Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Sandusky Found Guilty of Sex Abuse; High Ranking Priest Convicted in Cover Up; "Extreme Fire Conditions" in Colorado; Presidential Candidates On The Move; Romney Tailors Economic Message; Unforgettable Moment At Ascot Race; Wall Street Bets On Health Care
Aired June 23, 2012 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Jerry Sandusky now behind bars, and it's likely he'll be there for the rest of his life. The jury reached its verdict late last night and found the former Penn State assistant coach guilty on 45 of 48 counts of sexually abusing ten boys. Sandusky was immediately taken away and booked into the county jail. He is now under suicide watch.
Less than 24 hours after his conviction, CNN cameras caught this moment, his wife, Dottie Sandusky showing up today at the jail where her husband is being held.
Our CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti joins us now from Pennsylvania with reaction to this verdict. So Susan, we heard from one of Sandusky's neighbors this afternoon. What is she saying?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a woman who has lived next door to him for a very long time. In fact, the children of both families even socialize and this woman told us that after she heard the verdict she was relieved.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUE STRAUSS, SANDUSKY'S NEIGHBOR: As strong and as overwhelming as the evidence was, I was terrified that there would be either an acquittal or a hung jury because I didn't want him back.
And I didn't want this sort of circus. I mean, we need to move on. We need some sort of realization that the word guilty, I mean, that sort of puts a label on what all of this is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: And she also added this. She said that she believes that Dottie Sandusky, Jerry Sandusky's wife is in denial about what has happened here.
As we know, Fred, this is something we've been hearing from a lot of people, but Dottie Sandusky throughout has stood by and defended her husband.
WHITFIELD: So, Susan, as a neighbor did she say that over a period of time she ever suspected anything was going on in that household or did she ever suspect this kind of abuse, now proven abuse by the hands of Sandusky?
CANDIOTTI: No indication of that at all, but it is something that once the allegations came out that she was very suspicious of this and wanted to see what the evidence was at trial, but once she did, she'd have no question in her mind that this as the jury believed, was very overwhelming and too much to overcome.
WHITFIELD: So we also heard some pretty alarming statements coming from one of Sandusky's lawyers today about their preparedness, their effort to be removed from the case and that -- and what the judge's response to all of that was even though it continued on. Tell us more about that.
CANDIOTTI: That's right. Well, for the longest time, time and again, leading up to this case going to trial the lawyers for Jerry Sandusky wanted more time, more time, more time to push it back and this case did go to trial very quickly.
It usually takes a year, this was a matter of months, but each time they were turned down. Now they are revealing for the first time that literally on the day before the trial began they went to the judge yet again and told them it would be unethical for them to go forward.
And they asked to get out of the case, to quit representing Jerry Sandusky, but the judge, again, told them no and they said we were forced to go forward.
Now, Fred, this looks like it would be part of one avenue of appeal that they will eventually file saying again. They lacked adequate time to prepare a solid defense for Jerry Sandusky.
WHITFIELD: All right, Susan Candiotti, thanks so much.
Jerry Sandusky's other lawyer, Joe Amendola was heckled by spectators at a news conference following last night's verdict. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE AMENDOLA, JERRY SANDUSKY'S ATTORNEY: The question is does the fact that 45 out of 48 counts were returned as verdicts of guilty by the jury, does that prove to me that my client is sick, and the answer is no.
You know, folks, there are lots of people sitting in jails all across this country who are innocent. There have been people, lots of people -- lots of people -- may I finish?
Lots of people -- lots of people over the years who have been executed for murder and later determined to have been innocent so what this tells me is this --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think he's innocent?
AMENDOLA: Folks in the media, can I finish? What this proves to me is I believe the jury act genuinely. I believe the jury acted in good faith. I believe the jury acted on the evidence that was presented to it, and I don't dispute or have any problem with the jury's verdict. We had a good jury.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And it appears the heckling came from the crowd of spectators, not necessarily members of the media there. Meantime, the judge in the case has ordered a pre-sentencing report that could take a couple of months to complete.
Another guilty verdict in a high-profile child abuse case in Pennsylvania, this one involving an official in the Roman Catholic Church. A Philadelphia jury convicted Monsignor William Lynn of child endangerment. Lynn becomes the first U.S. Catholic official convicted not for abuse itself, but for covering up abuse claims.
Firefighters in Colorado are up against extreme fire conditions today as they battle flames in the high park fire. We heard from local officials a little bit earlier and they say it looks like the fire will keep growing all weekend long. So far at least 191 homes and more than 75,000 acres have been destroyed.
Floodwaters are receding in Duluth, Minnesota. People are finally getting a look at the true scope of the damage there. Homes are surrounded by water and roads and bridges are simply being washed out. According to affiliate WCCO TV, the flooding has caused at least $100 million in damage.
We're also monitoring the Gulf of Mexico where a weather system could turn into a tropical storm within the next 24 hours. Bloomberg News is reporting oil rigs in the gulf are now being evacuated and shut down. According to Bloomberg, the gulf provides 29 percent of U.S. oil production.
And now to the presidential race and the candidates' jam-packed schedules. Mitt Romney is fund raising in Park City Utah this weekend and he meets with donors in four other states all next week.
Campaign stops to Republican presidential contender is blasting President Obama's economic policies, but that message is getting complicated by good news in the key battleground states. Here now is CNN's Joe Johns.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Romney campaign is trying to thread a needle on its message about economic hardship? It's a little dicey in some of the big battleground states where the economy is showing signs of improvement. Republican governors in those states want to take credit for good news like Florida's Governor Rick Scott.
GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT (R), FLORIDA: We had the biggest drop in unemployment of any state, but one in the last 17 months.
JOHNS: In Ohio, unemployment has dropped from a high of 8.9 percent last year to 7.3 percent now, not great, but better. So instead of talking about how bad things are, Romney's newest ads about his agenda for the first 100 days, talk about getting tough with China on trade.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Romney stands up to China, demands a level playing field for our businesses and workers.
JOHNS: The Romney camp's message in Ohio is complicated by Republican Governor John Kasich who has been selling his job creation record. Polls show 55 percent of Ohio voters still think the country is on the wrong track.
Almost the same exact percentage as in Iowa where unemployment is down to 5.1 percent, but pessimism about the economy is high. The Republican governor's web site is crowing about all of the new jobs and increase in family incomes here.
Romney's ad talks about controlling spending, not doom and gloom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Romney is working toward a balanced budget, making sure the government lives within its means.
JOHNS: A similar situation in Virginia where unemployment is down from a high of 6.4 percent last year to 5.6 percent now. The Romney ad in Virginia talks about offshore drilling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Romney reverses Obama's offshore drilling ban creating thousand of new jobs.
JOHNS: Some Republican strategists say the Romney message can go hand in hand with Republican governors who are promoting lower unemployment.
RON BONJEAN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: It's a one-two punch. The first punch is you can take the states that are doing well and give credit to the governors because they're taking innovative approaches and raise that up and give them credit. And then the second punch is Romney can talk about this on a national level.
JOHNS (on camera): The Romney campaign differentiates between the national policies of President Obama, which it calls a failure and governors with innovative policies in the states. Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: President Barack Obama is off the campaign trail this weekend, but on Monday he's on the move again planning stops to New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Tuesday he heads south to Georgia and the key battleground state of Florida.
A horse race with a one-of-a-kind competitor and a heart stopping finish.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, and now an unforgettable moment in horse racing history. It happened at the Royal Ascot in Great Britain, one of the most glamorous racing events in the world, 80,000 people packed the stands including, of course, the queen of England in her Diamond Jubilee year.
All of them were waiting to see if an Australian horse that has never lost a race could actually pull it off one more time. CNN's Jonathan Mann is with us now, and not just any horse. This horse is something else.
JONATHAN MANN, ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT, CNNI: This is the fastest thing in the world on four legs. This is the best horse in the world called "Black Caviar" that has run until today had won 21 races and never lost one.
And a lot of horses run races, but to never lose a single one consistency, that kind of winning streak. This is race number 22. Look at what happens, there was so much money bet on this horse.
You could basically make more money by taking money out of one pocket and putting it into another. It was a sure thing, but "Black Caviar" won by a nose. So this is now 22 races in a row. It has been a century since any horse has won so many races and not been defeated ever.
WHITFIELD: That is not a blanket. What is that?
MANN: Well, if you own a pair of bike shorts or you know what that is. That's a compression suit for the horse. They train "Black Caviar" like no other horse in the world. That's essentially a really, really tight outfit.
WHITFIELD: Like a wet suit.
MANN: Yes, kind of like a wetsuit, but more like bike shorts in the sense that -- and if you are under armour, I don't want to give them a plug, but that's basically what we're talking about. That's clothing athletes use to keep their muscles really compressed. People say it's good for training. It's good for circulation.
WHITFIELD: And making him sweat more, though.
MANN: It makes the horse run faster. They train her in the ocean. They train her in the pool. They train her all kinds of ways and the result, the fastest horse in the world right now. That's 22 races.
WHITFIELD: "Black Caviar."
MANN: Yes.
WHITFIELD: So even though it was just by a nose or half a head length that win, people were not disappointed because they're used to that horse winning by lengths.
MANN: You know, who was disappointed was the jockey. Because the jockey said when he got off the horse that he almost lost the race because towards the end he was so confident he just kind of eased up on "Black Caviar."
As a result, "Black Caviar" was about to lose and the sense you get is almost "Black Caviar" knew it was time to start running even though the jockey didn't.
He said when he come out he made a mistake. That is like the kind of thing they teach you day one when you start as an apprentice jockey, never let up in the middle of the race. He almost lost it for her.
WHITFIELD: You have to push the horse past the finish line.
MANN: You know, you think.
WHITFIELD: Wow, that was extraordinary. I've never been a jockey, but you know, just -- with any race, you can't ease up before you cross the finish line.
MANN: They have a postscript to this. You can't have it all in life. She's a 6-year-old mare.
WHITFIELD: So her days are numbered.
MANN: It could that her work life is over.
WHITFIELD: She's old.
MANN: Time to start a family. The biological clock is ticking for that horse.
WHITFIELD: That's one hot mama.
MANN: It's not a sure thing, but that's what they're talking about now. But an amazing day and the jockey wasn't quite as smart as the horse was.
WHITFIELD: You know what? Smart that in the end he was able to stay on top of that horse. He would not have been a working jockey if that horse had lost.
MANN: A 22 years old, an enormous career, a historic mistake, but they squeezed out a victory.
WHITFIELD: All right, "Black Caviar," one to watch and people thought the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont was exciting. That was exciting.
MANN: An amazing race.
WHITFIELD: Yes, cool stuff. All right, thanks so much. Jonathan Mann, appreciate it.
All right, we could get a Supreme Court ruling on health care as soon as Monday in this country, and Wall Street thinks it can make money from it no matter what? I'll tell you why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: No matter how the U.S. Supreme Court rules on health care reform there will be winners and losers and Wall Street is no exception. Investors are already placing their bets on possible scenarios out of the decision. Alison Kosik looks at who hopes to make money.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. No matter what it decides, the Supreme Court's ruling on health care will be a market-moving event and investors seem pretty convinced the individual mandate is a goner.
We are hearing the market is pricing in at least a 60 percent chance the court will say it's unconstitutional to require people to buy health insurance, but some analysts are betting the entire law will be upheld and if that happens here are the big winners.
Hospitals and Medicaid HMOs, hospitals will benefit because they'll have more customers, more people will go if they have insurance and those patients will actually be able to pay their bills.
One analyst we talked to said hospital stocks could jump 15 to 20 percent in this scenario. Medicaid providers will also benefit from more customers because the Affordable Care Act could shift at least 15 million more people into Medicaid.
So what if the entire law is thrown out. Several analysts think big insurance companies will rally. One analyst says for insurance companies, free enterprise is better than regulation.
So if the whole law goes away, the expensive new regulations, yes, they go away, too. Drug companies and medical technology companies could also get a boost. The Affordable Care Act did impose fees on new industries, so if the act is thrown out, those fees are also kicked out.
Another option for the Supreme Court is to throw out the individual mandate, but keep the rest of the healthcare law. And for most companies that could be a worst case scenario.
Health insurers would have to take on sick customers while healthy people wouldn't have to buy health coverage making their costs skyrocket.
As for hospitals they'd be left treating uninsured people who may not be able to pay their bills and medical technology makers would stay in place.
Also you have a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the market and if there's one thing Wall Street doesn't like it's uncertainty -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Alison. So there is no date set for the health care ruling, but it could come as early as Monday morning.
All right, it's a big challenge, train for a triathlon and change your life in the process. Seven CNN viewers are getting healthier one swim, bike and run at a time, dropping weight, building muscle and transforming themselves little by little.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta has an update with three months to go before the big race day.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, in less than three months, I'm going to do the Nautica Malibu triathlon, a little scary.
Alongside is going to be seven CNN viewers who we dubbed the lucky seven. I started training with these guys in February when they all came to Atlanta to kick off this year's CNN Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge. Since then their transformations have really been quite amazing to witness.
Carlos Solis, for example, he is a Type 2 diabetic. He just raced 8.6 lily miles in the bike leg of a local triathlon. He could have never imagined doing that just a few months ago.
His racing partner is Ryan Maloney, a 13-year-old Type 1 diabetic. With Morris, he did a relay, 17 miles on his bike followed by a 5k run.
Now Morris quit smoking after joining our challenge. He tried many times before and never worked. Now, he is going to try and quit his daily soda habit as well.
And finally, I want to tell you about Denise Castelli. She is a below the knee amputee who will also race with us in Malibu.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUPTA: It's amazing to think about your life as you described it to me a few years ago and what you're doing now not only doing the athletic endeavors, but actually teaching other people.
It's also worth pointing out that we're three months away from the triathlon. How was your training overall going and how are you feeling? I mean, this isn't something you really dreamed of doing even a year ago.
DENISE CASTELLI, CNN FIT NATION TRIATHLON CHALLENGER: No, it was something I've fallen into now. But I think after Hawaii, my training picked up the pace and I felt like a much better triathlete when I got back from that trip. My body is changing and I'm starting to get fit and losing weight and it's going as well as it can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUPTA: So as you can see out team is well on its way. Now I just have to make sure I'm getting my training as well. I'll tell you all about it. You can follow our progress at cnn.com/fitnation. Fred, back to you for now.
WHITFIELD: All right, we'll be watching. All of the best to all of you.
All right, the divorce rate is booming among baby boomers. Why so many long married couples are now calling it quits?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: CNN has learned there are at least four separate federal and congressional investigations into Florida Congressman Vern Buchanan. The third term congressman has become an influential figure in the Republican Party.
He is in charge of fundraising for the party's Congressional Campaign Committee and sits on the House Ways and Means Committee. Investigators are looking into his business practices, campaign finances and an alleged attempt to stop a witness from talking.
GM is recalling one of its best-selling small cars. More than 475,000 Chevy Cruzes are being recalled because of a risk of engine fires. The recall covers all Cruzes made in the U.S. between September 2010 and just last month. GM wants to modify an engine shield that could create a fire hazard.
To Christie's Auction House in New York where George Washington's personal copy of the U.S. Constitution and a draft copy of the Bill of Rights sold for -- drum roll here, $9.8 million. The winning bidder was Ann Bookout. She is a regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association. Washington's books were auctioned off in 1876 so you can say the historic documents will now be going home.
All right, there's a growing trend among baby boomers, divorcing after decades of marriage. CNN's Athena Jones shows us why so many people over 50 are saying, not anymore.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Margie White is a recently divorced 59-year-old. She and her ex-husband, Dick, were college sweethearts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I met Dick the first week of my freshman year in college.
JONES: They married and had two sons, but over 37 years together they grew apart.
MARGIE WHITE, RECENTLY DIVORCED: I had said to Dick a couple of times over the course of our marriage one of us will get a second chance. I mean, we really did struggle.
JONES (on camera): It's interesting that you said one of us will get a second chance. What do you mean by that when you said that?
WHITE: Well, I meant that until death do us part. You know, one of us, after the other died we'd get a second chance. I began to realize how sad that was that that really was sad and that both of us deserved a second chance.
JONES (voice-over): They divorced last year. Both say it was amicable. Dick now lives a few miles away, but still helps out with things around the four bedroom house they once shared. DICK WHITE, RECENTLY DIVORCED: There were some fundamental differences in the way we went through the world. We, I think, are in many ways better friends now than we were than when we had to live together.
JONES: The White story is becoming more common. Divorce rates for people over 50 more than doubled over the last 20 years. In 1990, fewer than 1 in 10 people who divorced were 50 or older. In 2009, that figure was 1 in 4.
A Bowling Green State University study identified several factors that could explain the rising rates. SUSAN BROWN, BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY: These are baby boomers. They were the first generation to come of age when we saw the rapid acceleration in cohabitation and divorce in the 1970s and early 1980s. And we know re-marriages are more likely to end in divorce than first marriages.
JONES: Longer life spans and changing ideas about what makes a good marriage are other factors.
BROWN: When you're 60, 65 and you retire, well, I can live another 20, 25 years. Do I want to spend my life with this person? Is he or she making me happy?
JONES: Margie and Dick say they're happier now, but that doesn't mean they don't have concerns.
DICK WHITE: I religiously carry my cell phone so if I fall down and can't get up, will I just get the phone out of my pocket and call somebody?
JONES: As for Margie.
(on camera): Do you have any hope or plan to remarry?
MARGIE WHITE: Hope springs eternal, doesn't it? I would like to have a life partner. I don't know about marriage.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: So the rising divorce rate for baby boomers raises some important issues for these newly single older people, everything from loneliness and maybe financial struggles to health care.
So when they get older and have health challenges, unless they remarry, they are not going to have a spouse to take care of them as has been the case traditionally. They'll have to come up with another way of dealing with those issues -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: So, I wonder, Athena, how do divorce rates compare to other groups. This was the baby boomer generation, but is it broken down in other categories?
JONES: Well, you know, this study was about these people 50 and older, what was interesting when you talk to the sociologists, one of people who wrote this is study.
They said while the rest -- the divorce rates across the general population have stabilized in recent years, it was the divorce rates among this particular age group that was steadily rising and they thought it was very interesting and want to dive into it deeper.
And so they did. So they looked at the instance of remarriages that I talked about in the story, but you are more likely to get divorced. You are 2.5 times more likely to get a divorce if it's not your first marriage, if it's your second or third marriage.
Blacks were most likely and Hispanics in the middle. So they found a lot of interesting things and they believe this is an important topic for study.
WHITFIELD: Yes, it is. All right, thanks so much, Athena Jones. Appreciate that.
JONES: Thanks, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, sometimes, working on a computer can be a pain in the neck and the wrists and the eyes and the back. Our gadget expert is going to help you compute with comfort.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: If you worked in an office and you spend around 7.5 hours a day on the computer according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics and that's just at work. You might go home and actually get back online.
So how do you keep your wrists and neck from hurting? Our tech expert, Marc Saltzman is here via Skype from Toronto. Good to see you, Marc.
So let's begin with mice and what should you be looking for and could that be contributing to your discomfort if it doesn't fit?
MARC SALTZMAN, SYNDICATED TECHNOLOGY WRITER: Sure thing. What we're talking about today is ergonomics, which is the study of designing devices to better fit our body. It reduces repetitive stress injuries.
So mice, number one, that's the device you touch the most on your computer. So make sure that you try it out at retail. It's OK to shop online or even do your research online, but make sure you put your hand on it and it's comfortable to you.
A good mouse should have a slight hump in the middle to fit the contours of your palm. A wireless mouse may be more comfortable because you're not going to be tethered to your computer with a cable and therefore, maybe making sacrifices to use it depending on how much room you've got on your desk.
You want to limit your wrist movement as much as possible and keep your wrist straight to avoid repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. Instead you want to move your forearm and pivot your elbow in a way that's comfortable.
Finally, if a mouse is not good for you and that movement a track ball might be better because it's a stationary device with a ball on top and you simply use your fingertips to move the cursor on the screen.
WHITFIELD: OK, and then what about the keyboard? How do you pick a right keyboard for you?
SALTZMAN: Sure, so an ergonomic keyboard is a good idea. These are slightly curved inwards. If you rest your right and left hand you'll notice they point at each other a little bit instead of them being straightforward with your elbows in. That's not natural.
So an ergonomic keyboard is slightly curved. That's the kind you should be using to have less strain on your wrists. If you have a laptop which has a keyboard already that is straight and not curved.
And you're in one place for a long time, consider plugging in an external keyboard into the USB park and get one of those ergonomic keyboards. Try to keep your wrists somewhat floating along the keys instead of reaching for them with your palms down on the desk in front of the keyboard.
And finally, try to master the short cuts in windows and the operating system because that will reduce the number of keystrokes you're using.
WHITFIELD: Wow, and then how you sit can certainly impact your comfort and the same goes for your eyes and your neck.
SALTZMAN: Sure. OK, so pick up a decent chair with lower back support. They don't cost a lot these days. If you get one on wheels then you have more freedom to move around on your desk. You don't want to be turning your neck to look at a computer monitor.
Try to look at it straight. Both your feet should be flat on the floor and if you're vertically challenged like yours truly then put a milk crate on the floor and that's what I do. Definitely be considerate of the lighting around you.
You don't want to be squinting to see the monitors. You can get headaches and who needs the crows feet, enlarge the font and finally, take breaks. Stretch, do little exercises with your arms, legs and feet.
Close your eyes and look away from your computer and you know the saying, it's all about moderation. You don't want to overdo it.
WHITFIELD: And then use some overhead lighting as much as you can to get rid of that whole squinting you were talking about. So that's good, too.
SALTZMAN: That's right.
WHITFIELD: All right, Marc Saltzman, thanks so much always good to see you keeping us comfortable as we get into our gadgets. Thanks so much. So for more high-tech ideas and reviews, just go to cnn.com/tech and look for the gaming and gadgets tab.
All right, he had a college degree and the down payment for the home. He was living the American dream, but when Jackson Kaguri saw that HIV/AIDS had wiped out an entire generation of parents in his hometown in Uganda, he reached out to help. It's a story of tremendous sacrifice and joy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
T. JACKSON KAGURI, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: In Uganda, HIV/AIDS came striking like a machete in a cornfield killing men and women leaving 1.2 million children orphaned. The grandmothers stepped in and closed that gap. Some of them up to 14 children to raise.
I was born and raised in Nyaka Village. I moved to America. I went to Columbia University. I came to visit. I looked in the eyes of women who carried me as a child and say now is the time to also give back.
I am T. Jackson Kaguri, the Nyaka AIDS orphans project. Who is happy this morning? We have started with $5,000 that my wife and I saved for a house. We provide free education children who are orphaned by HIV/AIDS.
We provide them uniforms, health care, the library. We started giving them meals. We teach the grandmothers skills so they can support themselves. Eleven years later, this project has produced close to 600 students and helps about 7,000 grandmothers.
I feel humbled looking in the faces of children smiling focused on what their dreams are going to be.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And remember, all of our heroes come from your nominations, so go to cnn.c.com/heroes it and tell us about the hero in your life.
From heroes to idols, we talked to an "American Idol" finalist who didn't keep bullies or medical problems keep him from pursuing his dreams.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Americans first met James Durbin when he wowed fans during season 10 of "American Idol," but he didn't have an easy time growing up. He suffers from Tourette's syndrome and Aspergers, and he was bullied in school.
In this week's "Human Factor," Durbin talks about it with CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You lost your father at a pretty young age?
JAMES DURBIN, "AMERICAN IDOL" FINALIST: Yes, I was about 9 years old. He got into drugs, he was an alcoholic.
GUPTA: Shortly after your father passed away, you were also diagnosed with Tourette's and Asperger's syndrome.
DURBIN: I had had different facial tics and made different sounds and stuff growing up.
GUPTA: It sounds like a really rough, awful childhood, frankly. I mean, losing a parent, being bullied, and now being diagnosed. What does a 10-year-old James do?
DURBIN: Well, there were things that I thought about doing.
GUPTA: You thought about taking your life?
DURBIN: Yes. It definitely crossed my mind.
GUPTA: You did find another way out, so to speak, of that darkness. And what was it that caused that?
DURBIN: It was music. It was music and theatre.
GUPTA: So let's say you're in a very stressful situation. What happens to you?
DURBIN: A lot of like, violent head shaking and sometimes like yelling and squeaking and barking and coughing.
GUPTA: When you're on stage, and obviously, lots of cameras and there's nowhere to hide, so to speak, at that point, so what do you do then?
DURBIN: I feel in control. Like something's going on and I'm on stage, and you're down there, and I'm up here, I'm OK.
GUPTA: Interesting.
DURBIN: There's nothing wrong. I can stand here the whole interview --
GUPTA: Just the physical act of being in that -- I mean, you're on stage, you're performing --
DURBIN: Having to be social on stage with someone, even though you're just playing a role, you have to have chemistry. So that opened up a whole new world for me.
GUPTA: You recently got married to the mother of your child. Tell me about Heidi.
DURBIN: She had dreams and goals and aspirations. And I just looked at myself and said, I got to change, and thank God for her because she really helped me through it. GUPTA: Thanks so much, really. Enjoyed it. Thank you.
DURBIN: Absolutely.
GUPTA: Appreciate it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Very inspiring.
And a new movie princess and she's taking charge. Find out what our film critic says about this new heroine.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: This weekend it's all about fantasy at the Box Office. "Brave" hits theatres, but if you don't want to go to the theatre, Jeff who lives at home is coming out on DVD.
Our movie critic, Grae Drake from Fandango and movies.com joining us today. Good to see you. I like the hot pink.
GRAE DRAKE, FILM CRITIC, FANDANGO AND MOVIES.COM: Hello.
WHITFIELD: Hello to you. So the first movie "Brave" is about a Scottish princess who was determined to follow a different path than the one her family set out for her. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I won't have it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right, all about precision. So did this hit the target for you?
DRAKE: It absolutely did. Pixar does it again officially. This is a great movie and my favorite thing about it is that even more so than other Pixar films everyone is going to love this, your little girls because the princess is spectacular, probably the best princess ever that I can think of.
WHITFIELD: Really.
DRAKE: But also your little boys are going to love it, too, because it's so packed with action and is such a funny, fun film that kids will be pleased. Adults are going to love it. And Pixar is famous for this. That's exactly what they do.
WHITFIELD: Wow. Is this kind of a kids' movie that's a "G" or is this is a "PG" kids movie, you know, meaning it really appeals to adults too?
DRAKE: I would say it gets a little dark, but I'd say that it's even good for little kids because even in the scary parts they quickly follow it up with something that's a little lighter, doesn't go too far down that path. My only issue with it, I had a little bit of a teeny tiny problem.
WHITFIELD: What?
DRAKE: Which was that as an adult watching it, the minute they revealed the conflict I knew exactly how the film was going to end. I'm not used to seeing that in Pixar films. They usually go away from that kind of stuff so it tarnished my experience just a touch.
WHITFIELD: But you know movies so maybe you have the upper hand over the casual viewer out there.
DRAKE: Yes, absolutely. And so it really overall the positive far outweighed the negative on this one and I do have to add that the red heads of the world have been persecuted too long and I also am totally biased.
WHITFIELD: Of course, so what was your grade on this one?
DRAKE: I give this one an "A" for archery rules.
WHITFIELD: Mice. OK, awesome for that A.
All right, so let's talk about the next movie. This one a DVD. "Jeff, Who Lives At Home," it's a movie about a 30-year-old man who still lives with his parents in the basement and the DVD is releasing this weekend so let's take a look real quick.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are those work out duds?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think so. They came with the car. Check this out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pat, slow down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What? I can't hear you. Surround sound.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop it, dude. Pat, please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tree, tree.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: No. OK, so Ed Helms from "Hangover" to something very different. OK, well, what were your thoughts on this movie? Did you like?
DRAKE: Jason Siegel -- yes, fantastic cast in this film. And Jason Siegel as Jeff, I got to tell you there's no way to get around it. He smokes a lot of marijuana, has a lot of ideas about the world.
When that happens in a movie, it usually makes me cranky and want to hide my Cheetos just out of spite. OK, but there's something about this movie that is so charming.
And it's really well written that just from beginning to end I had a smile on my face and I ended up really wanting to live in Jeff's world.
WHITFIELD: What?
DRAKE: I would never joke with you.
WHITFIELD: OK, I don't remember this one too much, you know, didn't get a lot of pub. Went out on the big screen. What was your grade on this one?
DRAKE: I gave -- you know what? It came out, but it didn't get a lot of attention. But it's the perfect movie on DVD so I gave it an "A" because it inspired me to give my bag of Cheetos to a stoner. I just loved it.
WHITFIELD: Just for those munchies, all right. "Jeff Who Lives At Home" DVD. All right, Grae. Thanks so much. Good to see you.
DRAKE: Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: All right, remember you can always get Grae's movies at fandango and movies.com.
All right, Daytime TV is going primetime and we are live on the red carpet in Beverly Hills. Which of your favorite stars will be taking home Emmy gold? We'll take a look in our next hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: There are a couple of bear stories out for you today. It's early summer so no telling what you might see wander in your yard. I bet you haven't seen this out your kitchen window.
And this is in Florida, hard to tell if this pair of black bears is fighting, dancing, or just kind of messing around. Their antics caught folks in this neighborhood in Florida by surprise.
One of the neighbors grabbed the camera and then caught the show on tape. According to Wildlife officials the bears may be younger males working to establish territory. Not sure how that will go over with the neighbors there.
And the hunt is on for a bear that is attacking people in Arizona.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON AMPERSE, BEAR ATTACK VICTIM: We kind of scared them off. We had an opportunity to take him out but you have a moment, it's so scary, you know, you don't know what's going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Jason Amperse shows where he was attacked. Authorities believe it is the same animal that attacked a woman three weeks ago and based on the bite mark measurements game officers believe the bear is a large, adult male.
It happened just east of Payson, Arizona, that's about 90 miles north of Phoenix. They have set traps all the way around the area.
Even though former Penn State Coach Jerry Sandusky is in jail and was found guilty of abusing 10 boys the case is far from over and our legal guys are weighing in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: They could very well spark new criminal charges against Sandusky and if they do, I would hope they would bring in Dottie also as a co-defendant and an accomplice.
WHITFIELD: That's his wife.
HERMAN: That's his wife. But it is very interesting, this Matt Sandusky. This is the alleged reason they did not put Jerry Sandusky on the witness stand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: You can catch the rest of my conversation with our legal guys at 4:00 Eastern Time.
