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CNN NEWSROOM

Rough Waters for Cruise Industry?; George Zimmerman Dealt Blow at Trial

Aired May 28, 2013 - 15:00   ET

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


BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with breaking news. Good to see you. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Let me take you straight to Baltimore, to these live pictures, massive explosion here on the train tracks in Baltimore. Here's what we know right now. This is a cargo train. We know hazmat teams are on the scene. What was in the train, we don't know.

We're getting better pictures here, closer to the ground. We have learned that one person at last check was trapped in all of this. We have seen firefighters on the ground responding, of course, EMS in what looks to be some sort of industrial area of Baltimore.

I have Chad Myers, who has been watching this.

And, Chad, look at this smoke. We have been seen black smoke. We have seen white smoke, but you have seen, what, a truck in addition to this train.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I believe just up the track from where this derailed is a straight truck that is on its side completely tipped over that was smashed by the train itself.

I know it is hard to distinguish just debris from debris, but that right there is not part of the train, I don't believe, unless it came off of the train, unless it was on a flatbed on the train somehow. But this is right where a railroad crossing would be, Brooke.

This is Rosedale, Maryland, north of Baltimore proper, not that far from White Marsh, like 66th and Biddle, right along the Pulaski Highway, and traffic now just kind of a standstill there on Pulaski Highway, people saying that this felt -- obviously people that were close to it -- much worse than the earthquake that they had back -- that shattered, crumbled, at least cracked the Washington Monument.

BALDWIN: Oh, wow. So, the rumble was that huge?

MYERS: That was that big, breaking windows for a couple of miles possibly, with this explosion as it is now.

BALDWIN: Wow.

MYERS: You have to understand that there very well may be an engine or two under all of this smoke that we can't see, and the black that we're seeing burning likely the diesel fuel from that train. We don't quite know. You will have to see as they put it out. Right now, it's obviously too hot. They're not even getting close to this yet. But I -- my picture, when I was watching this live from affiliates there, to see that truck that was upside down, all of its debris from inside that truck laying to the side of that track caused me to believe that this derailment may have been from an impact with another vehicle.

BALDWIN: And I'm also just curious as we talk hazmat, you see the white smoke very clearly and you see the black smoke very clearly. And I'm just wondering what could be inside the cargo train.

MYERS: We simply don't know that yet.

And those buildings there you see on the side, all of that, that's the siding that fell off of that one -- that shed there, that storage aluminum building. As they zoom out, that's the Pulaski Highway back behind it. And this smoke plume can be seen from all the way from downtown Baltimore.

BALDWIN: What a mess. As soon as we get an update...

MYERS: There it is.

BALDWIN: Yes, here you go, bigger picture.

You can see greater Baltimore and just how high and huge this black plume of smoke is above this scene. Chad Myers, thank you so much. And as soon as we get more information on this person trapped, we will pass it along to you.

But from Maryland to Illinois, we go, to Chicago and an arrest in the case that symbolized a new low for the violence overtaking that city street. Jonylah Watkins was all of six months old in her father's lap, in a car, when a gunman shot and killed her and wounded her father back in March. Chicago police say this is the guy, this is the gunman; 33-year-old Koman Willis turned himself in to investigators and police say he took the life of one of Chicago's smallest victims because her father stole from Willis.

They also acknowledge, despite the many, many shootings they face, this one hit too close to home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. KEVIN DUFFIN, CHICAGO POLICE: This was a real hard one for the team. Everybody up here, I'm -- almost without a doubt, we all have our own kids. Especially when it is a young child like this, the guys put an inordinate amount of time into this, some of them coming in on their own time when things started to break last week.

It was -- it was a toll on everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Want to go straight to Chicago to Ted Rowlands, because we know this guy Willis, Koman Willis, was just in court.

What happened?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they pushed back the bond hearing a week, Brooke. Willis' attorneys needed a little more time they say because they just saw some of the evidence this morning.

And the state had to lay out some of the evidence against him in court today and they have considerable evidence against him. They say his cell phone tracks him to the area. They say his girlfriend's minivan which he drove was seen by surveillance cameras in the area, and most importantly he apparently admitted it to a third party that he indeed did pull the trigger and shoot this person and inadvertently killed a 6-month-old.

The bottom line here is that, you mentioned it, this is a new law in the city of Chicago. Apparently, he had had -- Willis had had his home burglarized. And one of the things that was stolen was a Sony PlayStation. He said he was so angry, he told friends when he found out who did this, he was going to find them and kill them.

Well, he thought that Jonylah's father was responsible for this, and sure enough he found him, and police say that he ended up killing a 6- month-old little girl over a Sony PlayStation.

BALDWIN: What about this local pastor for helping in the case?

ROWLANDS: Corey Brooks, you may remember him, he was the guy, the rooftop pastor, spent two months on a rooftop here trying to bring in money to help with the -- Chicago violence, also did a walk across the country.

BALDWIN: Yes.

ROWLANDS: He was instrumental in this, according to police, because he's been helping the community in a way that he is urging them to come forward.

One of the biggest problems with all of these cases, Brooke, is nobody witnesses them, and nobody comes forward. And in this case, detectives say they were able to get people to come on the record, and they will be in court here, and that makes all the difference. They have witnesses coming forward.

Homicides are down 19 percent this year, Brooke. And Chicago police are hoping that this is a trend. And they're hoping that this little girl didn't die in vain, that people will look at this senseless violence that has been going on for years here in Chicago, and start to really take stock in their neighborhoods and in their own families and try to put a stop to it.

BALDWIN: Here is hoping they can. I remember the rooftop man. We had him on the show. He's fantastic. Good for him. Ted Rowlands in Chicago, appreciate it.

ROWLANDS: Yes. BALDWIN: And this was a quick hit today for the president in and out of New Jersey in a matter of just a couple of hours. Early this afternoon, got a look at post-Sandy recovery efforts along the Jersey Shore just before the rain started falling.

Here he is with Governor Chris Christie, one of his top Republican boosters. Not coincidentally, Chris Christie's state has gotten a billion-plus dollars in federal aid to help rebuild.

Want to take you live to Asbury Park and Jessica Yellin, our chief White House correspondent.

Lovely weather, I can see there for you this afternoon, Jess. Tell me how the visit went.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Brooke.

Well, the president was here for three hours, but it was a chockful visit. He toured the boardwalk with the governor. He talked to some local business owners whose places had been shuttered and then reopened, played an arcade game, and he spoke. He said exactly what the governor wanted to hear from the president. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You are stronger than the storm. After all you have dealt with, after all you have been through, the Jersey Shore is back and it is open for business. And they want all Americans to know that they're ready to welcome you here.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: So, a lot of free advertising for the Jersey Shore, not the best weather for it, but still folks know now they can come and visit.

I'll tell you one thing, Brooke. The governor had a better game day than the president. They both played a little bit of arcade games and the president went zero for five throwing a football through a tire.

BALDWIN: Ooh.

YELLIN: The governor got it right through on the first go. And he won the president a stuffed bear.

BALDWIN: Nice.

YELLIN: I don't know, lots of symbolism there for the political bromance. You take it where you want.

BALDWIN: Nice.

(LAUGHTER) BALDWIN: Back to the president, though, the fact that despite the weather and the fact that he got the bear, you know, happy not to be in Washington perhaps. Is there any way to know, would he have made this trip were it not for all the heat of the purported scandals in the nation's capital?

YELLIN: You know, the president actually said in his speech that the idea of this visit came up last week, and when his political aides came to him and said would you like to go to the Jersey Shore, this was not a difficult choice.

He would much rather get out of Washington and be here. So, you know, on a serious note, Brooke, it is a good way for the president in their view to try to turn the page and highlight for them a way in which government works. FEMA is an area they think that they had some great success overhauling the emergency management system, and a reminder to folks that this is government when it does function for the people, unlike, for example, the IRS controversy, where there's a lot of dysfunction right now, a lot of disappointment in government -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Jessica Yellin -- thank you, Jessica.

Another black eye for the cruise industry. Told you about the fire on board this Royal Caribbean cruiser. Today, passengers flying home, back from the sunny Bahamas, back to the U.S., and who can forget the Carnival ship earlier this year, passengers dealing with power outages and all that -- the sewage, remember running down the walls and the hallways?

Next, how recent rough waters are impacting the cruise industry, if at all.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Helpless, that word getting tossed around quite a bit lately by cruise passengers who have found themselves in an emergency situation in the middle of the ocean. It has not been a good year -- years for the cruise industry, fires, crippling power outages, sewage spilling into hallways, people overboard.

That is just Carnival ships. But this exclusive video just into us here at CNN, look at this, showing the aftermath of this latest disaster to hit the high seas. This is a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that caught fire, sending hundreds of panicked guests scrambling to the decks with their life jackets.

Jay Herring is here with me now. He's the author of a book entitled "The Truth About Cruise Ships."

So, Jay, good to see you. You know, the issue with this Royal Caribbean cruise, thank goodness no one was hurt, we should say, in this fire there off the Bahamas, but, you know, talk to me about this negative press. Is it hurting the cruise industry?

JAY HERRING, AUTHOR, "THE TRUTH ABOUT CRUISE SHIPS": Yes, it is.

Typically, the cruising is very safe, but, you know, we have seen so many of these happen so close together. So, you know, it is certainly bruising the cruise industry, but instead of being a knockout punch, I think these are more light jabs.

BALDWIN: What about this new bill of rights? If people don't know this exists, it does. There is a new bill of rights for cruise passengers. It was approved by the industry's trade association last week. I know you have had a read of it. What stands out to you?

HERRING: Yes, sure.

In fact, I can -- if you want, I can pull it up here on my little magic phone and just read this.

BALDWIN: Yes.

HERRING: The one that stood out to me was, it says the right to a full refund for a trip that is canceled due to mechanical failures or a partial refund for voyages that are terminated early due to those failures.

And, I mean, come on. That's like going to the doctor for an appendectomy, he takes out a kidney by mistake and says, you know, we will give you a voucher for a free surgery in the future.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: Thank you. You just said what I was wondering too. A refund? Like, I'm going to need more than that, buddy.

HERRING: Yes, it is not good enough.

BALDWIN: No.

HERRING: The most serious and dangerous emergency on a cruise ship is fire. These people's lives were in danger. So, you know, I think what we ought to see is, you know, $1,000 cash to each passenger on board or -- that or the option of five free cruises. One cruise is just not enough.

BALDWIN: I covered the Carnival Triumph, talking to people getting off that ship in Mobile, and despite all the ick and we won't even go there that happened inside that cruise, they actually said, Brooke, the most frightening part was the fire. Remember there was a fire that sort of started the whole thing.

But I know in the '90s, about three million people, they booked a ticket on a cruise ship. This year, the number is like 20 million. Even Chad Myers, love him, our weather guy here, has been on, like, 20 cruises, loves to cruise. But, I mean, it is a huge surge in popularity. Has the industry safety standard though been able to keep up with that growth?

HERRING: Yes, I think it has. Last year, the cruise industry grew 5 percent, this year, forecasting 2 percent to 3 percent. And, you know, the more ships you put in the water, the more likely it is that we will have an incident. It is just, you know, statistics 101.

So, but we have seen a lot of regulations, a lot of improvement in safety over the years. So -- but I think, again, we just -- there needs to be some accountability, some getting out ahead of the story.

BALDWIN: Jay Herring...

(CROSSTALK)

HERRING: Let's make passengers -- let's make passengers feel lucky to be on a ship that has a mishap, because the compensation is so great.

BALDWIN: Yes, who is going to be that nice?

HERRING: Yes.

BALDWIN: Jay Herring, let's all hope we not on that ship, though. Jay Herring, the author of "The Truth About Cruise Ships," thank you so much. I appreciate it.

HERRING: Thanks, Brooke.

BLITZER: Coming up next, a big win for the prosecution in the case against George Zimmerman, the jury deciding his fate won't be able to see the crime scene, but there is more they won't see or hear.

Plus, very soon, a teenager appears in court accused of plotting an attack, what he was hoping, bigger than Columbine. And his plans were hidden in the floorboards.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A court appearance is set about an hour from now for an Oregon teenager facing adult charges of attempted aggravated murder.

He is 17-year-old Grant Acord, accused of trying to pull off an attack at his high school more devastating than Columbine. Let me tell you what police found in his bedroom, six types of explosives -- this is according to police -- including napalm, drain cleaner bombs, and Molotov cocktails.

An attorney for the family says the young man is mentally ill, has a rare form of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

It was a lightning round of motions in the George Zimmerman murder trial today. The judge handed a series of pretrial victories to the prosecution, including barring the defense from introducing information about Florida teenager Trayvon Martin at trial. The Martin family attorney says the judge made the right call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR FAMILY OF TRAYVON MARTIN: This information was not relevant. It was inadmissible. And so we have to not let people get away with trying to pollute a jury pool.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: George Zimmerman, who is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Trayvon Martin, was not in court today, but his brother made a desperate plea to the state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN JR., BROTHER OF GEORGE ZIMMERMAN: George is a good, decent and honest man. It is now my honor to advocate for him. George is in the fight for his life quite literally. As the oldest son, the only right thing for me to do is everything I can do to deliver him back to our parents. The only right way to do it is by relying on truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: CNN's David Mattingly live in Sanford, Florida, for us.

And, David, the judge drew some pretty clear lines today. Take me through what will and will not be allowed in court.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and she drew those lines pretty quickly today too. She had no trouble ruling right there on the spot.

A lot of it had to do with evidence about Trayvon Martin, about his character, about his activities, and the judge down the line deciding that this has no place in this trial. Let's just look at list. First of all, it was Trayvon Martin's school records. They won't be allowed. A jury won't be allowed to see them. They won't be allowed to know what sort of disciplinary problems he might have had in school, why he was serving a suspension while staying there in that condo complex in Sanford, Florida.

The jury will not be able to see the text messages and the photographs that were taken off his cell phone, those photos showing that he had a -- possibly a history of drug use, marijuana use, a fondness for guns, an interest in guns, also an interest in fighting. He had mentioned in text messages that he had been in a fight where he was going to have to fight a certain opponent again because he didn't bleed enough the first time, he had only punched him in the nose.

Well, the prosecution wanted all of these -- to make sure that none of these were brought up in front of the jury. They didn't feel like they were relevant. The defense, however, said that it was going to be important to them because they're trying to show that George Zimmerman was not the aggressor here and that he was defending himself at the time that he pulled that gun out and shot and killed Trayvon Martin.

But now they're not going to be able to use them, but, you know how court cases are here. There could be a door open somewhere along in the trial where this information might somehow become relevant. The defense again might again in the future be able to argue to the judge, hey, look, we need to bring this in now because the prosecution is saying this.

So that door is open on some of the stuff, but a lot of it today, the judge making it clear that this trial is about George Zimmerman, and about his actions, and not about Trayvon Martin.

BALDWIN: Yes, talking to several lawyers earlier, it sounds like this judge is running a pretty tight ship, even starting this thing early today. David Mattingly for us in Sanford, David, thank you. We will follow along right there with you.

Meantime, a desperate plea from a daughter to free her mother from this Mexican jail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's people out there saying or asking, did she really do it? Are you sure? And it hurts, you know, to see that. If you would have known my mom, if you just would have met her, you would have known that she had nothing to do with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: A mother of seven accused of trying to smuggle drugs back into the United States, but her family says there is a sinister explanation for her arrest. That is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BALDWIN: Got an update for you on that cargo train derailment collision that we have been showing you pictures of. The newest bit of information that we just got from a Baltimore County police official is that the truck that Chad Myers was talking about not too long ago, that a truck was definitely involved in this derailment collision.

How specifically it was involved, we don't know. We can tell you that it was. And at last check, there is still one person trapped. You can see all the smoke still billowing here over the skies of Baltimore. Again, hazmat crews on scene responding.

An Arizona grandmother is trapped in a legal nightmare in Mexico, charged with drug smuggling. A court appearance today could determine if Yanira Maldonado goes free. Gary Maldonado was advised to give a judge $5,000 to free his wife. That didn't work. He believes her arrest -- this was just last week at this military roadblock in Central Mexico -- was really a shakedown by Mexican soldiers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY MALDONADO, WIFE JAILED IN MEXICO: It is about getting money here. So the military was the only one there at the checkpoint, so, from what I hear, that's a regular occurrence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: At least one Mexican official supports that view.

Yanira Maldonado, who has seven children and two grandchildren, went down to Mexico with her husband to attend a family funeral. On the charter bus ride back to the United States, she was arrested for allegedly smuggling 12 pounds of marijuana.

Steve Kardian is a former police detective.

Let me bring you in, Steve. And a couple of questions. Welcome.

First, when you say that an official says that she was probably framed, how long do they have to keep her in this jail? What exactly does she have to prove?

STEVE KARDIAN, FORMER NEW YORK STATE POLICE DETECTIVE: Well, the burden of proof in Mexico is completely different than it is in the United States. In essence, she's believed guilty until proven innocent, opposite of what we experience here in the United States.

So she could be -- after this hearing, she can be either released or held for up to six months. So, it is very problematic. The fact that she has the Mexican officials and Senator Flake from Arizona working for her, plus the strength of the family unit and all those around her, it is a positive thing.

BALDWIN: Bodes well.