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American Morning
Update on Michael Jackson Case; "90-Second Pop"; 2004 Summer Games
Aired August 20, 2004 - 07:30 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Just about half past the hour now on this AMERICAN MORNING.
We, of course, are continuing to watch the situation in Najaf where U.S. and Iraqi forces are still trading fire with Muqtada al- Sadr's militia. In a moment, we will hear from a U.S. Army battalion commander based there in Najaf. We'll see what the situation is like down on the ground.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also, a pretrial hearing in the Michael Jackson matter resumes again today. Yesterday, jurors hearing testimony from the stepfather of the accuser. He talked about a payoff offered by one of Jackson's people. Lisa Bloom from Court TV stops in, in a few minutes, on that.
COLLINS: Also, of course, we've got "90-Second Pop" today. Former President Clinton made a big sales push for his new memoirs. But was it enough to make him the winner in the Clinton book war? Our pop panel is going to be talking about that.
But for now, we're going to go back to Iraq, where a spokesman for Muqtada al-Sadr says the cleric's militia would work to free a French-American journalist reported kidnapped in Iraq, but says they do not know where he is being held.
A militant group has threatened to kill Micah Garen unless U.S. forces leave Najaf, where al-Sadr's army is battling Iraq and U.S. forces. Garen was kidnapped, along with his Iraqi translator, last Friday in a busy market in Nasiriyah.
Again, 7:30 right now. It's time for a look at some of today's other news with Betty Nguyen.
Betty -- good morning once again.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, Heidi.
And speaking of Iraq, explosions and gunfire ripped through Najaf as heavy fighting in the Iraqi city continued overnight. Meanwhile, in Fallujah, U.S. airstrikes targeted sites that were firing on American forces. Military sources say an Iraqi weapons depot was likely hit. At least five Iraqis were killed. More on that situation in Iraq and a live interview with Ambassador Yahya Mahmassani in the next half-hour.
Now to Ohio. Firefighters there continue to battle a five-alarm blaze that has destroyed parts of a 400,000-square-foot warehouse in Cincinnati. The fire broke out yesterday in a building used to store industrial barrels. Explosions were reported and thick, black smoke could be seen for miles, prompting officials to warn residents. Environmental tests revealed no early indications of a chemical hazard. No injuries have been reported.
In Wyoming, eastbound Interstate 80 is expected to remain closed this morning after more than 30 vehicles collided in a massive pileup. A fiery chain reaction involving 33 vehicles left one person dead and at least 34 injured. Police say it appears speeding combined with wet roads and foggy conditions were the cause.
And in Florida, hundreds of trucks packed with ice and water are ready for distribution to victims of Hurricane Charley, but FEMA says the trucks are tied up in red tape and can't be unloaded until authorities find government-approved warehouse space. Some of the trucks have been waiting more than three days. Not a good thing when we're talking about ice, Bill. Florida folks don't needed to hear this kind of news.
HEMMER: Indeed you're right. Hopefully those trucks are refrigerated, too. Betty, thanks for that. See you next hour.
Michael Jackson has some issues. With the latest media depiction of him and his family, releasing a statement yesterday on his Web site in part saying, the most recent unauthorized version of my life story, "Man in the Mirror," in no way, shape or form represents who we are as a family. It is unfortunate that for years we have been targets of completely inaccurate and false portrayals.
It continued by saying, we have watched as we have been vilified and humiliated.
Meanwhile, at a pretrial hearing yesterday, there was testimony from the stepfather of the boy accusing Jackson of child molestation. And Court TV's Lisa Bloom is back with us today here in New York.
Good morning to you.
LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Good morning.
HEMMER: Help me get this right now. The stepfather was on the stand yesterday.
BLOOM: Right.
HEMMER: How did he do for either the prosecution or the defense with his testimony?
BLOOM: Well, he said some surprising things that I don't think helps his family. Namely that when Michael Jackson's people came to the boy and asked him to make a tape, a rebuttal tape saying positive things about Jackson, his first response was, well, what are you offering; i.e., how much money is my family going to get from that?
Then there was some discussion where the Jackson people offered a college education, a house, and some other, you know, pretty substantial items to the family. And this man said that he wanted more.
This is damaging stuff for the accuser's family. It's coming from his own stepfather.
HEMMER: It could cut both ways. I mean, perhaps he's coercing to try to see what he can get from the Jackson family, and the Jackson family is trying to keep quiet.
BLOOM: Well, it's just like the Kobe Bryant case, though. If there's an economic motive for a criminal allegation that is very, very damaging to the prosecution's side. And so far, the boy and his family have said, we haven't asked for a dime. We're not filing a civil lawsuit. We don't want any money. The defense has said this is all about money.
This is some information. It's only preliminary. It's only a pretrial hearing, but that does help the defense.
HEMMER: Break down these tapes. It's my understanding there is a videotape...
BLOOM: Yes.
HEMMER: ... that deals with how the police went through Neverland Ranch with its search warrants. And then there's an audiotape that deals with what you just talked about, the coercion.
BLOOM: Yes, yesterday in court, I think a lot observers' eyes were popping out at a videotape of Michael Jackson's home decorating, including nude statues of children and a lot of gaudy stuff. But ultimately probably not all that significant to the case.
What is important is this crucial audiotape of the boy saying very positive things about Jackson after the Bashir documentary that started this whole mess.
Now, the question is: Was that coerced? That's what the prosecution says in their conspiracy claims. The defense is going to use that to say, look, here is the boy saying nice things about Jackson. Obviously, he wasn't molested.
HEMMER: Well, the defense wants some of this stuff quashed...
BLOOM: That's right.
HEMMER: ... and never entered. Have they made progress?
BLOOM: I think that they have. The judge hasn't ruled yet in this hearing. But what they're trying to show is this investigator was working for an attorney, and therefore all of the evidence is privileged. The D.A. had no right to go in there and try to get these items.
What I can't understand is why the defense wants to quash this audiotape, because it's so helpful to them. I think what they want ultimately is control over the audiotape. They want to decide if it's going to come in to trial or not. If they win this pretrial hearing that's what they'll win: control.
HEMMER: Let me jump down to this claim that Jackson made on "60 Minutes," that he was mishandled by police. You read the police report.
BLOOM: I have.
HEMMER: How do you interpret it?
BLOOM: Yes, the California attorney general issued a report, a three-page report. They said they interviewed hundreds of witnesses. They spent hundreds of hours on it. And ultimately it was completely unfounded, that Michael Jackson's allegations that he was man-handled had no basis, in fact.
Michael Jackson did not cooperate with that investigation. He refused to give a statement; nevertheless, inmates in the jail were interviewed. His chiropractor was interviewed. And the police found it was completely without merit.
HEMMER: When I introduced you, we read a statement on the Web site of Michael Jackson that was put out yesterday.
BLOOM: Yes.
HEMMER: I thought there was a gag order in place. Is there not? Is that legal or...
BLOOM: Good question. There is a gag order that prevents Michael Jackson from talking publicly about the case. That statement was really a response to the VH-1 movie, and the judge gave him permission to issue that.
HEMMER: OK. Lisa, thanks.
BLOOM: Thanks, Bill. Take care.
HEMMER: More today. Good to see you. Lisa Bloom from Court TV.
BLOOM: Have a good weekend.
HEMMER: All right, you do the same -- Heidi.
COLLINS: We want to go back to Chad Myers now to get a check on the weather for this weekend and take a look at things all across country.
(WEATHER BREAK)
COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, one airline may leave its employees with some pension pain. We'll talk about that in just a moment.
HEMMER: Also, are Cameron and Justin headed for the altar? "90- Second Pop" is straight ahead here on a Friday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone.
United Airlines is bankrupt already. It looks like pensions are the next thing to go there.
Gerri Willis working for Andy today, "Minding Your Business."
Good morning.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hey.
HEMMER: More tough news for that sector.
WILLIS: Yes. This is really, really sad. This could be the largest pension fund failure in history, guys. Check it out. We're looking at United Airlines. They are in chapter 11, and they say we can't get out unless we're relieved of this pension fund burden. They owe $8.3 billion over the long-term for all of their pension fund obligations.
Now, here's what's going to happen to those people, and there are about 119,000 retirees involved in this. That's the number of people who stand to lose some money, at least already in retirement.
The feds steps in. Something called the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation steps in. They pay for this, but they can't cover the whole bill. There's still going to be a shortfall of almost $2 billion.
HEMMER: Wow! That's at United?
WILLIS: Yes.
HEMMER: US Air has got problems.
WILLIS: Yes.
HEMMER: And Delta has got problems.
WILLIS: You name it, all of these companies are suffering now. Lots of competition, higher oil prices. 9/11, of course, stole from their business.
US Air is asking pilots to take a cut in pay here, almost 17 percent. They're trying to save money as well. They say they'll get $300 million from those savings, another 500 million from salary cuts they've given other employees. It's just not looking pretty for the airline industry.
HEMMER: Well, what is your sense about how long this lasts with this instability with these major carriers?
WILLIS: Well, the problem is there is never any clear resolution, because the government steps in sometimes when these companies are in trouble. So, companies that otherwise might go away, new ones sprout up. That never happen, because you have the government stepping in and keeping some of these companies on life support.
HEMMER: But you remember when TWA had its problems. That company lingered for a long time before it actually had to shut down.
WILLIS: Absolutely, yes. Well, this could go on some time. Absolutely.
HEMMER: Thank you, Gerri.
WILLIS: You're welcome.
HEMMER: All right -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Checking in with Jack now and the "Question of the Day."
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Heidi.
It's a wonderful thing when the people who spend their entire lives creating the bureaucracy that ensnares us all get caught up in it themselves.
Guess who was on the government's no-fly list and couldn't get off for weeks? Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, that's who. He tried to get on a flight from Boston to Washington. He was stopped, and they said we can't let you on the airplane. He wasn't told why.
Then when he tried to come back, they told him the same thing. It happened three times before they finally got it sorted out. His name had been placed on this no-fly list.
And since it's Friday and we tend to lighten things up a little, we're asking who should be on the government's secret no fly list besides Kennedy? Well, I'm not suggesting that he should be on there, but he was on there. And you can write about anything else you want as well.
"Here's my secret no-fly list." This is from Dave in Japan. "Richard Simmons, Ricky Martin, anyone wearing a backward baseball hat, Bryant Gumbel, and all rappers except Snoop Dogg, because he rolls with bling-bling Cafferty."
I don't know what that last part means, but I think it's good.
Mike in Las Vegas, Nevada: "You should be on the list for asking this question. It's a secret. The government doesn't want anybody to know."
On the subject of John Kerry versus the group of Swift Boat Veterans of America, Phil writes from Madison: "The coverage of the Swift Boat Veterans is important, and I applaud you. However, where is the coverage about moveon.org and Michael Moore, especially regarding the inflammatory accusations, e.g. Bush as Hitler, et cetera, made there?"
And on the subject of the rising cost of oil: "Now that oil is over $48 a barrel, are there any plans to reopen the oil shale mining and processing facilities in this country? I was involved in these facilities from an engineering and construction standpoint, and at that time we could produce oil from shale for $40 a barrel."
We invite you to join me this weekend for "IN THE MONEY." In a time of war, political spin is kicking into high gear big time, particularly when it comes to the candidates' military records. But some of our most important presidents in the past never heard a gunshot, didn't wear a uniform.
We'll look at American presidents and their military records and see if we can make a connection with the military records versus what makes a good president.
"IN THE MONEY" airs weekends Saturday at 1:00., Sunday at 3:00. We invite you to join us.
COLLINS: Do we get to add our people to your list?
CAFFERTY: Which people? Yes. Who do you want on the list?
COLLINS: Britney Spears.
HEMMER: Really? Why?
COLLINS: Paris Hilton. I don't know.
CAFFERTY: There you go. See?
COLLINS: Did you hear about her dog?
CAFFERTY: Whose dog?
COLLINS: Paris Hilton's dog? She lost her dog for a while. It got 360 broadcast mentions in 36 hours.
CAFFERTY: Did she get it back?
COLLINS: Yes, Tinkerbell is the name.
CAFFERTY: So, two dogs were reunited?
COLLINS: Wow! I didn't say that!
CAFFERTY: The headline on that story.
COLLINS: All right.
Still to come this morning, Clinton versus Clinton. Whose book is selling more copies, Bill's or Hillary's? Stay with us. We'll talk about it, here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: It's "90-Second Pop" for a Friday. And with our pop players today, Jessica Shaw from "Entertainment Weekly," Josh Elliott from "Sports Illustrated," and comedian Jessi Klein, a contributor to VH-1.
Hey, guys. How are you?
JESSICA SHAW, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": Hello.
COLLINS: OK, Jessi, we're going to start with you.
JESSI KLEIN, COMEDIAN, VH-1 CONTRIBUTOR: All right.
COLLINS: Because this could be potentially huge news.
KLEIN: It's very important.
COLLINS: Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, getting married?
KLEIN: Well, here's the thing that we have to remember. I do believe that the rumors are true, and I do...
COLLINS: You're dodging the question.
KLEIN: I think that he proposed. But we have to remember that in Hollywood when people get engaged, that means it's basically they're politely agreeing that in the next, like, 12 months they're going to break up.
JOSH ELLIOTT, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": Yes.
COLLINS: Ah!
KLEIN: Preferably after they've spent millions of dollars that they can't get back.
SHAW: I'm kind of hoping...
COLLINS: OK, so is this a PR stunt then?
SHAW: Well, I kind of hope that she wears a dress that he can just tear off and reveal a little something for the wedding guests.
ELLIOTT: I think this might be also Justin trying to distract us from the fact that it looks like 'N Sync is no more. And so...
SHAW: Right.
COLLINS: Oh, I see. But I mean, just a few weeks ago there was talk of Justin's infidelity.
SHAW: Yes, the trouser snake debacle, if you will.
KLEIN: And that is a debacle.
SHAW: Yes. KLEIN: Apparently that's his nickname, trouser snake.
SHAW: Yes.
COLLINS: Oh, good.
ELLIOTT: That lady should...
COLLINS: I think we should probably leave that right there.
KLEIN: Yes, don't touch it!
COLLINS: OK.
KLEIN: The idea or it.
COLLINS: Jessica, let's talk for a second about Elvis Presley.
SHAW: A much more G-rated thing.
COLLINS: Yes. It's the 27th anniversary, though, of his death.
SHAW: Yes.
COLLINS: And now, you know, very close that time we're going to see this new musical called "All Shook Up?"
SHAW: Yes, "All Shook Up." It's a musical, and it is about a mysterious man in a leather jacket who goes to sort of rural American towns and shows everyone the power of rock 'n' roll, and how much love dancing can bring into your life.
ELLIOTT: But I think...
COLLINS: OK.
ELLIOTT: I think this is the perfect Nathan Lane/Matthew Broderick vehicle. You have your skinny Elvis, your fat Elvis.
KLEIN: Right, right, right.
ELLIOTT: It would sell out.
COLLINS: That's a great idea.
SHAW: I mean, it's a great idea anyway, because Elvis fans are rabid. But I don't know. I mean, I feel like, please do better, Broadway.
KLEIN: But here's thing. You can buy an Elvis CD for, like, 10.99 at Tower. I mean, I'm not shilling for them. I'm just saying why spend $60 on a Broadway ticket? I don't know.
SHAW: The dancing, the dancing.
ELLIOTT: Oh, come on. The wonder of musical theater? COLLINS: Now wait a minute. I mean, there was serious success with "Mama Mia" and Abba, you know. I mean, that went...
SHAW: And "Movin' Out" did OK, you know, for Billy Joel.
COLLINS: Yes.
KLEIN: If "Mama Mia" is doing well and people are going to pay that much to see Abba stuff, it makes me think I could just go play a tambourine and do it on Broadway.
SHAW: I would give 60 bucks for that.
ELLIOTT: Or they should be $1,000 a ticket for Elvis. I mean, really, it goes one way or the other, yes.
COLLINS: All right. Josh, your turn now. Let's talk a little bit about the Clinton book war, if you will.
ELLIOTT: Yes.
COLLINS: Hillary Clinton, it seems like she's going to be the winner there. I have got some numbers. She has sold a total of 1,001,262 since its release. I'm sorry, that was Bill. And Hillary has sold 1,121,340.
ELLIOTT: Right.
COLLINS: Same number of weeks in release here.
ELLIOTT: Well, I mean, what you can -- two things. No. 1, it's a clear runaway for Hillary. And...
COLLINS: And her book is shorter.
ELLIOTT: And I think what you also see, I think Bill's book snuck up on us. I think the man needs a publicist. I don't think we knew it was coming out.
COLLINS: Oh, come on.
ELLIOTT: And...
SHAW: Well...
ELLIOTT: No, here's the thing. I just think we wanted to know, ultimately, those five extra people really wanted to know Hillary's side of the only story that really matters here.
You know, Bill is like a -- he's an animate human foil. All he is, you know, sort of our humanist at-large. She was a bit robotic. So, we kind of -- we were interested in what she had to say about the whole thing.
SHAW: I kind of think that her publicist put this out just as she's like, ha, ha, Bill. My book sold better. KLEIN: Well, what I see, I think it's really the nature of the books. I think Hillary, it's like an involved interesting story. You kind of have to read it and take it home. Bill's book, the only part we want to know about is, like, 10 pages. You can kind of read it in the store.
COLLINS: Was it only 10 pages?
ELLIOTT: Page 755.
KLEIN: Well, it's that one section of Bill's life that we're particularly interested in, and I think you can kind of...
SHAW: Does it involve a trouser snake?
KLEIN: I think it might.
ELLIOTT: Oh, that's a good point. And you did can get in to Barnes & Noble, not that I'm shilling for them. But read those 10 pages and then get out, absolutely.
COLLINS: Yes, I mean, I think some people would say Bill's book maybe offered a little bit more history, and Hillary's was a little bit more of the human side to the whole thing.
SHAW: Bill's book as a musical, cute.
ELLIOTT: A Nathan Lane vehicle for sure.
KLEIN: Bill's has got more details.
COLLINS: I don't want to know what the name of that musical could be. There's a common theme going on here. All right, you guys. Jessi, by the way, just made -- we want to let you know this -- "Rolling Stone's" annual hot list.
ELLIOTT: Oh!
SHAW: You're so hot!
ELLIOTT: Hey!
COLLINS: Money girl.
KLEIN: Thank you.
COLLINS: Not that we're shilling for her or anything.
KLEIN: The check's in the mail. The check's in the mail.
COLLINS: You, guys, thanks so much as always on this Friday. Jessica Shaw, Josh Elliott and Jessi Klein.
Bill -- back over to you.
HEMMER: It simmers when it's hot, that's right. In a moment here, we're going to get you back to Iraq. But before we go there and return to the fighting in Najaf, I want to continue to lighten things up here.
In Athens now, one week down, one to go. Michael Holmes reporting now so far so good in terms of security. And the game themselves are pretty competitive, too.
Here's Michael Holmes in Athens today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For months the world and the IOC had watched a snail's pace preparation for the Athens Olympics, while Greeks all the time said, don't worry. The opening ceremony proved the Greeks right. Athens 2004 started with a high-tech journey through the ages, and it seemed a nation breathed a sigh of relief.
American teenager Michael Phelps arrived with the hype saying he could win eight gold medals. He won't, probably was never going to, but four gold, two bronze and two events to go isn't all bad.
The U.S. dream team arrived with the usual hype and promptly lost to lowly Puerto Rico.
And what would the games be without the requisite doping scandal. Two Greek icons withdraw after missing a test. Weight lifters the latest to test positive.
On the streets, tourist numbers are down in a city under extraordinary security measures. And in the stadiums, plenty of empty seats, although no shortage of official optimism for week two.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People will be coming back. They will be buying tickets. And as the competition grows in excitement, as more medals are won, as the best teams continue to move forward, of course, we'll be seeing a big increase in ticket sales.
HOLMES: Many Athenians are on vacation this week. Next week, many return, hopefully to fill those seats, and perhaps to cheer on the Iraqi soccer team. Could there be a more heartwarming story from the first week of these games? A 2-1 record in their group and headed for the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, the dog days of summer make for an Athens reveling in its first Olympics since the modern games began right here 108 years ago. Let the games continue.
Michael Holmes, CNN, Athens.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: So, so far, the U.S. on the medal count leads with 35, China quickly behind the U.S. with 30, and Russia trails in third now with 22. Let's get a break. Here in a moment, Joe Piscapo, is he serious this time? Is he following in the footsteps of Arnold Schwarzenegger in his home state of New Jersey? Back in a moment here, top of the hour on a Friday edition of AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired August 20, 2004 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Just about half past the hour now on this AMERICAN MORNING.
We, of course, are continuing to watch the situation in Najaf where U.S. and Iraqi forces are still trading fire with Muqtada al- Sadr's militia. In a moment, we will hear from a U.S. Army battalion commander based there in Najaf. We'll see what the situation is like down on the ground.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also, a pretrial hearing in the Michael Jackson matter resumes again today. Yesterday, jurors hearing testimony from the stepfather of the accuser. He talked about a payoff offered by one of Jackson's people. Lisa Bloom from Court TV stops in, in a few minutes, on that.
COLLINS: Also, of course, we've got "90-Second Pop" today. Former President Clinton made a big sales push for his new memoirs. But was it enough to make him the winner in the Clinton book war? Our pop panel is going to be talking about that.
But for now, we're going to go back to Iraq, where a spokesman for Muqtada al-Sadr says the cleric's militia would work to free a French-American journalist reported kidnapped in Iraq, but says they do not know where he is being held.
A militant group has threatened to kill Micah Garen unless U.S. forces leave Najaf, where al-Sadr's army is battling Iraq and U.S. forces. Garen was kidnapped, along with his Iraqi translator, last Friday in a busy market in Nasiriyah.
Again, 7:30 right now. It's time for a look at some of today's other news with Betty Nguyen.
Betty -- good morning once again.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, Heidi.
And speaking of Iraq, explosions and gunfire ripped through Najaf as heavy fighting in the Iraqi city continued overnight. Meanwhile, in Fallujah, U.S. airstrikes targeted sites that were firing on American forces. Military sources say an Iraqi weapons depot was likely hit. At least five Iraqis were killed. More on that situation in Iraq and a live interview with Ambassador Yahya Mahmassani in the next half-hour.
Now to Ohio. Firefighters there continue to battle a five-alarm blaze that has destroyed parts of a 400,000-square-foot warehouse in Cincinnati. The fire broke out yesterday in a building used to store industrial barrels. Explosions were reported and thick, black smoke could be seen for miles, prompting officials to warn residents. Environmental tests revealed no early indications of a chemical hazard. No injuries have been reported.
In Wyoming, eastbound Interstate 80 is expected to remain closed this morning after more than 30 vehicles collided in a massive pileup. A fiery chain reaction involving 33 vehicles left one person dead and at least 34 injured. Police say it appears speeding combined with wet roads and foggy conditions were the cause.
And in Florida, hundreds of trucks packed with ice and water are ready for distribution to victims of Hurricane Charley, but FEMA says the trucks are tied up in red tape and can't be unloaded until authorities find government-approved warehouse space. Some of the trucks have been waiting more than three days. Not a good thing when we're talking about ice, Bill. Florida folks don't needed to hear this kind of news.
HEMMER: Indeed you're right. Hopefully those trucks are refrigerated, too. Betty, thanks for that. See you next hour.
Michael Jackson has some issues. With the latest media depiction of him and his family, releasing a statement yesterday on his Web site in part saying, the most recent unauthorized version of my life story, "Man in the Mirror," in no way, shape or form represents who we are as a family. It is unfortunate that for years we have been targets of completely inaccurate and false portrayals.
It continued by saying, we have watched as we have been vilified and humiliated.
Meanwhile, at a pretrial hearing yesterday, there was testimony from the stepfather of the boy accusing Jackson of child molestation. And Court TV's Lisa Bloom is back with us today here in New York.
Good morning to you.
LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Good morning.
HEMMER: Help me get this right now. The stepfather was on the stand yesterday.
BLOOM: Right.
HEMMER: How did he do for either the prosecution or the defense with his testimony?
BLOOM: Well, he said some surprising things that I don't think helps his family. Namely that when Michael Jackson's people came to the boy and asked him to make a tape, a rebuttal tape saying positive things about Jackson, his first response was, well, what are you offering; i.e., how much money is my family going to get from that?
Then there was some discussion where the Jackson people offered a college education, a house, and some other, you know, pretty substantial items to the family. And this man said that he wanted more.
This is damaging stuff for the accuser's family. It's coming from his own stepfather.
HEMMER: It could cut both ways. I mean, perhaps he's coercing to try to see what he can get from the Jackson family, and the Jackson family is trying to keep quiet.
BLOOM: Well, it's just like the Kobe Bryant case, though. If there's an economic motive for a criminal allegation that is very, very damaging to the prosecution's side. And so far, the boy and his family have said, we haven't asked for a dime. We're not filing a civil lawsuit. We don't want any money. The defense has said this is all about money.
This is some information. It's only preliminary. It's only a pretrial hearing, but that does help the defense.
HEMMER: Break down these tapes. It's my understanding there is a videotape...
BLOOM: Yes.
HEMMER: ... that deals with how the police went through Neverland Ranch with its search warrants. And then there's an audiotape that deals with what you just talked about, the coercion.
BLOOM: Yes, yesterday in court, I think a lot observers' eyes were popping out at a videotape of Michael Jackson's home decorating, including nude statues of children and a lot of gaudy stuff. But ultimately probably not all that significant to the case.
What is important is this crucial audiotape of the boy saying very positive things about Jackson after the Bashir documentary that started this whole mess.
Now, the question is: Was that coerced? That's what the prosecution says in their conspiracy claims. The defense is going to use that to say, look, here is the boy saying nice things about Jackson. Obviously, he wasn't molested.
HEMMER: Well, the defense wants some of this stuff quashed...
BLOOM: That's right.
HEMMER: ... and never entered. Have they made progress?
BLOOM: I think that they have. The judge hasn't ruled yet in this hearing. But what they're trying to show is this investigator was working for an attorney, and therefore all of the evidence is privileged. The D.A. had no right to go in there and try to get these items.
What I can't understand is why the defense wants to quash this audiotape, because it's so helpful to them. I think what they want ultimately is control over the audiotape. They want to decide if it's going to come in to trial or not. If they win this pretrial hearing that's what they'll win: control.
HEMMER: Let me jump down to this claim that Jackson made on "60 Minutes," that he was mishandled by police. You read the police report.
BLOOM: I have.
HEMMER: How do you interpret it?
BLOOM: Yes, the California attorney general issued a report, a three-page report. They said they interviewed hundreds of witnesses. They spent hundreds of hours on it. And ultimately it was completely unfounded, that Michael Jackson's allegations that he was man-handled had no basis, in fact.
Michael Jackson did not cooperate with that investigation. He refused to give a statement; nevertheless, inmates in the jail were interviewed. His chiropractor was interviewed. And the police found it was completely without merit.
HEMMER: When I introduced you, we read a statement on the Web site of Michael Jackson that was put out yesterday.
BLOOM: Yes.
HEMMER: I thought there was a gag order in place. Is there not? Is that legal or...
BLOOM: Good question. There is a gag order that prevents Michael Jackson from talking publicly about the case. That statement was really a response to the VH-1 movie, and the judge gave him permission to issue that.
HEMMER: OK. Lisa, thanks.
BLOOM: Thanks, Bill. Take care.
HEMMER: More today. Good to see you. Lisa Bloom from Court TV.
BLOOM: Have a good weekend.
HEMMER: All right, you do the same -- Heidi.
COLLINS: We want to go back to Chad Myers now to get a check on the weather for this weekend and take a look at things all across country.
(WEATHER BREAK)
COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, one airline may leave its employees with some pension pain. We'll talk about that in just a moment.
HEMMER: Also, are Cameron and Justin headed for the altar? "90- Second Pop" is straight ahead here on a Friday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone.
United Airlines is bankrupt already. It looks like pensions are the next thing to go there.
Gerri Willis working for Andy today, "Minding Your Business."
Good morning.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hey.
HEMMER: More tough news for that sector.
WILLIS: Yes. This is really, really sad. This could be the largest pension fund failure in history, guys. Check it out. We're looking at United Airlines. They are in chapter 11, and they say we can't get out unless we're relieved of this pension fund burden. They owe $8.3 billion over the long-term for all of their pension fund obligations.
Now, here's what's going to happen to those people, and there are about 119,000 retirees involved in this. That's the number of people who stand to lose some money, at least already in retirement.
The feds steps in. Something called the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation steps in. They pay for this, but they can't cover the whole bill. There's still going to be a shortfall of almost $2 billion.
HEMMER: Wow! That's at United?
WILLIS: Yes.
HEMMER: US Air has got problems.
WILLIS: Yes.
HEMMER: And Delta has got problems.
WILLIS: You name it, all of these companies are suffering now. Lots of competition, higher oil prices. 9/11, of course, stole from their business.
US Air is asking pilots to take a cut in pay here, almost 17 percent. They're trying to save money as well. They say they'll get $300 million from those savings, another 500 million from salary cuts they've given other employees. It's just not looking pretty for the airline industry.
HEMMER: Well, what is your sense about how long this lasts with this instability with these major carriers?
WILLIS: Well, the problem is there is never any clear resolution, because the government steps in sometimes when these companies are in trouble. So, companies that otherwise might go away, new ones sprout up. That never happen, because you have the government stepping in and keeping some of these companies on life support.
HEMMER: But you remember when TWA had its problems. That company lingered for a long time before it actually had to shut down.
WILLIS: Absolutely, yes. Well, this could go on some time. Absolutely.
HEMMER: Thank you, Gerri.
WILLIS: You're welcome.
HEMMER: All right -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Checking in with Jack now and the "Question of the Day."
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Heidi.
It's a wonderful thing when the people who spend their entire lives creating the bureaucracy that ensnares us all get caught up in it themselves.
Guess who was on the government's no-fly list and couldn't get off for weeks? Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, that's who. He tried to get on a flight from Boston to Washington. He was stopped, and they said we can't let you on the airplane. He wasn't told why.
Then when he tried to come back, they told him the same thing. It happened three times before they finally got it sorted out. His name had been placed on this no-fly list.
And since it's Friday and we tend to lighten things up a little, we're asking who should be on the government's secret no fly list besides Kennedy? Well, I'm not suggesting that he should be on there, but he was on there. And you can write about anything else you want as well.
"Here's my secret no-fly list." This is from Dave in Japan. "Richard Simmons, Ricky Martin, anyone wearing a backward baseball hat, Bryant Gumbel, and all rappers except Snoop Dogg, because he rolls with bling-bling Cafferty."
I don't know what that last part means, but I think it's good.
Mike in Las Vegas, Nevada: "You should be on the list for asking this question. It's a secret. The government doesn't want anybody to know."
On the subject of John Kerry versus the group of Swift Boat Veterans of America, Phil writes from Madison: "The coverage of the Swift Boat Veterans is important, and I applaud you. However, where is the coverage about moveon.org and Michael Moore, especially regarding the inflammatory accusations, e.g. Bush as Hitler, et cetera, made there?"
And on the subject of the rising cost of oil: "Now that oil is over $48 a barrel, are there any plans to reopen the oil shale mining and processing facilities in this country? I was involved in these facilities from an engineering and construction standpoint, and at that time we could produce oil from shale for $40 a barrel."
We invite you to join me this weekend for "IN THE MONEY." In a time of war, political spin is kicking into high gear big time, particularly when it comes to the candidates' military records. But some of our most important presidents in the past never heard a gunshot, didn't wear a uniform.
We'll look at American presidents and their military records and see if we can make a connection with the military records versus what makes a good president.
"IN THE MONEY" airs weekends Saturday at 1:00., Sunday at 3:00. We invite you to join us.
COLLINS: Do we get to add our people to your list?
CAFFERTY: Which people? Yes. Who do you want on the list?
COLLINS: Britney Spears.
HEMMER: Really? Why?
COLLINS: Paris Hilton. I don't know.
CAFFERTY: There you go. See?
COLLINS: Did you hear about her dog?
CAFFERTY: Whose dog?
COLLINS: Paris Hilton's dog? She lost her dog for a while. It got 360 broadcast mentions in 36 hours.
CAFFERTY: Did she get it back?
COLLINS: Yes, Tinkerbell is the name.
CAFFERTY: So, two dogs were reunited?
COLLINS: Wow! I didn't say that!
CAFFERTY: The headline on that story.
COLLINS: All right.
Still to come this morning, Clinton versus Clinton. Whose book is selling more copies, Bill's or Hillary's? Stay with us. We'll talk about it, here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COLLINS: It's "90-Second Pop" for a Friday. And with our pop players today, Jessica Shaw from "Entertainment Weekly," Josh Elliott from "Sports Illustrated," and comedian Jessi Klein, a contributor to VH-1.
Hey, guys. How are you?
JESSICA SHAW, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": Hello.
COLLINS: OK, Jessi, we're going to start with you.
JESSI KLEIN, COMEDIAN, VH-1 CONTRIBUTOR: All right.
COLLINS: Because this could be potentially huge news.
KLEIN: It's very important.
COLLINS: Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, getting married?
KLEIN: Well, here's the thing that we have to remember. I do believe that the rumors are true, and I do...
COLLINS: You're dodging the question.
KLEIN: I think that he proposed. But we have to remember that in Hollywood when people get engaged, that means it's basically they're politely agreeing that in the next, like, 12 months they're going to break up.
JOSH ELLIOTT, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED": Yes.
COLLINS: Ah!
KLEIN: Preferably after they've spent millions of dollars that they can't get back.
SHAW: I'm kind of hoping...
COLLINS: OK, so is this a PR stunt then?
SHAW: Well, I kind of hope that she wears a dress that he can just tear off and reveal a little something for the wedding guests.
ELLIOTT: I think this might be also Justin trying to distract us from the fact that it looks like 'N Sync is no more. And so...
SHAW: Right.
COLLINS: Oh, I see. But I mean, just a few weeks ago there was talk of Justin's infidelity.
SHAW: Yes, the trouser snake debacle, if you will.
KLEIN: And that is a debacle.
SHAW: Yes. KLEIN: Apparently that's his nickname, trouser snake.
SHAW: Yes.
COLLINS: Oh, good.
ELLIOTT: That lady should...
COLLINS: I think we should probably leave that right there.
KLEIN: Yes, don't touch it!
COLLINS: OK.
KLEIN: The idea or it.
COLLINS: Jessica, let's talk for a second about Elvis Presley.
SHAW: A much more G-rated thing.
COLLINS: Yes. It's the 27th anniversary, though, of his death.
SHAW: Yes.
COLLINS: And now, you know, very close that time we're going to see this new musical called "All Shook Up?"
SHAW: Yes, "All Shook Up." It's a musical, and it is about a mysterious man in a leather jacket who goes to sort of rural American towns and shows everyone the power of rock 'n' roll, and how much love dancing can bring into your life.
ELLIOTT: But I think...
COLLINS: OK.
ELLIOTT: I think this is the perfect Nathan Lane/Matthew Broderick vehicle. You have your skinny Elvis, your fat Elvis.
KLEIN: Right, right, right.
ELLIOTT: It would sell out.
COLLINS: That's a great idea.
SHAW: I mean, it's a great idea anyway, because Elvis fans are rabid. But I don't know. I mean, I feel like, please do better, Broadway.
KLEIN: But here's thing. You can buy an Elvis CD for, like, 10.99 at Tower. I mean, I'm not shilling for them. I'm just saying why spend $60 on a Broadway ticket? I don't know.
SHAW: The dancing, the dancing.
ELLIOTT: Oh, come on. The wonder of musical theater? COLLINS: Now wait a minute. I mean, there was serious success with "Mama Mia" and Abba, you know. I mean, that went...
SHAW: And "Movin' Out" did OK, you know, for Billy Joel.
COLLINS: Yes.
KLEIN: If "Mama Mia" is doing well and people are going to pay that much to see Abba stuff, it makes me think I could just go play a tambourine and do it on Broadway.
SHAW: I would give 60 bucks for that.
ELLIOTT: Or they should be $1,000 a ticket for Elvis. I mean, really, it goes one way or the other, yes.
COLLINS: All right. Josh, your turn now. Let's talk a little bit about the Clinton book war, if you will.
ELLIOTT: Yes.
COLLINS: Hillary Clinton, it seems like she's going to be the winner there. I have got some numbers. She has sold a total of 1,001,262 since its release. I'm sorry, that was Bill. And Hillary has sold 1,121,340.
ELLIOTT: Right.
COLLINS: Same number of weeks in release here.
ELLIOTT: Well, I mean, what you can -- two things. No. 1, it's a clear runaway for Hillary. And...
COLLINS: And her book is shorter.
ELLIOTT: And I think what you also see, I think Bill's book snuck up on us. I think the man needs a publicist. I don't think we knew it was coming out.
COLLINS: Oh, come on.
ELLIOTT: And...
SHAW: Well...
ELLIOTT: No, here's the thing. I just think we wanted to know, ultimately, those five extra people really wanted to know Hillary's side of the only story that really matters here.
You know, Bill is like a -- he's an animate human foil. All he is, you know, sort of our humanist at-large. She was a bit robotic. So, we kind of -- we were interested in what she had to say about the whole thing.
SHAW: I kind of think that her publicist put this out just as she's like, ha, ha, Bill. My book sold better. KLEIN: Well, what I see, I think it's really the nature of the books. I think Hillary, it's like an involved interesting story. You kind of have to read it and take it home. Bill's book, the only part we want to know about is, like, 10 pages. You can kind of read it in the store.
COLLINS: Was it only 10 pages?
ELLIOTT: Page 755.
KLEIN: Well, it's that one section of Bill's life that we're particularly interested in, and I think you can kind of...
SHAW: Does it involve a trouser snake?
KLEIN: I think it might.
ELLIOTT: Oh, that's a good point. And you did can get in to Barnes & Noble, not that I'm shilling for them. But read those 10 pages and then get out, absolutely.
COLLINS: Yes, I mean, I think some people would say Bill's book maybe offered a little bit more history, and Hillary's was a little bit more of the human side to the whole thing.
SHAW: Bill's book as a musical, cute.
ELLIOTT: A Nathan Lane vehicle for sure.
KLEIN: Bill's has got more details.
COLLINS: I don't want to know what the name of that musical could be. There's a common theme going on here. All right, you guys. Jessi, by the way, just made -- we want to let you know this -- "Rolling Stone's" annual hot list.
ELLIOTT: Oh!
SHAW: You're so hot!
ELLIOTT: Hey!
COLLINS: Money girl.
KLEIN: Thank you.
COLLINS: Not that we're shilling for her or anything.
KLEIN: The check's in the mail. The check's in the mail.
COLLINS: You, guys, thanks so much as always on this Friday. Jessica Shaw, Josh Elliott and Jessi Klein.
Bill -- back over to you.
HEMMER: It simmers when it's hot, that's right. In a moment here, we're going to get you back to Iraq. But before we go there and return to the fighting in Najaf, I want to continue to lighten things up here.
In Athens now, one week down, one to go. Michael Holmes reporting now so far so good in terms of security. And the game themselves are pretty competitive, too.
Here's Michael Holmes in Athens today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For months the world and the IOC had watched a snail's pace preparation for the Athens Olympics, while Greeks all the time said, don't worry. The opening ceremony proved the Greeks right. Athens 2004 started with a high-tech journey through the ages, and it seemed a nation breathed a sigh of relief.
American teenager Michael Phelps arrived with the hype saying he could win eight gold medals. He won't, probably was never going to, but four gold, two bronze and two events to go isn't all bad.
The U.S. dream team arrived with the usual hype and promptly lost to lowly Puerto Rico.
And what would the games be without the requisite doping scandal. Two Greek icons withdraw after missing a test. Weight lifters the latest to test positive.
On the streets, tourist numbers are down in a city under extraordinary security measures. And in the stadiums, plenty of empty seats, although no shortage of official optimism for week two.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People will be coming back. They will be buying tickets. And as the competition grows in excitement, as more medals are won, as the best teams continue to move forward, of course, we'll be seeing a big increase in ticket sales.
HOLMES: Many Athenians are on vacation this week. Next week, many return, hopefully to fill those seats, and perhaps to cheer on the Iraqi soccer team. Could there be a more heartwarming story from the first week of these games? A 2-1 record in their group and headed for the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, the dog days of summer make for an Athens reveling in its first Olympics since the modern games began right here 108 years ago. Let the games continue.
Michael Holmes, CNN, Athens.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: So, so far, the U.S. on the medal count leads with 35, China quickly behind the U.S. with 30, and Russia trails in third now with 22. Let's get a break. Here in a moment, Joe Piscapo, is he serious this time? Is he following in the footsteps of Arnold Schwarzenegger in his home state of New Jersey? Back in a moment here, top of the hour on a Friday edition of AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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