe may have to leave a lot of land unproductive.
DEL BOSQUE: There's going to be a lot of crop reduction and a lot of food lost. A lot of jobs lost.
GRAY: With more than 90 percent of the state in severe drought conditions, there could be a big impact at your grocery store checkout line. There are 80,000 farms in California. More crops are grown there than any place in the country. It produces nearly half of U.S.- grown fruits, nuts and vegetables. Experts say this drought could raise your produce prices 10 percent over the next few months.
But Mother Nature could come to the rescue. Rain is in the forecast in California next week and farmers say every drop will make a difference.
DEL BOSQUE: Will they capture that water? You know, and bring it to the storage? Because if they don't, if they keep the pumps shut off, that water's going to go out to the ocean.
(END VIDEOTAPE) GRAY: But a bit of good news on the way for California. We do have a couple of storm systems pushing through. Should bring some rain, one on Friday and another one on Saturday. The one on Saturday should be a little stronger, and bring some much-needed rainfall all along the California coast. But as we know, it's going to take much more than this to make the conditions out there better -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Jennifer.
New Jersey governor Chris Christie's reputation may have suffered after that bridge scandal, but his ability to raise money for the Republican Party still intact. I'll tell you why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: It doesn't look like the controversy is swirling around New Jersey governor Chris Christie have hurt his fund-raising abilities. As the Republican Governors Association meet this weekend now telling CNN $18 million has been raised since Christie took over as chairman in November.
CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser joining me now. So, how does that $18 million compare to previous RGA chairmen?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Here's how it compare, Fred, it is a record, most ever by any chairman of the RGA in their first three months steering that committee.
You know, this comes, as you mentioned, during those meetings, these RGA meetings that are happening right now here in Washington, and this is the first time Chris Christie's meeting up with his fellow Republican governors since that George Washington bridge controversy went viral early last month.
Now, we all know Chris Christie is considering a run for the White House in 2016 and taking over at the chairman of the RGA was seen as a possible warm-up act for a potential presidential run. Well, the bridge controversy, it has put a bit of a question mark on Christie's political future. But hey, one thing is for sure, Fred, Chris Christie can raise the money, he can bring in those bucks.
WHITFIELD: And I know they like that. So if Christie does decide to make a run for the White House in 2016, apparently Texas Governor Rick Perry could potentially be a main opponent. Let's play a bit of what Perry had to say to Wolf Blitzer about Chris Christie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK PERRY (R), TEXAS: We're on the same team, working together. But let me tell you something, he's a competitor. I'm going to go and compete against him, I'm going to go and compete against Rick Scott, I'm going to compete against Bobby Jindal, I'm going to compete against Nikki Haley, I'm going to compete against Jerry Brown and Pat Quinn, and those guys are really easier to compete against because of the policies they put into place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: OK. So, Paul, what does he mean by that? Does that mean that he's in?
STEINHAUSER: What are you talking? I thought Rick Perry was talking about 2016 here. But we went on to say listen, no. I was talking about 2014. And you know, competing against Chris Christie and helping elect more republican governors. But let's be honest, he really seemed like he was talking about 2015.
Here a thing about Rick Perry, longtime Texas governor, considering -- seriously considering another bid for the White House, is not running for reelection as governor. He does say though, that it's too early to talk about this. He'll make some decision at the end of the year. Stay tuned on that one.
WHITFIELD: All right. And also stay tuned to this. Hillary Clinton, is she, is she not in? And apparently just might if she is in, she might have a supporter in Senator John McCain?
STEINHAUSER: Yes, some straight talk from the senator from Arizona. The Republican senator from Arizona, who id hid party's presidential nominee 2008. He was on Piers Morgan the other night. And he was asked about recent columns from Michele Bachmann, the republican congresswoman from Minnesota who also run for president. She said, guess what, the country is not ready for a woman president. McCain disagreed. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I would bet, my friend, as much as I hate to admit it, that right now this is why we have campaigns, but right now if the election were tomorrow, Hillary Clinton would most likely be the president of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: And you know, look at all the early polls. And yes, if you look at those early polls and believe them, take them way grain of salt, she is by far the front-runner in the race for the White House. McCain did go on to say, Fred, he wouldn't be her candidate for president. Of course, he's Republican. She's a Democrat.
WHITFIELD: All right. All so fascinating. Thanks so much, Paul Steinhauser. Always good to see you.
All right, coming up, the jury in the Michael Dunn case couldn't decide if he was guilty of murdering Jordan Davis. While some say the so-called loud music trial was all about race, one juror sees it differently.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I never once thought about, this was a black kid. This was a white guy. Because that was -- that wasn't the case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And an exclusive interview with Juror Number 8, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Wild closed door discussions, shouting. That's how Juror Number 8 describes the tension during deliberations for the loud music murder trial of Michael Dunn.
She spoke exclusively to CNN Alina Machado.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CRESHUNA MILES, JUROR NUMBER 8 IN MICHAEL DUNN MURDER TRIAL: I never once thought about, this was a black kid. This was a white guy. Because that was -- that wasn't the case.
ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So the people who say, you know, here's another white guy who got away with shooting and killing a black kid -- what would you tell them?
MILES: I would tell them that they really -- should acknowledge themselves on the law.
MACHADO: Creshuna Miles is setting the record straight.
MILES: I just wanted to bring justice to whoever it was.
MACHADO: The 21-year-old was Juror Number 8 in the Michael Dunn murder trial. She sat down with CNN to talk about the case and the heated deliberations.
What was it like inside that deliberation room?
MILES: It was wild.
MACHADO: Wild as --
MILES: Like -- it was shouting. It was a lot of yelling.
MACHADO: Miles shared her impressions about Michael Dunn and explained the partial verdict the jury returned.
What did you think of Michael Dunn?
MILES: I honestly think he was a good guy. I think he is a good guy. I don't think he hates everybody. I don't think he walks around wanting to shoot everybody. I think that he made bad decisions.
MACHADO: You still think he's guilty of murder, though?
MILES: Yes. I really think he's guilty of murder, but not the guilty as charged.
MACHADO: First degree? You don't think he's guilty of first-degree?
MILES: I think he's guilty of second degree.
MACHADO: How difficult was it to come back into the courtroom knowing that Jordan Davis' parents were there, and that you couldn't agree on a charge --
MILES: It was hard.
MACHADO: Related to his death.
MILES: We were confident and cool with it, but when he had us back we got really nervous because we didn't know all stood as means if throws out the whole case, or is she going retie him? Or this court is she satisfied with what happened, is she going to do more? Is Jordan ever going get justice? We did not know. And walking back in to there I got so nervous, because I'm just like -- what if we completely messed up?
MACHADO: Do you feel like you messed up? Do you feel like the jury messed you up?
MILES: No. I feel like we did what we was supposed to.
MACHADO: What would you tell Jordan's family?
MILES: I would tell them that, from my end, I tried. I really did try. I tried to fight for their son. I saw the look on his dad's face when we were on the stand, and I know it hurts. It's like, thinking you got this wound to heal and then -- somebody slices it open again, because now they got to go through that whole process all over again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: That was Alina Machado with that exclusive interview of Juror Number 8.
All right, there's a side to actor Gerard Butler that you don't see on the big screen. He's helping one of our CNN heroes to provide free meals to hundreds of thousands of hungry children every day. Their connection, dates back to a special night 2010.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GERARD BUTLER, ACTOR: Please join me in honoring CNN hero and I'm proud that he's a fellow Scotsman, Magnus McFarland battle.
I was actually a little bit start struck when I met Magnus but, kid, you're amazing.
We have become good friends and now, here I am in Liberia.
So we have been driving for about an hour now. And we're right in the heart of the (INAUDIBLE) country. We're passing little kids going to school where the feeding program is going on.
There's just a huge need here. There are so many children out of school. Huge problems with malnutrition. We're providing daily meals so children come to school.
Who's next?
It's a great partnership going on here. The parents, the elders, children, volunteers.
When CNN heroes happened, we were feeding just over 400,000 children. Now we're well over 800,000 children every day. That's in the world. We have seen enrollment in schools have increased.
What is this? Lion.
A lot of them didn't eat at all in a day before they came to school. Now they are motivated to come to school. They can focus. You know, education suddenly becomes like a possibility.
Who would have thought when I gave Magnus the CNN heroes award that I would be surrounded by the most amazing kids to show you what one person can do when they show a bit of love.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: So nice.
Every week, we will be honoring a new CNN hero and everyday person doing extraordinary things to help others. If you know someone who deserves this kind of recognition, go to CNNheroes.com now and tell us all about them.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, "SANJAY GUPTA MD" is coming up in about half an hour. The good doctor has a preview of what's ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOCTOR SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, did you know a simple hello could potentially save someone's life? My new campaign with Oprah.
Plus how to talk to your kids about sex. We got a lot coming up, SGMD, 4:30 eastern.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Sanjay. All right, if you want to be the ambassador to a country, probably a good thing if you were to know something about that country. Well, several potential ambassador realized that fact when they appeared on Capitol Hill with some rather awkward results.
Foreign affairs reporter Elise Labott reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELISE LABOTT, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS REPORTER (voice-over): President Obama under fire for his picks to be ambassador after some nominees all fundraisers for the Obama campaign made a series of embarrassing gaffes.
Listen to soap opera producer colleen bell struggle on what should have been an easy question for a potential ambassador to Hungary.
MCCAIN: What are our strategist interests in Hungary?
COLLEEN BRADLEY BELL, AMBASSADOR NOMINEE: Protect the security for both countries and for the world to continue working together on the cause of human rights.
LABOTT: Hotel executive, George Tsunis, the president's pick for Norway, called a party in that country's governing coalition a fringe group.
GEORGE TSUNIS, AMBASSADOR NOMINEE: We're going to continue to work with Norway to make sure --
MCCAIN: The government has denounced them. The coalition of the government.
TSUNIS: I stand corrected.
LABOTT: (INAUDIBLE) who wants to be ambassador to Argentina hasn't even visited the country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't view this appointment as one -- I think this is very significant post.
LABOTT: Late night comics had a field day.
JON STEWART, HOST: I was in Cancun and dated a girl named Tina. Is that good?
MCCAIN: It is just embarrassing and we should not embarrass the United States America. These countries look up to the United States of America.
LABOTT: Diplomatic expertise isn't a job requirement, but critics question the wisdom of awarding campaign fundraisers with plum overseas assignments. Bell brought in more than $800,000 in 2012 to reelect President Obama. Mammot (ph) raised at least half a million.
President Obama promised to choose more career diplomats as ma ambassador, but the American Foreign Service Association found 37 percent of his picks since taking office were political appointees. That's more than President Clinton and both presidents Bush. The White House defended the picks.
JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: And what I can tell you is that being a donor does not get you a job in this administration nor does it preclude from getting one.
LABOTT: Career diplomat Ronald Newman was U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan. So was his father, a political appointee, but one who wrote about and spent time in the Middle East where he served.
RONALD NEWMAN, FORMER AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN: There's plenty of room for the highly qualified. There shouldn't be room for selling diplomatic offices to the unqualified as a political payoff.
LABOTT: And the nominees still need to get confirmed by the Senate. Next week, the American Foreign Service Association comes out with their own set of guidelines for ambassador serving overseas. Obviously, they would like to get more career diplomats in these jobs, but they say any candidates should have certain qualifications including leadership and management skills and an understanding of international affairs, particularly the culture of and U.S. interests in the country they are serving.
Elise Labott, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. And this is something many dog owners have long believed, but new research finds dogs really are a lot like humans. Turns out they know when we're sad. A stick of the dog's brain processes human voices in the same way that your brains do, our brains do. And they can tell by the sound of your voice if you are happy or sad.
And something tells me, my colleague Don Lemon is coming up next. There is something tells me that your dog, Boo, can sense that you are likely renamed boo-boo.
(CROSSTALK)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: Naughty right now. She's in the dog house right now. She had a little accident in her crate and she knows I don't like that.
WHITFIELD: Awe, Boo. Boo is so cute.
LEMON: You would -- people would never think that I would have a dog.
LEMON: ... she had a little accident in her crate and she knows I don't like that.
WHITFIELD: Awe, boo. Boo is so cute.
LEMON: People would never think that I would have a dog.
WHITFIELD: And that would be me. I'm like - Don Lemon has a dog.
LEMON: I do.
WHITFIELD: Last time I checked you were anti-dog and now you're pro- dog.
LEMON: I'm just anti-marriage.
WHITFIELD: You know us dog lovers can identify other dog lovers.
And I can sense you were not a dog lover a few years ago. But I am very happy you have come around, Don Lemon.
LEMON: I am. I am.
WHITFIELD: Because Boo is too cute.
LEMON: She's too cute and she loves me when I get home. Thank you. They are yelling at my ear -
WHITFIELD: OK.
LEMON: Saying get to the show.
WHITFIELD: Bye.
LEMON: Thank you, Fred. Have a good one. See you.
