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CNN Saturday Morning News
North Korea Test-Fires Seven Missiles; Palin's Resignation is a Head-Scratcher; Biden Visits U.S. Troops, Meets Officials in Iraq; Powerful Sedative Found in Michael Jackson's Home
Aired July 04, 2009 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, from the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Happy Fourth of July to you all. I'm T.J.
And what do we have here?
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks for having me.
Good morning, T.J., and to you as well. I'm Brooke Baldwin, in for Betty Nguyen this weekend. Happy Fourth to you, by the way. Thank you for starting your holiday weekend with us.
HOLMES: Yes.
BALDWIN: Bright and early.
But we have a lot of news going on this holiday weekend.
HOLMES: Yes, we appreciate you being here.
BALDWIN: Thank you.
HOLMES: Thank you for being here with us. Pleasure to have you. And you'll...
BALDWIN: Let's get going.
HOLMES: You'll get to know Brooke a lot this morning, of course.
But we have something to talk about in North Korea. We thought this might happen, and lo and behold, it has. And it seems like the rockets just keep on coming here.
We're talking about seven missiles now is the total. We are hearing that North Korea has test-fired, the latest we got, about an hour ago. Many of you, when you went to bed, we thought there were just two missiles that were test-fired. But now, just in the past hour, it has gone up to seven. These missiles have a range of about 310 miles, we do believe.
Now, the South is calling the launches a provocative act.
We want to Sohn Jie-Ae, who is in Seoul for us.
Jie-Ae, hello to you. We got more launches, and the launches are coming on an American holiday, the Fourth of July. What message are they trying to send here?
SOHN JIE-AE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning. We're trying to figure that out. And it -- what we're trying to also figure out is when they're going to stop launching these rockets. We've had, in the past about 10 hours, one every couple of hours. And the South Korean officials that we talked to say they can't say when the North Koreans will stop.
Now it is -- seems that when North Korean fires such an unusual amount of rockets, especially on the Fourth of July, which they know is a -- is a big celebration in the United States, many analysts think that this is a message they're trying to the United States, that on this -- on this day that means so much to the United States, that North Korea wants to say that they are very dissatisfied with the way that Washington is pressuring the North Korean to go back on its nuclear-weapons program, and that they want -- that it wants North Korea to comply to international regulations.
So North Korea is not happy, and this seems to be the way that they're showing it.
HOLMES: All right. And have we heard -- have we gotten, Jie-Ae, yet, any response, or much response from the world community just yet?
SOHN: Not yet. The South Koreans are saying it is a provocative act, and they are very disappointed. And it is a clear violation of the U.N. Security Council resolution against North Korea.
But for the rest of the world, I'm sure a lot of them are looking at this with great apprehension.
HOLMES: All right. Sohn Jie-Ae for us in Seoul. Sohn Jie-Ae, we will talking to you plenty this morning. Thank you so much.
BALDWIN: Well, two U.S. soldiers were killed in Afghanistan today when Taliban forces attacked a base in Paktika Province. There's the map for you; you can see where all this is happening.
The attacks started when the Taliban detonated a truck full of explosives. We're told four other Americans were wounded. An Afghan official says more than 30 Taliban fighters were killed.
And as you may know, U.S. Marines have been fighting to oust the Taliban in this particular part of the country, the southeastern part, ever since Thursday. And we want to pause just to give you a feel of what things might look like, what they might sound like, from the front line of fighting.
Watch and listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNSHOTS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
(GUNSHOTS)
(SHOUTING)
(GUNSHOUTS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My (INAUDIBLE) is not there (ph). My (INAUDIBLE) is not there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you mean? A bridge? (ph)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: The combat video coming to us from the U.S. Defense Department.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is in Iraq this morning. He's been there ever since Thursday. And what he's doing is he's meeting with Iraqi officials to underscore to Washington's commitment to reducing U.S. forces there in Iraq.
But he's also celebrating American Independence Day there with U.S. troops. And we should hear from the vice president a little later this morning.
HOLMES: All right. We are used to, I guess, expecting the unexpected when it comes to Governor Palin.
BALDWIN: Yes, we are.
HOLMES: But nobody saw this one coming. The Alaska governor says she is not only not going to seek re-election, but she's actually going to resign the office.
BALDWIN: She's quitting her post by the end of the month, we're hearing.
HOLMES: Essentially quitting, yes.
BALDWIN: That's what we're hearing.
Palin says she is transferring authority to Alaska's lieutenant governor at the end of the month.
Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley reports Palin's announcement caught a lot of both Democrats and Republicans by surprise.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The governor of Alaska flummoxed the political world from her backyard in Wasilla, goin' out Palin style.
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), ALASKA: Only dead fish go with the flow.
CROWLEY: She's quitting her job. What's that about? Pretty much a dealer's choice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sounds like perhaps she's trying to keep her options open for 2012.
CROWLEY: Free of her job, Palin could bulk up her coffers with speaking fees and a book deal, and roam freely in the Lower 48, making friends and meeting people with influence in the political system.
But she could be doing a 180. A source close to the family thinks Palin's done with politics and wants to be with her kids. A hint of that when the governor mentioned her youngest son, Trig, who has Down syndrome.
PALIN: I know he needs me. But I know that I need him even more. And when a child can't (ph) offer to set priorities right, know that time is precious.
CROWLEY: It was a pretty curious, unreadable event. A holiday- weekend press conference called so hastily most reporters couldn't get there in time.
PALIN: I just want to say hi to Alaska.
CROWLEY: Palin was expected to say she wouldn't run for a second term, but to walk with...
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right. Want to jump in here and show you this. We're just getting this video in. You see there. On the left you can see -- he's got to back to you. There you see his face now, the Vice President of the United States Joe Biden, on a surprise visit, as these always have to be, to -- to Baghdad. But this is new video we're just getting in, meeting at Camp Victory in Baghdad with some American soldiers there.
He is there, of course -- he's really the point person for the administration on Iraq policy. And this is his first trip over since essentially getting that role.
But the vice president, we're expecting to hear from him shortly. He's going to be making some remarks there, and we to get that possibly for you live. We're certainly bring it to you when we get it. But this is a new video we got in.
He is -- you can see they have all the -- the pageantry and the -- the pomp and the circumstances and the decorations that come with the Fourth of July. They are celebrating it there as well even though Iraq just celebrated its own Independence Day of sorts, if you will, this Tuesday, when a lot of the -- all of the American soldiers pulled out of the Iraqi cities. And that was essentially seen as a sovereignty day, and big celebrations there in Iraq.
So they had a bit of an Independence Day. But now, it's time for the American soldiers to have their Independence Day, the Fourth of July, even though they do have to spend it in Baghdad. But the vice president there, shaking some hands, greeting the -- the soldiers there and spending the Fourth of July with them, thanking them for what they do. Again, expecting to hear from him shortly. If we do get that live, we'll take his remarks when we get them.
BALDWIN: Moving on, back to the big story of Sarah Palin stepping down by the end of this -- this month. We want to let you know we'll have much more on Sarah Palin's resignation. Later on this morning, Alaska's Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell will be our guest, coming up at 8:15 Eastern time.
And radio talk-show host Joe Madison will be joining us at 9 a.m. And then at 10:00, we will talk with an Anchorage TV anchor, his name is Matt Felling, about the Palin resignation, about what voters are saying in the state of Alaska.
Should be interesting to hear what folks there on the ground in Alaska have to say.
HOLMES: Very curious to hear what they are saying this morning.
But it threw everybody off. It's coming on a Friday right before a holiday weekend.
BALDWIN: Some saying that's a brilliant move, some saying not so much.
HOLMES: Ups and downs. Something's up.
BALDWIN: Yes. Something's going on.
HOLMES: But we -- we're asking you as well, what do you think is up? Yes, we heard her explanation yesterday. But do you think may be behind her stepping down? Whatever your opinion may be, send us your thoughts. We'll get some of those in on the airs.
You know where to find us by now: weekends@CNN.com. And also on Twitter, also on Facebook. Send those in. We'll share them throughout the morning.
BALDWIN: There are some new developments this morning in the Michael Jackson investigation.
Here's what we know: The Associated Press is reporting that police found a powerful anesthetic -- it's called Diprivan -- inside of Jackson's home. Now, Diprivan is used in hospital operating rooms to induce sleep. This is serious, powerful stuff here.
We (ph) also that the cause of his death has not yet been determined. They say toxicology reports shouldn't be back for another few weeks.
Jackson's memorial service is coming up Tuesday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It will be huge; more than 17,000 free tickets are available through a lottery. And we're told winners will be notified tomorrow. Also want to let you know, coming up tonight and tomorrow night, CNN's Don Lemon will be taking an in-depth look at Michael Jackson's life, his legacy, his childhood, his music, his finances and his influence. You won't want to miss this. This is "CNN PRESENTS" special, "Michael Jackson: Man in the Mirror," coming up this weekend at 8 Eastern, only on CNN.
HOLMES: And we just saw that picture we just got in from the vice president over in Baghdad. Well, we're going to go live to Baghdad in about five minutes. Our Michael Ware is there; he's hanging out with some American soldiers as well.
And our Reynolds Wolf, he's hanging out. He's doing a little grilling today.
BALDWIN: I like his job this morning. Reynolds...
HOLMES: Oh, look at this here.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's not a bad gig this morning.
BALDWIN: Oh, he's got the apron on.
WOLF: I know. Well -- well, you know, the sun's coming up here in Atlanta. We got the grill on over here. And -- (INAUDIBLE).
(INAUDIBLE) the temperatures we're going to be showing you in (INAUDIBLE) Texas going back in the 100s. We're going to show you your forecast, what you can expect for the holiday weekend. We're going to be grilling on the grill, (INAUDIBLE) Fourth of July facts that are going to amaze your friends and family.
It's all coming up in a few moments right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
See you in a few.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEC. DANIEL CALDON, U.S. ARMY, MILLERSVILLE, GEORGIA: Hi, may name is Specialist Daniel Caldon, from Millersville, Georgia. I just want to wish my family a happy Fourth of July. And a special message to my wife: I love you, babe. I'll be home soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Well, they were in Afghanistan for an entire year. But a platoon of soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, back home in time for the Fourth.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) HOLMES: And a return to Fort Hood Thursday to a hero's welcome. And among them, a young man by the name of Zachary Boyd. Now, why are we pointing him out? Because he wears pink boxers.
This is how the story goes, folks: He was fighting the Taliban, and he was wearing his pink "I Love New York" boxers...
BALDWIN: There they are.
HOLMES: ...and flip flops.
BALDWIN: Very nice.
HOLMES: There he is. He was asleep. His platoon went under attack. He did not pause; he did not look for pants. He jumped out of bed wearing those boxers and started fighting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEC. ZACHARY BOYD, U.S. ARMY: Just helping out the guys that need help. I just -- that's it. I mean, I'm not -- I'm not too worried about what I'm wearing.
So, I mean, that came after the fact. You know, they were -- they were giving me a hard time about it. But pretty much, any -- any material that you have out there to give somebody a hard time with, you know, it's going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, Boyd says he's had to be home to celebrate the Fourth of July. And I'm sure he's answering questions about why pink boxers are fine. But come on.
BALDWIN: Which, by the way, I'm also hearing from a very fantastic source -- one of our editors yesterday...
HOLMES: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: ...telling me that those boxers will be ending up in some kind of museum in Georgia.
HOLMES: You know they will. You know they will.
BALDWIN: That's what I've -- next assignment.
HOLMES: We'll all line up and go pay to see those boxers.
BALDWIN: There they are.
HOLMES: All right.
Speaking of U.S. troops, in Iraq though, they're keeping the spirit of Independence Day alive.
Our international correspondent Michael Ware with the troops at Camp Hammer just outside Baghdad, where Fourth of July celebrations have kicked off.
Michael, we were talking here just a few minutes ago about Iraq there had essentially their own kind of sovereignty or Independence Day on Tuesday. But the soldiers are celebrating American Independence Day now.
MICHAEL WARE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Exactly right, T.J.
Happy Fourth of July to you, and happy Fourth of July to all the -- the lads of the 82nd Airborne.
We're here at Fob (ph) Hammer, which may you guess from the sandstorm and all the sand, is in the deserts in Iraq.
Right now, we've got a softball game going on, on the Fourth of July tournament for the coveted championship, what would be -- a mug or a rock.
What we've got going on right now is a brigade support battalion is playing the 573rd Cav. And just to give you an idea of what it's like here on Fourth of July, here's a soldier I've prepared earlier, 1st Sgt. Muznicki (ph). He's here with the 82nd Airborne.
Sarge, what's it like, Fourth of July? Happy Fourth of July.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is it. This is what it's like. You can't see about -- what? -- 500 feet in front of you. And this is it -- dusty, sandy Iraq. Hot, too.
WARE: So we're going to have a barbecue, hot dogs. What's going to go on? Fireworks? Hopefully not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, not on this.
WARE: How (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We probably won't last long if we shot up some rockets here.
WARE: So how are the lads celebrating?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we had a -- we will probably have a cookout tonight, and then the softball game all day. And I wish you could film the mess hall; the dining facility is really pimped out with a lot of cool stuff.
WARE: So I saw.
So there's a massive happy Fourth of July cake.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, there is. There is. WARE: And bunting and the whole deal. So...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WARE: At least we're giving it a go, hey?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
WARE: Trying to make it feel like Fourth of July.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are. We are. We're trying to do our best.
WARE: And that's what it's like over here, T.J., from the beautifully sandblown Fob Hammer in southeast Iraq.
HOLMES: Well, we appreciate you showing us that. It's interesting to see Fourth of July in -- in Baghdad and in Iraq. I guess you're limited in what you could do with your fireworks there.
But also, on a serious note here with Joe Biden, tell us about how he's going to -- to wrap up his trip. Is Michael still with me?
WARE: Yes, I'm still here, T.J. It's -- it's a little bit difficult to hear you, but I'm here.
Yes, that's right; the vice president is here in Iraq. He arrived last evening. He has a number of meetings, obviously, as one would expect, with both American commanders on the ground; members of the U.S. mission; the ambassador, Christopher Hill; and of course, with senior Iraqi officials.
We are -- we're -- obviously, we're not told about how they're going or how they're faring. One thing I do know is that because of the -- the arduous conditions here, plans to host several events at the embassy had to be relocated because they weren't able to chopper him across the city.
But just before we go, I want to give the first sarge a chance to -- to give a bit of a shoutout.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd like to say happy Fourth of July to my name, Diane Muznicki (ph). She's probably getting up right now and going to work. I love you very much, and I'll be home soon.
WARE: And that's straight from the heart. You -- I couldn't have said it better myself, T.J.
HOLMES: All right. We are glad we could get that in. We appreciate you dealing with those conditions. I know it's tough to -- to hear and see, Michael. But thank you so much. We'll talk to you guys again soon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Still on?
BALDWIN: Softball in the sand in Iraq and grilling out. Got to love that. We mentioned that vice president Joe Biden -- he got in last night at Camp Victory. It's a Baghdad suburb. And we're hearing that we have some sound from the vice president.
Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, as you see there, that's on -- on tape there. We're going to re-rack that. It just -- essentially, need to hit the rewind button and reset that. And we're going to get that back to you in just a second.
But as she mentioned, he there at Camp Victory making a surprise visit there. And as soon as we get those comments cued back up, we'll bring them to you.
BALDWIN: Second trip to Iraq this year, first as vice president. Essentially tasked by the president to be in charge of Iraq policy. We will wait and see what Mr. VP has to say.
All right. Well, how are dads dealing with this economy? Our resident new dad, Josh Levs, is here with more.
Josh, good morning.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning to you. And hey Brooke, good to have you with us today.
BALDWIN: Thanks.
LEVS: All right. Welcome along.
Here's what we got -- it's pretty cool. It's a panel of dads, and they're going to open up today about whether they'd quit work if they could. Plus, their jealous of stay-at-home moms.
Also, we have a new survey showing a big change in America for stay-at-home dads.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEC. MICHAEL WALKER, U.S. ARMY, GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA: Hi, I'm Specialist Michael Walker from Gainesville, Georgia. I just wanted to wish my family a happy Fourth of July, and I tell them I love them and I miss them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Well, for a lot of families, the July 4 holiday is really the first time in a long time for a vacation, especially though for dads. HOLMES: Yes, people looking for a break, a long weekend will do just fine. A new survey finds many dads are working harder than ever in this economy. And fewer would give up their jobs, even if they could.
Josh Levs looking into that for us.
Good morning to you, Josh.
LEVS: Hey, good morning to you guys.
Yes, it's interesting. Because -- look, we know people are working hard, all right? A lot of people doing the work of two or three people these days. But what this survey finds is -- first of all, let's show you a couple graphics. I want you to see this. It's brand new from CareerBuilder.
First, they're showing that more dads are taking home. Now, that's not shocking, right? It's gone up a little bit, to 31 percent over the last year.
But look at this second statistic that just came out. This shows how many dads would choose to stay home if their spouses could support the family. 2005, it was 49 percent; now it's all the way down to 31 percent. And CareerBuilder says that's because, more than ever, in this economy, dads are focused on their role as -- as providers and really trying to achieve financial stability, really focusing on that.
We gathered a panel of dads to talk about the impact the economy's having on them, including a stay-at-home dad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KJ COPELAND, STAY-AT-HOME FATHER: My business was slow; I'm a corporate recruiter. So it made sense to bring my kids home.
LEVS: How's that going?
COPELAND: It's great. It's fun stuff.
LEVS: Do you guys ever wonder what it would be like if you weren't working and you were a full-time dad?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think I could do it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, they'd have to pay me.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My wife is going to kill me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It'd be tough. It'd be tough.
COPELAND: It's tough.
LEVS: Do you all ever have moments though where you're -- where -- when the situation, where it exists, do you -- where you're a little bit jealous...
LEE MAY, FATHER: Yes.
LEVS: ...of the full-time parent.
MAY: Just the amount of time that she's able to spend with my daughters, and the -- the bond that they seem to have immediately when I come home. And just, you can see the difference in that. And -- and you get a little jealous at times.
JOE CERONE, FATHER: And it's also, you're told a lot about the first things that they've done, you know? Like, just this morning, when he dropped her off at school, she said something the first time that she's never said before. And I missed out on it because I was at work.
LEVS: If a full-time job came along tomorrow, would you want it?
COPELAND: Yes, I definitely want my job back. Or a job back.
LEVS: So even though you love being a full-time dad...
COPELAND: I do.
LEVS: ...you would want to work full time again?
COPELAND: Yes, the goal is to work full time again.
LEVS: What have you learned from this experience as a full-time dad that you didn't know before about full-time parenting?
COPELAND: It's a grind. I mean, it's -- you know, your day starts at 6:30 and ends about 9:30 or 10:00 at night, you know? And I -- I guess, just how much, you know, everybody depends on you, you know? I mean, every minute of the day, it's all about you, you know? Everybody wants something from you.
So, you know, it's -- it's -- takes a little getting used to. There's no quiet time.
LEVS: All right. You know what to know? Which one's harder: Full-time working for someone else, or running your own business or full-time parenting?
COPELAND: Full -- full-time parenting's definitely more of a grind.
LEVS: All right. Who wants to go next, this idea of how the economy may or may not have changed your life as a father?
CERONE: Nowadays, with this economy, there are plenty of irreplaceable people out on the streets without jobs. And when you're a one-income family, and you have three mouths depending on you, it's a lot of stress and a lot of pressure, because you just don't know from day to day in this economy.
LEVS: You're the only one with teenage with kids, right? He's the only one here with teenage kids?
Is it easer to talk to them about this? Is it easier because they're older, to get them to kind of understand with the financial challenges?
ORTEZ GUDE, ENTREPRENEUR: You know, it -- it is.
LEVS: Or is it harder because they're aware of (INAUDIBLE)?
GUDE: You know, it's -- well, no, it's -- it's easier to talk to them about it. But obviously -- I mean, you know, now, being a teenager is much different than it was during any of our time. You know, there's a lot of pressures that they have that we didn't necessarily have, you know?
So when I was growing up, you know, I didn't have the pressure of needing to have the -- you know, the latest, greatest gadget. You know, it's -- it's a bit of a challenge. But it -- but they are also understanding because things are so widely communicated now.
LEVS: Have you talked to them about the economy? Have you sat down and said, 'These are the challenges. This is what's happening. This is how it's affecting us as a family'?
GUDE: We -- we've absolutely sat down and had those -- you know, those conversations.
LEVS: Who else here has done that, as a family? You've done that, KJ. Has any one -- have you all done that?
But you did with your children, including your young children.
COPELAND: Yes. Yes, Deacon (ph) definitely knows.
He -- we were at Walmart the other day, and he looked at this toy and goes, 'Daddy, I'd really like that, but you don't have a job. I can't have it.'
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: And next hour, we're going to hear these same guys talk about comparing themselves to their dads. Are you as good a dad as your dad was? Are you better? Are you worse?
And guys, we have this going on the blog, too. Let's take a look, where everyone can weigh in. You got CNN.com/newsroom; you got Facebook; and twitter.com/joshlevsCNN.
I'll tell you, these guys very open and honest about pretty much everything. Everything. Literally, everything, we talked about (ph).
BALDWIN: That's a tough question. Can you really measure up to your mom and dad? You know, you have so much respect for them, and...
LEVS: And plus, with the changing times, trying to draw that comparison, right?
BALDWIN: Absolutely.
LEVS: You know, how you decide that. Yes, these guys -- you'll see how they finesse it. It's interesting.
HOLMES: Different job (INAUDIBLE).
Josh, we'll see you next hour.
LEVS: Thanks guys.
HOLMES: All right. Thanks, man.
Well, coming up here, the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York -- it was one of the first places Michael Jackson really got it going. And boy, they had it going this week. I was in that room where the party was going on. Also, talked to a historian who was there when Michael Jackson made his New York debut.
Stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, good morning again and welcome back to this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm T.J. Holmes.
BALDWIN: Good morning. I'm Brooke Baldwin, in this Fourth of July for Betty Nguyen. Happy Fourth to you, by the way.
And we are busy, busy...
HOLMES: Yes.
BALDWIN: ...here at CNN. A lot going on news-wise. Let's get going.
HOLMES: And we have some Fourth of July fireworks to tell you about. Not in the U.S., however. North Korea is test firing missile once again and defying the international community. The South, South Korea, saying Pyongyang fired seven short-range missiles toward the Sea of Japan. The latest happened just about an hour ago. North Korea fired four missiles, you may remember, on Thursday. These missiles, short-range, like I say, have a range of about 310 miles.
BALDWIN: It's been closed ever since the September 11th terrorist attacks. Live pictures of beautiful Lady Liberty. And today the Statue of Liberty's crown will reopen. Visitors will be allowed all the way up there, in groups of 10, with the park ranger to check out the view from the tip top. The crown will stay open for the next two years and then close again for renovations.
Take a look at iReport.com for a pretty cool mosaic of Lady Liberty put together with your iReport pictures and videos. We thank you for that. As always, you know, it's an interactive site. So, definitely take a look, iReport.com. HOLMES: A lot of people, as you can imagine, wanted to go to the Michael Jackson memorial at the Staples Center next week. And if you want to go, get in line -- online, actually. More than 17,000 free tickets are being doled out through a lottery on the Staples Center web site. The first 90 minutes that this thing was up, a half billion hits had been logged onto that web site. The deadline for you to register is tonight. You can get still get in line. The winners will then get an e-mail notifying them they got one of those coveted tickets, at some point tomorrow.
Also, they're going to giving out about 17,000, only 11,000 of those people will be allowed inside the Staples Center. The rest of those will go to people who will get a chance to attend a big-screen memorial that is across the street at the Nokia Theater, across from Staples Center. Not everybody is going to get in there.
Of course, Michael Jackson has been performing a long time. He has ties to a lot of different places. One place that is very special to his career is the Apollo Theater in New York, in Harlem. That is where he made his New York debut back in 1967 at the age of nine-years old, with his brothers as a part of the Jackson 5. They won amateur night there. Which Apollo still does the amateur night, every Wednesday.
I was there this week when they did a special tribute to Michael Jackson. I talked to the historian of the Apollo, who was there Michael Jackson made his debut.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILLY MITCHELL, HISTORIAN, APOLLO THEATER: We knew he was special. We knew that the group, the guys, were special. But we didn't know how special they would be. During that time there was a group out called the Five Stairsteps, that were very good, another family group. But when the Jacksons hit the scene, man, I mean, they really took it to a different level. You know? I mean, I remember Five Steps, "Ooh, child." But when the Jacksons came out with "A, B, C," and then started that choreography.
But seeing Michael here the first time as a young kid he was the nucleus of the group. He was the more talented in my opinion. People focused on him because he was so little and so talented. So it was great.
HOLMES: Try to put in perspective for people, it seems like today the Apollo, the black community is reclaiming our guy.
MITCHELL: Yes. But actually, you know, he started here at the Apollo, so Harlem is claiming him as ours. But the world is claiming Michael. Even though he's African-American, the world is claiming him. That's the way Michael would have wanted it. He says it doesn't matter if you're black or white. Michael was sending out social messages to us as he got older. It wasn't about "A, B, C" and tweedly-deedly deet-deet. He's talking about heal the world, make the world a better place for you, and for me. Those were deep, deep thoughts he sent out there. HOLMES: Is that messaged -- or has it been lost the past five days? Of course, some of the stuff that's happened the past 10 years or so, is part of his life, sure. And people remember his music, but some might not remember, necessarily, what he really did to open up doors for other black Americans.
MITCHELL: That's why we have to keep reminding them. See, people have short memories, you know, when it comes to things doing well. But when claims something is bad, you know they want to hop on that. We have to keep reminding people Michael wasn't just an entertainer. He was a humanitarian, he was a philanthropists. He had all of these wonderful things going for him. He wanted to heal the world. I don't know if that was naive of him, but he really felt that he could heal the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Yes, the Apollo, no doubt a special place and something you may have took note of, we have all these "American Idol" and these other shows now. The Apollo was the place, nobody is going to text in who they like best. If they crowd doesn't like you, they are going to boo your butt off stage. You had to be good, right there, at that moment. And he was good and they noticed it.
BALDWIN: 1967 was his debut.
HOLMES: '67, nine years old. Him and his brothers, one amateur night and that was his debut. Really, the Apollo is the epic, the centerpiece, of black culture and arts in this country.
BALDWIN: Absolutely. What was it like being up there this week with all those people?
HOLMES: You know, it was -- it was a celebration. There had been a lot of sadness the previous days, but that was just -- people just gathered to celebrate his life, his career and that music. I was in there for eight hours listening to that music non-stop loop. Still when you got done, you wanted more of it. You just can't get enough of that.
BALDWIN: I like that, celebration.
Coming up tonight, and tomorrow night, our own Don Lemon will be taking an in-depth look at Michael Jackson's life and his legacy. We're talking about his childhood, his music, his finances, and his influence globally. You won't want to miss this "CNN's Presents Special, Michael Jackson, Man in the Mirror" coming up this weekend 8:00 Eastern only on CNN.
Well, another huge story we're talking about this morning. We want to hear from you, as well. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, she is calling it quits? Why she says it's time to step down.
HOLMES: She has her reasons. Some of you out there have your own thoughts about why she may be stepping down. You're starting to send those in. Let me just reiterate, please be nice. Send us your comments, iReport, Facebook, Twitter. Or go to our blogs, CNN.com/newsroom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEC. SHANNON BARBER, U.S. ARMY, TICONDEROGA, NEW YORK: Hi, I'm Specialist Barber, from Ticonderoga, New York, with 300th MP Company, here in Baghdad, Iraq.
Just want to wish happy Fourth of July to my family, my parents, I miss you. I love you. I'll be home soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: This Fourth of July, something old is new again at Walt Disney World in Florida. Disney, by the way, just opened its revamped Hall of Presidents.
HOLMES: Have you been to this thing before?
BALDWIN: Not yet.
HOLMES: I have not either. I've never been to Disneyland or Disney World. Okay, sorry.
BALDWIN: I love Disney World.
HOLMES: What we were saying here, is that yes, it's new because it's been updated with President Barack Obama among the leaders. Our Rob Marciano with a sneak peek.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: T.J., Brooke, what better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than right here at basically an all- American vacation spot, Walt Disney World, in the Magic Kingdom. Big doings, yesterday, they swore in 1,000 immigrants, they became naturalized citizens, right in front of Cinderella's Castle.
Today, the grand reopening, of that thing, the Hall of Presidents, freshly renovated and updated with our newest president.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO (voice over): There they are, just like I remember as a kid, Eric.
ERIC JACOBSON, VICE PRESIDENT, WALT DISNEY IMAGINEERING: It has been added to since you were a kid.
MARCIANO: It it's like walking into a room with America's most important people. At Disney's revamped Hall of Presidents, it's Eric Jacobson's job to make sure they look lifelike.
JACOBSON: The magic of this show is actually being able to see all of the presidents, throughout history, on the stage together, which is impossible in real life. So we have to use our magic to bring that together. MARCIANO: It takes a team of what Disney calls imagineers to create that magic. Details are the priority especially when creating our new president.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The American dream is as old as our founding.
JACOBSON: We actually went to the White House and recorded President Obama's voice in person, took him to through show, told him what we were doing.
MARCIANO: Sculptor Valerie Edwards poured through pictures and video of Obama to make sure her depiction of the president captured every trait.
VALERIE EDWARDS, DISNEY SCULPTOR: I can watch the different speeches and I can watch his cadence as he speaks. I can watch his muscles, as they move. I can see how his face changes.
MARCIANO: And, of course, the costumes are custom-made.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nancy over here is working on a new jacket for President Nixon. Kitty over here is working on a new pair of trousers for our current president, Barack Obama.
MARCIANO: A presidential historian developed the theme of the show, the bond between the president and the people.
DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: My hope is that through these animatronic presidents and through the now-message of the exhibit that people will feel a greater sense of closeness to them.
MARCIANO: This high-tech show has been around since 1971, but it's not Disney's first audio animatronics exhibit.
JACOBSON: The first one is actually the Enchanted Tiki Rooms that Walt Disney did back in the early '60s, that
MARCIANO: The Tiki Room is my favorite show. Is he the one singing?
JACOBSON: All the birds sing. That's what it's all about. The birdies sing and the flowers croon.
MARCIANO: In the Tiki Room?
JACOBSON: Right.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the flowers croon.
CHORUS: Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room.
MARCIANO: While these presidents don't croon, this exhibit, just like its new name, is a true celebration of liberty's leaders.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: Ah, the singing birds of the Tiki Room, always a crowd pleaser, T.J. and Brooke, but you don't learn as much as you do in that place, the Hall of Presidents, 25 minutes brings you back 220 years of presidential history.
Couple of tidbits that you may or may not know, that I learned down here. There are 44 presidents but only 43 in there because Grover Cleveland actually ran two inconsecutive terms. And also the White House wasn't always called that. It was called the Executive Mansion. Then Teddy Roosevelt came along and looked at it and said, you know what, it just looks like a White House to me, ever since we've called it the White House.
So, once again, learning can be fun especially here at Disney World. T.J., Brooke, back to you.
BALDWIN: That my friend T.J., here, would know, having never been.
HOLMES: Whoa. I have never been ...
BALDWIN: Never been on the Teacups? Space Mountain?
HOLMES: No. Never.
BALDWIN: On the monorail?
HOLMES: No, Disney World.
BALDWIN: Haunted House?
HOLMES: No.
BALDWIN: We'll change that.
HOLMES: I get them mixed up. World is in?
BALDWIN: World is in Orlando. Land is out in LA.
HOLMES: OK, I got it. I'll go. We'll do a piece on it.
BALDWIN: Sure.
Also, a place where perhaps a different kind of dream comes true, more than 1,000 immigrants getting their shot at the American Dream.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Confetti in three, two, one, fire! Yeah!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: They all became new U.S. citizens during a ceremony. There at Disney World, just yesterday morning. Actor Andy Garcia, a naturalized citizen, actually gave the keynote address.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY GARCIA, ACTOR: Sometimes you take for granted the fact that the rights and privileges we have here in America. But if you grow up in a place like Cuba, or other countries, that are -- that kind of society is -it doesn't exist, then you really realize how valuable it really is, you know. So that's the reality. That's why I think people who have come to America from that kind of background really appreciate, like I said, that warm embrace and the opportunities we're afforded here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: And that ceremony took place with the unveiling with the new Hall of Presidents, which we just saw Rob showed us a second ago.
HOLMES: All right, I just want you all to look at this picture of Reynolds Wolf. Let's put it up here. Look at Reynolds. Don't be fooled, folks. He is not working and just busy on the phone and ignoring his duties. He's talking to us.
WOLF: I'm talking to you guys. What's happening?
BALDWIN: What's happening, Reynolds?
WOLF: Not much. I'm out here grilling. Not just hot dogs, but also things like buns, too. What better way to celebrate the Declaration of Independence than with a toasty bun? You know what I'm talking about. It tastes like bread and everything.
We've got some dogs out here that we'll be grilling. A lot of times you think about grilling you think about meat. And when it comes to meat, usually food poisoning and botulism comes into the conversation, too. But that's not going to be the situation today. We'll stay on top of this for you.
T.J., Brooke, not only doing hot dogs out here, we have something for our vegans friends, too. I made a veggie dog, for you. Take a look at that. It looks nice and appealing. A little bit of this zucchini on a bun.
BALDWIN: Squash.
WOLF: That's one of the magic things about when it comes to hot dogs. You can say it's meat, but not really, it's basically the bun. Anything you put on the bun becomes -- well, look at this, onion dog. Isn't that great? You can go from and onion dog to something else, like a, well, let's go for the tomato dog. One second. Let's pick this guy up. Three second rule. There you go. Tomato dog. It just tastes -- you know, you think it tastes good. Just try it yourself. It's fantastic.
Let's go right to your forecast. A lot of people going out there, going to be headed to the beach, going to the coast, many people going to visit grandparents.
(WEATHER FORECAST)
HOLMES: All right. We had to get Reynolds -we had to get it worked out on the phone. We had some technical issues we were getting worked out.
BALDWIN: Technical issue to work out.
HOLMES: We'll be talking to you. If we have to talk to you on the phone, Reynolds, we'll do it. We appreciate you. And seriously, I'm hungry.
WOLF: Ah.
BALDWIN: I guess the five-second rule applies in grilling, as well, when you drop the bun. We won't be eating that.
HOLMES: Well, with Reynolds it's closer to 15 seconds there, for Reynolds.
BALDWIN: Oh, 15 seconds. We'll let it go.
HOLMES: Well, stay with us. We'll have an update coming up here on a story we've followed closely on CNN about a man, been on death row for 18 years. There are a lot of people who think he is innocent. He has actually thought he was going to die three separate times. His date and time had been set for his execution. Each time a court stepped in and stopped it. The Supreme Court could take up his case now. We have an update on this case of Troy Davis. Stay with us for that.
Also, take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(JAZZ MUSIC)
BALDWIN: Original music from New Orleans, now considered salvation for many people affected by Hurricane Katrina.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Special tribute to Michael Jackson in New Orleans this weekend. Jackson will be honored at the Essence Music Festival, that's an annual festival that will mark the first day of the Black Women's magazine's 15th annual festival now.
Beyonce, John Legend, Lionel Ritchie, and Edith Baker, Robin Thick and a whole host of other celebrities and music stars will be there and they will perform. Also on tap, there will be Mark Morial, he used to be the mayor of New Orleans. He was there when the festival got started. He's now president of the Urban League and says the event is about so much more than music. He will be our live guest from New Orleans, 9:15 Eastern Time. Brooke. BALDWIN: The City of New Orleans is of course synonymous with the sounds of music. As CNN's Fredricka Whitfield reports, music was the only salvation for so many when Hurricane Katrina devastated that city back in August of 2005.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, four years after Hurricane Katrina caused the worst of damage and death, some streets remain stagnant; on others, a harmony of hammers. Music to the ears of seventh generation New Orleanian, 93-year-old Emelda Skidmore.
EMELDA SKIDMORE, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: Oh, words cannot explain.
WHITFIELD: And 35-year-old Kansas-born musician Josh Charles, who moved to New Orleans four days before Katrina hit.
JOSH CHARLES, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: My timing was impeccable.
WHITFIELD: Charles wanted to move back months later.
CHARLES: All you see are steps leading up to grass, or you still see the writing and toxic floodwaters on the homes.
WHITFIELD: For this songwriter that opened a floodgate of lyrics.
CHARLES: I walked around and I said, this is going to take a lot of healing time. That title stuck in my head.
WHITFIELD: How did you choose the words, the thoughts?
CHARLES: You're trying to make it through the pain and the sorrow. After you make it through the pain and the sorrow, there will be a better tomorrow. The chorus wrote itself very quickly.
WHITFIELD: Josh Charles and Emelda Skidmore, complete strangers, decades apart, sharing a common bond with music as salvation.
SKIDMORE: This old house is just, this old house.
WHITFIELD: Mrs. Skidmore was born in this old house. Here in her now-rebuilt kitchen, she and her daughter ...
SKIDMORE: The water was up to there, already.
WHITFIELD: ...came close to death August 29, 2005.
SKIDMORE: I said, God is in this house, and he will deliver us. I said, now, come on. Let's sing.
WHITFIELD: The hymn often sung during a New Orleans funeral march.
SKIDMORE: The second line is bringing the dead people to the bridge, you know. Leading, my God, to thee, oh,
CHARLES: "Healing Time" was meant to be, essentially, like a second line. So, it starts off slow and somber. And eventually, you know, starts to rejoice. The fact that music was their salvation, that's just evermore reason for me to keep doing what I'm doing.
WHITFIELD: What's he doing?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: You can hear more about the healing powers of music in New Orleans with Fred, in the "CNN NEWSROOM" at noon Eastern today. Her show will feature live reports from our own Sean Callebs at the New Orleans Superdome. He will be talking with all kinds of different musicians about also how they're remembering Michael Jackson.
Also a must-see CNN event, our Special Correspondent Sole O'Brien will be examining what it really means to be black in America. Watch stories of people stepping up, taking charge and creating solutions. The documentary "Black In America 2" premieres July 22nd and 23rd only on CNN. T.J.
HOLMES: And we are keeping an eye on a couple of international stories making headlines. First North Korea test firing several short-range missiles overnight. We'll find out if those tests were a success. What it means for the international community.
Also, in Afghanistan, a major offensive by U.S. forces going on there. Two U.S. soldiers killed. We'll go live to Kabul.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SGT. KENNETH BRIGHT, U.S. ARMY, LEAVENWORTH, KS.: Hi. I'm Sergeant Kenneth Bright, with the joint task force, Guantanamo. I'd like to wish a happy Independence Day to my wife Britney and my daughter Natalie in Leavenworth, Kansas. I love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: We love to see those. We'll be bringing more of those this morning.
Meanwhile, we'll turn to a story we've been covering for quite some time at CNN. Now attorneys for death-row inmate Troy Davis say it's good news. The Supreme Court has put off ruling on his appeal for a new trial until the fall. Davis was convicted of murdering a police officer 18 years ago, yet a lot of people, now, are demanding the case be reopened and here is why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do we want?
CROWD: Justice!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When do we want it?
CROWD: Now!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am!
CROWD: Troy Davis!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are!
CROWD: Troy Davis!
REP. JOHN LEWIS, (D) GEORGIA: I said it before, and I'm convinced now more than ever before, that he is an innocent man.
HOLMES (voice over): But for 18 years, the courts have ruled otherwise, upholding Troy Davis' death penalty sentence. Now there may be only one step left for the convicted cop killer, the U.S. Supreme Court.
BEN JEALOUS, NAACP PRESIDENT: We have -- we are dealing with a case in Georgia, Troy Davis, of a man who appears to be stone-cold innocent. This country is still willing to put to death on procedural grounds.
HOLMES: Davis landed on Georgia's death row for shooting off duty Savannah Police Officer Mark MacPhail, news crews and witnesses seemed abundant that night in August of 1989.
This footage shows a fellow police officer doing CPR on MacPhail in the back of an ambulance. Yet, after the trial, seven of the prosecution's nine key witnesses changed their stories. Several claimed police forced them to name Davis. One of those witnesses is Monty Holmes.
MONTY HOLMES, WITNESS: They were trying to get me to say that he did it, but he didn't do it.
HOLMES: Over the years, support for Davis has grown, with the help of Amnesty International. Pope Benedict, Bishop Desmond Tutu and former President Jimmy Carter have all called for a new trial. Even former FBI Director William Sessions joined forces with other retired judges, justices and prosecutors to ask the Supreme Court to send the case back.
But there are those who feel just as strongly that Davis is a cold-blooded killer. Savannah Police Major Everett Ragan headed the homicide investigation. He has not returned calls from CNN, but two years ago he told us he stood by the arrest.
MAJ. EVERETT RAGAN, SAVANNAH POLICE DEPT.: There's no doubt in my mind we arrested the right person.
(END VIDEOTAPE) HOLMES: Well, no doubt in the mind of the victim's mother either. Here is her response, again, the officer's name is Mark MacPhail. And his mother told us this, she says:
"I wish it was over 20 years ago. But after 20 years it's tearing me apart. I know he's guilty. And we want justice. We are the victims in this whole thing. It's not just what the witnesses said, there was evidence pointing to his guilt at the original trial. So many people want to forget that. There was evidence."
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, welcome to CNN SUNDAY MORNING on the Fourth of July. Happy Fourth. I'm T.J. Holmes.
BALDWIN: Happy Independence Day to you, and you, as well my friend. HOLMES: Thank you.
BALDWIN: I'm Brooke Baldwin, in this morning for Betty Nguyen. Thank you for jump-starting your holiday weekend with us right and early here. There is a lot going on, even holiday-wise plans ...
HOLMES: Of course.
BALDIWN: ... across the country -- fireworks and whatnot.
HOLMES: Of course. But we've got some celebrations outside of the country, too, including this one that includes that guy, Vice President Joe Biden. He just spoke to troops in Iraq at Camp Victory.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEPH BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You are the reason why America's strong. We're all immigrants, different stages, different times, different places -- we're all immigrants. And the one thing we can never forget and I hope you never forget is there's always room for more in America -- always room for more in America. It's the lifeblood of our country. It's what made us so different.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And Biden surprised the troops by showing up on an unannounced visit on Fiday.
Meanwhile, here they go again -- North Korea raising tensions overnight. South Korea is saying that Pyongyang fired seven short- ranged missiles toward the Sea of Japan. Now, the latest one happened about two hours ago. North Korea -- you may remember -- fired four missiles on Thursday.
Now, earlier this hour, we spoke with our Sohn Jie-Ae who is in Seoul. She says it appears Pyongyang is sending a message to Washington on this 4th of July.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIE-AE(via telephone): ... had in the past about, to now, is one every couple of hours and the South Korean officials that we talk to say they can't say when the North Koreans will stop. Now, it seems that when North Korea fires such an unusual amount of rockets -- especially on the 4th of July -- which they know is a big celebration in the United States.
Many analysts think this is the message they're trying to send to United States, that on this day that means so much to the United States that North Korea wants to say that they are very dissatisfied with the way that Washington is pressuring the North Korean government to go back on its nuclear weapons program and that wants the -- wants North Korea to comply to international regulations. So, North Korea is not happy and it seems to be the way that they are showing it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: South Korean news agency says the missiles have a range of about 310 miles.
BALDWIN: A stunning announcement from Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. She is resigning by the end of this month. Palin says once she decided she would not run for reelection, she chose not to embrace the conventional lame duck status.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), ALASKA: Though it may be tempting and more comfortable to just kind of keep your head down and plod along and appease those who are demanding, hey, just sit down and shut up. But that's a worthless, easy copout. That's the quitter's way out.
I think a problem in our country today is apathy. It would be apathetic to just kind of hunker down and go with the flow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Palin was elected in 2006 and she is now transferring authority to Alaska's lieutenant governor on July 26th.
HOLMES: Two U.S. soldiers killed, four others wounded as U.S. forces make a -- make a new offensive into southern Afghanistan. These soldiers and the others wounded were attacked by Taliban fighters. Again, this is south in Afghanistan. Our Atia Abawi is there in Kabul for us.
Atia, give us the latest. What can you tell us about this attack?
ATIA ABAWI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: T.J., what we know is that the Taliban did detonate explosives outside (INAUDIBLE) of Paktika province. This is in eastern Afghanistan. They then engaged the military, killing two U.S. soldiers and wounding nine.
But in retaliation, the soldiers also went after the Taliban -- and we're hearing from a spokesperson for the governor of Paktika, telling us that 30 Taliban have killed and the seven wounded, and those seven wounded that were wounded are now in captivity -- T.J.? HOLMES: Atia, thank you. We have a little tough time hearing you. We appreciate you -- appreciate our viewers listening through that.
But we're going to get back with Atia, who, of course, has been covering what's happening there in Afghanistan.
Again, we know two soldiers killed, four others wounded in an attack there. But in the meantime, there's also a major offensive going on in the south of the country, in Helmand province, a new offensive by American forces. We'll be getting updates on all of those a little later.
(MUSIC)
BALDWIN: There are some new developments this morning in the death of legendary Michael Jackson.
When it comes specifically to that investigation, here's what we're learning. First up, "The Associated Press" is reporting that police did find a powerful anesthetic. It's called Diprivan inside of Jackson's home. Diprivan is used in hospital operating rooms to induce sleep.
The cause of his death has not yet been determined. We're told those toxicology reports and the results, specifically, shouldn't be back for a couple of weeks.
But Jackson's memorial, it will be huge. It is happening this Tuesday at Staples Center in Los Angeles. And more than 17,000 free tickets will be available through a lottery system. Those winners will be notified tomorrow.
And tonight and tomorrow night, CNN's Don Lemon will be taking an in-depth look at Michael Jackson's life and his legacy: his childhood, his music, his finances, his influence. Don't miss the "CNN PRESENTS" special "Michael Jackson: Man in the Mirror." It comes up this weekend, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, only here on CNN.
And maybe another chance for you to take advantage of the buyer's market. You know, lease or purchase, sure, some say rent to own. What is it? Pros, cons -- should you do it? We'll talk to an expert about it.
HOLMES: Also, our Reynolds Wolf, our expert on all things weather related. But this morning ...
BALDWIN: In grilling.
HOLMES: ... an expert in grilling. The food is ready. Is Reynolds ready?
BALDWIN: Oh.
HOLMES: Reynolds has been a busy man this morning. He's been cooking. He's trying to get the weather done. BALDWIN: Hotdogs ...
HOLMES: Yes.
BALDWIN: (INAUDIBLE) dogs, mayo dogs.
HOLMES: He's having a break there.
BALDWIN: We'll check back in with him.
HOLMES: We'll be talking to Reynolds in a second. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: All right. So maybe you're in the market to buy a home, but the thing is, your credit score is holding you back and those rent-to-own signs are calling your name. You've probably heard of it.
I know Clyde Anderson has -- our housing expert here. He knows all about the so-called -- so-called deal of a lifetime. His book is entitled "What Had Happened Was." And he's here this morning to talk about the pros and cons of lease-to-own or a rent-to-own.
And just for people who don't totally know what this means, how does it work?
CLYDE ANDERSON, HOUSING EXPERT: Pretty much of what it says, is that you can go into a home, lease the home, sort of like renting, but some of that monthly payment that you're making can go toward the actual purchase of the home maybe in 12 or 24 months.
BALDWIN: So, you end up paying a little bit more rent, correct?
ANDERSON: Exactly. Exactly. But you're using that money to go towards the purchase ultimately. So, it's definitely can be a good deal.
BALDWIN: You're just not throwing it all the way.
ANDERSON: Exactly. It's going towards a worthy cause.
BALDWIN: OK. So, are there any catches? What are the drawbacks here from both sides?
ANDERSON: Well, you've got -- two different things that you got to look at. You know, there's pros and there's cons for it. Some of the pros for it is that you're actually able to go into it and pay, you know, upfront. You know, some of the fees that you're going to pay upfront. That's one of the things that you have to look at.
Another thing that you have to consider is that when you're going into a lease purchase type of option, that you're making a down payment. So, you got money that's going aside. So, just like we talked about, money that's going aside for the purchase. So, it's going to go for the purchase. But you also get to live in the neighborhood before you actually buy. So, you get to try on a house.
BALDWIN: Test it out.
ANDERSON: Exactly. You test-drive cars ...
BALDWIN: Yes.
ANDERSON: ... try on shoes, why not test-drive a house?
BALDWIN: What are some of the cons? There has to be a catch. And maybe the catch comes for the seller. I don't know.
ANDERSON: Well, I think you got to look at it both sides. There are some catches for it.
One of the catches could be that the idea that you want to make sure that the money that you're paying upfront, the fees you're paying, you may lose you those fees if you decide to move out of the house for some reason. So, at the end of 12 months, you decide not to purchase it, you're going to lose what you put up-front. That's one of the things.
The other thing is that, for some reason that you could foreclose on the property, the owner could foreclose on the property. If the owner forecloses on the property ...
BALDWIN: You're out of luck.
ANDERSON: ... you're out of luck. You're evicted. You know, there's nowhere to go from that kind of standpoint. And so, that's something that you have to look at, too.
Another thing that you have to look at is, a con, is that maintenance that you're going to have to upkeep, you know, on the property. So, all the upkeep on the property is going to be up to you. So, you are actually taking on this, owning the house, for, you know, lack a better word, until you actually finish that 12 months or 24 months period.
BALDWIN: And so, what has to be about most important, you know, when we're just renting -- look, I'm just renting right now. You sign your name on a lease ...
ANDERSON: Right.
BALDWIN: ... but it has to be different signing this kind of contract because it's a lot more at stake.
ANDERSON: Right. Yes, a lot more at stake. And you definitely want to consult with an attorney. You want to make sure that the attorney goes through all of the documents; you know what you're getting into. What will you lose at the end of that 12 months or 24 months? What will you gain at the end of the 12 months, 24 months? A lot of times, for a seller, it's leery about this situation because you may decide that, hey, I tried the neighborhood. Something's wrong with the house. I really don't like it.
Whereas opposed to if you're buying the house, you're in it, you bought the house. Now, you know, you find something a little squeaky and you decide, hey, I don't want this house anymore.
BALDWIN: We don't want the squeak.
ANDERSON: Yes.
BALDWIN: Last question, would this improve someone's credit?
ANDERSON: No. It's not going to improve your credit. What you're going to have to do is give your time to fix your credit. And that's one of the other pros. I think they show it on the screen there.
BALDWIN: Yes.
ANDERSON: It gives you time to actually fix the credit. So, you've got that time to kind of build up by just working on the other things -- not so much on making this payment but by fixing the other things that may be wrong with your credit. And that's probably why you couldn't buy in the outset.
BALDWIN: In this market, it might not be a bad idea.
ANDERSON: It's not a bad idea. You're going to see a lot of them. And they range from all prices. So, you definitely want to look at that as an option -- to go ahead until the market improves, you know, get into a situation until where you're really ready to purchase yourself.
BALDWIN: Good advice, Clyde Anderson. Thank you. Nice to meet you.
ANDERSON: All right. My pleasure.
BALDWIN: Coming up: They said going green they were actually green before green was cool. But now, they're setting records in Hollywood for reducing their impact on the planet. Warner Brothers is who I'm talking about. I was out in L.A. and I'll show you how they're taking steps to help the environment.
HOLMES: Also this morning: Say hello again to Josh Levs, talking to dads this morning about dads.
LEVS: Hey there. Good morning.
So, this is what we're doing. We're asking dads today, are you a better father than your father was? We have this panel of dads -- you're going to be hearing from them -- to talk openly about the changing face of fatherhood.
Plus, we have a new survey showing how much time dads get to spend with their kids.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
HOLMES: I'm told that Reynolds still has an apron on even though he's done cooking.
BALDWIN: So, he's inside with an apron on?
HOLMES: She's inside now. Reynolds, yes -- are you OK?
WOLF: I'm just the new American boy.
BALDWIN: You're so hip, Reynolds.
WOLF: Good tunes, man. I mean, you got -- you know, you're heading outside, you know, grilling up, great weather, everything is picture-perfect. It's a holiday, man. I mean, you got to make the most of it.
And for many people, they're going to be making the most of it out there by the grill and also going to be fanning themselves. It's going to be a hot day out there. High temperatures in many places, back Texas in triple digits once again. Take a look at this: 101, your expected high to Dallas; Houston 98 degrees; 98 in Memphis, up by Beale Street; 92 here in Atlanta.
Now, in Tampa and Miami, mainly some 80s and 90s. But with a chance of storms into the afternoon, that's going to rock your world and also drop those temperatures a little bit, possibly back into the 70s, up to the 70s, when the showers fall.
A little farther to the north, in Boston, New York, mainly into the 70s and 80s. It should be a great day up by Coney Island for the hot dog eating contest; 80 in Kansas City, 90 in Salt Lake City.
Now, if you happen to be heading out to the coast, here's what we can expect. Temperatures -- water temperatures to the outer banks mainly into the 70s, to the 80s. In Florida, you're going to see not only giant boats with pieces of popcorn flying close by, you're going to have water temperatures also into the 80s.
In Texas, from South Padre Island back over to Galveston, mainly 80-degree temperatures with giant beach balls. And it looks like it's going to be back into the 60s and 70s if you're planning on going swimming up into parts of the Great Lakes. Now, mild conditions for the Great Lakes, chances of thunderstorms across parts of south Florida into, say, the Ohio Valley by the afternoon. Possibly in Denver, late-day showers and storms may be the mix for you.
Hey, let's show you something else that's going to be in the mix. Some really weird activities that are going to be taking place around the country. We've got a nice map that's going to pop up in mere moments. Take a look at these events, starting off in Oatman, Arizona, a sidewalk egg-frying contest, with temperatures that are bound to hit triple digits today and the sidewalks is getting up to 120, 130, it could happen.
We got the Peachtree Road Race here in Atlanta. That's always a great thing to watch.
D.C., you've got the Hemp Smoke-in. Yes.
Traverse City, Michigan -- your National Cherry Festival, always a good time.
And some other great events that are going to pop up for you on the screen. It will include the Coney Island hot dog eating competition and the Little People of America National Convention. I don't know if they're going to be held in the same place, but I can tell you it's always a fun time.
Either of those conventions and competitions, especially the hot dog eating competition, that is certainly an amazing yet at the same time terrifying thing. It's like watching a train wreck. You're terrified to really watch but scared to look away at the same time. Kobayashi, it is a talent what he does with these hot dogs. But just some kooky things to watch anyway.
And speaking of kooky things, we got some video that we took earlier today out at the grill. Cooked up a bunch of dogs, hope you guys are going to be getting out and doing some of the same things yourself. It's always a great thing to do. Holiday tradition, try to keep the buns better than I did.
All right, guys. That is the latest we got for you. Let's send it back to you.
We're going to have more talking about this heat wave that's been just weeks of relentless heat. We might see a little bit of a break in parts of the country. For other spots, the heat goes on.
Let's go back to you.
BALDWIN: I know someone already had a hot dog for breakfast.
HOLMES: I did.
WOLF: Yes.
HOLMES: The reason I had to is because why, Brooke?
BALDWIN: Because I did bring him breakfast. I thought I was being hazed; you need to bring me breakfast.
WOLF: That's not good. That is actually morning tradition. Betty always brings ...
HOLMES: Thank you. WOLF: ... breakfast for T.J., then I have to provide food for Betty. Because Betty wasn't here, I don't have to provide food but because -- let's just stop the chain right here.
HOLMES: Yes.
BALDWIN: I'm just the weak link in the chain, guys.
HOLMES: No, that's not the case.
BALDWIN: I thought you were kidding. Betty brings you breakfast every weekend?
HOLMES: Every single morning. She brings me breakfast, every Saturday.
BALDWIN: Did you know that?
HOLMES: People didn't know that.
BALDWIN: Now you know.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: She's a good lady.
HOLMES: She is. So are you. That's OK. You'll get it right tomorrow.
But, hey, the economy putting more pressure on families these days. And we're learning more now about how it's affecting dads in particular.
BALDWIN: A new survey shows how much time dads have to spend with their kids. Our own Josh Levs joins us with that.
LEVS: Yes.
BALDWIN: Josh, not -- not a lot of time?
LEVS: Not a lot. And a lot of dads are doing cookouts today, right?
BALDWIN: Right.
LEVS: Families doing some cookout time and they're not having that much family time these days as people working so incredibly much. And here's what's interesting, this brand new survey from Career Builder. Let me show you a couple of stats here.
Check this out. Talking about how much time dads have been getting on workdays with their kids, 39 percent say average workday, two hours or less; 14 percent one hour or less every workday. It's not much.
But here's something interesting. Would they trade pay for family time? Thirty percent would take a pay cut for more time with their kids.
Here's what we did, we gathered this great diverse panel of dads and talked to them about all sorts of issues. One thing we asked them about is the changing face of fatherhood.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: Who here had your dad in your life growing up?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did
LEVS: Who here thinks you're as good a dad as your dad was?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I strive to be.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm much better.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm much better.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I strive to be. My father was exemplary. That's right.
K.J. COPELAND, STAY-AT-HOME FATHER: It's different. You know, he's a -- in different ways, I'm better. Then in other ways, I think he was better, you know? I'm definitely -- now that I'm home, I have a different kind of responsibility.
He was the guy that worked 18 hours a day and put an awesome roof over our head and food on the table. And I would never, ever -- I mean, he -- I don't think I can match him in that way. You know what I mean?
LEVS: On the flip side, can you imagine your dad doing what you're doing now?
COPELAND: Oh, no.
(LAUGHTER)
COPELAND: There's no way.
LEVS: Are you better or worse than your dad?
RIC RODRIGUEZ, FATHER DIED WHEN HE WAS 13: I'm not as good as my dad was. No. He was pretty good. He was -- yes. He probably packed a lifetime of fatherhood in 13 years, you know. Yes, he was -- he was great. Yes.
LEVS: What is better and what's worse about being a dad today versus what it was like for our dads?
ORTEZ GUDE, 1ST WIFE DIED WHEN 2 KIDS WERE BABIES: My father was -- he was the image of what a father was supposed to be. So, obviously, you know, I grew up, and I'm --well, that's -- I mean, that's what a dad and father is supposed to be. So, I'm going to emulate that.
And I can tell you, it probably was quite challenging to my ex- wife, you know, because I expected, you know, I'm the provider, I'm the gatherer, you know? I take care of that and, you know, you take care of home, you know?
And I didn't have this concept that, you know, her job, you know, she needs a break or vacation because I just kind of thought, well, that's just what you do.
LEE MAY, MARRIED, 2 CHILDREN, 5 WEEKS & 2 YEARS OLD: The traditional, you know, your mother, the wife cooks and cleans and all that, and the father goes out to work and comes back home and gets fed and is the king of the house and goes to sleep. That's not in my house.
(LAUGHTER)
MAY: Sometimes, I wish it was in my house. That's not in my house.
LEVS: Let's all be honest for a second. Do we all have days when we wish it was still like that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes.
LEVS: We all have days when we wish we could come home, kick up your feet ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely.
LEVS: ... dinner is going to be served.
MAY: But what I think it's doing is kind of recalibrating the balance of our family. You know, because, what I'm able to do now when my wife wants me to cook, sometime, is I'm able to cook and sit down with my daughter and talk to my daughter. Whereas, I didn't necessarily have that with my father.
And it's just kind of recalibrating the balance of the family. And I think it's not better or worse. It's just different and I think it's what's working for our family.
RODRIGUEZ: Maybe it could be better. The difference between, you know, the father working all the time, being home and traveling all over the place and whatever and not spending quality time with his children versus, you know, making an effort to do that to, like, for example, I cook with my girls sometimes. I'll bring them in there one at a time. We do dates.
You know, I have to -- everybody in my house has a date. You know, my wife, the girls, everybody gets a chance. And we go -- either go to the bookstore or something, you know? And -- or -- and it's something that probably didn't happen, you know, back then. But it's good. How can that be bad, you know?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: It's so great to talk to -- it's great to talk to them. We also want to hear from you. Here's how you can weigh in. We got this going on in our blog this morning, CNN.com/Newsroom, also Facebook and Twitter/JoshLevsCNN, both cases.
And guys, next hour, we're going to ask them how you define success as a father? If you're a successful dad, what will you have achieved?
BALDWIN: All right.
HOLMES: Those guys are doing (ph) good this morning.
LEVS: Yes, they have.
BALDWIN: They're great.
HOLMES: All right.
BALDWIN: Josh, thank you.
HOLMES: Thanks.
LEVS: Thanks, guys.
BALDWIN: Well, some dads are grilling. Some dads and moms and kids are running.
Take a look at these live pictures coming out of Atlanta. I ran this thing last year; it's a ton of fun. It's the Peachtree Road Race. It's a 10k. It's about to get under way in just about six minutes. Fifty-five thousand runners have registered in Atlanta for the largest 10k in the U.S.
I want to wish them good luck. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
HOLMES: Wow.
BALDWIN: I know, Dave Matthews I'm a fan.
HOLMES: Well, how would you like to make a living just doing concerts, just hanging out at concerts making a living, all concerts including Dave Matthews? That's what two guys are doing.
BALDWIN: Kind of nice. Melissa Long paints a picture in this week's "How We Got Started."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
MELISSA LONG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If your summer plans include a Dave Matthews Band concert, chances are, you'll see the work of Mark McDevitt and Robert Lee. The friends create limited edition poster for music apps.
ROBERT LEE, METHANE STUDIOS: We print, say, 150. And that's it. It's never printed again. So, they're collectibles.
LONG: After graduating art school in Ohio, Mark and Robert moved to Atlanta as freelance artists. To make ends meet, they learned the art of screen printing in t-shirt shops.
MARK MCDEVITT, METHANE STUDIOS: Being used to learn everything you can at this job.
LONG: They began to use the presses to print flyers promoting the band Robert played in. One caught the eye of Janet Ridgeway. She wanted posters for her club.
MCDEVITT: Nobody else was doing it. It was a (INAUDIBLE) when we first jump on that.
LONG: And they did. Mark and Robert formed Methane Studios named after the smell of the inks they used.
LEE: We also had work, you know, 9:00 to 5:00 job. We always go home and work on methane.
LONG: Over the past decade, the company has found success designing posters for many bands and even Cartoon Network, which, like CNN, is part of Time Warner.
Now, Robert and Mark can focus on methane full time.
LEE: It's been a long road but it's been -- you know, it's been worth it for sure. It's, you know, it's our dream to draw pictures for a living.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: And we appreciate your responses coming in, participating in our show this weekend, talking to us about Governor Palin. A lot of people are suspicious about why she's quitting. Some of you are saying, well, she got a taste of the real world and she doesn't want to go back. Also, another saying that her hope is that she finally wants to be a real mom to her baby with Down syndrome. He needs her.
So, a lot of people are interested and curious to know what the real reasons. Some people don't think the reason she gave is necessarily legitimate, that there's more to the story.
BALDWIN: There's definitely got to be more to the story. And we'll try to dig a little deeper ...
HOLMES: Yes.
BALDWIN: ... coming up in about a half an hour.
But first, here is Dr. Sanjay Gupta with "HOUSE CALL."
