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CNN Saturday Morning News
Trayvon Martin Case; Your Weekend Weather; Rallies And Protests Across The Nation; CNN Heroes; Bales Faces 17 Murder Charges
Aired March 24, 2012 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN Center, this is WEEKEND EARLY START. Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye.
Our top story, the reaction to Trayvon Martin's death. The teen gunned down by a neighborhood watchman in Sanford, Florida, last month.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: The admitted killer, George Zimmerman, roams free. And just hours ago, his attorney broke his silence. We'll have a live report.
And another day, another primary. This time in Louisiana. Where Rick Santorum vows the tide is about to turn.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You have the opportunity here to vote for someone that believes in your battle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And later this hour, you saw the movie, well, wait until you see this. Artifacts from the real Titanic. We'll bring them to you live in studio. You're watching WEEKEND EARLY START, where news doesn't take the weekend off.
We start with the main bar. Our big story that we investigate from all angles to give you context and analysis. Today, that is the killing of Trayvon Martin. As the national fury grows, vigils and marches are spreading throughout the U.S. Demonstrators wearing hoodies and holding Skittles have become the trademark symbol for people demanding justice for Trayvon Martin's death. George Zimmerman admitted shooting Martin, saying he acted in self defense. Since the shooting last month, Zimmerman has been out of site. But last night his attorney, Craig Sonner (ph), broke the silence. Here's what he told our Anderson Cooper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: What has your client told you about the night he shot Trayvon Martin?
CRAIG SONNER, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S ATTORNEY: That I believe he's probably made -- he should have made a statement to the police at that time. I think he did. I don't know for a -- I don't know for a fact because I haven't seen the police reports on this case. I have not discussed the evening of what occurred that time. I think that will come out through the investigation process done by law enforcement.
COOPER: You haven't discussed any of the details of that night with him?
SONNER: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: We're getting you up to speed in the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Here's a quick time line of events.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE (voice-over): The story starts in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. On February 26th, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by a self-appointed neighborhood watchman. Witnesses told police they heard a scuffle, a cry for help and a gunshot. When police arrive on the scene, they found this man, George Zimmerman, holding the gun that killed Martin. He had a bloody nose and wound on the back of his head. Zimmerman tells police it's self defense.
The only thing in Trayvon Martin's hand was a bag of Skittles. On March 9th, 12 days after the killing, Trayvon's father publicly called on Sanford Police to arrest George Zimmerman saying justice hadn't been served. On March 13th, police wrapped up their investigation. They say no arrest has been made because they have no evidence to contradict Zimmerman's self defense story. Two days later, witness Mary Cutcher speaks.
MARY CUTCHER, WITNESS: We believe in our hearts 100 percent it was not self defense.
KAYE: March 16th, the next day, police release 911 tapes from the night of Trayvon Martin's death. Here's one exchange.
GEORGE ZIMMERMAN (voice-over): Something's wrong with him. Yep, he's coming to check me out. He's got something in his hands. I don't know what his deal is.
DISPATCHER: Are you following him?
ZIMMERMAN: Yeah.
DISPATCHER: OK, we don't need to you do that.
ZIMMERMAN: OK.
CROWD: No justice, no peace. KAYE: On March 18th, several hundred people gathered in nearby Titusville, Florida, calling on the state attorney to filed charges in the case. The attorney later announced that a grand jury will review the case. And the Justice Department stepped in the next day, saying they'd investigate whether there were any civil rights violations.
Then, on Thursday, Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee stepped down temporarily, saying he'd become a distraction to the investigation. He had become the lightning rod for critics of his department's handling of the case.
And take a look that this map. This is where we've seen rallies for Trayvon Martin and his family.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And coming up, we'll take you live to Sanford, Florida. Holly Firfer will give us an update on the events planned for Trayvon Martin today.
Polls open in Louisiana next hour for the state's Republican primary. Twenty delegates are at stake. An American research group survey shows Rick Santorum with a double digit lead over Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. Santorum is on the defensive, taking heat from his rivals for suggesting that reelecting President Barack Obama might be preferable to electing Mitt Romney. But he's backtracked, saying he'll vote Republican even if it's not him.
Take a look at this out of Toulouse, France. It's brand new video showing the inside of the apartment where gunman Mohammed Merah died Thursday. He was shot dead by French special forces following a siege that lasted more than 30 hours. He was wanted in the killing of three French paratroopers, a rabbi and three children.
Pope Benedict XVI is in Mexico today. He'll meet with Mexican President Felipe Calderon later today. On his way to the world's second most catholic nation, the pontiff condemned the drug gang violence that is ravaging parts of Mexico. One notorious cartel is even promising to lay low during the pope's visit. After Mexico, Pope Benedict he heads to Cuba.
Well, you may not mind waiting to go through airport security ever again after hearing this. A Montana man is being held without bail after he tried to board a plane in Sacramento fully armed. TSA agents found three guns in his carryon bag. A pat down revealed he also had a loaded gun in his holster. Authorities also found 192 rounds of ammo and three knives. Eight more guns were in that guy's car.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We heard the engine pop and kind of sputter. And we looked up and we saw him going into a nose dive and tail spin. And then he hit the ground.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KAYE: Two people are dead after two small planes collided in mid-air in the skies over Longmont, Colorado. An instructor and student pilot were killed when their plane crashed. The other plane clipped a power line and hit the ground seven miles away. Authorities say that pilot did a heroic job avoiding crowded areas. She's hospitalized but is expected to survive.
Let's turn now to gas prices, up again today. Just a fraction of a cent, but it is the 15th day in a row now. The national average is $3.89 a gallon, up from $3.88 yesterday. And as of this morning, there are nine states where gas is over $4 a gallon.
All right, let's say good morning to meteorologist Reynolds Wolf.
Reynolds, we're going to get the weather in just a moment from you. But I actually want to take a quick look at the March Madness games. I'm kind of afraid to look this morning.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Are you kidding me, I'm so proud of you. You're still doing great.
KAYE: Really?
WOLF: Absolutely.
KAYE: I'm still hanging in there? My bracket?
WOLF: Yes. Let's remind America, this is the first time you've ever done the bracket before. And, folks, ladies and gentlemen, she's actually number three in the network. So she's doing still very, very well. What's even more impressive, you look in all the way to your final four, and that's the most important, she picked Kentucky and Louisville. She picked Syracuse and North Carolina. All teams are still in for the time being.
KAYE: All right.
WOLF: So we might see some changes, It's going to be a long weekend, But as far as I'm concerned, you've done an amazing job. If you were to lose every one here on out, I'm still blown away. I think you did a great job.
KAYE: Syracuse is still hanging in there. That's who I have winning the whole thing.
WOLF: Still hanging out. Hey, yes, absolutely. They had a great game the other night against Wisconsin.
KAYE: Wisconsin, yes.
WOLF: It's a real nail biter. I mean, all the way down to the very last shot. It was an amazing game, but so far you're nailing them just like they were.
KAYE: All right. Good. What do you have in the weather department? I'm sure a lot of people care about that, besides my bracket. WOLF: You know, it's going to be a double-edged sword when it comes to the weather. We're going to see a chance of severe weather in parts of the southeast. That's certainly the bad news. But the good news is that we've just had so much pollen in the atmosphere in parts of the southeast, we could use some rain to knock it out of the atmosphere. That's what we expect for parts of the day today. We'll have more on that coming up in a few moments, plus your travel weather nationwide. You've got to know what to expect when you're trying to get from one side of the country to the other. That's moments away.
KAYE: All right, Reynolds, sounds good. Thank you.
WOLF: You bet.
KAYE: And here's a rundown of some of the other stories that we're working on today.
Planning to visit London? Make sure you take some extra cash for that trip to the local pub.
Plus, as national outrage grows over the killing of Trayvon Martin, we'll have the latest developments in the case. A live report from Sanford, Florida, coming up.
Then, nearly 100 years after it sank, the Titanic continues to fascinate. Now a multimillion dollar set of artifacts from that tragic night heads to the auction block. We'll have a preview.
And a borate (ph) theme blunder overshadows one athlete's spot in the winner's circle. All that just 90 seconds away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Southern and central Illinois are trying to recover after some ferocious storms tore through the region yesterday. A woman was killed, two people were injured when a tornado touched down in Jefferson County. Police say the twister picked up the woman's mobile home and tossed it across the road. Several other homes were also damaged.
So the question is, is more stormy weather on tap for today? Well, it's about 10 minutes past the hour. Reynolds is joining us again.
How's it looking?
WOLF: Well, unfortunately, it can't be picture-perfect for everyone. But you kind of have to look at what the rain is going to bring. It's going to bring in much clearer skies for parts of the southeast, including portions of Georgia, parts of the Carolinas. They had tons of pollen in the atmosphere. So that's the good news.
We're seeing basically two waves. You've got that pre-frontal trough, you're got the front itself all driving back from the west to the east. You can see a little bit of rotation back over near St. Louis. That's the center of your area of low pressure, that big machine. Everything driving off towards the east. Now, what is it going to mean for the tar heel region in the Carolinas? Possibly some strong storms later on in the day. As soon as the atmosphere heats up a bit more and you have this moisture coming in, that's where things get a little unstable. So we might see some strong storms.
Out west, as you've got that one system in the east leaving, this one is moving onto the continent, bring some scattered showers along the coast north of San Francisco. But then when you get up towards Mt. Shasta, you're seeing some snow develop. How much snow are you going to see? Well, your answer is right here before your eyes. Anywhere from three to six inches of snowfall from about 3,000 feet above. That's your freezing level. And the same deal for much of the Sierra Nevada.
Now, something else we're going to be seeing today, although we've got action on both ends of the continent, it looks pretty nice for you in the center of the U.S. Sunny and mild for much of the central and southern plains. It's going to be picture perfect with high temperatures that are going to be a little bit cooler. We actually dealt with some record highs in Chicago over the last couple of days. Today we're only going in the 60s. And 73 Minneapolis, 76 in Kansas City, 60 in Seattle, 67 in Los Angeles, and 66 in Washington, D.C.
So what does that mean to you as the traveler? It means some delays as we wrap things up. In Washington, D.C., delays under an hour. Same deal in Raleigh, Cincinnati. San Francisco is the fog. And even in L.A. -- well, actually, L.A., you're going to have that marine layer. It might be pesky keeping your grounded for maybe up to 30 minutes at a time. Maybe a bit longer by midday. But by afternoon, the fog should dissipate.
That's the latest, Randi. Let's send it right back over to you at the news desk.
KAYE: All right. Actually, I want you to come over. I want you to have a seat.
WOLF: Oh, boy.
KAYE: Because this is serious.
WOLF: It sounds like I'm in trouble.
KAYE: And we want you to sit down because I have some good news and some bad news.
WOLF: Bring it both.
KAYE: Let's start with the bad. The government is cracking down on alcohol. You OK?
WOLF: I'm fine.
KAYE: OK. OK, good. Good. Good.
WOLF: I'm still breathing. I'm still here.
KAYE: The good news is, it's not our government.
WOLF: Well, you've got to like that. What's not to love.
KAYE: Yes, it's over the --
WOLF: I mean --
KAYE: It's in the U.K.
WOLF: Well, yes, so --
KAYE: So we're safe. You're safe.
WOLF: We're celebrating other's misfortune is basically what you're telling me?
KAYE: Yes. See, I just wasn't sure how you're going to react. That's why we wanted you to sit down.
WOLF: I'm OK.
KAYE: The British prime minister, it turns out, Reynolds, David Cameron, says that he will impose a minimum alcohol price in an effort to boost health and cut crime. Not a bad idea.
WOLF: No.
KAYE: It would add roughly two pounds or $3 to a 12 pack of beer. So it's a little pricier. Government officials said that violent crimes and hospital stays involving alcohol cost British taxpayers 21 billion pounds or $33 billion in 2010. That's a lot.
WOLF: They take their beer seriously.
KAYE: They sure do.
All right, just ahead, homeowners facing foreclosure may not have to move it turns out. One lender is now willing to let them stay in their homes as renters.
Plus, we are live in Sanford, Florida. You will hear more from George Zimmerman's attorney, who's saying this case is getting out of control. This is CNN WEEKEND EARLY START, where news doesn't take the weekend off.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Let's get back to the main bar story this morning. Support and outrage continue over Trayvon Martin's shooting. Athletes, politicians and civil rights activists are leading the charge in demanding justice for Trayvon Martin. President Obama has commented on it as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, if I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon. And, you know, I think they are right to expect that all of us, as Americans, are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves and that we're going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: More rallies and protests are planned across the country today. Let's take you live now to Sanford, Florida. Holly Firfer is standing by with the latest developments for us.
Good morning, Holly. There have been events tied to the case just about every day now. Anything planned for today?
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Randi. Absolutely.
Today, this morning, about 9:45 Eastern Time, Reverend Al Sharpton is planning a rally in New York. There's also a rally for justice, as they're calling it, in Washington, D.C., planned for this afternoon. In Charlotte, South Carolina, in Norfolk, Virginia, people are still actively asking for the arrest of George Zimmerman, the shooter of Trayvon Martin.
And the conversation, though, seems to be shifting a little bit as well to George Zimmerman. People are starting to ask the question, who is he? Is he a racist? And where is he right now? We've not heard anything from him since this incident. And we had an opportunity to talk to his attorney, Craig Sonner, last night, who told us that George Zimmerman is still in the Sanford, Florida, area here. He's not left the state. He's not left the country, contrary to some reports. He said he doesn't know exactly where he is, but he has spoken to him on the phone and they have discussed some elements of this case.
Now, when we asked him some specifics of what was going on, he said, you know, he just doesn't know at this point because it's under investigation. He doesn't have details. He said that neither he nor George have listened to those 911 tapes that everybody has heard, yet. And he does say that there's a bit of concern because of all the attention that this situation is getting from these rallies around the country, from politicians and celebrities taking to FaceBook and Twitter, talking about wanting an arrest for George Zimmerman. Here's what his attorney told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRAIG SONNER, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S ATTORNEY: This case is spinning out of control and I don't think that, you know, whatever did or didn't happen that day, whether there was -- we know one thing for sure, there is a young man in the prime of his life who's dead. We also know that, you know, George Zimmerman was there and it was a gunshot from his gun. The question is was -- then the next question is, was it -- what happened in those moments?
(END VIDEO CLIP) FIRFER: And when we asked Mr. Sonner whether or not he thought George Zimmerman was a racist, if this was a racial issue, he said absolutely not.
Randi.
KAYE: All right, Holly Firfer there for us in Sanford, Florida. Thank you.
And outside of Sanford, Florida, Americans are showing their support for the slain teen and his family. Philadelphia Police estimate between 5,000 and 8,000 turned out for that city's "Million Hoodie March." Organizers say the event, which began at 7:17 last night, the time that police found Martin's body, was to bring awareness about injustice throughout the nation.
Some of the biggest names in professional basketball are also weighing in on the tragedy. New York Knick Amare Stoudemire donned a hoodie before last night's game. While members of the Miami Heat gathered together to take this photo right here in their team sweatshirts.
In a statement the team said in part, "we support our players and join them in hoping our logo can be part of the national dialogue and help in our nation's heeling."
Louisiana voters are looking to leave their mark on the Republican race for the White House. Are they cooking up a game changer? A preview of today's primary is coming up.
And holy traffic stop. Batman's been pulled over by the Maryland Police. More, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. Twenty-two minutes past the hour. Time to check out some top stories from around the nation.
First we go to Maryland. We begin in Montgomery County. That's where police pulled over none other than the caped crusader himself. Or a pretty good lookalike with his very own Batmobile. Photos of the traffic stop have been posted on FaceBook. Police are not talking about the incident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our main message is that we don't want this in our community because it does not only affect the small community, it affects the larger community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: In Stone Park, Illinois, a group of nuns is trying to stop a new $3 million strip club from opening just a few feet away from their retirement home. About 300 neighbors joined the nuns to voice concern. They're hoping to convince local leaders and the club's owner to move the club someplace else. But according to affiliate WGN, that's unlikely. The strip club is set to open in April.
And in western Palm Beach County, Florida, some scary moments for the pilot and co-pilot of this sheriff's department helicopter. They suffered minor injuries when the chopper was forced to make a hard landing. No word yet on the cause.
CNN's year round campaign to honor everyday people who are changing the world begins with you. And we want you to tell us about someone that you think deserves to be recognized as a CNN Hero. Just go to cnn.com to nominate them and give them a chance to expand their life- changing work. Here's Anderson Cooper to show you how.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: Tonight we gather to honor the best that humanity has to offer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you join us, we'll be unstoppable.
COOPER: CNN Heroes is looking for everyday people who are changing the world. How do we find these extraordinary people? Well, with your help. You can nominate someone right now at cnnheroes.com. Maybe your hero is defending the planet by protecting the environment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are people here who care. And I'm one of them.
COOPER: We're helping people overcome obstacles.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There will be no man left behind as long as we are this nation.
COOPER: We're finding a unique approach to solving a problem.
Whatever their cause, nominating a CNN Hero is easy. First, go to cnnheroes.com. Then click nominate. We ask for some basic information about you and your nominee. Then tell us what makes your hero extraordinary.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who like the pasta?
COOPER: How are they changing lives for the better?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You've done a great job.
COOPER: It's really important to write from your heart, because it's your words that will make your hero's story stand out.
A couple of tips. Please don't nominate yourself. It's against the rules. It's not necessary to nominate someone over and over. We read each and every nomination. Really we do. And be selective. Those honored as CNN Heroes are truly dedicating their lives to serving others.
After you've told us about your hero, click submit. It's that simple and that worthwhile. So nominate someone deserving today. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much for this (INAUDIBLE) this incredible honor. This has been the greatest night of my life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: A tragedy in Afghanistan. American Staff Sergeant Robert Bales is accused of killing 16 people. So, why is he facing 17 murder charges? Sara Sidner joins us from Kabul, Afghanistan, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: It is just about half past the hour. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. Thank you so much for starting your day with us.
The Army staff sergeant accused of going on a horrific house-to-house killing rampage in Afghanistan could face the death sentence if he's convicted. Sergeant Robert Bales remains in custody at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. CNN's Sara Sidner is in Kabul, Afghanistan, watching reaction there.
Sara.
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Randi, I'm holding the charge sheet here. And this charge sheet says that Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales is being charged with 17 counts of murder. Now, that is a bit of a discrepancy because the Afghan government only has a list of 16 people who were killed and six people who were injured.
Sergeant Bales also faces charges of assault and attempted murder on those six people who were injured. But every single one of the injured is expected to survive. So we still haven't figured out why there is a discrepancy between the number of people he is charged with murdering and the number that the Afghan government has as dead.
Now, let's talk about some of the reaction that has happened here in Afghanistan. The Taliban has reacted to this, saying that they do not in any way trust American courts. They call them theater. They do not believe in the American justice system. They think justice should be done here. And they have, again, vowed to take revenge against any American troops here in the country. So there you have reaction from them.
But as far as overall reaction, we have not seen any, not one, protest since these charges came down. And, really, in a week, we haven't seen anyone going out into the streets, making any speeches. We do know the government is quite upset with how this investigation went down because their investigators here in Afghanistan were not allowed to speak with the suspect and he was sent out of this country and eventually back to the United States.
Randi.
KAYE: Sara Sidner, thank you.
Getting a check now of the stories. An attorney for George Zimmerman is pushing back against claims that race played a role in the shooting that claimed the life of 17-year- old Trayvon Martin. Here what is Craig Sonner told Erin Burnett.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SONNER: Seems like the case has spiraled into being an issue over race. And upon talking with my client, I don't believe that is the case at all. I've talked with him and people who know him, he is not known for being a racist. And whatever transpired that night, whether -- I think it was an issue of self defense or what actually occurred that night, rather than an issue of race.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: What has George Zimmerman told you what happened that night?
SONNER: I have not discussed that, that would be attorney-client privilege.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Sonner says he's advised his client, who has yet to be arrested, to keep a low profile saying he believes Zimmerman's life is in danger. Zimmerman's father said his son moved out of his home after receiving death threats.
Some new images take us in the apartment of that French gunman whose 30-hour standoff ended in his death. Mohammed Merah, who was shot dead by police, was wanted in the killings of seven people including three children. Officials say he was under surveillance, but French police had no grounds to arrest him before the attacks happened.
Rick Santorum may be poised for a big victory in today's Louisiana primary. Recent polls show the former Pennsylvania senator with a double digit lead over rival Mitt Romney.
Twenty delegates are at stake in the contest but they will be allocated proportionally. Louisiana is a closed primary, by the way, which means that only registered Republicans can actually vote.
We'll have more on the Louisiana primary in just a minute, but first something we like to call "Your Political Gut Check" where we take you beyond the speeches and break down what is really going on in politics. Today I want to point out a trend that we've been watching, so I want to take you back to Tuesday's primary in Illinois.
(VIDEO CLIP)
Mitt Romney won but it was his wife, Ann, who spoke first.
Now let's go to Boston.
(VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: This was Super Tuesday, Romney won Massachusetts by a landslide and it was Ann who took the mic first. Now let's go all the way back to January.
(VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: This was Florida, Romney's first and only win in the south. So you can probably see where I'm going here. Mitt Romney's wife, not some powerful politician introduced him win after win.
I spoke with our political director Mark Preston who said he's not surprised to see this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Ann Romney gives something to the candidacy he doesn't have. She really connects with people. She connects with voters and she really helps humanize Mitt Romney.
You know, one of his biggest fall-backs or perhaps something he needs to work on is his ability to connect with voters. A lot of people don't think that he does a good job of that. Ann Romney really provides that bridge for voters to her husband, Mitt Romney.
KAYE: Yes, she really softens him up. I know just seeing her, she talks about his love of peanut butter on the campaign trail. It's pretty interesting.
And it's not just Ann Romney front and center for the candidates.
PRESTON: You're actually right.
Karen Santorum, the wife of Rick, has proven to be a very good surrogate for example. Rick Santorum, he is somebody who speaks his mind, tends to say some things that at times get him in trouble. And in fact, sometimes Karen Santorum has to come in and clean up some of the problems that Rick Santorum has created for himself.
In fact, when Rick Santorum was talking about contraception, in many ways, that really hurt him with women voters, and Karen Santorum this past week on Piers Morgan explained it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAREN SANTORUM, WIFE OF RICK SANTORUM: I think women have nothing to fear when it comes to contraceptives, he will do nothing on that issue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PRESTON: So there you have it, Karen Santorum, Rick Santorum's wife, explaining her husband would not outlaw contraception and in fact really understands the problems and the duties that women in the household have to face.
But it's not just of course Rick Santorum's wife or Mitt Romney's wife, but there's been a lot of talk about Calista Gingrich. She always seems to be by his side, she doesn't really talk a whole lot on the campaign trail, she does do selective events. Ron Paul's wife has not been on the campaign trail very much at all if ever.
KAYE: Let's talk about the Louisiana primary it's tonight and shaping up to be an important primary for all the candidates.
PRESTON: It really is, there are 20 delegates online in the Louisiana primary, trying to change the narrative of the race at this point.
If Mitt Romney wins tonight it will show he can win in the South. He hasn't been successful in that except for his win down in Florida. Newt Gingrich probably has to win tonight in order for his campaign to get that boost it needed after he won the Georgia primary. It has been downhill for him. And, of course, Rick Santorum who has based his whole campaign in upset wins, if he were to win tonight that would help push back some of the calls for this Republican presidential primary to come to an end.
We heard that this past week from Jeb Bush who endorsed Mitt Romney. He said the primary needs to come to an end. Then, of course, Jim DeMint the South Carolina senator, who hasn't endorsed in the race, but he would like to see it come to an end, Randi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And, of course, you can read more "Gut Check" every day on CNNpolitics.com or let us send them to you. Send an email to sign up to gutcheck@CNN.com.
The Sanford, Florida police chief has temporarily stepped aside over the Trayvon Martin investigation as racial tensions in the city grow. A CNN investigation shows this is a city and police department steeped in racial issues. That story, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back, 6:37 here on the East Coast. Get you caught up on some news that may have been off your radar.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE (voice-over): Bank of America is testing a program that will allow some families facing foreclosures to rent their homes. The mortgage to lease program will be available to 1000 homeowners in Arizona, Nevada and New York.
Here's how it works: the homeowner will transfer the title to the bank, in exchange for having the outstanding mortgage debt forgiven. Then, they can rent the home at a price lower than the mortgage payment.
There is a new tool in the fight against text messaging scammers and spammers. All major north American wireless carriers created one centralized spam reporting service. So the next time you get one of those annoying texts, just forward it 7726, which spells spam. The number will be placed in a centralized data base and they could be blocked by the carriers in the future. Now, a little Hollywood history. There are previously unpublished photos of Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift. They were taken in January, 1950 while filming "A Place In The Sun" the chemistry as you can see here, helped the movie win six Oscars. The pictures were released on the one year anniversary of Taylor's death.
The Sanford police chief has temporarily stepped aside after questions arose after the investigation in the Trayvon Martin shooting. The case prompted a closer look now at the police department's history, as Tom Foreman reports, this is a city and police department steeped in racial tension.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You're looking at a YouTube video that caused a sensation in Sanford, Florida in 2010 long before the Trayvon Martin shooting. It shows a young white man punching a black man in the back of the head outside a bar, sending him to the hospital. And yet, police made no move to arrest the assailant until the video sparked a public cry for action.
Why? Many believe it was because that young man, Justin Collison, was the son of a police officer. Collison later paid medical bills for the wounded man and ended up with a year's probation, but that did little to ease tension, especially in the African-American community.
The NAACP is right now collecting allegations of such incidents -- beatings, intimidation and worse. Few appear to be corroborated at this point, but they clearly resonate with at least part of the community.
BEN JEALOUS, PRESIDENT & CEO, NAACP: We've heard stories with regard to this department of case after case where black men have been killed, or attacked and people have walked free, even though those black men were not armed.
REV. VALERIE HOUSTON, ALLEN CHAPEL AME CHURCH: Many young people have been shot and killed, some by policemen and when they investigate, then they never get back with the parents and it's nothing. It's nothing. It's not due process, it's just injustice to the city.
FOREMAN: In 2005, an African-American teen was shot and killed as he drove away from two security guards with ties to the Sanford Police Department. The guards said he tried to run over them and they fired in self defense. They were arrested after several months, the shooter charged with manslaughter, they were cleared of the charges.
(on camera): The city has tried to address concern over such incidents, has made changes to the police department specifically for that purpose, and some local folks admit they have seen some progress.
(voice-over): Indeed, the current police chief came on the jobless than a year ago with a mandate to improve relations with the minority community in the wake of the Collison attack. Still, events of recent days suggest there is a long way to go.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And we will, of course, continue to watch that Trayvon Martin case throughout the morning here on CNN.
Artifacts from the most famous shipwreck of all time are going on the auction block. Mugs, necklaces, even a wallet from the Titanic here in our studio. We'll get you to them next.
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KAYE: A big auction of sorts is going on in New York. All right, it is a Titanic auction. Yes, as in the oceanliner that hit an iceberg, that Titanic. The one from the movie. There are more than 5000 items on the auction block that range from passengers personal belongs to fine china, pieces of the ship itself. But don't think you can just pick and choose what you want to buy here, this is a winner-take-all proposition.
Alexandra Klingelhofer is the vice president of collections for RMS Titanic, Inc. and she was kind enough to join us, nice to see you.
ALEXANDRA KLINGELHOFER, VP OF COLLECTIONS, TITANIC, INC.: Good to see you.
KAYE: So, I know you've brought items here and I'm anxious to get to those, but first just tell me about the auction briefly.
KLINGELHOFER: Well, RMS Titanic has been the steward for this collection for 25 years. And have felt that now is the time to pass this on to another steward, and we are doing this in this fashion to attract the best type of company person, entity that will be able to take the collection to the next level.
KAYE: Well, you have some of the artifacts with you. You're wearing gloves. I'm not so I'm not allowed to touch any of these?
KLINGELHOFER: No, you're not.
KAYE: Against the rules.
Walk us through some of them. Start with the mug here.
KLINGELHOFER: This mug is a third-class tea cup that was on the ship, was a type where they purchased for the ship, the Harlem and Wolf furnished the entire ship with all the china, service products, designed the rooms, cabins, and this has the Whitestar Line logo on it.
KAYE: OK. And they didn't put Titanic, just Whitestar.
KLINGELHOFER: All the China, ten different types of service on there, never Titanic.
KAYE: How about this money? KLINGELHOFER: The money is part of a large collection of coins and currency recovered in a leather bag, that is the only reason the currency survived. This is a bank note, and it represents the banks of America. It was not federal currency at the time, it was later that the federal government took over the printing of all money.
KAYE: I don't see the heart of the ocean here. The big piece of jewelry that we saw in the movie. But you have some other interesting pieces, how about this one right here?
KLINGELHOFER: This is a beautiful little necklace, it is made actually with gold nuggets. So it's designed to show off the gold nuggets, and tiny nuggets on the chain.
KAYE: What is this?
KLINGELHOFER: This is a leather wallet. Lots of time we found them in leather suitcases and lots of time the papers in there were still there and still readable. So those have been taken out and preserved.
KAYE: We look at these, there are personal stories behind each and every one of them. Have you been able to link any of these to the passengers?
KLINGELHOFER: I was talking with Molly Brown's great-granddaughter last week, and we sort of think this is the type of jewelry she would have worn because her husband had the biggest gold strike in the world. So what would you commemorate that with but a gold nugget necklace?
KAYE: How much would you expect it would go for at the auction?
KLINGELHOFER: The entire collection and intellectual property and other parts of the -- not the artifacts, but that has been estimated $190 million.
KAYE: Who buys something like this? I mean, $190 million on Titanic artifacts? Who buys that?
KLINGELHOFER: I don't know I'm anxious to find out.
KAYE: Certainly not me, I'm not even touch it. Where does the money go when you auction the items off?
KLINGELHOFER: That is to be determined, we have a public company, so we have shareholders to respond to.
KAYE: If someone spends almost $200 on artifacts, why are we so enamored with it?
KLINGELHOFER: The largest ship in the world, maiden voyage, everyone has to make a choice, something that resonated with everybody, they had representatives almost every country on the ship, and so it touched everybody's heart and at that time it was the first time they were able to get the communications out immediately or more or less immediately, not like today but telegraph, they knew what was happening as it happened.
KAYE: Of all the artifacts that have been discovered is there one that stands out for you?
KLINGELHOFER: There are so many.
KAYE: One really special piece?
KLINGELHOFER: One piece that everyone loves is the cherub, that came from the aft staircase, currently in Singapore. That is a beautiful piece. Artistic piece as well as momento of the ship.
KAYE: Thank you for bringing all this in studio, I know you have to take care.
KLINGELHOFER: Thank you for having us.
KAYE: Look at this. Look over here at this, the face of determination, a 10-year-old girl sets a world record for weight lifting, yes, weight lifting. Stay with us on "WEEKEND EARLY START" where news doesn't take the weekend off. Look at her go!
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KAYE: Glad you're with us this morning.
Do us a favor, put down your coffee cup, keep your eyes on the screen we'll check out stories that Reynolds and I like today. You have favorites?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: A few. I like the small dog story, I don't know if we're doing it on this mix.
KAYE We'll get to that one.
Start with the firefighters, have you seen these guys?
WOLF: I haven't seen it.
KAYE: Not your typical firefighter. Firefighters in drag. Yes, nice dress, huh? Fighting a fire. That's right, from Minnesota, and these guys were just doing their thing, they apparently were heading out.
WOLF: Two guys using a hose while wearing hose.
KAYE: Cross-dressing firemen, they are in gowns they were this drag to ride in a St. Patrick's day parade. Then the fire broke out.
WOLF: What do you think when the mood strikes you and you have to put out, wearing a gown have to put out a fire, is fish net better or what kind of stockings?
KAYE: Even with those gowns they are wearing, they are moving pretty well. They are getting the job done. Very committed.
Another one of my favorites -- WOLF: Bring it on.
KAYE: -- a 10-year-old girl, this is incredible. Look at her. So determined her name is Naomi Kutin breaks the world cat with power lifting record.
WOLF: She is 10?
KAYE: She is 10.
Guess how much she was lifting?
WOLF: Has to be quite a bit if she has three men.
KAYE: It was 215 pounds. More than twice her body weight. I have no idea how that could be done.
WOLF: Pretty outstanding when a kid comes to your front door on Halloween say trick or treat, take the entire bowl, leave the house.
KAYE: She might take the whole house.
WOLF: That is impressive.
KAYE: I love her face. Such determination.
WOLF: Unbelievable.
KAYE: We've got the tiny puppy. The name is?
WOLF: What is it?
KAYE: Beyonce.
WOLF: You've got to be kidding me.
KAYE: They named the puppy beyonce. Look how tiny some say it could be the tiniest, fits on an iPhone or in your palm. Weighs four ounces.
WOLF: I'm a dog person, I adore dogs, I love them but when you have a dog -- that is a rat, that is a mouse. Look for comparison, that is a quarter in the right side of the screen.
KAYE: So cute.
Born March 8th, growing every day.
WOLF: Escaped death four times. A survivor, unbelievable.
KAYE: A tiny one.
Well, those are some of our favorites. Stay with us throughout the morning we'll bring you more favorites as we get them.
Meanwhile, a satirical national anthem is played for a gold winner. Some say it is a cruel practical joke, others say a huge mistake. We'll play the video and let you decide.
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, got milk? Chocolate milk? First schools can sodas, now this? Why some school districts are taking it off the menu at 7:30 Eastern.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Remember the mockumentary, that was the comedian Sasha Baron Cohen as Borat singing a national anthem to an unexpecting crowd at a baseball game. This week, life proved to be stranger than anything they could have thought of. Mariya Dimtriyenko won gold at Kuwait at the Arab Shooting Championship.
Take a listen.
(VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Bizarre, right?
What do you think, cruel joke or giant mistake? Log on to my Facebook page. And let me know what you think, Facebook.com/RandiKayeCNN.
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