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Fans Mourn Michael Jackson Around World; Coroner Seeks Answers to Jackson's Death; Iranian Cleric Calls for Harsh Punishment of Opposition; Debt, Child Custody Face Jackson Estate; Controversy over Cartoon

Aired June 26, 2009 - 13:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, first we were stunned. Now anybody who's ever been fascinated with Michael Jackson -- and that's just about everybody -- wants answers. We are pushing forward today through a fog of unanswered questions.

Also no mercy for antigovernment protesters from a well-connected cleric in Iran. The opposition leader says the struggle goes on, but legally.

And South Carolina's governor on the job, but still under fire for his Argentinean fling. This hour we will hear from Mark Sanford's wife.

Hello, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen, live at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

All right. Let's get to it. Los Angeles, Tokyo, London, Berlin, look at all these places. People around the world united in music, united in mourning. Some are breaking down in tears, other breaking out in song, all those remembering Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, dead at 50 years old.

You know, he had a meteoric rise to fame, followed by a series of staggering falls. Now Michael Jackson's planned comeback has been tragically cut short. We're waiting to hear why, but that could take a while.

The Los Angeles Coroner's office is taking an autopsy today, but the results of toxicology tests, well, that could take six to eight weeks, along with an official cause of death.

Jackson's brother says, apparently, he suffered from cardiac arrest yesterday at his rented home, where paramedics tried to revive him before rushing him to the UCLA Medical Center. The 50-year-old Jackson, well, he was getting ready for a series of 50 concerts in London, and he was on a grueling practice schedule with his dancers.

Let's take you straight to Los Angeles now, to the coroner's office, in fact, and our Don Lemon is there, where I understand an autopsy is under way right now, Don.

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, as a matter of fact, Betty, I was just talking to some -- some people who are close who were sharing some information, so I'm trying to get some information from that, but I want to get it clarified before I report it.

Meantime, before I report this, I want to tell you about what is happening here. About an hour or so ago, the assistant chief came out. His name is Ed Winter. And he said that they were starting the autopsy, and he told us who was going to be performing it. Really, the people who are in charge here. And that includes the chief medical examiner, an assistant pathologist.

And the very interesting thing, Betty, that he said was that a member of law enforcement might have some presence at this autopsy. He said that, as you said, six to eight weeks. And the reason they're doing that is because they have to have do toxicology tests, and those results can take that long. But he did offer us within a couple hours he said he was going to come out to tell us some preliminary findings with the autopsy, if he is able to do that, if they found anything.

Also, another interesting point that he told me is that he did have -- he and other members of the coroner's office, the medical examiner's office, got to look over Michael Jackson's body preliminarily in the hospital, just sort of a cursory look, but they wanted to get it completely checked out before they released anything to the media and before they put anything on paper as far as their findings.

Again, toxicology reports, that is standard in this situation. The police being involved, police are saying that is standard in this situation when you have a high-profile person.

But we do know, according to our Kara Finnstrom and our Drew Griffin, that a car belonging to a doctor, an unnamed doctor was towed from Michael Jackson's home last night. A relatively healthy man, at least of, you know, a couple months ago in the spring. He had a four- hour examination and checked out with a doctor in order to get insurance for this tour. They said he was fine. A relatively healthy man, all of a sudden, Betty, ending up in this situation. Lots of questions here.

NGUYEN: Indeed, and we're going to be talking with Drew very shortly. Don Lemon joining us live from Los Angeles.

So let's get to that. Overmedicated, surrounded by enablers? That's how a family friend describes Michael Jackson in his last days, adding to the already-rampant rumors that he was abusing prescription drugs.

Our special investigation unit is looking into it. In fact, correspondent Drew Griffin joins me now. He's been working very hard. Just got off your BlackBerry, as well, information coming in. What do you know so far?

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: You know, first of all, we have to keep in mind, the LAPD is calling this a death investigation, not a criminal investigation, OK? So, so far everything that they've seen, they're not saying a crime occurred here. What we do know from the LAPD is that car, that BMW that was taken out of Michael Jackson's home last night, does belong now, we've found, to an associate of a cardiologist who lives in Las Vegas. That car was impounded, according to the LAPD, because it may contain any pertinent information to any drugs. There may be drugs in that car that may be pertinent to the investigation. Here, Betty, is that car being taken out last night.

Now, we have tried to contact this doctor. Obviously, we're not going to tell you that doctor's name, because again there's no crime being alleged here.

NGUYEN: Right.

GRIFFIN: This is a death investigation. The problem is, when these investigations begin. If the doctor simply was there, said, "I treated Michael Jackson for X, and this is what he died of," we probably wouldn't be having this investigation.

The fact that they cannot find this doctor or have not been able to find this doctor to basically sign off on the treatment, sign off on the death, is the reason that the coroner has been brought in to actually find out...

NGUYEN: It does seem kind of odd that he's not around.

GRIFFIN: It does seem odd that he's not around. It does seem odd that he didn't come back and pick up his car last night, right?

NGUYEN: Right.

GRIFFIN: So all of that seems odd. It also seems odd that the doctor hasn't contacted the police yet.

NGUYEN: What do you know about this doctor? I mean, how long of a history has he had treating Michael Jackson? How long has he known him? Do you know any of that?

GRIFFIN: You know, all I have in the last half hour is a name and who he is. I really don't know much else about him. He is a cardiologist. He is in good standing in the state of California. He's also operating out of Las Vegas, where Michael Jackson lived for a time, and he's a cardiologist. And Michael Jackson appears at first glance to have died of some cardiac ailment.

NGUYEN: Cardiac arrest.

GRIFFIN: So perhaps he was being treated for that. We just don't know at this time. Again, not revealing the name of this doctor, because we really don't have any evidence that this is anything more than -- maybe the doctor panicked like everything else does. And Michael Jackson's...

NGUYEN: But to leave your car somewhere and just take off?

GRIFFIN: Yes. Yes, it's tough. NGUYEN: On a story like this? Wow.

GRIFFIN: Obviously, detectives trying to track him down...

NGUYEN: OK.

GRIFFIN: ... and see if there is a logical explanation.

NGUYEN: Well, let us know what you find. Thank you, Drew.

Well, you know, for many Michael Jackson fans, how he died really doesn't matter right now. People are mourning him all around the world. Here in the U.S., they turned out in three cities in particular. Here's a map of them. First, to Gary, Indiana, the Jackson family's hometown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love you Michael.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love you, Mike.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Respect for a local boy who became a legend. When the news broke yesterday, people headed right for the old Jackson home. A woman named Bernetta (ph), who is 50, same as Michael, says residents are proud, because he, quote, "is somebody from Gary who did something from their life."

Also a tribute in black and white, on the marquee of the Apollo Theater in Harlem. The singer had a 40-year history with the Apollo, first performing with the Jackson 5 back in 1969. Somebody's left a note there, saying, quote, "Moonwalk forever, Michael."

And on the west coast, a big memorial is growing at his star on the Walk of Fame. Want to give you some live pictures from Hollywood right now. I mean, just look at all the people that are there. Candles, flowers, letters, paintings, all stacking up, as more and more people come by.

Let's get you some more from L.A. right now. Kara Finnstrom is following the situation and the investigation at Michael Jackson's rented home. What are you hearing from where you are, Kara?

KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Drew Griffin just went into some detail with you about the car that was towed from here. This is the home right behind us, the Holmby Hills residence, where we watched that car be towed away yesterday, a silver BMW. And that's actually been the talk about folks here: who did it belong to? CNN now knowing that it belonged to the doctor who was treating Michael Jackson.

We've seen a lot of detectives coming and going yesterday, not so much today, Betty. It's really a different scene, much more controlled, much more contained out here. The area is completely cordoned off from police. And a sergeant here has told us that the on-site investigation that was being done by an elite unit within the Los Angeles Police Department is now wrapped up. What we're seeing behind us now is just on-site security, keeping the site secure.

And so also the other thing we're not seeing here today are the fans. Because it's been cordoned off, those fans are kind of being held back down to Sunset, the closest main street here.

And what's up in our area now are mainly the media. And there's a lot of international media here as well, Betty, keeping track of this, because of -- because of Michael Jackson's reach.

NGUYEN: Yes, no doubt. All right. Kara Finnstrom joining us live. Thank for you that. We'll be checking in with you throughout the day.

Let me ask you this. So why do they call Michael Jackson the King of Pop? Well, we have a few clues for you. He has sold an estimated 750 million albums in a career spanning 45 years, and he's racked up 13 Grammys.

"Thriller" is the worldwide best-selling album of all time, selling more than 50 million copies. That album and its breakout hit, "Billie Jean," made Jackson the first artist to have No. 1 on the pop single, pop album, R&B single, and R&B album charts simultaneously.

Jackson is the seventh of nine children. He started performing at age 5 with his four brothers, and they eventually became known as -- yes, you guessed it -- the Jackson 5.

Well, your iReports are pouring in right now, along with your tweets. We've also set up a toll-free number for you to share your thoughts and remembrances of Michael Jackson. Just call 1-800-CNN- NEWS. It's right there on your screen, 1-800-CNN-NEWS. We'll share your comments throughout the afternoon.

Well, Friday prayers in Tehran. A senior cleric says leaders of antigovernment demonstrations ought to be punished, quote, "strongly and with cruelty." We'll have the latest on that.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: An embattled governor faces growing calls for his resignation, but Republican Mark Sanford of South Carolina shows no signs of stepping down after revealing his affair with a woman in Argentina.

We're going to find out what Sanford's wife is saying about her husband's political career.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Take a look at this live picture now from Liverpool, England. A lot of people today not only remembering Michael Jackson, but they are celebrating his life. And what you're looking at right now, with this large crowd, they are about to do a moonwalk together in remembrance of Michael Jackson.

And of course, we're following people all around the world as they remember the 50-year-old King of Pop.

We also have some other important news to tell you about today. Again, establishment voices, they are drowning out opponents in Iran. But the movement that rose up in the wake of this month's election has not disappeared.

And CNN's Ivan Watson is following all of the latest developments at our Iran desk. Ivan, what are you hearing today?

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Betty. Our colleagues here at the Iran desk were covering all the angles of this story.

First, let me bring to your attention one that we've been following. This is taking place not in Iran but in Sweden, at the Iranian embassy in Stockholm, the Swedish capital. Demonstrations have been going on there for several days, and today they turned violent.

This is a Swedish Web site, news Web site, SVT-TV. Evidently, demonstrators tried to break into that embassy, and riot police were called in to stop that. We're getting reports of stone throwing, things like that taking place at the Iranian embassy in Stockholm.

Now, let's move on to Tehran, Betty, where a hard-line cleric, very high up in the establishment there, by the name of Ahmed Khatami. He spoke at Friday prayers today, giving a sermon to assemble important dignitaries and supporters of the regime. He -- they're chanting "death to America, death to Israel, death to Britain" every week there.

And he went on to demand punishment for the leaders of those opposition demonstrators who we've seen for the past two weeks now in Iran. Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AHMED KHATAMI, CLERIC (through translator): I demand from the judiciary to punish the heads of the riots, whose heads are in the stable of America and the stable of Israel, firmly and mercilessly, so that it would be a lesson for everyone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: And Betty, he went on to make another incredible allegation. He claimed that the demonstrators themselves killed that young woman, who we all know as Neda, on Saturday, the 26-year-old woman who was shot in the chest and who died in front of cell-phone cameras. He claimed that the protestors themselves did that to win international sympathy, Betty.

NGUYEN: OK. Ivan Watson, following that very closely for us. Another important story, that one being out of Iran today. Thank you, Ivan.

Let's take you to South Carolina right now, because there are growing calls for Governor Mark Sanford for resign after revealing that he cheated on his wife with a mistress in Argentina. But so far Sanford, he is staying put.

Right now he is back at work and holding a cabinet meeting. Sanford spent almost a week in Buenos Aires without letting anyone know where he was.

And today his wife, Jenny, told the Associated Press she found out about the affair in January when she found a letter to the governor from his mistress. She said she told him to end the affair and was shocked this week when she found out that he had actually gone to Argentina. Mrs. Sanford says she won't speculate about her estranged husband's future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNY SANFORD, WIFE OF GOV. MARK SANFORD: I have great faith, and I have great friends and great family. And, you know, we have a good lord in this world, and I know I'm going to be fine. Not only will I survive; I'll thrive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think your husband will resign?

SANFORD: I don't know whether he'll be with me, but...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think he'll resign?

SANFORD: ... but I'm going to do my best to work on our marriage, because I believe in marriage. I believe in raising good kids is the most important thing in the world. And...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's your first priority, then? His career, obviously, is that...?

SANFORD: His career is not a concern of mine. He's going to have to worry about that. I'm worried about my family and the character of my children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Well, you heard it right there. Sanford admits, though, that he did, in fact, use taxpayer money for a state-sponsored trip to Brazil and Argentina last year, where he saw his mistress. He now says he's going to pay that money back, but he hasn't said very much about how much it was. The trip, though, cost taxpayers $12,000.

You know, the five remaining defendants in the Jena 6 case, well, they are due in court next hour in Louisiana. We've got a live picture outside the courthouse right now. There it is. And they're expected to plead guilty as part of a plea deal. Now, the defendants, all African-Americans, were initially charged with attempted murder in an attack on a white student at Jena High School. The severity of the charges sparked a civil-rights demonstration in the town. Those charges, well, they were later reduced.

A sixth defendant pleaded guilty earlier, and we're going to go live to our reporter in Jena when the hearing gets underway.

In the meantime, though, we've been talking about this story, of course, the death of Michael Jackson. But his legacy does leave -- live on, essentially as well as his legal legacy. So the question is, who will raise his kids? Who will get his estate? Did he even leave a will? We're looking for answers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CALLER: My spirit, my mind, my soul is just bleeding in shock at the news of such a powerful legend of our time. He will forever be remembered as the greatest entertainer of all times.

CALLER: He was a uniter of the black and the white community in the '70s. He was a great humanitarian, and I think he should be remembered for that.

CALLER: My family and I grew up with him, and we are deeply, deeply touched and give our condolences to his mother and his father, his sisters and his brothers. He will be truly, truly, truly be missed. I am just touched with tears. He was a great performer and artist, and may God bless his family. I know right now that God is very happy, because now he has another angel in heaven.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

NGUYEN: There's another look back as we continue to follow the life and legacy of Michael Jackson.

All right, we're also following other news today, that being the heat outside. Triple digits again? A heat wave still grips a big chunk of the Midwest and the south today. Chad Myers is tracking it for us from the CNN weather center.

Boy, it's hot right here, Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Already, OK. Thank you, Chad. We do appreciate it.

Well, courage, strength and heart. We're hearing those words over and over about actress Farrah Fawcett. She died yesterday at the age of 62, and her longtime companion Ryan O'Neal was at her side.

Fawcett was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, and she went public with her struggle in a documentary just last month. He message: don't give up.

Her "Charlie's Angels" co-star, Kate Jackson, said this: "When you think of Farrah, remember her smiling, because that is exactly how she wanted to be remembered, smiling."

Farrah Fawcett's death unfortunately overshadowed in just a matter of hours. People went nuts, trying to find out what was going on with Michael Jackson. The breaking news that almost broke Google News. We'll take a look at some of the M.J. stuff trending on the Web.

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NGUYEN: Well, from L.A. to London to Tokyo to Berlin, makeshift memorials are popping up for Michael Jackson, dead at the age of 50. Here's the latest.

The L.A. Police Department tells CNN that they are looking for Jackson's personal doctor. They have impounded the doctor's car, saying it may contain, quote, "medications pertinent to the investigation." Jackson's brother says he died of cardiac arrest yesterday after collapsing at his rented L.A. home. Now an autopsy is being done right now. And we're going to go live to the coroner's office in just a moment.

But first, criminal investigations, divorces, lawsuits, bad business deals and a mountain of debt. Michael Jackson found himself in one legal mess after another. And despite his death, the litigation lives on. Let's sort through it all with CNN legal analyst and former TruTV anchor Lisa Bloom. She joins us now live.

All right, Lisa. First of all, let's tackle the issue of the kids right now. There's a lot of people concerned about what happens to these children. Two of them, Debbie Rowe is the biological mother. Another one is from a surrogate. Who has what rights?

LISA BLOOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes. As to the two older children that are Debbie Rowe's children, if her parental rights were not terminated, and nobody really knows if they were or not, because there were some secret proceedings a couple of years ago, then she still has rights to those children. She may indeed want to get custody of those children, because she's the only surviving biological parent, and also because she would then be entitled to a very significant amount of child support from Michael Jackson's estate.

As to the youngest child, it's believed that Michael Jackson adopted that had child alone as a single father from somewhere in Europe. There's a lot of mystery surrounding that adoption. That child would presumably be raised by Michael Jackson's relatives.

NGUYEN: All right. But when it comes to California law, it could be possible that Debbie Rowe would get her children back, the children that she had with Michael Jackson?

BLOOM: Absolutely. Under California law, upon the death of the biological parent who's the primary custodian of the kid, the other remaining, surviving biological parent would get custody, unless that parent is unfit. And we don't have any information to believe that Debbie Rowe is an unfit parent. There certainly could be a custody battle between the surviving Jackson relatives if they want to raise those two kids and between Debbie Rowe. So, stay tuned, and we'll see how that unfolds.

NGUYEN: And so, as for the third child, where would that child go? Maybe to a family member?

BLOOM: Right. That child only had Michael Jackson as a single parent, no other surviving parent, because he adopted that baby. He used to call -- that's the baby who was dangled over the balcony, he called Blanket.

NGUYEN: He called Blanket, right?

BLOOM: So, presumably, Michael Jackson's family would adopt that child if they see fit.

NGUYEN: Do you have any idea if Michael Jackson had a will?

BLOOM: I don't know. I assume that we will find that out shortly. You know, it would just absolutely shock me if someone of Michael Jackson's stature, with all of the attorneys he had over the years, he may have been the best-represented person in history, he had many teams of attorneys in many different fields. If he died without a will, that would be very surprising to me.

NGUYEN: Oh, and just imagine the questions that would mount if he did indeed die without a will. But we're all talking about this debt. You know, he owes what, hundreds of millions of dollars in debt? Is he even worth that much?

BLOOM: Well, look, he may or may not be. I don't know. I think only his closest financial advisers know the answer to that. You know, we all heard about the high-profile Michael Jackson legal sagas, namely the child molestation case in 1993 that he settled for over $20 million, the child molestation criminal case in 2005 in which he was acquitted on all charges.

But the real story are the dozens and dozens of lawsuits that plagued him over the years. Michael Jackson was well known in business circles for simply refusing to pay many, many bills, refusing to show up at concerts. And so, he was constantly being sued.

In 2007, he gave a deposition in one of those cases. He says he didn't recognize his signature on a documents, because he was under the influence of prescription drugs. So, you know, a lot is revealed in these cases by way of Michael Jackson's defenses. Sometimes he simply said I didn't know what I was doing because I was under the influence. That was his defense.

NGUYEN: Yes, he faced a lot of lawsuits in life. But do you think in death we're going to see even more so as people try to get their hands on his estate? BLOOM: I would expect so, but it all depends. You know, as they say, if they have a lot of money, certainly people are going to be coming after him and coming after his estate. It could be a huge estate battle. If there is nothing left in his estate, then probably won't be hearing (INAUDIBLE).

NGUYEN: I was going to ask, what happens to the children if there's nothing left?

BLOOM: Well, you know, hopefully the children will go with somebody who loves and cares for them, and not with somebody who simply is in it for the money. I know that Michael Jackson's mother does have a close relationship with those children, so I would expect that she would be probably first in line, and maybe they can work this all out amicably. I mean, we can hope for that, right?

NGUYEN: Oh, yes. We've been talking about lawsuits and whatnot. Do you expect or maybe wonder if we're going to see any kind of criminal lawsuit surrounding his death?

BLOOM: You know, that's a very good question. Yesterday, LAPD robbery/homicide division immediately went to Michael Jackson's home. Now, they said, well, they just did that because he's a high-profile figure. There's no reason to be concerned. But to me, that could mean they're looking for the prescription medications that Michael Jackson was widely known to have been taking at the time of his death and looking for the names of doctors, perhaps, on those medications, just to see what was there.

For example, in the Anna Nicole case recently, as we know, California's attorney general, Jerry Brown, has been very aggressive in going after doctors and Anna Nicole's companion for negligently giving her those medications, knowing that she was an addict. Could that happen here? Well, it very well could.

NGUYEN: Well, what we do know right now, especially for our investigative reporter, Drew Griffin, that they're looking for the doctor who was there on site at the time. They have his car. They just can't find him. So, that's very interesting.

Lisa Bloom, thanks so much for your time and insight. We do appreciate it.

BLOOM: Thank you.

NGUYEN: All right, so anyone calling up the singer's official Web site, michaeljackson.com, will see this: a picture of Jackson from the "Bad" era on a red background, and below, some tributes from the management at Sony, his longtime record label. Quote, "a brilliant troubador, a genius, a trusted and passionate partner." That's what you're reading on there, just some of the compliments that they paid to Michael Jackson.

And over on iTunes, want to show you this. People are paying their compliments and respects by paying for his music. At the top of the hour, 25 of the 100 top-selling songs belonged to Michael Jackson or the Jackson Five. Now, "We Are the World" also slipping in at number 99.

Interest in all things Jackson causing problems, though, for Google News yesterday. The company confirmed some search issues between 2:40 and 3:15 Pacific time. So, many people were looking for updates that Google thought it was being hit by a virus. And you might have been one of the millions who saw an error message pop up. I know I did.

Well, obviously, Michael Jackson's musical legacy will live on, but right now, the world wants to know, how did he die? Why did he die? Our Don Lemon is at the Los Angeles coroner's office. Don, what are you hearing?

LEMON: Hey, Betty, lots of information, some new information I want to give you. But you know, I was listening to you and Lisa Bloom, and I've been standing here, wanting to get into your conversation when you were talking about the debt and the concerts and how much money.

The very interesting thing that we found out is Michael Jackson, 50 of these concerts sold out, sold out. So, I mean, he has star power beyond belief. But $1 million a night for these concerts that he was going to get.

And Betty, as we know, his debt, as you and Lisa talked about, $400 to $450 million. So, let's just say if he had been able to perform these concerts, he would have put a big dent in that debt. But we're also hearing, too, Betty, that the group, the promotions group that was putting these concerts on, they're going to have to refund $85 million.

So, their hopes for profits in all of this is really going to be slim. And there may be an interesting development with that coming up as well.

Also want to tell you we have been calling around here talking to our sources, trying to call the police department. Our Drew Griffin got some very valuable information from the police department about that car that CNN crew people and producers witnessed being towed last night.

They're telling me that there were three tow trucks there. And one of them took the car away, and you know, we have the license plate number and what have you, but police are not releasing the name, not saying exactly why they're looking for it. But they are saying it belongs to Michael Jackson's personal physician. So again, details to come on that one.

But also, I've been calling around, talking to them, trying to get more information from the coroner and also speaking to people. When this all broke yesterday, I was in Chicago doing an interview on incarceration, men in prison. And I happened to run into the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who was there. Reverend Jesse Jackson is now here.

I also called the Reverend Al Sharpton just a few minutes ago, and he said the family is very concerned about this notion that is out there by some people that Michael Jackson may have been estranged from his family or they may not have been talking or on speaking terms or had not been in the past. They're saying that is completely untrue.

And as a matter of fact, according to the Reverend Al Sharpton, just a couple weeks ago, in Las Vegas, the 60th anniversary of Katherine and Joe's wedding, their 60th wedding anniversary, the entire family was there, including the grandkids, Michael Jackson, all the brothers, all the sisters, everyone.

And they said that during that, Michael said when he finished this tour, he wanted all the brothers to come in and do something at the end of the tour, to sort of diminish this notion that the Jackson family was not in unison or a close family. So, that's very interesting developments coming out of that.

We are waiting now to hear from the coroner. He said he'd come back in a couple of hours. They are in the middle of that autopsy, and they are going to release some preliminary results if they get them today, but Betty, six to eight weeks before the toxicology results are in.

NGUYEN: So, it could take a little time for us to know for sure exactly what happened.

All right, Don Lemon, thanks so much for that.

You know, investigators find a clue to the cause of a deadly train crash in the nation's capital. We have the results in their simulated tests coming up. Stay with us.

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NGUYEN: Remember this song? Michael Jackson with his sister? "Scream" -- it was a big hit. And now a lot of people are looking at it as they remember Michael Jackson. You know, the chief coroner examining Michael Jackson says toxicology tests may not be available for weeks, and the cause of death may not be determined until all those tests have been returned.

So, let's get more now from CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. She joins me live. Elizabeth, what do you know so far about the whole situation surrounding his death?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: What we know is that he died of a cardiac arrest, apparently. Now, cardiac arrest, it's a little bit tricky. Many things can cause a cardiac arrest. A heart attack can cause a cardiac arrest, certain drugs can cause cardiac arrest. There's really a whole host of things that can cause it.

So, in the autopsy, one of the first things they're going to do, obviously, is look at his heart. Did they find a blockage? Did they find damage to his heart muscle? Then they will also look for the presence of drugs in his blood and in his urine. Now, we don't know how much they're going to come out with today. There sometimes are some preliminary toxicology results that they can come out with pretty quickly. We don't know if they're going to come out with those. We don't know if they're going to say much of anything today.

NGUYEN: OK. But when it comes to the medication specifically, what ones could possibly lead to a cardiac arrest?

COHEN: There are many drugs that could possibly contribute to a cardiac arrest. For example, amphetamines, steroids, narcotics such as Demerol and Oxycodone. However, it's important to point out there are all sorts of rumors flying around about drugs that Mr. Jackson was or wasn't taking. It's important to point out we don't really know. And I think that's really important as all these rumors are all over the place.

NGUYEN: OK. Well, what do we know about, say, the medical problems or conditions that he had?

COHEN: Lots of rumors there. You wouldn't believe the e-mails I've gotten today.

NGUYEN: Oh, yes. There's rumors all over the place about it.

COHEN: Right, exactly.

NGUYEN: Anything and everything, it seems.

COHEN: Right, exactly. He's had every disease A to Z, according to the e-mails that are flying around. But let's talk about what we do know about Mr. Jackson's health history.

First of all, we know that in 1990, we were told that he had chest pains. In 1993, his dermatologist says he was diagnosed with vitiligo, which is a skin condition. And in 1993, we were told that he had a prescription painkiller addiction, and we were told that he had back pain sort of at various times in his life. So, that's what we do know.

NGUYEN: All right. And we're trying to sort out all of the rest as all these questions continue surrounding his death. Thanks (INAUDIBLE).

COHEN: Thank you.

NGUYEN: We do appreciate it.

You know, death comes to all of us, but for people who are larger than life, it can get complicated. When James Brown died, Deanna Brown Thomas had a lot more than a daughter's grief to work through. She's going to join us live next hour.

And a court hearing next hour in Jena, Louisiana, should finally close the books on a case that unnerved a nation. We're live at the courthouse Also, we want you to look at this. It's an editorial cartoon from today's "Atlanta Journal-Constitution." Heaven and hell are flipping a coin over Michael Jackson. Does it go too far? Well, I'm going to talk about it with the man who drew it. Send us your comments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Michael Jackson's impact was felt around the globe. And fans from Britain to Japan to Germany, well, they are mourning the King of Pop's death. A look now at some of the international reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Atika Shubert at The O2 Arena here in London where he was due to perform in just about two weeks. He was set to perform 50 concert dates. More than 700,000 tickets had already been sold and they'd been sold out in hours, the fastest-selling concert in history. Now fans in London are absolutely devastated.

MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Morgan Neill in Tokyo, Japan, where Michael Jackson could always count on big crowds of ecstatic fans when he would come to play. The reaction today's been a mix of shock and disbelief. Lots of stores have set up displays like this one for those who still want to remember the music of Michael Jackson. Many have already sold out.

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Diana Magnay in Berlin. This is the Adlon Hotel, where in a bizarre incident back in 2002, Michael Jackson dangled his little baby son out of a window, the little boy's head covered with a cloth, Michael Jackson holding him just by one arm around his neck. Now, Michael Jackson always said he really regretted the incident and that he was simply overwhelmed by his fans, but it does remain an abiding image of Michael Jackson's later years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, investigators may be closing in on the case of a deadly D.C. Metro train crash this week. Nine people were killed when a train plowed into the rear of another train stopped on the tracks. Tests conducted by federal investigators show the operator of the second train may have received no warning of the train in front of her. In those tests, the NTSB placed another train on the tracks at the exact spot of the accident, and the signaling system failed to detect it.

Well, if we could somehow tap into the energy being spent on Capitol Hill today, we might not need the bill that's being debated. The House is working toward a vote on a clean energy bill that is a top priority for the White House, but a hard sell even for many Democrats. For the first time, though, it would slap limits on greenhouse gas emissions by granting pollution allowances that energy producers could buy, sell or trade. Republicans say the resulting hike in energy costs would be brutal, but supporters say they'd be largely offset by rebates and greater efficiency. The vote is sure to be close, and you will see it first right here on CNN.

Meanwhile, though, President Obama isn't just waiting by the phone. At you may have seen live last hour, he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have been discussing a world of big issues, climate change among them. Others include Iraq, Afghanistan and of course the turmoil in Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES; The violence perpetrated against them is outrageous. Despite the government's efforts to keep the world from bearing witness to that violence, we see it, and we condemn it. As I've said before, the Iranian people will be the ultimate judge of their government's actions, but if the Iranian government desires the respect of the international community, then it must respect the rights and heed the will of its people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Well, President Obama says Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has captured the, quote, "spirit and imagination of his people."

A controversial cartoon about the death of Michael Jackson. Some of are you telling us it is in bad taste. Want to you take a look right now so you can see for yourself. We're going to talk with the award-winning cartoonist who drew it and get his take on the King of Pop.

CALLER: This death of Michael Jackson is truly devastating. I just want to everybody to remember this man on this day. I don't want them to cry. I don't want them to be sad. I want them to remember his music and remember him for being a good father and a good man. Rest in peace, Michael. We love you. Everybody loves you.

CALLER: I remember Michael Jackson singing on television when I was a little girl. I think he's the first boy I ever loved. I will miss him truly.

CALLER: We lost a hero, and we lost the greatest superstar to ever walk this earth. But his music will always live on through all of us. And I am deeply grateful to be a part of his life, growing up with his music. We'll always love you, Michael Jackson, and you'll always be in our hearts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Some vintage Michael Jackson today, one day after he passed away. This is -- what is the name of this song again? "Another Part of Me." Just remembering Michael Jackson today.

All right. Well, you know, Michael Jackson was a hero, an international icon to his millions of fan, but he also was a controversial figure who had his critics. This editorial cartoon in today's "Atlanta Journal-Constitution" speaks to the two sides of the pop star's image. I want you to take a look at it right now.

Heaven and hell flipping a coin over who gets Michael Jackson. Well, the man behind that drawing, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Mike Luckovich, joins me now to talk about this and some other drawings inspired by Jackson.

You know, we've got a lot of comments about that one in particular.

MIKE LUCKOVICH, EDITORIAL CARTOONIST, "ATLANTA JOURNAL- CONSTITUTION": Right.

NGUYEN: How'd you come up with that particular concept? What made you get to that?

LUCKOVICH: Well, normally when a figure, a known figure, passes away, I usually do something with them entering the pearly gates. You know, Michael had a life where, you know, he was dogged by a lot of scandal, and I just couldn't -- you know, I couldn't have him moonwalking into heaven. I think people would have been upset that I was sort of ignoring that other part of his life.

NGUYEN: That you were sugarcoating his life?

LUCKOVICH: Yes. And so, I just tried to come up with something that didn't condemn the guy, but still kind of showed that, you know, he left some real questions behind.

NGUYEN: And I want to read you some of the comments that we've gotten so far about that because viewers, some of them really taking issue with it. Let's go to one of our tweeters here. This is Ralinur. And we're going to put that up on the screen for you. And basically what this person says is, "This is awful. Let's focus on the good that this great man did in the world. He had no peace in life. Let's give it to him in death."

What do you think about that?

LUCKOVICH: Well, I can understand that. You know, controversial figures, when they -- known figures, when they pass away, you tend to forget the negativity, and you want to remember the good things. So, I can understand that.

But as a cartoonist, I have a responsibility to get my opinion out there and get people thinking. So, I felt like I couldn't just sugarcoat that other side.

NGUYEN: All right. I've got two more comments from you. We're going to bring up my Twitter page. We've got a couple people on there speaking today. And the first one says, "Wow, that's a pretty bold statement. Very bold. I think that issue will be handled between Michael and his maker."

And then...

LUCKOVICH: That was probably a relative who sent that.

NGUYEN: Is that who that was? Well, Bejewels says that your "cartoon shows no imagination."

LUCKOVICH: What?

NGUYEN: "Michael's life was colorful. This oversimplification is boring -- black and white as the picture itself."

LUCKOVICH: And that could have been another relative. You know, they don't like me so much.

NGUYEN: Oh, come on. They can't all be relatives. I mean, people are going to have their opinion.

LUCKOVICH: Well, here...

NGUYEN: I mean, because especially, when you look at that, flip a coin between, you know, the devil and you're saying, what, this is St. Peter at the gate? Is that who that's supposed to be?

LUCKOVICH: Right. Right. Right. Yes, it's St. Peter. Yes, it's -- again, you know, it's -- he was a complicated person, and I tried to show the, you know, the -- it just wasn't cut and dried, so I had to show -- I had to do that cartoon.

NGUYEN: All right, well, let's go -- let's look at some of your other ones...

LUCKOVICH: All right.

NGUYEN: ... because you've got quite a few here. Michael Jackson was quite an inspiration to you, apparently. And, you know, it really speaks to what's going on right now.

This is our next one. It says in the little caption, "We're breaking in on the savior's second coming announcement to bring you a Michael Jackson update."

LUCKOVICH: Right.

NGUYEN: How did you get to that one, and when was this one published?

LUCKOVICH: Well, I think that was during his last trial and various -- CNN and various other cable news were really following the Michael Jackson trial, too, and putting all other news pretty much aside. And so, that's why I did that cartoon.

NGUYEN: Actually, tell you the truth, we're getting a lot of comments about that, a lot of people wanting to know what's going on in the world, Iran especially. They're saying all this Michael Jackson -- but you know, it just happened.

LUCKOVICH: Yes, right.

NGUYEN: Let's get to a couple more really quickly because people want to see them. This next one deals with his trial. Talk to me about this one.

LUCKOVICH: OK, this was when they were selecting the jurors. A jury's been selected, all 12. The lawyer is saying, "Michael, that's not their age, yes, -- that's not how many there are, that's their age."

NGUYEN: And very quickly, I've got to get this. We're out of time, but the next one is, he's dangling Liz Taylor over a balcony. This is in reference to Blanket, his little boy.

LUCKOVICH: That was after the baby: "Oh, my God, now he's dangling Liz Taylor."

Now, people can go to ajc.com, my newspaper's Web site, and see all my archives.

NGUYEN: See all of them. All right, well, thanks so much for your time today. We really appreciate it.

LUCKOVICH: Thank you, Betty. I appreciate it.