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New Day
Nelson Mandela in Critical but Stable Condition; Can A Drink Be Deadly?; Interview with "Despicable Me 2" Star Steve Carell; George Zimmerman Trial Day Four
Aired June 27, 2013 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to NEW DAY.
To know him is to love him. Steve Carell here live to talk about "Despicable Me" and so much more.
(LAUGHTER)
CUOMO: I like that look. Should I use that?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: No. No.
(CROSSTALK)
BOLDUAN: I'm Kate Bolduan. It is June 27th. Let's go straight to news anchor, Michaela Pereira, for the five things to know for your NEW DAY.
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Pull it together. Steve Carell is in the house.
At number one, cross-examination of Trayvon Martin's friend, Rachel Jeantel, continues in the George Zimmerman trial. Zimmerman's defense expected to try to undermine her credibility.
Suspected Fort Hood killer, Nidal Hasan, is back in court today for a pretrial hearing. He's accused in the 2009 shooting massacre that left 13 dead.
This morning, actor James Gandolfini will be laid to rest. His funeral service will be held at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City.
Acting IRS commissioner Danny Werfel likely to be grilled today by a House committee on why he did not reveal earlier that the IRS was targeting conservatives and progressives.
And at number five, what're you doing tonight? Well, the NBA draft is happening in New York this evening. Cleveland Cavaliers get first choice.
You know, we're always updating the five things you need to know for your NEW DAY so go to newdayCNN.com for the very latest. CUOMO: All right, and one last thing we just learned in terms of things you need to know today, Nelson Mandela still in critical condition, but now, we're told, he's stable. And obviously, everybody just wants him to be as comfortable as possible. Some good news for Nelson Mandela.
BOLDUAN: Yes, just getting that in this morning.
A mother's question, also, this morning, can a drink be deadly? She claims her son died because he was a regular user of a popular energy drink and it isn't the first time this product has come under scrutiny. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You want a pick me up?
BOLDUAN (voice-over): Monster Energy Drink promises to pack a powerful punch. Now one mother is blaming the makers of the drink for her teenage son's death. Nineteen-year-old Alex Mooris (inaudible).
REX PARRIS, ATTORNEY FOR FAMILIES SUING MONSTER BEVERAGE CORP.: These are more and more and more directed at the fact that a these drinks are dangerous, that they can kill people. And they shouldn't be marketed to people under 18 years old. It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to recognize we shouldn't pump stimulants into our children.
BOLDUAN: The mother of a 14-year-old Anais Fournier of Maryland also sued Monster Beverage Corporation last year. She's represented by the same lawyer who filed the suite for Alex Morris. Anais died after consuming two 24-hour cans of the energy drink. The medical examiner also found that Anais had an existing heart condition. They haven't gone to trial yet.
Anais's mother spoke last year on Anderson Cooper's talk show.
WENDY CROSSLAND, ANAIS FOURNIER'S MOTHER: Well, my message to moms is to help me get this out and get these FDA regulated.
BOLDUAN: The FDA is now investigating seven deaths to determine whether Monster was a factor.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN (on-camera): And an important note, we reached out to the company regarding this new lawsuit and they issued the following statement. We want read it to you.
They say, "There is nothing in this lawsuit that links the death of 19-year-old Alex Morris to the consumption of Monster Energy Drinks. No coroner's report cited that suggests his cardiac arrest was caused by drinking a Monster Energy Drinks." It goes on to say, "There is no coroner's report that suggests his cardiac arrest was caused by drinking a Monster Energy Drink."
And in their statement they claim a review of 14-year-old of Anais Fournier's medical records reveal that there was absolutely no causal connection between Anais's death and the consumption of Monster Energy Drinks. We want to make sure we get that to you.
Let's talk more about these energy drinks. There are other types just like it. Let's bring in Dr. Sanjay Gupta with much more on this. How much caffeine is in these drinks? And what else is in these drinks?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, in a Monster, in the cans that you were just referencing, it's about 160 milligrams of caffeine.
BOLDUAN: What does that mean?
GUPTA: That's about a cup and a half of coffee, about four cans of cough sod soda. And that's pretty similar to a lot of the other energy drinks as well. There are other ingredients, but one thing I want to point out is that there is no requirement to tell people how much caffeine is in these drinks. If you ever see that on the label, it's because they're voluntarily doing that.
And that's a big issue and people are trying to figure out, look, should we tell people how much caffeine is in there? And how much is in some of these significant products, as well. So for example, guarana is something else in the Monster Energy Drink; has about 40 milligrams of caffeine per gram.
So these various compounds can start to add up in terms of caffeine. But, again, you don't always know. It's not always consistent.
CUOMO: How does it kill you? How does caffeine kill you?
GUPTA: I think caffeine, for the most part, doesn't kill you. And I think in the first lawsuit that was in Kate's piece, there was no cause and effect here. The concern is that it might raise your heart rate, your blood pressure. And that 14-year-old she had an underlying heart condition, so it may have just worsened that condition. I think in adults, there's a sort of acceptable safe level, which is around 400 milligrams a day. It may raise your heart rate, but usually just for a short term.
So I tell you, I think it's hard to say that this caffeine, even in these amounts, two cans a day for three years, could actually lead to death.
PEREIRA: But one of the other things that we're seeing are people mixing that with alcohol at the clubs and things. You've got a depressant and a stimulant together; that's got to be hard on the body.
GUPTA: Yes and I think the big thing is with alcohol you get a signal for most people to stop drinking at some point. When you start adding in an energy drink or stimulant like this, sometimes that signal goes away so people keep drinking. They stay awake while they're doing it and, as a result, they may actually have -- in situations where they exercised bad judgment. But again, I don't know that it's easy to prove that the substances themselves are leading to death. I have concerns about these energy drinks, I think like a lot of physicians do. And I think you need to know what you're getting inside your body, but to take it to the next step, to say this is cause and effect, I think that's tough to prove.
CUOMO: And you should have to prove it.
GUPTA: I think so, yes, absolutely.
BOLDUAN: Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Thanks, Sanjay.
CUOMO: Appreciate it. Guess what, everybody. It's now time to go from the good doctor to the good stuff. Every day we feature stories about some of the good news out there, stories about people doing the right thing.
Today's edition, little Caylee Brumlow and the one-armed Good Samaritan who saved her life. Caylee and her family were celebrating the little girl's 4th birthday by a lake in Georgia when Caylee went missing. Being so near the water, they immediately feared the worst and they were right. But after a few minutes, her family spotted Caylee being held above the surface held, in the water, by only one arm.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COREY BRUMLOW, CAYLEE BRUMLOW'S FATHER: As soon as she walked up, she put her arm around my neck and we hugged and kind of shared a thank you type embrace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: Caylee coughed up a lot of water, but she was OK. As for the one-armed hero, she disappeared without a word.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUMLOW: I would like to tell her, thank her and how much I love her for what she's done. She let my baby girl see 4 years old.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: She let his little girl see 4 years old and then she left. She was about the deed and not taking any responsibility for it. But we want you to. Whomever you are, please come forward. A grateful family wants to get to know you and thank you, and so do we. Thank you for going above and beyond and saving that little girl's life.
BOLDUAN: Beautiful little girl.
CUOMO: Right? And that is what the good stuff is all about. And we know it's out there so please send the good stuff our way. Tweet us, go to Facebook, use the hashtag #newday, and let's keep the good stuff coming.
BOLDUAN: Fine, I'll keep the good stuff coming right now. Coming up next on NEW DAY, the one, the only, and he dare even told me he might be boring.
(CROSSTALK)
BOLDUAN: So much to talk about. That's Steve Carell. He does not need an introduction. Either does Sanjay Gupta. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
BOLDUAN: You are a little, little shady. It's one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, "Despicable Me 2". Steve Carell is back as Gru. I don't know why I'm doing that with my voice. Super villain turned father. Just keep going.
CUOMO: I'm enjoying it. I'm enjoying what you're doing. Just as he started to adjust to being a suburban dad, he's decided to make a change. Take a look and a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE CARELL, AS GRU: I have accepted a new job.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whoa, really?
CARELL: Yes, I have been recruited by a top secret agency to go undercover and save the world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're going to be a spy?
CARELL: That's right, baby. Gru's back in the game with gadgets and weapons and cool car! The whole deal.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Awesome!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you really going to save the world?
CARELL: Yes. Yes, I am.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: Obviously, the whole suburban thing is about Gru, not about Steve Carell himself. But "Despicable Me 2" hits theaters July 3 and here is the man with us right now. Thank you so much for coming to NEW DAY.
CARELL: Thanks for having me.
BOLDUAN: With that clip, doesn't that beg the question, are you linked to the NSA leaker?
CARELL: I can't divulge anything right now. It's too early. It's just too early. I would like to speak to my attorney.
CUOMO: I'm right here. And retainable.
(LAUGHTER)
BOLDUAN: All right, so, tell us about -- you've done so many movies. It's going to take an hour and a half to get through. You're kind of coming off a big high, but let's talk about "Despicable Me 2."
CARELL: OK.
BOLDUAN: Do you enjoy doing animated -- I mean, you're so animated in person. How do you animated films?
CARELL: It's the easiest thing in the world and I will not lie. Oh, it's crazy. You can go in and you can look terrible. Yes, you can wear your pajamas. You just show up and you do a stupid voice for about five hours and you do that -- actually, the process, it took me like two and a half years from the time we first started. But you go in every few months and you do one session and they, see, they animate to your voice. So, you're not watching any animation. So the animation process takes a long time and they tweak it and they adjust the script. But it's just fun. It's just fun.
PEREIRA: I saw the film at a screening and there were a billion kids in the room. It was so delightful hearing that, because they laugh and laugh hard. It's always harder to get a chuckle out of the adults, but the adults were chuckling too. That must be a delight to you, know that get both audiences.
CARELL: It is. I think it's a sophisticated movie in that sense because I think it plays on two different levels. And kids have no filter. They will tell you immediately -- if something didn't work, you hear about it.
BOLDUAN: It's like payback.
CARELL: It is, yes.
CUOMO: So you have kids, so you know what a relief it is as a parent to be able to go to the movie. They're going to enjoy it; you don't have to worry about it and you get something out of it yourself. Very nice.
You're very busy.
CARELL: I am.
CUOMO: That is a blessing in your business.
CARELL: It is. I've waited my entire life to be busy.
CUOMO: Right?
CARELL: And whenever I hear actors complain about being busy, I think, shut up. Because you do, you wait to be successful or to be able to work and, yes, I'm extremely lucky.
CUOMO: You've got "Anchorman" coming out.
CARELL: Yes, that's coming out this December.
CUOMO: You also have another movie coming out.
CARELL: I have "The Way, Way Back" coming out on the fifth.
BOLDUAN: You can't even remember you have so many films?
CARELL: I know.
CUOMO: No, highly anticipated. People insist I talk to you about it.
CARELL: No, it's really -- well, I insist it.
PEREIRA: Isn't it true that you're not -- because we know you as this really likable guy. Everything from "The Office" to "Despicable Me". You're likeable as Gru. She's laughing at you being likeable, but don't -- in "The Way, Way Back", not so likeable Steve?
CARELL: In "The Way, Way Back," I'm not that likable. I'm a little bit -- yes. I think he's sort of -- he has high expectations of all of the people around him. Sort of misguidedly. So, that's a nice way of putting it. He's not that likable of a guy.
BOLDUAN: For people who aren't familiar with "The Way, Way Back," what's the premise of this film?
CARELL: It's a coming of age story. A 14-year-old boy who goes to mom's boyfriend's beach house for the summer and he's really in need of a good, strong male role model and I'm, as the boyfriend, I'm not the guy. And he becomes friends with Sam Rockwell over the course the summer, and they form this really unlikely and sweet relationship. Sam Rockwell is fantastic in this movie. It's really good.
CUOMO: Nice to exercise different muscles?
CARELL: It is. Yes. I mean, and just to be able to play someone who people haven't necessarily seen me play before. Yes. People -- the premiere was last night and people afterwards kept telling me how much they hated me.
BOLDUAN: You're like, "I take that as a compliment."
CARELL: Yes, I wear that with a badge of honor.
BOLDUAN: So "Anchorman 2" coming out. How much fun was it getting the gang back together?
CARELL: It is like going to camp with your friends. It really is. It's like we all showed up -- it was ten years ago that we did the first one. So, it was a long time. It was a long time.
BOLDUAN: Do you even have, is there even a script? CARELL: There is.
(CROSSTALK)
BOLDUAN: I envision you guys getting together, getting drunk, and saying, "Let's go!"
CARELL: Well, there is that aspect of it, yes. That is one component. There is a script; there's a really good script. Adam McKay and Will Ferrell wrote this fantastic follow-up that is very smart and funny and silly. But, yes, within that, it increases exponentially because of the improv.
CUOMO: Give us a taste of where your character goes.
CARELL: Brick, Brick befriends a woman --
CUOMO: Didn't he have ten kids and he was at the Bush White House?
CARELL: Well, we haven't gotten to that point yet.
PEREIRA: You should pull up a weather map. You should do some weather.
CARELL: Oh, I'm not doing weather. And Brick certainly couldn't be...
CUOMO: So he befriends a woman at the --
CARELL: Yes, played by Kristen Wigg. So I have a bunch of scenes with Kristen Wigg. It's ridiculous and I think I don't want to set the bar too high; I don't want to build people's expectations of it, but I think it's going to be really funny.
CUOMO: Makes it as a sequel, not easy to do when the first one's so funny.
CARELL: I think it's going to be a good one.
PEREIRA: You mentioned that out of all the categories of people that comment to you about, "Anchorman," it's our type. The world over, news people.
CARELL: Everywhere I go, yes, news people are fascinated by it. But I think at first there was a little pushback.
BOLDUAN: I remember.
CARELL: Because, you know, are they mocking us?
BOLDUAN: Of course.
(CROSSTALK)
CARELL: But I think they did, I think eventually embraces their own. CUOMO: Media is not interesting. I want to go back to "Despicable Me." How do you make somebody who on the face of it a bad guy so sweet and lovable by the end of the movie?
CARELL: Well, I think it was -- the first one was a great script. You know, it had a great character arc and a great story. And not to put too fine a point on it, it's an animated movie. It's sweet and funny and silly, but they developed really good characters with it. And in those voice sessions, they allow us to try or do anything.
CUOMO: How long did it take you to figure out what the accent was going to be?
CARELL: About 30 minutes.
BOLDUAN: Really?
CARELL: Yes, we played around that first session and just tried a number of different accents. And this accent is really just a bad accent. It's not a Russian accent.
CUOMO: It's much different than your voice, also.
CARELL: It's kind of like, well -- the barometer for me was I came home from the session and my kids ran up and my wife ran up and said, "What's the voice? What's Gru going to sound like?"
"It's kind of like this, and kind to talk a little bit low and kind of go high sometimes." And they thought that was great. They kept having me say stuff. So that, to me, was an indication.
CUOMO: If your kids liked, you knew you were good.
(CROSSTALK)
BOLDUAN: I don't know, but do kids recognize you on the street? Do they know Steve Carell was the voice of our favorite character?
CARELL: I don't think so. I went in character on Ellen a few weeks ago and afterward one of the staff's daughter, like 5-year-old daughter was there, and she thought I was Gru. She even said to her mom, "He' real! I told you he was real."
CUOMO: He's very tall.
CARELL: He is a potato on tooth picks.
PEREIRA: With an odd shaped head.
BOLDUAN: And with that --
CUOMO: Steve Carell, thank you so very much for being here on NEW DAY. Now it feels like a real show. It's great to have you.
(CROSSTALK)
CARELL: Let me tell you, this is all real.
CUOMO: "Despicable Me 2" hits theaters Wednesday, July 3.
BOLDUAN: NEW DAY is back in a moment.
CUOMO: Thank you so much.
CARELL: Thank you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CUOMO: That's our message about you. Don't forget us. We're here every day. Thanks for watching NEW DAY.
CNN NEWSROOM with Carol Costello begins right now. Hey Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I won't forget you. Don't worry.
CUOMO: See it worked. The song worked.
COSTELLO: It did. They work with me.
Thanks, guys, have a great day. NEWSROOM starts now.
George Zimmerman, a star witness and a final phone call.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RACHEL JEANTEL, WITNESS: I asked him how the man looked like. He looked like a creepy (EXPLETIVE DELETED) cracker.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Rachel Jeantel back on the stand this hour. The knife, the confrontation and what she heard on the other end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Jeantel: I heard a hard-breathed man come and say "What are you doing around here?"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The explosive testimony and the tough new questions she could face today -- lies about her age, contradictions in her story, the sometimes defiant witness.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you finished? I'm sorry.
JEANTEL: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Now facing the defense. The big question this hour, did the star witness shine? You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Good morning, thanks so much for being with me. I'm Carol Costello. We're beginning "Newsroom" a few minutes early today because we want to set the scene for what we'll see during the next few hours.
It is day four of the George Zimmerman murder trial. Today's hearing is about to get under way in this emotional and divisive case. Zimmerman's shooting of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin has ignited nationwide protests and heated debate over racial profiling, guns and the laws of self-defense.
Returning to the stand at any moment now, a key witness who was a friend of Trayvon Martin. She was on the phone with Martin as the deadly fight with Zimmerman unfolded. Yesterday she testified about the final moments of the teenager's life as Martin realized he was being followed by the former neighborhood watch captain, George Zimmerman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANTEL: I asked him how the man looked like and he just told me the man looked creepy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said the man looked creepy?
JEANTEL: Creepy, white -- excuse my language -- cracker.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. What did you say? They're having trouble hearing you. So take your time.
JEANTEL: Creepy (EXPLETIVE DELETED) cracker now (EXPLETIVE DELETED) following me. And then I just told him "run". He said "no".
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You told him to run.
JEANTEL: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And what, if anything, did Mr. Martin say?
JEANTEL: He said no, he's almost right there as he was walking, he's just complaining the man is still following him and then he told me he's going to run from the back. Why are you following me for?
And then I heard a hard-breathed come and say, "What are you doing around here?"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Moments later Trayvon Martin was dead. We're going to take you back to the courtroom live when Rachel Jeantel returns to the stand. We have a team of reporters and analysts to break down all of today's coming testimony.
But we begin our coverage in Sanford, Florida, with CNN's George Howell. He's outside the courthouse. Good morning, George. GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning. She came across as very real, raw, and unscripted. She seemed un-coached in every word and every action she says could have a big impact on the outcome of this case. But given some of her answers to questions yesterday, the question now, will this jury believe her?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL (voice over): She's the last person to have spoken to Trayvon Martin on his cell phone the night he was fatally shot and killed, a key witness to the prosecution, whose testimony took various turns throughout the day. At first Rachel Jeantel became emotional when questioned about why she lied saying she was in the hospital and couldn't go to her friend's funeral.
JEANTEL: I didn't want to see the body.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You didn't want to see the body?
JEANTEL: No.
HOWELL: She told the prosecutors Martin used racial slurs like the n word to describe the man following him.
JEANTEL: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) following me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You said the man looked creepy.
JEANTEL: Creepy white, excuse my language, (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
HOWELL: Jeantel says she told Martin to run, but then the phone went dead. When she called him back, she says Martin told here he was still being watched and then confronted.
JEANTEL: He said, why are you following me for? And then I heard a hard breathed man come and say what are you doing around here. And then I was calling Trayvon, Trayvon. Then I heard (inaudible) Trayvon saying, get off, get off.
HOWELL: Then the tone of her testimony changed when cross examined by Zimmerman's defense team. At times appearing to have an attitude when questioned by attorney, Don West.
JEANTEL: I had told you -- you listening?
HOWELL: The 19-year-old admitted she lied about her age. Claiming to be 16 at the time of the shooting because she didn't want to be questioned. She said she didn't call police to tell her account because she expected police to contact her like they do on the TV shows.
Then, there is the issue of the audio recording the witness made with attorney Ben Crump, who represents Trayvon Martin's family, a recording Crump played publicly to draw attention to the case.
Jeantel admitted to defense attorneys she made the recording hastily and that she didn't really want to do it.
JEANTEL: It don't mean nothing to me.
