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CNN NEWSROOM

King of Saudi Arabia Dead At 90 Years Old; U.S. Embassy Remains Open in Yemen; ISIS Claims To Have Executed One of Two Japanese Prisoners; New Technology Features 3D Cameras; Measles Outbreak Linked to Disneyland; Former Chicago Cubs Player Ernie Banks has Died; Murder Trial of Former NFL Player Aaron Hernandez Continues; Film "Black or White" Profiled

Aired January 24, 2015 - 14:00   ET

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


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Stephanie Elam, Jason Schwartzman, and Adam Scott, thanks so much. Congrats on "The Overnight." And they are still talking. Keep going.

All right, we have much more straight ahead in the Newsroom which all begins right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks you so much for joining me. We're following this breaking news this hour involving Japanese hostages held by ISIS. One of two Japanese captives reportedly has been killed. In a new video posted by a known ISIS supporter hostage Kenji Goto is holding a photograph that appears to show fellow hostage Haruna Yukawa beheaded. CNN is unable to authenticate that video, but these are images of Yukawa seen on the right you're about to see and his fellow hostage released by ISIS more than a week ago. These images released by ISIS more than a week ago.

Now new demands. Instead of a $200 million ransom, ISIS is apparently demands release of a female suicide bomber that you see right here. She confessed to her participation in the 2005 deadly terrorist attacks in Amman, Jordan, killing 38 people. Our Jomana Karadsheh has the latest now live from Amman, Jordan. So is the discussion taking place now between Jordan and Japan about this latest demand? Would the Jordanians give this woman up?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Highly unlikely at this point, Fredricka. We have reached out to the Jordanian government. They are not commenting at this point about the demand. They're saying that they are working closely with the Japanese government to try and verify the authenticity of the video. After that is done, they say they will be making statements about that.

It is very difficult to see the Jordanians really caving into this command. Their position officially had always been that they will not negotiate with terrorists and they will not be going into a deal like this. But what we have seen over the past week since the release of that initial is video of the Japanese hostages is that Jordan has been working with the Japanese government. A crisis center of sorts has been set up at the Japanese embassy here in Amman. It is headed by the deputy foreign minister of Japan.

Now, both Jordanian and Japanese officials in the Jordanian capital have been really tightlipped. They have not been disclosing any information about what's going on behind the scene. But one would assume that the reason Jordan is playing a critical part, perhaps, the Japanese government's utilizing whatever backchannels the Jordanians may have in talks to try and secure the release of these hostages. Jordan has its own captive held by ISIS, a Jordanian pilot whose F16 crashed in Raqqa in ISIS territory in December, Fred.

WHITFIELD: And then Jomana, what is the status of this female prisoner? She was sentenced to death.

KARADSHEH: Yes. Sajida Rishawi, she's an Iraqi national. She was part of that four member suicide bomber team that attacked Jordan in November of 2005 in those coordinated attacks at three Amman hotels. Now, a video released at the time on Jordanian television was a confession by Sajida Rishawi in which she said that vest failed to detonate and that her husband went ahead and carried out an attack on a wedding party in one of the hotels in Amman. She was sentenced to death in 2006. The death penalty in Jordan that year really had been halted for about eight years since. There's been some sort of a de facto moratorium that ended with the resumption of the death penalty in Jordan just last month with 11 men executed.

It's really important for us to point out here that those bombings in Jordan at the time were claimed by Al Qaeda and Iraq. That is the predecessor of ISIS, and they were believed to have been orchestrated by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian born terrorist who was the founder and leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq who was killed by the U.S. military in an airstrike in Iraq in 2006. So, really, there's the links between ISIS and tracing it back to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Al Qaeda and Iraq, very symbolic here demanding the release of Rishawi.

WHITFIELD: All right, very complex. Jomana Karadsheh, thank you so much, appreciate it, from Amman.

Here in the United States, the National Security Council is responding to reports of that image that appears to show the beheading of one of the Japanese hostages held by ISIS. CNN's Erin McPike is at the White House for us with more on that.

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Fred, we did get a statement from the National Security Council a short time ago. It's from the deputy spokesperson, Patrick Ventrell. I will read that statement to you. He says "We have seen the video purporting to show Japanese citizen Haruna Yukawa has been murdered by the terrorist group ISIL. The intelligence community is working to confirm its authenticity. The United States strongly condemns ISIL's actions and we call for the immediate release of all of the remaining hostages. The United States is fully supportive of Japan in this matter. We stand in solidarity with Japan and are coordinating closely."

Now, Fred, I would point out, though, that we learned from the Defense Department in the last few days that they believe that airstrikes against ISIS have killed some 6,000 ISIS leaders and they had some success ISIS taking out some is targets. Of course, that hasn't stopped some of these gruesome executions, but they do believe they are having some success in trying to hold back ISIS.

WHITFIELD: All right, Erin McPike, thank you so much from the White House.

So what happens next in the dealings with ISIS? Joining us now in New York CNN global affairs analyst and former "New York Times" reporter David Rohde. All right, good to see you, David. So this is quite remarkable, isn't it, because ISIS continues to show that it has the upper hand, first demanding $200 million in exchange for the release of the Japanese, and now saying they change the demands even after purportedly killing one, this prisoner swap involving now Jordan in a very different way. Does ISIS seem to have leverage? Is it a case now where no country really wants to be in a position where they are negotiating with ISIS even if it means trying to save the life of one of their own?

DAVID ROHDE, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: It's a really difficult position for all these governments. And I just want to take a moment to look at what's happened here and the tactic they are using. Haruna Yukawa, the gentleman that was executed today, had a history of mental illness. He had tried to kill himself at one point in his life. His wife had died of lung cancer. He lost his home and his business to bankruptcy. And he was sort of a self-styled adventurer. He said he was a security consultant but he really had no clients, who just wandered into the warzone in Syria and was captured. So you have a man that's potentially mentally ill being executed by this group.

Bottom line, though, is governments want to see they are trying to do something, but I would be surprised if the Jordanian government or Japan really pushed forward and released this female suicide bomber as ISIS has requested.

WHITFIELD: And this really does underscore the -- we've been using the word a lot, the evolution of terrorism, the real change in terrorism, the tactics, et cetera. And just to remind people that you were held as a hostage by the Taliban while you were a reporter with "The New York Times." You manage to escape, because I remember being on the air when we reported that you had escaped, and that was incredibly harrowing, and they made sure that we did not have that information to report until you were in a safe place.

But what's different now, and, clearly, the Taliban very different from ISIS, very different from Al Qaeda, but we're not hearing about any attempted escapes by anyone being held by ISIS. What is it about this terrorist group and maybe that of, you know AQAP, that they have such a network now that they are able to take so many people, hold them hostage for so long, threaten governments or countries, and by way of doing that make a lot of money, because there are some countries that have negotiated, given millions for the release of their people. What has happened with these terror group that there is such an upper hand, so to speak?

ROHDE: Well, the difference is, frankly, you know, ISIS is much more powerful than the Taliban has been since 2001. They have, you know, a vast amount of territory from Syria into Iraq. There are 6 million people that live in the territory they control. And that's much larger than anything the Taliban has had since 2001, and that's why they are essentially able to take these captives and execute them.

You know, there was -- the White House correspondent mentioned the figure of 6,000 fighters being killed. I think the airstrikes by the U.S. have slowed down the advance of ISIS, but they are not really shrinking the territory ISIS is holding. And particularly in Syria, ISIS is very strong. And so the situation has gotten worse in the last five years. And we didn't think it would happen, but now the Taliban are comparatively not nearly as strong as ISIS, this new formed group that has emerged.

WHITFIELD: And while drone strikes have been a part of it, there have been other ways in which the leadership of ISIS, Al Qaeda, they have been picked off, they have been killed. But the opposite seems to be happening just as you underscored. Recruitment seems to be picking up. These groups are very smart about using those either assassinations or attempts to their advantage and somehow recruit new members?

ROHDE: Yes. The, ISIS, again, this new generation of terror group, if you will, it's much more effective than Usama bin Laden was at recruiting people because they use social media, they use Twitter. Bin Laden released these very long sort of turgid speeches trying to motivate attacks in the west and it didn't really work. ISIS is much slicker video, again, much better use of social media.

And the issue is, the good news is that in the U.S. there's very few people interested in ISIS. The number of Americans potentially fighting alongside ISIS is maybe one or two dozen. The problem is there may be as many as 1,000 Europeans that have gone to Syria to join ISIS. So that's really alarming, but the bigger threat is in Europe, and it is a new, more effective generation of terrorist groups, if you will.

WHITFIELD: Yes. I know it's very frustrating to have to end up using words like, you know, they are effectively able to do this, or they are smart or cunning or even savvy, because those are all complimentary terms being used for groups of people who are carrying out very heinous activities and making people feel very fearful globally. David Rohde, thank you so much for the time. Appreciate it.

ROHDE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Up next, who could come out ahead from the latest turmoil in the Middle East, we'll explain how Iran could emerge with more influence in the region.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A new leader in Saudi Arabia and political chaos in Yemen are adding to concern over stability in the Middle East, and as our Tom Foreman explains, the complexity of the situation could end up benefitting Iran. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are good reasons that leaders all around the world are watching the Middle East, because of the uncertainty there that could affect many nations. And it starts right here with Saudi Arabia. The death of the king there, the ascension of his half-brother to power theoretically would mean a continuation of the existing policies -- an ally of the U.S., an influencer of the region. But there are questions about exactly how that will proceed. And remember, this is the largest oil exporting nation in the world, and their military is a real force to be reckoned with there.

Beyond that, what about Yemen down here? Yemen is in chaos now. Rebel forces are pushing the government. It's not even clear who is in charge or who will be in charge once the dust settles. We do know, though, that many terrorist elements have been at work in Yemen for years right now. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is down there. Who knows where they wind up?

And what about up here, Syria and Iraq? We put them together here although they have a lot of different issues. Syria has a civil war for four years, Bashar al Assad. Iraq is doing its own rebuilding that continues. But we put them together because they have a common problem, and that is ISIS. ISIS is trying to carve its nation, its Islamic caliphate out of the territory that spans that border.

So that's just four of the nations, and there are many more that right now causing uncertainty in the region. Egypt continues to be an uncertain country in terms of its future. We don't know what's going to go on there as time moves forward. Israel remains a very strong U.S. ally, but it could feel pressure from all this uncertainty, and relations with the U.S. are not the best right now.

And what about this one over here, Iran? Big influence on the region already. And if this continues, if things are shaky enough there, Iran might be the big winner coming out of this with even more influence in the Middle East.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Tom Foreman in Washington, thank you.

Straight ahead, efforts to raise the fuselage of AirAsia flight 8501 are delayed again. What led crews to put their latest salvage plan on hold?

But, first, our look into the future. Here's Richard Quest with "Tomorrow Transformed."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Photographs, they capture that moment in time, and we all cherish them. We share these moments with family and friends, show them a photo album of our favorite holiday pics. When the digital camera got rid of film, emailing photos became the

way we shared memories, and we thought it couldn't get any easier. Then came the smart phone with a camera built in. With the smart phone, came the explosion of social media sites. They allowed us to share our photos with the world faster than you can see "cheese."

The future could look like this, sharing a different kind of photo, one that's 3D.

JAVID KHAN, CEO HOLOXICA: Holographic technology works on the principle of diffraction. Diffraction happens when light comes along and bounces off structures that are about the same size as the light. And if you can design these structures very carefully, then you can persuade the light to do fantastic things like forming images in free space.

QUEST: Holoxica is developing technology that could take our snaps at skylines, statues, and even spacemen into the third dimension.

KHAN: I believe that the future of the photo lies in three dimensions rather than two just because the world we live in is in three dimensions, and three dimensional images have a far greater impact on our visual system.

QUEST: Our love of taking a snap, a photo, a memory, that will never change. It's the way we share them that certainly will.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Rough conditions in the Java Sea have temporarily stopped an attempt to recover the fuselage of AirAsia flight 8501. Meanwhile Indonesia's search and rescue says four more bodies have been recovered, bringing the total to 69. And 162 people died when the plane crashed on December 28th. CNN's Saima Mohsin has more from Jakarta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Search teams were hoping to recover all the bodies without having to lift the aircraft. That was their priority. But when dive teams went down into the choppy Java Sea, they weren't able to get inside the fuselage. One official explains why.

SUPRIYADI, NATIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONAL OFFICER: When the divers tried to go deeper into the wreckage of the cabin, they were obstructed by dangling cables and other debris. It's become a problem for the divers to find out exactly how many bodies are in there.

MOHSIN: And so they decided to lift the entire fuselage by attaching a giant balloon to it effectively to raise it to the surface. Now, dive teams managed to get into the water early Saturday morning around 6:00 a.m. A team of, six different teams of divers took turns to go down into the water to attach this giant balloon to the fuselage using belts and straps, blowing it up, and we thought they were very close to mission accomplished, bringing the fuselage back to the surface.

And then one of those belts snapped. So for today the attempts have failed. Dark has fallen, so the divers have to stop the work. But they will attempt to go back into the water at first light. But let's not forget, they have been hampered many times because of those choppy waters, high winds, and incredible waves.

In the meantime, what we understand from officials is that they have been crawling through all of the information that they are getting from both the flight data recorders and the cockpit voice recorders. One official has told CNN they are 90 percent of the way through of reading the data effectively. We're also expecting a preliminary report at some time, but we're not sure if they will share that with the public. Under Indonesia law, they don't have to. So far, 69 bodies recovered, not all of them identified.

Saima Mohsin, CNN, Jakarta, Indonesia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Saima, thank you so much.

Spanish police waste no time breaking up what they say could be a terror cell. Coming up, the eerie similarities this alleged terror cell had to the terror attacks in Paris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. Hello, again. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We are following new developments out of Spain on the terror front. Police have arrested four men then believe may have been planning a terror attack similar to the one carried out at the "Charlie Hebdo" magazine office in Paris. CNN's Al Goodman is in Madrid. What can you tell us about this raid and how concerned police are?

AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the difference, they say, is that with the arrest of these four men compared to the arrest last year in Spain of dozens of other suspected Islamic militants for alleged recruitment, logistics, as if these four allegedly were ready to carry out an attack right here in Spain in Europe. And here's what the interior minister had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JORGE FERNANDEZ DIAZ, SPANISH INTERIOR MINISTER (via translator): What is especially noteworthy with the breakup of the cell are the many parallels with the attacks in Paris recently carried about against the "Charlie Hebdo" magazine. You had two pairs of brothers, strongly radicalized, with a lot of military, physical, and mental training, and willing to carry out an attack, and, according to the police, to blow themselves up while trying that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOODMAN: Now, the police found knives, a gun, military fatigues, and they are still investigating. Back to you. WHITFIELD: All right, Al Goodman, thanks so much in Madrid.

All right, back to the other breaking story. One of two Japanese captives held by ISIS has reportedly been killed. In a new video posted by a known ISIS supporter, hostage Kenji Goto is holding a photograph that appears to show fellow hostage Haruna Yukawa beheaded. CNN cannot authenticate that video.

But now instead of a $200 million ransom, ISIS is apparently demanding the release of a female suicide bomber. Joining me right now from Denver is Ambassador Christopher Hill. He is a four time U.S. ambassador including a posting to Iraq. He is now a dean at the University of Denver. And from Washington, CNN global analyst and contributing writer for "The Daily Beast" Kimberly Dozier. Good to see both of you.

Ambassador Hill, I want to go to you first. Is there a chance that Jordan would step into help? Would it take seriously the possibility of a prisoner swap for the release of a Japanese hostage?

CHRISTOPHER HILL, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: Well, I mean, it's hard to speak for Jordanians at this point or speak for any of these -- speak for ISIS at this point. Certainly, the record of trying to do business with ISIS has not been a very good one. And I think what is on everyone's mind is the idea that if you get into swaps, you'll -- it'll never end. It'll be an effort by ISIS to just take more and more hostages. So I'm sure there's a lot of consideration going on here. I'm certainly not going to presume I know how the Japanese would feel about this except to say that this is a very tough situation with ISIS, and the history of dealing with these people is not very positive.

WHITFIELD: So then I wonder what in you view, and I know you can't speak for other countries, but what in your view, or ISIS for that matter, is the real objective here for ISIS? By offering these conditions that very few countries would acquiesce, what does ISIS stand to gain other than publicity that it's a horrible, terrible organization that wants to kill people to do that, will carry out its threats?

HILL: Well, clearly, the opening gambit of the $200 million was designed to kind of tell the Japanese if you're going to give countries against us $200 million, you have to give it to us. So it's a clear effort to sort of go at the Japanese public, a Japanese public that has really not been up for these kinds of overseas projects in the past, and an effort, really, to intimidate them, and in this macabre spectacle of beheadings. So, you know, it's their idea how to influence Japanese public opinion about Japanese policy in the Middle East.

WHITFIELD: Then, Kimberly, you know, is knows that these are longshot requests. So is there a way of really clearly understanding what the objective is here, because a caliphate, it doesn't seem reasonable or realistic to think that a caliphate is going to take over an entire country. Right now it's in pockets. But then what is the sole objective here for ISIS? KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, the objective with

them is also to keep themselves in the public eye for recruiting, to generate funds, generate donations. The way they've done this, they have stretched this out, first one hostage, and then another. And now they changed the demand, something that was done once before.

But the Japanese hostage speaking in the video ACTUALLY explains this by saying, look, this is a more reasonable demand. by turning over this woman prisoner, you're not going to be funding a terrorist organization. It's interesting. It's as if ISIS has been watching all of the coverage and is responding to it, saying, OK, we got it. But here's another thing that you could do. It does also bring in the Jordanian public, and possibly what ISIS is trying to do is sort of psychological warfare, creating rifts between different members of the coalition that's arrayed against it.

WHITFIELD: All right, let's shift gears. Let's talk about Yemen now, unless, ambassador, you had a thought about that. I saw you nodding your head.

HILL: Well, I think what is on ISIS's mind is precisely Kim's last point, which is to find ways to break up the coalition. And I think it's important to understand that things have not been going well for ISIS on the battlefield. And I think they are going to have to be primed for some additional losses coming up in Iraq. So it hasn't been easy times for them, and, clearly, they are trying to deal with this coalition.

WHITFIELD: Before we let you go, I would, ambassador, do you have any thoughts about Yemen, your concerns about what's taking place there with the Houthi minority, you know, being able to help overthrow a government there, and the U.S. continuing to keep some presence there in the counterterrorism efforts.

HILL: Well, certainly the U.S. has a great interest in working with whatever Yemeni government there is to deal with a very large Al Qaeda presence in that country. But this is coming right now during a crucial period in Saudi succession. And the Saudis cannot be happy at all with the potential of a Shia led government coming into Yemen. And, certainly, we're going to see some real efforts in Yemen on the part of Al Qaeda to do something about this. So I think tensions are really rising there. And I think the U.S. is trying to play this calmly and trying to work with whoever emerges because the work that we've had with the previous two governments has been pretty positive, and I think we want to see if we can continue it. But I'm sure the Saudis are very, very concerned about this latest development.

WHITFIELD: All right, Ambassador Christopher Hill, Kimberly Dozier, thanks to both of you, appreciate it.

DOZIER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And we'll be right back with much more on Newsroom.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SAMUEL BURKE, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Most people don't want

drones following them around, but this is the type of drone that you do want following you around. You just let it take off, and then it uses this wristband to follow you around, right, left, up, down, and record everything you're doing, even across the Las Vegas desert.

What's the advantage that your drone has over other drones?

EDGARS ROZENTALS, COE, AIRDOG: The main thing is you don't need to have any skill to control it. So you have a release, you push a button, and you're ready to go.

BURKE: To get a great shot, you have to have people. What are some other situations where you could use these types of drones besides other than ATV-ing, out on your own?

ROZENTALS: Any action sports such as surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, you name it.

BURKE: And tell me a little bit about the technology. What exactly is happening between that drone and the bracelet?

ROZENTALS: So we have wide range of sensors inside starting from GPS, meters, gyroscopes. We are using readings from all of these sensors to predict movement trajectory.

BURKE: This drone is going to set you back $1,300, which is a big chunk of change, but not as much as some of the other drones I tested out. But keep in mind that doesn't include this camera. So droning is an expensive sport no matter which you cut the costs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, the Patriots in the midst of deflate-gate, but there's another high profile drama unfolding, not on the field, but in court involving a former Pat. The murder trial for former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez may begin Tuesday. Hernandez pleaded not guilty to murdering semiprofessional player and friend, Odin Lloyd. Here now is CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The last time the New England Patriots played in the Super Bowl in 2012, Aaron Hernandez was on the field. This time he's sidelined, on trial for murder pleading not guilty. No longer getting plays from his old bosses, Coach Bill Belichick and the team owner Bob Kraft. They are on the prosecution's witness list.

The Patriots fired their star tight end the day he was led out of his home in handcuffs, arrested for the murder of semipro football player Odin Lloyd, shot seven times. At first, it seems there's a mountain of evidence against the star tight end who has pleaded not guilty. And 18 months later, the case isn't the same. MICHAEL MCCANN, LEGAL ANALYST AND WRITER, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": The

universe of damming evidence has shrunk.

CANDIOTTI: Shrunk thanks to a defense team scoring some victories, arguably the biggest, a text message from Lloyd to his sister sent minutes before Lloyd was killed. Lloyd writes, "NFL, just so you know." A judge ruling it's inadmissible, not enough proof Lloyd thought he was going to die.

MCCANN: If the jury believes that Aaron Hernandez was with Oden Lloyd right before Oden Lloyd was killed, it's not a big leap to conclude Aaron Hernandez was involved in the murder of Odin Lloyd.

CANDIOTTI: Yet prosecutors say they have surveillance videos of the victim getting into a car with Hernandez and codefendants Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz who also pleaded not guilty to murder. Video of that same car driving into an industrial park, and, later, Hernandez back home less than a mile away holding what prosecutors say is the alleged murder weapon. But it was never found.

MCCANN: There is no murder weapon. Or a witness that's credible would testify that Aaron Hernandez did it. There is no such witness.

CANDIOTTI: The judge also blocking any mention Hernandez is indicted for two more murders in Boston. The prosecution witness Alexander Bradley can't say he's suing Hernandez for allegedly shooting him in the face a few months before Lloyd's murder.

Will the state overcome any weaknesses?

MCCANN: So there still is a good amount of evidence against Aaron Hernandez. It just isn't the slam dunk case that it seemed to be.

CANDIOTTI: Susan Candiotti, CNN, Fall River, Massachusetts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, so again, court could start on Tuesday for that case.

All right, meantime, he was Mr. Cub, a Hall of Fame player on the field and off. Ernie Banks is who I'm talking about, the first African-American player ever to play for the Chicago Cubs. He passed away Friday night. In the spring of 2013 I had the honor of talking to him, and I asked him about breaking the Cubs' color barrier and how much Jackie Robinson meant to him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Jackie Robertson breaking the color barrier, did you consult him or study his plight in order to kind of best handle what was like for you to be the first with the Cubs?

ERNIE BANKS, FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER: Yes, I did. I really did. I first met Jackie at Wrigley Field. He came over to third base. We shook hands. He said, Ernie, I'm glad you are here, nice to see you. And just listen, and you will learn. And I followed Jackie Robinson's life all the way through to 1972.

WHITFIELD: Did he seem bigger than life then to you since you got to know him personally?

BANKS: Yes, he did. He felt bigger than life to me. I was with him. I went to Japan with his wife, Rachel. I was around him a lot, listened to him. I followed the speeches when he was president of the Freedom Bank, when he gave with Chock full o'Nuts in New York, and when he started free housing in Brooklyn, New York, I just followed Jackie Robinson. He was like my father, my uncle, my friend.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Oh, Ernie Banks, one of the great ambassadors of baseball ever, and the recipient of the presidential Award of Freedom. We're all saying goodbye to Mr. Ernie Banks at the age of 83.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: There's a new face of the measles outbreak in California that looks like this. More than 30 children now in isolation in Alameda, California, because of the expanding outbreak of a disease that most experts said had been eliminated in the United States. The map shows the spread of measles. Now 68 confirmed cases, and two- thirds of them are linked to the initial outbreak in Disneyland in California. Nick Valencia is with us now. So what are parents to do?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, vaccinate their children. That's what we're hearing from a lot of medical experts. We asked the top epidemiologist in California if it's safe to travel to Disneyland. He says, yes. But there are some caveats. If you have not been vaccinated yet or if your child is under 12 months old, it's better safe than sorry not to go to the park. Of course, you remember this outbreak started in mid-December when someone traveled in, likely an international traveler or somebody who had the virus. Somebody contracted that virus and it snowballed into the current outbreak.

Now earlier today, we spoke with a pediatrician at Vanderbilt University, and he gave a solution to the current outbreak.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. ISAAC THOMSEN, PEDIATRICIAN, VANDERBILT HOSPITAL: It's time to become vaccinated. Unfortunately sometimes what it takes, you know, many generations now have not seen these illnesses and they don't have an appreciation and understanding, even a fear of these very serious infections, and many think it's more a theoretical thing. And outbreaks like this drive home that this is a very real threat to our society.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: Very real threat. At least five states have current measles cases including Mexico as well, and some California students have been asked to stay home who haven't been vaccinated, and others isolated for 21 days. To some medical experts, the concern is with this current outbreak is that, yes, get vaccinated, but even if you do get vaccinated you could still contract it. The "L.A. Times" reported at least five of these current cases are of people that were already vaccinated. So that's very troubling and sort of concerning.

WHITFIELD: That is troubling.

VALENCIA: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: Nick Valencia, thanks so much for bringing that to us, appreciate it.

VALENCIA: You got it.

WHITFIELD: Coming up next, face to face with Kevin Costner and Anthony Mackie about their new film "Black or White."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put it in your mouth now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Madder. You've got to be madder at me like you mean it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want you to brush those teeth. Don't make me come in here and have to say it twice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Eloise. She's my granddaughter. What are you doing?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm making pancakes. Set the table please.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My wife and I raised her after my daughter died, but life threw us a curve.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, scenes from the new movie "Black or White." It is the story of a grandfather in the middle of a custody battle for his biracial granddaughter. The movie stars Octavia Spencer, Kevin Costner, and Anthony Mackie. I talked face to face with Kevin and Anthony, we're on a first name basis now, about the film, diversity in Hollywood, and a little football.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: This is another moment with Octavia Spencer where maybe it underscores the conversation, or maybe a point that her character is making, but it doesn't punctuate, you know, the conversation. Let's take a look, and then let's talk about what happens after this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're not going to really take me to court, are you? Eloise is happy where she is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She needs more love than what he her grandfather can give her. Now, Carol, god rest her soul, Carol was a mom. She and I, we had a bond. Therefore I had no reason to worry about my grandbaby.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now you do?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are certain things a man can do, certain things a woman can do. I don't want to spell that out to you, especially being your age.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I already told her that you're all welcome to come visit her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm thinking with things the way they are, dealing with all the hands we've been dealt, she's been dealt, we need to start talking about a shared custody.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not going to happen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Like I say, you're all welcome to visit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't want her down here, down here with the black folks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't, start with that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Got a black math tutor, that going to do it? Take care of that half of her soul?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is it with you? Why do you always go there?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is it with you that you don't want to admit there's a there there?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And this moment really underscored divisions, but ultimately it's about inclusion, isn't it?

KEVIN COSTNER, ACTOR AND PRODUCER, "BLACK OR WHITE": Yes. At the core, this is about the welfare of a child, and that's -- that's what's on everybody's mind. But what happens is as custody is becoming an issue and somebody thinks they are going to lose, race comes in. And it's just handled so deafly, and in a way that we hate seeing ourselves do that, but we know we do it.

And the movie mirrors where we are at. And because we see it on the big screen, we can also walk outside in the light of day and say I don't want to be that anymore. I don't want to be that. When you see it, you say I don't want to be it. If you're not able to really look at yourself, you're never going to have that moment. You just keep on. And sometimes a movie can reflect something that can change us. WHITFIELD: Are we seeing the start of an evolution in Hollywood where

no longer does -- is there a perception that a black person has to be cast as a black character. Why can't a black person just play any character?

ANTHONY MACKIE, ACTOR, "BLACK OR WHITE": I think that goes along with your representation. I've been very fortunate that about 70 percent of the roles I played have not been specified as black men in the script, "Hurt Locker," a bunch of them. And I think we're at a place now in Hollywood where people are starting to take control of their own legacy and their own future. If you look at what happened with, you know, "Selma," "Selma" was a dying project with no director. And David worked with Ava on the movie before that, and then told the producers they had to meet with her and bring her in, and that's how she got on that movie.

So I feel like we're starting to hold the reigns a little. I think there's a lot more to do for ourselves to make sure our movies are made and our stories are told.

COSTNER: I always thought Whitney was really pretty, you know. And that was not designated as white or black. It was just like who can sing and who can act. And I thought she was the prettiest girl. So never bothered me that whole idea. I think I know what you're saying, but it does come into play.

WHITFIELD: You're behind so many successful movies, whether it be in production or, you know, starring in "Dances with Wolves," you think "Bull Durham," you think "Field of Dreams," you know, "The Bodyguard." What's most gratifying for you, starring in them or making them happen?

COSTNER: I think making them happen at the end of the day, you know, you go, what Anthony was saying, somebody looks at a movie that maybe doesn't have the value anymore. These movies can travel through time. I will tell you what. I'll bet you it's made $200 billion, $300 billion now. Why? Because it wasn't dependent on its opening weekend. It's like was this movie about men and women set against the backdrop of Minor League Baseball. What happens is it struck a cord and why it's so difficult to be with women, and we laugh at that, and why is it so difficult to be with men. And so what happened is this movie became a classic.

And that's what we think happens with "Black or White." "Black or White" might have this giant life, and, you know, hopefully people see it. We think that it is a movie that everyone should see because I think Anthony's point bears repeating. Somebody that does not look like you, go see this movie, and then have a talk. "Black or White" is about things that I think that movies can be, which is we wish we would have said those things.

WHITFIELD: And if I could, let's talk sports since you brought it up a little bit. You know, you do have a history with, you know, sports movies.

COSTNER: That's right. WHITFIELD: From "Field of Dreams" to "Draft Day," and with "I Am

Marshall," too, talk about a little football and what's happening right now. Do you have any thoughts or feelings on the Patriots and Tom Brady?

COSTNER: I said, look, you know, there's a lot of people talking, some people that I really respond to a lot. Troy Aikman, who I think is a very astute guy and I think feels very solid about what he's saying. But I say when another man says to me I didn't do that, that means something to me, too. So it's a very difficult to point blank say to somebody like Bill Belichick or to Tom Brady who I really like that said I didn't do it. I'm just going to stay with that, you know, because I don't want to be confronting a man saying, you know, you're a liar. I'm not going to say that to Tom. I heard what Tom said. I'm going to accept that. You know, I don't blame him for reaching in if it ball felt better than the other, you go, I'm taking this one. That's what you do. That's why there's 12 in there. Now, you know, you can get into the details of it, but fundamentally when a man says to me, I didn't do that, I accept it.

WHITFIELD: You want to leave it there. Anthony?

MACKIE: I'm interested to see how Roger Goodell handles it. I think there's been a lot of up and down and a lot of trepidation with him as the commissioner, and a lot of things he has said he hasn't held true to. Being a Saints found with bounty-gate, I felt like we were punished in a way that set a benchmark for the rest of the NFL. So I want to see him stay on that line.

WHITFIELD: Kevin Costner, what's next?

COSTNER: I hope I end up making a cowboy movie. You know, but I do have a little movie coming out.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: What is it about that?

COSTNER: What is it about that? Who doesn't want to get on a horse and get the bad guys? That's what you do.

WHITFIELD: Right.

COSTNER: But I do have a movie coming out called "McFarland" about the sons and daughters of migrant farm workers, a true story. And I think it's a very special movie. Disney has made it. And I have a book coming out in the fall call "Explorers Guild," I'm a cowriter on it. So I got stuff. The kids' baseball starts pretty soon.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: You are staying busy. Who doesn't love cowboy hats and cowboy boots, love to wear them? Anthony, what's next for you?

MACKIE: I start shooting "Captain America 3" in a few months. So I'll be Falconing back up again. WHITFIELD: All exciting. Thanks so much. Good to see you, Kevin,

Anthony, thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Very fun talking to them.