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Zimmerman Video Raises Questions; House Budget Chief Backs Romney; Lottery Gives State Budgets a Boost; "Skittles and Arizona"; Mega-Millions Lottery Hits $975 Million; Weinstein, Motion Picture Industry Fight Over "Bully"; Spike Lee Apologizes to Florida Couple; Celebrity Chef Helps Veterans with Diabetes; Witness to Trayvon Martin Shooting Speaks; Author Shows How to Break Bad Habits
Aired March 30, 2012 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Let's get you back now to the new developments in the Trayvon Martin case. For the first time, we're hearing from the brother of George Zimmerman, the man who shot the unarmed teenager. We're also hearing from someone described as a witness. Both have spoken exclusively to CNN. Martin Savidge is in Sanford, Florida. So Martin, let's start with Robert Zimmerman Jr., the brother, what is he saying -- what more is he saying about that night of the killing?
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's continuing, Fredricka, the line that the family has been giving for some time now. And that is, George Zimmerman had no choice. He was facing a life and death struggle and it was either going to be his life or the life of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. And unfortunately, it was the teen's life. Listen to the brother as he spoke last night to Piers Morgan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT ZIMMERMAN JR.: The gun, I believe, was in his -- inside -- tucked inside his pant waist.
PIERS MORGAN, CNN HOST, "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT": Right.
ZIMMERMAN: In a waist holster.
MORGAN: So, he has pulled it out and he has fired it?
ZIMMERMAN: Well, he has taken control of his firearm. He prevented his firearm from being taken from him and used against him, and that's called saving your life. What Trayvon said was either to the effect of, I believe, this is going to be easy, you die tonight, or you have a piece, you die tonight, and then attempted to disarm him. So, when you say, have a bag of Skittles and an iced tea, nobody just stood there with a bag of Skittles and an iced tea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: The other big interview is the one that was given to Anderson Cooper last night. This from an eyewitness. This will be the first we've heard of. Listen to this account. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After the shots, obviously, someone -- the one man got up, and it was kind of like that period of him -- I can't say I actually watched him get up but maybe it was only like a couple seconds or so, then he was walking towards where I was watching and I could see him a little clearer. I could see it was a Hispanic man. And he was -- you know, he didn't appear hurt or anything else. He just kind of seemed very -- you know, I guess, (inaudible) but very worried or whatever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: And that is what many people are going to walk away with from that particular interview. He did not appear to be hurt, referencing George Zimmerman. And, of course, it was Trayvon Martin who laying dead on the ground -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Martin, what about the investigation, anything new being said by the special prosecutor?
SAVIDGE: No, nothing is being said and that is the key word here, because it appears that after that video was released and some other leaks that have come out on their investigation, now, they are cracking down and the state prosecutor says that nothing further is going to be said. They will continue their investigation, but you won't be hearing from them until they're either ready to make an arrest or render some sort of outcome -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Martin Savidge, thanks so much, in Sanford, Florida.
All right, politics now. He's leaving the charge for cutting, spending, and overhauling Medicare and now House budget committee chairman, Paul Ryan, says he is supporting Mitt Romney for president. Ryan announced his endorsement ahead of the primary in his home state of Wisconsin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PAUL RYAN (R), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE: I have two criteria I am using to make my decision to vote on our primary Tuesday. Who is the best person to be president, who will make the best president, and who has the best chance of defeating Barack Obama? And in my opinion, Mitt Romney is clearly that person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD Senior Correspondent Dana Bash joins us now from Washington. So Dana, how significant is this endorsement for Romney?
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Mitt Romney advisers say they're thrilled and for several reasons, Fredrick. Now, first of all, it's no secret that Romney is still trying to get conservatives to trust him. And Paul Ryan is a Rock Star on the rise among conservatives. And a Romney advisor told me this morning that they're really hoping that this, combined with the pop -- the endorsement of the popular conservative Senator Marco Rubio. This week will really help consolidate the Republican base which has been lukewarm at best towards Romney.
Second, Ryan is from the state of Wisconsin which surprise, surprise, is holding a primary this coming Tuesday. In fact, we just learned that the two men, Ryan and Romney, will make their first appearance together in a little less than two hours in Appleton, Wisconsin. But they're hoping that this whole endorsement will finally give Romney the consistent momentum that he hasn't been able to hold onto this whole election.
The other thing I should add, though, that Ryan is the budget chairman in the House. He offered a budget that --
WHITFIELD: Yes.
BASH: -- proposed a dramatic overhaul of Medicare and Medicaid. The Democrats are having a field day, Fred.
WHITFIELD: That's right. In the form of this ad, let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When old Mitt claps his hands for the pariah plan, that's amore.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When his plan came out, I applauded it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When Paul Ryan gives props to old Mitt Romney's chops that's amore.
RYAN: It was a good entitled, thought that was very good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So, as a result, Dana, you know, is the -- is the base -- is the Republican party in any way expressing concern?
BASH: Well, I can tell you from the point of view of Democrats as you just saw in that interesting Web ad, a senior Democrat I talked to this morning told me that when they frame Paul Ryan's budget as cutting Medicare and Medicaid against tax cuts for millionaires, this source told me it polls, quote, "off the charts, for Democrats." And when Ryan's budget first passed last year, I talked to a lot of worried Republicans who are getting hammered because seniors vote and they're easily scared about losing Medicare. Ryan was asked just yesterday, Fred, about the Democrats' attempt to wrap his budget around Romney's neck. He was asked by Luke Russer, take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUKE RUSSER: Is this going to be a detriment to Mitt Romney?
RYAN: It's the path to prosperity budget. No, because we're going to give the country a choice. People deserve to be spoken to like adults, not attended to like children. They deserve solutions. They deserve specifics. They deserve leaders who are going to tell them not platitudes, but here's what I'm going to do to fix the country, and if you elect me, I'll go fix the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Something tells me that was a bit of a preview of what we might hear later today in Wisconsin, Fred. But, you know, Romney aids, and other political sources I talked to, say they understand the political perils. But they're banking on the fact that people are really most concerned this year with jobs, and with gas prices, and as you just heard, Republicans are counted on it when it comes to Medicare, at least they're offering specifics.
WHITFIELD: All right. Dana Bash, thanks so much, from Washington. We'll check back with you later on.
All right. Here's a rundown, meantime, on some of the stories that we are covering over the next hour. First, it kills more people than breast cancer and the aids virus combined. I'll talk to a chef who is taking on diabetes.
Then, a movie gives an up close look at the horrors of bullying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Another teacher told me how they burned fags and kept talking about it with me in the classroom and everyone was laughing. And they knew it was hurting me and they kept going.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, the largest lottery jackpot in world history is up for grabs tonight. The Megamillions jackpot is now $640 million. No one has picked the correct numbers for weeks now, that's why the pot is so big. The drawing will be held tonight 11:00 Eastern time. Check out what people are tweeting. The topic is trending big time. At hash tag, if I won the lotto, Jobabiie tweeks this. If I won the lotto, I would make a huge room for my mom and my mansion with the sewing machine, four T.V.s playing different novellas and eight cats.
Another tweet, if I won the lotto, I would buy a studio, a nice house, two cars, Range Rover, Comero, give money to my fam and then look out for my team. That's sweet, looking out for others. All right. So first of all, we have to say the odds of winning this thing are one in 176 million. You're much more likely to get struck by lightning, and you don't want to do that, right? Well however, just in case, we have got a financial planner to help you, kind of, sort through your imaginary millions, that part is fun. Clyde Anderson joining me now on the phone. So Clyde, if a person is to win, you say there are at least three things they should do from a financial standpoint, what are they?
CLYDE ANDERSON, FINANCIAL PLANNER: Yes, from a financial standpoint, Fredricka, first, what they really should do is just stop and breathe. First of all, do not rush to go and claim that money. Don't rush. The money's not going to be there, it's not going anywhere right away. But don't rush. Then, get a team. Assemble a team of people, a financial planner, a tax accountant, you really need to make some strategic moves, and you've got to have a plan first. And so, with all that, it's time to sit back and formulate a plan before you just go out there and spending money that you haven't even got yet.
WHITFIELD: OK. So, you've got those three things in place. You've got a money team, et cetera. Then you do finally step forward, you've got the winning ticket. The options are you can take it in a lump sum or you can get it parceled out. What would you advise?
ANDERSON: I think the best thing to do is go ahead and get that lump sum. And the reason I say go ahead and get the lump sum is because you can make so much interest off of that money. I mean, really, if you just got a municipal bond that (INAUDIBLE) around three percent, you'd make about $10 million a year on the interest alone with that money. So, it will pay for itself. And I say manage your own money instead of having someone else manage it for you meaning let them just keep it and gives you little pieces as the years progress. Go ahead and get it now, invest it wisely and take advantage of the ability to have all that interest and power of compounding interest.
WHITFIELD: OK. So, you know, you hear the stories -- I mean, you want to celebrate anybody's winnings especially when it's this big.
ANDERSON: Right.
WHITFIELD: But there are so -- have been so many accounts, so many story s of people who win the lottery and then their life just kind of falls apart. And in so many cases, people go bankrupt within so many years.
ANDERSON: Yes.
WHITFIELD: What's the common denominator as to what happens? What is going wrong that we need to try to avoid?
ANDERSON: Well, one of the things that's happened -- and you can see the buzz that's generating with all of this excitement right now, that people are looking for some sort of hope. And so, when they can catch onto this, and find some potential hope, they're -- they get excited. And they're excited about the possibility. And so, when you actually do win, you're going to people coming out from every crevice and crack that you can imagine that knew you win. And so, the goal is to really make sure that you are prepared for this and that you set -- even -- I mean, it's OK to want to give money, but set a budget for how much you're going to give and what you can give and what's realistic for giving. And what people tend to do is just pull everybody into their camp.
A lot of people they can't trust and didn't know them and they don't know who to trust. And they start really just squandering the money. And make some poor investment decisions. They listen to other people that say they have your best interests at heart and they really don't. You just got to realize, this is a lot of money and a lot of hungry people out there that are going to try to take advantage of you. And a lot of people fall big for that.
WHITFIELD: Yes. And you say that's why so many of, you know, these lotto winners actually go bankrupt. They just don't -- you know, they lose so much so quickly, that they just can't even salvage or hold on to anything?
ANDERSON: And then, a lot of them think that it's so much more than it actually is. Now, of course, we're talking about record numbers here, but generally, when you go into a lottery and you win several million dollars, it's not really as much as you think it is. Think about it. Now, we're talking about this lottery winning, it's going to be about $270 million if you take the lump sum and after taxes. So, it's still not the true $640 million that we're seeing because you've got to account for the taxes, you got to account for (INAUDIBLE) though.
WHITFIELD: Yes. So Clyde, it would seem with this kind of money at stake, everyone should kind of, you know, throw a little something in there. Well, I mean, what are the chances, why not? But then you say there are actually some people who don't even need to plunk down $5, $10, $100, we saw that $100 bill, don't need to plunk down any cash, any money whatsoever for a ticket. Who are those people?
ANDERSON: Yes. I mean, I think there's a lot of people out here that have a lot of high-interest debt, that are behind right now in their bill. And so, of course, they're looking to something to gravitate to, and some sort of hope. You know, if you're going to spend a dollar, two dollars, OK, maybe. But there's a lot of people out here that are spending $50, $100, $200 to increase their odds. And you mentioned what the odds are at the beginning of the segment that, I mean, you could have a better chance of being struck by lightning.
And so just to throw all that money away when you could really kind of cut down on some of your high interest rate debt, make a plan and start paying that stuff off. And it's hard to hear when you see all these millions in your eyes. But again, to have a strategic plan is a lot better than having a shot in the dark.
WHITFIELD: Yes, Clyde, it's fun to dream. You're kind of a kill-joy right now, you get that?
ANDERSON: I know it. I know it.
WHITFIELD: OK. But have you purchased a ticket or will you?
ANDERSON: I have spent a total of $2. Two whole --
WHITFIELD: OK.
ANDERSON: Two hole dollars and that's my limit. I'm done.
WHITFIELD: OK. Because you only need one winning ticket, right?
ANDERSON: There you go. One to win. One's a winner.
WHITFIELD: All right, Clyde Anderson, thanks so much for the free advice, especially if you do win those millions.
We'll be right back with more after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Trayvon Martin's death continues to gain attention across the country. Thousands of people are expressing their concerns through rallies and organized marches. There are even social media cites demanding justice. My guest is using music to bring awareness to the shooting. Songwriter Duran Butler wrote "Skittles & Arizona."
Good to see you.
DURAN BUTLER, SONGWRITER, ARTIST: Good to see you as well.
WHITFIELD: All right, so what inspired you? What was the moment about this story, this tragedy, that inspired you to write a song?
BUTLER: Well, actually, my producer, Mike, actually called me. The song was actually his idea, because he was developing a track. And he's a father. So, for him, the actual song had more -- I guess more meaning behind it than me, because I don't have any children. So the closest child to me is my nephew. And he really, really wanted to do this song. So I just tried to pull the inspiration from him and from the people around me and the movement itself. The outrage that the movement has caused in general.
WHITFIELD: Let's talk specifically about what you wrote, how you wrote it. Let's take another listen to just another clip of that song.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My life has been an issue ever since Emmitt Till could whistle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right, some historical reference there. Emmitt Till. Still unclear in the history books as to whether he whistled. But the bottom line is, he was beaten to death.
BUTLER: Right.
WHITFIELD: And there have been a lot of parallels. Some have drawn parallels between that and what happened to Trayvon Martin.
BUTLER: Yes. I think that the Emmitt Till line in itself was just to give some historical reference and some context of how long these things have actually been going on. We can trace it back to Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell, Oscar Grant. And it just keeps -- keeps happening. And I think that's the emotion that you're hearing behind the movement is that people are really just fed up of it happening and they're wondering why it continues.
WHITFIELD: And there's more. Let's take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But let me fight some dogs and I bet the face be poplin. With every move I know big brother be watching us. And if your skin is dark enough, cops --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Now, explain that one. Here are the lyrics, you know, "but let me fight some dogs and I bet the face be poplin."
BUTLER: I think it's -- I think it just comes from the no media attention to these things until there's a huge outcry. There's been tons of situations like this that happen all the time and they just don't get publicized. I mean you're in the media. You know, if it bleeds, it leads. But until it's a rally or Al Sharpton or somebody big from the media actually gives it attention, it just flies under the radar.
WHITFIELD: Are you encouraged by the dialogue that has been happening as a result? Or what are your observations about what is being said, where the focus is, which begins with an investigation that is still incomplete. But there have been a lot of offshoots of the discussions.
BUTLER: Right.
WHITFIELD: What do you like? What do you gravitate toward? What do you not like?
BUTLER: I like it all. Dialogue in itself I think is healthy. So I'm really just proud of my generation for standing up and saying something. Because our parents' generations have had their battles. Our grandparents had their battles. You know, your father was a Tuskegee airman, so he had his battles. Everything that we do from here on out is what's going to make our generation successful and what's going to actually stamp our place in history.
WHITFIELD: Have you heard from the family since your production? This has been on YouTube. A lot of people have watched and listened to your music. You coupled it with a lot of images that you managed to get that were, you know, free images on the Internet. What kind of feedback have you received?
BUTLER: It's -- some of it has been negative, some of it's been positive, but all of it's been dialogue and that's always healthy. I haven't heard from the family yet. I'm not sure what I could say to console the mother that her son has been killed and nobody is doing anything about it. Um, so --
WHITFIELD: Well, what is it -- you said some of it has been positive, some of it has been negative. Have people been specific about what has struck them in a negative way about this production? BUTLER: Well, one thing that I have been hearing constantly is that some people are saying well, black-on-black crime happens every day, why are there no rallies for that? And I don't think the rally is necessarily about the crime, but the rally is about, there hasn't been an arrest for the crime. And I think people really need to understand that because no matter what, justice is justice, black or white.
WHITFIELD: People can hear this, watch the video that you've compiled on YouTube. If there's any money generated from this production, where will that go? What's your objective here?
BUTLER: It's going directly to the family. I haven't looked to get any gain from this. I just wanted to do whatever I could to support and further this movement. It's a cause that I believe in and I think that many people believe in.
WHITFIELD: All right, Duran, thanks so much for your time.
BUTLER: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: And thanks for sharing your music with us.
BUTLER: Thank you. Appreciate it.
WHITFIELD: Appreciate it.
BUTLER: All right.
WHITFIELD: All right, for the first time now, we're hearing from George Zimmerman's brother.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT ZIMMERMAN JR., GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S BROTHER: He's the neighbor that everybody would want to have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: We'll also hear from someone who claims to have witnessed the Trayvon Martin shooting and the aftermath.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, I know you know this by now. There's an unbelievable fever going around America over the largest lottery jackpot ever anywhere. The Mega Millions jackpot. Can you get used to that number there, $640 million. That's insane! And we just learned that if there is no winner tonight, the jackpot will rise to about $975 million. And that drawing would be Tuesday. But, of course, we've got to get through tonight.
Forty-two states, plus D.C. and the Virgin Islands, take part in this. So the frenzy is everywhere. All this money means states are actually making up for some budget shortfalls as well. So there really is -- there are silver linings everywhere here. Margaret Defrancisco is the president and CEO of Georgia's Lottery Corporation. Good to see you.
MARGARET DEFRANCISCO, PRES. & CEO, GEORGIA LOTTERY CORP.: It's great to be here.
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy, this is very exciting.
DEFRANCISCO: It is -- it is beyond belief, actually. In fact, I think it's so exciting that it will be -- it's almost out of body.
WHITFIELD: Really?
DEFRANCISCO: So I think a few days from now it will be like, holy- moley, that was just amazing.
WHITFIELD: That's a lot of money. I mean $640 million. Of course, everyone who's playing is thinking, what am I going to do with my winnings.
DEFRANCISCO: Right.
WHITFIELD: But states like Georgia, all these 42 states, D.C. and Virgin Islands, they actually are winning just by virtue of people playing in what way?
DEFRANCISCO: Absolutely. Absolutely. Because all of the profit from all of the games, Mega Millions, Powerball, all the games that are offered across the country at all the lotteries, all that profit goes to the good causes and the beneficiaries that the lotteries support. Here in Georgia it's the HOPE Scholarship and the pre-kindergarten programs. So --
WHITFIELD: HOPE scholarship is kids who want to go to Georgia state colleges, universities. They get this scholarship help. And that's big.
DEFRANCISCO: Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: That's a big winning.
DEFRANCISCO: Yes, it is big. And, you know, it's taken -- Mega Millions is 10 years old. It has taken us 10 years to get to this astronomical sum of money.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness.
DEFRANCISCO: I mean it's hard to actually get your head around.
WHITFIELD: How did this number get so big? What is the answer? Just people playing or --
DEFRANCISCO: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
DEFRANCISCO: Yes, people playing. We started out at $12 million at the end of January. And there has been no jackpot winner in all of the twice a week drawings since the end of January.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness.
DEFRANCISCO: So it just keeps building, building, building. And as the sales grow, we're able to offer a greater jackpot. This morning, at 11:30, we raised it from yesterday's jackpot of $540 million to today's jackpot for tonight's drawing of $640 million, all based on sales, all based on the fever across the country.
WHITFIELD: How?
DEFRANCISCO: And everyone's thinking about, what could I do?
WHITFIELD: Yes, it's fun to dream about it. What would I do with that money?
DEFRANCISCO: Exactly. This is world-changing. World-changing. Thinking about the people that you could help, the philanthropy that could be created.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
DEFRANCISCO: The foundations. The children. The bucket list that could be absolutely fulfilled.
WHITFIELD: Sure.
DEFRANCISCO: Yours, mine, a whole pile (ph).
WHITFIELD: Right. Everybody. The whole community. The whole neighborhood.
DEFRANCISCO: Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: Well, you know, I wonder, with so many people playing on a regular basis, and that lucky number just hasn't been drawn for so many periods of weeks, I mean, what does that say about the numbers or the combinations that people, you know, are picking? Does it seem like there are too many common denominators? People are, you know, going for those numbers under 31 because they're thinking of birthdays? I mean how is -- what's the explanation here? How is it no numbers are being drawn?
DEFRANCISCO: It's just -- it is a random occurrence. And the combinations are over 175 million. And the right combination just hasn't come up. And perhaps it will tonight.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
DEFRANCISCO: We're actually showing coverage -- that means the coverage of the combinations -- at about 95 percent. So there's about a 5 percent chance, based on our predictions, that they will not -- will not be hit. And you mentioned that it will be rolling to $975 million for next Tuesday.
WHITFIELD: That's incredible. DEFRANCISCO: And we're going to talk Monday, too, to see what has happened over time.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
DEFRANCISCO: It's just so --
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: So is there anyone, you know, who has compiled the chances of -- you know, geographic locations, if there seems to be a greater propensity for a great number to be chosen in a certain area> Whether it be more rural, less populated? Any hints you can give us --
(LAUGHTER)
-- for people who are buying those plane tickets or getting on the road to by the winning ticket?
(LAUGHTER)
DEFRANCISCO: -- rural locations or those rural to come into the cities?
(CROSSTALK)
DEFRANCISCO: No.
(CROSSTALK)
DEFRANCISCO: It will occur tonight. The drawing will be 11:00 straight up, eastern time. It will be the wee small hours of tomorrow morning before we know just because of the number of the transactions --
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: And the winning ticket, that person may not come forward. Isn't that a killer? We wait days and weeks.
DEFRANCISCO: In some lotteries, you have up to a year from the drawing.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
DEFRANCISCO: In some lotteries, it's six months. It could be a while. But there could be an advantage to that -- Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: What?
DEFRANCISCO: And that is, they may be seeking legal assistance, financial assistance before they come forward.
WHITFIELD: Yes, of course. DEFRANCISCO: But anyone who has a winning ticket that does have a winning ticket, you have to keep it in a safe place and make sure it's signed on the back.
WHITFIELD: It's so refreshing. You get so excited, even though you can't play.
DEFRANCISCO: We can't play!
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
DEFRANCISCO: Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: Margaret Defrancisco, thanks so much.
DEFRANCISCO: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Appreciate it.
We hope we get that winning ticket tonight, if not, hey, there's Tuesday. All right, thanks so much.
Spike Lee is admitting that he didn't do the right thing and now he's apologizing to a Florida couple who had to leave their home after he tweeted out their address. That, and more in our "Showbiz" update.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FATHER OF BULLYING VICTIM: They said he's a geek. Some kids had told him he's worthless, to go hang himself. And I think he got to the point where enough was enough.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A tragic situation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A Perkins boy, just 11 years old, believed to have been desperate enough to take his own life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: That was a clip from the new documentary "Bully," which takes an up-close look at life for the millions of kids that struggle with bullying daily. The film is in theaters today in a very limited release, but not before causing a little bit of controversy.
Let's bring in Nischelle Turner, in Los Angeles.
Nischelle, a battle broke out pitting the Weinstein Company and the motion picture industry? Explain what happened.
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: It's kind of a battle for a good cause, Fred. This is a documentary about a very important issue in America today. But the film's rating has resulted in this controversy as it makes its way into theaters. "Bully" follows several students throughout the year as they struggle with the devastating effects of bullying.
This was originally given an R rating by the Motion Picture Association of America. This means that nobody could see in the theater this without an adult. This had the filmmaker and the studio behind him, the Weinstein Company, up in arms saying some who could be positively impacted, which means that teenagers, won't even have a chance to see it.
Now, a petition was put together in hopes of changing the rating to P.G.-13. It was signed by more 400,000 people, including 19 members of Congress and celebrities, like Ellen DeGeneres and Justin Bieber. But it still failed to drop the R rating.
So the Weinstein Company has decided to release the movie as unrated. What does that mean? It means that teens will be able to see the film, but now "Bully" may not have as wide of a distribution because some theater chains choose to show films unrated. Still, there's a little bit of back and forth, Fred. By the way, "Bully" does hit theaters in limited release, like you said, today.
WHITFIELD: Nischelle, does the Weinstein Company consider that compromise a victory or a defeat?
TURNER: I don't think they will consider anything a victory unless they get that P.G.-13 rating. It's kind of a battle for the cause because they feel it's very important that everyone see this documentary. That gave the Motion Picture Association the opportunity to give it an R rating because of five or six curse words in it. On their side, they say, look, we understand how important this movie is. If we do this for this movie, we may have to set a precedent for other things. So they're trying to tow the line here even though there is a lot of emotion in this.
WHITFIELD: Meantime, Spike Lee, he's apologizing for a tweet in the Trayvon Martin case. Explain.
TURNER: Yes, he's taken a lot of heat for retweeting what he thought was George Zimmerman's address, but it turned out it was the wrong house. He's publicly apologized and privately offered to pay compensation to the homeowners, a couple in their 70s, Elaine and David McClain. We don't know what compensation means. I assume it at least covers their hotel bills. "Showbiz Tonight" spoke to them yesterday. They said they were too scared to go to home. They were also too scared go to work. Hopefully, this will wrap this up. They do say, though, they accept Spike's apology and they believe he was very sincere.
WHITFIELD: Nischelle Turner, thanks so much, in Los Angeles.
TURNER: Sure.
WHITFIELD: Make sure you are in the loop on all the entertainment news from Hollywood and beyond, watch "Showbiz Tonight," 11:00 p.m. on HLN.
He calls himself the poor chef and he's on a mission to end diabetes by changing people's diets on a budget that they can work with.
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WHITFIELD: All right. Celebrity Chef Charles Mattocks is on a mission to save millions by helping change them way they eat. He's also known as "The Poor Chef." He's a guest on "Dr. Oz." You've probably seen him there. He teaches people how to eat healthful meals without breaking the bank. He's also teaching veterans. The film, "The Diabetic You," explores the lives of veterans living with diabetes.
Chef Charles is here.
Thank you so much.
CHARLES MATTOCKS, CELEBRITY CHEF: Thank you for having me.
WHITFIELD: And you brought sweets?
MATTOCKS: You have to bring gifts. You're a beautiful lady. I'd charm you with chocolate.
WHITFIELD: So nice. Chocolate, I'm done now.
MATTOCKS: Very good.
WHITFIELD: That's good. First, you're really trying to target veterans. What have you learned about why vets have a greater propensity tour seem to have a big diabetes problem?
MATTOCKS: We're out here working with the Atlanta V.A. One of the things with the veterans, they have a higher concentration population pool. They have a higher risk of smoking, diabetes, obesity, things like that. And why the diabetic risk factors have gone up with veterans.
WHITFIELD: So you're a diabetic?
MATTOCKS: I am a diabetic.
WHITFIELD: You're saying you can't reverse it. It's really an issue of managing it. And you can do that by diet and exercise. That's what you're proposing?
MATTOCKS: Of course, I've been doing the whole celebrity chef thing. I went to a doctor and he immediately wanted to prescribe me medicine. I thought, wow, this isn't right. Shouldn't the first line of defense be exercise and diet and losing some weight? So I made it my mission. I call myself the Richard Simmons of diabetes. In a sense, I'm more about inspiration and education. You know, there's a lot of people suffering with diabetes and a lot of people dying from diabetes. This is a very serious disease and we really need to attack it and direct it just so.
WHITFIELD: And the numbers are increasing and that involves more young people like we've never seen before.
MATTOCKS: Of course.
WHITFIELD: How are you helping young people to kind of reinvent their diet? What should they reach for more and less?
MATTOCKS: Processed foods is a big problem out here. Staying away from fast foods. I lost 15 or 20 pounds when I started mine. I took away the sugar. I took away the carbs, the starch. I just eat fresh fruits, vegetables. I feel better. Of course, I gained back a couple pounds traveling. But you can save your life. Diabetes doesn't have to be a death sentence. But in actuality, I want to show it is serious and it can be and will be a death sentence. Even at the Atlanta V.A., we're working with great doctors. Dr. Jeffrey Frenchman, who has taken things that you've never seen, wounds that you've never seen, and bringing these people's feet back.
WHITFIELD: You are Caribbean descent. You're about flavoring and --
(CROSSTALK)
MATTOCKS: Curry.
WHITFIELD: Lots of curry. People say it's not going to taste good. And you say?
MATTOCKS: It doesn't have to. I was eating vegetables and I thought it has to be better than this. I'm Caribbean and I like the curry and, say, yes, mon.
(LAUGHTER)
What I do is one of my favorite dishes, chicken curry. Of course, you got protein in there. Add a bunch of vegetables. You do brown rice. You sock the gravy on there a little bit.
(LAUGHTER)
It's a great meal. It's new. There's so many different ways you can eat with diabetes and eat good and healthy.
WHITFIELD: That's great. You said chocolate. And it's sugar- free.
MATTOCKS: This is sugar-free and it's got my pretty face on it.
WHITFIELD: I like it. That is so sweet.
(LAUGHTER)
Literally, figuratively. Chef Charles.
MATTOCKS: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: I can't wait to take a bite. Charles bar here, even if it's sugar-free.
MATTOCKS: There you go.
WHITFIELD: I like sugar but I'll go for the sugar-free.
MATTOCKS: You'll love this one.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: That sounds good.
Chef Charles, good to see you.
MATTOCKS: You, too.
WHITFIELD: Have you ever had a bad habit that you desperately want to change and you couldn't? We're not just talking about diet. And the author of a best-selling book can teach you could take control of your every compulsion.
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WHITFIELD: A person, who claims to have witnessed the deadly shooting of Trayvon Martin, is speaking for the first time. Because of all the passion swirling around the case, the self-described witness has asked to not be identified, not even by gender. The person spoke exclusively to our Anderson Cooper.
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UNIDENTIFIED WITNESS: Well, two men on the ground. One on top of each other, obviously thinking, OK, something horrible is happening. At that point, not looking out the window, I heard the yell for help. The yell for help. Then I heard another -- as I described an excruciating type of yell. It didn't even sound like a help. It just sounded so painful. I wasn't watching out the window during that. Next time, I looked out the window, same thing. Two men on the grass, one on top of each other. I kind of felt like they -- I couldn't see a lot of movement. It was very dark. But I felt like they were scuffling. And then I heard gunshots which, to me, were more like pops than they were like a bang.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You say gunshots, plural. Was there more than one, to your memory? Or was there just one?
UNIDENTIFIED WITNESS: Well, the sound that I had from where I was walking, it was more like a pop, and it definitely was more than one pop noise. I don't know if it was an echo or anything. It definitely made more than one pop.
COOPER: I know you say it was dark. I think don't want to ask how far any identifying sense of where you were, but were you able to observe who was on top, who was on bottom? Were you able to see faces or any details of the people scuffling?
UNIDENTIFIED WITNESS: No, just that it was dark? I had to say. Who you think it was, I would say only the larger man because after the larger man got off, there was a boy, obviously now dead on -- is the ground.
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WHITFIELD: That witness said the larger man who got up did not appear hurt. That's a key part of the story, because George Zimmerman claims he was being brutally beaten by Trayvon Martin and shot him in self-defense.
George Zimmerman's brother is the latest person to step up with an account of what happen. Robert Zimmerman Jr spoke in an exclusive interview with Piers Morgan.
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ROBERT ZIMMERMAN JR, BROTHER OF GEORGE ZIMMERMAN: He didn't pull out the gun and shoot him. George showed tremendous restraint.
PIERS MORGAN, HOST, PIERS MORGAN: He had the gun on him, right?
ZIMMERMAN: He had a permit to carry the gun.
MORGAN: Where was the gun?
ZIMMERMAN: It was, I believe, tucked inside his pant waist in a waist holster.
MORGAN: So he has pulled it out and fired it.
ZIMMERMAN: He has taken control of his firearm. He prevented his firearm from being taken from him and used against him. That's called saving your life.
MORGAN: Right, so you believe, as a family -- is this what George told you the next day? That Trayvon was trying to grab his gun to use against him?
ZIMMERMAN: My father also is on record yesterday night saying that. And again, what Trayvon said was either to the effect of, I believe, this is going to be easy, you die tonight or you have a piece, die tonight, and then attempted to disarm him. So when you say had a bag of skittles and an iced tea, nobody just stood there with a bag of Skittles and an ice tea. You return force with force when somebody assaults you. George was out of breath. He was barely conscious. The last thing he remembers doing was moving his head from the concrete to the grass so if he was banged one more time he wouldn't be wearing diapers the rest of his life, being spoon fed by his brother. And George would have been dead had he not shot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Robert Zimmerman Jr says medical records will prove that his nose was broken and he suffered injuries. Don't miss "Beyond Trayvon, Race and Justice in America." That's tonight, 8:00 eastern time, only on CNN.
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WHITFIELD: Time for "Book Marks." Our look at the big ideas and best sellers driving the national conversation. Cigarettes, overeating, even brushing your teeth, what do they all have in common? They are habits. How do you take control of these compulsions to change your life for the better?
Charles Duhigg writes with "The New York Times" and author of "The Power of Habit." He stopped by to talk to Suzanne Malveaux.
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SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Charles, thanks. Good to see you. I've got good and bad habits. Explain what is a habit?
CHARLES DUHIGG, AUTHOR: A habit is a decision you made at one point, stopped making or continue acting on. In the last decade, we've learned how to create habits and extinguish old ones and change bad ones.
MALVEAUX: So how long does it take to form a habit?
DUHIGG: Unfortunately, every habit is different and every person is different. But the way habits change is the same regardless of who it is or what we're talking about. What we learned is a habit has three components. There's a cue, a trigger for the behavior to start, a routine, the behavior itself, and then a reward. Most people only focus on the behavior. But if you focus on the cues and the rewards, that's how you can change or create new habits.
MALVEAUX: So if you have a bad habit, how do you break a bad habit?
DUHIGG: You have to pay attention to what's triggering it. And more importantly, what reward it's delivering. Say you had a bad cookie habit like I did at one point. Are you eating that cookie because your ear hungry or you need the burst of sugar in which case you want the energy, in which case coffee or an apple should suffice? Or do you need a break from work? A walk could work just as well. Once you realize what's triggering it, you can change any behavior.
MALVEAUX: How much of our lives are we living habit to habit?
DUHIGG: It's amazing. There was a study done by a duke university professor who figured 45 percent of the behaviors we do every day aren't actual choices. They're habits.
MALVEAUX: Is there any habit that you can't change, that you can't kill, that you've just got to try to work with or adapt in some way or live with?
DUHIGG: None. In fact, this is really important thing of this science is that we know from laboratory experiences that any habit can be changed. Doesn't matter how old you are, it doesn't matter how engrained the behavior is. Once you understand how to take a habit apart, you can reconstruct it however you want.
MALVEAUX: Talk a little bit about those habits, the bad habits that turn into addictions, when you talk about alcoholism or smoking.
DUHIGG: One of the really interesting things is most things we think of as addictions as habits. You're only addicted to nicotine for about 100 hours after your last cigarette. Yet people crave a cigarette two weeks, two months or two years after they quit. They'll sit down with their morning paper and want to smoke. That's the habit exerting itself. The key to overcoming that habit, to changing that habit is to figure out what reward nicotine used to give you. It might have been the burst of energy that comes from smoking. And to find something else to deliver that same reward like a double espresso, which laboratory experiments have shown will help you quit.
MALVEAUX: So as simple as switching out the reward. I have a habit of running. I love to run but sometimes I'm a couch potato and I'm not really motivated. How do I strengthen that habit and say OK, I'm going to go out and do this.
DUHIGG: The number-one thing to focus on is the cue. Always try to exercise at the same time or have a ritual beforehand. Always put on your running shoes before you eat breakfast. You want your brain to latch on to sop cue that makes that behavior automatic. But then you also have to give yourself a reward you really enjoy. If you haven't been running in a little while, give yourself a little piece of chocolate after the workout routine.
MALVEAUX: That will work real well.
(LAUGHTER)
DUHIGG: It's counterintuitive, right? The whole reason you're exercising to try to lose weight or get in better shape, and the chocolate, the opposite of that. Yet, we know you trick your neurology into forming a habit. And within two weeks, you won't need the chocolate anymore. Your brain will learn you like running for running's sake.
MALVEAUX: Charles Duhigg, thank you so much. We'll try to -- we'll make this a habit, if you will, come back.
(LAUGHTER)
DUHIGG: Thank you so much.
MALVEAUX: Thanks, Charles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Making it your habit to stick with the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Brooke Baldwin is up next.
Good segue.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Fred.
