• Zimmerman attorney plans to call for 'stand your ground' hearing

    By Kerry Sanders , NBC News

    Updated at 4:18 p.m. ET MIAMI – During the 1980s, there was a tourism campaign in Florida that promoted the state by saying: “The rules are different here.”  

    Fast forward 30 years, and Florida’s legal system is again proving that “rules are different” adage true. Florida was the first state to enact a “stand your ground” law in 2005; since then more than 10 other states have adopted similar laws.   

    George Zimmerman, 29, charged in the second degree murder of Trayvon Martin, 17, may never go to trial because of Florida's law.

    Zimmerman’s defense attorney, Mark O’Mara, announced today he plans to call for a hearing under the “stand your ground” law. This would allow a judge to rule on whether or not Zimmerman has immunity in the shooting death of Martin, if the accused acted within reason, before a trial even gets under way.

    O’Mara explained his reasoning on his web site: “A ‘stand your ground’ hearing will essentially be a mini-trial. Most of the arguments, witnesses, experts, and evidence that the defense would muster in a criminal trial will be presented in the ‘stand your ground’ hearing.”

    In his first television interview, George Zimmerman offers an apology to Trayvon Martin's family, but says, looking back, he wouldn't have done anything differently. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez reports.

    The Martin family’s lawyer, Benjamin Crump, responded to O’Mara’s motion for the hearing with a statement on Thursday:  “Let it be clear on the record, that we feel confident that the unjustified killing of Trayvon Benjamin Martin should and will be decided by a jury.  Many of the legal architects of the ‘stand your ground’ law have already opined that it does not apply in this case.  A grown man cannot profile and pursue an unarmed child, shoot him in the heart, and then claim stand your ground.  We believe that the killer’s motion will be denied during the ‘stand your ground’ hearing, and as justice requires a jury will ultimately decide the fate of a man that killed an innocent child.” 

    'Stand your ground' criteria
    In this case, the big question is: Was Zimmerman defending himself when he killed Martin? 

    To meet the “stand your ground" law requirements in court, a case has to the following four criteria:  

    1)   Whoever initiates the physical confrontation cannot use it as a defense. In other words, you can’t punch someone, they return a blow, and then you take out a gun and shoot.

    2)   You can’t be in the process of committing a crime and then say you were defending yourself. For example, you can’t hold up a convenience store, and if the clerk pulls a gun on you, shoot the clerk and then claim you were standing your ground.

    3)   You can “stand your ground” if you are legally allowed to be where you choose to defend yourself. In this case the question will be: Was George Zimmerman legally allowed to stand in the common area between the apartments, taking into account that he exited his vehicle after being told by a Sanford police dispatcher they didn't need his assistance?

    4)   Finally, are you in fear for your life or serious bodily injury? This is a state of mind question and perhaps the most nebulous because it requires a judge to conclude how someone was thinking at the moment they fired a fatal shot.

    Trayvon Martin's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, react to George Zimmerman's first television interview, telling TODAY's Matt Lauer that they wish Trayvon Martin could tell his side of the story.

    How will politics play in?
    There’s another aspect to a request of immunity when the “stand your ground” law hearing is requested -- a step beyond the courtroom into the world of politics.

    In Florida, judges and the state attorneys are elected.

    In Seminole County, where the U.S. Census reveals 11.7 percent of the population is African-American, and where thousands have protested over the way this case has been handled, were Judge Kenneth Lester to rule in favor of Zimmerman, a passionate few could organize an effort to end Lester’s career on the bench.

    Judges are supposed to rule independent of politics, but legal experts say it’s always easier for a judge “to punt” and just let a jury answer the self-defense question.

    An immunity hearing date is not yet set.

    When it takes place, you can expect every moment will be broadcast on cable television.

    That’s because another rule is also different here.

    In Florida, the legal system is open to cameras with the belief that the best government is that which is in “the sunshine.” In other words, every citizen can watch the developments, and in the process, hold those in charge accountable.

    NBC News Kerry Sanders has been following the Trayvon Martin story since it began. Follow NBC's Kerry Sanders on Twitter @kerrynbc. 

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  • Florida debates 'Stand Your Ground' law

    By Kerry Sanders , NBC News correspondent
    LONGWOOD, Fla. – Should Florida amend or eliminate its controversial "Stand Your Ground" law?

    Nineteen members of a state commission are meeting Tuesday to discuss the issue – just a short distance from where 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by 28-year-old George Zimmerman.

    It's believed Zimmerman’s defense attorney will rely of Florida’s controversial law to prove he did no wrong that February evening in Sanford.

    Trayvon Martin’s mother, Sabrina Fulton, is among those arguing Florida’s law should be changed. But she's also made it a point to try to calm proponents of the Second Amendment, which protects the right of people to keep and bear arms, who feel any change to the law is an attack on their rights.

    Shellie Zimmerman, wife of Trayvon Martin killer, arrested on perjury charge

    "I grew up with a weapon in my house. My dad was a police officer. I have nothing against guns,” Fulton said on Tuesday.

    She was among a group who presented the state commission with more than 300,000 signatures demanding the law be repealed.

    "I have nothing against the law,” she said.  “It's how it's applied."

    The Florida law was passed in 2005 and was signed into law by then-Gov. Jeb Bush. The law came into being in the wake of Hurricane Ivan – partly because of the case of James Workman.

    Workman, a 77-year-old retiree at the time, and his wife, Kathryn, had survived Hurricane Ivan, but their house in Pensacola was badly damaged, so they were staying in a trailer nearby. In the middle of the night, a FEMA worker from North Carolina, Rodney Cox, mysteriously appeared in their RV. Workman shot and killed the intruder.

    After months in legal limbo, no charges were filed against Workman. Lawmakers seized on his case as they pressed for the country’s first Stand Your Ground law.

    See more msnbc.com coverage of the Trayvon Martin case

    Workman, now 84, recently spoke to NBC News from his home in Pensacola and defended the controversial law.

    "The law may not be perfect; I’m not saying it’s perfect.  But it’s a whole lot better than not having a law,” said Workman. "You got to have some way of protecting yourself.  I mean, I just – I don’t see anything wrong with that, at all."

    Key events in the Trayvon Martin case

    The commission will not affect a change to the law, but it plans to offer the results of its six statewide meetings to Florida Gov. Rick Scott and the state Legislature.

    If the law were to be amended or revoked, it would not be until 2013, when the Legislature returns for its lawmaking session.

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  • Zimmerman's $99 jail shopping list includes Cheez-Its and Pop-Tarts

     

    By Jamie Novogrod, NBC News

     

     

    George Zimmerman has stocked his 67-square-foot cell with a pantry-full of snack food, plus pens, postal cards, toiletries and underwear, according to an inventory obtained by NBC News.

    Zimmerman placed the order Tuesday through the jailhouse commissary during his second full day back in custody at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Sanford, Fla. 

    The order came to a total of $98.90. His remaining balance is $395.10.

    Snacks included, among other food, two orders of White Cheddar Cheez-Its, two orders of Fritos, two orders of Cheetos, four orders of Big Grandma’s chocolate chip cookies, one order of Animal Snackers cookies, two packages of Twix, one package of Peanut M&M’s, and five packages of Strawberry Pop-Tarts.

     

    View the original document

    Zimmerman, confined to solitary and denied a television, apparently plans to spend some of his time writing to loved ones. The inventory lists the following postal cards as separate line items:


    CARD W/STAMP – MISSING YOU 

    CARD W/STAMP – THINKING OF Y 

    CARD W/STAMP – WITH LOVE

    The list shows Zimmerman bought two of each card, plus pens, golf pencil, stamped envelopes and a legal pad. 

    The order also included thermal tops and bottoms, t-shirts and briefs, plus two orders of ibuprofen, five orders of multivitamin pills, two orders of decongestant and antacid tabs, and Irish Spring soap and Mennen deodorant.

    Zimmerman returned to jail Sunday afternoon after a judge revoked his bail two days before, having found that Zimmerman and his wife had misled the court about their finances. Zimmerman earlier pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the Feb. 26 shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin in a case that has triggered a nationwide debate about whether race factored into the shooting.

    NBC News / John E. Polk Correctional Facility

    George Zimmerman had a balance of $500 when he was booked in jail on Sunday; by Wednesday, he spent $99 on various items including Cheetos, Cheez-Its and underwear.

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  • Atlantic Beach pier torn apart by Hurricane Irene

    Despite being a Category 1 storm, Hurricane Irene has already caused some damage to the North Carolina coast. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports.

    Hurricane Irene has made landfall in North Carolina with heavy winds, rain and surf. NBC News’ Kerry Sanders is reporting from Atlantic Beach, N.C. and sent in a picture of the pier at the Atlantic Beach that was torn apart by the storm overnight.  

    See his report from the same spot this morning.

    Kerry Sanders/ NBC News

    The pier at Atlantic Beach, North Carolina lost it's final section overnight in the rough surf.

  • How to prepare, really, tips from a hurricane vet

    By Kerry Sanders, NBC News Correspondent

    ATLANTIC Beach, N.C. -- I've covered hurricanes from El Salvador to Montauk, on the tip of Long Island, for three decades.

    There's no question hurricanes are a hassle. What you don't want to learn is that they can also be deadly.

    Here are a few tips that may not be on the usual lists suggesting provisions of food, water, and batteries.

    * Ignore your inner-self that wants to think this is all hype.
    Hurricane force winds and storm surge are real and there is nothing you can do at the last minute to push back.

    *Find comfortable cotton clothes. You will lose power and that means it will get hot. Hurricanes leave you locked inside thick humidity, so you want to be comfortable. Baby powder is nice to have and forget the jeans, they're just plain uncomfortable.

    *Choose the spot you will hunker down. (Ideally that will be an interior room with a load-bearing wall with no windows).  Don't go to the basement as that could fill up with water and you could drown (drowning is the leading cause of death during a hurricane).

    *Prepare that room for comfort. Pillows, food, board games to pass the time.  And if you can squeeze a mattress in that room, do so. Why?  If the hurricane breaches your home, windows break, roofs tear off, you can hunker down under that mattress in your interior room.  Ask survivors of Hurricane Andrew in South Florida and two out of three will tell you that's how they made it thru that storm. The most popular spot to go is also the most uncomfortable, the bathroom.

    *Fill your bathtub with water and find a bucket.  After the storm, if you lose power and the toilet won't flush, take a bucket of water from the tub, hold it waist high and dump it quickly into the toilet. Your toilet will flush.

    *Go to your balcony, or around your home and pull in the planters.  Those small items can become missiles in the storm. In the tropics, one of the biggest concerns is coconuts going airborne in a hurricane force wind. It can become a cannon ball.

    *Don't ride out the storm alone.  It can be scary when you hear creaks and other sounds that you have never heard before. Together you can reassure each other that things are ok.

    *Skip the alcohol. Hurricane parties are always popular, but if there is a calamity and you have to think on your feet quickly, the last thing you want to do it be impaired. I know lots of folks will ignore this tip, so my only advice is moderation is your friend.
     
    Remember, Irene is moving slowly, so this will be a long haul.  If the eye passes directly over you, you'll be tempted to go outside.

    It's a rare experience to see the eye: calm skies, birds flying, just beautiful. Just remember, the winds are strongest right up against that eye-wall and if you're outside, you could die. 

    Finally, don't rely on anyone but yourself.

  • Top hurricane prep tip: Get gas

    People on a small island off the coast of North Carolina are already being told to evacuate as Hurricane Irene storms toward the Eastern Seaboard. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports.

    NBC News’ Kerry Sanders has covered almost every major hurricane to hit from the Eastern seaboard to Central America over the last 30 years. From Hurricane Andrew in 1992 to Katrina in 2005 – he’s been there.

    As Hurricane Irene strengthens into a Category 3 storm and looks like it may head straight for the East Coast, he reports from Emerald Isle, N.C., on people bracing for the storm and how best to prepare.

    What are people doing there to prepare for the hurricane?
    Here on Emerald Isle, on the North Carolina coast, preps have not really started, at least in a visible way. There are just a few homes that are boarded up.

    But it's all anyone is talking about. At "Mike's Place", a local diner, Irene is the main topic of conversation. The consensus here is that Irene will likely disrupt life, and folks will have to evacuate. But just as folks in Florida did, they're waiting to see what the National Hurricane Center says about the storm’s track.

    In South Florida, folks waited before acting, and now they've received the "all clear." It's the same scenario here – people are still in wait and see mode.

    But on Ocracoke Island, a little farther up the coast, evacuations are already underway. The first ferry from the island Wednesday had mostly tourists leaving despite today's beautiful weather.

    Are locals worried about the Category 3 storm that appears to be coming their way or do they feel prepared?
    Residents here tell me that if Hurricane Irene comes ashore as a Category 3 storm, they know the devastation will be severe. Homes and businesses are not the only concern, but a hurricane of that size could also severely erode the coastline. Coastal erosion is a constant here, but experts say a hurricane can erase portions of the coast in 48 hours equal to seven years of routine weather.

    Should people further up the East Coast be worried? 
    It appears Irene could move a tad more to the east. And while that's good news for residents of South Carolina and lower portions of North Carolina, it could also mean Virginia and even New York may face Irene. As always, it's smart to check msnbc.com’s Hurricane Tracker or weather.com to see where the updated government models project Irene will go.

    How should people along Hurricane Irene’s path prepare for the hurricane?
    The number one item folks should get now is: a full tank of gasoline. It's not so much that the stations will run out of gas, but rather it’s a good proactive move to avoid wasting time waiting in long lines later.

    People should also stock up on water, some non-perishable food (things like granola bars, peanut butter, jelly and a loaf of bread are always popular), a cooler and grab your insurance papers and photo albums. 

    Finally, since you have time, take some snap shots of the inside of your home. If you lose everything, you'll have a record of what was lost. The insurance company will be glad you did, but so will you as the pictures will remind you of each item you lost. It's not uncommon for victims to remember four or five months after a storm that they also lost a small knick knack that was not on the insurance claim, but by then it may be too late. With pictures, it’s hard to forget.

    Are people looking over their insurance policies to see if they are covered? In the post-Katrina world, are folks along the coast more aware of insurance issues?
    It's not possible to get an insurance policy now that Irene has formed and is headed towards the East Coast. But you should take a look at your current policy – and you should have it with you. Put it in a Zip Lock bag so it won’t get wet in case you need to pull it out when you're moving in the early feeder bands of the storm.

    What is the best thing to do while you sit and wait for the storm to come?
    Once you have evacuated inland, either to a hotel, a shelter, or a friend’s house, remember that you will probably lose power. Do you have a flashlight? A radio? A deck of cards or a board game?  I think if you're with others, there is comfort in numbers. A storm’s power can make some scary sounds, and if you're with someone else, you can tell each other that things will be OK. Usually, if you've taken the right precautions, that will become true.
     
    Otherwise, good luck and don’t ignore local emergency warnings.

    I've covered hurricanes for more than 30 years, from Central America to the tip of Long Island. Not one person I ever met who stayed behind to protect their property was able to do anything effective during a hurricane. You can't go outside and secure a shutter that breaks free when the winds are 100-plus miles per hour.

    And if your home is hit and you're in a shelter, in those first hours or days, your curiosity is the only victim. Looting is always prevented by police. So if you're back home in five hours or two days, nothing really changes other than your level of frustration about "not knowing what happened to your home."

    But one thing that is certain: you're alive and you're not injured.

  • The miserable postscript for a Casey Anthony juror

    By Kerry Sanders, NBC News

    Her name remains a secret. She’s known simply as juror number 12. And while she has a certificate from Florida’s 9th Circuit, embossed with calligraphy thanking her for her duty as a member of the Casey Anthony jury, her life since being released from that duty has been one of cat and mouse.

    A red-haired woman in her 60s who moved to Florida from Michigan, she told the court she worked at a Publix Grocery when she was questioned as a potential juror.

    Now, she’s in hiding.

    Juror number 12 left Florida. Her husband, fighting back tears, tells NBC News he’s not sure when she’ll return to her home in Florida.

    Why? He says she fears half of her co-workers want her head on a platter.

    The others may understand what she did, but she didn’t want to face them.

    She was due to retire in the fall, but Juror number 12, after being released from sequestration, chose to call her boss to announce she couldn’t come to work. She didn’t feel safe.

    She retired over the phone.

    The husband, who sat with two NBC News producers, glanced repeatedly at his blood pressure monitor on the coffee table and the Bible next to it.

    This God-fearing family describes the after-effects of the Anthony verdict as traumatic.

    First, for 44-days, he was separated from his wife.

    And she was separated from the quiet life they once shared. And now he remains concerned about her health.

    And now, they both face vitriol from those who are unwilling to accept a jury of peers reached a fair verdict based on the evidence presented.

    In a back room, the husband has a manila envelope filled with letters.

    Each is a request from a different news organization asking Juror number 12 for an interview.

    Her husband had packed his own bag and says he’s ready to leave if and when the court releases his wife’s name. For now, the court record of all the jurors’ names remains sealed.

    Her husband says, before she left the state to escape, she told him, “I’d rather go to jail than sit on a jury like this again.”

    -- Eliana Salzhauer and Debbie Huntting of NBC News contributed to this report

  • Family flies flag found in twister's rubble

    Kerry Sanders / NBC News

    This flag was found in the wreckage of 90-year-old Helen White's destroyed home. It had been given to her late husband in recognition of his service during World War II. Her grandchildren hung the flag after they found it to show their spirit of survival.

    By Kerry Sanders NBC News Correspondent

    COLERAIN, N.C. – The family of 90-year-old Helen White picked through what remained of her once-proud home Monday when they discovered a couple of hidden treasures: an American flag given to White's late husband in recognition for his service during World War II and an old photo.

    Here in rural Colerain, where peanut farms dot the landscape, it’s hard to see Helen's former home, which was built almost 100 years ago and was flattened over the weekend by North Carolina’s devastating twisters.

    Kerry Sanders

    Morgan Barfield found a photo of her grandmother Helen White, 90, in the wreckage of her home in Colerain, N.C.

    The tornado that touched down here, estimated to have had 165-mile-per-hour winds, stole just about everything.

    It took her life.

    It also took the lives of her daughter and son-in-law.

    But in the debris that is scattered for miles, Helen White's granddaughter Morgan Barfield found a treasure – a photo of her grandmother in a frame.  The glass is smashed, the picture was weathered by the downpour that accompanied the storm, but its value brought Morgan to tears.

    "It's all I have to hold now.  She's gone."

    Morgan found one other priceless keepsake: the flag her long-since-gone grandfather was given in recognition of his service during World War II.

    Together, Morgan and her sister Madison carefully opened the flag from its folded triangle shape.

    They hoisted the flag on a tree in the front yard.

    The same tree these college students once climbed as children.

    The flag is blowing in the wind now, "a symbol that we will survive this," said Madison.

    Kerry Sanders / NBC News

    Destruction left by the twister that touched down in Colerain, N.C.


    *Correction: This article originally misidentified the family's flag as being a "World War II era flag." Although, as many comments have pointed out, the flag has too many stars to be from World War II. Rather, it was given to the girls' grandfather in recognition of his service during the war. Thank you for your vigilance.

  • Pastor may not recognize lasting impact of burning plan

    NBC News’ Kerry Sanders is covering the controversy around Rev. Terry Jones proposed Quran-burning in Gainesville, Fla., on the 9/11 anniversary. He interviewed Jones Wednesday and discussed the plan that President Barack Obama has condemned as “destructive.”

    What the scene at the church? Is it all media? Or is there anyone else there?
    This morning, I’d say about 90 percent of the people around the church were from the media. There was also a protest across the street from the church that some reporters were covering.

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    But, I don’t want to discount the fact that there have also been representatives from the community who have made their way here. This morning a representative from the World Evangelical Alliance tried to deliver a letter to Rev. Terry Jones which he said represents the beliefs of more than 430 million evangelicals around the world. The letter was urging Jones, of the Dove World Outreach Center, to reconsider and not burn the Quran.

    Their fear is that the evangelicals who go around the world and proselytize will be in danger. They fear that if they open a church in a country that is predominately Muslim, that the church may be targeted or that individuals may be singled out because they are Christian and could be injured or murdered.

    So there is increasing levels of interest here, not just from those in U.S. military uniforms working in other parts of the world.

    Have seen any supporters there?
    There are a few church members who are here. If you are not sure who they are, you can recognize them pretty quickly because most of them are wearing side arms. They have pistols strapped to their waists. They are more inside the church then coming out. They are very nice. The doors of the church are all locked, but if you identify yourself, they will let you in to use their bathroom.

    But they are not really speaking on behalf of the minister. Rather, they are just taking messages and shuttling them to him.

    What about the followers of Pastor Jones? Have any of them come forward in favor, or not in favor, of the proposed Quran burning?
    No. The only person who has come out speaking publicly about the pastor’s statement is the Associate Pastor, Wayne Sapp. He is in lock step with Jones and not saying anything different from him.

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    Have any extra security measures been taken?
    Across the street from the church, the Gainesville police department has installed a security camera atop of a telephone poll. It’s a pretty rural area, but now they are monitoring all the activity around the church back at the police department. And the police department has now established a protocol for anyone coming and going from the church. Anyone who drives down the street to the church has to stop their car and give their drivers license to a police officer who writes down the information, as well as the car’s license plate.

    They are just building a data base of everyone who comes and goes in the event that something bad happens they want to know who was here.

    What is the reaction in the larger city of Gainesville?
    What I find interesting is that Gainesville, Fla., is well known in the state for the University of Florida and its football team. It might even be known for that to the rest of the nation. But to the rest of the world, Gainesville, Fla. was not on anyone’s map until this.

    The folks in this town are really upset that they are known around the world now for just one thing: A preacher who wants to burn the Quran.

    You interviewed Pastor Jones yesterday, did you get any better sense of what his real goal is here? (Watch the full interview above)
    At the end of the interview, I asked him whether he was getting his 15 minutes, and if there would be no reason for him to burn the Quran because he got his 15 minutes of fame?

    He seemed to indicate to me that he was already starting to reconsider whether he was going to burn the Quran.

    If this was an attempt at not just local, but international, publicity, he’s achieved that. I’m just not sure he’s fully recognized the lasting impact it may have around the world.

    Newsweek: Extremists use Quran burnings as propaganda

  • First new images of Titanic debris field emerge

    By Kerry Sanders, NBC News Correspondent

    ABOARD THE JEAN CHARCOT – As we continue to float two-plus miles above the wreck of the Titanic, there was a significant scientific development Friday.

    The Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) nicknamed “Ginger” and “Mary Ann” that were launched earlier this week to crisscross the ocean floor and retrieve information have now come home to the ship.

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    They left on a pre-determined route: “Ginger” traveled north and south and “MaryAnn” traveled east and west.

    As they traveled about 40 yards above the sea bed, following a pattern like “mowing the yard,” the two AUV’s fired outside-scan-sonar.

    Woods Hole Oceanographic teams working with the Waitt Institute, which owns the AUV’s, have now downloaded the side-scan sonar.

    The picture that is emerging is a first of its kind, stunning image of the five-mile, by three-mile area where the Titanic came to rest.

    The images are color-coded, but with some expert input, what you may not see at first glance becomes quite obvious.

    Titanic expedition leader David Gallo says this is an “awesome” moment.

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    He and his team knew the Titanic broke into two pieces, but nobody realized the debris field was a large as it is.

    Upwards of 40 percent of the area where the Titanic sank has never been mapped or documented – until now.

    Up next: 3-D images. If all goes according to the plan, those images will come to the surface by Saturday morning.

    This underwater geology is science you can clearly follow with a good expert, so click on the video to follow what the maps mean.

    Related links from Kerry Sanders:
    Underwater equipment launched in Titanic search
    Keeping an eye on the weather enroute to Titanic wreckage
    Diving down to document Titanic debris

  • How do you broadcast TV from a submarine?

    After nearly 100 days of reporting on the Gulf oil spill, how do you find new angles on what seems like an already well-covered story?

    NBC News Chief Environmental Correspondent Anne Thompson explains how she and her crew stay on top of the ongoing environmental disaster by exploring new reporting avenues every day.

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    One way is to send NBC News’ Kerry Sanders, who has been covering the Gulf oil spill for the last three months, as close to the floor of the Gulf of Mexico’s as he can get in a submarine.

    One vexing question Kerry has had in his reporting is: Can you see the oil down below the surface?

    In an effort to answer that question, Kerry and his team of cameramen and engineers have gone to great technical lengths. With the help of a group of scientists, he’s going to try to go about 1,000- 1,800 feet below the surface to look at deepwater coral and try to see if the oil is in the loop current.

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    From broadcasting live TV from a ship in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico to trying to broadcast live from a submarine – Kerry explains the "amazing technical challenges" and the team effort it takes to bring the story home.