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Zimmerman Reenacts Trayvon Martin Shooting for Police; Supreme Court Decision on TV Standards; Mitt Romney's Faith May Be a Hurdle; Mitt Romney Slams President Obama on Immigraiton; Investigation Into Physician-Assisted Suicide; Eric Holder Faces Potential Contempt of Congress

Aired June 21, 2012 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

"You are going to die tonight." I'm quoting George Zimmerman. This is what he said were some of the final words ever uttered by Trayvon Martin, seconds before Zimmerman shot the unarmed 17-year-old, shot and killed him on February 26.

We are now learning this from a slew of never-before-scene, never-before-heard videos, audiotapes released just today by the defense. What they do is they show Zimmerman underdoing lengthy police questioning. In fact, in one tape, Zimmerman even walks police through the scene and reenacts the shooting for them.

This all adds up to the most detailed account yet of Zimmerman's side of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, DEFENDANT: When I got to right about here, he yelled from behind me, to the side of me. He said, "Yo, you got a problem?"

I said, "Hey, man, I don't want to have a problem. And he says, "Now you have a problem," and he punched me in the nose. At that point, I fell down. He ended up on top of me, and he just kept punching my face and my head. And I was screaming for help.

He put his hand on his nose -- on my nose, and his other hand on my mouth, and he said, "Shut the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up. I didn't know what he was hitting -- it felt like he was hitting me with bricks. Each time, I felt like my head was going to explode more than the last. And he said, "You're going to die tonight, mother (EXPLETIVE DELETED)." He says, "You're going to die tonight. "You're going to die tonight, mother (EXPLETIVE DELETED)."

"I felt his hand going down my side. And I thought he was going for my firearm. I grabbed my gun. And I don't know if he did at the same time. And I grabbed it and I just grabbed my firearm, and I shot him. I just shot him, and then he falls off, and he's like, "All right, you got it. You got it." I didn't think I hit him, because he sat up and he said, "You got me, you got it, you got me, you got it," something like that. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: CNN contributor Mark NeJame is an attorney who was originally asked to represent Zimmerman, but declined that. Mark, what information -- are we just learning at some pieces of these audiotapes and videotapes. What are we learning from watching this?

MARK NEJAME, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, it does appear that the police did a more extensive investigation than we all, or many of us, first thought.

This seems to be pretty extensive. There is a videotaping, a reenactment, which is rarely done. And it does seem that a fair amount of time, a lot of time, actually, was spent in the investigation. Some might argue that the conclusion was wrong, but it does look like they did an investigation.

That surprises most. For me, what's telling on this is that, to me, George Zimmerman really has very little credibility in light of his facilitating the misrepresentation about the bond money. So standing alone, I'm not concerned.

But what's very important is this is corroborative. If his story is corroborative with other witnesses' testimony or with forensics, then it's very, very compelling. Standing alone, I'm very doubtful. You corroborate it with other matters, then it's very compelling.

BALDWIN: Let me play a little bit more here. This is more of Zimmerman's reenactment here at the scene. This is the day after, and this is how he explains the struggle actually started.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZIMMERMAN: He was about there, but he was walking towards me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. So he was coming this direction here?

ZIMMERMAN: Yes, sir. I believe -- like I said, I was already passed that, so I didn't see exactly where he came from. But he was about where you are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

ZIMMERMAN: And I said, "No, I don't have a problem."

And I went to go grab my cell phone, but my -- I had left it in a different pocket. And I went -- and I looked down in my pant pocket, and he said, "You got a problem now," and then he was here and he punched me in the face.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: I mean, isn't the crux of this, Mark, the fact, it's who started what? And when you just look at this video, do you think his account here is credible? NEJAME: Well, that's what we have to find out from other witnesses. I mean, he sounds credible, but, look, he can easily lie and still sound credible. You can't look at somebody and really tell if they're lying or not. The issue is going to be...

BALDWIN: Corroborating...

NEJAME: ... the independent witnesses, yes, whether it's corroborated or not. It's very simple that we have a situation where the forensics are going to corroborate what he said or we're going to have independent witnesses who corroborate what he said.

But standing alone, it's one person who's a suspect at the time, but if there's other people that help him, then it could be extremely important in this case. I think what you're going to find both sides doing, since this is such an extensive statement, you are going to find both sides picking it apart, the state trying to show discrepancies, and the defense trying to show where this couples in what other witnesses are going to say or what the forensics show.

BALDWIN: Mark, do me a favor. I want you to stand right there, because I want to bring in our correspondent, George Howell. He's in New Orleans, where he sat down exclusively with Trayvon's father and his attorney.

And, George, how are they reacting now to this new audiotape, videotape evidence that's been thrown out there just today?

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, you can tell that this is very hard on the family, as these details continue to come out, that they are forced to relive these painful moments.

And there's a lot that they cannot talk about regarding this case, given that some of their statements can be used in depositions in this case. But their attorney, Ben Crump, did talk about George Zimmerman's account of what he says happened.

A moment ago, you asked, you know, who did what first? Well, here, he says that we should pay very close attention to what Zimmerman wrote in his statement to police, where he says that he got out of his car to look for a street sign. Crump says there's some that he left out in that statement. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR FAMILY OF TRAYVON MARTIN: Listen to it for yourself in that 911 tape why he said he got out of that car. He says, he's getting away, and then he says, you know, he pursues him. It's one of those things where the 911 operator said, are you pursuing him, and he says, yes. He says, we don't need you to do that.

So he profiled and pursued Trayvon Martin. And he didn't put that -- he conveniently left that out of the written statement. And this is his written statement on the night. TRACY MARTIN, FATHER OF TRAYVON MARTIN: It's a roller-coaster. You know, you have your good days and your bad days. Certainly, as parents, you know, we have bad days, because we're dealing with the loss of our son.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Tracy Martin there, the family invited to be part of a panel discussion here in New Orleans hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists, talking specifically about this case, Brooke.

BALDWIN: George Howell, Thank you.

I want to just go back to CNN contributor Mark NeJame here.

And, Mark, final question, and I know we said at the top, you know, you turned down this case, but had you taken it, would you have released these evidence tapes?

NEJAME: Well, there's an obligation to do so.

Florida has a reciprocal discovery rule, and, basically, anything that either side has had to be given to the other. So the fact is, is that there would be no choice. In order for it to be admissible and to follow through with your legal and ethical obligations, both sides have to give each to the other all their information, evidence and discovery. So that's all that happened here.

BALDWIN: OK. We will see how they play out if and when there is a trial and if and when others can corroborate, to your point, Mark.

Mark NeJame and George Howell, I thank you both.

NEJAME: Thanks.

BALDWIN: Quick programming note. George Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, will join "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" tonight 7:00 Eastern.

A lot more news unfolding this hour. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: The whole leak scandal is completely overblown -- that from a high-profile terrorism expert. He's about to tell me why this does not hurt America's security.

Plus, what happened inside the U.S. Supreme Court today impacts what you watch on television. We're talking F-bombs, nudity, and free speech.

And Usher joins me live on his effort to give all kids a chance.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: A couple months away from November, race for the presidency is heating up, Latino voters fast becoming one of the most sought-after groups here on behalf of both the president and Mitt Romney.

Right now, in Florida, this huge showdown over these voters, over this particular voting bloc playing out at the country's largest Latino convention. It's the gathering of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, NALEO. President Obama speaks tomorrow. Mitt Romney finished up just this afternoon. And I just want to play a little bit of what Mitt Romney had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will prioritize efforts that strengthen legal immigration and make it more transparent and easier.

And I'm going to address the problem of illegal immigration in a civil and resolute manner. We may not always agree, but when I make a promise to you, I will keep it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: I want to go to Suzanne Malveaux. She is covering the NALEO convention for us in Orlando.

And I know, Suzanne, Mitt Romney's been very much so criticized for lacking specifics on any kind of immigration plan. What did he offer up today to this crowd?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, first of all, he said he wasn't really going to offer a lot of specifics, that he was going to basically put forward a long-term plan.

He slammed President Obama for what he called was really a stopgap measure when it comes to immigration. There were a few things that people did kind of hang on to, however. One of them was the fact that he said if you were in the military, served in the military, there would be some sort of path to potentially becoming a citizen.

Something else he also said, he was going to attach what he said a green card to any kind of degree, an advanced degree, meaning that there might be a way for those who have something to offer in the country to work here on some sort of basis.

And he said that he also wanted to strengthen and promote families. That was somewhat of considered a dig to President Obama as well, because under the Obama administration, it's been the largest number of deportations in the history of any presidency over the last year or so.

So those are just some of the highlights. But I have to tell you, Brooke, a lot of people, as you can imagine, very skeptical of what Mitt Romney has to offer, because they don't believe that he has gone far enough when it comes to the specifics on immigration and they are still quite concerned about some of the things he said in the past.

BALDWIN: Yes. Yes, just some quick poll numbers I just want to pass along and I want to get back to your point here. The latest poll gives President Obama 66 percent -- check it out -- 66 percent of Hispanic voters, Romney trailing way behind with 24 percent.

I watched and listened to that entire speech today from Mitt Romney, and I never once heard, really, just this huge applause as we have certainly heard before when he's been speaking at other conventions or in front of other groups.

And I'm just curious, I'm sure you talked to people after he spoke today, how did they feel about what they heard?

MALVEAUX: Well, it was really kind of a very polite response to Mitt Romney. There was not any booing or anything, but certainly no standing ovations.

They're really looking for a number of things. Of course, he was focusing on the economic conditions of Hispanics. So he said, you know, 11 percent unemployment, two million Hispanics who are actually living below the poverty line.

So people were honing in on that, but they also wanted to know, beyond the economics, beyond immigration, they want to talk about education, they want to talk about health care.

And, Brooke, I had a chance to talk to a woman. She's a city councilwoman and she is a Republican. She is a strong member of this organization. And she says, look, we're not a monolithic group here. We have a lot of issues that we want you to speak to. And here's what she told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUZ URBAEZ WEINBERG (R), AVENTURA, FLORIDA, CITY COMMISSIONER: I really hope for both candidates, actually, to come up with some realistic plans on the immigration reform. It's not the number one priority issue for Latinos, as tends to be the misconception, but it is of great concern.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And, Brooke, another person who I actually had a chance to talk to after the Romney speech, her name is Hilda Mira Hidalgo (ph), and she's 20 years old. She's an undocumented illegal immigrant here in this country, and she had an opportunity, and she said she wanted to do this, to confront Mitt Romney after his speech to ask whether or not she would support Obama's policy, his plan to allow some young illegal immigrants to stay in the country.

Mitt Romney did not answer her question. She was shooed away by the Secret Service. She made it a point to come up to us to tell her story, because she really wants to push Mitt Romney on that specific issue. So you have a lot of people who are really quite demanding of Mitt Romney to see more specifics and more change.

BALDWIN: Right. People want to know, if he is elected, you know, would he uphold what the president and Department of Homeland Security did last week.

Final question to you. Let me just play a little sound. This is Mitt Romney talking during the FOX News/"Wall Street Journal" debate. This was back in January.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: And I have indicated I would veto the DREAM Act if provisions included in that act to say that people who are here illegally, if they go to school here long enough, get a degree here that they can become permanent residents.

I think that's a mistake. I think we have to follow the law and insist those who come here illegally, ultimately return home, apply, and get in line with everyone else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Would veto the DREAM Act. Does he still stand by that?

MALVEAUX: Well, one of his policy advisers told our own Jim Acosta earlier during the day that this is something that he's not necessarily changed his mind on, that they are reviewing what they say are the undocumented college students in this country, that they are also considering or looking at Senator Marco Rubio's plan that is in Congress that might look similar to that, but not quite the DREAM Act.

So he is not backing down on those original statements. But you can say, Brooke, that there is some nuance here. Certainly, that would be not surprising considering the group that he spoke to before today.

BALDWIN: Absolutely. Suzanne Malveaux, thank you.

Again, just a reminder, the president speaking at that same convention at NALEO tomorrow.

F-bombs, nudity. What you watch on the TV is all about to change thanks to a U.S. Supreme Court decision handed down today. It involves Cher and Bono.

Plus, frantic moments as a couple gets swept over a waterfall. Look at this. We will show you how it ends.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: So, if you are anxiously awaiting Supreme Court decisions on health care reform or Arizona's immigration reform, sorry, the justices disappointed again. We should hear those decisions next week.

But have no fear. The Supremes did finish up another high- profile case today, one that impacts what you watch on TV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: But we do know that Nicole Richie has a place in the constitutional history of the United States.

The Supreme Court issued a very narrow ruling, because a lot of people thought they were going to decide whether so-called fleeting expletives, which are sort of non-planned bad words -- and everyone can let their imagination run wild about what those words are -- but what the court said was, we're not going to decide whether the seven dirty words, which was the subject of a much earlier Supreme Court case, are still prohibited on broadcast television.

All the court said today was the FCC, which imposed this penalty, changed the rules after the broadcasts were made.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Nicole Richie yes, along with Cher, Bono, and other moments of spontaneous indecency on TV shows.

So, in short, the networks scored a big win when the justices ruled the government couldn't hand down unfair punishment if these indecency -- if these are indecency cases.

A frantic river rescue in Vermont after a couple gets swept over a 20-foot waterfall -- the two were fishing when the woman slipped, fell into the water, husband went after her, good man. The current pulled both of them, though, over these falls. You can see the rescue crews had to lower this ladder down. There they go, slowly, coming back up out of these rapids. Luckily, they ended up with a few bumps and bruises and they are A-OK.

A state of emergency, though, is in effect in Duluth, Minnesota. Wow. And the National Guard troops, they are helping the city recover from these massive, massive floods. Up to nine inches of rain fell in some areas, sending what looked like raging rivers through city streets and causing some roads to crumble.

It looks like that house was sort of perched precariously off a cliff, houses knocked from their foundation, other homes underwater, forcing many people to get out and get out quickly. Especially hard- hit was the Lake Superior Zoo, where at least eight animals drowned.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOLLY HENRY, LAKE SUPERIOR ZOO: We're shifting animals to higher ground, to places where we're absolutely sure they're going to be safe. Some of that will require quarantine, which is a short-term solution. But within the next 48 hours, our keeper staff is looking only at the animals' well-being and the public safety.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Zoo officials say none of the animals escaped the perimeter fence.

He is known as the Dating Game Killer. This guy is on death row here for murdering four women after appearing on a popular game show, and there's a big development in this case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Back in court today, the Dating Game serial killer, Rodney Alcala. Remember this guy?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's your best time?

RODNEY ALCALA, CONVICTED SERIAL KILLER: The best time is at night, the nighttime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Alcala has already been sentenced to death for killing four women and a 12-year-old girl. That was in California back in the late '70s. He is going to trial again.

He's charged with two more murders all the way across the country in New York. And today, he appeared in court and pleaded not guilty.

Deborah Feyerick is in New York for us.

And, Deb, just tell me about these two killings and the arraignment today.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

Well, you know the arraignment on murder charges, pretty quick. Rodney Alcala, who's now 68, was dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit. His hands were shackled. He pleaded not guilty to the murder of Cornelia Crilley and Ellen Hover. Now, both victims were 23 years old, both were beautiful, both living in Manhattan in the 1970s.

Crilley, who you can see in this picture here, was a TWA flight attendant. She was raped and strangled in her Upper East Side apartment almost 41 years to the day, June 1971. Imagine that. The second woman, Ellen Hover, was killed several years later. Her body was actually found near her family's home in Westchester County in 1977.

And when you think of the timeline, this is about the same timeline as Ted Bundy, when he was on his killing spree. Alcala apparently posed as a photographer. He snapped more than 100 pictures, many of them found in a storage locker. He also worked at a summer camp. He's on death row for a string of killings in California, four women and a 12-year-old. That took place, it appears, after he left New York -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: So with the cases in New York, how did investigators tie him to these cases? FEYERICK: Well, it's interesting.

Two years ago, the Manhattan district attorney created a forensics science cold case unit run by two very seasoned and very relentless assistant district attorneys. Evidence was re- investigated. New interviews were done with more than 100 witnesses. And the killer apparently bit one of his victims. Investigators were able to get a dental impression from Alcala.

They're also -- they were able to test saliva which was found on the victims' wound. Investigators not saying whether any of those photos that were in the locker actually contained the pictures of the two women -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Alcala, we know he represented himself in his California murder trial. Does he plan on doing that again or does he have an attorney?

FEYERICK: Well, this is a man who is considered brilliant. He has an I.So,. between 135 and 160.

For the purpose of today's arraignment, it was pretty much a standard arraignment. He was represented by a court-appointed public defender. The three felony murder charges in New York, they each carry a sentence of 25 to life. So, even if he successfully appeals his death row sentence, which is what he's doing right now, most certainly he will die in prison for the California murders -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Deborah Feyerick, thank you so much for us in New York.

How warm are Americans to voting for a Mormon? A new poll suggests a surprise about Mitt Romney's faith and it could impact his choice on a running mate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Mitt Romney faces one of the very same hurdles his own father, George, did when he ran for president, that being his religion.

Eighteen percent of people in this new Gallup poll say they wouldn't vote for a Mormon for president, even if the candidate is well-qualified. And guess what? That attitude hasn't really changed in 45 years.

Dan Gilgoff is a religion editor for us. Are you surprised that American's attitude towards Mormons is the same as it was in 1967?

DAN GILGOFF, CNN RELIGION EDITOR: It is surprising, especially as all of these other biases in American life toward a black candidate, toward a woman candidate, have really faded. It's amazing that this one has stayed, right where it was in 1967.

What's even more surprising, though, is that the conventional wisdom in this campaign is that Mitt Romney's Mormonism would be a really tough sell to the Evangelical Christians in the base of his whole party.

And what this poll shows is that the greatest resistance to a Mormon candidate is actually among Democrats. Almost one in four Democrats say they wouldn't vote for a well-qualified Mormon for president.

And independents, about 18 percent of independents say the same.

So it turns out, this is a battle that you might have to fight more with middle-of-the-road voters, than even within his own party.

BALDWIN: So if his own base doesn't really, you know, mind too much, when it comes to his religion, what about his v.p. pick?

GILGOFF: Well, I think, you know, he has to satisfy his base in other ways. There are a lot of evangelicals, for instance, who are worried that he's not socially conservative enough, on their issues.

And so, on the one hand, he has to pick a candidate that satisfies that base, and that overcomes some of that concern. But a poll like this shows that, you know, he needs, still, to get the middle, and so, like, a Sarah Palin-like pick, like happened in 2008 ...

BALDWIN: What about Tim Pawlenty?

GILGOFF: ... probably wouldn't appeal to this crowd.

I think Tim Pawlenty is someone who makes a little bit more sense. Pawlenty himself is an Evangelical Christian, so he checks that box for the base, but he's someone that's hardly perceived as a firebrand. So for the middle, he's a lot more palatable.

BALDWIN: The other question is, though, also, Dan, does this even really matter? Because you look at this next poll, four-in-ten Americans don't even know that Mitt Romney's a Mormon.

GILGOFF: I think that number matters a lot and here's why. When you have that kind of ignorance in the electorate, a lot more voters are going to know that Mitt Romney is a Mormon by the time that election day approaches.

And what this poll suggests is that the more that Americans know about Mitt Romney's faith -- about four-in-ten Americans right now can't identify his religion -- the more uncomfortable they might be.

So I think that this is a problem that could actually grow for Romney in the coming months.

BALDWIN: Dan Gilgoff, thank you. And just a quick shout-out, if I may, to your Belief Blog. You can read Dan's articles and other articles. Just go to CNN.com/belief.

And now this family, absolutely shattered by suicide. The victim apparently reached out to a group to assist her.

Just ahead, a special CNN investigation into that group. They're called Final Exit. Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins me live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: They are called Dr. Death, these physicians that help people commit suicide and doing that is legal in two states, in Washington and in Oregon.

Half of all Americans support the right for people to take their own lives with the help of a doctor and CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta is investigating in this CNN exclusive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: When Jana Van Vorhis passed away, she didn't leave much behind.

VICKY: This is pretty much Jana's life.

GUPTA: This is Jana's older sister, Vicki.

VICKY: She took lots of different medicines to make her feel better.

GUPTA: Did she ever complain of physical pain?

VICKI: All the time. She thought she was seriously ill.

GUPTA: It was bad enough that when a friend of Jana's from church didn't see her for a few days, she called Vicky.

VICKI: I called her and didn't get an answer and then I waited until the next day and called and didn't get an answer.

And then we decided, well, maybe we should go check and see what's happening.

GUPTA: It was here at Jana's house that Tom and Vicki discovered the worst. They got a spare key, entered the home, and then found Jana lying in her bed.

It was shortly thereafter that they suspected foul play.

TOM: When we were going through her belongings, there were a couple of things that we found. One was a brochure of the Final Exit Network.

GUPTA: But what was Final Exit?

Online, they found this website. It says the Final Exit Network serves members in all 50 states who are suffering from intolerable medical circumstances, are mentally competent, want to end their lives, and meet our official, written criteria.

I went to meet Dr. Lawrence Egbert, the man who approved Jana's request to die. He's a retired anesthesiologist and he was Final Exit's medical director at the time of Jana's death. Her brother-in-law and sister said she had lifelong issues with mental illness, which was relevant. They questioned the whole thing. Did you question it, given this mental instability?

DR. LAWRENCE EGBERT, FORMER FINAL EXIT MEDICAL DIRECTOR: Sure, I had seen her records. I approved that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: And Dr. Egbert was tried for conspiracy to commit manslaughter for Jana's case, but, Brooke, he was eventually acquitted.

BALDWIN: How is someone like Jana deemed "fit to die"?

GUPTA: You know, it's a great question and I think, when people say, there is a slippery slope, this is exactly what they're talking about, which is part of the reason we highlighted this case.

It's a gray area. First of all, the people at Final Exit say, look, we don't, in fact, actually assist in suicide. We may give some instruction. We may give some encouragement to show them a little bit of how it's done, but they don't actually do the suicide or assist it in any way. So that becomes a gray area.

But also, Dr. Egbert, who you just met there briefly, took Jana at her word. She said she had all these problems, all these physical ailments ...

BALDWIN: So just based on what she's telling him.

GUPTA: Yes, she filled out a questionnaire and he took her at her word. No doctor confirmed any of those diagnoses and, in the end, she probably didn't have any of those physical ailments.

BALDWIN: So this is -- I know it's kind of morbid to ask you, but this is -- helium that they use?

GUPTA: It is helium. And Jana was instructed to buy helium tanks. What helium does, when it's absorbed into the body and no oxygen is being absorbed, it basically crowds out whatever little oxygen is left and, essentially, a person suffocates to death.

Dr. Egbert says it's not painful at all, but when people breathe it in like that, that's essentially what's happening and that's their method of choice.

BALDWIN: It's kind of spooky.

GUPTA: It is spooky. And I'll tell you, it is one of the most divisive social issues in America today. About half the people are in favor of, which means that half the people are not. It's really interesting to travel around the country and talk to people about this.

BALDWIN: Interesting. Dr. Gupta, thank you. Let's just remind everyone. Watch more on "Your Right to Die -- The New Dr. Death" this weekend, Saturday afternoon at 4:30 and Sunday morning at 7:30 on "Sanjay Gupta MD."

Sanjay, thank you.

Coming up next, a special treat. He is known for his voice, his acting chops, and his confessions, but Usher is on a different mission. He is out to prove that every kid has a chance. Usher and his special guest join me live in Studio 7.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Facing possible contempt of Congress, Attorney General Eric Holder is responding and he's responding right now.

He's in Denmark, one day after the House oversight committee voted to cite him for failing to turn over documents from the operation that sent guns, basically as they talked about walking, walking to Mexico, and ultimately landed in the hands of drug cartels.

Here he was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER: Well, we say that the action that the committee took yesterday was both unwarranted, unnecessary, and unprecedented.

We put before the committee a proposal that would have allowed for the resolution of that matter, consistent with the way in which these have been resolved in the past, through negotiation.

I think the possibility still exists that it can happen in that way. The proposal that we have made is still there.

The House, I think, has to consider now with the leadership, what they will do. And so we'll see how it works out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And unless some kind of deal is worked out, the entire House could vote on the contempt citation next week.

Coming up, he is a guy you certainly will recognize. He sings, he acts, he dances, but he also has a foundation to help youth.

So he, Usher, is going to me live in studio. We're going to talk about why he's saying he's taking over Atlanta these next couple of days. What's going on?

He has a special youngster in studio with him, as well, who is a bit of a mogul in training himself. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Are we sufficiently up in arms about leaks?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPRESENTATIVE DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER (D), MARYLAND: The leaks are very serious and affect our national security. And they're wrong. And we're going to follow the facts, wherever they go.

SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: There is no doubt that these leaks are almost unprecedented in that they're ongoing covert operations that are directly involved with the greats threats to our nation's security.

REPRESENTATIVE MICHELE BACHMANN (R), MINNESOTA: Of course, the White House leaked it and, of course, they did it to make Obama look like he was tough on terror.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: This is the outrage de jour, leaks of government secrets that jeopardize national security, supposedly.

Peter Bergen joins me now. He's our CNN national security analyst. Peter, I know. I've read your column, this CNN opinion column, where you've written this concern really is overblown.

Let me just begin with this. A lot of these so-called leaks involve reporting on efforts to sabotage Iran's nuclear program. Is there a problem with the public knowing something Iran knows already?

Especially, if I may, especially given the fact that these reported cyber-attacks were essentially acts of war. If we're at war, the public has a right to know, right?

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, that's what I try to say in the column. I mean, there are several problems with the idea about this damaged national security, the reports about the Iran's cyber-attacks.

First of all, the Iranians, two years ago, publicly said that our nuclear program is under cyber-attack and probably by Israel and the United States, so it was quite clear to the Iranians.

If it's known to our enemies, to the United States enemies, why is it a problem when it becomes public, is, I guess, the first question.

The second question is, cyber-security experts, who examined the viruses that were being put up against the Iranian nuclear program also independently arrived at the conclusion that this was the work of states and the two states with the motive and the technical know-how to do this were Israel and the United States.

I don't want to take away anything from David Sanger's excellent reporting. He filled in a lot of blanks and details, but the point is, in broad strokes, this was well-known. BALDWIN: It's well-known, but it's also seems to be this assumption that these so-called leaks about Iran are coming straight from the White House, specifically.

But, as we read the reporting, information is coming from multiple sources around the world, is it not?

BERGEN: Yes. David Sanger, who broke most of this story in "The New York Times," by his own accounts, spoke to American officials, European officials, Israel officials and cyber-computer experts.

So he built a mosaic from multiple, multiple sources. No one gave him the, you know -- there was no single source in my view who gave him all the details. It was building up a mosaic, a picture from multiple sources and putting together a very good piece.

BALDWIN: But then while all the hand-wringing now? Why the timing? Why this sudden concern about a practice that happens daily, has happened daily for years?

Is it justified, for example, the fear that other intelligence agencies will then stop cooperating with us?

BERGEN: Well, it's not, Brooke, the only story that is concerning some of the critics. There's another story about CIA drone strikes. I think that's overblown because drone strikes are public events and well-covered in the media every time they happen.

BALDWIN: Right.

BERGEN: And then there is the story about the penetration of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula broken by the Associated Press, Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman.

You know, I think there's a little bit more legitimacy with the concern surrounding that story and then the reporting that followed that story because this was an ongoing operation that was penetrating this group.

I'm not privy to all the details of how that report was constructed, but it seems to me that the report was instrumental in making this public and that penetration of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was no longer practicable once that report was out there.

BALDWIN: OK. Peter Bergen, I appreciate your time. And, again, if you want to read Peter Bergen's article, just go to CNN.com/opinion.

And now, coming up, I see them. If you guys just want to walk on over. Tommy Springer and Usher in the house. Welcome, gentlemen. Nice to meet you.

Hello, hello.

Oh, this is going to be fun. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Oh, we are minutes away from the top of the hour. Let's check in with Wolf Blitzer and see what's shaking in "The Situation Room."

Mr. Blitzer, I like the red tie.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Speaking of shaking, did you say you have Usher?

BALDWIN: Sitting right next to me. Tommy and Usher, say hi to Wolf.

USHER, R&B STAR: Nice tie, man. Red is in.

BLITZER: Hey. How's it going? Are we going to hear a little music?

BALDWIN: Wolf is asking if we're hearing music. Are we hearing music?

TOMMY SPRINGER, JR., MOGUL-IN-TRAINING: No. We can't hear any music.

BALDWIN: No. Are you -- will we from you?

USHER: Absolutely. Right now in stores. Wolf, you've got to get a copy. Everybody can. This is my seventh studio album.

BALDWIN: Listen. He loves it. Wolf Blitzer is very hip.

BLITZER: Hold on a second, I'm forfeiting my time to hear this.

SPRINGER: That tie is pretty nice, Wolf.

BALDWIN: We like it. We dig it. Look at Wolf bopping his head around.

BLITZER: I've given up all my time to Usher. There's nothing else I can say.

BALDWIN: Nothing else you can say? So we'll just go?

BLITZER: I got Marco Rubio coming up. I got the David Maraniss, the author of the new biography of President Obama coming up.

But you've got Usher, what can I say?

BALDWIN: Yes. I do have Usher and I have Tommy Springer, as well. We're going to get right to that.

Wolf, thank you. See you at the top of the hour.

Usher, if I need to explain to you, he's one of the best-selling artists in history, more than 60 million records worldwide, winner of seven ... USHER: Yes, seven Grammys.

BALDWIN: Seven Grammys. He's an actor, mentor to international pop superstar, Justin Bieber, and a father of two. We were just talking about his kids here during the commercial break.

His seventh album, "Looking for Myself," released just last week has already hit number one on the Billboard charts.

USHER: It's a good thing to be on top.

BALDWIN: This feels pretty good, right? At the ripe old age of 33.

USHER: Yes.

BALDWIN: Thirty-three, but no signs of stopping. But if that wasn't enough to keep this guy busy, Usher is passionately involved in helping young people across America through his New Look Foundation.

He joins me live right here in the studio. And his friend, his "m.i.t.," mogul-in-training, is Tommy Springer.

Gentlemen, welcome. Let's just begin with -- this is the third annual World Leadership Conference. I was checking your Twitter page today and you were like, we're taking over Atlanta. Why?

USHER: We're going to Atlanta for three days. Actually, CEO for the Day Program is the thing that I talked about. CEOs of Atlanta from Fortune 500 companies are actually being shadowed by youth and they're actually having the opportunity to run the city, run their corporations and be in their world.

BALDWIN: And, Tommy, you're one of the New Look, the mogul-in- training. Give me a little bit of your back story and what Usher's done to help you.

SPRINGER: Well, I joined in like 2006. I was a young kid, a young musician who had a dream of one day being this guy's drummer.

When I showed up to the camp, I found out they weren't really instruments involved, but I would be singing and I loved it even though I'm not a singer, they brought out the best voice I had, even though it wasn't that good.

BALDWIN: They made it happen.

SPRINGER: They made it happen. Right. And then they introduced the video program. I was one of the very first kids, like almost a pilot program for that and I snatched onto it. I fell in love with it.

What it did was it gave me a life career and a new passion. Ever since then I've been working in video production through opportunities provided to me by New Look. I interned with a local TV station here in Atlanta. I worked with the NHL when they came for the All-Star weekend a few years back. I actually got to shoot a music video for him out in L.A.

BALDWIN: You sound like a busy dude at age 20, my friend.

USHER: We put him to work. But the objective is obviously to fill -- to fulfill their dreams and to make them future leaders.

BALDWIN: Give them a new look on life.

USHER: Give them a new look on life and give them the tools. Future leaders of America right here.

BALDWIN: Right here.

USHER: Of the world, actually.

BALDWIN: Of the world. You talk about being on top. You can be on top, as well. It feels pretty good.

We were talking during the commercial break. I'm just going to ask again. We were talking about your boys. We have some pictures I think from Twitter. You've been tweeting about them. You were saying this Father's Day was extra special because your dad was pretty absent in your life.

So because of that how has that sort of, I don't know, shaped -- you're quite the mentor with people with New Look, with the Justin Bieber's of the world, with, obviously, your little kids.

USHER: It's our hardships as children that make us who we are. I'm speaking to optimistic kids who come from impoverished areas, as well as maybe some broken homes, but giving them the hope to see their way through that.

If there's not a father there, if there's not someone to be of a positive influence, the New Look Foundation does it. I can identify not having my relationship with my father, but that didn't stop me. I had to do something positive.

BALDWIN: Final question, as I still have you guys for one minute before we give it over to Wolf, music. So I'm a music buff. I love music. I'm just curious because I was reading about the seventh album and I've talked to so many different bands.

USHER: "Looking for Myself," yes.

BALDWIN: "Looking for Myself," and it sounds like -- is it true that you were influenced by eclectic, funkier music at Coachella?

USHER: Well, that's one of the places that I went, so ...

BALDWIN: Because we see you as an R&B guy, but not so.

USHER: I think a lot of times we put things in boxes because that's what we understand. And you never fully understand a person. You can't judge a book by itself cover. You can't judge an album by it's cover. So go buy it and you'll understand what she's talking about.

BALDWIN: That's quite the tease. So 20 seconds, what's next for you?

SPRINGER: Internship in Singapore. Another opportunity provided to me by ..

BALDWIN: In Singapore?

USHER: Just came from Nairobi, South Africa.

BALDWIN: How do people get involved with the website?

USHER: UshersNewLook.org or go to UsherWorld.com and become a part of the movement. Thank you for having us here.

We're going to actually doing a surprise performance tomorrow, which is the finale of the entire week for the World Leadership Awards.

BALDWIN: Very good. So if Wolf wants to hear you perform, it will just have to be tomorrow.

USHER: Yes.

BALDWIN: All right. Gentlemen, thank you so much. A pleasure to meet you, truly.

USHER: Thank you for having us.

Now, that's it for me here in Atlanta. Let's hand things off to Washington, D.C., to Wolf Blitzer. "The Situation Room" begins right now.