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Car Crashes into Parade; Severe Weather Weekend; Commuter Trains Collide; Powerball Jackpot at $600 Million; Interview with Floyd Mayweather; Car Plowed a Damascus Parade; Wendy Williams Up Close

Aired May 18, 2013 - 19:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Severe weather at this hour for a big part of the U.S. Watches and warnings popping up as we head into the evening.

Word of advice: if you plan to rob someone, plan your escape better than this guy.

Reflection after the chaos. Images from the Boston marathon attack and the words of those who survived.

Not this year. An upset at the Preakness means no Triple Crown winner again.

And it's lotto mania. Get your ticket while you can and spend your winnings now in your head at least.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Don Lemon.

We're tracking a developing story out of Damascus, Virginia, right now. A car plowed into a parade, a crowded parade. Up to 50 people are reportedly injured. One boy says he was pushed out of the way by an oncoming car by a parade-goer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DALTON THOMSON, WITNESS: We heard screams behind us and he sort of pushed us out of the way from it. And me and all of us, we all looked back and saw misery.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The dispatcher says up to six injured people have trauma victims.

WJHL Television reports that the car was a 1990s Cadillac that was participating in the parade. The driver may have had a medical emergency causing the wreck. Damascus is a small mountain town near Virginia's border with Tennessee. We'll continue to update you on that story.

It's one of those weekends when the weather is the news. Tornado watches out west, severe thunder and lightning storms up and down the East Coast. And take a look at a big part of northern Alabama right now. This is what a line of storms and one tornado left behind. Trees pushed over, power lines ripped down. And this is the same storm system that generated at least 16 tornadoes in Texas, killing six people.

Let's head to the experts now. Alexandra Steele is with us and she is watching storms roll over several parts of the country now.

Alexandra, thankfully, nobody was hurt in these Alabama storms. People in several states are not out of danger right now. Where's the worst of it?

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, the worst of it tonight and through the next couple of days really is the Plains, Northern Plains and even up to the Upper Midwest.

This could be from tonight, tomorrow, Monday and maybe into Tuesday, the biggest tornado outbreak we've seen thus far this season. It has been quiet.

We do have some warnings. We can see this block -- Nebraska, Kansas, down from Oklahoma and into Texas. A watch means that conditions are ripe for tornadoes to develop. We have tornado warning in Nebraska and in Kansas. They both have just expired but they were the first of the night and it has been within the hour. Expect more to develop. But there's the big picture where the tornado watches are.

Here's where those tornado were -- tornado warnings were in Nebraska and in Kansas again, those expecting to expire. Now, what they are on are not radar-detected tornadoes but strong thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes. Why? Well, finally, for really the first time this season, it's been very benign and quiet April, May, June, what we're seeing in terms of the severe weather, but, finally now, all of the ingredients coming together.

What we've got is this upper jet stream. We've got the fronts and also finally the moisture. So, the biggest threats under the gun, with tornados, very large hail, 70 mile per hour wind gusts, maybe 2 1/2 inch diameter hail, right through here from Nebraska down west of Wichita and down through Oklahoma.

Now for tomorrow, tomorrow looks like the big show with this. It all pushes eastward, get to about 20 million people potentially being impacted by this, some bigger cities, Kansas City, Joplin, down toward Oklahoma City, strong tornadoes expected tomorrow afternoon and into tomorrow night.

So, in the aggregate, here's where we stand tonight. There's the swath for tomorrow. And then, St. Louis, Chicago, could get into it, Don, as we head toward Monday.

So, really robust system, things finally coming together for the potential for some very strong tornadoes tonight, mostly tomorrow and tomorrow afternoon potentially as well.

LEMON: Alexandra, thank you very much.

STEELE: Sure.

LEMON: We're going to continue on this.

Now, Texas tornado victims are finally getting to see what's left of their homes after those devastating tornados. Residents in the small town of Granbury, well, they lined up to get access to their homes today. Sixteen twisters ripped through the area on Tuesday and the stories the survivors are telling are chilling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DILLON WHITEHEAD, TORNADO VICTIM: I was -- I was in the air and I opened my eyes and I was about 20, 30 feet up in the air.

REPORTER: The tornado picked you up?

WHITEHEAD: Yes. And whenever I opened my eyes and I see all the debris flying around me, and a piece of wood came and hit me in the back of the head.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Six people died in one neighborhood alone called Rancho Brazos. Half of the houses in that neighborhood were damaged or destroyed.

The very busy rail line from New York City to New Haven, Connecticut, is shut down this weekend and will stay closed for a few days. Investigators are trying to figure out how a commuter train derailed yesterday and hit another train going in the other direction.

Here's --

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Don, over my shoulder, you can see part of one of the trains that was damaged in this collision, and just beyond it is I-95. So, that's how close we are to where all of this happened.

At this hour, there is no telling exactly what caused this crash. The National Transportation Safety Board investigators spent hours on the scene today that measures about 200 yards. That would be the length of two football fields, looking at the aftermath of this collision that happened on Friday night, during the height of rush hour.

Now, they are paying attention they said to one thing that they found but they're not saying that this is the cause. They located a fracture on one of the rails of the eastbound train. That was the one that was heading from New York to New Haven and is the one that derailed and then another train smacked into it that was going in the opposite direction.

EARL WEENER, NTSB: It is of substantial interest to us. We'll be sending a portion of that track back to the laboratory in Washington, D.C. for analysis. CANDIOTTI: Investigators also recovered event recorders commonly known as black boxes from both of the trains and they're being sent for analysis to the National Transportation Safety Board lab in Washington, D.C.

Now, initially, 70 people were treated for their injuries at area hospitals. That number is way down now. Only two people remaining in critical condition at the hospital. But the majority of the others have been treated and released.

There's no word on how long these tracks will be out of commission. It's a very popular line and no direct service is working now between New York and Boston -- Don.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Susan, thank you very much for that.

OK. So, let's be realistic. You have a much better chance of being struck by lightning than winning the Powerball drawing. You've heard that over and over. The odds: a mere 1 in 175 million, 1 in 175 million.

But that hasn't stopped lottery fever from spreading all across the U.S. The jackpot currently sits at $600 million and the drawing is just hours away.

CNN's Lisa Desjardins breaks down how much you will end up with if you do win -- Lisa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA DESJARDINS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Don, the odds are not so good for winning the Powerball jackpot tonight. They are 1 in 175 million. But I guess lucky for lottery organizers, that's not the number people are paying attention to.

Everyone is watching this one, $600 million. That's how much you will win if you are the single winner in tonight's jackpot. And that's the reason so many people are coming out to stores like this all across the country. They want that $600 million.

But you know, Don, folks like this woman who is in line who are hoping to buy, to win this lottery, may not know that $600 million is not exactly what you get.

Let's look a quick graphic. The lump sum for the $600 million jackpot is more like $376 million. You take out taxes.

And in the end, you would walk home with somewhere around $227 million. That's an estimate. Of course, that's still a huge amount of money.

Even more money if no one wins tonight. The jackpot will roll over and Wednesday, we could see a jackpot approaching $1 billion. The sound effect helped me there. One billion dollars might not make sense to people, but the truth is, that is the entire economy of the U.S. Virgin Islands, whereby the way you can buy a Powerball ticket -- Don.

(END VIDEOTAPE0

LEMON: Thank you, Lisa.

Why are we being such killjoys? One in 175 million, go out and buy your ticket. And enjoy it. Let's hope that you do win.

Up next, this is not how you want your flight to end. Passengers jumping out as flames pour out from under their plane.

And this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OFFICER ANTHONY ESPADA, CLEVELAND POLICE: It's very overwhelming. I mean, it took everything to hold myself together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The first responders share their emotional stories from the moments they entered the home of Ariel Castro, rescuing the women held captive inside.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A U.S. Airways flight was forced to make a belly landing early today at the Newark Airport. The plane was in flight from Philadelphia, with 31 passengers and three crew members on board. All are fine, no injuries to report. Investigation, of course, is under way to determine why the landing gear failed. Those photos were obtained by CNN affiliate WABC from an airport source.

A plane's landing gear bursts into flames in the air over Russia today. The pilot managed to safely land the Boeing 737 at an airport near Moscow. Sky News is reporting no one was hurt. And passengers evacuated the plane by jumping off a wing.

And for the first time, the Cleveland police officers who rescued those three women held captive for a decade are speaking out. It's an incredible story, of course, and it's hard to imagine what it must have been like to be among the first to see Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight.

Here are those police officers describing the scene in their own words.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OFFICER MICHAEL TRACY, CLEVELAND POLICE: (INAUDIBLE). It's got to be her.

OFFICER BARBARA JOHNSON, CLEVELAND POLICE: When I pulled up I didn't see Amanda. I just saw Officer Espada and Officer Tracy running across the street towards the house. Then, I got out of my car and I ran right over there right behind them. And Officer Espada kept yelling out, "Cleveland Police."

And kind of seems like it was an eternity but I was so quick at the same time.

TRACY: And then we got out of the car, I'm like, is that you? And she -- just like on the tape, she's frantic, she's frantic with us; it's pretty chaotic. She's telling us who she is, she's been captive. The little child, at the time we didn't know was hers, is screaming and crying, so it was just crazy, what was going on.

ESPADA: Just the emotion from that point, of him confirming it was Amanda, it was overwhelming.

TRACY: I'm looking at her face and I can't believe what I'm seeing right in front of me, nervous, her child she's (INAUDIBLE) and screaming so I'm thinking wow, we got her. We got her right here. She's safe; her child is safe.

And then you know, we don't know what's going on in the house; we don't know anybody (INAUDIBLE) house. Could be a suspect or something. So I just asked her, is there anybody else in the house? She goes, Gina DeJesus and another girl. And I was like, what?

OFFICER ANTHONY ESPADA, CLEVELAND POLICE: And it was like another bombshell just with overwhelming force just hit me. I believe I broadcasted that Gina might still be in the house, you know, something going on in this room. And, you know, I'm looking that way, just waiting to see what's going to happen. And it was Michelle; she kind of popped out into the doorway and paused there for a second.

Within moments, she came charging at me, she jumped onto me, she's like, "You saved us, you saved us," and I'm holding onto her so tight.

And then within a few seconds, I see another girl come out of the bedroom; I just look at her. You can immediately tell who it is, just thinner. And again, I just needed confirmation. And I asked her, what's your name?

She said, "My name is Georgina DeJesus."

JOHNSON: You didn't hear anything and then, all of the sudden, it was like the pitter patter of feet running towards you. And the next thing I know, someone is in Officer Espada's arms. At that point, all I remember is when he put her down, she jumped up into my arms and held on to me and screamed, "Please don't let me go, please don't let me go." I said, "Honey, don't worry, I'm not letting you go."

ESPADA: Very overwhelming. It took everything to hold myself together. You know I have Michelle in my arms and then you got Gina coming out. And it was like one bombshell after another. That's when I broadcasted, (INAUDIBLE) 23, we found them. We found them.

JOHNSON: I can't even tell you how -- the emotions that we felt. It was unbelievable. And everything else was just a blur. I just -- it was just surreal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Up next, if you decide to rob someone, you may want a better escape plan than this one. Ouch! It's got to hurt.

And he is the undefeated welterweight champion of the world. But what are the three things that matter to Floyd Mayweather most? He shares them, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: North Korea reportedly launched three short range missiles into the sea off its coast today. South Korea semi-official news agency reports the missiles were fired in a northeasterly direction away from South Korean waters. Experts say tensions have eased in the recent days and the reported launch of short range missiles should not cause much concern.

The elderly father of Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad has reportedly been kidnapped by unknown militants. According to a London-based activist group, the man who is in his 80s was taken at gunpoint from his village. Deputy Minister Mekdad is a leading force in President Assad's regime.

Talk about getting thrown under the bus, this video shows a man trying to steal a woman's cell phone in Bogota, Colombia. And as he runs off, he runs straight into a city bus. He received only minor injuries believe it or not. The lady he robbed even helped him out from under the bus but he was arrested when he left the hospital.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the king of boxes. Of course, he is 44-0, the undefeated WBC welterweight champion. He just won the first fight in six-bout deal he signed with Showtime. It's worth a guaranteed $32 million per fight. That's some serious cash and that's not counting his cut on pay-per-view purchases.

"Sports Illustrated" has just crowned him the highest paid athlete in America. And when I spoke to him, we talked about three of his favorite topics -- money, power and respect.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: You got your glasses of bling, you love the bling.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER, WBC WELTERWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION: A little flashy.

LEMON: A little flashy.

MAYWEATHER: A little flashy.

LEMON: Yes. But you think it's warranted, you think, right? It goes with your image.

How much -- how much is it really you or is it about the character? MAYWEATHER: Everybody asks that question every day all day. I just feel like when it's time to entertain I go out there and I entertain. When the cameras are off, I'm just like any other, any ordinary person.

LEMON: You think that's what people pay for, they want to see that from you?

MAYWEATHER: I think everyone wants to be entertained. That's why we like to go see movies. That's why we like to go to a basketball games and boxing matches, and football games and hockey and different things. You pay to be entertained.

LEMON: With the HBO, Showtime, pay-per-view, someone from ESPN said, Showtime didn't happen this time, it was less than a million, what do you make of that? Is that true?

MAYWEATHER: Last time I checked, no one knows about any contract with Showtime. No one from Showtime is speaking on confidential business. I'm pretty sure that I've done a million or better. So I can care less.

You know, when you have a great weekend and a great night, people that's unhappy sometimes, you know, speak on things that they don't know anything about, or sometimes people speak on certain things because they want attention.

LEMON: Or they're haters?

MAYWEATHER: I don't have to say that. Like I said before, it's all about money, power and respect. It's more like this. Without the money, you're going to respect me. And I just feel like money is very powerful.

And I'm in a powerful position. I'm the face of boxing. I'm one of the most powerfulest (ph) people in boxing, if not the most powerfulest person in the sport.

LEMON: You're 36 now, right?

MAYWEATHER: Yes.

LEMON: How much longer do you think you can go on? Yes, I'm going to ask --

MAYWEATHER: I have 29 months left, 29 months and five fights. We can make it happen.

LEMON: That's going to be it for you? You're going to retire after that?

MAYWEATHER: I truly believe that will be the end of my career. I had a great career.

LEMON: Twenty-nine months, and how many more fights?

MAYWEATHER: Five fights.

LEMON: And "Money" is done?

MAYWEATHER: Well, money is still going to be made.

LEMON: I mean, "Money" Mayweather.

MAYWEATHER: "Money" Mayweather will be done.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Thank you, Floyd Mayweather.

Up next, a million bucks of jewelry gone. How life is imitating art at the Cannes Film Festival.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Sounds of gun fire in a jewelry heist are not unusual on screen at the Cannes Film Festival, but this time the drama was very real.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

LEMON: Well, a 43-year-old man was arrested after firing a gun loaded with blanks during a live television interview. The chaos sent Oscar- winning actor Christoph Waltz running for cover. The suspect told police he believes in God and wants to change the world. It was examined by a psychiatrist who says he is not mentally ill.

If that wasn't exciting enough, jewels worth about $1 million were stolen from a hotel room in Cannes.

Chief Washington correspondent Jack Tapper has the details for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This week, celebrities are the most riveting sight on the Riviera, their bodies bejeweled by the biggest baubles. All that bling an irresistible target for paparazzi and it turns out from thieves, as the celebs at the Cannes Film Festival discovered, those diamonds disappeared.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Diamonds, the only thing in the world you can't resist.

TAPPER: A jewelry heist in the luxurious cottasur (ph)? Sounds like a plot of Hitchcock's 1955 classic "To Catch A Thief."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Filmed on the beautiful French Riviera.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A very strong grip the kind a burglar needs.

TAPPER: But the jewelry company Chopard says this thief is no Carey Grant, managing to make off with less than a million dollars worth of bling, small potatoes when you're talking diamonds in 2013.

But a bigger question for us, why are all these jewelers bringing their wares to Cannes? I mean, what's in it for them?

Well, it turns out, big bucks.

WENDY ADELER, VP MARKETING PHILANTROPY, ADELER JEWELERS: They're definitely not passing through a lot of hands along the way so they're very, very secure as they travel. We make sure that we have accountability every step of the way.

TAPPER: Wendy Adeler says once her father, jeweler Jorge Adeler, started loaning his pieces to celebrities to wear on the red carpet, sales to real people -- well, they spiked.

ADELER: Sort of helps to show case your designs on a larger scale and a larger audience.

TAPPER: While the investigation in Cannes continues, French police say the thieves swiped the safe, unscrewed from the wall in a hotel room, sometime between 8:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. -- prime party time during the week-long film festival.

Perhaps the thief was taking advantage of that night's hot premiere "The Bling Ring" by director Sophia Coppola.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's got to Paris, I want to rob.

TAPPER: That film is about, you guessed it, a jewelry heist. And it debuted within hours of the real life lift -- life imitating art imitating life on the movie world's most glamorous stage.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: That was Jack Tapper reporting. Police say whoever did it had to have known where the jewels were being stored and say there was likely more than one person involved. Chopard has released a statement, saying the jewels stolen were not part of the collection to be worn by the stars.

Half past the hour now. I want to get a look at your top stories here on CNN.

A look at the headlines. We're tracking a developing story out of Damascus, Virginia for you. A car plowed through a parade crowd. Up to 50 people are reportedly injured. WJHL television reports the car was a 1990s Cadillac that was participating in the parade. The driver may have had a medical emergency causing the accident. Damascus is a small mountain town near Virginia's border with Tennessee. Today's parade was held in honor of the famous Appalachian trail.

Ugly weather right now on a massive line stretching from the Dakotas to Texas. Tornado watches are in effect and if you're in that zone be on the lookout for very large hail in the coming hours.

Have you bought your ticket yet? In just hours we could find out who's won, who won the largest Powerball drawing ever. 600 million up for grabs with a cash value of 376.9 million. There's even a chance the record jackpot could go up thanks to last minute ticket sales. And get this, if no one wins tonight's drawing the jackpot jump to $925 million. Now you're talking.

Next, reflections after the chaos. A Boston bombing victim recalls why one man stood out to him in the moments before an explosion rocked the marathon and not for the right reasons.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Coming up at the top of the hour, CNN will take you back to the day terrorism marred Boston's biggest day. "Back from Boston Moments of Impact" tells the story from the eyes of those on the scene, the photographers and one victim who noticed one of the suspected bombers before the device blew.

Here's an excerpt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELVIN MA, FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER: The images that stuck with me the most are the ones of all the people who thought nothing of themselves, to run back into that scene not knowing what was there or if it was even safe to help people, help the victims.

I am a freelance photographer and I am also a staff photographer at Tufts University. This was my third straight marathon.

The finish line of the marathon, it's a special place. Everybody there is in such high spirits because they just ran a marathon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was with my girlfriend's roommates and we were having a great time. We were watching the runners. And just that one guy, you know, he didn't look like he was having a good time. He just didn't seem right. He was there and then he was gone and then boom. Next thing you know, I hear fireworks and I'm on the ground.

MA: You know, you hear all these cheering and then a loud boom goes off. And then silence. And then the second one went off and then it got really loud and chaotic. I knew it was bad when I saw people kicking over gates. These are the big barriers that the police set up. People are just throwing them down running on to the course. I had never seen anything like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The top of the hour the photographers who were there on Boston on that date. Hear their incredible dates. "Back to Boston, Moments of Impact" begins at the top of the hour, 8:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

Coming up, she is the radio and TV superstar that many are calling the next Oprah. I'll talk with Wendy Williams right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: It's graduation season which means commencement speeches. And the first lady Michelle Obama took center stage at Bowie State University in Maryland. She didn't mince words either. She told graduates of the historically black college to be an example for the next generation of young African-Americans. It's a generation she said that's not living up to the example set by his ancestors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, U.S. FIRST LADY: Instead of walking miles every day to school they're sitting on couches for hours playing video games, watching TV. Instead of dreaming of being a teacher, a lawyer, a business leader, they're fantasizing about being a baller or a rapper.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Also Mrs. Obama also urged listeners to reject what she called the slander that says a black child with a book is trying to act white. The president takes the stage tomorrow. He's a graduation speaker here in Atlanta at Morehouse College.

And make sure you join us tomorrow here on CNN, we're going to examine both of those speeches. We're talking about the first lady's speech at Bowie State and also the president as well. Any credence to what they're saying about black students? Are they not impassionate enough about getting an education? We'll talk about all that tomorrow right here on CNN.

Radio personality, TV superstar, best-selling author, there's not much that Wendy Williams can't do. I sat down with Wendy to get the scoop on her show, her family and her newest book. It's called "Ask Wendy Straight up Advice for All of the Drama in your Life." Here's the interview. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON (on camera): How are you doing, Wendy? You're doing very well.

WENDY WILLIAMS, TV PERSONALITY: I'm doing well. Thank you for asking.

LEMON: Your ratings are off the charts.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

WILLIAMS: This season has been -- the.

LEMON: The highest ratings you've had?

WILLIAMS: It's been nothing but good. Scary.

LEMON: Why?

WILLIAMS: We are in our fourth season. I have seen some really good TV shows get canceled after a few episodes or the first season. I don't like to think about it too much. I just like to continue on without looking side to side.

LEMON: You have hot topics, you have hot give aways. You got - I love the hot seat.

WILLIAMS: Thank you.

When wearing a form fitting dress do you wear underwear or go commando.

LEMON: I love the hot seat.

WILLIAMS: You participated in our hot talk panel.

LEMON: I love the hot talk panel.

WILLIAMS: There are some things - this season, for season four, that we put in the show that I say why aren't haven't we been doing this all along, this is so natural to us, like the hot talk panel. You know, it's three spicy personalities and me, chopping it up about the hottest topic of the week. The hot seat, such a natural thing.

LEMON: So I'm going to put you on the hot seat.

WILLIAMS: OK.

LEMON: Wendy Williams, do you know who you are?

WILLIAMS: Who I am is - I'm a person of conviction and I stand by my convictions, be damned the rest of the world.

LEMON: How is that for a little girl from Ocean Town, New Jersey who thought that she didn't fit in? She was bigger than everybody else? She didn't -

WILLIAMS: Yes.

LEMON: What was that like for you?

WILLIAMS: I was looking at life from the outside of life when I was a younger girl. I just figure it can only get better from here. So to be celebrated in such a grand way every day with millions of people in 52 countries watching, it's more than a dream come true. Don, I couldn't even dream this big.

LEMON: Are you conscious of the audience you have? There'll be a 60- year-old white lady, a 20-year-old black girl, a 30-year-old Hispanic or a guy? What does that say about diversity to you?

WILLIAMS: The "Wendy Williams Show" is not a black thing or a white thing. It's a thing-thing that just happens to be ring mastered by a nutty black woman from New Jersey. What I see when I look at my audience is the way my life has always been. It's the way I've been raised and that's just that. It's everybody else, some of everybody else who is shocked at, oh my god, goodness, did I just see a woman in a burka and three of her friends sitting next to her? Yes, you did. It's the "Wendy Williams Show." Come one, come all. LEMON: Why on earth would anybody ask a crazy black lady from New Jersey for advice on television and in a book? Why?

WILLIAMS: My "Ask Wendy" book is, you know, out of all of the books that I've written it is my favorite and it is my favorite because this book was written by Wendy Watchers from all around the country. I asked them send me your toughest questions, and they did and I had hundreds and hundreds in a stack and I read every last one, Don Lemon, and put them in the appropriate pile for the appropriate chapters.

Online drama, here's a good one. Wait, I got too many of them about where do I meet a good man. Let me throw these out. I'm going to save this one in the sex chapter, a threesome - the kids drama chapter. What? She's being bossed around pap by her 12-year-old? OK. Put it right there.

First, you have to gain the trust and adoration of people for them to ask you a question. So I appreciate that and I take my advice giving very seriously.

LEMON: So I'm going to end where I started. What do you think you are?

WILLIAMS: I am my parents' daughter, I am my - a cry baby.

Don Lemon, grateful, that's who I am. Grateful, that's who I am. A grateful woman.

LEMON: As someone who felt other and who actually came out on your show -

WILLIAMS: How are you doing?

LEMON: How you doing? I thank you for what you're doing and I am so proud of you, Wendy. Thank you. I'm so proud. Much success.

WILLIAMS: Thanks, Don.

LEMON: Continue on being who you are. You inspire all of us. Thank you.

WILLIAMS: Don.

LEMON: You're fabulous. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: She has a foul mouth sometimes but she is really a sweetheart. It's kind of an act. That's a little secret. That's who she is on television. She's a sweetheart in person.

Coming up, a daytime talk show host has a little fun at the expense of CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta. See it and hear Sanjay's reaction live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, has been given a pretty prestigious honor. He was named one of the most trusted people in America by Reader's Digest, a Reader's Digest poll. But a certain talk show host, Ellen Degeneres wasn't too happy Sanjay topped her on the list. So she had a little fun.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Lesson number one, do six shots every day, and graduate to beer if you think, drink a real beer. I'm really, really waster, I love the bars. I have literally traveled all over the world to every continent wasted, completely out of control. I have conceived children in more than 100 countries and I had (INAUDIBLE) just a couple of weeks ago. I was driving around in my car with beer.

I think the (INAUDIBLE) I think the corollary is also true. Never being hammered is bad. Too safe, too careful. Not enough risk. Not enough living. Truth is I want you wasted and waking up every morning sick. Go do it. Love you.

ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": He's ahead of me. And as America's 18th most trusted person I promise you that footage was not doctored.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And I know Sanjay pretty well. And I think all that is true. Everything he said. He wants people to get wasted. I'm kidding.

GUPTA: I'm so deeply offended by Ellen.

LEMON: Sanjay's on the phone right now, by the way. Is there something you want to say to Ellen, Sanjay?

GUPTA: Ellen, I can't believe this. And you in 2009 recommended 20 shots of tequila in her commencement address. No less. And she's thrown stones, Don. Can you believe this?

LEMON: I can't believe it. So Sanjay, I just gave a commencement yesterday at LSU. And you've given a number of them. But this time of year, I mean, in all fairness, people - those kids want to be inspired, right?

GUPTA: Absolutely. They want to be inspired. They want to hear about what's happening in the world sometimes if they're asking people like you or me to speak and be given some context about all these things. Yes. It's inspiring to see them because you know, you feel better about the world when you interact with these graduates. I'm sure you felt the same way.

LEMON: I did. I told them, Sanjay, I said, listen, you guys have nothing to worry about. If you knew how much I partied when I went to this school, and look at me.

GUPTA: Ellen should be making fun of you, Don, not me. LEMON: No, that's because you were voted number 17 on the "Reader's Digest poll" of most trusted people in America. One spot ahead - that's not bad. Congratulations.

GUPTA: Thank you very much. Did you see who number one was? I think this is really interesting. People haven't seen this poll.

LEMON: It was Robin Roberts, right?

GUPTA: Tom Hanks.

LEMON: Oh, it was Tom Hanks.

GUPTA: Tom Hanks, number one. Which I found very interesting. He's - I don't know the guy. He seems - he has a trusting face, he said. His eyes. You know, it was really interesting to see who Americans trust. A movie actor in this case number one.

LEMON: But you know, an actor, someone who plays roles. But you know what, Sanjay? You are number 17, but people - people should know this. I mean, yes, we're on the news and you're on the news and you're the most trusted. But you have a whole great team behind you who help to make the most - one of the most trusted people.

GUPTA: No question. I mean, you and I know that best. The people in the medical - you know, we have a medical unit at CNN, health and medical unit. And there's, you know, a couple of dozen producers. And I joke around with them. Any of them might qualify for several years of medical school with the amount of work that they do and the diligence they show. It's incredible. And they make it all happen, as you know, Don.

LEMON: Yes. So hey, Sanjay, we're going to talk about this bionic arm story, if you can stick around. I'd love to get your opinion on it. So hang around a little bit, OK?

GUPTA: OK. You got it. Thanks, Don.

LEMON: OK. Stand by. Remember the young Georgia woman who survived flesh-eating bacteria after a zip line accident last year? Twenty four-year-old Aimee Copeland had to have both hands, a leg, and a foot amputated. Now she has been fitted with the latest in prosthetic hands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT KISTENBERG, GEORGIA TECH: These hands are going to allow Aimee to do more than any other hands that are currently available in the world.

AIMEE COPELAND, AMPUTEE: It feels amazing because you know, with the other arms I had they really didn't feel like an extension of my body. This just feels very freeing. It's more lightweight. Absolutely. And the hand actually - you know, it seems like this could be my actual hand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So Copeland says she is a neat freak and she's looking forward to cleaning her house with bionic hands. She can now hold towels, chop vegetables, hang clothes, and even flat-iron her own hair.

So Sanjay, I've been watching some of your stories, especially with our wounded warriors who have - people who come home injured. And just the advances in prosthetics now and bionic hands and arms, it's just amazing just to see within the last couple of years.

GUPTA: Yes. It is amazing. And the jump from prosthetics to bionics, which you alluded to here, was huge. There are still people who think about prosthetic arms and imagine something that really has no independent function, not motorized in any way, it's basically just a figure of an arm or a leg. Here, you know, what Aimee's describing, we've done stories on this particular prosthetic device, you know, the first in the world who had that, we profiled them, it's remarkable. Just the fine finger movement. I don't know if you're still looking at video. But to be able to coordinate that and get the muscle input, you know, from the existing arm and be able to tell the finger to do that is such a remarkable advancement in science. And people have been working on it, as you say, for a long time. But to see it like this is incredible.

LEMON: All right. Thank you very much. 17th most trusted person in America. Enjoy your time. Thanks for calling in.

GUPTA: I'm going to take some grief on this from you, I think.

LEMON: Oh, yes, wait until I see you in person. Thank you, Sanjay.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Some people will go to great heights for a good joke. Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Did you hear the one about the joke written in the sky?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When that h came, everyone went crazy.

MOOS: And that was just the first letter. Not the punch line.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello.

MOOS: Comedian Kirk Brown begged for donations through his freezer door on the crowd funding site, kickstarter. His goal was to hire a skywriter to -

KIRK BROWN, COMEDIAN: Insert absurdity or stupidity into stranger's lives. MOOS: By flying over downtown Los Angeles writing "How do I land?" that should make folks smile. We haven't seen such elaborate skywriting since the couple in "Malcolm in the Middle" celebrated their love way heart formed by two planes, which proceeded to collide with one another when the halves of the heart met. But we digress.

Within a couple of days Kurt received almost $7,000 in donations. More than enough to write a 10-character joke.

(on camera): But it was a windy day in L.A. and almost as soon as the plane would write a word the letters would be g-o-n-e.

(voice-over): So at the watch party Kurt hosted on a rooftop -

BROWN: As soon as like the second letter was done it just blew away. And everybody was like, oh. OK.

MOOS: So why does this look so good? It's a composite. So convincing one poster said "this person can write better with a freaking plane than I can using a pen." But this is what the joke actually looked like. Everyone's favorite part was the question mark.

BROWN: He did it all in one move. It was a big curl and then he straightened out and then turned off his smoke and then just hit the smoke one more time for just the period at the bottom of the question mark. That was pretty awesome.

MOOS (on camera): For his next project Kurt wants to put jokes on billboards.

(voice-over): Hundreds of billboards. At least they won't vanish the way the skywriting did.

BROWN: So you can see how by the time he started on "do" "how" was almost illegible.

MOOS: Funny how the wicked witch in "The Wizard of Oz" made it look so easy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Surrender Dorothy."

MOOS: Better to have your joke go up in smoke than to have it bomb, even if it did take 20 minutes to get to the punch line.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: I'm Don Lemon. An "AC 360 special Back to Boston, Moments of Impact" begins right now.