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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Terror Warning: al Qaeda may Strike Soon; Michael Jackson Arrested: The Day After

Aired November 21, 2003 - 19:00   ET

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

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, GUEST HOST (voice-over): A rocket attack rocks Baghdad, launched from the back of a donkey cart.

With all of the trouble Michael Jackson facing, what will be the fate of his own children?

The FDA takes a look at two new products. They promise to erase your wrinkles, but are they safe?

The Kennedy legacy: is Camelot a victim of the generation gap?

And we'll have this weekend's hot Hollywood tickets.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COSTELLO: And good evening to you. And welcome to 360. I'm Carol Costello, sitting in, of course, for Anderson Cooper. Coming up over the next hour, a lot on the Michael Jackson scandal, including the explosive question: what is the fate of his children and his role as parent?

But first, just one day after the deadly suicide attacks in Turkey, a new terror alert. This time for Americans. Al Qaeda may soon strike a U.S. target. We'll get the latest details from CNN national security correspondent David Ensor in Washington.

And from Baghdad, the chilling first-person account of CNN's Walt Rodgers. How he and other journalists came under fire from a new enemy tactic.

We begin, though, with David Ensor -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, once again, intelligence agencies are seeing evidence that another attack may be about to come.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR (voice-over): U.S. officials are warning that there are indications al Qaeda could attack again soon against U.S. interests, most likely overseas. The warning comes after the government's new Terrorist Threat Information Center housed at the CIA sent out an advisory Thursday night to federal agencies, telling them there is increased chatter among potential terrorists.

That, on top of the spade of attacks in Turkey in recent days, and before them, the attack on Saudi Arabia, are prompting the warning, officials say. They are particularly concerned about the next week or so, the last days of the Muslim holidays of Ramadan and immediately after. While the greatest is about U.S. facilities and American companies overseas, U.S. officials say the homeland is not immune.

ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: While the attacks we see today are in Turkey or Riyadh or Bali, or some place like that -- or places such as that -- we cannot be less vigilant, we cannot let down our guard. We must understand that al Qaeda and other terror groups wish to attack Americans within the United States.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR: This evening, the Department of Homeland Security is putting out a statement warning state and local agencies to be vigilant, saying there's a high volume of information saying al Qaeda seeks to attack American targets overseas or possibly at home. The department warns that al Qaeda remains interested in aviation and in using a cargo plane to attack a critical infrastructure target. It says that liquid natural gas and chemical facilities should also improve their security -- Carol.

COSTELLO: David Ensor, thanks.

Now on to Iraq and the new enemy tactic. Rockets launched from, of all things, donkey carts. One of the targets, the Palestine Hotel, home to CNN's Baghdad bureau. Our senior international correspondent, Walter Rodgers, was there when the rockets hit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It could have been much worse as these rockets that failed to fire a test. The blast of the first rockets disconnected the battery wires which could have triggered a much larger volley with 4-foot-long missiles.

This is the cart carrying the rockets spilled over. Still standing, a badly traumatized and singed donkey which the Iraqi insurgents used to haul their missile launcher.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Copy impact on the 14, 15 and 16th floor, only one casualty thus far, over.

RODGERS: The critically injured man is an American civilian contract employee. These U.S. soldiers still disinclined to allow pictures showing that the war does continue.

One of three targets in the rocket attacks, the Palestine and Sheraton Hotel complex, housing some soldiers and many journalists. Seven rockets hit the Palestine a little after 7:00 a.m. This man's room is just down the hall from mine. Later, he said to me, "This was our lucky day."

This 107-millimeter rocket exploded one floor above mine, getting me out of bed in a hurry. The hardest hit room at the other end of the hall was fortunately unoccupied.

Across the street at the former Sheraton Hotel, a bellboy was injured when more rockets hit there. The Iraqi Oil Ministry was also struck by between seven and 10 more rockets starting fires. Near the Italian Embassy, another donkey cart missile strike was foiled by Iraqi police. Hundreds of donkey carts (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Baghdad, making them an ingenious cover, according to an American general. All four donkeys used in these attacks survived and are now in coalition care.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Shelling came after U.S. officials had been boasting Iraq is now 90 percent safe and attacks are down by 70 percent. The Army says these most recent rocket attacks were only designed to grab headlines and have no tactical military value. Perhaps but they were audacious.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RODGERS: What the Americans most need to extinguish the Iraqi insurgency is better intelligence on the ground. But even knowing that most of the Americans are here to help them, most Iraqis won't help the Americans because they're afraid of being seen as betraying fellow Iraqis to the foreign occupiers -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Walter Rodgers, live from Baghdad. And we're glad you're safe tonight, Walter.

Just moments ago, President Bush returned to the White House after his state visit to Britain, a visit marked by tough talk on Iraq and terrorism. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair vowed to stand together on the fight on both fronts before the president left Britain.

The two leaders traveled to Blair's hometown. They went to a pub where Bush jokingly grabbed a beer tap handle, even though he no longer drinks. Instead, he drank non-alcoholic lager and then had some cake.

And this just in to CNN: the State Department has now issued a worldwide travel warning for U.S. citizens overseas. The U.S. government warns that citizens should maintain a high level of vigilance in terms of terror threats. The State Department said -- and I'm quoting -- "We are seeing increasing indications that al Qaeda is preparing to strike U.S. interests abroad."

Well, you knew it was coming. Yes, on to the drama surrounding Michael Jackson. While he's a free man right now, he may not feel free. A hoard of reporters are tracking his every move following his arrest yesterday on child molestation charges.

We have two reports for you tonight on the unfolding scandal. Frank Buckley, outside the Neverland Ranch, looking at the fate of Jackson's children. And David Mattingly in Henderson, Nevada, where Jackson returned after being booked yesterday in Santa Barbara.

We begin with David Mattingly -- David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, coming back to Las Vegas was a natural choice for Michael Jackson, and it's here that his family is planning to fight back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Michael Jackson's impromptu tour of the streets of Las Vegas could have been a case of the pop star savoring a happy homecoming.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it is a fantasyland. The whole city is a fantasyland. And that's why Michael Jackson feels comfortable here. It's like Neverland on a much larger scale.

MATTINGLY: The trip from the airport to the resort where Jackson is believed to be staying took three hours. Jackson proving in a town full of distractions he can still stop traffic and attract a friendly a crowd.

Jackson and his brothers have been performing in Las Vegas since the 1970s, and it remains home to several of the Jackson family. After allegations of child molestation 10 years ago, Vegas is where Jackson immediately continued to be welcomed. And this time it appears that Las Vegas will again be where the Jackson family launches a new PR push. The management of the studio where Jackson just completed his newest video says family members committed to an exclusive interview at their facility, but would not say if Michael himself would participate.

DEMETRIUS BROWN, CMS SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: The Jackson family have regrouped and have formed a very close supporting cast for Michael. And it's business as usual for them.

MATTINGLY: Meanwhile, all eyes remain on the Green Valley Resort, where Jackson's journey ended last night. Video provided by the posh hotel shows the luxury accommodations the king of pop could be enjoying as the world wonders what he will do next.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: And all indications are that the king of pop is indeed in the resort behind me. Plenty of cameras out here tonight to capture whatever move he makes outside of that hotel -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Oh, I bet so. David Mattingly live from California for us tonight.

You know, most of us think of Michael Jackson as the pop star. Frankly, for many, it's difficult to think of him as a father. He is rather unorthodox. In light of his latest trouble, though, we did wonder what would happen to his three young children now that he's been arrested.

That part of the story from Frank Buckley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Jackson's judgment and behavior with regard to children has at the very least raised questions in the past when he dangled his own infant son from a fourth floor balcony, for example, or when he told British journalist Martin Bashir that he sometimes shares his bed with the children of other parents.

Now he faces child molestation charges. And one of his frequent critics, attorney Gloria Allred, cites those instances in saying Jackson's own three children, who are often veiled in public, should be taken away from him.

GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY: I believe that the children should be temporarily removed from Mr. Jackson's care and custody because of the history of Michael Jackson with children.

BUCKLEY: Jackson has denied all allegation of improper behavior with children. Still, Allred has formally requested in this letter that Santa Barbara's Department of Child Welfare Services open an investigation. Allred says it is the third such complaint she has filed in the past two years.

ALLRED: Removal of the children from Mr. Jackson need not and should not await the outcome of the criminal case pending against him.

BUCKLEY: But at least one Jackson friend says the current allegations against the pop star don't ring true.

RICK JAMES, SINGER, JACKSON FRIEND: My sons, my daughter has spent time around the house and the family. And never once was there ever any lewd, lascivious act going on.

BUCKLEY: And a legal expert says, even if authorities do consider removing Jackson's children, Jackson's resources and legal team might enable him to fashion a deal that would keep his family together.

RICH GOLDMAN, LAW PROFESSOR: When someone had the wherewithal to provide round-the-clock surveillance by monitors that were approved by the court, that would be a possible alternative.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And Frank joins us live now. Frank, do we know how seriously California authorities are taking Gloria Allred's request?

BUCKLEY: Well, we asked child welfare services just that question. And they won't talk to us specifically about this case or any other case. But they said, generally in cases where you have a non-related adult, which is what Gloria Allred would be in this case, that it's determined on the individual merits of that particular situation. But another way this may get to the attention of child welfare services is through law enforcement cross reporting.

When police have a report like this, the law school dean that you heard from there said that it usually does go do child welfare services. Then they determine whether or not there should be some sort of a hearing on the care and custody issue. But, Carol, whatever happens in this case, it will probably remain confidential, because that's how the system is supposed to work. Whatever the outcome of this situation is, it's supposed to stay confidential.

COSTELLO: Yes, it's supposed to. But who knows, with this case, there's so many media around you just never know what could come out that's not supposed to. Frank Buckley, live from Santa Barbara, California.

Of course we'll have more on the Michael Jackson drama coming up on 360. We'll look at the legal eagles preparing to do battle in the case: defense attorney Mark Geragos and the D.A., Thomas Sneddon.

There is a lot of other news "Cross Country" tonight.

Washington: energy bill blocked. President Bush doesn't get his way. His $31 million bill falls three votes short of final Senate passage. Opponents say the measure does not protect the environment and his backed by special interests. Supporters say they will try again.

Norfolk, Virginia: a dramatic video of a fire escape. A woman jumps out of a second floor window as firefighters spray flame retardant foam at her. Police say her ex-boyfriend held her hostage at gunpoint, doused the apartment with gasoline, and lit the match.

The woman broke her hip in the fall, but says she is thankful to be alive. And sorry about the pictures.

Back in Washington: request rejected. A federal appeals court will not put a new rule on hold regarding telephone numbers. The United States Telecom Association wanted the rule blocked that goes into effect Monday in big cities, allowing people to transfer their phone numbers to cell phones. It says it unfairly benefits cell phone companies.

Beaver, Pennsylvania: tainted green onions. Health officials say they are likely the cause of a Hepatitis A outbreak. Three people died and almost 600 others got sick after eating menu items at a Chi- Chi's restaurant containing those onions. Those tainted onions have already been linked to similar trouble at restaurants in Tennessee and Georgia back in December.

And that is a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.

Beauty in a needle. Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us with a new way to get rid of wrinkles and scars that could give Botox a run for the money.

Also, JFK through the eyes of a new generation. How the passing of time has changed our view of an American icon.

And hold on to your seat. It's fear and tears at the box office this weekend. We'll get you a sneak preview.

But first, let's take a look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Welcome back. In the never-ending battle against aging, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration today considered whether to add some new powerful weapons in the war. Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us now live to get us up to date on the next generation of treatments to fight those wrinkles.

I'm excited to hear this one, Sanjay.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you certainly don't need it, Carol. But it is a very big business. Millions are looking for any way at all to get rid of wrinkles. Well, they may be one step closer to another option. Something besides botox possibly coming soon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It functions by drawing water from the surrounding area.

GUPTA (voice-over): They're being called wrinkle fillers. And the FDA panel has decided that inejectable cosmetic treatments called restylane and hylaform should join botox in the cosmetic surgeon's circus (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And close to a million patients have been injected worldwide without any negative effects.

GUPTA: Restylane and hylaform are made from hylaronic (ph) acid. That's a lubricating fluid already produced in the body. When it's injected it plumps the skin.

So far the results in patients are remarkable. These patients had the area between the nose and mouth injected with restylane, boosting sagging parts of the skin. Doctors say these newer treatments last twice a long as botox.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's product that lasts for up to a year. As far as botox, botox injections are very dose dependent.

GUPTA: There are risks to the treatment, however; although most of them temporary. Swelling, redness, discoloration and bruising can result from the injections, and patients also run the risk of getting lumps under the skin or having too much injected. Many side effects can be avoid by proper injection by a certified doctor. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I absolutely believe that restylane is the next big thing. It's a natural product. It's a safe product. It does not require a skin test and lasts a long time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you OK? Good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you injecting now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: And it's been available in Europe and Canada for about eight years now. If the FDA decides to approve this, it will probably be available in this country in about January. It is pretty expensive, though, Carol. About $750 to $1,000 per treatment -- Carol.

COSTELLO: That is pretty pricey. Question for you: how do you know which one's better for you, botox or this restylane?

GUPTA: Yes, that's a good question. And one thing to keep in mind is they actually work by very different mechanisms. One way to think about it, the simple way, is think of the three R's of getting rid of wrinkles.

If you want to relax the muscles, that's when you're going to use the botox. It actually paralyzes the muscles, getting rid of the wrinkles. Refill, that's what restylane or hylaform does. It actually fills in the wrinkles. And finally, reshaping. Face lift or other surgical procedure if none of the above two work.

COSTELLO: All right. Sanjay Gupta, live from Atlanta. Many thanks.

Time to check some international stories on tonight's "UpLink."

Istanbul, Turkey: arrests. Several suspects now in police custody after yesterday's twin explosions that killed 30 people and injured 450. The Muslim state remains on high alert tonight as several groups all linked to al Qaeda claim responsibility.

Jerusalem: an unusually somber Jerusalem day. It is usually a day when Islamic states and groups stage large public rallies to condemn Israel's capture of Jerusalem in the 1967 war. But with the recent deadly attacks in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, even violent (UNINTELLIGIBLE) like Hezbollah and Hamas are decrying the violence.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: American sailors go sightseeing. Sailors from the USS Vandergrift crawled through tunnels, walked through a bobby-trapped jungle and posed for pictures near a destroyed U.S. tank. Amazing.

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil: daredevil granny. A 63-year-old grandmother of four, Jennifer Murray (ph), already set two world records on her chopper. This week, she's attempting to set a third as the first helicopter pilot to circumnavigate the world via the North and South Poles.

And that is tonight's "UpLink."

The changing view of JFK. Most Americans weren't even born when he was killed. How does that influence what we think of him?

Also tonight, trouble in Neverland. What's next for Michael Jackson? We'll talk with 360 legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom.

But first, today's "Buzz." Should Michael Jackson be allowed to keep custody of his kids until the case is settled? Vote now, cnn.com/360. The results at the end of the show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Live pictures out of Dallas Dealey Plaza. You know, 40 years ago tomorrow, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. As I said, Dallas, Texas tonight, where people are commemorating not just his death, but his life. And what a life it was.

Many Americans can tell you exactly where they were when they heard the news. But it is worth pointing out a majority of today's Americans were not even alive on that day, which leads us to the question, what does Camelot mean to a younger generation?

Anderson Cooper spoke about that with senior analyst Jeff Greenfield and "CROSSFIRE" co-host Tucker Carlson, and began by asking Tucker this: Do most people born after the assassination view it differently than those who lived through it?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, 360: Tucker, let me start off with you. Most Americans alive today were born after the Kennedy assassination. Do you think they view it differently than the generation that was alive during it?

TUCKER CARLSON, CO-HOST, "CROSSFIRE": In some ways. I mean, whenever the president is murdered it's a tragedy. And especially in this case, a pretty good president, followed by a not so good president. It's a double tragedy.

But the most telling thing about the way people talk about the Kennedy assassination is this: they almost always start it with "I remember where I was." I, I, I, me, me, me. And the sad thing about the assassination it has become yet another excuse for that generation, the baby boom generation to talk about itself.

And I think it makes people cynical in a way they really shouldn't be cynical. But nevertheless, it makes them cynical about the Kennedy years and Camelot simply because the hype is so overwhelming. It's a shame.

COOPER: Jeff, too much hype?

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST: I think that's a pretty simplistic analysis. My parents told me, and their generation, the so-called greatest generation, always talked about where they were when they heard the news about Pearl Harbor or Franklin Roosevelt's death. I think it's a mistake to somehow conflate what happened with Kennedy into some generation analysis in a psychological way.

What I think happened is it was the most shocking event imaginable. I was thinking about this. You have to almost compare it to the 9/11 event, in this sense: 1963 in autumn was very good time, economy was good. We had gone through a brush with nuclear war and now there was a nuclear test ban treaty. And through the medium of television, the just then prevalent medium, an entire nation was hit with a most unimaginable event. I think there's a reason why people will always remember where they were, the same way that my parents' generation remembered where they were at those events.

COOPER: So Tucker, I mean...

CARLSON: Well, I mean...

COOPER: Go ahead.

CARLSON: ... to compare it to 9/11 strikes me as a bit much. It wasn't unimaginable. Other presidents have been assassinated. It's not to take away from the tragedy of it.

It's only to say a marker, I think, an example, yet another, of this generation, that specific generation's ability to talk about itself almost endlessly. It is like sitting next to an elderly person on an airplane who is showing you pictures of her grandchildren. You can be objectively pro grandchild and still not sort of key into the conversation...

COOPER: Well Tucker, you sound like you're equating it to like Woodstock and things, which baby boomers talk a lot about in the media.

CARLSON: Well see, I don't think -- that's exactly the point. It's not like Woodstock. It's, of course, much more significant than Woodstock. And that's the shame, because it has sort of been all folded into this kind of package: the '60s.

"We lived it. It was the most transforming period in American history." It's overstatement. It is sort of...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Well, what do you think, Tucker, though? What do people who weren't there not get?

GREENFIELD: Well, first, it really is a nonsensical analysis (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I'm sorry to be so tough. The people who were running the media in 1963 were not baby boomers. They were the generation of World War II.

This happened not to that '60s generation. It happened to anyone who was alive and conscious. The people it really affected were the people who had gone through World War II, the way John Kennedy did as young PT boat skipper.

You know, baby boomers were then around 20 years old. They weren't running "The New York Times" or NBC and CBS.

If the president of the United States could be killed in broad daylight, it did introduce a certain sense of shakiness about certain assumptions of safety.

COOPER: Anyone is vulnerable if the president is.

GREENFIELD: That anyone is vulnerable. If they can get him, they can get anybody. And it's only in that sense that I think there's a certain equation.

COOPER: All right. Tucker, final thought?

CARLSON: I would just say, I'm not taking anything away from the significance of the president being assassinated. It's intrinsically horrible and significant.

I'm just simply saying, most of the time when baby boomers talk about the assassination of JFK, they're not talking about the assassination. They're talking about themselves. And I just they'd stop.

COOPER: All right. We're going to leave it there. Tucker Carlson, Jeff Greenfield, thanks very much.

CARLSON: Thanks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO (voice-over): Now the legal battle begins. What's the strategy on both sides of the Michael Jackson case?

And what are you doing this weekend? We've got some ideas.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Now, some of the day's top stories. Let's check the "Reset."

Global travel alert in the wake of the terror attacks this week in Istanbul. The State Department tonight issued a worldwide travel warning for U.S. citizens overseas. The department warns citizens should be vigilant about their safety. They say they're seeing increasing indications that al Qaeda is preparing to strike U.S. interests abroad.

Baghdad, Iraq. Rocket attacks. Rockets launched from wooden donkey carts hit three high profile targets in Baghdad: the oil ministry and two hotels used by westerners. Two people are wounded. U.S. officials called the attacks inventive and ingenious but militarily insignificant.

Washington, D.C. Presidential return. President Bush has completed his state visit to Britain. The president and the first lady arrived back at the White House within the last half hour.

Las Vegas, Nevada. Out on bail. Entertainer Michael Jackson back in Vegas after being released from California on $3 million on bail. Authorities plan to file formal molestation charges after Thanksgiving. A Jackson spokesman called the allegations an outrage.

And that wasn't the only expression of support. On CNN yesterday, Michael Jackson's older brother, Jermaine, denounced the uproar over the allegations as a public lynching.

How is the Jackson family coping? Jackson family attorney Brian Oxman joins us now live from Anaheim, California.

Welcome.

BRIAN OXMAN, JACKSON FAMILY ATTORNEY: Thank you.

COSTELLO: You talked recently with the Jackson family, his brother Randy specifically?

OXMAN: A little less than 15 minutes ago.

And Randy is holding together well. He's talking to all of his brothers to try and get together to make a public statement.

And they want to express their feelings to the world to say that they are just very disturbed by this entire process, that they think that what the district attorney in Santa Barbara County has done is just improper, and the manner in which the district attorney held their press conference is improper. And they want to make a statement which puts out their feelings of support for Michael.

COSTELLO: I want to play for our audience what Jermaine said specifically on our air recently. I'm going to play a clip of what he had to say.

Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JERMAINE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S BROTHER: The whole family supports Michael 100 percent, 1,000 percent. Michael is innocent. And just to let you know how I feel, I'm very disappointed in the system, in which things were done.

This is nothing but a modern day lynching. This is what they want to see, him in handcuffs. You got it. But it won't be for long, I promise you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That modern day lynching line has gotten many people upset. Did you talk to the family about that when you just spoke with them 15 minutes ago?

OXMAN: I only talked about their feelings, and their feelings go right along with what you heard Jermaine say.

Jermaine is the most outspoken member of the family. He's extremely articulate. And I've got to say that I do agree with him that there is so much impropriety in what the prosecutor has done here it approaches exactly what Jermaine is talking about.

COSTELLO: And you're specifically talking about the reporter Diane Diamond, who seems to have some inside information?

OXMAN: What we have here is we have a prosecutor who seems bent on defaming Michael in the press. And really, the whole family is just staggered by this kind of effort.

At the press conference, we saw this jovial, jocular excited impression of all the people making jokes and smiling. It was like a Broadway opening, where everyone was just congratulating themselves on financially being able to prosecute Michael Jackson.

That's not professional prosecutors. That is just totally improper. And they know it is.

COSTELLO: So you're specifically talking about the D.A. and not the messenger here, as in Diane Diamond?

OXMAN: Diane Diamond has part of the problem here. The prosecutors are selectively leaking information, which is a violation of professional ethics. They have no right to do so. They are telling Ms. Diamond things they should never be telling her. It is against the rules of professional conduct.

I teach legal ethics, and this is the kind of thing which the bar says is unlawful.

COSTELLO: Well, Brian I feel I must give Diane Diamond's side of the story, because she did give us a statement. I'm going to read it for our audience. She says, "Attacking the messenger is a typical Jackson tactic. I think people will see right through it."

What do you say to that?

OXMAN: I love Ms. Diamond. She is absolutely a beautiful, wonderful woman. But she should not be participating in an ethical violation, which is being perpetrated by a prosecutor. It is simply wrong to participate in that kind of thing.

COSTELLO: All right. Brian Oxman, attorney for the Jackson family, a family friend, I should say. Thank you for joining us tonight.

OXMAN: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Now, "Justice Served." Let's take a closer look at the lawyers and the legal battles that lie ahead from them. 360 legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom joins us live from Los Angeles.

Do you agree with anything he just said? Were you listening to Mr. Oxman?

KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE NEWSOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, I was. And I know Brian and have a lot of respect for him. And I know Diane Diamond, as well. And I think both of them have valid points.

I think in this case it's very difficult. We can't for sure blame and say that she is speaking directly and getting this information from the D.A. She has repeatedly said that she has law enforcement contacts. I think it's unfair to attribute it just directly to the D.A. in this case.

As a prosecutor it is, I know, highly improper to leak information or to try and portray Michael in a certain way to gain advantage, a trial tactic advantage in this case. I think you have to go out of your way to be professional.

I was a little bit upset about that press conference from the D.A.'s side. I thought there was much too much laughter and levity for a serious subject. These are serious charges. And I don't think that that would be appropriate, whether it was Michael Jackson or any other person facing these charges

COSTELLO: There seems to be some sort of grudge between the D.A. And Michael Jackson? Do you see any evidence of that?

NEWSOM: Well, people pointed to song lyrics that Michael has written about him in a song. And in this case, we saw the D.A. mention particularly that over the past ten years he didn't give up. He was still investigating this case and these claims that Michael was someone who had inappropriate relations with children.

And we see that he is not going to give up on this case at all. In fact, he's gone out of his way to make statements. He's still encouraging people to come forward, any other potential victims. He has also made a statement on behalf of the family, saying that they are not trying to do this for financial gain.

This is a case, I think, that he is taking very seriously, and it appears that he's focusing on Michael.

COSTELLO: All right. Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom, thanks for your insights tonight.

As Kimberly just mentioned, the Michael Jackson will pit two tenacious lawyers against each other. A district attorney who already had a run in with Michael Jackson and a defense attorney whose recent clients have a catapulted him into an A list celebrity lawyer.

CNN's Charles Feldman looks at both.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mark Geragos is hot. He's helped clients ranging from Clinton pal Susan McDougal to former Congressman Gary Condit, to President Clinton's brother, Roger.

He suffered a legal defeat when another star client, actress Winona Ryder, was convicted of shoplifting.

More recently, Geragos represents Scott Peterson in another high profile legal affair. Can he handle both the Peterson and Jackson cases at the same time?

HARLAND BRAUN, FORMER ROBERT BLAKE LAWYER: There's no problem with doing all the work for both cases. Most criminal lawyers have 10 or 20 cases at any given time.

FELDMAN: Geragos will go up against Thomas Sneddon Jr., Santa Barbara County, California, D.A. since 1983.

Sneddon boasts of being a family man, even displaying a photo of his family on his official website.

He brushed against Michael Jackson's fame once before, but his investigation some 10 years ago, into another accusation of child molestation against Jackson, was cut short when the family of the alleged victim settled a civil suit against the singer, reportedly for millions of dollars.

TOM SNEDDON, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY D.A.: ... lots of money because we need your sales tax to support our offices.

FELDMAN: Although some have been critical of Sneddon's jovial mood at the news conference announcing charges against Jackson, some lawyers who know him say he is a tough law and order guy who can be deadly serious and effective in a courtroom.

There are pitfalls in this case for both sides. The prosecutor must get a jury to turn against a celebrity beloved by some, while the defense must overcome a decade of suspicion about Jackson's behavior with children.

Charles Feldman, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And that brings us to today's "Buzz" question. Should Michael Jackson be allowed to keep custody of his children until this case is settled? Vote now: CNN.com/360. We'll have the results for you at the end of the show.

And still to come this evening, the explosive growth of Internet dating. But are people really finding love online? We'll talk with the author of the cover story of this Sunday's "New York Times" magazine.

Also tonight, what one reviewer today called an atrocious hairball of a film, "The Cat in the Hat." We'll go to the movies in "The Weekender" tonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: And now, online dating.

More and more of you are logging on. In just the first half of this year Americans spent $214 million on online personals and dating sites, almost triple what they spent in all of 2001.

Novelist and contributor to "The New York Times Sunday Magazine," Jennifer Egan, wrote this weekend's cover story, "Love in the Time of No Time."

I spoke with her earlier and began by asking if this explosion signals a change our dating culture.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER EGAN, "NEW YORK TIMES" CONTRIBUTOR: It's evidence that people are availing themselves of a new technology to do a very old thing, which is meet members of the same or the opposite sex, depending on what they're looking for.

EGAN: OK. We're going to talk about the up sides and the down sides. A lot of people put these profiles online within the dating service web site. And some people actually have two different profiles in the same web site, according to your articles. That's disturbing.

Two or more.

COSTELLO: Saying different things about their personality?

EGAN: Well, sometimes it's a little hard to say -- I think sometimes people get sick of their old profile. And rather than update it, they just decide to do a fresh start. But the leave the old one hanging there, because it doesn't cost you anything extra to do that.

So I think it may be a little bit of a feeling of having evolved and, you know, having learned more about online dating, and you know, what sells, as it were.

COSTELLO: So depending on what you're looking for, are there any red flags you should look for when you read these profiles online?

EGAN: Well, you want to make sure the person is looking for what you're looking for. So if you're looking for a serious relationship, you probably want to be careful of people who say, "I'm just looking to have fun." That kind of thing.

Sometimes people send mixed signals in their profiles, and I think that reflects the fact that people often don't know what they want. I personally think it's good to be careful of people who don't post pictures, because there are a lot of married people posing as singles. One hears these stories.

COSTELLO: You interviewed this guy named Greg, and he fascinated me for some reason. EGAN: Greg's my guy.

COSTELLO: He says he's dated between 30 and 50 women. That just seems excessive to me. That seems like he's using online dating just to, like, go out with as many people as he can.

EGAN: I don't know if it's -- I mean, if you think about it, an average single guy, over a period of a couple of years, would it be so shocking that he had gone on 30 dates?

COSTELLO: I guess not. But only one of those relationships turned into anything involving any length of time.

EGAN: Well, actually, that's true in the sense that he's not really looking for a serious relationship. But he is friends with most of those women, actually, now. So he's looking for something a little bit different.

And I think that's one of the interesting things about the research that I did, which surprised me, which is that not everyone doing online dating is looking to get married.

COSTELLO: In your article, you talked about the proliferation of casual sex. And I'm going to quote something from your article.

You say, "Until the late 1960's, marriage was the best guarantor of regular sex. Thereafter, it was being in a steady relationship. But online dating may be on its way to eliminating that particular incentive for commitment."

How so?

EGAN: Well, I think that, you know, for someone who's primary reason for being in a serious relationship was that they wanted to make sure that they had an active sex life, someone with that particular goal only in mind, or that being their primary goal, would not have to actually get into a serious relationship to achieve that goal, with the advent of online dating.

Because it's possible to meet so many people and have sex with a lot of them, that you wouldn't necessarily have to have a serious relationship to do that.

COSTELLO: And we have to wrap it up. Quickly, though, good or bad thing, online dating.

EGAN: It depends on what you're looking for. It depends how much you like spending a lot of time on your computer.

COSTELLO: Yes, right. Exactly. Jennifer Egan, many thanks.

Time now to check on tonight's edition of "The Current."

Jennifer Aniston has agreed to settle her lawsuit against a man she once accused of scaling her wall and using a telephoto lens to shoot topless pictures of her. David Schwimmer, in the meantime, remains free to go around his business in relative anonymity.

"The Hollywood Reporter" says Jason Alexander and Malcolm-Jamal Warner are doing a pilot for CBS about a pair of TV sports anchors. No date has been announced yet for the cancellation.

Former President Bill Clinton has released a list of his 21 favorite books. Among them are, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and George Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia." Not on the list, "The Human Stain" or the little known work, "Dude, That Would Be a Seriously Bad Idea."

Actor Wayne Knight from "Third Rock" and "Seinfeld" tells "People" magazine he's dropped a whopping 117 pounds from his peek of 327. Knight confessed that he used a rare technique that involves eating less food and getting off the damn couch.

Still to come this evening, Halle Berry gets scared silly in "Gothika," one of the movies we'll preview in "The Weekender" tonight.

Also tonight, a look back at the moment Michael struck back. The last time Michael Jackson had to defend himself against allegations of child molestation.

You stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Of course, next weekend is the big one for the movie industry, as serious movies and holiday movies vie for your box office bucks.

But as we found out in researching today's edition of "The Weekender," this weekend is a big one for scary movies, including one that's probably not supposed to be scary.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO (voice-over): "Cat in the Hat" is the second Seuss book brought to the screen. This time it's Mike Meyers. But this time the makeup isn't supposed to look creepy.

MIKE MEYERS, AS THE CAT IN THE HAT: I'm so excited.

COSTELLO: The "Cat" clocks in at less than an hour and half. So, you might be able to squeeze in "Gothika," the weekend's other scary new movie.

PENELOPE CRUZ, ACTOR: Are you scared?

HALLE BERRY, ACTOR: No.

COSTELLO: Halle Berry is trapped in this one, along with Penelope Cruz and Robert Downey Jr.

"21 Grams," with Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro, takes its name from a doctor's claim in 1997 that souls exist and are subject to gravity. The movie is a lot heavier than that, though.

BENICIO DEL TORO, ACTOR: Come with me. And I'll show you (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COSTELLO: The Oscar buzz is expected to build once it expands from limited release.

In music, the bachelor, Bob Guiney, has a few simple requests to make.

BOB GUINEY, MUSICIAN (singing): And if you could bring me my girlfriend and I don't know why...

COSTELLO: And if you've got change left after buying his CD...

GUINEY: ... to make a phone call to...

COSTELLO: ... if the line's busy, you might try new releases from Nelly Furtado, Missy Elliott, Enrique Iglesias or Korn.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): The Simpsons.

COSTELLO: And if leaving the cash just ain't happening...

JULIE KAVNER, AS MARGE SIMPSON: Look at all these classy British plays.

COSTELLO: "The Simpsons" Sunday offers the unlikely tale of a dim American patriarch who goes to London to meet Tony Blair.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And it's Tony Blair's real voice. That should be interesting.

Coming up Monday on 360, if you suspect the man in your life isn't listening to you, you're right, and scientists may be able to explain to you why.

Up next, a look back at the last time Michael Jackson was struck by scandal, how he defended himself a decade ago.

But first today's "Buzz," should Michael Jackson be allowed to keep custody of his children until his case is settled? Vote now: CNN.com/360. The results for you when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's what you've been waiting for. Time now for the "Buzz."

We asked you, should Michael Jackson be allowed to keep his children until the case is resolved? We have the numbers for you.

Sixty percent said yes. Forty percent voted no. Do I need to tell you that this not a scientific poll? Just viewer buzz. You know, this has been a wild week for Jackson. But it's not the first time he's fought allegations of child molestation. A decade ago he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy.

Here's how Jackson defended himself then.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL JACKSON, ENTERTAINER: There have been many disgusting statements made recently concerning allegation of improper conduct on my part. These statements about me are totally false.

As I have maintained from the very beginning, I am hoping for a speedy end to this horrifying, horrifying experience to which I have been subjected.

I shall not in this statement respond to all of the false allegations being made against me, since my lawyers have advised me that this is not the proper forum in which to do that.

I will say that I am particularly upset by the handling of this mass matter by the incredible, terrible mass media. At every opportunity, the media has dissected and manipulated these allegations to reach their own conclusions.

I ask all of you to wait and hear the truth before you label or condemn me. Don't treat me like a criminal because I am innocent.

I have been forced to submit to a dehumanizing and humiliating examination by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department and the Los Angeles Police Department earlier this week.

They served a search warrant on me which allowed them to view and photograph my body, including my penis, my buttocks, my lower torso, thighs and any other area that they wanted. They were supposedly looking for any discoloration, spotting, blotches or other evidence of a skin color disorder called vitiligo.

It was the most humiliating ordeal of my life, one no person should ever have to suffer. And even after experiencing the indignity of this search, the parties involved were still not satisfied and wanted to take even more pictures.

It was a nightmare, a horrifying nightmare. But if this is what I have to endure to prove my innocence, my complete innocence, so be it.

Throughout my life, I have only tried to help thousands upon thousands of children to live happy lives. It brings tears to my eyes when I see any child who suffers.

I am not guilty of these allegations. But if I am guilty of anything, it is of giving all that I have -- all that I have to give to help children all over the world. It is of loving children of all ages and races. It is of gaining sheer joy from seeing children with their innocent and smiling faces. It is of enjoying, through them, the childhood that I missed myself.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And hopefully the sheriff's department still has those pictures on file.

We should add that criminal charges were never brought in that 1993 case. And while Jackson strongly denied the allegations, he did eventually pay a settlement, a big one, to the accuser's family.

I'm Carol Costello, in for Anderson Cooper. Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Arrested: The Day After>


Aired November 21, 2003 - 19:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, GUEST HOST (voice-over): A rocket attack rocks Baghdad, launched from the back of a donkey cart.

With all of the trouble Michael Jackson facing, what will be the fate of his own children?

The FDA takes a look at two new products. They promise to erase your wrinkles, but are they safe?

The Kennedy legacy: is Camelot a victim of the generation gap?

And we'll have this weekend's hot Hollywood tickets.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is ANDERSON COOPER 360.

COSTELLO: And good evening to you. And welcome to 360. I'm Carol Costello, sitting in, of course, for Anderson Cooper. Coming up over the next hour, a lot on the Michael Jackson scandal, including the explosive question: what is the fate of his children and his role as parent?

But first, just one day after the deadly suicide attacks in Turkey, a new terror alert. This time for Americans. Al Qaeda may soon strike a U.S. target. We'll get the latest details from CNN national security correspondent David Ensor in Washington.

And from Baghdad, the chilling first-person account of CNN's Walt Rodgers. How he and other journalists came under fire from a new enemy tactic.

We begin, though, with David Ensor -- David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, once again, intelligence agencies are seeing evidence that another attack may be about to come.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR (voice-over): U.S. officials are warning that there are indications al Qaeda could attack again soon against U.S. interests, most likely overseas. The warning comes after the government's new Terrorist Threat Information Center housed at the CIA sent out an advisory Thursday night to federal agencies, telling them there is increased chatter among potential terrorists.

That, on top of the spade of attacks in Turkey in recent days, and before them, the attack on Saudi Arabia, are prompting the warning, officials say. They are particularly concerned about the next week or so, the last days of the Muslim holidays of Ramadan and immediately after. While the greatest is about U.S. facilities and American companies overseas, U.S. officials say the homeland is not immune.

ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: While the attacks we see today are in Turkey or Riyadh or Bali, or some place like that -- or places such as that -- we cannot be less vigilant, we cannot let down our guard. We must understand that al Qaeda and other terror groups wish to attack Americans within the United States.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR: This evening, the Department of Homeland Security is putting out a statement warning state and local agencies to be vigilant, saying there's a high volume of information saying al Qaeda seeks to attack American targets overseas or possibly at home. The department warns that al Qaeda remains interested in aviation and in using a cargo plane to attack a critical infrastructure target. It says that liquid natural gas and chemical facilities should also improve their security -- Carol.

COSTELLO: David Ensor, thanks.

Now on to Iraq and the new enemy tactic. Rockets launched from, of all things, donkey carts. One of the targets, the Palestine Hotel, home to CNN's Baghdad bureau. Our senior international correspondent, Walter Rodgers, was there when the rockets hit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It could have been much worse as these rockets that failed to fire a test. The blast of the first rockets disconnected the battery wires which could have triggered a much larger volley with 4-foot-long missiles.

This is the cart carrying the rockets spilled over. Still standing, a badly traumatized and singed donkey which the Iraqi insurgents used to haul their missile launcher.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Copy impact on the 14, 15 and 16th floor, only one casualty thus far, over.

RODGERS: The critically injured man is an American civilian contract employee. These U.S. soldiers still disinclined to allow pictures showing that the war does continue.

One of three targets in the rocket attacks, the Palestine and Sheraton Hotel complex, housing some soldiers and many journalists. Seven rockets hit the Palestine a little after 7:00 a.m. This man's room is just down the hall from mine. Later, he said to me, "This was our lucky day."

This 107-millimeter rocket exploded one floor above mine, getting me out of bed in a hurry. The hardest hit room at the other end of the hall was fortunately unoccupied.

Across the street at the former Sheraton Hotel, a bellboy was injured when more rockets hit there. The Iraqi Oil Ministry was also struck by between seven and 10 more rockets starting fires. Near the Italian Embassy, another donkey cart missile strike was foiled by Iraqi police. Hundreds of donkey carts (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Baghdad, making them an ingenious cover, according to an American general. All four donkeys used in these attacks survived and are now in coalition care.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Shelling came after U.S. officials had been boasting Iraq is now 90 percent safe and attacks are down by 70 percent. The Army says these most recent rocket attacks were only designed to grab headlines and have no tactical military value. Perhaps but they were audacious.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RODGERS: What the Americans most need to extinguish the Iraqi insurgency is better intelligence on the ground. But even knowing that most of the Americans are here to help them, most Iraqis won't help the Americans because they're afraid of being seen as betraying fellow Iraqis to the foreign occupiers -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Walter Rodgers, live from Baghdad. And we're glad you're safe tonight, Walter.

Just moments ago, President Bush returned to the White House after his state visit to Britain, a visit marked by tough talk on Iraq and terrorism. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair vowed to stand together on the fight on both fronts before the president left Britain.

The two leaders traveled to Blair's hometown. They went to a pub where Bush jokingly grabbed a beer tap handle, even though he no longer drinks. Instead, he drank non-alcoholic lager and then had some cake.

And this just in to CNN: the State Department has now issued a worldwide travel warning for U.S. citizens overseas. The U.S. government warns that citizens should maintain a high level of vigilance in terms of terror threats. The State Department said -- and I'm quoting -- "We are seeing increasing indications that al Qaeda is preparing to strike U.S. interests abroad."

Well, you knew it was coming. Yes, on to the drama surrounding Michael Jackson. While he's a free man right now, he may not feel free. A hoard of reporters are tracking his every move following his arrest yesterday on child molestation charges.

We have two reports for you tonight on the unfolding scandal. Frank Buckley, outside the Neverland Ranch, looking at the fate of Jackson's children. And David Mattingly in Henderson, Nevada, where Jackson returned after being booked yesterday in Santa Barbara.

We begin with David Mattingly -- David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, coming back to Las Vegas was a natural choice for Michael Jackson, and it's here that his family is planning to fight back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Michael Jackson's impromptu tour of the streets of Las Vegas could have been a case of the pop star savoring a happy homecoming.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it is a fantasyland. The whole city is a fantasyland. And that's why Michael Jackson feels comfortable here. It's like Neverland on a much larger scale.

MATTINGLY: The trip from the airport to the resort where Jackson is believed to be staying took three hours. Jackson proving in a town full of distractions he can still stop traffic and attract a friendly a crowd.

Jackson and his brothers have been performing in Las Vegas since the 1970s, and it remains home to several of the Jackson family. After allegations of child molestation 10 years ago, Vegas is where Jackson immediately continued to be welcomed. And this time it appears that Las Vegas will again be where the Jackson family launches a new PR push. The management of the studio where Jackson just completed his newest video says family members committed to an exclusive interview at their facility, but would not say if Michael himself would participate.

DEMETRIUS BROWN, CMS SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: The Jackson family have regrouped and have formed a very close supporting cast for Michael. And it's business as usual for them.

MATTINGLY: Meanwhile, all eyes remain on the Green Valley Resort, where Jackson's journey ended last night. Video provided by the posh hotel shows the luxury accommodations the king of pop could be enjoying as the world wonders what he will do next.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: And all indications are that the king of pop is indeed in the resort behind me. Plenty of cameras out here tonight to capture whatever move he makes outside of that hotel -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Oh, I bet so. David Mattingly live from California for us tonight.

You know, most of us think of Michael Jackson as the pop star. Frankly, for many, it's difficult to think of him as a father. He is rather unorthodox. In light of his latest trouble, though, we did wonder what would happen to his three young children now that he's been arrested.

That part of the story from Frank Buckley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Jackson's judgment and behavior with regard to children has at the very least raised questions in the past when he dangled his own infant son from a fourth floor balcony, for example, or when he told British journalist Martin Bashir that he sometimes shares his bed with the children of other parents.

Now he faces child molestation charges. And one of his frequent critics, attorney Gloria Allred, cites those instances in saying Jackson's own three children, who are often veiled in public, should be taken away from him.

GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY: I believe that the children should be temporarily removed from Mr. Jackson's care and custody because of the history of Michael Jackson with children.

BUCKLEY: Jackson has denied all allegation of improper behavior with children. Still, Allred has formally requested in this letter that Santa Barbara's Department of Child Welfare Services open an investigation. Allred says it is the third such complaint she has filed in the past two years.

ALLRED: Removal of the children from Mr. Jackson need not and should not await the outcome of the criminal case pending against him.

BUCKLEY: But at least one Jackson friend says the current allegations against the pop star don't ring true.

RICK JAMES, SINGER, JACKSON FRIEND: My sons, my daughter has spent time around the house and the family. And never once was there ever any lewd, lascivious act going on.

BUCKLEY: And a legal expert says, even if authorities do consider removing Jackson's children, Jackson's resources and legal team might enable him to fashion a deal that would keep his family together.

RICH GOLDMAN, LAW PROFESSOR: When someone had the wherewithal to provide round-the-clock surveillance by monitors that were approved by the court, that would be a possible alternative.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And Frank joins us live now. Frank, do we know how seriously California authorities are taking Gloria Allred's request?

BUCKLEY: Well, we asked child welfare services just that question. And they won't talk to us specifically about this case or any other case. But they said, generally in cases where you have a non-related adult, which is what Gloria Allred would be in this case, that it's determined on the individual merits of that particular situation. But another way this may get to the attention of child welfare services is through law enforcement cross reporting.

When police have a report like this, the law school dean that you heard from there said that it usually does go do child welfare services. Then they determine whether or not there should be some sort of a hearing on the care and custody issue. But, Carol, whatever happens in this case, it will probably remain confidential, because that's how the system is supposed to work. Whatever the outcome of this situation is, it's supposed to stay confidential.

COSTELLO: Yes, it's supposed to. But who knows, with this case, there's so many media around you just never know what could come out that's not supposed to. Frank Buckley, live from Santa Barbara, California.

Of course we'll have more on the Michael Jackson drama coming up on 360. We'll look at the legal eagles preparing to do battle in the case: defense attorney Mark Geragos and the D.A., Thomas Sneddon.

There is a lot of other news "Cross Country" tonight.

Washington: energy bill blocked. President Bush doesn't get his way. His $31 million bill falls three votes short of final Senate passage. Opponents say the measure does not protect the environment and his backed by special interests. Supporters say they will try again.

Norfolk, Virginia: a dramatic video of a fire escape. A woman jumps out of a second floor window as firefighters spray flame retardant foam at her. Police say her ex-boyfriend held her hostage at gunpoint, doused the apartment with gasoline, and lit the match.

The woman broke her hip in the fall, but says she is thankful to be alive. And sorry about the pictures.

Back in Washington: request rejected. A federal appeals court will not put a new rule on hold regarding telephone numbers. The United States Telecom Association wanted the rule blocked that goes into effect Monday in big cities, allowing people to transfer their phone numbers to cell phones. It says it unfairly benefits cell phone companies.

Beaver, Pennsylvania: tainted green onions. Health officials say they are likely the cause of a Hepatitis A outbreak. Three people died and almost 600 others got sick after eating menu items at a Chi- Chi's restaurant containing those onions. Those tainted onions have already been linked to similar trouble at restaurants in Tennessee and Georgia back in December.

And that is a look at stories "Cross Country" tonight.

Beauty in a needle. Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us with a new way to get rid of wrinkles and scars that could give Botox a run for the money.

Also, JFK through the eyes of a new generation. How the passing of time has changed our view of an American icon.

And hold on to your seat. It's fear and tears at the box office this weekend. We'll get you a sneak preview.

But first, let's take a look "Inside the Box" at the top stories on tonight's network newscasts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Welcome back. In the never-ending battle against aging, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration today considered whether to add some new powerful weapons in the war. Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us now live to get us up to date on the next generation of treatments to fight those wrinkles.

I'm excited to hear this one, Sanjay.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you certainly don't need it, Carol. But it is a very big business. Millions are looking for any way at all to get rid of wrinkles. Well, they may be one step closer to another option. Something besides botox possibly coming soon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It functions by drawing water from the surrounding area.

GUPTA (voice-over): They're being called wrinkle fillers. And the FDA panel has decided that inejectable cosmetic treatments called restylane and hylaform should join botox in the cosmetic surgeon's circus (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And close to a million patients have been injected worldwide without any negative effects.

GUPTA: Restylane and hylaform are made from hylaronic (ph) acid. That's a lubricating fluid already produced in the body. When it's injected it plumps the skin.

So far the results in patients are remarkable. These patients had the area between the nose and mouth injected with restylane, boosting sagging parts of the skin. Doctors say these newer treatments last twice a long as botox.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's product that lasts for up to a year. As far as botox, botox injections are very dose dependent.

GUPTA: There are risks to the treatment, however; although most of them temporary. Swelling, redness, discoloration and bruising can result from the injections, and patients also run the risk of getting lumps under the skin or having too much injected. Many side effects can be avoid by proper injection by a certified doctor. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I absolutely believe that restylane is the next big thing. It's a natural product. It's a safe product. It does not require a skin test and lasts a long time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you OK? Good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you injecting now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: And it's been available in Europe and Canada for about eight years now. If the FDA decides to approve this, it will probably be available in this country in about January. It is pretty expensive, though, Carol. About $750 to $1,000 per treatment -- Carol.

COSTELLO: That is pretty pricey. Question for you: how do you know which one's better for you, botox or this restylane?

GUPTA: Yes, that's a good question. And one thing to keep in mind is they actually work by very different mechanisms. One way to think about it, the simple way, is think of the three R's of getting rid of wrinkles.

If you want to relax the muscles, that's when you're going to use the botox. It actually paralyzes the muscles, getting rid of the wrinkles. Refill, that's what restylane or hylaform does. It actually fills in the wrinkles. And finally, reshaping. Face lift or other surgical procedure if none of the above two work.

COSTELLO: All right. Sanjay Gupta, live from Atlanta. Many thanks.

Time to check some international stories on tonight's "UpLink."

Istanbul, Turkey: arrests. Several suspects now in police custody after yesterday's twin explosions that killed 30 people and injured 450. The Muslim state remains on high alert tonight as several groups all linked to al Qaeda claim responsibility.

Jerusalem: an unusually somber Jerusalem day. It is usually a day when Islamic states and groups stage large public rallies to condemn Israel's capture of Jerusalem in the 1967 war. But with the recent deadly attacks in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, even violent (UNINTELLIGIBLE) like Hezbollah and Hamas are decrying the violence.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: American sailors go sightseeing. Sailors from the USS Vandergrift crawled through tunnels, walked through a bobby-trapped jungle and posed for pictures near a destroyed U.S. tank. Amazing.

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil: daredevil granny. A 63-year-old grandmother of four, Jennifer Murray (ph), already set two world records on her chopper. This week, she's attempting to set a third as the first helicopter pilot to circumnavigate the world via the North and South Poles.

And that is tonight's "UpLink."

The changing view of JFK. Most Americans weren't even born when he was killed. How does that influence what we think of him?

Also tonight, trouble in Neverland. What's next for Michael Jackson? We'll talk with 360 legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom.

But first, today's "Buzz." Should Michael Jackson be allowed to keep custody of his kids until the case is settled? Vote now, cnn.com/360. The results at the end of the show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Live pictures out of Dallas Dealey Plaza. You know, 40 years ago tomorrow, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. As I said, Dallas, Texas tonight, where people are commemorating not just his death, but his life. And what a life it was.

Many Americans can tell you exactly where they were when they heard the news. But it is worth pointing out a majority of today's Americans were not even alive on that day, which leads us to the question, what does Camelot mean to a younger generation?

Anderson Cooper spoke about that with senior analyst Jeff Greenfield and "CROSSFIRE" co-host Tucker Carlson, and began by asking Tucker this: Do most people born after the assassination view it differently than those who lived through it?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, 360: Tucker, let me start off with you. Most Americans alive today were born after the Kennedy assassination. Do you think they view it differently than the generation that was alive during it?

TUCKER CARLSON, CO-HOST, "CROSSFIRE": In some ways. I mean, whenever the president is murdered it's a tragedy. And especially in this case, a pretty good president, followed by a not so good president. It's a double tragedy.

But the most telling thing about the way people talk about the Kennedy assassination is this: they almost always start it with "I remember where I was." I, I, I, me, me, me. And the sad thing about the assassination it has become yet another excuse for that generation, the baby boom generation to talk about itself.

And I think it makes people cynical in a way they really shouldn't be cynical. But nevertheless, it makes them cynical about the Kennedy years and Camelot simply because the hype is so overwhelming. It's a shame.

COOPER: Jeff, too much hype?

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST: I think that's a pretty simplistic analysis. My parents told me, and their generation, the so-called greatest generation, always talked about where they were when they heard the news about Pearl Harbor or Franklin Roosevelt's death. I think it's a mistake to somehow conflate what happened with Kennedy into some generation analysis in a psychological way.

What I think happened is it was the most shocking event imaginable. I was thinking about this. You have to almost compare it to the 9/11 event, in this sense: 1963 in autumn was very good time, economy was good. We had gone through a brush with nuclear war and now there was a nuclear test ban treaty. And through the medium of television, the just then prevalent medium, an entire nation was hit with a most unimaginable event. I think there's a reason why people will always remember where they were, the same way that my parents' generation remembered where they were at those events.

COOPER: So Tucker, I mean...

CARLSON: Well, I mean...

COOPER: Go ahead.

CARLSON: ... to compare it to 9/11 strikes me as a bit much. It wasn't unimaginable. Other presidents have been assassinated. It's not to take away from the tragedy of it.

It's only to say a marker, I think, an example, yet another, of this generation, that specific generation's ability to talk about itself almost endlessly. It is like sitting next to an elderly person on an airplane who is showing you pictures of her grandchildren. You can be objectively pro grandchild and still not sort of key into the conversation...

COOPER: Well Tucker, you sound like you're equating it to like Woodstock and things, which baby boomers talk a lot about in the media.

CARLSON: Well see, I don't think -- that's exactly the point. It's not like Woodstock. It's, of course, much more significant than Woodstock. And that's the shame, because it has sort of been all folded into this kind of package: the '60s.

"We lived it. It was the most transforming period in American history." It's overstatement. It is sort of...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Well, what do you think, Tucker, though? What do people who weren't there not get?

GREENFIELD: Well, first, it really is a nonsensical analysis (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I'm sorry to be so tough. The people who were running the media in 1963 were not baby boomers. They were the generation of World War II.

This happened not to that '60s generation. It happened to anyone who was alive and conscious. The people it really affected were the people who had gone through World War II, the way John Kennedy did as young PT boat skipper.

You know, baby boomers were then around 20 years old. They weren't running "The New York Times" or NBC and CBS.

If the president of the United States could be killed in broad daylight, it did introduce a certain sense of shakiness about certain assumptions of safety.

COOPER: Anyone is vulnerable if the president is.

GREENFIELD: That anyone is vulnerable. If they can get him, they can get anybody. And it's only in that sense that I think there's a certain equation.

COOPER: All right. Tucker, final thought?

CARLSON: I would just say, I'm not taking anything away from the significance of the president being assassinated. It's intrinsically horrible and significant.

I'm just simply saying, most of the time when baby boomers talk about the assassination of JFK, they're not talking about the assassination. They're talking about themselves. And I just they'd stop.

COOPER: All right. We're going to leave it there. Tucker Carlson, Jeff Greenfield, thanks very much.

CARLSON: Thanks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO (voice-over): Now the legal battle begins. What's the strategy on both sides of the Michael Jackson case?

And what are you doing this weekend? We've got some ideas.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Now, some of the day's top stories. Let's check the "Reset."

Global travel alert in the wake of the terror attacks this week in Istanbul. The State Department tonight issued a worldwide travel warning for U.S. citizens overseas. The department warns citizens should be vigilant about their safety. They say they're seeing increasing indications that al Qaeda is preparing to strike U.S. interests abroad.

Baghdad, Iraq. Rocket attacks. Rockets launched from wooden donkey carts hit three high profile targets in Baghdad: the oil ministry and two hotels used by westerners. Two people are wounded. U.S. officials called the attacks inventive and ingenious but militarily insignificant.

Washington, D.C. Presidential return. President Bush has completed his state visit to Britain. The president and the first lady arrived back at the White House within the last half hour.

Las Vegas, Nevada. Out on bail. Entertainer Michael Jackson back in Vegas after being released from California on $3 million on bail. Authorities plan to file formal molestation charges after Thanksgiving. A Jackson spokesman called the allegations an outrage.

And that wasn't the only expression of support. On CNN yesterday, Michael Jackson's older brother, Jermaine, denounced the uproar over the allegations as a public lynching.

How is the Jackson family coping? Jackson family attorney Brian Oxman joins us now live from Anaheim, California.

Welcome.

BRIAN OXMAN, JACKSON FAMILY ATTORNEY: Thank you.

COSTELLO: You talked recently with the Jackson family, his brother Randy specifically?

OXMAN: A little less than 15 minutes ago.

And Randy is holding together well. He's talking to all of his brothers to try and get together to make a public statement.

And they want to express their feelings to the world to say that they are just very disturbed by this entire process, that they think that what the district attorney in Santa Barbara County has done is just improper, and the manner in which the district attorney held their press conference is improper. And they want to make a statement which puts out their feelings of support for Michael.

COSTELLO: I want to play for our audience what Jermaine said specifically on our air recently. I'm going to play a clip of what he had to say.

Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JERMAINE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S BROTHER: The whole family supports Michael 100 percent, 1,000 percent. Michael is innocent. And just to let you know how I feel, I'm very disappointed in the system, in which things were done.

This is nothing but a modern day lynching. This is what they want to see, him in handcuffs. You got it. But it won't be for long, I promise you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That modern day lynching line has gotten many people upset. Did you talk to the family about that when you just spoke with them 15 minutes ago?

OXMAN: I only talked about their feelings, and their feelings go right along with what you heard Jermaine say.

Jermaine is the most outspoken member of the family. He's extremely articulate. And I've got to say that I do agree with him that there is so much impropriety in what the prosecutor has done here it approaches exactly what Jermaine is talking about.

COSTELLO: And you're specifically talking about the reporter Diane Diamond, who seems to have some inside information?

OXMAN: What we have here is we have a prosecutor who seems bent on defaming Michael in the press. And really, the whole family is just staggered by this kind of effort.

At the press conference, we saw this jovial, jocular excited impression of all the people making jokes and smiling. It was like a Broadway opening, where everyone was just congratulating themselves on financially being able to prosecute Michael Jackson.

That's not professional prosecutors. That is just totally improper. And they know it is.

COSTELLO: So you're specifically talking about the D.A. and not the messenger here, as in Diane Diamond?

OXMAN: Diane Diamond has part of the problem here. The prosecutors are selectively leaking information, which is a violation of professional ethics. They have no right to do so. They are telling Ms. Diamond things they should never be telling her. It is against the rules of professional conduct.

I teach legal ethics, and this is the kind of thing which the bar says is unlawful.

COSTELLO: Well, Brian I feel I must give Diane Diamond's side of the story, because she did give us a statement. I'm going to read it for our audience. She says, "Attacking the messenger is a typical Jackson tactic. I think people will see right through it."

What do you say to that?

OXMAN: I love Ms. Diamond. She is absolutely a beautiful, wonderful woman. But she should not be participating in an ethical violation, which is being perpetrated by a prosecutor. It is simply wrong to participate in that kind of thing.

COSTELLO: All right. Brian Oxman, attorney for the Jackson family, a family friend, I should say. Thank you for joining us tonight.

OXMAN: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Now, "Justice Served." Let's take a closer look at the lawyers and the legal battles that lie ahead from them. 360 legal analyst Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom joins us live from Los Angeles.

Do you agree with anything he just said? Were you listening to Mr. Oxman?

KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE NEWSOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, I was. And I know Brian and have a lot of respect for him. And I know Diane Diamond, as well. And I think both of them have valid points.

I think in this case it's very difficult. We can't for sure blame and say that she is speaking directly and getting this information from the D.A. She has repeatedly said that she has law enforcement contacts. I think it's unfair to attribute it just directly to the D.A. in this case.

As a prosecutor it is, I know, highly improper to leak information or to try and portray Michael in a certain way to gain advantage, a trial tactic advantage in this case. I think you have to go out of your way to be professional.

I was a little bit upset about that press conference from the D.A.'s side. I thought there was much too much laughter and levity for a serious subject. These are serious charges. And I don't think that that would be appropriate, whether it was Michael Jackson or any other person facing these charges

COSTELLO: There seems to be some sort of grudge between the D.A. And Michael Jackson? Do you see any evidence of that?

NEWSOM: Well, people pointed to song lyrics that Michael has written about him in a song. And in this case, we saw the D.A. mention particularly that over the past ten years he didn't give up. He was still investigating this case and these claims that Michael was someone who had inappropriate relations with children.

And we see that he is not going to give up on this case at all. In fact, he's gone out of his way to make statements. He's still encouraging people to come forward, any other potential victims. He has also made a statement on behalf of the family, saying that they are not trying to do this for financial gain.

This is a case, I think, that he is taking very seriously, and it appears that he's focusing on Michael.

COSTELLO: All right. Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom, thanks for your insights tonight.

As Kimberly just mentioned, the Michael Jackson will pit two tenacious lawyers against each other. A district attorney who already had a run in with Michael Jackson and a defense attorney whose recent clients have a catapulted him into an A list celebrity lawyer.

CNN's Charles Feldman looks at both.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mark Geragos is hot. He's helped clients ranging from Clinton pal Susan McDougal to former Congressman Gary Condit, to President Clinton's brother, Roger.

He suffered a legal defeat when another star client, actress Winona Ryder, was convicted of shoplifting.

More recently, Geragos represents Scott Peterson in another high profile legal affair. Can he handle both the Peterson and Jackson cases at the same time?

HARLAND BRAUN, FORMER ROBERT BLAKE LAWYER: There's no problem with doing all the work for both cases. Most criminal lawyers have 10 or 20 cases at any given time.

FELDMAN: Geragos will go up against Thomas Sneddon Jr., Santa Barbara County, California, D.A. since 1983.

Sneddon boasts of being a family man, even displaying a photo of his family on his official website.

He brushed against Michael Jackson's fame once before, but his investigation some 10 years ago, into another accusation of child molestation against Jackson, was cut short when the family of the alleged victim settled a civil suit against the singer, reportedly for millions of dollars.

TOM SNEDDON, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY D.A.: ... lots of money because we need your sales tax to support our offices.

FELDMAN: Although some have been critical of Sneddon's jovial mood at the news conference announcing charges against Jackson, some lawyers who know him say he is a tough law and order guy who can be deadly serious and effective in a courtroom.

There are pitfalls in this case for both sides. The prosecutor must get a jury to turn against a celebrity beloved by some, while the defense must overcome a decade of suspicion about Jackson's behavior with children.

Charles Feldman, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And that brings us to today's "Buzz" question. Should Michael Jackson be allowed to keep custody of his children until this case is settled? Vote now: CNN.com/360. We'll have the results for you at the end of the show.

And still to come this evening, the explosive growth of Internet dating. But are people really finding love online? We'll talk with the author of the cover story of this Sunday's "New York Times" magazine.

Also tonight, what one reviewer today called an atrocious hairball of a film, "The Cat in the Hat." We'll go to the movies in "The Weekender" tonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: And now, online dating.

More and more of you are logging on. In just the first half of this year Americans spent $214 million on online personals and dating sites, almost triple what they spent in all of 2001.

Novelist and contributor to "The New York Times Sunday Magazine," Jennifer Egan, wrote this weekend's cover story, "Love in the Time of No Time."

I spoke with her earlier and began by asking if this explosion signals a change our dating culture.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER EGAN, "NEW YORK TIMES" CONTRIBUTOR: It's evidence that people are availing themselves of a new technology to do a very old thing, which is meet members of the same or the opposite sex, depending on what they're looking for.

EGAN: OK. We're going to talk about the up sides and the down sides. A lot of people put these profiles online within the dating service web site. And some people actually have two different profiles in the same web site, according to your articles. That's disturbing.

Two or more.

COSTELLO: Saying different things about their personality?

EGAN: Well, sometimes it's a little hard to say -- I think sometimes people get sick of their old profile. And rather than update it, they just decide to do a fresh start. But the leave the old one hanging there, because it doesn't cost you anything extra to do that.

So I think it may be a little bit of a feeling of having evolved and, you know, having learned more about online dating, and you know, what sells, as it were.

COSTELLO: So depending on what you're looking for, are there any red flags you should look for when you read these profiles online?

EGAN: Well, you want to make sure the person is looking for what you're looking for. So if you're looking for a serious relationship, you probably want to be careful of people who say, "I'm just looking to have fun." That kind of thing.

Sometimes people send mixed signals in their profiles, and I think that reflects the fact that people often don't know what they want. I personally think it's good to be careful of people who don't post pictures, because there are a lot of married people posing as singles. One hears these stories.

COSTELLO: You interviewed this guy named Greg, and he fascinated me for some reason. EGAN: Greg's my guy.

COSTELLO: He says he's dated between 30 and 50 women. That just seems excessive to me. That seems like he's using online dating just to, like, go out with as many people as he can.

EGAN: I don't know if it's -- I mean, if you think about it, an average single guy, over a period of a couple of years, would it be so shocking that he had gone on 30 dates?

COSTELLO: I guess not. But only one of those relationships turned into anything involving any length of time.

EGAN: Well, actually, that's true in the sense that he's not really looking for a serious relationship. But he is friends with most of those women, actually, now. So he's looking for something a little bit different.

And I think that's one of the interesting things about the research that I did, which surprised me, which is that not everyone doing online dating is looking to get married.

COSTELLO: In your article, you talked about the proliferation of casual sex. And I'm going to quote something from your article.

You say, "Until the late 1960's, marriage was the best guarantor of regular sex. Thereafter, it was being in a steady relationship. But online dating may be on its way to eliminating that particular incentive for commitment."

How so?

EGAN: Well, I think that, you know, for someone who's primary reason for being in a serious relationship was that they wanted to make sure that they had an active sex life, someone with that particular goal only in mind, or that being their primary goal, would not have to actually get into a serious relationship to achieve that goal, with the advent of online dating.

Because it's possible to meet so many people and have sex with a lot of them, that you wouldn't necessarily have to have a serious relationship to do that.

COSTELLO: And we have to wrap it up. Quickly, though, good or bad thing, online dating.

EGAN: It depends on what you're looking for. It depends how much you like spending a lot of time on your computer.

COSTELLO: Yes, right. Exactly. Jennifer Egan, many thanks.

Time now to check on tonight's edition of "The Current."

Jennifer Aniston has agreed to settle her lawsuit against a man she once accused of scaling her wall and using a telephoto lens to shoot topless pictures of her. David Schwimmer, in the meantime, remains free to go around his business in relative anonymity.

"The Hollywood Reporter" says Jason Alexander and Malcolm-Jamal Warner are doing a pilot for CBS about a pair of TV sports anchors. No date has been announced yet for the cancellation.

Former President Bill Clinton has released a list of his 21 favorite books. Among them are, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and George Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia." Not on the list, "The Human Stain" or the little known work, "Dude, That Would Be a Seriously Bad Idea."

Actor Wayne Knight from "Third Rock" and "Seinfeld" tells "People" magazine he's dropped a whopping 117 pounds from his peek of 327. Knight confessed that he used a rare technique that involves eating less food and getting off the damn couch.

Still to come this evening, Halle Berry gets scared silly in "Gothika," one of the movies we'll preview in "The Weekender" tonight.

Also tonight, a look back at the moment Michael struck back. The last time Michael Jackson had to defend himself against allegations of child molestation.

You stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Of course, next weekend is the big one for the movie industry, as serious movies and holiday movies vie for your box office bucks.

But as we found out in researching today's edition of "The Weekender," this weekend is a big one for scary movies, including one that's probably not supposed to be scary.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO (voice-over): "Cat in the Hat" is the second Seuss book brought to the screen. This time it's Mike Meyers. But this time the makeup isn't supposed to look creepy.

MIKE MEYERS, AS THE CAT IN THE HAT: I'm so excited.

COSTELLO: The "Cat" clocks in at less than an hour and half. So, you might be able to squeeze in "Gothika," the weekend's other scary new movie.

PENELOPE CRUZ, ACTOR: Are you scared?

HALLE BERRY, ACTOR: No.

COSTELLO: Halle Berry is trapped in this one, along with Penelope Cruz and Robert Downey Jr.

"21 Grams," with Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro, takes its name from a doctor's claim in 1997 that souls exist and are subject to gravity. The movie is a lot heavier than that, though.

BENICIO DEL TORO, ACTOR: Come with me. And I'll show you (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COSTELLO: The Oscar buzz is expected to build once it expands from limited release.

In music, the bachelor, Bob Guiney, has a few simple requests to make.

BOB GUINEY, MUSICIAN (singing): And if you could bring me my girlfriend and I don't know why...

COSTELLO: And if you've got change left after buying his CD...

GUINEY: ... to make a phone call to...

COSTELLO: ... if the line's busy, you might try new releases from Nelly Furtado, Missy Elliott, Enrique Iglesias or Korn.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): The Simpsons.

COSTELLO: And if leaving the cash just ain't happening...

JULIE KAVNER, AS MARGE SIMPSON: Look at all these classy British plays.

COSTELLO: "The Simpsons" Sunday offers the unlikely tale of a dim American patriarch who goes to London to meet Tony Blair.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And it's Tony Blair's real voice. That should be interesting.

Coming up Monday on 360, if you suspect the man in your life isn't listening to you, you're right, and scientists may be able to explain to you why.

Up next, a look back at the last time Michael Jackson was struck by scandal, how he defended himself a decade ago.

But first today's "Buzz," should Michael Jackson be allowed to keep custody of his children until his case is settled? Vote now: CNN.com/360. The results for you when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's what you've been waiting for. Time now for the "Buzz."

We asked you, should Michael Jackson be allowed to keep his children until the case is resolved? We have the numbers for you.

Sixty percent said yes. Forty percent voted no. Do I need to tell you that this not a scientific poll? Just viewer buzz. You know, this has been a wild week for Jackson. But it's not the first time he's fought allegations of child molestation. A decade ago he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy.

Here's how Jackson defended himself then.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL JACKSON, ENTERTAINER: There have been many disgusting statements made recently concerning allegation of improper conduct on my part. These statements about me are totally false.

As I have maintained from the very beginning, I am hoping for a speedy end to this horrifying, horrifying experience to which I have been subjected.

I shall not in this statement respond to all of the false allegations being made against me, since my lawyers have advised me that this is not the proper forum in which to do that.

I will say that I am particularly upset by the handling of this mass matter by the incredible, terrible mass media. At every opportunity, the media has dissected and manipulated these allegations to reach their own conclusions.

I ask all of you to wait and hear the truth before you label or condemn me. Don't treat me like a criminal because I am innocent.

I have been forced to submit to a dehumanizing and humiliating examination by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department and the Los Angeles Police Department earlier this week.

They served a search warrant on me which allowed them to view and photograph my body, including my penis, my buttocks, my lower torso, thighs and any other area that they wanted. They were supposedly looking for any discoloration, spotting, blotches or other evidence of a skin color disorder called vitiligo.

It was the most humiliating ordeal of my life, one no person should ever have to suffer. And even after experiencing the indignity of this search, the parties involved were still not satisfied and wanted to take even more pictures.

It was a nightmare, a horrifying nightmare. But if this is what I have to endure to prove my innocence, my complete innocence, so be it.

Throughout my life, I have only tried to help thousands upon thousands of children to live happy lives. It brings tears to my eyes when I see any child who suffers.

I am not guilty of these allegations. But if I am guilty of anything, it is of giving all that I have -- all that I have to give to help children all over the world. It is of loving children of all ages and races. It is of gaining sheer joy from seeing children with their innocent and smiling faces. It is of enjoying, through them, the childhood that I missed myself.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And hopefully the sheriff's department still has those pictures on file.

We should add that criminal charges were never brought in that 1993 case. And while Jackson strongly denied the allegations, he did eventually pay a settlement, a big one, to the accuser's family.

I'm Carol Costello, in for Anderson Cooper. Coming up next, "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

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Arrested: The Day After>