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Jane Velez-Mitchell

Ex Claims a Suicidal Zimmerman Choked Her; Wal-Mart Under Fire for Hungry Workers; Is Mayor of Toronto Ready to Clean Up His Act?

Aired November 19, 2013 - 19:00   ET

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

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST: Breaking news tonight in our big story. The infamous George Zimmerman, back in a Florida courtroom today, where we heard a shocking new claim that he allegedly tried to choke his now ex- girlfriend just a week and a half ago, leaving her terrified.

Right now, as we speak, he`s sitting in jail working with his public defenders, trying to get out on bail. If you can`t keep up with all this guy`s run-ins with the cops, you are not alone. Take a look at just some of his mug shots.

The latest incident came yesterday at his now-ex-girlfriend`s house. She and George both ended up calling 911 separately. Zimmerman is charged with felony aggravated assault for allegedly pointing a gun at her and shoving her out the door. He`s also facing misdemeanor domestic battery and criminal mischief charges.

Now, I want you to take a look at the photos of the girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe from Facebook. A pretty young lady. As the two argued inside her home where they both live, she made this hysterical call to 911.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s going on?

SAMANTHA SCHEIBE, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN`S GIRLFRIEND (via phone): He`s in my house breaking all of my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) things because I asked him to leave. He has a freaking gun, breaking all of my stuff right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

SCHEIBE: No, this is not -- I`m doing this again? You just broke my glass table. You broke my sunglasses and you put your gun in my freaking face and told me to get the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) out. This is not your house. No. Get out of here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Where is his weapon at?

SCHEIBE: He just put it down.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

SCHEIBE: No, get out of my house. Do not push me out of my house. Please get out of my house. Are you serious right now? Are you kidding me? He pushed me out of my house and locked me out.

GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, ARRESTED IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENT (via phone): I never pulled a firearm. I never displayed it. When I was packing it I`m sure she saw it. I mean, we keep it next to the bed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Is her weapon put up?

G. ZIMMERMAN: I have no idea. It`s hers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What about your weapon?

G. ZIMMERMAN: It`s in a bag, locked.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, someone`s lying. Either he was waving around a gun or he wasn`t. In court today, we heard this bombshell -- and it is a bombshell -- from the state attorney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The victim had indicated that there was a prior domestic violence incident that occurred approximately a week and a half ago that involved a choking, that she did not report to the police. She is in fear for her safety. On the date of this incident, she had indicated that they had been discussing breaking up. He`s also mentioned suicide in the recent past, due to those factors and the defendant indicating at the time he was going to commit suicide because he has nothing to lose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(SFX: ELEPHANT TRUMPETING)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The big elephant in the room, of course, is the Trayvon Martin tragedy. So how does this reflect on George Zimmerman`s acquittal for murdering this unarmed teenager?

I`ve got to go to Tanya Young Williams, spokeswoman for national domestic violence. Could this emphasize to the nation that the jury got it wrong? I mean, are we seeing now the side of George Zimmerman that the jury who acquitted him of murder, even though he shot this young man dead, never got to see?

TANYA YOUNG WILLIAMS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SPOKESWOMAN: Absolutely, Jane. In fact, I think over the last few incidences in which George has encountered himself with the police, people are starting to say, what did the jurors miss?

But we have to see, when it`s domestic violence, George has had a history of domestic violence, as we know, of ranging almost ten years ago. And this is a pattern of his behavior, wanting to control whomever he`s with.

And let`s not -- let us not forget: it was during the prosecution`s closing that the prosecutor asserted or suggested that George Zimmerman did not go into his pocket to take out his cell phone, but in fact he took out a gun. And that might have been what caused Trayvon Martin to react.

And we see through these last couple of incidences that these victims have alleged that George Zimmerman pulls out a gun when he wants to wield control over someone else. It`s a pattern, and it`s not changing.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And of course, you`re referring to the incident with his estranged soon-to-be-ex-wife Shellie a couple of months ago, where she called the cops and said, "Hey, he looks like he`s reaching for his gun. He smashed my iPad. He`s punched my dad in the nose." He was never charged in that case.

Now, here`s the shocker. Is Zimmerman`s girlfriend pregnant or is she not? George Zimmerman, in another shocker, told the 911 dispatcher that the whole fight started over a discussion about parenting his unborn child with her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

G. ZIMMERMAN: She`s pregnant with our child, and she told me it was better co-parented and she raise the child on her own. That`s fine.

I said, "Are you sure that`s what you want to do?"

She said yes.

As soon as I started packing up my stuff to leave, she just completely changed. She got mad that I guess I told her I would be willing to leave. I guess she thought I was going to argue with her, but she`s pregnant. I`m not going to put her through that kind of stress.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is the victim pregnant?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this time, the victim has disclosed to us that she is not pregnant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: This is insane. OK? Is she pregnant or not? If she`s really not pregnant -- and she would know -- did he lie and use that as an excuse?

Simone Bienne, this has sort of crossed the line to a new level of insanity. What`s your psychological analysis of this man?

SIMONE BIENNE, RELATIONSHIP EXPERT: I think he`s grabbing at anything, Jane. My thoughtful analysis would be that he`s displaying all the marks of a sociopath. We certainly know his history. We know about his domestic violence. We know how he controls. We know how he manipulates.

Now Jane, the last time we were talking about somebody who manipulated a woman to stay within in a relationship was Martin MacNeill. Here he is talking about the exactly the same thing. He`s threatening suicide if they`re going to break up. That is a form of a sociopath and a very dangerous man.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`ve got to ask you a follow-up question, Simone. All these incidents involved guns. I`m not trying to psychobabble here, but a gun is a phallic symbol. He`s a guy who is powerless. Is he using the gun over and over again as a way to assert power over women, over the world?

BIENNE: Yes, absolutely. Because clearly these are nice women but clearly damaged women, because you wouldn`t be in a relationship with him unless, you know, there was some kind of low self-esteem or drama from your background.

But yes, you`re absolutely right. This is the ultimate sign of power abuse. And this is domestic violence, and thank goodness the judge said he should not be carrying weapons.

I would say he should never be allowed a weapon, or else we`re going to see another case where a girlfriend, ex-girlfriend is murdered.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, the court declared him indigent, a fancy way of saying flat broke, and it gave him a public defender. His legal defense fund -- remember that, that Web site -- it appears to be dormant. He`s got no source of income that we know of, and now this. OK. According to these bond conditions, if he makes bail, which so far, you know, he`s in the process of trying to do that, he has to stay 1,500 feet away from his now-estranged girlfriend, can`t have any guns or ammo, which certainly is a new thing for him. He has to wear an electronic monitoring device. He can`t leave Florida.

Now, if this Zimmerman character was a desperate guy before this, could this push him over the edge? Jawn Murray, Always A-list, you`ve been following this guy. You know, we heard in court today that he was suicidal. Suicidal people are often dangerous. They could become homicidal?

JAWN MURRAY, ALWAYS A-LIST: Absolutely, Jane.

Clearly, you know, our psychologist has told us he has the traits of a psychopath. I don`t believe anything that this man says. If George Zimmerman told me that it was sunny outside, I`d take me an umbrella.

I`ve said on this very show since July, when he got away with murder, that this guy was entitled and he was going to get in trouble again.

Now it took someone like O.J. Simpson many, many years before he found himself back in trouble with the law, but this guy every other month is being arrested for one reason or another. He`s going to kill again. It`s either going to be one of these women who are dumb enough to date him or another young black boy.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Adam Thompson, I know that you`re a criminal defense attorney who has come to George Zimmerman`s defense. Are you still defending him? I mean, can all this be, oh, just another misunderstanding? Another coincidence?

ADAM THOMPSON, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Jane, I don`t come to George Zimmerman`s defense. You have me on to give me my expertise as a criminal lawyer, and that`s what I do. I`ve said many times on your show he should probably crawl under a rock after what happened, and he got acquitted.

But the bottom line is, if you want to look at it from a legal perspective, these cases are weak. Plain and simple. You need evidence to get convictions. But his wife in the past, that was a he said/she said, and no charges ended up being brought.

And guess what? The same thing is going to happen here again, because it`s another domestic dispute that takes place between a couple that`s on the verge of breaking up. They`re separating. They have a huge argument in the home. They each have a different version as to what happened. And when the police arrive at the location, they get a different set of circumstances from the 911 calls that came in that throw all the facts into question.

So what`s going to happen? Much to do about nothing. He`s going to walk on this, too. And it isn`t because I like him. It`s because those are the facts, and you need proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`ve got to wonder about that. I think you might have a point in the sense that she says he had a gun pointed at her, but by the time the cops got there, the gun was put away. But he had time to put the gun away.

Tanya, hold on. We`re going to get to more of this on the other side. We`re just starting our debate, and we`re taking your calls.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello?

G. ZIMMERMAN: Um, my girlfriend has, for lack of a better word gone crazy on me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where is she now?

G. ZIMMERMAN: I`m sorry? With the police.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. The police is already there, and so why are you calling? What happened?

G. ZIMMERMAN: I just want everyone to know the truth.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know this man. It`s George Zimmerman.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First made headlines for killing an unarmed teenager in 2012.

G. ZIMMERMAN: I felt like my head was going to explode.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We, the jury, find George Zimmerman not guilty.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get on your knees! Drop to your feet!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The woman told the 911 operator she was pushed out of her house by Zimmerman.

SCHEIBE: He knows how to do this. He knows how to play this game.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And that he had a shotgun, an AR-15 and two handguns inside.

SHELLIE ZIMMERMAN, ESTRANGED WIFE OF GEORGE G. ZIMMERMAN: He`s making some reckless decisions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just the most recent in a series of bizarre run- ins the 30-year-old has had with police.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The woman in his life say, hey, he knows how to manipulate the justice system. Listen to Zimmerman`s 911 call. It actually reminded me of how he kind of explained shooting Trayvon Martin. It`s kind of a blame-the-victim strategy, and even his now ex-girlfriend seemed to acknowledge that this is his M.O., as it were. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHEIBE: He knows how to do this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

SCHEIBE: He knows how to play this game.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I need you to calm down, OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(SFX: ELEPHANT TRUMPETING)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Here`s the elephant in the room. The reason she`s upset is that she`s afraid that she`s going to call the cops on him, and he`s going to walk. He`s going to skate.

And he uses the vigilante mind-set. OK? In his psyche, he`s always right. Just like he felt like he was right after he shot Trayvon Martin, and so he doesn`t run away. He waits for the cops to show up. He`s very calm. He`s very passive. He`s very cooperative. He walks them through the scene, like he did here with the shooting of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed teenager who was coming back from a 7-Eleven with Skittles and a soft drink. And he acts like he`s on the side of the police.

He also makes sure the entire world, in this latest incident with his now ex-girlfriend, hears his side of the story. Very sophisticated. Calls 911, knowing that the police are going to give us the tape. That`s what happens in Florida. And that we`re going to play it. And so essentially, just like he testified without testifying in his murder trial, he`s testifying through this 911 call, Tanya Young Williams.

WILLIAMS: Jane, one of the biggest issues for me is that, as long as domestic violence battery is considered a misdemeanor, getting arrested will no longer serve or does not serve as a deterrent against perpetrators.

And let`s realize, George Zimmerman, he`s a manipulator. And when he is released, he will be somewhere studying the law and the applicable defenses against these charges. And he`s going to know how to fight this battle as well as the defense attorneys that the judge is going to assign. He`s going to know how to go in and, like the attorney has said, he`s going to walk scot-free.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let me say this, and I want to go to Adam Thompson on this, criminal defense attorney. This is felony, aggravated assault, and with a weapon. My understanding is that, if he`s convicted, he could get a minimum -- a mandatory minimum of three years behind bars.

THOMPSON: It`s between three and five years, Jane. No, it`s very serious. I mean, particularly in Florida, any time you use a gun in any kind of a criminal activity, you get enhanced sentencing. So the stakes are very high on this.

But again, to get back to the bottom line, the prosecution is going to have to present evidence, more than just a he said/she said in court. Because ultimately, the jury is going to want to know what happened and what`s the proof to prove what happened. And if they don`t have it, he`s walking again.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. The problem is, there`s no videotape running. We know a table was smashed. Who smashed it? Can they prove that he did it? We`re going to stay on top of that.

Later, is Toronto`s crack mayor finally hitting bottom? You won`t believe what he`s doing now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROB FORD, MAYOR OF TORONTO: I was watching with my brother when Saddam attacked Kuwait. You guys have just attacked Kuwait. Mark my words, friends, this is going to be outright war in the next election.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Unleash me just in time for the holiday season. Wal- Mart hit by controversy. One Ohio Wal-Mart has bins asking Wal-Mart workers for food donations to help other Wal-Mart workers who can`t afford to buy their families a Thanksgiving meal. Now critics are scalding Wal- Mart, asking why can`t Wal-Mart pay enough so all workers can feed their families?

Critics vow more protests like this last Thanksgiving and Black Friday at Wal-Mart stores, complaining many Wal-Mart workers had basically not enough pay so they have to rely on Food Stamps that costs taxpayers money.

Wal-Mart, I have a rant and a suggestion. You`re the world`s largest retailer. You`re king of the world. I get it. But there have been cracks in the kingdom. You recently reported your third straight quarterly decline in sales. As a corporate leader, you know the ability to evolve and reinvent with the times is key to continued success.

So Wal-Mart, as America`s largest corporate employer, with more than two million workers, you can give them more without hurting your bottom line. You can turn your millions of workers into ambassadors for healthy eating. Give them your own fruits and vegetables to eat.

I`m calling you to do that. Because Americans are used to perfection, virtually all stores throw out fruits and vegetables that are just not perfect or that are bruised or have just passed their "sell by" date. But they`re still perfectly safe to eat. Give all that food to your workers. Give them a paper that frees you from liability.

It`s good food. It would get them eating fruits and vegetables and grains. That benefits everybody. America has an obesity crisis, a high cholesterol crisis. This would be better than taking high-cholesterol pills with terrible side effects of memory loss.

Also, Wal-Mart, please promise not to buy any more pork from companies that keep intelligent pigs in tiny gestation crates where they can`t turn around. Pork, i.e. pig meat, is one of the highest cholesterol foods.

Straight out to nutritionist and best-selling author Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Dr. Joel, couldn`t Wal-Mart turn itself around and put itself at the forefront of the solution to America`s obesity and high cholesterol crisis?

DR. JOEL FUHRMAN, NUTRITIONIST/AUTHOR: That`s right. I agree. You know, Americans eat 55 percent of calories from processed foods, 30 percent from animal products and only 5 percent from non-potato produce. We need to save our population. We need to lower their cholesterol, prevent them from having heart attacks and strokes and cancer, by eating more beans and green vegetables and mushrooms and onions and fresh fruit and berries and seeds and nuts.

And they can -- they can donate or they can share even lower prices to get produce that doesn`t look as good or starts to age a little bit. Or we can subsidize workers with beans and whole intact grains like brown rice. In other words, you don`t have to -- it`s not very expensive to improve the quality of one`s diet.

And the problem with America is all the food, all the supply of extra food is all in the form of processed foods that eats away at people`s health and increases the risk of having some degenerative disease later on in life.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wal-Mart, please listen. I`m going to send this clip to the Wal-Mart executives. I`m praying that they listen, because on Wal- Mart`s side. OK? You can do it. You can lead our nation to good health.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Tell me what it takes to be number one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s not a star in the world wants to get off the door and not be recognized by press.

KIM KARDASHIAN, REALITY STAR: I love letting people my life, in my life.

KANYE WEST, HIP-HOP STAR: Giving it up right now.

KARDASHIAN, REALITY STAR: It gives everyone the right to be able to judge you and to talk about you, and that just comes along with the territory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: In tonight`s buzz, self-proclaimed genius Kanye and the mother of his child, Kim Kardashian, released a brand-new video that celebrates their new life together as proud parents. Isn`t it romantic? Wait a second. It features Kim topless, bouncing on a motorcycle, straddling Kanye, and it kind of looks like they`re simulating sex.

The video debuted on "Ellen." The song`s called "Bound 2." And here`s a warning. It`s "bound to" make you want to barf.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC: "BOUND 2")

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Their 5-month-old daughter, North West, will be so proud one day when she`s old enough to check out the family album. Oh, boy.

Straight out to the Lion`s Den. He wants to bleep her on the sink. That`s one of the sweetest thing I`ve ever heard a man say about the mother of his new child.

I`ve got to say, Simone Bienne, a lot of people are saying this is unbelievably disrespectful towards Kim as a new mother, but she`s right there with him doing the you know what. What do you think?

BIENNE: I think I like your introduction when you say it will make your viewers barf. Absolutely.

I think that that poor daughter of theirs. The only direction she`s going to get from her parents is to get North West, away from them.

But I think, for goodness sake, this is just so ridiculously cheesy. Kanye West`s popularity has gone down, according to one Web site, 66 percent since being together with Kim, Jane. That was before the video. What do you imagine it`s going to be now?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: If you are not crazy about this new tune -- and it could be an exaggeration to call it a tune -- take a moment to remember Kanye West is a genius, something he revealed to the world not too long ago on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." Watch this from ABC.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KANYE WEST, SINGER: For me -- you know, I`m a creative genius and there`s no other way to word it. I think you`re not supposed to say that about yourself. And I say things the wrong way a lot of times but my intention is always positive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Here`s the elephant in the room, people. Kanye West proclaims he`s a genius. However, this "Bound 2" music video is -- and I`m going to go out on a limb here and say it -- not a work of genius. Come on, Jawn Murray, AlwaysAList.com. If you`re going to say you`re a genius, you need to come out with a work of genius.

JAWN MURRAY, ALWAYSALIST.COM: Well Jane, he might think he`s a genius. I might call him a copycat because having Kim topless in a video straddling something reminds me of Ray Jay. He did that first in the infamous sex tape. It`s the only reason why we know who Kim Kardashian is. Sorry, Kanye, if I may channel your spirit, Ray Jay did it better. He did it first. You`re not the best.

Did I sound like I was erupting in the (inaudible) show -- Jane?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, you do.

MURRAY: Ok, good.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Listen -- we all got to vent. I`m going to give her what she deserves. She is gorgeous. She`s sexy. I mean there`s no denying that.

But here`s what drives me crazy. Kim recently came out and said she wants to have a more private life now that she`s a new mother. Here she is on E`s "Keeping Up with the Kardashians".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIM KARDASHIAN, REALITY TV STAR: People don`t expect you to have privacy. Like when you`re so open for so long they think, oh, you want privacy, like who do you think you are?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They think you want --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As in you signed up for this sort of thing.

KARDASHIAN: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Come on. You want privacy? Really? You`re playing the "I`m a new mother, give me privacy" card and you`re looking like that? Topless on a motorcycle? Pretending to be going for a ride, if you know what I mean?

Stuart Brazell, pop culture expert, she wants to keep her crown as the reigning sexpot that all the guys lust after. Here are however pictures of her five-month-old, North West, which she posted on Instagram. Could she have it both ways? Demand privacy as a mom and then release pictures of her gorgeous daughter but then release selfies of herself and her rear end? Can you have it all?

STUART BRAZELL, POP CULTURE EXPERT: You can`t have your cake and eat it, too. You can`t be posting photos of your daughter and then bouncing up on your fiancee.

First of all, I`m just confused. Between the two of them don`t they have a big enough budget to do a music video that isn`t on green screen? What was with the (inaudible) for the first 30 seconds. The whole thing is so confusing to me, I`m like, I don`t get it.

She is gorgeous. I get she wants to show off her body but you need to either be a mom or just go, you know what, I`m a fame whore, this is me. I`m going to own it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now Kanye is chalking this whole thing up to love. He`s so madly in love with Kim Kardashian. Here`s what he told Ellen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEST: I don`t know if I can like express it enough. It`s almost like -- people make fun of me for like how in love I actually, you know, am and it just sounds like people are just so cool with their approach to things, with their -- you know. And also I`m trying to avoid jumping up on the couch moment. But --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Too late for that, "Lion`s Den". Jawn Murray, Always A List, is this really true love -- thump, thump, thump -- or is this hey guys, be jealous, look what I`ve got?

MURRAY: Jane, I just threw up a little bit here in the studio. I mean he`s so in love that it`s disgusting. I mean here`s the thing. The back story is that these two are together because they both were in relationships. Him with Amber Rose, her with Reggie Bush and they had an affair years ago. She got married and all of this stuff happened and then they found themselves back to each other. So I do think they love each other but it`s so much love that it`s just sickening.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, listen, you know where all this is going. "Saturday Night Live", of course, took a jab at Kim and Kanye`s kooky relationship. Check this out from NBC.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You all like this dress? I picked it out? This is no Chris (inaudible) basketball white kill? I turned this woman into an artiste -- a philosopher.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ok.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An intergalactic icon of creativity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Also blond now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Stuart, is any publicity good publicity or does there come a point where you go from hot to hot mess?

BRAZELL: You know, I think with Kim she`s always just going to do whatever she can to stay in the spotlight. She just happens to do a better job of it than Paris Hilton does. Look, she`s famous because of being on television all the time, putting her stuff out there because of a sex tape with Ray Jay which we talked about earlier.

With her she`s got to milk it because look, she`s famous because of her two b`s -- her boobs and her butt. When that goes away, what`s going to happen?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, she did get it back. Jawn, my last question, was this shot after the baby? You`ve got to give her props for getting the bootie back.

MURRAY: She`s got the bootie back and even though she says she wants to live a more private life, she`s still showing us her private parts.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know what -- I would forget everything I said if the sound was good but that song didn`t sound good to me.

He has admitted to smoking crack and making a slew of really, really, really, really, really bad decisions. Has Mayor Rob Ford of Toronto finally hit rock bottom? We pray.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Your Crazy Video of the Day. A manhole cover explodes, flies off the ground in Providence, Rhode Island. It`s fun to watch. Our affiliate WPRI says this is one of a few manholes that were sent flying by carbon monoxide buildup from an underground electrical fire. Who knew?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ROB FORD, TORONTO: I`m not an addict. You can tell me whatever you want. These people know that I`m not. You ever got drunk before?

Yes, I have used crack cocaine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re not being truthful. That`s my problem.

FORD: I am not being truthful. Have you been into that house?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have no interest in being in that house. I am not a crack user.

FORD: The reason I drank or did drugs was not because of stress. It was out of sheer stupidity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, I`m fed up with crack mayor.

Breaking news, is the mayor of Toronto finally ready to clean up his act or is he just offering us another serving of BS. After being stripped of virtually all of his powers just yesterday and weeks of ridicule Mayor Rob Ford is finally claiming he`s getting help but he still insists he`s not an alcoholic or a drug addict. But his unnamed health professionals are reportedly working with him in mysterious ways to get better.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORD: I haven`t touched a drop of alcohol. I`m dealing with a team of professionals. I`m getting the help for sometimes my excessive drinking. Everybody has skeletons in their closets. Mine have been exposed.

I`m dealing with health care professionals and everybody has issues. And I`d just leave it at that.

Talk is cheap. Come back in five months. If you don`t see a difference you can say, "Rob, I don`t believe you. Take a drug test or a urine test or an alcohol test." No problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, problem. Here`s my problem with that. The first step to getting help for substance abuse -- and I say this as a recovering alcoholic, with 18 years of sobriety -- is to admit that you`re an alcoholic in the first place. He still refuses to do that. So is the mayor just white knuckling it through a dry drunk phase in order to try to keep his career or has he actually hit rock bottom?

Now, you`ll remember just yesterday he trampled that elderly councilwoman? I mean this is just classic -- look at this. Boom. And before that he knocked over a photographer and of course he said it`s not my fault. He even used profane language about sex at a press conference but he still refuses to resign.

Straight out to the "Lion`s Den", Ellis Henican, "Newsday" columnist, social commentator, do you buy the so-called conversion where he`s out getting help from health professionals?

ELLIS HENICAN, "NEWSDAY" COLUMNIST: No. There`s no evidence at all this guy has learned any lesson at all. Jane, I`ll tell you how I know. He`s talking now about running for re-election next year. I`ve been trying to work on a slogan for him. Should he be like "one smoking mayor" or "get cracking Toronto?"

Here`s my favorite. Here`s my favorite. Haven`t you ever got caught on video smoking a crack pipe? How about that for a slogan for the mayor next time? Rob Ford in `14 I say.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And I`m happy to say no, I have never -- and I`m sure you haven`t -- that`s why he doesn`t ask that question. He says have you ever gotten drunk. Ok? He asked one of the CNN reporters, have you ever gotten drunk? Yes, if you ask me if I ever got drunk, of course I`ve gotten drunk. But, you know, ask people if they`ve ever smoked crack, ok? Most people who are in any position of responsibility will say no.

Let`s not forget, Mayor Ford, a.k.a. "Mayor Crack", is he just making a fool out of himself. He`s really putting his entire city at risk and this is the fifth largest city in north America. Listen to what he told NBC about what would happen if a city emergency -- I`m talking something serious took place while he was intoxicated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORD: I`m very fortunate that hasn`t happened. It`s very few isolated incidents that it`s happened. And you`re absolutely right. I`m very fortunate that hasn`t happened. But that could happen with anybody at any time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you still want this job?

FORD: Absolutely. October 27th, let the people decide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What if they say we want another guy like Rob Ford when it comes to the fiscal responsibility but we want a guy that is going to elevate the office and not bring the baggage that Mayor Ford brought.

FORD: They`re not going to find another Rob Ford.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Time for another Rob Ford rant -- I love these. It`s always a bad sign when people refer to themselves in the third person. Oh, hey, Rob Ford, he`s getting help. It`s a sign of massive grandiosity and that`s a whole part of addiction along with, let`s see, defiance, arrogance, entitlement, a sense that the rules are for other people.

So Simone Bienne, relationship expert, of course he`s still deluded enough to think he`s doing a fantastic job. If he was really a changed man I believe he`d be admitting to how much he`s hurt people and trying to make amends to his children, his wife and the entire city -- not defending himself.

BIENNE: Absolutely. He is minimizing all of his behavior and even in that clip just there he didn`t take the responsibility. He just said, "Well, who hasn`t sort of drunk too much?" Now, with his children as well, he also spoke to, you know, one of your sister channels, CNN, talking about how he himself, you know, was the best father out there. What is he, as you say, Jane, teaching his kids? To avoid responsibility? To take drugs? To lie?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Honestly, I think of all of the people who have a right to be upset, his children, and when they get old enough to really study this, I think they are going to be mortified but they have to realize that they are not responsible for their parents` behavior.

Mayor Ford has been a gift, not only to news organizations -- I have to admit, he`s been a gift to us, but to late night comedians everywhere. I mean they just haven`t been able to stop with the punch lines.

Jay Leno, Exhibit A.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, TALK SHOW HOST: He announced he wants to be Canada`s next prime minister. Hey, if there was anyone qualified for the highest office in the land, it`s the highest mayor in the land -- ok. There you go right there, Toronto.

The Toronto mayor has admitted he bought illegal drugs in the past years. He did buy illegal drugs in the past two years but in fairness to him, he said it was long before he learned how to cook his own crack. Now he saves money by doing it himself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jawn Murray, AlwaysAList.com, you know, I think he`s actually doing the world a favor because we have a lot of stereotypes in our head about what addicts and crack addicts look like and we play them often with street people or minorities get hit a lot in terms of unfair stereotyping. He`s really showing the world that you can wear a suit and a tie and have a good job and be a crack addict.

MURRAY: And also be plus size -- Jane. I mean here`s the serious aspect of this. The guy clearly has a substance problem and he needs to get help. I mean the late great Whitney Houston made it plain -- crack is whack. But on the other side, the guy is so funny to watch. Every time I see the news clip, I`m falling out laughing. I mean he`s a total whack-a- doo. Or maybe even a crack-a-doo. I mean he makes D.C. former crack using mayor, Marion Barry look like a Sunday school teacher. He`s so entertaining.

Take him, Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann put them together and give them a daytime talk show. I`d watch.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ellis Henican, "Newsday" columnist, the serious lesson from this though is we are locking up a lot of people, generally poor minorities, for non-violent drug offenses. They are not getting the second chances. They are not getting the psychoanalysis and here`s why he`s doing it and there`s why he`s doing it. They lock them up and throw away the key. It`s a double standard. It has to end and I hope that this obscenity results in that change.

HENICAN: You`re right. He`s bringing a bad name to drug users everywhere. Honestly, the worst thing -- the least bad thing this guy did was buy drugs. I mean his behavior in front of the council, his humiliation of the people of Toronto -- at this point, I guess, his only last official duties are cutting ribbons and kissing babies. And I`ve got to tell you, I can`t get my head around the idea of that guy kissing babies. I would not want him near any baby that I cared about.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: If I was a new mother I`d run in the other direction as fast as I can if he came at me. Thank you but we`ll pass this time. Maybe the next election season.

All right. Thank you, fantastic panel.

Here it is, speaking of babies, the definition of awesome. You`re going to talk to the mother who took these incredible photos. And this is just the start. It`s a love story between a rescued pup and this mom`s gorgeous little boy and how this child is helping other beautiful animals in need of good homes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Time for Pet of the Day. Send your pet pics to hlntv.com/jane.

Louie -- Louie, Louie, Louie, Louie-ah -- I remember that song. Paco -- oh, look at him. He is ready to rumble. Little -- says I`m not so little but I like to hang out in the sink apparently. Well you go, girl. And Eli -- Lassie has got nothing on me. Bring it on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KERI GLASSMAN, "COOK YOUR ASS OFF": Hey, everyone, I`m Keri Glassman. And I`m a judge on Upwave`s new show "COOK YOUR ASS OFF".

I`m working as the lead nutritionist for Turner`s new brand Upwave and it`s all about health, wellness and entertainment. I get to sit back and enjoy food cooked by some incredible chefs whose challenge is to cook food that`s not only tasty but also healthy.

This is just a bowl of wonderful, nutritious ingredients.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has a nice spice to it.

GLASSMAN: I truly believe I was born to do what I`m doing. I`ve been talking about this since I was 12 years old. I have a friend who always telling the story, she claims that in seventh grade science class I said to her, I am craving some almonds because I think my body needs vitamin e and looked at me as I was the biggest dork on earth.

I was always interested in food and how it could fuel the body. I`m a nutritionist. I`m a mom. I`m an entrepreneur. I get it. It can be so incredibly overwhelming trying to change your lifestyle. I just do the best I can every day.

Upwave`s goal is to entertain and inspire and really get people to take action. And the by-product of that is going to be being a healthy, fit person. You are going to see these dishes and want to cook them at home and incorporate all of these healthy ingredients into your daily life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Upwave on HLN, 7:00 p.m. Learn to "COOK YOUR ASS OFF" with celebrity chef, Richard Blais. He`ll cook his ass off and he`ll show you how to do the same.

8:00 p.m., learn to be a quick study on almost anything. "THE TIM FERRISS EXPERIMENT" -- simple techniques to master the impossible.

At 8:30, "THE DOSE WITH DR. BILLY" a new twist on what ails us with a dose of laughter.

Don`t miss an all-new Sunday night on HLN lineup starting December 1st, 7:00 p.m.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now time for your Slice of Happiness.

I`m thrilled to have with me tonight Momma`s Gone City blogger Jessica Shyba. Jessica took absolutely adorable to the next level when she posted photos of her 23-month-old son and here new puppy sharing some naptime snuggles.

Now Jessica, on your blog you talked about adopting your little pup Theo from the local SPCA when he was just seven weeks old. First of all these are just unbelievably adorable pictures. How are you using this photo collection that you have gathered of your incredibly handsome son and this adorable puppy to help other animals in need of homes?

JESSICA SHYBA, MOMMASGONECITY.COM: Well, I put a link on my blog to go and donate to the Santa Cruz SPCA because they`re in desperate need of a new facility, but I think spreading the word about rescuing pets around the world is important just in itself.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And when people have kids, sometimes it`s sad to say, sometimes they get rid of their dogs, which I don`t think they ever should. This shows the love between a boy and his dog. It`s an incredible love that is one of the most intense forms of love anywhere on this planet -- Jessica?

SHYBA: I know. It`s pretty incredible.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And it`s good for the boy. Your son.

SHYBA: It`s been really sweet. I mean, Theo has kind of turned into a sibling of his. They`re just so naturally drawn to each other. It`s the sweetest thing to watch and witness.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I have to tell you, this is brilliant photography, and just look at that photo. Look at that photo. I mean these are priceless. These images show you that, wow, if we could all love like an innocent child and an innocent puppy, the world would be a letter place.

That`s why I say the folks in charge who know everything, they know nothing. These are the wise ones -- the very wise ones. Thank you so much, Jessica, and I love what you`re doing.

Nancy`s next.

END