we're continuing to watch the trial. i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." a key witness action rachel jeantel, is reading testimony she provided earlier, going through it, according to the requirement from the zimmerman defense team, they're asking her to go back and read it. we'll have the day's other news, but let's go back and see if

this testimony from this key witness the last person to speak to trayvon martin, other than zimmerman himself, as she it was. she was a close friend of the young teenager who was killed. let's listen in. >> you can do that on your redirect. >> do you remember being in the deposition? >> yes. >> do you remember being in deposition in miami, on wednesday, march 13th and we were talking about this same subject? >> yes. >> i asked you what george

zimmerman said in response to tray done martin saying why are you following me? >> we actually played the recording of that -- >> yes, i had told you, and said on the paper that you have right now that i had rushed on the interview between me and -- >> that you have there, that i have -- >> rush on the interview between me and carl. >> all right. i got what your explanation is, to why you may have said something or not. >> yes. >> but specifically when you were in the deposition under oath -- >> yes. >> having heard the recording, i asked you, on the recording, did you say the man is like what you

talkin' about? and your answer was yes, i did say that. >> what? can i see it? >> sure. >> i'm referring you again to line 15 that says play it again, and we played a portion of the audio, and i said to you, is that what you said? your answer was, yes. if i said in the recording, that's what i said. and i said, on the recording, gull say the man is like, what you talking about? and your answer was -- yes, i did say that. do you remember that?

>> do you acknowledge those were your answers that day to the questions we just read? >> might have been. 6 might have been. because we're having the same issue with my voice. might have been, because i said yes -- >> speak into the microphone. >> might have been. >> so is that your answer or not? >> yes. so what you are saying is, indeed what you told mr. crump in this recorded interview, that what george zimmerman said in

response to him saying why are you following me? george zimmerman said, what are you talking about? >> oh, that's what you're talking about? no. >> your honor, i think we'll have to address the recording itself. should i -- >> i had told you. are you listening? >> yes, ma'am. >> i had told you what happened in the crump interview, i had rush on it. are you listening? >> one more time. i'm sorry. i was distracted. you told me what? >> i had told you during the interview between me and crump, i had rush on it. before that interview, i had told my mom that if the office wanted to talk to me, they could talk to me to know exactly what happened, and told you that on the depo, and they put it -- i

told you i had rush on it. >> when you said you rushed on it, you mean you hadn't thought it through carefully? >> i just tolded trayvon part. >> are you saying you rushed through it and didn't think about it carefully enough to be sure that you told it accurately? >> yes. >> i'd like to move on to something else, because we don't have time today to deal with the reporting or the video deposition. >> go ahead and ask the questions as you see fit. >> thank you. >> ms. jeantel, i would talk to you briefly at this time about the 911 call with the screams for help. do you remember that call? >> yes. yes.

>> that was the recording that was made by one of the people -- i'm sorry. that was the recording that was made by emergency services on a 911 called that was placed by one of the people that lived inned community where this happened? >> yes. >> and you've said, i think, on direct examination, that you have listened to that recording, correct? >> yes. >> and you've listened to it on television? >> yes. >> have you listened to it anywhere else? >> on that depo, yes. >> so you heard it at the deposition as well? >> i don't remember. i don't remember, but puff talk about it, because i think that i had told you if it was trayvon? it sounded like trayvon? >> i'm sorry. what? >> it had sound like trayvon.

>> today ed that it was trayvon martin's voice. >> i had told you on the depo that it was trayvon martin's voice. >> let me show you this. >> i said to have you take a look here on line 18. through line 23. >> have you had a chance to read

line 18 through line 23? >> it doesn't repeat the whole question -- >> take as much time as you said. read the whole thing -- or maybe we can break until the morning. >> no. i'm leaving today. >> what's that? >> i'm leaving today. >> are you refusing to come back tomorrow? >> to you? >> are you refusing -- >> we need to keep this question and answer about her testimony, and the other matters dealing with scheduling, i will make that decision. so if you will continue to keep reading, please. >> what do you want? >> you have read it now?

>> are you finished? -- i'm sorry? >> yeah. >> so do you admit, then, that you were asked, who was screaming for help, and your answer was, it could be trayvon? >> yes. >> objection, improper impeachment, your honor. >> okay. >> i'd be glad to finish it, of course. >> if you would, please. >> thank you, judge. >> i told you it sounded like

trayvon, because trayvon has a kind of baby voice. >> so the question is, well, who was screaming for help? it's not trayvon, is it? and your answer, it could be trayvon. the question -- you know his voice so well. was that trayvon screaming for help or wasn't it? your answer -- it could be. like i said, i don't know. but it could be. the dude sounds kind of like trayvon. trayvon do got that soft voice and that baby voice sometimes. so it could be. i don't know. you know, it's not, and that's the end of the quote. do you acknowledge that you made those statements, those answers to those questions under oath in deposition? >> yes.

>> ready to break for the day, judge? >> i'd like to continue, but i defer to the court. >> how much more time do you think that you need to finish crier cross? >> i certainly -- i don't know for sure. i would think we should plan on at least a couple hours. >> what? >> excuse me. just be quiet. >> ladies and gentlemen, we're going to break for the evening. everybody still remain seated, including you, ms. jeantel. please remain seated. during the overnight recess, i'm instructing you not to discuss the case among yourselves or with anybody else. do not read oy listen to any room television or newspaper reports about the case. do not use any type of an electronic device to get on the internet to do independence research about the case, people, places, things and terminology. do not read or create any e-m l e-mail, text messages, twitter,

tweets blogs or social networking case about the case. do i have your assurances you will abide by these instructions? please leave year notepads facedown on the chair, and we will see you at 9:00 a.m. the second-degree murder trial of george zimmerman wrapping up on this days, lots going on, a keep witness making some very important statements. jeffrey toobin among others has been watching all of this closely. why is this witness, rachel jeantel so critical to both sides in this case? >> she was on the phone with trayvon martin as he was walking back from the candy purchase that we all know, he because iced tea and skittles. she is is on the phone with him while he's walking action and she is recounting how he says there's this creepy cracker, an insulting term, following me around. so the prosecution is uses her

to assert -- that zimmerman was following him around, and approaching him in the moments leading up to the shooting. >> the prosecution thinks she's a critically important witness. the defense, though, is trying to question her truthfulness. >> in two different ways. they are trying to say. that's what we saw at the very end, that in her previous statements, in her deposition and others statements, she has simply told different stories. that's one way they're questioning her credibility. the other way is they're trying to show that she game in essence part of the prosecution team, part of the trayvon martin family team, that she was allied with the trayvon martin's family and lawyers, by basically saying she will turn her testimony in a

way that's favorable prosecution -- >> and there's no down that she's deeply irritated -- i have to say i've never -- when the defense lawyer says there will be about two more hours, she goes, what? i think that's summed up her unhappiness. >> she said she didn't want to come back. martin savidge has been showing this trial. >> that's absolutely right. to comment furtherotomy we watched and how remarkable really it has been, is the fact that she has been so highly anticipated. certainly the defense has been working and preparing for her testimony. the other thing we always have to remember, she is a teenager, and she has been through an

ordeal, a very good friend has died under tragic circumstances, she was the last one to talk with him. she does not -- i'm not saying on the stand today, but in the lead-up, she did not take this seriously. she made the comment when she was under oath and giving deposition to ben crump, she said sill rushed there you it. she made comments about, that didn't really matter. she want it wasn't important. you know, much of the testimony is built on these depositions, and it appears at times, that she didn't always take that it does raise serious questions, if she didn't think being under oath mattered or was that

serious, you have to wonder what she said, was it really what she heard? you. >> you make a good point about being a teenager as well. martin is joining us to -- mark ne,. ame is a cnn analyst and criminal defense attorney. what is your assessment of her testimony, good or bad for george zimmerman? >> well, a simp question, wolf -- can she be believed beyond a reasonable doubt? of course not. she's acknowledged lying to several people about her age. she's acknowledged lying about where she was concerning being in the hospital, and now you have a witness who says that she can hear wet grass. i mean, this is the key witness who the prosecution must rely on, and the simple question is, pose it to the jurors at the time of closing, can she be believed beyond a reasonable doubt? i think it's a resounding no.

look, the prosecution is doing the best they is can. these are the cards dealt to them and they have to play them. when she comes in, inns lent to the court, not respectful to an oath, apparently not respectful to the whole proceedings, it doesn't play well in front of a jury. they need to hear this. this was a hard-fought battle as far as what really happened here, and this is what the state must rely on. i'm sorry, it does not play well, and also sadly for hurts trayvon martin's character a bit. you saw him using emtestifies. what we don't know is who initiated the confrontation. does she add anything to that that could be believed beyond a reasonable doubt? i believe she does not. >> jean, you were in the

courtroom during this testimony that went a for several hours. what was it like ithere? >> reporter: i think everybody was just strange to hear what she was saying and understand what she was saying. the focus hag so much on benjamin crump's enter view. why? that was closest in time to when she was on the phone with trayvon martin. they played that interview as sworn testimony. and i think one of the biggest inconsistencies they brought out minutes ago was in regard to what george zimmerman said after trayvon said, why are you following me? she said the answer was george zimmerman said, what are you doing around here? but she said to benjamin crump and to the defense in their deposition, what you talking about? that's what george zimmerman

said. similar but different statements. >> some inconsistencies. obviously this testimony will continue tomorrow. jean, thanks to you, thanks to all of our team. we'll continue to watch, obviously. there's other important news today that we're watching in the "the situation room" as well, include truly historic rulings from the united states supreme court, a huge victory for same-sex same-sex marriage. i'll ask california's attorney general. she's joining us this hour. plus the arrest of aaron hernandez, the now ex-nfl football star. he is charged with murder. ♪ norfolk southern what's your function? ♪

♪ hooking up the country helping business run ♪ ♪ build! we're investing big to keep our country in the lead. ♪ load! we keep moving to deliver what you need. and that means growth, lots of cargo going all around the globe. cars and parts, fuel and steel, peas and rice, hey that's nice! ♪ norfolk southern what's your function? ♪ ♪ helping this big country move ahead as one ♪ ♪ norfolk southern how's that function? ♪ sabra hummus is really delicious so you might be tempted to dip more than once.

♪ ahh...don't be afraid, flip it around, go back in. yup. oooo, this is a dilemma. oh, go ahead, we're family. ♪ oh, really? come on! you're lucky you're so cute. sabra hummus. dip life to the fullest. humans. even when we cross our "ts" and dot our "i's",

we still run into problems. that's why liberty mutual insurance offers accident forgiveness with our auto policies. if you qualify, your rates won't go up due to your first accident. because making mistakes is only human, and so are we. we also offer new car replacement, so if you total your new car, we'll give you the money for a new one. call liberty mutual insurance at... and ask us all about our auto features, like guaranteed repairs, where if you get into an accident and use one of our certified repair shops, the repairs are guaranteed for life. so call... to talk with an insurance expert about everything that comes standard with our base auto policy. and if you switch, you could save up to $423. liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy?

a dwyered supreme court delivers its rulings. justice anthony kennedy sided with the court's liberals to strike down a key provision of the defense of marriage act the winning plaintiff was 84 years old, eddie windsor was forced to pay a huge inheritance tax when her same-sex partner died. it cleared the way for same-sex marriage to resume in california, dismissing an appeal of the ruling that overturned proposition 8, saying the plaintiffs didn't have a stake in the case. let's get more from jifry toobin. walk us thus these decisions, the impact they will have on same-sex couples? >> the doma decision, that is a

very concrete practical impact on thousands of couples, because the defense of marriage act from 1996 said, even in states where same-sex marriage is legal, the federal government will not recognize those marriages. they can receive inheritance, from federal taxes. also what makes this decision so startingly is anthony kennedy ace language really does suggest there may be a constitutional right to same-sex marriage that could be applied in the 38 states that don't yet have same-sex marriage. >> though they didn't go that star. >> correct. they did not say that same-sex has to go beyond the 38 states,

but all the lawyers representing the same-sex plaintiffs are now saying we're going to take this fight to states, and there are certainly promising signals. >> in the other case it was a technical procedure resolution, but the bottom line appears to be that same-sex marriage will soon by legal in california. so the two california and new york, washington, oregon, man e massachusetts, a lot of big states will have -- >> they states that have already approved same-sex marriage, when it goes into full effect, about 30% of the country will have the opportunity, if they want to get involved in same-sex marriage. >> a clear, decisive -- >> the importance of anthony

kennedy cannot be overstated. yesterday the court overturned the key part of the voting rights act. he was the key vote in that case. he was the only justice who won in both cases. he is now the preeminent same-sex justice in history. >> explain why because of previous decisions that he sponsored. >> there have only been three major gay rights decisions in the history of the supreme court. the roamer case out of colorado in the late 1990s. >> '96. >> 2003 lawrence v. texas, the case that said gay people couldn't be criminally prosecuted, and now the defense of marriage act. all three of those cases were wring by anthony kennedy. regardless of what else he does in the long tenure, since 1987, appointed as ronald reagan, as

in essence, the father of constitutional gay rights in the united states. >> on this doma case, there were four liberate justices, the conservative four, they voted to try to keep it in place. he was the one who sided about the liberals. >> yesterday it was the same accomplice of the other eight justices, except he sided with the conservatives. it's just a good time to be anthony kennedy. >> 76 years old, nominated, appointed by ronald reagan back in the 1980s. what would the court look like if he were to retire one of these days? >> i could tell you if you could tell me who the president was at the time. if barack obama gets to appoint his replacement, then the court would have a core of five liberals. >> someone like elena kagan or sotomayor. >> if -- -- but he is a young

76. i don't think he's going anywhere any time soon. as you can see, he is enormously influential, and he likes that. >> i'm sure he does, and he is a young 76. if you speak with him, as we have, you know he'll be around for a while longer. it does show, though, that elections do have consequences, presidential elections, because a president can stay in office for four or eight years, but the justices they put on the court, they can stay there 30, even 40 careers. >> if john mccain had won in 2008, this decision would have gone the other way, because sonia sotomayor and elena kagan wouldn't have been there, republican appointees would have been there, as you say, elections have consequences. . rulings come on the last day of the court's term, anticipation gave way to jubilation, but not

necessarily for everyone. cnn's brian todd is getting reaction. what are you seeing, brian? >> reporter: clearly the tension had been building here for months, since the justices heard both of these cases, attorneys, advocating, everyone with a vested interest in these cases were pointing to this day as the day that could change the social fab bring of the united states. that certainly played out on the steps behind me. on the steps of the supreme court, jubilation among same-sex marriage supporters, moments after the first ruling which bludgeoned the defense of marriage act and made it easier legally for same-sex couples to get federal benefits. they let the nervousness melt away. >> i don't even have words. i'm just so happy, overrun with emotion. i couldn't be more proud of my country and the supreme court today. i'm so happy tore a part of it. >> in san francisco, the emotion was palpable as the court

cleared the way for same-sex marriages to resume in california. advocates cheering, crying, even planning like louis and -- >> i'm confident and we've already picked a date. >> yeah, we did. >> back in d.c., andress and guillermo had a similar idea. >> and the possibility of me making a life with him, together. >> what do we have? >> equality. >> when did we get it? >> now! >> reporter: across the street from the court and among conservatives, the feeling was that the country's social fabric was changing for the worse. >> i think it will be very, very devastating for our country over the long term. because what it means is the inevitable marginalization of marriage and the subversion of the most essential institution for human existence. >> reverend rob shanks said this wasn't the court's decision to

make. >> the supreme court has no authority when it comes to the nature of marriage. that authority belongs to the creator. >> reporter: on both sides, emotions had been building toward this single day, this pair of rulings for months. part of the reason for the court's move was a sense of anticipation and that this was it. however you were invested in these cases, knowing this was the last day of the session, so when the rulings came out, the emotions boiled over. certainly for louis phillips, who says his parents just met his new boyfriend. >> so relieve, so happy. i was just on the phone with my parents and almost brought to tears five minutes ago. so very, very happy. >> reporter: what is it that gets you emotional? >> just think about how many more people are happy now than they were an hour ago. that simple thought. >> reporter: louis says he hopes the momentum will continue not

only domestically with changes in the more than 30 states, but also globally as well. >> reporter: thank you. with the dismissal of proposition 8, the appeal in california, that state is getting ready to resume same-sex weddings after almost five years. joining us now, california's attorney general. attorney general, thank you very much for joining us on this very historic day. i want to get some practical impact of what this decision, as far as proposition 8 in california means. jerry brown issued a same says i have directed the department of public health to advise the state's counties, they must be gin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in california, as soon as the ninth circuit confirms the stay is lifted. when do you believe the ninth circuit will confirm that the stay -- in other words their

decision that doesn't allow the same-sex marriages to go forward, when will they release that stay? >> well, first, it's a great day in california, and i think it's a great day in this country. so the circuit, i am requesting that the ninth circuit left that stay as soon as it can. there are a lot of couples who have been waiting a long time for their equal right to be married. each day is not equal in the days that have passed, babies have been born, relatives have died, and justice should not be denied and should not be delayed. >> some experts have suggested it could take 25 days, maybe 30 days for that stay to be lifted. is that what you are hearing? >> well, it's correct that the

court today issued a ruling, but the judgment becomes effective 125 days after the united states supreme court issues its ruling. however, the ninth circuit does have in its power to lift the stay before those 25 days have passed. so it is our hope that the court will do just that. again appreciating the fact that there have been too many days and for too long the citizens of our state, residents of our state have been denied a due process under the law, denied equal protection under the law. the marriages should begin as quickly and as soon as possible. >> earlier today, austin was the co-counsel, he was the one supporting proposition 8, and this is what he said. i'll play a little clip for you. >> the four plaintiffs that brought this lawsuit may have a right to get licenses issued to them this was not a class-action. for propositional, it's the state of the law.

and because there's no appellate court decision holding it unconstitutional. proposition 8 remains the law of that state. >> is he right? >> he's absolutely wrong. the last ruling by judge von walker is there would be a permanent injunction basically stopping prop 8 from taking effect. in his ruling, judge von walker indicated that it would apply directly to the parties before it, including the state department of public health, which oversees each of the 58 counties in california and the work they do, giving out marriage licenses. so it is very clear that, in the case of that, in a case that was also litigated in california, and also one of the federal rules, that combined, rule 65, that combined it is very clear to us after a careful review of the law, that all 58 counties

must abide by judge walker's ruling and once the stay is lifted, and to do otherwise would be in violation of the law. >> you have no doubt within a month, if not sooner, gay kurples will be allowed to get married. >> no doubt whatsoever. the bells will ring and the marriages will begin, and it's a great day in our state for equal protection under law for all people. you know, i look at the issue from a number of perspectives, including the fact that we have 50,000 children in california who are the children of those same-sex couples, and those children are looking up at their parents and us as the leaders of their community, saying why can't my parents and their marriage be considered as legitimate under the law, as those of my classmates. and what we know as of today,

very soon in california we'll be able to look down at those children and say, yes, your parents are equal to any other parents, and we will sanctify and recognize them as a married couple under the law with all the rights that come with that. >> thanks so much, attorney general, for joining us. >> thank you. thank you, wolf. a pro football player held without bail, charged now with murder. new details are coming into "the situation room" on the arrest of aaron hernandez of the new england patriots. [ male announcer ] the mercedes-benz summer event is here. now get the mercedes-benz you've always dreamed of. but hurry, because a good thing like this won't last forever. [ tires screech ] here you go, honey. thank you. [ male announcer ] see your authorized dealer for an incredible offer on the exhilarating c250 sport sedan. ♪ "that starts with one of the world's most advancedy,"dan. distribution systems," "and one of the most efficient trucking networks," "with safe, experienced drivers."

"we work directly with manufacturers," "eliminating costly markups," "and buy directly from local farmers in every region of the country." "when you see our low prices, remember the wheels turning behind the scenes, delivering for millions of americans, everyday. "dedication: that's the real walmart" good thing she's got the citi simplicity card. it doesn't charge late fees or a penalty rate, ever. because she's got other things to stress about. ♪ go to citi.com/simplicity to apply. ♪ every day we're working to and to keep our commitments. and we've made a big commitment to america. bp supports nearly 250,000 jobs here.

through all of our energy operations, we invest more in the u.s. than any other place in the world. in fact, we've invested over $55 billion here in the last five years - making bp america's largest energy investor. our commitment has never been stronger.

and so too is the summer event. now get an incredible offer on the powerful c250 sport sedan. but hurry before this opportunity...disappears. the mercedes-benz summer event ends soon. to massachusetts now, where just hours after being arrested, authorities have formally charged the now former new england patriots tight end, aaron hernandez, with first-degree murder in the death of a 27-year-old man whose body was found less than a mile from

his home. hernandez was dropped from the team almost as soon as the arrest was made. our national correspondent susan candiotti has been working the story for us, and joining us now with the very latest. what are you learning now? >> reporter: this guy was very popular tight end for the patriots. now charged with shooting to death a friend of his, execution style as the prosecution drewibles it. this happened eight days ago. the authorities explained it by saying that aaron hernandez was allegedly angry about something that this man had said to some people that aaron hernandez knew at a nightclub. so a few days later, he is accused of picking up his friend at his home about 40 miles away in boston and driving him to a location where she was shot to death. here's what the prosecutor said in court. >> as he tried to turn, he was

shot in the back. as he felt on the ground and the defendant and he conphet rats stood over him, he actually was still alive, because one of his arms moved up to try to cover one of the windows. the defendant then drove home, entered the house with his gun. he disposed of the gun. the next day he changed cars and disconnected the surrailance. >> reporter: now disconnecting surveillance at his home. authorities say he had 14 surveillance cameras in that house and they have video of him entering the house with other people. before the victim was shot to death, authorities say they have other evidence as well. they say the victim was texting his sister and said, did you see who i was with? and then added, "nfl." they said they also have various

location, surveillance that show the two men together and on the deadman's body, he found a wallet and keys to a receipt annual car that was rented in the name of aaron hernandez. the defense attorney says all of this is circumstantial evidence. but hernandez does face not only that first degree moral charge, but five other weapons charges as well. the judge said i am not going to grant him bail. >> obviously it's rare when you get bail with murder charges. jeffrey toobin is still with us. it's not unusual at all, you're charged with first degree murder, you ain't going to be getting bail. is that right? >> that's right, even though massachusetts doesn't have the death penalty, so he's not eligible for the death penal, but certainly he is eligible for life in prison. he's clearly a risk of flight, so they're not going to let him

out. >> let's assume his attorneys are all arguing it's circumstantial. how credible is that? i don't know how strong the evidence is. >> right. it's important at this early stage to recognize his defense may be i didn't do it, someone else did it. what's your evidence? remember, there are, even according to the prosecutors, two conphet rats, two other people involved in what the prosecution calls this execution-style murder, so what the so-called confederates or guilty instead of hernandez is certainly something that will play out. >> people are already making comparisons to another great nfl player, o.j. simpson. he was accused of murder and eventually acquitted. >> he certainly was. o.j. simpson was a national

figure, a national broadcaster, on commercials that everybody sees. >> an actor. >> aaron hernandez, i would say, is known really only in the new england area, and only for plays football. he has no fame outside of that. he does have a pretty checkered history. he's been charged in a civil suit in connection with a shooting in florida. he has a troubled background, but certainly nothing on the order of this. hi just received a $40 million contract from the patriots. he's not seeing that money any time soon or probably ever. >> the patriots dropped him immediately issuing a strong statement along those lines. jeffrey, thank you very much for a lot of work today. up next, the confusion over edward snowden's middle name allow the nsa leaker to slip away? ready? happy birthday! it's a painting easel! the tide's coming in!

this is my favorite one. it's upside down. oh, sorry. (woman vo) it takes him places he's always wanted to go. that's why we bought a subaru. (announcer) love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. plays a key role throughout our lives. one a day women's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for women's health concerns as we age. it has 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day 50+. it has 7 antioxidants to support cell health. i tthan probablycare moreanyone else.and we've had this farm for 30 years. we raise black and red angus cattle. we also produce natural gas. that's how we make our living and that's how we can pass the land and water back to future generations. people should make up their own mind what's best for them. all i can say is it has worked well for us.

...and we inspected his brakes for free. -free is good. -free is very good. [ male announcer ] now get 50% off brake pads and shoes at meineke. middle name of the nsa leaker, edward snowden that may have given china cover to let him leave hong kong for russia. he remains in limbo in the transit zone of moscow's international airport. our foreign affairs

correspondent, jill doherty is joining us with details. this gets murkier and murkier, what are we learning? >> the latest wrinkle is apparently when the papers were sent by the justice department, he was variously, we're told, was referred to as edward j., or his middle name, still confusion as to whether it's james or joseph. in any case, the hong kong authorities said the names don't coincide. therefore, we can't issue a warrant and therefore, we can't hold him, so he left. now the justice department just this afternoon, the justice department spokeswoman gave a statement to cnn and listen to what they're saying because they're pushing it right back. the true motive of the letter, this spokeswoman says, from hong kong authorities, is revealed by its request for the supposed clarification of mr. snowden's identity. with regard to his middle name. the fugitive's photos and videos were widely reported through

multiple news outlets, that hong kong would ask for more information about his identity demonstrates it was simply trying to create a pretext for not acting on the provisional arrest request. >> well couldn't the u.s. government simply look in his u.s. passport. issued by the state department, the passport office and take a look and see what his first name, middle name and last name is, to make sure that whatever name they provided the chinese would coincide with the passport. even if it had been invalidated, if you will to make sure wouldn't be an excuse the chinese would have to let him go? >> you would suspect that would be the case, bowolf, but apparently there was a snafu. at the 11th hour friday, they say this is a problem. >> it gave the chinese an excuse to let him go. that john kerry, the secretary

of state, keeps saying that the u.s. has given the russians seven russians over the past couple of years. russians that are wanted in russia. out of the goodwill of the u.s., even though there's no formal extradition treaty and they should hand over snowden. do we know anything about these seven? >> we've asked numerous times, all we know is that they are supposedly high-level criminals. we're not talking about spies. that was made clear, anna chapman is not, has not been handed over. but these are criminals. now, the why we're not getting the names, listen to patrick cantrell of the state department. when we come back, paula deen loses yet another major endorsement deal hours after giving her first interview since the racial controversy began. plus three stunning wimbledon defeats. which tennis stars are now out, out of the tournament. but first, spokes legend bo

jackson, impacting his world. >> hi, i'm bo jackson and we can make an impact after the storm. >> this is what one deadly twister left behind in tusk tuscaloo tuscaloosa, alabama. >> i got phone calls from relatives and friends, saying there was a bad storm, a big tornado that came through. i sat up and thought about what can i do to give back to my community. and i came up with this ha hare-brained idea to ride a bicycle across the state. i decided to make it an annual event to raise money for the tornado victims. when you don't have a place to get out of the way of a tornado, a lot of people get injured. lose their lives, hiding in a closet or get in a bathtub. it doesn't work when the whole house is getting picked up off the foundation and thrown down the street.

to continue this bike ride, and to raise money, to build community tornado shelters, i think that's my calling. >> join the movement, impact your world. go to cnn.com/impact. what makes the sleep number store different?

what makes the sleep you walk into a conventional mattress store, it's really not about you. they say, "well, if you wanted a firm bed you can lie on one of those. we provide the exact individualization that your body needs. oh, yeah! once you experience it, there's no going back. while we make room for our latest innovations, save $500 to $800 on the closeout of our memory foam and iseries bed sets. plus, free shipping-for five days only! only at the sleep number store. sleep number. comfort individualized.

celebrity chef paula deen's

troubles keep on coming. walmart and caesar's entertainment corporation ended their business relationships with her today. she's also been dropped by smithfield foods and the food network over allegations of racism that came to light when a former restaurant employee sued her. deen became a emotional on nbc's "today show," calling the allegations and i'm quoting here now, horrible lies. >> i is what i is and i'm not changing. and -- there's someone evil out there. that saw what i had worked for and they wanted it. >> stocks got a huge bump on wall street today, the dow jones industrial average jumps 150 points on the news of a weak gdp reading which investors are hoping will keep the fed stimulus going. the markets have been volatile, driven by fears that the federal

reserve will begin to ease the stimulus measures by the end of the year. astronomers are increasingly optimistic there could be a whole new universe out there where other life may exist. according to findings published today, a new star has been identified with up to seven planets, three of which could potentially host life. the star system is believed to be 22 light years away. the lead researcher says this is the largest numb of so-called habitable zone planets ever discovered. more shocking upsets at wimbledon today, seven-time champion roger federer suffered one of the most staggers defeats in the history of the tournament after being beaten by ukraine's 116th-ranked player. third-seed maria sharapova who won the tournament in 2004 suffered a stunning loss in the second round, beaten by a player ranked 131st in the world.

monday, rafael nadal was knocked out of the first round. a pair of victories for same-sex marriage supporters. what you need to know about today's historic u.s. supreme court rulings. plus, he's a former nfl player now, charged with murder. aaron hernandez handcuffed and arrested for the killing of his friend. and michael jackson's teenaged son says his dad feared concert promotors would kill him, stand by for the dramatic testimony from prince jackson. i'm wolf blitzer, we want to welcome our viewers from the united states and around the world. you're in the situation room. it's a day of celebration for supporters of same-sex marriage, the u.s. supreme court across the nation and online in two major decisions today, the justices ruled that legally married same-sex couples are in

fact entitled to federal benefits. and they cleared the way for same-sex marriage to be legal once again in california. some conservatives and religious leaders are calling the rulings disappointing and even harmful for the country. the legal and political debate over the issue is far from over. the justices steered clear of making any sweeping statements on whether same-sex marriage is basic constitutional right across the entire country. let's dive into the details of these historic rulings with our crime and justice correspondent, joe johns, joining us now from the united states supreme court. joe? >> wolf, these are two hugely important historic rulings that could redefine what it means to be a spouse across this country from coast to coast. elation outside the supreme court, and dejection as a 5-4 majority tore out the heart of the defense of marriage act, which denied federal benefits to

same-sex couples for 17 years. in the courtroom, a stifled squeal of joy from the audience when justice anthony kennedy announced his ruling. doma is a unconstitutional as a deprivation of the liberty of the person protected by the fifth amendment. it's up to states to regulate marriage, not the government. edie windsor brought the case to fight a huge tax bill when her wife died. >> on a practical level, i was taxed $363,000 in federal estate tax that i would not have been to pay if i had been married to a man. >> justice antonin scalia's dissert was scathing. when the court declared a constitutional right to homosexual sodomy, we were assured that nothing that the government would give a formal relationship. now we're told that doma is invalid because it demeans the couple whose moral and sexual

choices the constitution protects. just minutes later, the other 5-4 decision on california's proposition 8. this time chief justice john roberts gave the opinion for other tired and weary-looking justices. he said the court could not decide the california case, because opponents of same-sex marriage could not show how they had been harmed. which means gay marriage in california can resume when a lower court gives the word. though opponents promise to keep fighting. >> this is far from over. in fact time is not on the side of those who want to redefine marriage. >> joe, you were inside the supreme court when they released the decisions, you were with those nine justices, one of the few reporters allowed inside. i know you're an attorney, you're a graduate of law school. what was it like? set the scene for us. >> it was quite a moment, wolf, quite frankly, the justices of the supreme court looking absolutely exhausted at the end of the term, some just seeming to want to get it over with.

but i think the thing i was left with in the courtroom, was the differences between the people in front, all of the lawyers as is traditional. in the back, a whole new generation, a whole new crowd of young people, many of them clearly supporters of marriage equality in their summer clothes and their flip-flops. some of whom stayed up all night just to see this moment. got what they asked for, wolf. >> joe johns, a graduate of american university law school in the nation's capitol doing excellent work for us. one of the high-profile lawyer who is argued for same rights says today's rulings bring the nation closer to true equality. david boyes represented the couples who challenged california's same-sex marriage ban. he spoke to our chief political analyst, gloria borjer about the impact of the decisions soon after they were handed down. >> the supreme court is now on record as saying that there is no harm to anybody in allowing

gay and lesbian couples to marry the people that they love. and that by itself eliminates any rational basis for any state to discriminate in terms of who can marry. >> so are you saying to me now, that this opens the doors for same-sex marriage in states other than california? >> absolutely. i think no court can now uphold discriminate story laws that prohibit gay and lesbian citizens from marrying. i think that all of those laws are going to be held unconstitutional just applying the principles that the supreme court articulated today. >> and so are you and your co-counsel, ted olsen, going to try and make the same case in other states? >> we're going to make sure that the promise that the supreme court made today, that all american citizens deserve marriage equality, is fulfilled.

>> how do you do that? >> we'll talk about that tonight or maybe tomorrow morning. >> give me some idea of the kinds of things that you could do? >> i think among other things, we'll be talking to state legislatures, trying to convince them that they ought not to wait for a court case, that they ought to adopt marriage equality now. the supreme court has said that legislators as well as courts have a responsibility to enforce the constitution, so we would hope that we would continue to find state by state, adopting their marriage equality through legislature, through referendum and through the courts. >> what if in the state of california, the proponents of proposition 8 try and go back through the court system to say that they do have parties who are aggrieved? >> no chance. no chance. >> you don't think -- >> zero chance, that's over. proposition 8 is dead and it's

not coming back. >> you've been at this for a long time, you and ted olsen. >> it feels great. my only regret as i said, is that ted can't be here. i mean we've been joined at the hip the last four years. it could not have been a better experience. i could not have had a better colleague and partner. >> the court did not decide on the broad issue that you would have liked. you have called which the great civil rights issue of this generation. and you said that this was a violation of the equal protection clause of the constitution. that is not what the court decided. the court decided on something called standing, which is more jurisdictional and less broad than what you really would have liked in a perfect world, right? >> yes and no. in a perfect world we would have liked for them to declare marriage equality for all 50 states. but what the court did today in doma, was they said that there was no basis for this

discrimination. >> didn't you know all along, that you were asking the court to do a really heavy lift, you know, asking the court to say -- in all 50 states, same-sex marriage should be legal. didn't you know that? >> of course, and that's the court stepped up to it. the court could have ducked. the doma case on standing, it didn't. what the court did was they said the government has standing because it's going to affect the government and in the california case, what they said was we can't breach it. because the proponents don't have dme standing. but standing is more than just a technical doctrine. because if they had had any injury, or if they had had any concrete injury, they would have had standing. when the court says they don't have standing, what they're saying is there isn't anybody who is harmed by marriage equality. and if no one is harmed by marriage equality. there's no legitimate state

interest. in five years our goal is to have marriage equality throughout the country. i think that's an achievable goal. >> gloria, you're in the situation room with me right now, you've got to give ted olsen and david boies, four years ago when they started this journey together. they come from from opposite ends of the political spectrum, gore versus bush. they argued before the supreme court on opposite sides. a lot of supporters thought maybe this isn't the right time. they didn't know that justice kennedy was going to vote in favor of doing away with goma. >> there's a lot of skepticism within the gay community saying why are you doing this now. it's moving quite nicely through the states. let it move through the states first, because the court is never going to rule in your favor. we're never going to get this and you could set us back. and ted olsen and david boies had a very different vision, they knew it was the state of california and it would give

them an advantage and they had a vision that they could get this through to the supreme court and then here they are today, not quite what the ruling they would have wanted in a perfect world. but in the end, same-sex couples are going to be able to get married in the state of california and they believe as you heard david boies say, that that will get the ball rolling in the 38 states where gay marriage is not allowed. >> we heard from the attorney general of california, the marriages in california could begin within 25 to 30 days. up next, he's off the football field in jail. what's next for the ex-new england patriots tight end, aaron hernandez, now that he's been charged with first-degree murder. and gripping testimony by a friend of trayvon martin about his last moments before george zimmerman shot him.

yeah, a little bit more of the lime green love yeah... or letting them know they can reach geico 24/7 using the latest technology. go on, slather it all over. don't hold back, go on... it's these high-definition televisions, i'll tell ya, they show every wrinkle. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. "that starts with one of the world's most advancedy," distribution systems," "and one of the most efficient trucking networks," "with safe, experienced drivers." "we work directly with manufacturers," "eliminating costly markups," "and buy directly from local farmers in every region of the country." "when you see our low prices, remember the wheels turning behind the scenes, delivering for millions of americans, everyday. "dedication: that's the real walmart" well, he showed up in a van. [ women ] oh-awww. [ voices in background ]

[ female announcer ] swapportunity. the opportunity to swap a higher calorie snack for a delicious 90 calorie yoplait light. ♪ sorry... about your date, the details of your date. [ female announcer ] just one swap a day helps keep the calories away. yoplait. it is so good. [ i don't know.er ] how did you get here? helps keep the calories away. [ speaking in russian ] look, look, look... you probably want to get away as much as we do. with priceline express deals, you can get a fabulous hotel without bidding. think of the rubles you'll save. with one touch, fun in the sun. i like fun. well, that went exactly i as planned.. really?

now ex-nfl player is in

jail, charged with first-degree murder. prosecutors say aaron hernandez orchestrated a man's execution last week, then tried to destroy the evidence. the new england patriots released hernandez almost immediately, after his arrest earlier today. let's bring in rachel nichols of cnn sports, who is watching the story for us. lots of, lots of amazing developments, who would have thought this could happen. but what are you learning, rachel? >> up until this afternoon, the speculation was that police were looking at an obstruction of justice charge for hernandez. so it sent shock waves throughout the world of sports when it was a murder charge announced this afternoon. now here's the prosecution today laying out a dispute at the club that they think was between the two men. and that they say was at the root of this incident. >> the defendant went to a club on friday nirt together with the victim and apparently at that time, is when the victim spoke to people that the defendant was not happy about.

hours before the homicide, the defendant told a third party that he couldn't trust anyone any more and he seemed upset. at that time, he was holding a firearm. it was the defendant who made the arrangements to meet with the victim. he then called his friends to come up and as i indicated by the nature of his text, the suggesting there was some urgency that they get up here. >> the d.a. used strong language in this case saying hernandez orchestrated the crime from the beginning and took steps to conceal and destroy evidence. that is of course in reference to hours of video on hernandez' home surveillance system that's missing and a cell phone that he smashed. in response, the defense attorney said that the evidence in the case is circumstantial and were not able to secure bail. and now a man who started the day with a relatively new $40 million contract, is now unemployed and in jail. >> what's the conversation in

nfl circles about what happened and whether anyone could have seen this coming? >> there are some people sitting around the league saying i told you so when hernandez was drafted. there were questions about whether he would be a good influence on the team and had good character. there was suspected gang ties and questions about marijuana use in college. at the same time he went and played for the patriots and he was thought of relatively well in new england. so well that they did give him a new, pricey contract last summer and the owner of the team, robert kraft came out at the time and said this guy has proven himself to be a good kid. not necessarily something that you could see coming and certainly not what we saw today. >> rachel nichols, thanks, rachel very much. let's dig deeper into the case with our senior loyal analyst, jebry toobin. if you're one of the criminal defense attorneys, what do you do now? >> people who are accused of

first-degree murder in basically any state don't get out on bail. but this does look like a somewhat complicated circumstantial case. the prosecution claim is that hernandez and two polices executed the victim in in a lot nearby. nearby hernandez' house. what you want to know is, is there evidence that hernandez pulled the trigger? what was the role of the two supposed accomplices? that's going to be a key issue here. but this is the very early stages of what's likely to be a pretty complicated investigation for both the prosecution and the defense. >> we could go on and on, jeffrey thanks, very much. up next, gripping testimony about trayvon martin's final moments, hear it for yourself, what happened in the courtroom. and one of cnn's most iconic shows is making a comeback. stand by for two of our new

"cross fire" hosts. we do a ton of research projects on angie's list.home... at angie's list, you'll find reviews on everything from home repair to healthcare written by people just like you. with angie's list, i save time, money, and i avoid frustration. you'll find great companies and great angie's list discounts. you want to be sure the money you're about to spend is money well spent. before you have any work done on your home... go to angie's list. go to angie's list. find out why more than two million members count on angie's list. angie's list -- reviews you can trust. you stole my line.

every day we're working to and to keep our commitments. and we've made a big commitment to america. bp supports nearly 250,000 jobs here. through all of our energy operations, we invest more in the u.s. than any other place in the world. in fact, we've invested over $55 billion here in the last five years - making bp america's largest energy investor. our commitment has never been stronger. to help protect your eye health as you age... would you take it? well, there is. [ male announcer ] it's called ocuvite. a vitamin dedicated to your eyes, from bausch + lomb. as you age, eyes can lose vital nutrients. ocuvite helps replenish key eye nutrients. ocuvite is uniquely formulated to help protect your eye health. now that's a pill worth taking. [ male announcer ] ocuvite. help protect your eye health. and now there's ocuvite eye + multi. an eye vitamin and multivitamin in one.

attracting national attention, the case against george zimmerman, the neighborhood watch guard accused of second-degree murder of trayvon martin. one of martin's friends who was on the phone with him during the final minutes while he was still alive told the jury what she heard. >> i said trayvon, and then he said -- why are you following me for? and i heard a hard-breath man saying what you doing coming around here. >> and trayvon and why are you

following me for. >> and a hard-breathing man saying what you doing around here. >> let me interrupt you. is what you just told us, a conversation that you're having with trayvon? or trayvon is having with someone else? >> having with someone else. >> that's what you're hearing? >> yeah. >> trayvon martin complained? >> yeah. >> what was he kplabing about? >> that a man just kept watching him. >> after he said that, what did you say anything back to him? or did he say anything back to you? >> yes. i asked him how the man look. he just told me that, the man looked creepy. and -- >> he said the man looked creepy. >> creepy white. a few of my neighbors crack. >> they're having trouble hearing you. >> creepy-ass cracker.

>> let's get some analysis on what happened. our legal correspondent, jean casarez who was inside the courtroom and our legal analyst, jeffrey tuben. she clearly, jean is a major witness for the prosecution, how did she do in this case? >> she's a critical witness, you're so right. in the courtroom the jurors were so focused on her. they can take notes, but i think they were trying to understand her, hear what she has to say. probably think about it in relation to our things that they have heard. because this is now a test of credibility. do you believe george zimmerman, do you believe this witness. i think it's going to be difficult for the jury so they're going to revert to things like time codes on telephone calls. 7:09 p.m. that's when george zimmerman made the nonemergency 911 call. he wasn't walking at that time, you doesn't hear he says, i see somebody, he looks suspicious, he's turning around, he's looking at me, he's coming toward me. at the very same time, she's on the phone with trayvon martin.

and she testified today, that during that call, all george zimmerman did was follow trayvon through the entire time. >> so who do you think jeffrey, got more of a benefit? so far, from her testimony? >> it's a tough call because she's a peculiar witness. the story she tells does help the prosecution that george zimmerman was following trayvon martin, bothering him. making trayvon martin feel uncomfortable. but she has a lot of problems as a witness, she's hard to understand, she's young, she's nervous and she has told falsehoods as she acknowledged in the past. so does the jury regard her as a teenager who is just sort of overwhelmed who told some lies at first? or do they regard her as someone who can't be trusted in a criminal case? that's the challenge for both sides of this witness. >> jean did you get a sense of who was helped more by her testimony? ? we're in the middle of the crass examination right now and they're going to impeach her with a prior deposition, the

interview she did with benjamin crump and i think the devil is going to be in the details. you've got to look at the fine points to see if she's being credible or if she's not. that's going to be the job of the jury. >> she wasn't very happy about all of this. when they said to her, at least another two hours of cross-examination, tomorrow, she clearly was irritated. how does that play, jeffrey, on a jury? >> you never know it fits into the whole context, at one level, the jurors i think understand that a kid, essentially, she's only in 12th grade, thrust into this national spotlight is going to react in an uncomfortable way. but they also may simply say you know what, we just can't trust her. that she's told too many different stories. i think you have to see how her testimony fits into everything else. so i'm going to give you a ringing -- i'm not sure. >> i'm sure a lot of people are waiting to see what happens tomorrow, jeffrey toobin, thank

you and jean casarez, we'll check in with you tomorrow as well. up next, michael jackson's son, prince, talks about his father's fears that his concert comeback would kill him. i'll ask a former lawyer for the pop star about the testimony we heard today. and also it may be the nsa leaker's best hope for asylum. unless the u.s. can convince ecuador the price is too high. ♪ now you can give yourself a kick in the rear! v8 v-fusion plus energy. natural energy from green tea plus fruits and veggies. need a little kick? ooh! could've had a v8. in the juice aisle. to accept less and less in the name of style and sophistication. but to us, less isn't more. more is more. abundant space, available leading-edge technology, impeccable design, and more than you've come to expect from a luxury vehicle.

the lexus es350 and epa-estimated 40 mpg es hybrid. this is the pursuit of perfection. what makes the sleep number store different? what makes the sleep you walk into a conventional mattress store, it's really not about you. they say, "well, if you wanted a firm bed you can lie on one of those. we provide the exact individualization that your body needs. oh, yeah! once you experience it, there's no going back. while we make room for our latest innovations, save $500 to $800 on the closeout of our memory foam and iseries bed sets.

plus, free shipping-for five days only! only at the sleep number store. sleep number. comfort individualized. humans. we are beautifully imperfect creatures living in an imperfect world. that's why liberty mutual insurance has your back, offering exclusive products like optional better car replacement, where if your car is totaled, we give you the money to buy one a model year newer. call... and ask an insurance expert about all our benefits today, like our 24/7 support and service, because at liberty mutual insurance, we believe our customers do their best out there in the world, so we do everything we can to be there for them when they need us. plus, you could save hundreds when you switch, up to $423. call...

today. liberty mutual insurance -- responsibility. what's your policy? happening now, a star witness in the michael jackson's wrongful death lawsuit, his teenaged son, prince, opening up about the private moments he had with his dad. plus behind-the-scenes moments in today's landmark supreme court rulings on same-sex marriage. what happened? we'll show you, and i'll talk to newt gingrich on the right and stephanie qatar on the left, two of the hosts for the comeback of cnn's "crossfire."

i'm woolf blitzer, you're in th cnn situation room. michael jackson was fiercely protective of his children. but today his teenaged son, prince testified in a a public courtroom about his father's death and his family's private life. it was a powerful moment in the jackson family's wrongful death lawsuits against the promotors of the pop star's comeback concert. let's go to california and cnn's tory dunman is joining us. what happened? >> he said off the top he was really nervous and he had never done it before. all of it lasted just under two hours and at times it got very emotional. for most of his childhood life, prince michael jackson lived in relatively obscurity, fiercely protected by his famous father. now the 16-year-old is at the central of a wrongful death trial against aeg live, the music company that tried to resurrect michael jackson's career. >> during prince's testimony,

his lawyer showed intimate home videos and pictures. birthdays. >> i'm daddy's baby and i love my daddy. >> christmas. what's special about december 25th? >> it's christmas. >> and even teaching the kids how to sing. >> dressed in a black suit and soft-spoken, prince described his father as a nurturer and teacher. but prince appeared to choke up when questioned about the day his father died. he testified that the king of pop was excited about the comeback tour. but in the weeks leading up to his death, he became really, really skinny and his body temperature would go up and down. prince said his father would cry after phone calls saying quote, they're going to kill me. they're going to kill me. according to prince, he was referring to aeg live ceo randy phillips and his ex-manager, dr. tomei tomei, that prince visited

jackson's home and prince said quote he was grabbing by the back of his elbow and they were really close and he was making hand motions. aeg live denies any responsibility for jackson's death. cnn has extensively covered the jackson family. >> the jurors saw the humanity of michael jackson and the found out in the videos and pictures and what prince was saying, he was a great dad. >> since jackson's death four years ago, his three children have emerged in the spotlight to honor their legendary father. now jackson's teen son is confronted with another painful chapter. in a courtroom where a jury will decide who is responsible for the death of a musical icon. >> and wolf, katherine jackson was also in the courtroom today. lawyer for the jackson family said she was extremely proud of

her grandson. attorneys are saying it could go on until august. >> tori, thanks very much. let's bring in former lawyer for michael jackson, thomas messirow. did you have a clue about how much michael jackson spoke to his children. how much he confided to his children about what was going on? >> yes, i did, wolf. wolf, i became his lead criminal defense counsel nine months before the criminal trial started. i replaced attorneys brafman and geragos, i observed his interaction with his children, as well as the succeeding five and a half months of trial. he was constantly with his children. his days revolved around his children. he was very protective, very doting. he played with them. he read with them. he taught them. he was very protective that they not be exposed to media influences, to anything that would complicate their life or cause undue conflict in the home. he was a very devoted father.

very close with his children. they absolutely adored him. i remember the day he was acquitted. i was at neverland and the children were jumping all over him and hugging him and i'm grateful to say they did the same thing with me. these children loved him and when he passed away they were absolutely devastated. he was a wonderful role model and a wonderful father and he cared so much about them. >> how key do you believe these two kids, prince and paris, are to this case, to this trial? >> they're very important. first of all, they're plaintiffs, they're suing aeg. it's katherine and michael's three children. they're plaintiffs, they're major prayers in the case, this system was so powerful in an of itself. you have to judge it by what happened before today. the jury just heard from a professor at stanford, who is an expert on medical ethics.

eag had had a relationship with conrad murray. aeg in emails is pressuring conrad murray, reminding him who is paying his salary. and he's a medical doctor who is responsible to his patient. but he's being pressured by the corporation that's paying him. when you take the testimony of prince today, and you put that in conjunction with what this professor said, from stanford, it's very powerful testimony for the plaintiffs and i think very fatal to aeg. >> did michael jackson confide new and say he was fearful of his life? >> i told me he was fearful of his life many times, he was fearful of the people who conspired to bring the criminal case against him and he would call me at 3:00 a.m. during the trial, tearful of what could happen with his children. he was concerned that people were conspiring to take his wealth. the people had instigated a false criminal prosecution with

the district attorney to try to take him down. they wanted him in prison so they could sue him and he wouldn't be able to fight back. but always the major fear for him was what it would do to his wonderful children who he loved so much. >> tom, thanks very much for coming in. >> thank you for having me, wolf, i appreciate it. >> coming up next, will the nsa leaker might be getting to ecuador. >> and i'll be talking with the new host of stephanie cutter on the left, newt gingrich on the right. love holds us in the beginning. comforts us as we grow old. love is the reason you care. for all the things in your life... that make life worth living.

♪ ♪ sweet love of mine

big news today for all political news junkies out there, "crossfire" is coming back to cnn this fall. this time around, newt gingrich will be our host on the right, stephanie cutter and van jones will host from the left. two of "crossfire's" new hosts, stephanie cutter and newt gingrich are joining me now in the situation room. congratulations to both of you, we're looking forward to "crossfire" coming back. let's talk about what's happening today. huge news from the united states supreme court. mr. speaker you were one of the architects of the defense of marriage act back in the '90s, the justices in a 5-4 ruling today said it was unconstitutional. your reaction? >> well, i agree with chief justice roberts, who said that the court is in effect becoming a third political branch. the judgment of justice kennedy and the way in which he wrote the judgment was pretty offensive to 85 u.s. senators

and an overwhelming of the house majority and president clinton who signed the bill. so i'm very concerned to the degree by which the court is inch by inch losing touch with whatever the judicial process is in the second decision today, eight million californians voted. their governor refused to uphold the law. their attorney general refused to uphold the law, by 5-4rks the supreme court said eight million californians have no standing in the u.s. supreme court and we wonder why washington is held in such low repute, so i think the process is as important as the outcome. >> stephanie, tell him why he's wrong. >> i think what the court did is reflect where the country is and doma was originally passed to discriminate against a subset of the american people. and what the court essentially said today is that's wrong. you can't discriminate against a subset of the merge people and i'm fairly certain that president clinton is not insulted about i this decision, i think he firmly agrees with

it. >> he put out a strong statement saying he regrets having signed that defense of marriage act into law. as you know, mr. speaker. >> sure, there's no question the country's mood today is different than it was in the mid 1990s. the question is, is that a decision best left up to the american people, in the election process. or should five judges be the people who decide what america is all about? i think it's dangerous to have five judges with that level of power. >> go ahead, stephanie. >> i think that it's not dangerous for the court to jump in when something is wrong with a judgment that congress is making or when anybody is making them. i think the country has moved significantly since doma was passed. i think many of us believe doma was wrong to begin with. but the country has moved and the court was reflecting that movement. dozen of states allow americans to get married, gay americans to get married. what happens to those people, they're denied very important

benefits under doma. >> and where we disagree is i think is that's a process that should be handled by the american people politically. and it's not just a question of this particular case. the u.s. supreme court again and again, has one person, 4-4 and then one person gets to be in effect a constitutional convention. when they decided that in plesy versus ferguson, they created jim crow laws for 84 years, when they decided that in dred scott on slavery, they created a civil war. it's very dangerous to have a supreme court decide its a political body and invent a constitution to fit this year's polls. >> at the same time, some of the nation's greatest decisions were ahead of where congress was, to insure that people had basic rights and liberties under our constitution. there's a different way to look at it a lot of the progress the country has made is when the supreme court took action. >> i believe that a cautious

judiciary preserves freedom. and a risk-taking judiciary sets up a system. think about the eight million people in california. not about this substance of the decision. but eight million people went, they voted in a referendum. they've now been told by the court they have no standing. >> so on that same token, if a state through a referendum, the people of the state vote in favor of gay marriage then you must support that. >> i think it's the right process and in places where they have done so, i've said that's the law of the land. and i think that we have to recognize that we're coming to grips. i don't think my personal judgment, i think marriage is between a man and a woman and i think it's defined by religion and i don't think the legislatures change religion. but the legislature that adopts as a legal practice. if they do it through the law and with the people consenting, that is what the process of self-government is all about. >> and those marriages should be recognized. >> and they are recognized. >> and they should be given the same benefits that every other

married couple have. >> that should have been decided in the congress. you have four and four and one earn person becomes a constitutional convention. if they wake up and vote one way, they've rewritten the constitution. >> do you think that congress will take action to try to reverse this decision? >> no. >> do you think the current congress has the ability to do that? >> i'm not sure the current congress has the ability to do much of everything. >> i think a majority of that congress, a majority of republicans and democrats don't want to put that in place. >> they would probably be better to focus on doing major things like getting to a balanced budget or immigration reform. >> mr. speaker, what are you looking forward to the most about being one of the co-hosts of "crossfire"? >> well wolf, a long, long time ago i was on "crossfire" a lot as a young congressman, it was

exciting, it was fact-oriented. it had very smart people as guests. people tuned in because they learned something. not, they didn't just learn conservative talking points or liberal talking points. they watched interesting smart people try to understand what america should be doing. i have hopes and i think that with stephanie as a debating partner, if you will, it's going to be a lot of fun. think we can recreate the original "crossfire" sense, that this is the place to be if you want to hear people really talk about the facts and the issues not just about talking points and yelling at each other. >> what do you think, stef, what are you looking forward to? >> i grew up on "crossfire," i it was one of the things that got me hooked on politics in the first place and i think the speaker is right, we can have a discussion here. both sides of the issue are going to be represented. one of the only places on tv you can get that and we can have an informed, balanced discussion. about the issues facing americans on a daily basis and

i'm looking forward to having that discussion. and it's not talking points and it's not political jabs, it's differences of opinion and finding areas where maybe we can agree. >> we're looking forward to "crossfire." but go ahead, make a final point, mr. speaker. >> i hope when people watch us at the end. they may not have been convinced by either one of us. but they say, you know that's worth thinking about and that's something the next morning at coffee. did you see last night whether it's my point or her point, obviously i hope my point. but they go wow, this was interesting and i've got to think about it differently than i planned to. >> we'll see "crossfire" coming back to cnn late they are year in the fall. looking forward to it all four of the new hosts of "crossfire" will be on piers morgan live later tonight. not only stes stephanie and the speaker, but also s.e. cup. coming up on the situation room, the latest on the nsa leaker's search for a safe haven and the price ecuador, yes,

ecuador, might pay if it grants him asylum. [ male announcer ] when gloria and her financial advisor made a retirement plan, they considered all her assets, even those held elsewhere, giving her the confidence to pursue all her goals. when you want a financial advisor who sees the whole picture, turn to us. wells fargo advisors. check for more! well, i guess i can double check... my watch! [ male announcer ] it pays to double check, with state farm.

the healthcare law gives us powerful tools to fight it... to investigate it... ...prosecute it... and stop criminals. our senior medicare patrol volunteers... are teaching seniors across the country... ...to stop, spot, and report fraud. you can help. guard your medicare card. don't give out your card number over the phone. call to report any suspected fraud. we're cracking down on medicare fraud. let's make medicare stronger

for all of us.

let's make medicare stronger for a store near you go to benjaminmoore.com/bayarea. edward snowden, the former national security agency contractorer who leaked secrets about the nsa spying for now. he remains at the moscow airport. the russian president vladimir putin says the sooner snowden selects his final destination point the better for everyone. our pentagon correspondent is taking a closer look at what the

united states can do to try to persuade the equadorians. >> the final decision could come down to ego and how one president wants to be portrayed. edward snowden may remain a man without a home. officials are in no rush to approve or deny his request for asylum. >> translator: it would take approximately two months to make a final decision. >> reporter: obama administration officials say time is on their side. and the longer snowden sits in a moscow airport transit zone the more of a hot potato he becomes. one u.s. official tells cnn we are not at the point of making threats yet. we are reserving the harder line until we know if the ecuadorians are willing to take him in. >> heicide not be allowed to

proceed in further international travel. >> reporter: the u.s. imports nearly $10 billion of ecuador's products a year. why would the president risk it? analyst says for the glory of openly defying the u.s. >> ecuador providing asylum to edward snowden would guarantee the president's spot as the inheriter of the mantle of cast row castro. >> reporter: it effects certain fruits and nuts and fresh cut roses. americans benefit from lower prices on these items at u.s.

stores and if not renewed the agreement expires at the end of july. it's a huge part of ecuador's economy. >> if they decide to give asylum to mr. snowden that is the death nail in the coffin to the tariff agreement. >> ecuador took two months to grant asylum to julian assange. they appear to be taking just as much time here. >> see what they do. thank you. up next, how supporters of same-sex marriage are celebrating. with the spark miles card from capital one, bjorn earns unlimited rewards for his small business. take these bags to room 12 please. [ garth ] bjorn's small business earns double miles on every purchase every day. produce delivery. [ bjorn ] just put it on my spark card. [ garth ] why settle for less? ahh, oh! [ garth ] great businesses deserve unlimited rewards. here's your wake up call. [ male announcer ] get the spark business card from capital one and earn unlimited rewards.

choose double miles or 2% cash back on every purchase every day. what's in your wallet? [ crows ] now where's the snooze button? [ crows ] (girl) w(guy) dive shop.y? (girl) diving lessons. (guy) we should totally do that. (girl ) yeah, right. (guy) i wannna catch a falcon! (girl) we should do that. (guy) i caught a falcon. (guy) you could eat a bug. let's do that. (guy) you know you're eating a bug. (girl) because of the legs. (guy vo) we got a subaru to take us new places. (girl) yeah, it's a hot spring. (guy) we should do that. (guy vo) it did. (man) how's that feel? (guy) fine. (girl) we shouldn't have done that. (guy) no. (announcer) love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru.

♪ chances are, you're not made of money, so don't overpay for boat insurance.

geico, see how much you could save. most have been watching the gay marriage celebrations all day. >> reporter: the day gays kissed the doma good bye and kissed it good bye all over tv. as photographers jostled to record every peck, every public display of affection. >> they are holding a kiss out

in front. >> reporter: it was equality versus the equation marriage equals one man and one woman. forget the math. >> i know you are reading as fast as you can. >> and reporters were dependent on runners to get decisions. buzz feed labelled it running of the interns. some ran triumphantly with armed upraised. others opted for dignity. buzz feed gave the gold medal to this intern who arrived at the camera first. apparently he had lots of traffic earlier in the week. reporters needed eyes in the back of heads. first we worried too much action when we saw a guy stripping. it turns out he was only reversing his shirt. soon he was replaced by mr. sunglasses. >> reporter: a powerful electric

moment. >> reporter: who proceeded to stroll around screen right up the middle on his cell signing off with a thumbs up. there was an on camera marriage proposal from one of the plaintiffs. >> finally say, will you please marry me? >> reporter: another plaintiff was asked what her spouse who had passed away would say. >> you did it, honey. >> reporter: msnbc was interviewing these plaintiffs live, a frantic gesture signaled a phone call. >> the president is on the line from air force one. >> hello, mr. president. this is chris perry. >> we thank you so much for your support. >> i'm proud of you guys. >> thank you for your leadership. you are invited to the wedding. >> okay. >> reporter: gay wedding invite. what's next? >> if you haven't been to a gay bar you are about to go to one.

>> i started balling. ♪ god bless america >> new york. that is it for me. thanks very much for watching. "erin burnett outfront" starts right now. the supreme court rules on gay marriage. is this issue over, over, over for america? plus nfl star aaron hernandez arrested. why prosecutors say he killed his friend. and paula deen cries. will tears save her career after she used the n-word? let's go outfront. outfront tonight victory and defeat. two crucial rulings from the supreme court today on gay marriage. the court