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Police Pics Raise Shooting Questions; Zimmerman's Dad Speaks Out; New Details on Pilot's Meltdown; New Reports of Hazing at Florida A&M; Lee Sorry; Tweeted Wrong Zimmerman Address; North Korea Tries to Shape Leader's Image; Police Pics Raise Shooting Questions; Colorado Family Flees Deadly Wildfire; Elephant, Lizards, Even Dogs Go Online
Aired March 29, 2012 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Soledad.
And good morning to all of you. I'm Carol Costello. Stories we're watching right now in the NEWSROOM.
A pilot's fit on a JetBlue flight. Passengers tackled him first. You know that. Now the feds have charged him criminally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLAYTON OSBON, JETBLUE PILOT: My god. I am so distraught. We've got Israel. We've got Iraq. We've got Israel. We've got Iraq. We got to get down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And what you just heard that's only part of the story. You should hear what the pilot did before the passengers took him down.
Does the bald guy in the red jacket look like he's been beaten and bloodied? This is tape of George Zimmerman the night he shot and killed Trayvon Martin. The night he claimed the teenager bashed his head and broke his nose and made him fear for his life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S FATHER: Trayvon Martin said something to the effect of, you're going to die now or you're going to die tonight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But Martin's father says this tape is the icing on the cake.
And it's like a horror movie with fire as the beast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There it is. Right here. Right here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My gosh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But this is a real horror story. A family barely escapes a huge fast moving wildfire. One of the kids capturing the drama on video.
And who wants to be a mega-millionaire? The jackpot has gone into orbit. Some players already making plans for the $500 million or so fortune.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to be a millionaire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Early retirement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll be partying like a rock star.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Just one problem. The odds are 176 million to one.
But we begin this morning with new details and new developments in the shooting of Trayvon Martin. We know the public outrage has driven the shooter into hiding. But today we have new surveillance video of the handcuffed George Zimmerman in custody just after the shooting. In these dark and grainy images obtained by ABC News no blood is visible. And it's worth noting the police officers are not wearing gloves as they typically do when they're exposed to blood.
In this image you see we froze it there for you, Zimmerman is led into a room for questioning. You can see his face a bit more clearly, again no clear signs of cuts or injury. And today that's raising new questions about Zimmerman's story that the teenager viciously beat him and he fired his gun only to save his own life.
Martin Savidge is in Sanford, Florida.
And, Martin, we are hearing from Zimmerman's father. For the first time he's speaking out. What did he say?
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Carol. Lots to talk about here. Yes, Robert Zimmerman, the father of George Zimmerman, spoke out for the first time on camera. He's done a couple of op-ed pages for newspapers. But this time he actually sat down for an interview. What's interesting is that even though it's in front of a camera, you don't see him because he is very afraid for the safety of himself and for family members. But he talks about what George has told him happened that night and he picks it up with the beating. Now we've already had the punch that apparently, allegedly, has knocked George Zimmerman to the ground. Here's what happened next according to dad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZIMMERMAN: After nearly a minute of being beaten, George was trying to get his head off the concrete trying to move with Trayvon on him into the grass. And in doing so, his firearm was shown. Trayvon Martin said something to the effect of, you're going to die now or you're going to die tonight, something to that effect. He continued to beat George and at some point George pulled his pistol and did what he did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Also, Martin, we understand George Zimmerman's father was very -- is very frustrated with all of the public hate.
SAVIDGE: Yes, he is. You point out, you know, Robert was not there. He's not an eyewitness. He's recounting what George has told him, but yes. He has been shocked by the amount of hatred that's been poured on his son, poured against them in general. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZIMMERMAN: I never foresaw so much hate coming from the president, the Congressional Black Caucus, NAACP. Every organization imaginable is trying to get notoriety or profit from this in some way. But there is so much hate. I have never been involved in hate and George hasn't and it's really unbelievable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: One last thing, Carol, just getting back to that description that the father, Robert, had of George in that moment of firing. He talks about how George made that conscious decision. There have been some storylines here where they have been thought that maybe there was a struggle for the gun and the gun had gone off.
This does not appear to be the case according to dad. He says no, quite clearly, George Zimmerman pulled out the gun and fired, says he had to to save his own life -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Martin Savidge reporting live for us from Sanford, Florida, this morning.
If George Zimmerman is charged in the shooting, his lawyer says his defense could revolve around that controversial Florida law called "Stand Your Ground." That law gives the person the right to use deadly force if their life is threatened.
Florida's Republican governor is brushing off calls to immediately review that law saying he must wait for the Trayvon Martin case to play out so it wouldn't be duly unduly influenced. But one Florida state senator, the incoming Democratic leader, says that delay could cost more lives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS SMITH, FLORIDA STATE SENATE: The danger is, if you wait for a year, you may have people follow these ambiguities out there. How many other homeowners association guards are going to ride around thinking, OK, this is a good thing. I can carry a gun. And I can patrol my streets. How many people in the streets of Florida are going to think, hey, we have this great "Stand Your Ground" law, I can pick a fight at the Miami Dolphin game, and when someone approaches me aggressively, I can shoot them.
Until we let Floridians know the parameters of our civilized society, I think there is a chance of a lot of more instances being all the notoriety that this situation has gotten.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Smith says he's met with four different judges who have -- who have ruled on the "Stand Your Ground" cases. He is now putting together his own task force and plans to issue a report and recommendations to the governor.
The other big story we're following today, the latest twist and turns in the case of a JetBlue pilot who had this terrifying meltdown in midflight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OSBON: My god. I am so distraught. We've got Israel. We've got Iraq. We've got Israel. We've got Iraq. We got to get down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Today that pilot Clayton Osbon faces criminal charges and the sworn statements in the case reveal more about his bizarre behavior before the passengers subdued him. Witnesses say the pilot was agitated and hyper saying wild and unsettling things like, "We need to take a leap of faith. We're not going to Vegas. And guys, push it to full throttle."
Osbon's crewmembers say he also instructed air traffic controllers to be quiet. He aggressively grabbed a flight attendant's hands and banged on the cockpit door hard enough that the first officer thought he was coming through the door.
Lizzie O'Leary is our aviation and regulation correspondent. She's in Washington this morning.
So, Lizzie, this pilot has been charged criminally. We thought that he was having some sort of psychotic breakdown. Is it surprising that he's now charged with criminal -- I mean he's now charged federally with criminal charges. LIZZIE O'LEARY, CNN AVIATION AND REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Right. This is a federal charge interfering with a flight crew. We should point out that he is still being held and is being medically evaluated in a hospital facility. The FBI is investigating this as are local law enforcement officials.
So it's unclear as this goes forward whether these charges will essentially stick. They would have to take it to a grand jury. They're likely -- if that moves on be an indictment. So that's still a bit up in the air. But as you said, a lot of the things that are coming out in these sworn affidavits, these details are certainly chilling and they provide a much clearer glimpse into what was happening on that plane.
They also provide a fairly clear glimpse that the first officer recognized that there was something very much out of the ordinary going on and did his best to get this captain out of the cockpit and have an off-duty captain come in and sit with him.
COSTELLO: So, Lizzie, is this likely to impact future screening policies for pilots?
O'LEARY: Well, that's one of the big questions. We should point out the way pilots are screened. First off, pilots are one of the most watched occupations in the country. They do get a lot of people essentially having eyes on them. But according to the FAA, here's what the law says.
Pilots, commercial airline pilots get once-a-year medical evaluation by an FAA certified doctor. Not a psychologist or a psychiatrist. They don't have a separate psychological evaluation. It's twice a year if you are over 40 as Osbon was but the general practitioner is supposed to ask mental health questions.
There are some questions about how open pilots are in discussing psychological problems because of the stigma potentially associated with it -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Lizzie O'Leary live in Washington for us this morning.
Another security scare. This time at the Philadelphia Airport. It happened this morning. Police say a man has been detained after authorities discovered an unknown homemade device -- he had it with him at a security checkpoint. Terminal shut down for 30 minutes and the man, he was taken in for questioning. The federal law enforcement source says at this point there is no indication of terrorism.
A family escapes a deadly wildfire near Denver and it's all caught on tape. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's down there. It's down there now. (EXPLETIVE DELETED). (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There it is. Right here. Right here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My gosh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's OK. We're out. We're out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: A desperate couple and their terrified children trying to beat the fast-moving flames. Firefighters hoping to make more progress today against the fire which has now burned more than 4,000 acres outside of Denver. Right now that fire is about 15 percent contained.
Also this morning, we're following troubling new reports in the wake of last year's death of a student at Florida A&M University. Investigators believe Robert Champion was beaten to death in a hazing related ritual. That case is now in the hands of prosecutors.
But this morning Tallahassee Police have new reports of hazing to investigate and these incidents allegedly involve faculty members and once again the marching band.
CNN's George Howell is in Miami.
So tell us about this new case.
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, keep in mind no one was charged in this case, no one was arrested, because no one from what we read in this police report wanted to press charges. And this happened some two years ago and so the statute of limitation ran out. But this is a case that Tallahassee Police Department investigated. And they cleared this case.
And according to the report, Dr. Julianne White learned about this alleged case of hazing that took place at a professor's home at -- the home of Diron Holloway, who is a band saxophone director, and also assistant director -- or assistant professor, I should say, Anthony Simons. He was also allegedly present during this hazing ritual.
Apparently 14 students were hazed, were paddled and beaten with objects in this case. Now again, no one wanted to press charges from what we read and Dr. White reported this to FAMU police last year but this was supposed to be transferred over to Tallahassee police.
Carol, from what we learned, that did not happen. So it's been a long time since this alleged incident happened. The statute of limitations ran out and again no one charged in this case.
COSTELLO: Yes, and now Robert Champion is dead. So if this incident is proved, how significant could it be to Robert Champion's case?
HOWELL: You know, it really doesn't affect that specific case but it does certainly go to talk about this culture of hazing that has gotten a lot of attention that a lot of people are talking about at this point. And now you see all agencies there in Tallahassee. You see from FAMU to the police departments making sure that they are very transparent in the way they handle these alleged cases of hazing -- Carol.
COSTELLO: George Howell reporting live for us from Miami this morning.
Let's talk about something that could be really, really good. The mega-millions jackpot now stands at an estimated $500 million. That's half a billion dollars. And if you're like some of the people I know, and I won't name names, you either stood in line or you got into that pool at work. Either way, the hype has gone nationwide. Listen to what these people say they would do if they win.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We made it finally.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were in line from the desert. I'm going to take care of my family and my friends. And we're doing that dog sanctuary, animal sanctuary, and then taking care of soldiers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would make a lot of my grandkids happy, lot of family happy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: And they'll be able to do all of that and more if they can, of course, get the winning numbers. The drawing is tomorrow night.
A wall of flames closing in on a Colorado family with only minutes to get out alive. The family recounts the terrifying experience. We'll have more on this story for you coming up.
And later, could this woman be Augusta National's first ever female member? Female member, rather. Her name is Ginny Rometty. She's chairman of IBM and center of some buzz before next week's masters.
Plus Spike Lee re-tweets the address of George Zimmerman. The big problem it was the wrong George Zimmerman. We'll talk to the elderly couple and their son. The elderly couple had to leave their home because of this tweet.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The Trayvon Martin case has created some strange subplots. One of them involves movie director Spike Lee. Lee apologized to an elderly couple from Sanford, Florida, for retweeting their address. He thought it was George Zimmerman's address.
Elaine and David McClain say they have son named William George Zimmerman, but he certainly not the same man who shot Trayvon Martin.
Lee later tweeted this. He said, "I deeply apologize to the McClain family for re-tweeting their address. It was a mistake. Please leave the McClains in peace."
The McClain had to flee to a hotel to escape threats and, of course, the media.
And they join us now live from Orlando. Their other son, Chip, is also with us. He joins us live.
Welcome to all of you.
ELAINE MCCLAIN, LEFT HOME AFTER SPIKE LEE RETWEET: Thank you.
DAVID MCCLAIN, LEFT HOME AFTER SPIKE LEE RETWEET: Thank you.
CHIP HUMBLE, COUPLE'S SON: Thanks for having us, Carol.
COSTELLO: Thank you for being here.
Now that Spike Lee has apologized, is it enough for you, David?
D. MCCLAIN: To some extent it is. We would like a little more directly to us. We'd like him to apologize directly to us.
COSTELLO: Right. Instead of some tweet that you had to find out about probably through your sons or the media, right?
D. MCCLAIN: Right.
E. MCCLAIN: We don't tweet, or Twitter. It's just been terrible. Upsetting for us.
COSTELLO: Well, tell us what it was like when his retweet went out and, you know, publicized your address for all to see.
E. MCCLAIN: Well, we didn't really even know it until a news camera came to the house and asked for George. My husband told them we don't know George. He doesn't live here.
And then the next day, we got hate mail, and then the next day the TV cameras just -- that's when we found out. We had not known before and as soon as we found out, we knew we would be in jeopardy and we left our home.
COSTELLO: So, Chip, your parents probably related this to you. So what went through your mind when they say, look, there are media showing up at our house and we're getting threats from people and what were your concerns about your parents?
HUMBLE: I was very worried about somebody taking justice into their hands and that's something this situation is really volatile as it is, and we're really hoping that people can have peaceful minds can take over on this. It's a shame that the social media doesn't have the same restrictions for verifying sources that you do in print and broadcast media because this thing happens like this.
COSTELLO: So when you went on -- and, Chip, I assume you went online to read more tweets and to check out Facebook. What did you find when you went to their sites?
HUMBLE: There seems to be a lot of angry people on both sides of the street. Those who were siding with Spike Lee and getting this information out, not realizing the ramifications it would have with people if it goes for the wrong person. Not that this should gone to, you know -- we wouldn't want this on anybody where people were hounding them at their homes. That's what I first saw.
And then there was a lot of people after it came out that Spike Lee did this. There were people slamming Spike.
I think this again one of those situations where people didn't pay attention and check their sources and it creates a lot of problems.
COSTELLO: David, how long were you away from your home?
D. MCCLAIN: We left Tuesday.
COSTELLO: Have you been back?
D. MCCLAIN: Just during the day to get clothes and things like that. Not for very long at a time.
E. MCCLAIN: Like five minutes.
COSTELLO: So when do you guys and maybe Elaine you could answer this. When do you expect to go back?
E. MCCLAIN: I really don't know. We definitely have been keeping it in prayer because nobody wants to be forced out of their home. It's almost like we're the fugitive in this situation when we haven't done anything. I really don't know when we can go back, maybe by this weekend. I don't know.
COSTELLO: And, David, are you seeking any sort of legal action against Spike Lee?
D. MCCLAIN: We have an attorney who is just kind of guiding us through this. We don't have any plans of pursuing any financial gain out of it. We just want to get everything calmed down and back to a rationale state.
COSTELLO: So, Chip, I know you're worried like crazy about your parents. What outcome are you expecting in this incident?
HUMBLE: Well, we're hoping that like David says that things start to calm down and the community of Sanford can come together and work through this and that this tragedy is terrible that it happened to Trayvon Martin and his family and I can't imagine what they're going through.
But we really want to try to get some healing for the city of Sanford. I've lived there. My mother lived there for a long time. It's really a great place. And unfortunate things happen and I think that it's gone and it's created a great big media frenzy.
COSTELLO: David, Elaine, and Chip, thank you so much for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.
HUMBLE: Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: By the way, we have reached out to Spike Lee for a comment. We're hoping to hear from him soon.
More on the subject of unwanted publicity. You heard this trite phrase before. There's no such thing as bad publicity -- except there is. Skittles and Arizona iced tea are grappling with calls to get involved in the Trayvon Martin case.
Martin, as you well know by now, was carrying Skittles and iced tea on the night he died. At rallies across the country, Trayvon Martin supporters are carrying Skittles, wearing Skittles wrappers and selling Skittles to raise money for the cause.
Some accuse the candy maker of profiting from the Martin tragedy. This tweet says, "Skittles and Arizona iced tea should be paying Martin's family. I know their sales have increased tremendously."
That made Skittles skittish. It issued this statement, quote, "We feel it inappropriate to get involved or comment further as we would never wish for our actions to be perceived as an attempt of commercial gain following this tragedy," end quote.
Some advertising analysts say wrong move. Skittles needs to be more involved. It is any way and needs to step up.
So, we wonder what you thought about that. Should Skittles and Arizona iced tea get more involved in the tragedy? Should they just embrace it?
Go to my Facebook page. Facebook.com/CarolCNN, Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read some of your responses later on this hour.
North Korea is trying to create the best image for its new leader but it's trying to capitalize off the resemblance between Kim Jong Un and his last grandfather. We'll tell you how this is all working out. That's just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's been a few months since the death of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il. And now that his youngest son is in charge, it's apparently a government effort to shape a new image for the leader.
Take a look at this photo. That's Kim Jong Un on the right and his revered grandfather Kim Il Sung on the left. See the resemblance?
Let's head live to London.
So, Zain, why is this important?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: This has been so carefully stage-managed, Carol. Kim Jong Un doesn't really have a lot of experience, so this transition, according to a U.S. senior commander, actually has been happening for the past two or three years. For example, before Kim Kong Il, his dad, died, basically, he was being given more post, more responsibility. He was given a higher rank. He was being trained how to manage the country.
And they were really trying to portray him as someone who is a lot more experienced than he actually is. And the fact that they are really playing up the image and his resemblance to his grandfather is of significance here.
So, you know, he wears the same kind of Maoist suits. He's got this black wind swept hair. And they do look pretty alike.
And so, what the hierarchy in North Korea is doing is they are trying to evoke the memory of someone that was really revered in North Korea, which is Kim Jong Un's grandfather Kim Il Sung, who founded the place.
COSTELLO: So, sort of like a reincarnation?
VERJEE: In a way. I mean, they are really carefully stage- managing and controlling it and they're just trying to show that, you know, he may not -- he may be young. He may not have as much experience. But remember the man who made North Korea great, Kim Il Sung. He created the place and this man that not only looks like him but is just as tough.
And, by the way, the satellite that North Korea is supposed to fire up, which the U.S. believes is going to be disguised as a long range missile is on the 100th anniversary of the birthday of Kim Il Sung.
COSTELLO: Interesting stuff.
VERJEE: Yes.
COSTELLO: Zain Verjee, live in London for us this morning.
A signed Picasso signed at a thrift store? It's true. I'll tell you who the lucky man is when we go cross-country.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The case of Trayvon Martin is muddier than ever or is it? We have police tape that shows the shooter, George Zimmerman, on the night of the shooting. He appears uninjured.
Martin's family says this tape proves what they've been saying all along.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SYBRINA FULTON, TRAYVON MARTIN'S MOTHER: This video is icing on the cake. This is not the first part of evidence that they have had. They have had the 911 tapes and they have also had witnesses. This is in addition to what the Sanford Police Department already has. This video is clear evidence that there is some problem with this case and that he needs to be arrested.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But Zimmerman's father insists his son was injured when Trayvon Martin attacked George Zimmerman. What we have is a national debate on race.
Let's talk about that some more with CNN contributors Will Cain and Roland Martin.
Will, let's start with you. Is this video the smoking gun?
WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: No, it's not the smoking gun. But I'll say this, it continues to look bad for George Zimmerman. That's the whole point here.
Much of what we see looks bad for George Zimmerman's case but it doesn't answer all of our questions. There's still this mystery window of a one-minute period where we wonder what happened and this contributes to those questions. We need to ask, when was the video taken, how long after the incident?
Again, it doesn't look good for Zimmerman but I think it just contributes to we need to continue to seek the facts here. What is the next element in the story? Because every single little fact changes it.
COSTELLO: And, Roland, you hear increasing calls though for George Zimmerman to be placed under arrest as in right now.
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, again, when I was down in Florida moderating the community forum talking with former prosecutors as well as defense attorneys, we went over the statute. They talked that the police can still arrest him right now based upon probable cause.
I do not believe the special prosecutor will actually do that. I think they will simply wait for the grand jury to be impaneled for them to present the evidence and for an indictment to be handed down and then the arrest will be made.
The Martin family obviously has been calling for that. And let's just be honest, had he been arrested, we really wouldn't even be at this particular point here. That was the driving issue early on that he simply wasn't even arrested.
And for people out there who say that it's wrong for the outrage and wrong for the protest, understand we would not see any of this information right now if it wasn't for people speaking up and 2 million people signing a petition. And so, that's what's driving them to really do a more thorough investigation.
CAIN: Can I respond to that since I'm one of the people that say we should temper our outrage? Can I respond to that?
COSTELLO: Sure.
CAIN: I would say this. The point isn't for us to have the information.
It doesn't matter whether or not you and I and the people on TV or people watching TV have this information. The question is whether or not the information is being investigated. And whether or not it was -- it's like me having to prove a negative to say it wasn't.
I don't know. You know, Roland saying the outrage served a purpose of pushing the investigation forward. Was the investigation done? Was it a cold case? Was it stalled? Was it over?
I don't know that's the case. The point of outrage is to give it to you and me.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: Carol, we have an answer there. And that is the Seminole County D.A. chose not to file any charges against him. And this case was dormant in terms of the family was not getting any answers from the police or the prosecutors for two weeks and around March 9th and 10th and 11th when folks like me began to say, wait a minute, what's going on? Trymaine Lee of blackvoices.com was writing about it.
When all of a sudden folks on social media begin to drive, saying, what's going on here? Why isn't this being investigated? The family was screaming for help.
I'm saying that the reason the investigation is moving forward is because of these protests and because of the coverage and the outrage and that's why they have stepped up.
COSTELLO: OK. Let's talk about the "Stand Your Ground" law. The Florida governor said he would put together this task force because the "Stand Your Ground" law might play a part in this case and maybe we need to review the law. But it turns out that the task force isn't going to be put together until the Trayvon Martin case is done.
So that could be a year from now.
Democrats in the state of Florida are angry over that saying we have to review this law right now. Why isn't task force being put together right now?
The governor says we can't put the task force together right now because it would interfere with the Trayvon Martin case.
Will, any thoughts?
CAIN: You know, no. Honestly, Carol, I don't have a lot of thoughts. I mean, I do think that we have a case here and an incident that occurred when this law was in place.
Should the law be reviewed? Absolutely. Will it change what happened that night and how we processed what happened on that night? Well, that's kind of after the fact, isn't it?
I have no doubt that "Stand Your Ground" law should be reviewed.
COSTELLO: Roland?
MARTIN: Florida Governor Scott should be ashamed of himself. You do not have to wait for a task force to begin to examine this law after this case has been adjudicated. You don't.
Again, State Representative Taylor there in Florida made it clear he'll introduce a bill to repeal the entire law. The original sponsor of this bill has said there needs to be modifications. I will say to the Florida legislature, to the Florida legislature: you do not need to wait for the governor to act. You can act without him appointing a task force. That's ridiculous.
Lawmakers, you passed it. You deal with it. Don't wait for a task force to look at it a year from now.
CAIN: Will Cain, Roland Martin, thanks so much for a fascinating discussion. Appreciate it.
Lindsay Lohan -- yes, we got to talk about her. She's due in court this morning. It could be good news for the actress really. Her probation could finally end.
More in showbiz headlines coming your way next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: I love that. Today, we are remembering bluegrass banjo player and legend Earl Scruggs. He died of natural causes last night in Nashville. His sound however will never be forgotten. He's best known for making modern country music what it is today. Scruggs was 88 years old.
Sounds nice.
Let's go over to "Showbiz Tonight" host A.J. Hammer. He's in New York.
Oh, such great music. What would the music world be like without him?
A.J. HAMMER, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" HOST: It does feel good, doesn't it?
And music in general would certainly sound different, to put it plainly. Earl Scruggs truly changed the way performers played the banjo. There's a "New Yorker" article that compared his influence on the instrument to Jimi Hendrix on the guitar and Louie Armstrong on the trumpet.
I saw one comment this morning saying that Scruggs was to the banjo what Babe Ruth was to baseball. So, I think that pretty clearly spells it out. And if you're a fan of country music, you need to know that Scruggs and his partner, guitarist Lester Flatt, are credited with really shaping the sound of 20th century music.
But despite his influence, he only had one number one hit and we all know it. It was "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," which, of course, the theme to "Beverly Hillbillies." He became a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame all the way back in 1985 and International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 1991.
Carol, the word legend certainly applies to this man.
COSTELLO: He's had some fast moving fingers, that's for sure.
Unfortunately, we have to talk about Lindsay Lohan now. So, tell it to me quick.
HAMMER: Well, it's actually good news for Lindsay Lohan. This could actually be it, Carol. After almost five years of probation, Lindsay should finally be off the hook. All indications are the judge will end her formal probation at a court hearing which is going to happen later today.
This, of course, all stems from a May 2007 DUI arrest. She would have finished her probation two years ago, but four probation violations kept her under court supervision in all this time.
But I've got out the "Showbiz Tonight" abacus to do this tally for you, Carol. So, let me just quickly run this down for you.
Lindsay is 25. She spent 250 days in rehab, 35 days in home confinement, 67 days on community service, 19 days in court, made six trips to jail. And that's pretty much the tally.
She will, however, remain on informal probation for two more years for misdemeanor shoplifting conviction. You remember that necklace incident.
But now, I'm going to put away the "Showbiz Tonight" abacus. I bet you didn't even know we had one of these.
COSTELLO: I thought it burst into flames after that.
HAMMER: Yes, it pretty much did and my head exploded along with it.
But I think it's good news for Lindsay. And, look, everybody all along has been pulling for her. We hope now with this behind her, she truly, truly, can move on with her life and career.
COSTELLO: I hope so.
A.J. Hammer, thank you.
Ready for more laughs from Will Ferrell? He made a big announcement about a sequel to "Anchorman." A.J. will be back with us next hour with that story and more in showbiz headlines.
A terrifying close call outside of Denver.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's down there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: A family has only 15 minutes to escape wildfires ripping through their neighborhood. Their harrowing escape, next.
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COSTELLO: A Colorado family -- they're happy to be alive. It's never a cliche when it's true. They are happy to be alive after narrowly escaping a deadly wildfire in Denver. The teenage son captured this terrifying ordeal on his cell phone. His younger sisters seated next to him are frantic about their mother, she is in the car just ahead of them.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Daddy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll make it. We're going to be fine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Daddy, where's mom? What's she stopping for?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's down there. It's down there. (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
(inaudible)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There it is. Right here. Right here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my gosh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's ok. We're out. We're out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The Guilles family was on "EARLY START" today. The mother Kim Olton explained why she put on the brakes during the escape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was all happening very fast. I had to put on the brake to figure out that I could get my hand to the lights and turn those on and I was also considering that we might not make it through and maybe we needed to turn around like my husband said. And my dad and my brother are both firefighters and I know that one of the dangers is if the road becomes blocked with trees that are down and I was concerned we would just get trapped inside.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Oh so -- but they got out.
Rob Marciano is here. And I don't think people realize how fast fire can move.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes well in that case it can move 40, 50, 60 miles an hour and in some cases like we saw in San Diego a couple years ago even faster than that. They didn't have a whole lot of warning. Even the folks that got the reverse 911 calls really only had a few minutes to a couple of hours to get out.
And in that area it's pretty rugged. I mean, we make it sound like it's right next to Denver; it's 25 miles from Denver. But you are right in the front range. It's pretty -- pretty rugged terrain. And there's only a couple roads in and out of there. So I would imagine that's the only choice they had and we're thankful they got --
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Yes I was going to ask you were they doing the right thing?
MARCIANO: You know I don't know specifically what road they were on or which way they were going. But obviously following their neighbor that was bee-lining it out of there turned out to be the right way to go. Because there's a number -- you know you never know if you turn around is there going to be a tree down? Is the fire behind you now?
So just look for that daylight. And it looks like night-time. Look it's night-time there right? That -- that was like 5:00, 6:00 in the afternoon. So that's how dense that smoke was. It literally turned day into night and they are just following the brake lights out ahead of them.
COSTELLO: It's just insane. So -- so do you know more about this and why -- I know the fire would knock down the trees but -- but firefighters often do these controlled burns where they set fire --
(CROSSTALK)
MARCIANO: Right.
COSTELLO: -- to a certain -- to foliage in the forest, right?
MARCIANO: Yes and they'll do that for you know one of a couple of reasons. They'll either try to burn away you know invasive plants and stuff they don't want there. But more importantly thin some of the forest so that you don't get these huge fires that blow up later in the year and that's what they were doing.
That was out and they have protocols but as one firefighter put it earlier today, is that sometimes you can do everything perfect -- perfectly and still things go wrong. And that's what happened here.
COSTELLO: Oh yes, Rob, thank you.
MARCIANO: All right, you bet.
COSTELLO: Checking stories cross-country now.
In Northport, Alabama, people are being warned they may have been exposed to Hepatitis-A through an infected McDonald's employee. The Health Department is urging anyone who went to the restaurant on March 14th and March 16th to get treated by Friday.
McDonald's had this to say in a statement about the incident. Quote, "Our number one priority is always the health and safety of our customers and employees. We are taking this issue seriously and working with the Tuscaloosa Health Department to conduct a thorough review and understand the facts."
Over in Ohio, a man's love for shopping at thrift stores finally pays off after he finds a piece of art signed by Picasso.
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ZACH BODISH, BOUGHT PAINTING SIGNED BY PICASSO: As soon as I was looking at it I noticed that it was a numbered edition. So I didn't think it was really a really a Picasso. That's really unlikely I'm going to run into a signed Picasso at a thrift store.
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COSTELLO: Oh but he did. Dealers say the painting could be worth from $500 to $10,000. And he paid $14 for it.
Have you gotten your mega millions lotto ticket yet? Well people like the ones you see there in Idaho are. The hype of possibly winning half a billion dollars has some people even driving out of state to buy them.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lottery tickets. I want to be a millionaire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's enormous. It's mind-boggling. I wouldn't want to win that much. I'd be -- I wouldn't know what to do with it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I had $300 million man, I would be partying like a rock star. (END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: I would too. I'd be partying like more than a rock star. If he's lucky enough to have all the winning numbers, well, he can party like a rock star. The drawing is Friday night.
Augusta National Golf Club has never had a female member in its 79-year history but now that may change. There's speculation that that woman there could be a member very soon.
We'll have that story next in sports.
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COSTELLO: Linsanity may have died down, but the New York Knicks are winning any way. Jeremy Lin on the bench for the last night's game with the Magic, the point guard is out with a sore knee. Big man Amare Stoudemire has a -- Stoudemire rather has a more serious injury, but Carmelo Anthony was picking up the slack.
You saw that hit a couple from beyond the arc in the second half finished the game with 25 points. Knicks run away with the game. They're 8-1 under interim coach Mike Woodson.
Spring training baseball Yankees and Braves. New York's Raul Ibanez hits the ball hit deep to right field. Jason Hayward, oh I miss my buddy climbs the wall. And he makes a spectacular catch he's back. Great timing to keep the ball in the park. Hayward is hoping to bounce back from a disappointing season at the plate. He's definitely got his glove working this spring. Good for him.
There is speculation Augusta National Golf Club may have lifted its male-only member policy. The club has traditionally given membership to the CEO of IBM, but on January Ginni Rometty took that post saying, she's not saying if she was invited to join the club but it's sure to be a question at next Wednesday's Masters Tournament news conference. We'll be listening and we'll keep you posted.
Coming up in the next hour of CNN Newsroom, new surveillance video of a handcuffed George Zimmerman in custody is raising a lot of questions.
At the top of the hour we'll analyze the video with a former FBI assistant director. His name is Tom Fuentes. He'll be with us.
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COSTELLO: These days it seems animals can do almost anything including using electronic technology. CNN's Jeanne Moos looks at what happens when you pair an elephant with a Smartphone.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Imagine your caller ID showed Peter the Elephant calling from his Smartphone. Peter is the star of a viral ad for the Samsung Galaxy Note. Note, his favorites are the apps that make noise.
ED ROBINSON, CO-FOUNDER, THE VIRAL FACTORY: It uses its trunk like we use our fingers.
MOOS: Ed Robinson is co-founder of the ad agency, The Viral Factory. He dreamed up this ad to go along with Samsung's "bigger is better" slogan.
Look at him swipe. The ad was shot in Thailand with an actress holding the phone and the young elephant's Thai trainer alongside.
ROBINSON: The elephant had no training. (inaudible) he turned up and presented it to the elephant and it started interacting.
MOOS: Cheese. They shot for three days as Peter got more and more engaged. The ad agency was inspired by all those other web videos of animals using touch screens.
Who wouldn't find a tongue-flicking bearded dragon lizard inspiring as it plays ant smasher. Dogs are scratching like mad. Is this any way to treat an iPad? Make that an iPaw. Don't you sometimes feel like doing this to your device?
During a morning talk show at radio station WMMR, a monkey named Bubba went nuts on one guy's iPhone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Easy, monkey.
MOOS: Who cares about the phone? Bubba's big sin was stepping on a button and disconnecting a live call with Ryan Seacrest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Son of a (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
MOOS: Peter the Elephant on the other hand was a gentle giant. They had to modify the stylus with a lump of wood so he could grip it. Is that a portrait of that other elephant?
(on camera): But at least all those creatures aren't dumb enough to do what we humans do. Excuse me. Texting while walking whether it be off this pier or into a shopping mall fountain.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's funny when it's not you.
MOOS (voice-over): And if you think technology is intimidating, look what it did to this chameleon. These devices sure can take a licking, but sometimes the owner isn't as smart as the Smartphone.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
