Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Neighborhood Watch Killing of African American Young Man Continues to Garner National Attention; GOP Presidential Candidates Prepare for Louisiana Primary; Supreme Court to Hear Arguments on Constitutionality of Health Care Reform Law; Doctors Provide Advice for Women with Knee Pain; "Hunger Games" Has Big Opening Weekend
Aired March 24, 2012 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM, where the news unfolds live this Saturday, March 24th. I'm Fredricka Mhitfield.
Right now hundreds of demonstrators are rallying against health care reform near the U.S. Capitol building. On Monday the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments about whether the health reform act is constitutional. Demonstrators insist it is illegal and the state infringes on their freedom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The mandate coverage for each person is unconstitutional. I think we have the right to health care, but I don't think we have the obligation to accept health care. I don't think it's right for people in Washington to tell us what people in Georgia are going to have to do when we go to the doctor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: A Montana man accused of trying to board a plane with four handguns. Harold Waller reportedly was carrying a loaded gun and two knives when he went through security at Sacramento international airport. TSA screeners say they found three more semiautomatic guns in Waller's carry-on bags. After Waller was arrested investigators found eight more guns in his car. No word on what the motive may have been.
Six children and two adults are dead after a fire swept through a house in Charleston, West Virginia. Investigators are looking for a cause, but say it does not look suspicious. One adult managed to escape, a seventh child son life support.
Public outrage over the Trayvon Martin shooting is growing. Protesters are rallying across the country demanding justice for the death of the unarmed Florida teen. The reverend Al Sharpton attended this demonstration today in New York. Another protest is starting right now in Washington.
CNN's Holly Firfer is live in Sanford, Florida, where George Zimmerman shot Martin, he says, in self-defense. Holly, the former Florida governor Jeb Bush is commenting on the case. What has been the reaction?
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka, he has been consulting on the case because in 2005 when he was governor he wrote that stand-your-ground bill into the law. That's the law that says basically any civilian can use deadly force if they feel their life is threatened. And that is what George Zimmerman was saying. He's saying this was a case of stand your ground. Well, Jeb Bush thought otherwise. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEB BUSH, (R) FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR: It appears to me that this law does not apply to this particular circumstance. "Stand your ground" means stand your ground. It doesn't mean chase after somebody who's turned their back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FIRFER: And now the police chief in Sanford Bill Lee, who has temporarily stepped down, actually released a written statement on the city's website, giving the reasons on they consider this a stand-your- ground issue, and this is what he said. He said "Zimmerman's statement was he had lost sight of Trayvon and was returning to his truck to meet the police officer when he says he was attacked by Trayvon."
So now, Fredricka, the issue is really up to investigators. They have a special prosecutor that arrived yesterday to take a look at this case, to look into the investigation to see whether or not charges should be brought to see if this is a stand your ground case. Is this a self-defense case, or is it, quite simply, Fredricka, murder?
WHITFIELD: So I wonder why the police chief who is temporarily stepped down would release that statement, that account, by way of the website as opposed to usually on a police report that would be requested by media? Why did the police department decide to go this route?
FIRFER: Well I think for a couple of reasons. One, Bill Lee stepped down temporarily. So he's not in charge of the police department right now. They put two captains in as interim chief to kind of run the department.
Another reason is I think because of the media attention and because people are demanding that George Zimmerman be arrested for murder and be charged in this that he's trying to explain why they took the steps to say this was a stand your ground case. So pretty much defending his decision and his police force's decision so he decided to sort of quell that outcry saying that the police did not do their job by telling them what Zimmerman allegedly told the police department when they got to the scene.
WHITFIELD: Holly Firfer, thanks so much, in Sanford, Florida.
So Florida's governor Rick Scott is weighing in calling for a review of the stand-your-ground law. But the Florida state representative who co-authored it argues, there's nothing wrong with the law. Dennis Baxley says it should not apply to this shooting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENNIS BAXLEY, (R) FLORIDA STATE HOUSE: In the case in Sanford that this doesn't apply. There's nothing in this statute that provides you the authority to pursue and to confront people on the street.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And we get a different perspective from Dan Gelber. He voted against the stand your ground law when in the Florida state Senate and is now calling for its repeal. Earlier today I asked if the Trayvon Martin death is the kind of case he feared would happen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN GELBER, (D) FORMER FLORIDA STATE SENATE: Prior to 2005, we had a perfectly good self-defense law, and there were no victims or people who claimed they had been treated, you know, unfairly by that law. So in 2005 Governor Bush signed the law a bill that essentially took out of the law any requirement that a person in broad daylight, outside of their home, as this case suggests, has to deescalate a situation or walk away if he can.
WHITFIELD: So what precipitated this law, then? If you said everything seemed to be fine, and then this new law came into place. What was the impetus for it?
GELBER: I think really the NRA, who has really won every major battle in Florida on these fringe issues. They really don't have anything to do with a real victim. And we asked every proponent of the law, just give us that single person who was unfairly prosecuted, unfairly convicted or acquitted who shouldn't have been, and nobody could point to a single person in the state in that category.
WHITFIELD: So is it your view this is a shoot-first law, because I heard those words for Urban League's Mark Morial, who said this is a shoot first law and ask questions later? And in this case, he and others are exemplifying not enough questions are being asked.
GELBER: Listen, I don't want to throw red meat into something that's not fair. I don't think people do stupid or malicious things because of this law. But people that do stupid and malicious things have a defense that they should not be entitled to because of this law.
I mean, Mr. Zimmerman is going to have the ability to muddle up the waters in this because of this law, and he shouldn't have. He clearly did something wrong. He clearly -- if that young man's life means anything it means that justice has to be done here. But he's going to be able to have a defense in this case, or at least start one, and apparently the detectives initially believed he had one because of this law.
WHITFIELD: So now that former governor Jeb Bush weighed in and says that this is not the intent of the law. It didn't appear based on all of the public accounts, eyewitness accounts that George Zimmerman was being pursued by Trayvon Martin, but instead the other way around and that this law may have been misused in this case, do you believe that that is impetus enough for a real movement to try to repeal this law. And if so, what will it take?
GELBER: Well, I think the stand your ground part of the law has to be repealed. We didn't need that law. It was unnecessary. It was a solution in search of a problem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: We'll stay on this story coming up. At the half hour I'll talk to L.V. Granderson. He has written an op-ed about the deepening distrust between many blacks and police.
And joining CNN's Don Lemon at 7:00 tonight for a one-hour special on the Trayvon Martin killing. As the national outrage intensifies, one group in particular caught our attention, minority mothers. Hear their unique perspective and advice they give their children in hopes they don't end up dying young.
You'll also hear from neighbors and friends of both Trayvon Martin and the admitted shooter. It is a CNN NEWSROOM special report tonight with Don Lemon, the Trayvon Martin killing, 7:00 p.m. eastern time.
Hope Benedict XVI is in Mexico. Vatican officials call it a journey of hope. Details coming up on his official duties today and where he goes next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Stories making news outside the U.S. right now. Pope Benedict is in Mexico. It's the first full day trip to Mexico. Today the pope met with Mexican President Calderon and leads a mass tonight. He travels to Cuba on Monday.
And way out in space, the crew of the International Space Station took emergency precautions today. They jumped into the escape capsules when a hunk of space junk got too close for comfort. There was a slight chance the debris could have hit the space station. It didn't, thankfully, and passed all-clear.
And this boat is really far from home. A fishing boat that disappeared in last year's tsunami in japan turned up this weekend off the coast of British Columbia. It took a year to drift nearly 5,000 miles.
All right, time to check in on the latest political developments. Right now GOP voters in Louisiana are casting their votes in the state's Republican primary. Let's go straight to Joe Johns. Are you still right outside New Orleans?
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: No, well -- Jefferson Parish right outside -- yes. I've got to tell you, you know, it's all the same. We've been watching this polling place here in Jefferson Parish. There's actually a pollster here watching the people going in and out that says a little over 100 people since 7:00 a.m. central, Not a huge number of people, and that is the kind of thing they're sort of expecting all over the state, Fred.
I guess the other thing that's important to say is, polls suggested coming into today that Rick Santorum had a double-digit lead over Mitt Romney, but whoever wins, it's also true that it's very possible nobody's going to get a big delegate hall all of state of Louisiana. They only assign something like 20 delegates after tonight, and that is proportionally. So you can have a situation where the winner gets something like nine delegates to the RNC convention, second place six, and so on. This is just not the kind of election where anybody is going to really get a big lead.
On the other hand, whoever wins can come out of here saying, they've got some momentum going into the next contest, Fred.
WHITFIELD: OK, and if that person ends up being, OK? Say he wins Louisiana and has that momentum going into the next contest, with Maryland, D.C., et cetera, when you stills have Mitt Romney and 40 percent. He's the closest to getting to that magic number of 1,114, or 44, then, you know, is there still some pressure imposed on Santorum, on Gingrich, on Ron Paul to get out?
JOHNS: Yes. There is some pressure. There's been a lot of pressure on Gingrich. There's also people talking about it with Rick Santorum, but I've got to tell you, so far he's indicating he doesn't want it get out. He says he's going to take this thing all the way to the convention. One side of that, they have this new web video out that just came out very recently. It's called "Obamaville." The Santorum picture painted is of a very bleak future, two years from now, in the United States, should President Obama be reelected. So that's one sign that they are continuing the fight.
They are trying to keep the focus on President Obama and not so much necessarily on Rick Santorum as it sort of got -- not so much on Romney, but it got Santorum into trouble last week when he suggested in one of his speeches that America might be better off or whatever if Obama were to get reelected. So he seems to be pushing this thing all the way to the convention. The best, perhaps, he can do at this stage if you look at these numbers is try to deny Romney the votes he needs to be the clear winner.
WHITFIELD: Got it.
JOHNS: That's what you do. Or you try to do all right.
WHITFIELD: All right, it's going to be an interesting race. I know it's hot and stick there, because it always is there in that part of country in New Orleans. So stay cool when you can. Thanks, Joe.
JOHNS: OK.
WHITFIELD: Join us is every Sunday afternoon 4:00 eastern time when we dedicate an entire hour to the presidential contenders in this 2012 election.
Our financial fix is next, with ways to spring clean your finances. But first, if you're considering a new car, "Kiplinger's" is out with its list of the cheapest vehicles to own. This includes maintenance, fuel cost, and insurance. At number five is the Kia soul, four-door hatch, the Toyota Yaris two-door hatch comes in at number four, and then the Ford Fiesta. I'll have the top two after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Kiplinger.com is out with its list of the cheapest cars to own based on five year ownership. Here are the top two -- the Hyundai GLS four-door, and the cheapest car to own is a Nissan Versa S four- door.
It is the number one issue in American homes, getting your financial house in order. Today in our weekly financial fix, spring is here. And while you may be cleaning your house you may also need to clean up your finances. Money-saving expert Andrea Worwoch joins me from Los Angeles. Good to see you.
ANDREA WORWOCH, CONSUMER EXPERT: Good morning.
WHITFIELD: All right, let's begin with getting organized by consolidating those accounts. To what degree?
WORWOCH: OK. First of all, clear the clutter by shredding bank statements and checks that you've already posted to your account and consider going paperless. You can manage your bank accounts and Bill payments online or with your bank secure mobile app, and also consolidate your bank dot one or two institutions and shop around for the best rates. Consider opening up an online savings account. You get a better interest rate and a better return because the online banks operate at a much lower cost than brick and mortar banks. And for the same reason you'll find lower account maintenance fees. So it's a smart option for your savings.
WHITFIELD: All right, so what kind of spring cleaning can you do for your investment and retirement saving?
WORWOCH: First of all, tracking and analyzing investments against several retirement funds is going to be daunting and time consuming and confusing, but it's something that you must do. An old retirement account is often unattended even though those investments might be inappropriate. So you have a 401(k) from your first employer with whom you haven't worked with for over 20 years. Those investments may be too aggressive. So you want to move them to the retirement plan with your current employer. And then also consider meeting with a financial planner who can direct you to make wiser investments, to make more from your money.
WHITFIELD: OK, and then what about those credit cards? Is this an issue of sometimes you have too many or is it meaning, how you tackle, you know, the debt you may have on these credit cards. What?
WORWOCH: Exactly. Well, there are consumers who have debt across multiple credit cards. They have no idea how much they owe in total, how much they're wasting on interest rates or what the interest rates even are. So what I recommend is write it all down and come up with a plan to pay of that debt. Tackle those high-interest credit cards first, because you'll save more money over time. And cut up the credit cards so first of all, you're not tempted to use them. And you don't necessarily want to cancel those credit cards once you have paid them off because that could temporarily damage your credit. And if you're seeking a mortgage or car loan you'll end up struggling to get a good rate.
WHITFIELD: OK. Then, of course, everybody wants to figure out, how do I spend less per month? How do I slash that spending? How do you go about that?
WORWOCH: OK, yes. First of all, if you want to slash your monthly spending, having a budget is a good, a really important tool. You want to know where your money is going and a lot of consumers have no idea. Then consider how you can cut every day costs. There's a website called "Gift Card Granny" and they sell discount cards for an average of 15 percent off the face value. Find them for restaurants, movie theaters, grocery stores, department stores. So it's a really smart way to reduce your everyday spending or specialty purchases.
And then you may consider reviewing various bills. Say you have a cell phone bill. Review how many minutes you're actually using. It seems consumers are paying for minutes than you're actually using. You may be able to move to a lower plan that costs less. Otherwise, consider eliminating a text messaging plan. That's up to a $15 savings.
WHITFIELD: Nobody wants to do that.
(LAUGHTER)
WORWOCH: I know. But there are apps for smartphones that let you text for free. So it's a clear way to save.
WHITFIELD: Very good. Great advice in spring cleaning finances. Andrea Worwoch, thanks so much from Los Angeles.
WORWOCH: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Guess what -- for middle-aged women, knee pain is a common complaint. You need to get to the root of the problem and find ways to treat it, right? Well, Elizabeth Cohen has more in today's "Health for Her."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Women with knee pain know how miserable and debilitating it can truly be.
DR. KEN MAUTNER, ORTHOPEDIST, EMORY UNIVERSITY: When women are younger they tend to get more tendinitis or irritation issues around the knee. And then as they age, especially when they accumulate previous injuries, it may lead to arthritis and further changes.
COHEN: The American College of Rheumatology says near think two- thirds of women ages 50 and older have some degree the knee pain that may come and go or stick around. Osteoarthritis is often to blame.
MAUTNER: Women are more at risk for arthritis than men are. Specifically when women go through menopause, we think estrogen may have protective effect in the cartilage of the knee.
COHEN: But sometimes the pain is due to overuse injuries. So how do you know what the best treatment is? See your primary doctor to start determining the cause. He or she may need to send to you a specialist. Discuss options like acetaminophen or anti-inflammatory medications with your doctor. Also, don't forget to use exercise as medicine. Do exercises that strengthen the muscle around the knee. You may need physical therapy. Avoid high-impact exercises and instead focus on low-impact ones. And keep in mind, weight is also a leading cause of knee pain.
With this week's "Health for Her," I'm Elizabeth Cohen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: The Trayvon Martin shooting is stirring up long standing concerns within many black families. The relationship between blacks and police, we'll take a hard look at the issue, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: There are rallies in several U.S. cities in support of Trayvon Martin, the teenager shot and killed last month in Florida. Straight ahead CNN.com L.V. Granderson joins us to discuss being black and that relationship with police.
Turning to our top stories -- six children and two adults are dead after a fire swept through a house in Charleston, West Virginia. Investigators are looking for a cause but say it does not look suspicious. One adult managed to escape, and a seventh child is on life support.
And right now hundreds of demonstrators are rallying against health care reform near the U.S. capitol building. On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments about whether the health care reform act is constitutional. Demonstrators insist the act is illegal and they say it infringes on their freedom.
And several other rallies are being held across the country protesting the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Demonstrators are demanding police arrest George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot the 17-year-old unarmed Florida teen. A grand jury is scheduled to convene April 10th.
Well, sadly, many in the black community feel the Trayvon Martin case underscores and age-old problem with a new face. CNN contributor L.Z. Granderson agrees and wrote an opinion piece called "Why black people don't trust the police." He joins me live now. Good to see you, L.Z.
L.Z. GRANDERSON, SENIOR WRITER, ESPN.COM: Good to see you, too, Fred.
WHITFIELD: There has been a long-standing distrust of police in many black households. This shooting and the lack of arrest that followed, that delayed the city to investigate only further deepens that mistrust well outside the Sanford Florida, doesn't it?
GRANDERSON: Absolutely. As I wrote in my piece, this is a scenario we've seen time and time again where you have a shooting of a black man. The details surrounding the incident are a bit fuzzy in terms of how the police were involved and there's a lackadaisical attitude, if an attitude as all, in terms of the investigation and in terms of following through, making sure thing, done properly in terms of justice. This is the same story. And I wrote the piece to remind readers that this isn't unique, unfortunately. This is a repeat.
WHITFIELD: The former governor would come out, former Florida governor Jeb Bush would come out and say he stands behind the stand- your-ground law. However, this is not a case that should be applied to this law. How might this help change the dialogue or influence the dialogue in terms of how this state may try and get ahead of this investigation, or catch up with this investigation now?
GRANDERSON: Well, it's great that everyone's coming out and separating the two, what happened with Trayvon in terms of being pursued by Mr. Zimmerman and what was actually outlined by the controversial law itself. I'm glad the separation is happening. You don't want this to become a political issue becoming about NRA and gun rights.
This -- what happened, you listen to the 911 tapes. It is very clear that he pursued, and because of that, now we can focus in on why he was thought of as suspicious, pursued and why the police did not investigate this properly? Why wasn't this man at least tested for alcohol and drugs the way the corpse was tested for alcohol and drugs? I'm happy to see we're separating the two, because I don't want there to be any cloudiness or confusion.
WHITFIELD: In your op-ed piece you underscore the distrust, the long- standing distrust, whether it's that feeling that you have or many that you have, and many others have that similar feeling in many black households. How has this changed perhaps the conversation with your 15-year-old son? We all are very familiar with that talk that takes place when you have a black son. Mom and dad sit down and talk about, you know, behavior, their relationship with police, running versus walking, et cetera. You've probably had that conversation with him well before he was 15, but how is the conversation unfolding now with your son?
GRANDERSON: You know, it's really funny, he actually called me three minutes before I came to set here and he wanted to know if he could go walking around with his friends in a particular neighborhood, and I said, no because it just wasn't safe. I am constantly fearful for my son in certain situations. Not because of what he may do, but because of the suspicions of others.
Listen, parenting regardless of race, regardless of how many kids, regardless of socioeconomic status, parenting is hard. But it becomes more complicated when you have to deal with the images of what your particular child, what your children are supposed to represent or supposed to be involved with.
You know, my son, I try to shield him as much as I possibly can from all the ugliness that ties in with racism, but he's a smart kid, an observant kid, and he's already felt and experienced himself and comes at me with these questions. And we have difficult conversations. And it pains my heart because it is 2012, and I wish we did not have to have the same conversations now that my mom had with me growing up in Detroit when aye was my son's age. As I said, it's the same scenario.
WHITFIELD: Any part of that conversation that you are a bit reluctant to have with your son because, as you say, you know, you want to protect him in large part even from the harsh realities, the painful truth that race is still very much an issue?
GRANDERSON: You know, I don't shy away from anything regarding race at all. I talk about the racism that is projected on to us as black men. I talk about the things that we need to do as a black community to uplift ourselves. You know, it's not just a one-way street. There is a reason why there is truth tied to all stereotypes, and we talk about that. We talk about the music he lives to. We talk about why I won't let him walk around with his pants hanging off his butt.
I want him prepared and I want him to be responsible to understand that just because some people may view you as a thug or criminal, that does not mean you're limited in any way or that you should be viewing other black men that way. Those individuals have those views of black men, you have your own and be proud of yourself and of others because of the things that you do as individuals, not because of what the coaches say you're supposed to be.
WHITFIELD: L.Z., thanks so much. L.Z. Granderson, his piece on CNN.com/opinion. Pull it up there and get a better sense of his sentiment in the written word as well. Thanks so much, L.Z.
GRANDERSON: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: And join CNN's Don Lemon at 7:00 for a one-hour special on the Trayvon Martin killing as the national outrage intensifies. One group in particular caught our attention, the mothers. Hear their unique perspective and the advice that they give their children, similar to what you just heard from L.Z., in hopes that their children don't end up dying young. You'll also hear from neighbors and friends of both Trayvon Martin and the admitted shooter. It's a CNN NEWSROOM special report with Don Lemon tonight, 7:00 eastern time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: "Hunger Games" mania sweeping the nation. The movie is about a world where teens are forced to fight to the death. So it grossed nearly $20 million during the first midnight screenings on Thursday. And since then, overall, $68 million already grossing. So yesterday one online ticket company reported selling 12 tickets per second. People cannot get enough of it. They want to make sure they are there standing in line and then in the theater. Moviegoers lined up for blocks to see this film, just like you see there in New York. Some of our iReporters are already filing reviews. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was really, really good. Really good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cinematography was incredible. The acting was excellent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This movie has all the elements -- romance, action, danger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "The Hunger Games" gets five out of five on the flick-omiter scale with no other reason other than Jennifer Lawrence, she turns the movie into a hit by presenting a heroine propelled by principle instead of hooking up with the "cutest boy," a great message, and a winner in my book.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Wow! Grae Drake, look out. He wants your job. He was giving it all from top to bottom. I know you'll give us a more complete view. Good to see you.
GRAE DRAKE, CRITIC, MOVIES.COM: Tell you what, good to see you, too. And he was absolutely correct.
WHITFIELD: Really?
DRAKE: There was a reason that this movie has sparked the passion of the entire world. Over at Fandango this is the highest grossing first picture of a series we've of seen in all of our 12 years.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh.
DRAKE: I know. It's going to be gigantic. Before it even opened it had already outsold the first "twilight" movie in pre-sales.
WHITFIELD: Amazing.
DRAKE: The reason is that this movie is everything that "Twilight" can never be. The biggest central theme of this movie is about rebellion. It's about standing up for what you believe in and for expressing your genuine concern for your fellow human being, which is something that people are really hungry for right now, pun sort of intended.
WHITFIELD: Let's take a bite out of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hey, hey, hey. Who are these -- hey, hey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Oh, my. OK. I'm starving. Tell me more.
DRAKE: Oh, my gosh, such a great clip. Jennifer Lawrence is spectacular in this movie, not only because she has serious bow hunting skills, looks great covered in dirt and she really just carries this entire film on her back. There's something in this film for everybody.
WHITFIELD: She's an overnight star.
DRAKE: She really is. She's already an academy award nominee and deserving of every bit of praise she's getting. There's something in this movie for everybody. Unlike other book adaptations we've seen, like "Harry Potter" and "Twilight," those tend to be geared towards younger audiences. But for this one, men will love it, women will love it, kids are going to love it. Tell you what, if you're a parent, beware.
WHITFIELD: I was going to say. Stop me at the kids' part, though. I do hear -- we gave you the whole premise of the story line, of, you know, killing. I mean, killing other kids.
DRAKE: Yes.
WHITFIELD: So it's pretty violent. Yes? Too violent for kids to be going to this movie?
DRAKE: It is no joke. This movie's rated PG-13. That's only because there's not a lot of blood in it, but as an adult, I was sitting in the theater completely spellbound. I don't think I breathed the entire film. And just because there's not gushing amounts of blood coming out of people's jugular veins doesn't mean it's not incredibly intense to watch. If you're a parent, you should definitely see this before your kids see it, because I feel like with the recent rating of a film coming up called "Bully," yet "Hunger Games," a fictional film, no blood, gets a PG-13? A weird standard, because this movie was --
WHITFIELD: Just a week ago I talked with the director about that very thing. He was very concerned about, you know, why the rating hasn't changed. Meantime, quick, before I let you go I know you're off to London, you're going to be talking to James Cameron and getting a chance to get a preview of the "titanic 3d." I heard you say you're jealous of yourself? No. I'm jealous of you.
DRAKE: I -- this is a movie nerd's dream. I can't wait to bring you that news. I've got my mocking necklace ready, my bow and arrow, I'm ready to rebel. Let's do this. Whew! Go London.
WHITFIELD: Go London. Grae Drake, thanks so much. Fandango and movies.com good to see you and bon voyage, have a good time. Thanks for your review on "Hunger Games." check the websites for more.
DRAKE: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Meantime, wild weather hitting the Midwestern U.S. now cleanup is underway after tornadoes ripped through half a dozen states.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER BREAK)
WHITFIELD: It's time for a CNN = Politics update. We're keeping an eye on all the latest headlines at the CNNpolitics.com desk. And here's what's crossing right now.
The Republican presidential candidates are going head-to-head today in Louisiana. The state is holding its primary right now and the latest polls show Rick Santorum with a double digit lead over Mitt Romney and over Newt Gingrich. And Republicans are calling for a repeal of president Obama's health care reform law just two days before the U.S. Supreme Court was set to review challenges to several of the provisions.
In the weekly GOP address, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell said the law is exacerbating problems with Medicare and pushes costs even higher.
And those U.S. Supreme Court arguments on health care are apparently a hot ticket. Companies in Washington are providing a line standing service for people who want to watch the debate but not stand in line for a ticket. Some stand-ins have been waiting outside the court since yesterday, or sitting and waiting. Tickets will be handed out when arguments begin on Monday.
And for the latest political news, you know exactly where to go, CNNpolitics.com.
And of course join us everybody Sunday afternoon 4:00 eastern time when we dedicate an entire hour to the president's contenders in this 2012 election.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: In this shifting job market, here's some advice for baby boomers -- learn to reinvent yourself. Senior business correspondent Christine Romans has today's "Smart is the New Rich."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Green shoots, have you heard this phrase? Imagine the forest floor after a wildfire. Eventually the little seeds start to sprout again. That's what's happening in the American economy. And as the sprouts in the economy take root, it's up to you to re-invent yourself for the new growth ahead. We're talking reinvention this morning with someone many have started your mornings with. I certainly did. Jane Pauley is an award winning journalist who anchored the NBC's "Today" show for 13 years. She's now the host of AARP's reinvention series, "Your Life Calling." So nice to meet you. You profile people who are reinventing themselves. Is there a common denominator, personality trait to hold on to do try to reinvent?
PAULEY: The good news is that there is, and the bad news is I had none of those traits.
(LAUGHTER)
PAULEY: And the traits I would look for are volunteering, people with a history of volunteering find reinvention easier. People who are eager to learn new things -- it may not be a degree, but learning new things. And people who have hobbies and outside interests tend to find reinvention more easy. And, as I said, I'm not one of those, any of those categories.
ROMANS: So many people are afraid of reinvention, especially work towards something for 20 years, and now you think I'm at the peak and the world is changes around you.
PAULEY: Whether it's opportunity or a necessity. For some people they've reach add point in their career it feels like, get me out of here. I've gone as far as I can go. I'm trapped. Now what? Or if it's, you know, you've got a pink slip. Either way, you're looking at a blank page. It's like the cursor with blink, blink, blink, blink, with no ideas.
I subscribe to the test and learn philosophy. I have all the books, five-point, 10-point plans, but trial and error, exposing yourself to possibilities, to ideas that you would never have had yet. Frankly, for some people what comes out the other side after a period of time. One, two, in my case it was really three years before I got something kind of going again, and that's fairly typical. That thing on the other side that you hadn't thought of yet is the right one.
ROMANS: Thank you, Jane. For "Smart is the New Rich," I'm Christine Romans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: From Florida to Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, Norfolk to Seattle, protesters are turning out this weekend to publicly show their outrage over the shooting death of an unarmed African-American teen. Trayvon Martin was gunned down in Sanford, Florida, last month by a neighborhood watch captain. Protesters are calling for charges to be filed against the shooter.
And six children and two adults are dead after a fire swept through a house in Charleston, West Virginia. All of the children were eight- years-old or younger. One adult managed to escape, and a seventh child son life support and not expected to live, however. "The Charleston Gazette Mail" reports there were no working smoke detectors in that home.
A man is in jail in Sacramento, California, today after airport security caught him trying to board a plane with four loaded guns, handguns. Harold Waller reportedly had one pistol in a holster and three in his carry-on bag. Police found more guns and ammunition in his parked car. He is being held without bail and face as rather long list of charges.
(MUSIC)
