tv CNN Newsroom CNN March 25, 2012 7:00pm-8:00pm EDT
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nation traded their sunday best for hoodies today just like the one 17-year-old trayvon martin was wearing when he was shot and killed. many churches are urging followers to sign online petitions demanding justice for the man who admits shooting trayvon. some brought iced tea and skittles with them. that is what trayvon had with him when he crossed paths. george zimmerman is part of a neighborhood watch program. when he saw martin walking around in a hoodie, he got suspicious. it turns out that martin was every armed. >> there is a lot of talk about florida's stand your ground law. it allows someone to use deadly force any time they have a reasonable fear that an ass assailant could harm them or use
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reasonable force. what is the lawyer saying now about the stand your ground law. >> we know now that zimmerman's attorney reviewed that wall and decided that would be the best way to protect his client. and zben, we actually heard from the governor here talking about how he plans to examine this law that really everyone is talking about. take a listen to what he had to say. >> we are going have different electioned officials talk about this. . the first thing we will do is have a thorough investigation to see what happened. no one can imagine this happened to their family. we have got see what happened with the florida law enforcement knowing what happened. and make sure that justice reveiled. we have to do that. >> so the fact that that attorney will now look at the
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stand your ground law as possible defense that is new information that we learned today. also today was about prayer services. many people going to church. we know that trayvon's mother was at church today in miami, though media was not allowed inside. we did see inside many other churches in atlanta and new york city. you see people wearing hoodies. that is now symbolic for people. people wearing those hoodies in solidarity. >> thank you very much for that. he waited for a donor heart for 20 months and received a heart transplant yesterday. a series of five heart attacks when he was half that age. he will always be grateful.
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>> keeping him in their prayers to a full and speedy recovery. he is expected to deliver a speech this hour discussing threats to global security. specially the nuclear threat posed to nations such as iran and north korea. that danger feels very real. the president visited there for the first time today shaking hands with soldiers. the leaders of 54 countries. >> president preponderatial hopeful rick santorum is on tour at this hour. he is holding an event in ray seen, wisconsin, he is also celebrating his victim in yesterday's primary.
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santorum got 49% of the vote to mitt romney's 27%. but romney still holds a wide lead in the battle. wisconsin, maryland, and the district of columbia hold the next contest coming up on april 3. make sure you watch the situation room tomorrow. the game plans for next tuesday's contest. situation room, cnn, monday. 4:00 p.m. eastern time. >> and it is set tomorrow right here in atlanta. called the i am trayvon martin rally every parent can feel the pain of trayvon's mother and father. you will hear from the moms of young black men and the advice they give their children just to
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>> his face is on posters all across the nation right now. his story is on the cover of newspapers, but the death of trayvon martin has sparked so much more than headlines. joining me now is a reverend and moorehouse senior class president. they organized the i am trayvon rally and march. you think it will be one of the biggest outside of sanford? >> atlanta has a rich tradition
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and legacy of activism and social rights. when the call went out, every organization that is prominently known in atlanta as a civil rights group came running. >> why do you think this has resonated so much? >> really i think this has everything to do with many black and brown and other americans really understanding that this is not just about trayvon. it's about our son, my son, your son. unless we really call into account some of these what one might consider regressive pieces of public policy that were short sighted to begin with, it could very well be someone else's child in another state. it is for that cause. >> what are you? a senior? >> yes, sir. >> usually when you think of college students, you think college students are consumed with themselves with studying,
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partying, dating, but why has this caught on among college students? >> this is frightening for students like myself who were just a little older than trayvon. we need to take a stand, stand behind this family. let them know that young people are behind this cause and we're going to be here behind them until justice is served. >> what is the mission? what is the purpose? to show outrage? what's your mission? >> it's not just to be angry or outraged but we need to move beyond that. we need to show love and forgiveness and we also need to make sure that our voices are heard concerning the injustice. >> you say love and forgiveness. are you meaning for the shooter as well? >> absolutely.
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>> why do you say that? >> we definitely have to move past the issue. yes we want justice and want him arrested. we want justice to be served. but as a people we need to be able to forgive and show love so that hate crimes like this one won't happen. >> do you think this is a rush to judgment? there is no right now we don't know the full investigation? do you think sit a ruit is a ru judgment? >> i am not sure. i do feel like there is an injustice that has been done. >> do you think it is a rush to judgment? >> i don't think so. what we do know so far is that trayvon is dead. george zimmerman is walking the streets. what we know is what we heard on the tapes and law enforcement essentially told zimmerman to cease and desist. he was clearly the aggressor. there is a lot of conversation going on about whether or not george zimmerman was, in fact, a
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person who violated the law given the stand your ground public policy. but the reality is george zimmerman was the aggressor. one of the people why people are feeling so much outrage is because we still have unresolved issues in america around race. it is just that simple. one of the reasons why i think black families and parents are now having the talk with young black men is because we realize that even if others in america don't know it, if trayvon has been trevor, someone would have gone jail right then and there and had to prove that it was not cold-blooded murder. >> what it f it turns out that trayvon was the aggressor? >> we know that that is not the case. the fact of the matter is -- >> the attorney is saying that his client was the one who was a victim here and that his nose was broken and it was bloody and
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bleeding and trayvon came back. >> there is a difference in whether or not an assault occurred. that's a different conversation. the fact of the matter is we don't know whether or not there was an assault but we do know there was aggression and it was on the part of mr. zimmerman. law enforcement told him, essentially, cease and desist and he failed to do so. and that is what has caused so much outrage. >> the interesting thing is that if i am walking down a place where i have the right to walk and someone says what are you doing here i look at them and go what are you doing here? what the heck are you doing here? who are you without a badge and what have you. no one is talking about this part. you would expect that to be the biggest rally tomorrow at what time? >> 5:30 in front of the state capitol. >> who have you invited? >> students from the atlanta university center, we have
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invited the naacp -- >> i think what is interesting, when you look at these rallies, these are not just african-americans who are showing up. >> i think many americans of every race, color, creed, and age recognize that this was an issue -- this is an issue that should break the hearts, minds, and conscious of all people. there are unresolved issue that until we come to grips with the fact that we still have to deal with -- even with an african-american man in the highest office of the land, we have african-american mothers who still in 2012 have to have the talk with their young black men about what it means, the impediments and injustices that they can necessarily expect as a matter of their culture and their race. we have a long way to grow and because of that, i think
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thousands will come tomorrow. >> thank you both. appreciate you joining us. the admitted shooter of trayvon martin not in jail. does the law really apply in this case? and trayvon martin's death is sparking outrage. we will talk about that with anti-racism writer and activist. this good... colors are more vibrant,
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so we had been looking for your views on trayvon martin and we asked you to tweet us starting yesterday on twitter, and you gave us some of your thoughts. here are a couple. trayvon mar tip's attorney said i don't believe -- they must have gotten killed over his candy. >> this is inequality, injustice, inhumane and immoral, not racism. fear started the ball rolling. faith wins. very interesting comments coming in. we are still checking them.
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beyond the twitter community, people are talking about the man who shot self-defense. i spoke with a criminal defense attorney about all of this. >> a up to bridge the gap between citizens and police agencies agencies. they tell agencies what we can do and police tells agencies what we need from you. it's something police do on a day to day basis and also when they're investigating a crime whuchlt set up a police academy, the last thing you say is, you are not a police officer. you do not have the powers of the rest, and basically don't do this on your own. call us. >> which is essentially what the
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person on the other end of the 911 call said, are you following him? we don't need you to do that; is that correct? >> exactly. if you see somebody driving drunk on the road, get the tag number and back off. >> i want you to listen to a quick sound. it's from george zimmerman's 911 call. many people on cnn have listened repeatedly to this 911 call. we've had the sound enhanced but there is no consensus on whether zimmerman used a racial slur. it may be offensive to some people but we're going to take a listen. >> i just want to hear it raw right now. if you can play ten seconds before it. let's listen. >> which entrance is that that he's heading towards? >> the back entrance. >> okay. that was it at the very end. the sound has been enhanced.
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again, if you hear it, some people are saying that he's saying f-ing coons. >> just say it. it is what it is. if that's what you think he said, it's offensive but it comes from him. >> does that change in any way what kind much case this makes it? >> of course, it does. whenever you have a crime, we always want to know, what did the defendant do? did he shoot this person? what was the act he committed? when you attack somebody based solely on their race, religion, sexuality, that puts you in a whole different ball game. that is a hate crime. at that point we are asking a jury to get into the mind of the defendant, not just what did he do but why did he do it? because it is so much more insidious -- you know, you're in a bar fight, things get mad, you punch somebody, that's one thing. but when you go out looking to victimize someone simply based on the color of their skin, that is a hate crime. we could see federal charges here if, in fact, the
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prosecutors agree that they heard the same thing you did on that tape. >> and trayvon martin's death is revooiiving some difficult, eve painful questions about race in this country. i spoke with activist writer tim wise. he is author of "dear white america." i started by showing him what he told cnn's anderson cooper earlier this week. what was the policeman's attitude toward this? >> they were fighting with him. >> with zimmerman? >> oh, yeah. >> what makes you say that? >> just their nonchalant attitude. >> does what she say surprise you, tim? >> not at all. i've done law training across the country, and' asked them, what's the first thing you think when you see a young black male
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driving a nice car in your community, and inevitably they say drug dealer. when i say white male, same age, driving the same kind of car. they say spoiled rich kid, daddy probably bought them a car. we ought not be surprised they enforced the law in a different kind of way when something like this happens. >> george's dad issued a statement saying george zimmerman is a spanish-speaking minority as if to say, hey, this isn't just a black issue. just because you're gay doesn't mean you can't be homophobic. does that even make sense? >> research shows that large numbers of latino or hispanics have an amount of bias against blacks that whites have and it means nothing. that doesn't mean anti-slavery wasn't anti-black racism in this
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the case. >> the police department's initial investigation was ridiculous. here's a man standing with the weapon in his hand and they take his word that he's never been arrested. then they do not do a background check on mr. zimmerman. how is that possible when they stop me at a traffic light and do a background investigation on me? if sanford police had done what they were supposed to do initially, we would not be here tonight, because mr. zimmerman would have been arrested. >> the trayvon martin conversation continues straight from the moms who live it day in and day out. how have they shared their concerns with their sons? i spoke with natalie brown and her son nicholas as well as mom dietta west. >> what went through your head when you heard about the trayvon martin killing? >> well, i thought about my sons, because after seeing the pictures on the internet of trayvon martin, i thought he was
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a 14-year-old child not knowing he was 17. my first reaction was to speak to my son and tell him that things like this does happen in life, and we don't know how to prevent it but sometimes they look at the way we dress, wathe way we walk, what we do. we want that to stop. >> nicholas, do you understand the conversation you had with your mom? how did you handle it? if you happen to be in that situation, i imagine it would be tough to follow every single thing she said in your head. >> yeah. i mean, i listened and i just follow my mom's wishes so i don't end up with this happening to me. and, you know -- >> what did you think when you heard about this? >> well, at first i thought, like, how could this happen to somebody just walking? he didn't do anything wrong. and being that his skin color was brown, he had to get shot, killed for no reason?
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>> ms. west, i know that you have a son as well, and you're very passionate about this. i know you spoke to him about it, but he also talked to you and wrote something, i think, that's very poignant. do you want to read it? >> how old is your son again? >> he's 20. >> i don't know if i have time to read the whole thing. >> you can read a portion. >> he started out saying, what is justice, what is peace? can you tell me? can you? you probably could, but it's going to be a major waste of your time because i don't believe in either, anymore. then he goes on to say there's something seriously wrong with this picture, and another thing, if you call the police and they tell you to stop following the person because there is a conclusion that he's a non-threat, why proceed? lastly, how is it not obvious to you that he was the one who felt he was in danger because of your suspicion. man, i don't know how i should really think, but i do know one thing. if this was my brother, cousin, nephew or son, good old mr. zimmerman wouldn't have made it to that prison or courthouse,
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for that matter. of course, that would have caused more problems. so if earthly justice won't prevail, then it's in god's hands. truthfully, it really is. i'm done. >> there are a lot of shaking heads on the set right now. and what does that do to you as a mom? and to have these conversations? >> it just totally rips my heart out because we started these conversations, my husband and i, with our son at an early age. and not to the point of just being blatant. we kind of skirted around it by building him up, by speaking words of wisdom like, you are somebody, you're going to be the best, you're going to be great without really calling the race card or going to that place. we wanted our son to grow up in a place where he would know that he is somebody. and he's special. but as he grew older, then we had to kind of go into that place like, you know what, you're different. just check it out, son, and
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avoid confrontations. when you start driving, don't reach quickly into your glove compartment if you get stopped for a speeding ticket. >> yes, ma'am, yes, sir, my parents had the talk with me. i don't have kids yet so i haven't had the opportunity to have that talk, but they talked with me, and my family did fairly well. it was, where did you get the fancy car, boy? why are you driving that car? sometimes i would have to leave the car there and walk home until they figured out exactly what happened. we're going to a break quickly, but you were shaking your head as well. what does this do to you? >> it hurts my heart, because as a parent, you don't want anything to ever happen to your children. you don't want any of this. and growing up, i have an interracial family so we didn't have to play the race card because we're mixed. coming up, trayvon martin's death has sparked some pretty tough conversations. you'll hear more from some black
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america. and i asked him if a possible arrest of george zimmerman would mean justice had been served in this case. >> well, the arrest of zimmerman would not be the end. it's just the beginning. but in my estimation, there needs to be outside forces, the department of justice, the fbi, the community relations service of the department of justice should be on the ground in sanford. this is having a chilling effect on a young african-american male, their mothers, their fathers. >> and being a mom is already a pretty tough job, but imagine the difficult conversations black mothers are having with their sons in the wake of the death of trayvon martin. i spoke with natalie brown and her son nicholas haswell, as well as mom dietta west. >> it's very painful because you feel like our young black men
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are being set up to be target practice, and -- i'm sorry. i said to myself i wasn't going to go there, but as i think about these amazing young -- and i'm dealing with the senior men, the older men -- i'm nervous when my husband says he's going for a walk in the neighborhood. he has to put a hoodie on if it's cold outside. my son is a student at georgia southern and he comes home and he says, mom, i'm going to take a walk. i don't really want to say to them don't go for a walk, but i know he needs to and he's a little overweight, and he may hate the fact i'm saying that, but he needs to walk and get that exercise. here's my son walking through the neighborhood. i'm fearing somebody is looking out their window, and we live in somewhat of a gated subdivision.
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i'm sorry, i just -- >> there's no need to apologize because it's a very real and painful reality for -- i'm speaking as an african-american. i can't speak as a hispanic or any other person of color. i'm an african-american and i know it's a terrible reality all of us face. it's not only painful for the black man, it's painful for the women in our lives who worry about us and have to have that conversation with us. there is a big segment of the population who don't believe it exists at all. i think charles of the "new york times" fut in great perspective. you have to watch the tone of your voice, carry a lilt instead of your natural tone. the way you carry your body. it's something you unconsciously live with, and it can rise and make you angry and make you blow up at times and make you change the way you live. you stopped wearing hoodies.
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why, nicholas? >> because it's such a racial situation. i don't want to end up like that because i'm wearing a hoodie, walking outside at night, just going to school. >> you're wearing a backwards cap and some people may see that as suspicious just like they see a hoodie as suspicious. it's fashion. i see hispanic kids doing it, i see a lot of kids wear their hats backwards. do you think that has the same connotation, wearing your cap backwards? >> not really. mom? >> have you ever thought about that? >> it does have -- you're still going to be looked at no matter how you dress or how you present yourself. it's still going to be a problem. and i feel that every kid in the united states, they dress like this. everyone does it. >> are you okay? >> i'm okay, i'm just thinking
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of a friend of mine. she has a 16-year-old son and she was telling me a story about the fact her husband, whose name happens to be trayvon, they were going for a walk -- this was a couple weeks before trayvon was shot and was killed. and she said as they were leaving the house, it was in the morning, and they put on their hoodies to go out, and she stopped him and said, you guys take your hoods off. and the son is saying, why? this is a student. he's 16 years old about to go to dr drexler university. and now he's questioning, where are the laws to stand your ground? what state? >> thank you, mom. i appreciate you sharing. we have other news to share tonight including this story. he spent 17 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. dna evidence cleared him but all he got was a release from jail. that's next. it, i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money ?
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so i wasn't playing much of a role in my own life, but with advair, i'm breathing better so now i can take the lead on a science adventure. advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator, working together to help improve your lung function all day. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure
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before taking advair. if you're still having difficulty breathing, take the lead. ask your doctor if including advair could help improve your lung function. get your first full prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd.com. a man has spent nearly two decades in prison for a crime he did not commit is now trying to rebuild his life one day at a time. he left prison with almost nothing and his future is uncertain. tonight at 8:00 eastern, cnn presents will have a riveting story for you. here's coz larsen for the story.
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>> reporter: in 2010, he got some great news. >> i was jumping up and down, i'm out of here, i'm out of here. >> reporter: he was being released from prison after serving 17 years for a crime he didn't commit. was it hard to transition to the outside? >> yeah, absolutely. i had a really hard time with that. and i still do. >> reporter: what did they give you when you got out? >> nothing. >> reporter: he walked out of prison with just the money he had been sent by family and the earnings from his 42 cent-an-hour prison skbrjob, a little over $2,000. but he also got something else. >> yeah, i got hit with a child support bill of $11,000. >> reporter: how were you expected to pay that? >> good question. i just looked at it and went, really? >> there was a gut reaction that this was a horrible injustice.
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>> reporter: the innocence project lawyer, laura zirosky, worked pho free him. now she's working on a legislation to give him and other exonerated prisoners compensation for their time wrongfully spent in prison. >> under my bill, they would get $50,000 of each year of wrongful conviction. >> reporter: for allen, that could mean as much as $850,000, money he could really use. he works at a factory and lives here with friends because he can't afford his own apartment. >> reporter: if you got that money, what would that mean to you? >> oh, some breathing space. ability to help out the family and just start over again. >> reporter: is it possible to put a price on the number of years that you spent inside? >> no. there's no price on that. at all.
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>> tonight at 8:00 eastern, you'll see allen's story and two other profiles on cnn presents. again, that's tonight 8:00 eastern only here on cnn. the supreme court steps into the health care debate over mandatory insurance. what a reversal to president obama's law could mean to every american, up next. first, what en it comes to planning your child's future, experts suggest saving sooner rather than later, but there are some who say it takes more than money to prepare. the best time to start planning for a child's education is as soon as you decide to have a child. because it's never too early to start thinking about what you're going to need to do in order for the child to go on to college, not just from a financial perspective, but more importantly, academically, how you at home are going to prepare your child for college. so i want to you start thinking about it in elementary school, but when you get to high school, that's when the real clock starts ticking.
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so i need you to make sure your child has four years of english, at least three years of math and preferably up to calculus, if at all possible. three years of a foreign language, and i want them to take the highest science that they can in the school. grades matter, of course. it's also important to know that grades are not the only thing colleges are looking for, because what colleges also want to know is that your child is involved in extracurricular activities. so they should be in two sports a year and be involved. >> perry's principles brought to you by the university of phoenix. an educated world is a better world. chieopportunity to affect what happens in a major city. i learned early on if you want to make a difference you have to have the right education.
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this week the supreme court will hear arguments for and against president poeb observe's health care overhaul. the court will have to decide whether the sweeping changes are constitutional. that decision will likely affect every american and may play a role in this year's election. our lothian has the story now. >> after two years of the president's health care law, the public attacked the president for not make anything public comments on the matter. they suggest he was hiding from what was, in their view, a failure. but white house aides pointed to
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what everything else the administration was doing to promote the health care law, and they deny that this year it was a public liability. it took a bruising battle to get to the signing. president obama barely got the affordable care act, his signature accomplishment, across the finish line. but at a high cost. >> i think barack obama is anti-american. >> reporter: this tea party found its voice and set out to dismantle what had been a cornerstone of the president's 2008 campaign. >> it's not a mandate on government to provide health insurance, it's a mandate on individuals to purchase it. >> reporter: once in office, the president pushed hard to sell the plan to the country. >> we need health care reform because it's essential to our economic future. >> reporter: and to congress. >> the time for bickering is over. the time for games has passed. >> reporter: but the time for bickering has only just begun. and begun.
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and in one dramatic moment, some argue reached a new low. >> the reforms i'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally. >> you lie! >> reporter: republican congressman joe wilson shouted the feelings of many americans, some of whom joined the tea party in protesting what they dubbed obamacare, as intrusive and illegal. now the supreme court is hearing arguments on several parts of the new law, including the individual mandate that requires all americans to purchase insurance. >> health care touches every single american, every single family. >> reporter: william galston served in the clinton white house and is now at the brookings institution. >> if the court decides to strike down even a piece of the law, we will see a replay of a political debate that we haven't seen for three-quarters of a century. this is a game for extremely high stakes not only for the president, not only for the 2012 election, but also for the
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institution of the supreme court itself. >> reporter: the obama administration's justice department plans to vigorously defend the new law in court against a coalition of 26 states that the president told american public media's marketplace, was motivated by politics. >> because, frankly, these lawsuits that were filed were basically uniformly filed by republicans who wanted to score political points. >> i'm calling in support of president obama's campaign. >> reporter: meanwhile, the president's re-election campaign and the dnc are defending health care reform in battleground states like ohio through mailings, online and with phone banks. >> i'm helping them to understand the good things the legislation does. >> reporter: but as the president visited ohio last week, the rnc launched its own attack on health care. with tv and web ads. >> higher cost for taxpayers. another broken promise by obama. >> reporter: the affordable care act remains unpopular. but polls show support is up
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slightly over last year. even though americans remain divided. on the left, many believe it doesn't go far enough. on the right, they believe it goes too far. don? >> dan, thank you very much. as dan said, the supreme court takes this on starting tomorrow. the big fight is over the law's central provision. the so-called individual mandate which requires americans to buy health insurance. it's set to take effect in 2014 and as it's written now, those who don't buy insurance would face penalties. the justices could strike down all or just part of the law. that may mean throwing out the individual mandate, which some proponents of the law say is the linchpin that makes the whole plan work. they may not rule on everything this year, but whatever the outcome, we'll have to wait to hear their decision until june. it'll come in june, their decision. our top stories are just ahead, including new information about the killing of 17 afghans allegedly at the hands of a u.s. soldier. there may have been two rampages rather than just one.
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pope benedict's pointed message to catholics while presiding over a mass in mexico. [ male announcer ] this is the network -- a living, breathing intelligence teaching data how to do more for business. [ beeping ] in here, data knows what to do. because the network finds it and tailors it across all the right points, automating all the right actions... [ beeping ] ...to bring all the right results. it's the at&t network -- doing more with data to help business do more for customers. ♪
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britta olsen is my patient. i spend long hours with her checking her heart rate, administering her medication, and just making her comfortable. one night britta told me about a tradition in denmark, "when a person dies," she said, "someone must open the window so the soul can depart." i smiled and squeezed her hand. "not tonight, britta. not tonight." [ female announcer ] to nurses everywhere, thank you, from johnson & johnson.
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well, our year-long campaign to honor every day people who are changing the world begins with you. we want you to tell us about someone you think deserves to be recognized as a cnn hero. but right now we're going to tell you how to do it. here's our very own anderson cooper to show you how. >> tonight we gather to honor the best that humanity has to offer. >> if you join us, we'll be unstoppable. >> cnn heroes is looking for everyday people who are changing the world. how do we find these extraordinary people? well, with your help. you can nominate someone right now at cnnheroes.com. maybe your hero is defending the planet by protecting the environment. >> there are people who care. i'm one of them. >> or helping people overcome obstacles. >> there will be no man left behind as long as we are this nation. >> or finding a unique approach to solving a problem.
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whatever their cause, nominating a cnn hero is easy. first go to cnnheroes.com. then click "nominate." we ask for some basic information about you and your nominee. then tell us what makes your hero extraordinary? how are they changing lives for the better. >> you did a great job. >> it's really important to write from your heart. because it's your words that will make your hero's story stand out. a couple of tips. please don't nominate yourself. it's against the rules. it's not necessary to nominate someone over and over. we read each and every nomination. really, we do. be selective. those honored as cnn heroes are truly dedicating their lives to serving others. after you told us about your hero, click "submit." it's that simple and that worthwhile. nominate someone deserving today. >> thank you so much for bestowing me this incredible honor. this has been the greatest night of my life. a look at some of your top
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stories right now on cnn. a look at today's top stories. a common sight in church pews across the country today, followers wearing hoodies in honor of slain florida teen trayvon martin. many congregations are urging people to sign a petition for the arrest of george zimmerman. investigators for the u.s. military say the soldier accused of a massacre in afghanistan returned to his base between two rampages. he faces 17 counts of murder. the military is paying $50,000 in compensation for each victim of that massacre. the brother of the french gunman killed after that long standoff this week in toulouse, france, faced a judge today. prosecutors charged him with
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complicity in seven murders and two attempted murders. his brother, mohammed merah, was wanted in the murders of three frenchmen paratroopers, a rabbi and three school children. mohammed merah claimed he learned his violent ways at an al qaeda training camp. in mexico pope benedict xvi led 400,000 catholics in an open air mass today. this is the pope's first trip to spanish speaking latin america. in a message to the crowds he asked mexican catholics to boldly promote peace across the country. much to the onlookers' delight, the pope later donned, there he is, a sombrero. tomorrow he travels to cuba. very nice, pope. very nice. i'm don lemon at the cnn world headquarters in atlanta. thank you so much for watching. i'll see you back here at 10:00 p.m. eastern. in just a short while, cnn presents and make sure you watch it. it. see you back at 10:00. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com
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