Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Saturday Morning News

Three Funerals in Moore, Oklahoma Today; Holder Involved in Reporter Warrant; Accused U.K. Attacker's Friend Arrested; Yahoo's Billion-Dollar Tumblr Bet; Helping Tornado Survivors Cope; This Summer's Movie Blockbusters

Aired May 25, 2013 - 07:00   ET

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

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning everyone. Good morning, everyone, I'm Poppy Harlow.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. 7:00 here on the East Coast. 4:00 on West, glad you are with us this morning.

We are starting this morning in Oklahoma where the recovery is still in the really early stages. Today, there will be three more funerals.

HARLOW: Two of them are for 9-year-old children. They are classmates. And they both went to Plaza Towers Elementary.

Our Rene Marsh is in Moore, Oklahoma, for us this morning.

Good morning to you, Rene.

You know, we are getting more and more details every day about what happened to the school. What are you hearing?

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Poppy and Victor.

You know, yesterday, we heard from both teachers as well as the principal of hard hit Plaza Towers Elementary School. And they described the moments leading up to that tornado.

The principal saying she got on the intercom and essentially warned everyone it is here. She said the minutes before that tornado approached, it was completely quiet. And then as it got closer, it got louder.

But we want to let you also know, as you know, that elementary school did not have any safe shelters.

Listen to the principal about everything that went on inside of that school.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: I want everybody to know that plaza towers did what they could do. The teachers covered themselves in debris while they were covering their babies. And I believe that's why so many of us survived that day is because the teachers were able to act quickly, stay calm and take literally the weight of a wall on to their bodies to save those that were under them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARSH: All right. And funerals continue today. Two more nine year olds will be laid to rest. They were students there at plaza towers elementary school. Of course, after all of this happened there was the discussion about safe shelters. Plaza towers elementary school did not have one.

I spoke with two state representatives yesterday and they say they have formed a bipartisan nonprofit to raise money so that they can retrofit schools here in Oklahoma with those safe shelters so that if in the event a tornado hits again students have some place safe to go.

So far, they have raised some $500,000 and they say that has been designated to the schools here in Moore.

BLACKWELL: The challenge is always the money. Hopefully they get to their goal there. There is an important event there in Moore today, Rene, that some see as a step forward in the recovery of the area.

Tell our viewers about that.

MARSH: That's right. You know, from the very beginning right after this tornado hit school officials said they vowed that they would go on with graduation ceremonies. And that's exactly what is going to happen today. We are going to see three high school graduation ceremonies happening throughout the day. Perhaps this is just proof of just how determined the folks here in Oklahoma are to move forward, get their lives back and not allow this destruction to stop them.

So we'll see that. We are talking about some 2,000 high school seniors getting their diplomas today. So, a little bright spot here in Moore, Oklahoma.

HARLOW: Yes.

BLACKWELL: And they certainly need it.

Rene Marsh, thank you so much.

HARLOW: That is great news.

All right. Well, something else to tell you about, very important here. We now know that the Justice Department's decision to seek a warrant to search a FOX News reporter's private e-mail went all the way to the top. A Justice official tells CNN that Attorney General Eric Holder vetted the application himself and then the application was approved by a federal magistrate.

Holder's involvement could signal a new more aggressive posture from the Justice Department.

Let's bring in our crime and justice correspondent Joe Johns -- Joe.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Victor and Poppy, a Justice Department official is defending the way DOJ handled the controversial decision to seek a search warrant involving a correspondent for FOX News. Justice says it took great care and vetted the decision all the way to top before going forward. And the official confirmed that Attorney General Eric Holder himself participated in the process.

(voice-over): FOX News was almost poking fun at how much attention its reporter, James Rosen, got from the Justice Department for a story that said North Korea was going to test more nuclear weapons.

BILL O'REILLY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: So, Rosen, when are you going to jail? Because we're taking up a collection for the bail now. And we've got to -- so when are you going to jail?

JAMES ROSEN, FOX NEWS REPORTER: Well, I'm touched by your sentiments. But that's about all I would say.

JOHNS: What launched the controversy was a leak investigation and an application for a government search warrant seeking information about Rosen's personal e-mails. The government used words such as "aider or abettor and/or conspirator" to describe Rosen in a search warrant affidavit.

He hasn't been charged with anything. A Justice Department official confirmed Friday that deciding a search warrant was necessary involved vetting the decision at the highest levels of the department, including discussions with the attorney general. The statement said the department "followed all applicable laws," and a "federal magistrate judge made an independent finding that probable cause existed" to approve the search warrant.

It's a new worry for advocates of media freedom.

GREGG LESLIE, REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS: It kind of changes the nature of what we've been understanding about this situation. At first, it looked like something that maybe one agent did. But when it gets the approval of the attorney general, it suggests it's more of the Justice Department's policy.

JOHNS: At his last news conference, when the issue was only about subpoenas to The Associated Press, I asked the attorney general about the policy.

(on camera): Given the fact that this news organization was not given an opportunity to try to quash this in court, as has been precedent, it leaves us in the position of wondering whether the administration has somehow decided, policy-wise, that it's kind of going to go after us?

ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: That is certainly not -- I mean, I can talk about policy. That is certainly not the policy of this administration.

JOHNS: In his national security speech on Thursday, the president expressed concerns about the chilling effect of putting reporters at legal risk for doing their jobs. He said the attorney general would review existing guidelines for investigations involving reporters, meet with media organizations and report back to the White House by July 12 -- Victor and Poppy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Fascinating story. We are at the beginning of the questions on this one for sure.

Joe Johns, thank you.

Well, turning to overseas now. There are several surprising developments in the investigation into that horrific killing of a British soldier that happened in broad daylight this week as flowers lay in tribute to the victim, Lee Rigby.

A childhood friend of one of the accused attackers is now under arrest himself in London. He was taken into custody right after he gave a television interview last night to BBC. Police say that he arrested on suspected terrorism offenses not related to that killing.

BLACKWELL: What he told the BBC right before his arrest is pretty incredible. He said that this man, wearing a cap, murder suspect Michael Adebolajo, was recruited by Britain's equivalent of the FBI apparently to spy for them. He said the intelligence service MI-5 approached Adebolajo in the past year but that he flatly turned it down.

Well, Adebolajo and another man are accused of hacking British soldier Lee Rigby to death. That was Wednesday.

HARLOW: To Washington state now where new surveillance video shows the collapse on Thursday of this interstate bridge. It is north of Seattle. Amazingly, no one was killed when the I-5 bridge fell into the river after being struck by an 18 wheeler.

Now, the governor of Washington state says it will cost $15 million to fix the bridge. He has declared a state of emergency in the three counties that rely on the bridge for commerce. Meantime, the NTSB, those inspectors plan to spend as many as 10 days investigating the bridge collapse. And it's not clear how long the bridge which is a main artery into Canada, how long it will remain closed.

Detours are already causing major ties up, major delays with more expected, of course, in the heavily traveled Memorial Day weekend. The collapse highlights some of the danger of this nation's crumbling infrastructure. This is not the first time this has happened. The 58-year-old bridge was inspected in November after it was struck by another vehicle. Reports showed at that time that it had impact damage, tears, structure cracks and gouges, but Washington state officials say that it was apparently they say safe to drive on.

This makes me think of Minneapolis where I'm from.

Remember the I-35 Bridge collapsing?

BLACKWELL: Yes.

HARLOW: Thirteen people dying. Thank goodness no one died in this.

BLACKWELL: There are tens of thousands of deficient bridges across the country that have --

HARLOW: Across the country.

BLACKWELL: -- to be checked and repaired. And hopefully, the work begins at some point. They have been deficient for some time.

HARLOW: Yes.

BLACKWELL: Let's talk about the roads, because a lot of people will be on the roads. Maybe you have a road trip plans. Will it be a rainy drive?

Let's check in now with meteorologist Karen Maginnis for a look at what will happen this weekend in weather -- Karen.

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Well, just about will be warming up. But we do have a ways to go because we start out the morning exceptionally cold in a number of places. But look at the Hamptons in the 40s for this afternoon. But going into Monday, the readings warm up into the 70s.

And just about everybody from Chicago to South Carolina temperatures very comfortable. The rain will interfere with your weather picture or not is quite a different story.

We are also looking at the chances for some precipitation to go up especially across the central Great Plains. This is where we are looking at some pretty heavy rainfall over the last several days. They have in some cases seen as much as four inches of precipitation.

In Phoenix, we go from triple digits to the 90s. Salt Lake City, temperatures from the 80s into the 70s, but not so bad. It's going to be quite comfortable.

But if you are traveling to the Pacific Northwest, down to around 6,000 feet, there is where you can see some snowfall. And quite a bit of heavy rainfall over all the last 48 hours from Junction, Texas, to San Antonio. Very heavy down pours reported there.

And look at the precipitation right now. Big thunderstorms rumbling around Omaha. Watch out for that riding right along interstate 80 and through Des Moines. It's extending over to 74.

And it looks like it is the Northeast, kind of a soggy start but snow across interior sections of New York and into the White Mountains.

Poppy and Victor, it doesn't seem so much like May.

HARLOW: Snow? Not here.

BLACKWELL: No. Come on. Snow in May? And now we are reaching into June.

HARLOW: My goodness.

MAGINNIS: But you know this now.

BLACKWELL: All right. Karen, thank you.

HARLOW: All right. We've got much more ahead this hour.

BLACKWELL: Here is a look at what's coming up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mom is afraid, oh, my son might be in a tent with a gay kid. And it's like, the kid was going to be gay regardless. He might actually tell you now.

HARLOW (voice-over): The vote is in but the controversy is stronger than ever. Why the Boy Scouts new policy has some people threatening to leave the group all together.

Two Florida teens started dating. But now, one of them is facing 15 years in prison for the relationship. Is it because of their age difference or because they're both girls?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will never hurt you or anyone ever again.

HARLOW: Wolverine is back with all of his friends. And so is the rest of the Hollywood A-list.

It's Memorial Day weekend and you know what that means -- summer blockbusters.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARWELL: Good morning.

Question for you: what is "morally straight"? Well, in 1991, the Boy Scouts of America decided the phrase of the motto meant they should ban openly gay members. Now they have changed course at least partially.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Passed, 51 percent.

(CHEERS)

BLACKWELL (voice-over): Success for the men and women in this room in Grapevine, Texas.

Across the street 1,400 members of Boy Scouts of America voted to allow gay youth to be scouts but not gay adults.

Jennifer Tyrrell was a scout leader until the organization dispelled her for being gay.

JENNIFER TYRELL, FORMER SCOUT LEADER: I am so emotional because I literally given my life to make sure other people can enjoy scouting and people say, why scouting, and why you want to be part of an organization that doesn't want you? Well, we love scouting and we believed in the program other than this policy.

BLACKWELL: In a 58-page report released in the lead up after the vote, Boy Scout executives acknowledged that attitudes and opinions of Americans related to gay and lesbian relationships have changed rapidly over the past three years.

WAYNE PERRY, PRESIDENT, BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA: No matter how you feel about the issue, kids are better off in scouting. Our vision is to serve every kid. We want every kid to have a place where they belong to learn and grow and feel protected.

BLACKWELL: But Boy Scout youth membership has dropped considerably since 1999 and the decision has also provoked a backlash.

Fred Blanton is the founder of the National Right to Marriage. He says the change hurts the family structure.

FRED BLANTON, FOUNDER, NATIONAL RIGHT TO MARRIAGE: How would you feel as a parent sending your child to an organization where they are going to be sleeping over at night, where they are going to be going out and camping?

BLACKWELL: Scout executives think the decision will play differently. The Southern district expects a financial lost of nearly $18 million. Nearly all charter groups in Utah and Idaho are expected to leave the organization. They are lead by members of the Mormon Church.

However, the Northeast region expects an increase in corporate funding. The policy will become scout lodge January 1st to allow the group time to reconcile, although neither side expects it to be easy.

BLANTON: Why change this organization? This is a private organization. Start your own organization.

PERRY: This is a challenging complex area. It is a very difficult decision for a lot of people. We are moving forward together. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Well, leaders of the Catholic Church and Mormon Church say they are ready to move ahead together although some members are walking away. On their Web site, the Boy Scouts, rather, they count more than 52 million members since their founding in 1910. We're going to have a lot more on this story throughout the morning.

And in our 10:00 hour, we'll hear from two men at the center of the debate and get their reactions to the major change.

Well, from high school dropout to tech darling. And $1 billion sale is proof. We will introduce the Tumblr CEO, David Karp, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Yahoo making another move in its effort to stay hip with the high profile and high priced purchase of Tumblr. The $1.1 billion sale left many hearing the news asking, what's Tumblr? You don't know? You don't use it?

I'm going to bring in someone who does.

In case you don't know, the site is a mix between social media and blogging. It's a low key format some say. It allows users to create and post everything from text messages and photos as well as re-blog other users' material.

But one of the most interesting things about Tumblr might be David Karp, the 26-year-old high school dropout who started it all.

CNN Money's tech correspondent Laurie Segall got a chance to sit down with Karp after this deal was announced.

Laurie, I think this is such a fascinating interview. Tell me what he was like and what surprised you most?

LAURIE SEGALL, CNN MONEY TECH CORRESPONDENT: He is really, really interesting, Poppy. He is a young guy about to turn 27, sold his company for $1 billion to Yahoo.

He defines what Yahoo is looking for. He's young. He's cool. He drives a Vespa around New York City.

One thing that was very interesting to me is not only did he drop out, he dropped out of high school, not just college. I sat with him and I asked him about that. He said he took me to the moment where he asked his parents if he could drop out of high school.

Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID KARP, FOUNDER, TUMBLR: I give both my parents so much credit for this. In fact, it was their idea. So, I knew what I wanted to be working on. I wasn't getting it out of school at the time. My parents saw that and they helped me find opportunities where I could pursue that, where I could learn and where I get to chase the things I was really passionate about.

SEGALL: What do you tell entrepreneurs who say, hey, I can drop out of school and do this? I mean, what's your message for young kids in school?

KARP: I have a very hard time imaging that that is the right course for most people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEGALL: The idea that he was so young and so focused and said this is exactly what I want to do at the age of 14, 15, 16. His parents let him. That was very unique.

HARLOW: That's incredible. I think a lot of parents wouldn't make that decision. But, obviously for him it was absolutely the right one.

You know, Laurie, watching this interview and I know you asked Karp about concerns that some have. I mea, it hit the headlines saying is Tumblr going to lose its cool factor, its independent factor after being acquired by Yahoo, which is such an established tech giant.

What did he tell you?

SEGALL: I asked him exactly that because that's very important. A lot of people worry that this is such an independent blogging platform. Is something going to change?

And when I asked him, first I said, tell me about the acquisition. And he corrected me, Poppy, and he said it's a partnership. He really doesn't want this to look as them becoming a part of Yahoo. He said we growing to stay the same. Our team is going to stay the same.

I also, Poppy, I asked him what keeps him up at night and he said making sure my team is motivated. So, it's going to be up to him to motivate his team and really continue to give Tumblr that edge that made it so special.

HARLOW: Sure, that's a good point, giving the team credit where credit is due. You only is good as your team. You know, interestingly, to Laurie, you spoke with the head of one of the competitors of Tumblr, Matt Mullenwig of WordPress and I'm interested about what he said about this sale.

What does he make of it?

SEGALL: He said it was bittersweet. He saw a lot of users come over from Tumblr when this news came out. And he had some very interesting thoughts on the price of the sale. Listen to what he told me, Poppy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT MULLENWIG, FOUNDER, WORDPRESS: Yahoo needs Tumblr to work and they need a social network. And, really, the only criticism I have for the deal is I think they sold for too little. Like I said, blogging platforms have huge, huge potential. And they have fantastic engagements, as well. So, I got to say, he should held out a little more, but I'm interested to see what they do at Yahoo.

SEGALL: So, what does it look like down the road? You say they sold for too little. What -- this whole platform, this whole movement, I mean, is it worth billions of dollars in the future?

MULLENWIG: Oh, unquestionably.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEGALL: And the idea behind that is you pour your heart and soul into these blogging platforms. It's not like Twitter and Facebook where that's a separate domain. This is your own stuff. You own it and that can be worth quite a bit someday.

HARLOW: Wow, it's a fascinating interview, Laurie. I love that he said, you hold out for more, more than $1.1 billion. Who knows?

SEGALL: Right.

HARLOW: Laurie, great interview. Thank you.

For everyone who wants to see more, just head over to CNNmoney.com. Thanks, Laura.

SEGALL: Thanks.

HARLOW: All right. Well, just ahead, we are going to take you back to Oklahoma and we are going to talk to doctors about how does a town heal after something as devastating as this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Bottom of the hour now. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Poppy Harlow.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell.

Here are stories making headlines this morning.

HARLOW: The man known as America's toughest sheriff facing some tough justice. A federal judge on Friday ruling that Joe Arpaio has engaged in racial and ethnic profiling as sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona. The judge said Arpaio and his deputies have to quit considering those factors when they make law enforcement decisions.

Arpaio who calls his strategy tough on illegal immigration vehemently denies his claims. His lawyers say he will appeal.

BLACKWELL: The president honored four African-American girls killed in a 1963 church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama. President Obama has now awarded posthumously the Congressional Gold Medals to Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair. Now, the girls' family surrounded the family. This was at the White House ceremony. Three former Ku Klux Klan members, they were convicted of murder.

HARLOW: U.S. soldiers have put flags in front of every grave at Arlington National Cemetery. This, of course, is in preparation for Memorial Day. There are several hundred thousand graves at Arlington. The soldiers will remain at the cemetery throughout the holiday weekend to make sure that there is a flag in front of every headstone.

BLACKWELL: We are now hearing the terrifying voices of people in Moore, Oklahoma as the tornado hit their town Monday. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management has released the 911 recordings, including this one from a daycare center.

Now, we have edited in video from the twister. We want you to listen to this call closely.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911: Moore, 911.

CALLER: Hi, we have right here a daycare full of babies. We need help bad. We need help bad. We have a daycare that just got cremated.

911: OK. So, where are you at?

CALLER: We got -- huh?

911: Where are you at?

CALLER: What's the name of the -- what's the address? 510 South Telephone. We've got tons of babies in here.

911: OK, we will get them out of there.

CALLER: We need help bad.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: You hear the babies in the background screaming. We need help bad.

Well, "The New York Times" reports that everyone made it out of that heavily damaged building safely. Here's what happened: the staff members herded the children in the bathrooms, covered them with blankets and led them in singing you are my sunshine as the tornado blew the roof off.

HARLOW: It's a beautiful story. Well, the psychological effects on the survivors of the Oklahoma tornado will last far longer than the media spotlight shining on that town of Moore. It could be months, it could be years. A tragedy like this changes lives forever.

As the aftermath of the crisis continues to unfold, the community could face a flood of requests for mental health services and counseling.

So, I want to bring in two people to talk about this.

Joining me from Oklahoma is Dr. Robin Mantooth. She's a medical director in the emergency department at Moore Medical Center.

First of all, Doctor, thank you so much for all that you guys have done over the past week. It is a tragedy but your work, everything you've done, means so much. So, thank you for that.

I want to talk first about how you and all of those you work with, the first responders, the doctors, everyone at the hospital -- how are they doing in the wake of this?

DR. ROBIN MANTOOTH, MOORE MEDICAL CENTER: I think they are doing quite well. We all came together, worked very well together. We feel that we gave the patients excellent medical care in a very timely fashion. So, we feel good about our response and the ability to help people. That's what we are here for, to help people.

HARLOW: You know, there is often talk and I saw this in Boston play out after the terror attack there. It is almost PTSD for people that survived, the help to the first responders and doctors. Are you hearing about that from colleagues saying, you know, just now, it's sinking in and they are having a really hard time?

MANTOOTH: No. Nothing like that just yet. Of course, some of the physicians in the building at the time might have a difficult time later. All of us that were working the scene and working in the hospitals we just feel good about what we are able to do. And that's what we train for. That's why we are here.

HARLOW: Absolutely. So, I want to also, Robin, bring in clinical psychologist, Jeff Gardere. He joins us from New York this morning to talk more about the emotional impact.

Jeff, thanks for being here.

JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: It's a pleasure. Thank you, Poppy.

HARLOW: Talk first about how people of different ages, children and adults deal with the psychological trauma of a tragedy on as big a scale as this.

GARDERE: Well, first and foremost the fact that physicians like Dr. Mantooth, and other responders are able to stabilize them medically I think plays a lot as to whether they are going to have severe cases of PTSD. But we will see PTSD coming occupant of this situation within a couple of weeks as people get out of the trauma phase, before they get out -- after they get out of the shock phase that they are in.

But as the days go by, you will see the nightmares. You will see the anxiety. You'll see a lot of the depression that comes with facing the reality of what they have gone through -- something where if others have lost their lives, the ones who survive also have to deal with that, too, reintegrating into a more normal phase of life.

But this will take a long time and a lot of therapy for them to get through.

HARLOW: And, Jeff, what can people do? Because we often hear, you know, children are so resilient. They are incredibly resilient. But if you think of all of those children in that elementary school, if you think about children anywhere there, as adults what is the best way to help them if you are acquaintances or family members.

How do you help children cope with a tragedy like this?

GARDERE: Well, we talked about stabilizing them medically. Now, we have to stabilize them psychologically. And that means giving them warmth, giving them support, giving them love, letting them know that they're not going to face another trauma or tragedy like this and bring them to a baseline where they have normal lives once again.

So, the most important thing we can do is listen to them. Let them know that whatever they want to talk about, whatever nightmares they are having, we are available to speak with them about it and give them outlets to be able to talk about it or to draw it or to color. But they have to get a lot of that experience that happened to them, we have to have them manifest that at their own speed.

HARLOW: We have also been seeing survivors' guilt play out already. Some of the people that made it through that didn't lose their home or their loved ones, feeling guilty that it happened to someone else.

You know, Dr. Mantooth, talk to us about what you guys need right now. What can people do to help? What is it that you need most?

MANTOOTH: Well, obviously contact local charities and agencies if you have a connection with one of those certainly contact one of those. I'm not sure of anything specific that can be done nationally to be sent here, but certainly money is always needed to rebuild and people just need the support.

And as a matter of fact when we were working that day there were emergency departments and nurses from all over the country that sent us food and faxed us little greetings. Even that was very heartwarming and we knew that people were watching us and cared about the little town of Moore, Oklahoma, and that was very nice. And it really touched us very much.

HARLOW: Yes, absolutely. You know, as the months go ahead we will not forget. You are all in our hearts. Thank you for the work hat you are doing there, Dr. Mantooth.

MANTOOTH: It's our pleasure.

HARLOW: Jeff, also appreciate you coming in this morning.

GARDERE: Pleasure. Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Twenty-four people were lost in Monday's storm. Some of them children. Let's take a moment now to remember the victims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We will miss him tremendously but I will see him again when it is my turn to make that journey. So --

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was so good. There's not a soul that doesn't love her.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She called me and said, "The tornado just touched down. I am in my closet and I love you."

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was the best kid anybody could have. She was a ball of energy, a ball of love.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: High school relationships can be full of drama, lost loves, broken hearts. But a teenager in Florida is facing a felony charge because of her relationship with an under aged classmate. Both students are females and now 18-year-old Kaitlyn Hunt has rejected a plea deal for having a relationship with a 14 year old. A deal that could have saved her from jail time.

CNN's Sara Ganim has the story and the controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Authorities in Indian River, Florida, say this is a sexual predator.

KAITLYN HUNT, 18-YEAR-OLD: I'm scared of losing my life, the rest of my life, not being able to go to college and be around kids and my sisters and my family.

GANIM: Instead of trying out this month for a college cheer team, 18-year-old Kaitlyn Hunt is defending herself against charges she sexually assaulted a child. Except that child is Hunt's high school classmate, a friend who also played on the varsity basketball team, the problem is that hunt is a senior. The younger girl, a freshman, age, 14.

KELLEY HUNT SMITH, KAITLYN HUNT'S MOTHER: To hold someone accountable for a felony, for having a relationship with a peer seems outrageous to me.

GANIM: It's not just the law that seems outrageous to the family but the punishment. Kaitlyn Hunt is facing 15 years in jail and a lifetime labeled as a sexual predator.

She turned down a plea that would have offered house arrest and probation because it would mean two child abuse felonies on her record.

KELLEY HUNT SMITH: The decision like that is like the lesser of two evils, you know? Her life has been destroyed already.

GANIM: But the parents of the younger girl say Hunt knew the relationship was not appropriate.

LAURIE SMITH; ALLEGED VICTIM'S MOTHER: We had actually told Miss Hunt that this was wrong.

GANIM: Court documents show police believe based on a Facebook message, quote, "She knows she's 18 and there can be consequences for their relationship."

JIM SMITH, ALLEGED VICTIM'S FATHER: We had no alternative but to turn to the law. And use it as basically a last resort.

GANIM: The sheriff on this small town near Vero Beach says this is not about anyone's sexual orientation. In Florida, a 14-year-old can't consent to sex.

SHERIFF DERYL LOAR, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA: We have had cases in the past where we have had same-sex similar circumstances, albeit some of the evidence may not have been as intriguing, I guess. We've also obviously had 18-year-old males with relationship with 14- year-old females.

GANIM: But her family believes the younger girl's parents wouldn't be upset if Kaitlyn was a boy.

KELLEY HUNT SMITH: We would not be here if the parents were not bigoted. To take it criminally I feel like they're using the age law to pursue their agenda.

GANIM: A claim the other family rejects.

JIM SMITH: It didn't come from us because that's not how we feel.

GANIM: When Hunt goes to trial in June, she'll have the backing of the ACLU. The state attorney Bruce Colton told CNN, quote, "I do think it's a shame that this case couldn't be settled in some other way."

(on camera): Now that Kaitlyn Hunt rejected that plea bargain, what she's risking is trial where she could be convicted. And if she is, she's facing 15 years and a lifetime labeled as a sexual predator.

Sara Ganim, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Our thanks to Sara for that report. This is fascinating. It has divided a lot of people on social media. They're talking all about it. And we're going to dig deeper with our legal expert Paul Callan in our 9:00 hour.

Talking about legally now, this is going to trial, how high or low is the bar here for the prosecution?

BLACKWELL: Yes, this petition of change.org has tens of thousands of signatures. I want to read something that I thought was pretty poignant, from the young girl, Kaitlyn Hunt's attorney, Julia Graves. She writes, "High school relationships may be fleeting but felony convictions are forever."

HARLOW: And that is the big thing, if it's a felony conviction, not only do you have prison time but it stays on your record forever. That's the question here, but law is the law. And at 14 years old in Florida, you are not considered able to consent to a sexual relationship.

BLACKWELL: Some states have these Romeo and Juliet clauses that if you're within four years, then you are not going to face some of those consequences. We'll see what happens here.

HARLOW: We will. We'll dig deeper in the 9:00 hour.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the summer season.

Our Nischelle Turner talks about some of these blockbusters -- Nischelle.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Victor and Poppy.

You know, Hollywood has gotten a little slick and they started the summer blockbuster season earlier and earlier. The first big movie this summer was "Iron Man 3", which opened on May 3rd, but Memorial Day weekend is really what gets things going, guess what I did. I put together an entire half hour talking to some of the biggest stars of summer about their movies like Hugh Jackman and Will Smith, among others.

But first, here is a little taste of what's on deck this summer at the movies.

(voice-over): It's the season of big screen action, high-voltage star power, and multimillion dollar budgets. It's the summer movie season. Memorial Day to Labor Day is the unofficial period when Hollywood goes for broke, subpoenaing big bucks to make blockbuster gold.

BILLY CRYSTAL, ACTOR: The summer blockbusters started with "Jaws," that was insane.

TURNER: Taking a huge bite out of the summer box office, movie after movie, year after year, is this guy. And Will Smith wants to do it again with "After Earth". The sci-fi adventure co-stars Smith's son, Jaden.

(on camera): What is your favorite?

JADEN SMITH, ACTOR: This one for sure.

(LAUGHTER)

TURNER: Smart kid, like it.

(voice-over): Fellow A-Listers taking center stage, Matt Damon and Jodi Foster in Elysium, Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum in "White House Down", Ryan Reynolds as "Turbo" and Brad Pitt's zombie apocalypse, "World War Z."

BRAD PITT, ACTOR: I just wanted to do a film that my boys could see before they turned 18.

TURNER: The "Man of Steel" and the "Lone Ranger" each get reboots.

ARMIE HAMMER, ACTOR: You ride horses, you throw lassoes, you shoot guns; it was an amazing experience.

TURNER: And a buffet of summer sequels, including "Monsters University", "Smurfs 2", "Despicable Me 2", "Grownups 2" and Hollywood nice guy, Hugh Jackman's back as "The Wolverine".

HUGH JACKMAN, ACTOR: I'll never hurt you or anyone ever again.

Playing Wolverine for the seventh time in 12 years and working with great people, I literally pinch myself every day.

TURNER: And finally, if raunchy humor gives you the giggles Seth Rogan makes his directorial debut with "This is the End".

In fact, R-rated comedies rule all summer long, like "The Hangover 3," "The Internship," "We're the Millers" and the undeniably feminine cop flick "The Heat."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are those?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are Spanx.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am bringing my testosterone as well.

TURNER (on camera): So you can see our entire summer special Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 Eastern on CNN. Some of the highlights, I went to Canada in the set of the new "X-Men" movie to sit down with Hugh Jackson, headed to the desert of southern New Mexico to catch up with Will and Jaden Smith, went to Vegas with "The Hangover 3" fellows, and basically chilled at the bar at a beach with Seth Rogan, really good stuff, guys.

I'll send it back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Love it, Michelle. You have got a pretty awesome job.

Folks, you can see a lot more tonight. Again, it is at 7:00 Eastern, 4:30 Pacific, right here on CNN tonight and tomorrow night.

BLACKWELL: I really hope "Hangover 3" has a new plot. I saw the second I was disappointed the same movie again, personal note.

Hey, all right. Dancing with the first lady, school kids take a turn with Michelle Obama on the classroom floor. Look at them go. That's next.

But first, Dr. Sanjay Gupta profiles an inventor who hopes her new creation will help people understand technology at a very simple level. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: This week on "THE NEXT LIST," Ayah Bdeir, inventor of the next generation of Legos called Little Bits.

AYAH BDEIR, INVENTOR: Each little bit is a preassembled pre- engineered electronic module that has one specific function.

HARLOW: One thing I notice the colors are gender neutral, right? They're not all pink, they're not all blue.

BDEIR: There's a hidden agenda we have to work harder to get girls interested in science and technology but I don't believe in producing products for girls or for boys. I think that the intention here was that little bits were not going to be designed for boys. That was a deliberate decision and automatically they became gender neutral.

My name is Ayah Bdeir. I'm an engineer and I'm the founder of Little Bits. GUPTA: Watch how Ayah is revolutionizing how kids learn about technology, this Saturday, 2:30 Eastern on THE NEXT LIST.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: You got to see this. First Lady Michelle Obama showing off some moves.

Mrs. Obama was at the Savoy Elementary School in Washington, in a pre-K classroom. She joined the 4-year-old and 5 years old where you have to dance and then freeze. Remember that one? We used to do that one. Freeze when the music stops.

She urged the students to be, quote, "fearless learners." Not bad advice at any age.

BLACKWELL: And to James Brown no less.

HARLOW: Exactly.

BLACKWELL: Thanks for starting your morning with us.