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Russia Announces Two Suspects Arrested in Boris Nemtsov Murder; March in Selma Commemorates Civil Rights March Across Edmund Pettus Bridge; Malaysian Government to Release Report on Missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370; State Department Investigating E-Mails Submitted by Hillary Clinton for Public Release; Christian Woman Wears Hijab for Lent; CNN Hero Provides Books to Children

Aired March 7, 2015 - 10:00   ET

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


CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. So glad to have your company. I'm Christi Paul.

JOE JOHNS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Joe Johns in for Victor Blackwell. It's 10:00 in the east, 7:00 in the west. You're in the CNN Newsroom.

PAUL: Always good to have you here, Joe.

JOHNS: It's very good to be here.

PAUL: All right, so we want to begin this hour with new developments in the death of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. After a week, or just about a week after one of President Vladimir Putin's most vocal critics was shot in the back and killed in the heart of Moscow two suspects are under arrest this morning.

JOHNS: And there is surveillance video that captured Nemtsov's assassination. He was gunned down walking across a Moscow bridge with his girlfriend. He died just steps from the Kremlin. CNN senior international correspondent Matthew Chance is live in Moscow.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Joe, thanks very much. The head of the FSB, which is the main security service here in Russia, appeared on national television earlier today making this announcement, that two people had been detained on suspicion of involvement in the killing. The fact such a high level officer, official, would appear on state television indicating the Kremlin really wants to be taken seriously that it is trying to get to the bottom of this crime genuinely.

The reason for that is there's a great deal of opposition politician, opposition supporters who believe it's the Kremlin that is ultimately responsible for Boris Nemtsov's killing. He was a prominent opposition figure, as you mentioned. He'd spoken often against Vladimir Putin, the Russian president. So many opposition figures say look, it was the Kremlin that probably had a hand in his killing. The Kremlin for its part categorically denying that. Vladimir Putin personally coming out and saying, look, we're going to get to the bottom of this. We're going to find those responsible. And so these are the first signs one week after the killing took place that some kind of progress, however skeptical you are about that progress, that some kind of progress is being made at least officially.

JOHNS: Any type of skepticism being voiced by anyone there about whether these are actually the suspects and if there might have been some other theory of this case that's a bit more plausible?

CHANCE: Yes. Well, of course, the theory that's got most traction in Russia, as I mentioned, because of his opposition politics, Boris Nemtsov was killed by the Kremlin. I said that's been denied by the Kremlin, but that's what a lot of opposition figures believe, if not Putin directly ordering the killing, then at least creating the atmosphere in Russia in which people who are opposition figures are seen as enemies of the state by nationalist groups and by other radicals. So for many people, including his own family, I spoke to his daughter earlier, they hold the Kremlin responsible for this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHANCE: Do you have any faith that authorities will bring those responsible to justice?

ZHANNA NEMTSOV, BORIS NEMTSOV'S DAUGHTER: No. It's a short answer. No. I don't believe in that. And I think that it's -- now we have -- Russia has crossed the line because after this murder, and people will be frightened to express their ideas which contradict the official standpoints.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHANCE: OK, Joe, that was Zhanna Nemtsov, the daughter of Boris Nemtsov, who I spoke to earlier, saying that she didn't have any faith that Kremlin was really going to find those who truly carried out the murder of her father.

JOHNS: So many questions in this case, and it will be interesting to see how it progresses. Thanks for that, Matthew Chance.

PAUL: CNN law enforcement analyst and former FBI assistant director Tom Fuentes joining us now to talk about this. So Tom, do you suspect that these two are the only two suspects or that it could be much bigger than these two?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: I think it would have to be bigger, Christi. I mean, if it's just these two, who paid them, who wanted them to do this, is there a bigger movement behind them? You know, we have all those questions coming up.

But again, you know, there are so many suspects. Nemtsov had many enemies. Yes, Putin was one, people in the Kremlin, people on the strongly on the Kremlin side or others, rivals within the democracy movement. So there are many possibilities here of who could have had a motive to have him killed.

PAUL: It's said they -- I was wondering how they deduced it to these two. They found the getaway car, that there was forensic evidence, but they found this in north Caucasus in a region in southern Russia that borders Georgia. Do you believe that's plausible? I mean, geographically, they're quite a distance. How would they have tracked them all the way there, let's say?

FUENTES: Well, it's plausible because you've had, although, you know, many of the attacks from that region, the Chechens, for example, have waged many fatal attacks in Moscow, blowing up airliners, attacking the opera house, attacking subway stations. So there have been attacks from that region. The question is, why in this particular case would somebody want Nemtsov himself, who -- because most of the people in that region are anti-Moscow, anti-Russian, anti-Putin and the regime, who have been brutal in keeping them down since the early '90s. So it kind of doesn't fit that it would be someone from that region, especially a Muslim terrorist. It's doubtful that that's really behind this.

PAUL: There is a Muslim population there, right. What is your reaction to the arrests and the fact that they came a week after this? Did you suspect it would take longer?

FUENTES: Not necessarily. I mean we're talking about a police agency, the FSB is the FBI's equivalent, although unlike the FBI, they really have no restraints. So they can wiretap at will. They can do whatever they in their mind think they need to do in terms of the investigation. So I'm not surprised that they would come up with somebody involved in this. Now, whether these are the individuals that were hired to do it and we still don't know who's behind it, that we'll find out. I should say we probably won't find out.

PAUL: Yes, all right. Boy, well, Tom Fuentes, we appreciate your insight. Thank you so much.

FUENTES: You're welcome.

We want to take you to Madison, Wisconsin, to protests erupted overnight after a police officer shot a 19-year-old African-American teen. Investigators say the officer fired after the teen tried to attack him. Now, police have not released his name, but according to our affiliate WKOW, he's been identified as Tony Robinson. And that identity came from a woman who says she's his mother. She told WKOW that her son was fearful of this happening. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREA IRWIN, TEEN'S MOM: The things that are happening all over the United States, another black kid shot by the police for no reason. This has got to stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Police say the officer was responding to calls that a man was jumping in and out of traffic and that's when this incident began. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF MICHAEL KOVAL, MADISON POLICE: Once inside the home, the subject involved in this incident, the same one that had been allegedly out in traffic and had battered someone, this same subject then assaulted my officer and in the context of mutual combat in that sense, the officer did draws his revolver and subsequently shot the subject.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: You heard him say there was also the allegation that there was a call of battery by the suspect as well. The division of criminal investigation has already been brought in to investigate this incident.

JOHNS: The mayor of Ferguson, Missouri, is speaking out to CNN after the latest fallout over the Justice Department's scathing report that found widespread and systemic discrimination by Ferguson police against African-Americans. Two police officers have now resigned. The city's top clerk has been fired over racist e-mails detailed as part of that report. This is video of the officers. Some critics are even calling for the entire department to be disbanded and for the chief to resign. CNN's Sara Sidner asked Ferguson Mayor James Knowles if that should happen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If those DOJ notes that were put out, those e-mails are coming from your city manager and your police chief back and forth, why are they still here? Why are they allowed to still be here?

MAYOR JAMES KNOWLES, FERGUSON, MISSOURI: I think it's very important to recognize that everybody has -- deserves due process. What we see here right now there is a finding from the department of justice, a finding which they say is probable cause to believe these things. And so we are going to do our due diligence and hold people accountable as necessary. People who have engaged in practices that are against the policies of the city government, of the elected officials and therefore the will of the people, we absolutely will take, you know, all appropriate action necessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Meanwhile, the attorney general Eric Holder is saying that if necessary he would dismantle the Ferguson police department.

PAUL: You know, we're hours away from president Obama commemorating Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. The president is with thousands of others honoring those who marched 50 years ago today. We're going to take you there live.

JOHNS: Plus, it's been almost one year since Malaysia Airlines flight 370 vanished without a trace. What the families are saying today as officials prepare to release a new report on the investigation's initial findings.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Whatever you're doing, just take a moment and look at your screen here. This is a bird's eye view of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, captured in this exclusive CNN drone video. Think about it, 50 years ago today on what became known as Bloody Sunday, civil rights marchers tried to cross this bridge on the way it to Montgomery to bring attention to voting rights, but instead they were violently attacked by Alabama state troopers.

JOHNS: President Obama will be among those in Selma today to mark the 50th anniversary of bloody Sunday. House Majority Leader Republican Kevin McCarthy will be there also. This comes after there were talk that GOP leaders would not join in the ceremonies. Another lawmaker expected to be there, Georgia Congressman John Lewis. He was one of the marchers attacked on Bloody Sunday. You can see him there on the ground. Let's bring in CNN's Athena Jones. She spoke recently with Lewis about that day on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. How did he describe those events, Athena?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Joe. Well, I sat down with Congressman Lewis who talked to me about the shocking violence and the brutality he witnessed on this bridge 50 years ago today, and he also talked about the legacy of that historic march.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN LEWIS, (D) GEORGIA: The bridge of Selma is almost a holy place. It is a place where people gave a little blood to redeem the soul of America. In this city, people couldn't register to vote simply because of the color of their skin. So we had to change that.

JONES: John Lewis was just 25 years old.

LEWIS: I can never forget what it felt like to be on this bridge on bloody Sunday. We came to the highest point down below. We saw a sea of blue, Alabama state troopers. And behind the state troopers we saw men on horseback. So we got within hearing distance of the state troopers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are ordered to disperse, go home, or go to your church.

LEWIS: And the major said "Troopers advance." I thought over and over again, they're going to arrest us. They came toward us. Beating us with night sticks, trampling us with their horses. I went down on my knees. My legs went out from under me. I thought I was going to die.

JONES: He was carried back to the church where the march had begun. It was there he issued a challenge to President Lyndon Johnson.

LEWIS: I stood up and said, "I don't understand it, how President Johnson can send troops to Vietnam, but cannot send troops to Selma, Alabama, to protect people whose only desire to register to vote."

JONES: President Johnson spoke before Congress it.

LYNDON JOHNSON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: It is wrong, deadly wrong, to deny any of your fellow Americans, the right to vote in this country. It's not just negroes, but really it's all of us who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. And we shall overcome.

(APPLAUSE)

LEWIS: He was the first American president to use the theme song of the civil rights movement. I looked at Dr. King, tears came down his face. I didn't like for anybody to see me cry, but I cried. President Johnson federalized the Alabama National Guard, called out part of the United States military to protect us all the way from Selma to Montgomery.

JONES: On August 6th, President Johnson signed the landmark voting rights act, ensuring that all citizens could vote regardless of their color. The Supreme Court struck down a key provision of that law in 2013 and efforts to fix it have stalled in congress.

LEWIS: If we fail to fix it, many of our fellow citizens will not be able to become participants in the democratic process.

JONES: It's why he returns to this bridge every year.

LEWIS: The vote is as powerful, it is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democratic society. I don't want people to forget that people paid a price.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JONES: Now the commemoration gets under way here in a few hours. We understand that Congressman Lewis will be introducing President Obama. The president will speak for about 40 to 45 minutes. And then after that, he and his wife and his daughters will take a ceremonial walk across this bridge you see here behind me. They will also tour the National Voting Rights Museum. Joe, Christi?

JOHNS: And 50 years. Thanks so much for that, Athena Jones. And be sure to stay tuned, because starting at 11:00 a.m., CNN's Fredricka Whitfield will be hosting live special coverage from Selma.

PAUL: Meanwhile, major changes are coming to one of the most secret agencies in the world. What the CIA is doing to better fight new threats.

Plus, vanished and nothing signify where it is. One year later, no signs of Malaysia Airlines flight 370. We'll examine how transparent the Malaysian government has been during this investigation and look ahead to the report they're going to release. Will there be anything good in it tonight?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: It's 22 minutes past the hour right now. I want to take a look at some other stories developing. Mali's government is now calling a deadly shooting a criminal and terrorist act.

JOHNS: A French citizen, a Belgian, and three Malians were killed in the attack at a bar in Mali's capital. Eight people were injured. It's not known who's responsible, but government troops have been battling Islamist militants in northern Mali for years.

Senator Robert Menendez says he's done nothing wrong and not going anywhere. CNN has learned that the Justice Department is preparing to bring criminal corruption charges against the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Prosecutors will allege Menendez used his Senate office to help a Democratic donor in exchange for gifts.

PAUL: And former vice president Walter Mondale is in the hospital this morning. He's 87-years-old and was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota after he was diagnosed with the flu. Former president Jimmy Carter said Mondale is doing well. Remember Mondale served as VP under Carter between 1977 and '81. He made a ran for president but he lost to Ronald Reagan.

And the CIA making major changes we're told to its overall structure. The goal, to better deal with new threats. So among the changes being introduced, a new leadership position focused on digital and cyber security. And the CIA also plans to create 10 new mission centers focused on things such as terrorism and weapons proliferation.

JOHNS: Coming up, it's one of the biggest aviation mysteries in history. Why we could, could, learn new details about the Malaysia Airlines flight 370 later today.

PAUL: Plus, did top lawyers at the State Department tell Hillary Clinton it was OK to use her private e-mail account when doing official business? We are on the e-mail fallout. And we could hear from her later today.

But first, this week's ones to watch series examines the art of commercial dance.

JOHNS: Frank Gatson, I want you to see this guy, the choreographer behind Beyonce's "Single Ladies" routine shows us the best place to go to get some inspiration. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the tap to the Charleston, the Jitter Bug to the Twist, most popular dances began life as underground sensations in America's Afro-American neighborhoods. Every decade it seems these communities create something fresh and vibrant. Pop stars have been long tapping into this hidden treasure chest of moves, often transforming them into worldwide crazes.

FRANK GATSON, CHOREOGRAPHER: Michael did not create the moon walk. The moon walk was something that was done on every street corner in America. Twerking and booty dancing, they've done that in New Orleans for the last 20 years. You know, this is one guy named Big Frieda. I remember he was a little upset. He was like wow, I've been doing that forever and Miley Cyrus comes on TV and she doesn't do even it the right way.

Because I'm always trying to keep up with the latest dance. You know, like the nay-nay the latest dance. Everybody is doing the nay-nay. It's like I don't know -- I don't know why they call it the nay-nay.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: L.A.'s south central ghetto has long been a laboratory of street arts. One of its residents, Tommy the Clown, is crediting with creating the clowning style which evolving into crumping.

GATSON: Here, you struggle. It's a struggle. These kids go through so much and broken homes, single parents, gang violence, drugs, and stuff. It's a lot of anger could be built up that they are able to release through the form of dance. They battle one by one. Some might spit fire, some might flip through the air, literally tear your head off without touching you on the dance floor. And then a crowd is going to be the judge.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: OK, so far there's been just one tweet posted in the middle of the night. That's all we've heard out of Hillary Clinton on the e- mail controversy that's been sparking a political firestorm.

PAUL: of course today the big question is will she finally speak on the controversy in Miami tonight because she's expected to address the Clinton Global Initiative University Conference there. CNN's Erin McPike joining us now from Washington. You know, I know that her advisers are saying look, she didn't break any rules, but I have to think, is the State Department if damage control mode right now?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Frankly, Christi, it's both the White House and the State Department right now handling the bulk of the response effort here in the absence of an official and ramped up Clinton campaign. And you know, Obama administration officials have begun complaining about that, telling CNN they have more pressing tasks to tend to and they wish Clinton's personal aides would manage more than they are right now. So in fact State spokesman Marie Harf reminded yesterday that she spokes for the department and she does not represent Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIE HARF, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN: I'm not going to prejudge the outcome of the review.

MCPIKE: Spokeswoman Marie Harf in a contentious briefing facing questions about how the State Department will review Hillary Clinton's 55,000 pages of e-mail.

HARF: She has asked us to look at all 55,000 pages and determine what is appropriate for release. That process is going to happen.

MCPIKE: After a controversy erupted over a use of a private e-mail as secretary of state, she took to Twitter on Wednesday saying, quote, "I want the public to see my e-mail." Department officials are reviewing the tens of thousands of e-mails she has turned over to make sure no sensitive information is made public, not whether she did anything wrong. They warn it could take months be to pour through the documents. She used a personal account, ClintonE-Mail.com, run on her own server exclusively, never conducting business from a government issued address, leading to suggestions that she had something to hide.

RONALD BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Whether we're going to get to the end of the line and conclude there was an unequivocal rule that they broke, I am dubious. I am more dubious that it's going to be a big factor one way or the other in her presidential campaign.

MCPIKE: As she moves closer to an assumed presidential run, the GOP is piling on, pointing to negative headlines across the country. And a leading Republican contender Jeb Bush, who as governor of Florida did use private e-mail at times connected to his own server, weighed in on radio Iowa.

JEB BUSH, (R) FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR: For security purposes you need to be behind a firewall that is recognizes the world for what it is, and it's a dangerous world. And security would mean that she couldn't have a private server. It's a little baffling, to be honest with you, that didn't come up in Secretary Clinton's thought process.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCPIKE: On the other side of the aisle, Mrs. Clinton's high-profile vocal supporters say their bigger concern is when will she jump into the race so she has a fully formed campaign apparatus to respond to inquiries and the negative press attention and related attacks, Christi.

PAUL: All right, Erin McPike, thank you so much.

JOHNS: We want to stay with this a little bit. Hillary Clinton has acknowledged she's thinking about running for president. It's all but assumed she's going to do it. But what about that firestorm over the e-mails? Is getting to hurt her? Joining me from Palm Beach, Florida, Chris Moody, the senior reporter for CNN.com Politics. Chris, what's she going to say tonight? Do we have any idea? And is there something she needs to say to sort of get off of the page on this?

CHRIS MOODY, SENIOR REPORTER, CNNPOLITICS.COM: Well, she really needs to start out by answering some questions. I think a lot of people want to see her take questions from reporters about this, not just release a statement and then leave it at that. If you remember when Chris Christie was in the bridge-gate about a year or so ago, he stood in front of reporters for what seemed about an hour or two just asking questions until reporters ran out of things to say.

And I think Hillary Clinton would do well to do that. We don't know what she's going to say. But if you look at the tweet, there's an indication she's going to call again on the State Department to review her e-mails and say she'll be a part of that review. But she really probably needs to take this head-on, although it doesn't seem like she necessarily will. From the reporting at CNN politics, it seems as though the Clinton world is kind of waiting for this to go away.

JOHNS: Yes, we haven't heard a whole lot from Democrats on this. Yesterday we had Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York, former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley talking about it. Listen to these.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER, (D) NEW YORK: I think Hillary's great. I think she'll, you know, she's already said she wants the e-mails out. And what do Americans care about? Good-paying jobs, a good country, good family. All that stuff isn't going to matter. It's a lot of spinning right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't think it's going to hurt the prospects --

SCHUMER: I don't think it's going to hurt her prospects, no.

MARTIN O'MALLEY, (R) FORMER MARYLAND GOVERNOR: Openness and transparency are required of governing in the modern age.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: So Clinton supporters, they've kind of been through this with both Clintons before. There's always some kind of controversy, always some kind of fire to put out it seems. And it doesn't necessarily seem that people are going to jump off the bandwagon because of that, but it does kind of infuse Republicans and critics of Hillary Clinton to get fired up. Is that a reasonable assessment?

MOODY: Yes, look, Democrats have good news, and that's that they have a candidate they believe in, that they can put millions of dollars of resources into over the next year and a half of the campaign. But Democrats also have bad news, and that is that they really only have one candidate they can pour all of that into. And if that person implodes in a certain way or has a series of problems over the next year and a half, that's going to be tough for them.

Whereas, on the Republican side, you know, they've got about a dozen people looking for running for president, and it's a lot easier for the Republicans to pile on one Democrat, that being Hillary Clinton. And it's always dangerous to put all of your eggs in one basket, and that is what the Democrats have done here instead of going through what's going to be I think on the Republican side a pretty long and tough primary where the best candidate emerges on the Republican side.

JOHNS: Still early but, yes, that's a pretty good indication that Democrats do not have a plan b as of now. Chris --

MOODY: If you look at what they've -- if you look at what they've invested into Clinton world in the past year, all these outside groups, super PACs, they're pouring millions of dollars already. I mean, Clinton has really cleared the field in a lot of ways, and they've put all this money into it. They're really deeply invested already. It's going to be difficult to turn that ship around and go with someone else. JOHNS: All right, Chris Moody, thanks so much.

MOODY: Thank you.

PAUL: Stop avoiding us, that is the message from a woman who lost her husband on Malaysia Airlines flight 370. In just hours from now officials will release a new report on the investigation's initial finding. Will families finally get some answers is the question.

And also, this American woman doing something very different for Lent, not giving something up but wearing something -- a hijab. She will be here to share with us what this experience has taught her thus far.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: It's just hard to believe it has been one whole year after Malaysia Airlines flight 370 vanished from the sky. Officials expected to release a new 600-page report on that vanished plane.

PAUL: Take a look at what was happening yesterday. Families holding a candlelight vigil remembering the people they love and still wondering what happened, because they have no answers. Despite months of scouring the ocean floors searchers have not found a single piece of debris. And a lot of families are saying they're fed up with Malaysian authorities and insisting they want more done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLY WEN, HUSBAND WAS ON FLIGHT 370: This is a torture. It's changed our life a lot. I hope the plane will appear soon, that my husband will come back soon. Now that we're in Malaysia we hope the Malaysian government can meet us instead of avoiding us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: OK, so let's talk with former chairman of the NTSB Jim Hall. Jim, thank you -- thank you very much for joining us. Now what do you expect we're going to see in this new report that's coming out just hours from now?

JIM HALL, FORMER CHAIRMAN, NTSB: Well, first, let me just say, this is an inexcusable tragedy for the victims and families of Malaysia flight 370, and the way the Malaysian government has handled their investigation of their own airline has left a lot to be desired. And I can't imagine there will be much value in the report that's to be submitted.

JOHNS: Right, because they haven't found the plane, and all we know is they've been searching a lot. What more is there to say with any, you know, certainty?

HALL: Well, they have failed to be open and transparent in their investigation, and particularly with the families, since the very beginning of this tragic event. And I would hope that they might begin with this report, but we'll have to wait and see. JOHNS: Yes, so there's been a lot of questions about whether there

was a call made by someone in the cockpit moments before the plane crashed. There were a number of little mysteries floating around that still have not been resolved even though they haven't found the plane, which is the biggest mystery of all. There's been a question about whether the crew had something to do with the plane's disappearance. Listen to something the Malaysia airline CEO told CNN's Anna Coren.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AHMAD JAUHARI YAHYA, MALAYSIA AIRLINES CEO: This is speculation. We do not suspect any one of our crew. This evidence is such, captain is a very capable man. He's a 777 flight examiner. He is not just an instructor. He's an examiner of the fleet. So we have to reason to suspect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Now Jim Hall, as your role in the NTSB suggest, you've have had a lot of experience, a lot of knowledge about investigations like this one. What, in your judgment, happened to this plane? And do you think the crew might have had something to do with it?

HALL: Well, in my personal opinion, and everyone has their own opinion on this, this aircraft appears that either an individual or a group of individuals intended to put this aircraft where it could not be found. Now you have to put on the table both an investigation as well as a criminal investigation in order to pursue this matter.

But what concerns me most is that after Air France, both the industry, the aviation industry and the International Civil Aviation Organization, sat on their hands and didn't use available technologies to prevent something like this from recurring. Fortunately in 2016 we will have a requirement that the board made while I was chairman in 1999 for dual recorders. And hopefully one of those recorders will float or be deployable so, as we saw with the Delta accident where we have a number of victims that are survivors, that individuals that are in an accident over water will be able to know the location and send search and rescue immediately.

JOHNS: Jim Hall, former NTSB chairman, thanks so much. Good to see you. We'll have much more on that report coming up tomorrow morning.

HALL: Thank you.

JOHNS: Thank you again, Jim. Much more coming up on that report tomorrow morning, including our own aviation expert Richard Quest.

PAUL: Meanwhile, a Christian mother of two is doing something really different for Lent. For 40 days she's wearing a hijab. So what surprised her most about her experience so far? We're going to talk to her.

Plus, a lot of eyes and hearts in Selma, Alabama, right now. There's a live picture for you as there is the 50th anniversary of bloody Sunday. We're taking you there live throughout the day. Stay close. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: For many Christians around the world this is Lent season, which means 40 days of sacrifice and reflection. But there's a woman doing something very different here. Jessey Eagan is a Christian and she's wearing a hijab. She has a blog where she writes that she wants to remind herself what it feels like to be an outsider. So let's talk to her here. Jessey, thank you for being with us.

JESSEY EAGAN, WEARING HIJAB FOR LENT: Thank you so much for having me.

PAUL: Sure. So where did you get this idea, and how has it been so far?

EAGAN: Well, honestly I came up with the idea the night before Lent started, and my husband was already in bed, and I was on the couch and said hey, what if I wore a hijab for Lent? And we talked about it and we decided -- I decided I was putting on the practice of hospitality by stepping into the shoes of another person just to kind of get a glimpse into what their public life is like. And I wanted to do that to remind myself what it feels like to be on the margins of society.

PAUL: Sure. Let me ask you, what negatives might you have -- have you noticed?

EAGAN: Well, first of all, I want to say that I'm doing this so I can remind myself to better love neighbors, strangers and enemies.

PAUL: Yes.

EAGAN: -- alike. And you know, out in the -- out in Peoria in my real life it's been a nonissue. I haven't gotten any really negative things from people.

PAUL: Sure.

EAGAN: But the Internet is a different story. That's where people come out and, you know, they come out of the woodwork and they -- I've gotten a ton of praise and a ton of people trying to rip me apart on my blog.

PAUL: Really?

EAGAN: But I allow those comments to go through because I want to remind people that really there's still unfortunately a lot of hate in the world. But I think if we work together positively to love people, to love our neighbors, to love people we don't know, strangers, and to even love our enemies, which seems extremely impossible, that we can make a difference in the world.

PAUL: Well, have you heard from any Muslims and gotten reaction from them?

EAGAN: Actually, the night before when I thought of this idea, I had talked to my Muslim friend from the Islamic school here in Peoria to see what she thought because I wanted to make sure I wouldn't offend anyone.

PAUL: Right.

EAGAN: And she thought it was a great idea. She didn't see any problem with a peaceful act like this. And she told me that her hijab drawer was open to me.

PAUL: That's so sweet. Real quickly, we only have a couple seconds left, but what do you think is the biggest lesson you've learned so far?

EAGAN: You know what, it's been super important to me, for my children, especially. I want them to grow up accepting and engaging with friends, strangers, and enemies, to have meaningful conversations with them. And I think that both of my kids have learned a lot so far.

PAUL: That is awesome. Jessey Eagan, we so appreciate everything that you're doing, really a great understanding and lesson in empathy. Thank you. Best of luck to you.

EAGAN: Thank you so much.

PAUL: Sure. Take care. Joe?

JOHNS: Thank, Christi. Look at this. We have a picture coming up that was 50 years in the making. Live pictures from Selma, Alabama, this morning where 50 years ago a peaceful civil rights march changed America. President Obama addressing the crowd there at the Edmund Pettus bridge to commemorate the anniversary. More live coverage coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: You know, there is evidence that suggests the more books you have the better your child is going to do in school. This morning CNN heroes recognizes a 14-year-old girl who's getting books into the hands of kids who need them most. Meet Maria Keller.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA KELLER, CNN HERO: I've always loved to read. It kind of takes you to a different place. My mom told me when I was eight that some kids don't have books, and that shocked me because everybody should have the option to read.

So I started by just doing a small book drive. And then told my parents that I wanted to collect and distribute 1 million books to kids in need by the time I turn 18. So welcome to the warehouse. I was 13 when I reached my goal. We've given books to about 16 countries and 40 states. All the pink squares --

My new goal is to distribute books to every state in the U.S. and every country in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am a preschool teacher with English language learners.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm looking for second through fifth grade.

KELLER: Meeting the teachers, it's amazing because I hear about the kids they serve.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, sweetie. Keep up the good work.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good afternoon, fifth grade.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have about 1280 students, a large homeless and highly mobile population. They're in great need.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When Maria Keller came to my school I was so excited. And she gave us books for free. It was amazing.

KELLER: Literacy is so important in education. I want kids to have a better life. I know that reading can do that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS: Awesome. If you know someone making a difference in your community we'd love to know about them. Nominations are open right now at CNNheroes.com.

PAUL: 14 years old.

JOHNS: That's incredible.

PAUL: Don't let age stop you, whatever you want to do.

Hey we have to toss it over to Fred who is in Selma. We hope you make great memories today.

JOHNS: Hey -- Fred.

PAUL: We know that you're going to give us a lot to think about this afternoon and some good stuff.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, Christi and Joe, it really is going to be an extraordinary day here in Selma.