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Several Tributes Taking Place Today in Honor of Michael Jackson; Investigation of Michael Jackson's Death Continues; Iran's Treatment of Its Citizens is Drawing Criticism From the Human Rights Watch

Aired June 27, 2009 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Next in the CNN NEWSROOM, we have learned within the last hour or so that moving vans are now at the Michael Jackson rental home in Los Angeles. This comes two days after his death. And just one day after the coroner's office says the cause of death is still unclear.

Hello everyone, I'm Fredricka Whitfield and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

How is the Jackson family doing? The Reverend Jesse Jackson, a long time friend of the Jacksons, has spoken to them, and he will be joining us momentarily to tell us about what that conversation was like.

Meantime, our Susan Candiotti is in New York, where there have been a number of tributes that have taken place outside of New York. Susan Candiotti joining us now -- Susan?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred, are you with us now?

WHITFIELD: I am.

CANDIOTTI: If you are, I can't hear you. But I will assume that we are reporting live. Right now, we are outside the Apollo Theater, where the crowds have been growing by the hour. It's a very lively crowd. And of course, as you know, Michael Jackson appeared here back in 1969 as part of the Jackson 5 when he was only about 10 or 11 years old.

First want to give you a quick look at the wall over there. This is a 12-foot-high fence. Across the middle of it you have cardboard paper, paper stretching across there with literally thousands of people writing messages each and every day, messages in memory of Michael.

In fact, they have got so many of them they may have to add more space even above there. And inside at the front entrance you also have people who have left flowers and candles and photographs of Michael with messages of their own.

Earlier this morning, we talked with Billy Mitchell, who is the historian of the Apollo Theater who saw that very first performance of the Jackson 5 back in 1969. Here's what he remembers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILLY MITCHELL, HISTORIAN, APOLLO THEATER: The thing that really made it so special was that this young one, out of the five guys, this, the youngest one was the most talented, the one with the great voice, and seemed like the leader of these other guys that were behind him, his brothers, you know.

They were called the Jackson brothers. They were here to do the Apollo amateur night. And after their performance -- I have never seen anything like it. The entire audience gave them a standing ovation.

Now the Apollo Theater audience is known to be tough, but to get a standing ovation from the Apollo Theater is something very special, very unique.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: There is something about being in this crowd that is really energizing. And, as you can imagine, there are not only New Yorkers here, but this woman who is visiting from Atlanta. Why did you feel compelled to be here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because, I mean, Harlem represents black music, rhythm, African music, all the stuff that made Michael Jackson who he was. And I just wanted to pay tribute to him here with the spirit of the people.

And as you can see, everybody is enjoying themselves, dancing. It's that rhythm, that soul, that entertainment that made Michael and is making us do it now for him now.

CANDIOTTI: Are there any lingering questions that you have about how he died?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know what, I never really thought about it, because I always knew that Michael would not live to be 80, 70, because he is like Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, and somebody great like that don't live long. But I am just happy that he is resting in peace and that he is out of any stress or anything that bothered him. And you know his legacy will live on.

CANDIOTTI: I think everyone would agree with you about that. Certainly, I know that the Apollo here has big things planned for the coming weeks, next month.

We will come inside here. Watch out for the cord. We will sneak in here. You got to see the action. Here we go. That is what being here is all about. You get to hear the music, you get to hear people singing. And of course, you get to see the dancing. This goes on all day and into the night.

And next week the Apollo theater is going to allow 600 people in at a time for a few hours for a special event, and then on Wednesday night, another concert as well.

All the action is going on here. And I think we all remember one of Michael Jackson's lyrics "Don't stop till you get enough." I don't think anyone will be stopping here anytime soon, because there is a feeling that you just can't explain unless you are here in person about what it is like to be here right now.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Susan Candiotti outside the Apollo Theater. Thanks so much you.

And later on tributes throughout the week. Reverend Al Sharpton came out to say there will be quite a few tributes beginning as early as Tuesday right outside the Apollo where the Jackson 5 first performed to the open public.

All right, let's talk now in Los Angeles about the investigation that is now under way as it pertains to the mysterious death of Michael Jackson, as well as what's taking place at the home that he has been renting.

Here is Susan Roesgen with the latest on what the L.A. coroner's office has said and not said.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm right across the street from the Los Angeles coroner's office. It's right over there, and yet even here across the street from the coroner's office is an impromptu memorial to Michael Jackson.

You can see people have left signs and balloons and flowers. This poster says "I'll see you one day when it's my turn. Love you always," and "Save me a spot in heaven."

And then beneath it you have just plain handwritten signs that say "You are the sound track of my youth. Bless you, Michael." Half a dozen roses, candles. All a way for people who never even met this big star, never had a way of getting to know him personally, trying to show the world that they care about him and feel terrible about his death.

So you have really these two things going on here in Los Angeles. You have the public memorials, the impromptu memorials, and then you also have the police investigation into what caused Michael Jackson's death.

What we know so far is that the coroner performed the autopsy, and he said that the results showed that there was no obvious sign of death, no obvious sign of what may have caused the cardiac arrest Thursday.

Also the coroner says there were prescription drugs found in Michael Jackson's system. However, the toxicology report to really spell out what kind of drugs and how much won't be available for more than a month.

So those questions are continuing, while the Los Angeles police say they will continue to question Michael Jackson's personal physician, the doctor who was with him when he collapsed at his rented mansion here in Los Angeles, and the doctor who first tried to revive him. They say the doctor is cooperating fully. He is not the focus of any kind of criminal investigation. But they do want to know more.

So that's what we have here today in Los Angeles, this investigation, and the memorial by so many. And again, people who never seemed to get a chance to meet him, some who could never afford to go to his concerts, those people seem to be those who mourn him the most.

Susan Roesgen, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And not far from the coroner's office, live pictures right now. This is the scene outside the rental property of Michael Jackson. A number of reporters, photographers there, and also a number of curious members of the public who have come out to see the kind of activity going in and out.

One thing that everyone there has witnessed is the sight of moving vans that have actually moved into the property, gone through the gates of this massive rental home.

It's unclear exactly who has called in those moving vans. White and blue Atlas moving vans have been seen going on to the property. It is unclear whether it is -- whether it is the family members of Michael Jackson or someone else, but still unclear.

And this is the live pictures right here of the Encino home of the Jacksons. Much more straight ahead on that and all that is transpiring there.

And be sure to join me at 4:00 today for a special report on the death of a legend. The entire show is devoted to the life and career of Michael Jackson. We also hope to hear from you by way of your emails and your iReports as well.

And then tonight and tomorrow night, 8:00 eastern, CNN's Don Lemon takes an in depth look at Michael Jackson's life, his childhood, his music, his finances, his influences. Don't miss this "CNN Presents" special, "Michael Jackson, Man in the Mirror," this weekend, 8:00 eastern time, only here on CNN.

Let's move to politics now -- damage control for Republicans. A potential presidential candidate admits he cheated on his wife. We explore the party's image now and the image problem.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: When the governor of South Carolina admitted that he had taken a trip to Argentina to cheat on his wife, he was just the latest politician posing an image problem for the GOP.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. MARK SANFORD, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: How do you get all this right? How do you again be honest? And so there have been back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. And the one thing that you really find is that you absolutely want resolution.

And so oddly enough, I spent the last five days of my life crying in Argentina so I could repeat it when I came back here in saying, you know, while indeed, from a heart level, there was something real.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's deputy political director Paul Steinhauser is here. So, Paul, for the party pushing family values, how much damage does this one do?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Fred, it definitely doesn't help. It's not a problem just for Republicans. We have seen top politicians on both sides, Democrats and Republicans, have to deal with extramarital affairs.

But it's happening right now to the Republicans. You had two rising stars, Governor Sanford last week, and the week before, Senator Ensign, another rising star, Senator Ensign from Nevada, another rising star in the Republican Party, also admit to an extramarital affair.

So what you have here, as you mentioned, Republicans as they need to come back from these election defeats in '06 and '08, they need to reach out to voters who normally don't vote with them, but they also need to energize their base. And who was their base? As you mentioned Fred, Christian conservatives.

And those types of voters who are the base of this party maybe have a problem and may not be so energized when they see acts like this by some of their top politicians.

WHITFIELD: How much of a distraction is this for the Republicans as it tries to figure out leadership, as it tries to hold on to what it liked to tout for a long time, which was family values?

STEINHAUSER: Exactly. It's a big distraction, because they do want to be talking about family values and concentrating fire power against maybe Sonia Sotomayor, the president's nominee to the Supreme Court.

They want to be attacking the Democrats and the president over the bill that passed in the House yesterday on energy and environment, they want to say that is going to be a job killing bill.

And they want to criticize the Democrats over health care reform, saying that the Democrats will take away health care coverage. But they keep getting distracted this month by the two incidents, first Senator Ensign, and now Governor Sanford. WHITFIELD: Governor Sanford, what is the future as governor? What is going on?

STEINHAUSER: He has about a year and a half, Fred, as governor. He is term limited so he can't run again. Can he hang on, though, for the next year and a half? That is the big question everybody is asking.

WHITFIELD: And especially as questions continue to be arisen about what he told his staff, if he asked the staff to lie, how much money may have gone towards keeping up this affair. Even though he says he will pay the $11,000 for the one trip, what about, there are four trips in all right?

STEINHAUSER: Exactly. And those are the questions that a lot of people in South Carolina are asking right now. In fact you saw calls, one by Republican state lawmaker and another by a Democrat, calling for investigations into just what you were talking about, Fred.

But so far there has not been a real big chorus yet calling on him to resign. There have been two state newspapers that have called for his resignation and a few state lawmakers, but there hasn't been a chorus yet. We will see over the next week or two if the chorus does materialize, Fred.

STEINHAUSER: Paul Steinhauser, thanks so much from Washington, appreciate it.

STEINHAUSER: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: As we continue to look into the mysterious death of Michael Jackson, understanding the science beyond the autopsy now, with the cause of Jackson's death still unclear. A look at what medical experts may be trying to rule out or in.

And later, the legendary moves of the gloved one seen through the eyes of a childhood fan. Proof that old home movies can come back to haunt you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Meeting patients in the one place that few people seem to have, in the hospital emergency room. As ER wait times grow, patient frustration ramps up. But if you ask the right questions, you may be seen faster.

Senator Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has tips in today's "Empowered Patient."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: A new report out says that waiting times in emergency rooms in 2008 were just over four hours. That's half an hour more than in 2002. And emergency room doctors say it has gotten even worse in the past six months due to the recession. When people lose their jobs and their insurance they can't see their doctor and often end up in the emergency room.

So what do you do if you are stuck in the emergency room -- waiting room and you feel you are not getting the attention you need? Here are some ideas of what to say.

For example, let's say you are with your wife and feel like she is not herself, she's acting kind of strangely. If you say she's not acting normally, doctors tell me that will get their attention.

Also you can ask to speak to the charge nurse, that's a legitimate request. You can also say, for example, please reevaluate my husband. He's gotten worse since the last time that you looked at him.

And here are some examples of what not to say. Do not use threatening language. Don't swear. And don't be belligerent. All of those things could get you escorted out by security.

For more information on how to handle a long wait in the emergency room, go to CNN.com/empowered patient. For "Empowered Patient," I'm Elizabeth Cohen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, still tributes all around the world coming in for Michael Jackson, in the form of iReports as well. The man who gave Michael Jackson his start talks to Larry King about Jackson's life, Berry Gordy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERRY GORDY, RECORD PRODUCER: He was very weak. And it was, you know, a lot of stress. You know, he had a lot of stress.

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: He had a tough life didn't he?

GORDY: Yes, it turned out to be a tough life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, 25 minutes after the hour. Happening right now -- President Obama is urging the Senate to pass a global warming bill that narrowly won approval in the House last night. The bill limits the amount of carbon dioxide companies can release. It aims to cut emissions by 80 percent by 2050.

Republican House leader John Boehner is calling the legislation a "job killing bill." The government has seized all of Bernard Madoff's property, his homes, boats, and wife's jewelry. The man accused of the largest ponzi scheme ever is set to be sentenced Monday. And he could get as many as 150 years in prison.

And Iran's president lashing out at president Obama. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad asked, quote, "Why did he interfere," referring to the disputed election vote that put Ahmadinejad back in office.

The latest now on Michael Jackson. Moving vans arrive at the L.A. home that the pop star has been renting. It's not clear who sent the movers and what may be taken out of the house as yet.

And the L.A. coroner's office completed Jackson's autopsy on Friday, but still no cause of death. The medical examiner plans additional toxicology tests. And Jackson's body has been taken to an undisclosed mortuary.

Michael Jackson's family is raising the possibility of having a second autopsy performed. They have inquired with a company that specializes in forensic autopsies, according to a company spokesman.

The first autopsy did not point to a clear cause of death. Earlier, CNN's Ralitsa Vassileva spoke our Dr. Sanjay Gupta about what medical experts are doing through additional tests.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It does give us some valuable information even though the autopsy final results have been deferred. There are some things which, as a result of doing that, they have said did not happen.

For example, they say, they're making the statement there is no evidence of foul play. There is no evidence of external trauma. Those are things you have to make sure of. So the body was thoroughly inspected for those things. And I would add to the list, there was probably no evidence of something that was clearly catastrophic and clearly the cause of death.

So now it goes into exactly what you said the toxicology, looking at blood levels of all various chemicals and substances, examining the tissues under the microscope, trying to figure out how this all pieces together and trying to come up with some specific cause of death.

RALITSA VASSILEVA, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Dr. Gupta, there were talking about a neurological test. What does it mean? What will they be looking for?

GUPTA: There are several different tests. They're still going to perform a neuropathology test. That basically means you are looking at the brain and the central nervous system tissue to find out if there was something within the system that could have possibly been the cause of death. Again, there is no reason to suspect that there is. But that is part of the complete and thorough autopsy.

They also mentioned as part of that press conference they're going to be looking more carefully at specimens around the lungs, possibly looking for inflammation or anything else that might be -- contributed in some ways to his death. VASSILEVA: And there have been close friends of Michael Jackson's who have implied that he might have been abusing prescription drugs, painkillers.

GUPTA: Yes, and that's a -- something that is becoming a more likely theory, given that other things are starting to be ruled out. So at the beginning you sort of, anything is on the table. And then as things start to fall off the list of possibilities, this idea of toxicology and some sort of high dose of some substance in the body that may have suppressed his breathing, his ability to breathe on his own, or perhaps acted directly on his heart and caused cardiac arrest.

That's what they have to figure out. Does he have the substances in his body, and how high were they? Were they toxic? Were they at fatal levels? What does it all mean? That's what the next four to six weeks are really all about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And this information just now coming in as it pertains to the Michael Jackson death. We now understand that the doctor, the personal doctor that has been hired by the concert promoter to care for Michael Jackson, apparently he has hired an attorney.

I'm talking about Dr. Conrad Murray, picture right here. We understand that he has hired an attorney. He is a Houston-based doctor, even though he has been working and living in Los Angeles to care for Michael Jackson. But we understand and we confirm this, CNN confirms that he has hired an attorney with the Stradley, Chernoff, and Alford attorney law firm out of Houston.

And our affiliate, KHOU, is reporting, however CNN is still unable to confirm, KHOU is reporting that the attorneys representing this doctor Murray are also set to have some sort of meeting today, 3:00, west coast time, with Los Angeles authorities.

But again, CNN has not confirmed that, that reporting coming from our affiliate, WHOU. When we get any more information on all of to kind of put together the pieces, to get a little bit more clarity on exactly what's transpiring here, we'll be able to bring that to you as soon as possible.

Meantime, Michael Jackson's death has become one of the biggest stories ever on the Internet. CNN has heard from a huge number of people through iReports. And our Josh Levs is here to share some of the iReports with all of us.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's incredible Fred. Lets zoom in. I want you to get a sense of how incredibly many iReports have been coming in. We've got hundreds just on Michael Jackson.

There is a page set up for it. You can see some of the latest right here. Just keep coming in, keep coming in. I have a clip for you now from a video of one man who says he has always been a big Michael Jackson fan. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was beyond a legend and he was beyond a genius. And just like the music of Elvis and Frank Sinatra and John Lennon have lived on forever, and people my age are associated with them and know who they are, same will be for Michael Jackson.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: And he tells us he is 25 years old, and it's interesting to get his perspective there. He says he grew up watching Michael Jackson that way.

We are also hearing from people all over the world, including Sri Lanka. Take a look at this one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To not know him personally and to feel that we know him, it is an amazing feeling. Michael, we love you. I love you. May you rest in peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: She says she loves him and may he rest in peace.

Now, Fred, along this memorial, facing back, and sometimes a sad way, these remembrances, we also got some fun video. Take a look at this here. This was sent to us. I got to say it is a lot of fun.

It was actually taken a year ago. I want to pronounce his name right -- William Nelkovich (ph). I think I got that right based on what he told me. He was in Poland. And you can see someone was having a lot of fun with Michael Jackson, having him do the little dance there with a Michael Jackson puppet.

So a lot of people pulling out everything they got on Michael Jackson sharing it online. A lot of talk. A lot of celebrating. A lot of enjoying music too. You can take part in all that. Just join in iReport.com. We'll have more for you next hour, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes, it's always been bizarre, even in life, whether it was at a concert or anything pertaining to Michael Jackson, you would always have people in some, way, shape, or form impersonating even as it pertains to having a puppet. And it hasn't stopped even in his death. We have seen that in so many venues and reflecting on that in the form of iReports as well now too.

LEVS: Yes, well, it's all a way to celebrate, right?

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Josh Levs, appreciate that.

LEVS: Thanks, you got it.

WHITFIELD: Also reflecting on Jackson, the man who helped make the Jackson 5 into a huge sensation, Motown founder Berry Gordy says the group of kids from Gary, Indiana, were consummate professionals from the beginning.

The group had four number one hits along with an animated TV show. Gordy says Michael showed early signs he would be a big star.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GORDY: He was great because, one, he was talented, so talented. And he was a person who studied. He did research.

From the first audition, the other band members -- of course, they all had great precision. And I always thought -- they were disciplined.

KING: He was a perfectionist, right?

GORDY: They were all disciplined. I give, Joe and Catherine, his parents, always credit, because when they came to us, we didn't have a disciplinary problem with them. They would be on time. They would do this, you know.

But Michael, sometimes during a song, you know, the other, the other kids would be playing around with their instruments or having fun. And Michael was always focusing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A memorial will be held at original Motown studios in Detroit, and that's tomorrow night.

And be sure to join me at 4:00 for our special report today, "Death of a Legend." We'll devote the entire hour to the life and career of Michael Jackson. Send your thoughts to my Facebook page or email me. And don't forget, you can also comment on my blog at CNN.com/newsroom.

Well, in addition to his legendary music skills, Michael Jackson also was a humanitarian. He helped support many charities including USA for Africa with the song "We are the World."

Well, you can read more about that event, how to get the song, and how the charity continues to help Africa's poor. Visit our "Impact your world" page, that's at CNN.com/impact.

A comic book tribute to Michael Jackson -- I talked to the man behind the pen. And Iran's president gets tough with President Obama, again.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Iran's president aimed another blistering tirade at President Obama today. And Iran's treatment of its citizens is drawing new criticism.

CNN's Ivan Watson is at the CNN Iran desk. What's the latest, Ivan? IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, Human Rights Watch is based out of New York. It monitors human rights. It has come out with a statement accusing the Iranian government of a wave of home invasions and night assaults on homes as part of its crackdown of the last several weeks, describing "Paramilitary Basij are carrying out raids, destroying property and private homes, and beating civilians in an attempt to stop nightly protest chants."

Also, Iranian authorities are confiscating satellite dishes from private homes to prevent citizens from seeing foreign news. We are seeing some video we acquired over the last week from the Internet showing reportedly what seems to be one of these home invasions, one of the waves of attacks.

Now I would look to direct your attention to something we have learned recently. This is in Iranian Web site. We have shown some of the pro-opposition web sites, Fredricka. This seems to be in support of some of the hard-liners in the regime.

It's described as a Web site in favor of the "public relations department for investigation of organized crime." And it shows the faces of demonstrators here, circling them, and calling for information on them so that they can in theory be prosecuted.

It says that these are monarchists and terrorists and anti- revolutionary groups disturbing the society. Its calling for information for them.

We have seen Iran's opposition use the Internet very effectively while being pretty much blocked in the Iranian state media from getting their voices out, and also while suffering hundreds of arrests at the hand of the Iranian authorities. And this is one way that supporters for the Iranian regime are retaliating -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, Ivan, thanks so much. Appreciate that.

All right, let's talk about what is taking place in Afghanistan now. The presidential campaign is in full tilt in Afghanistan. Current president Ahmed Karzai faces 40 challengers.

Today Karzai invited Taliban militants to vote in the election for the candidate of their choice. The Taliban have warned Afghans to steer clear of the election process. The vote is set for August 20th. Polls indicate that Karzai has a commanding lead.

After 26 days, Brazil is calling off the search for bodies in the crash of Air France Flight 447. The remains of 51 of 228 people aboard the plane have been pulled from the Atlantic. Ships are still in the crash region hoping to recover the plane's voice and data recorders.

Let's talk about some wild weather. This is Connecticut, tornado warnings overnight, downed trees just about everywhere. Take a look at this house right there cut in half by a tree as you see.

No reports of anyone hurt, that's the great news there. But a lot of people in new haven and surrounding towns have been without power for quite a while. Utility crews are also busy in northern Ohio. Severe storms rolled through Cleveland and Akron, bringing down a lot more trees there as well.

Bonnie Schneider in the Weather Center. We've been concentrating so much on all the heat. But then there is dangerous weather on a whole different scale with that.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I was here when the storm line rolled through Connecticut and into upstate New York. There were some very powerful winds with that system, Fred.

And now we are also monitoring potential for strong storms, areas further west. But the big picture right now shows the heat is so problematic across the same place that it was hot yesterday and the day before. That's what makes a heat wave, when you have consecutive days of excessive heat.

The areas you see highlighted in red, like in Wichita, Kansas City, Jonesboro, Memphis, that's where we have heat warnings, meaning it is already hot out there and temperature will soar well above the 100 mark. Heat indexes will be 105 to 110 degrees.

So even though the temperature right now in Memphis is 95, it feels like it is well above 100. That heat warning will expire later on tonight, but it's likely to come back up again for tomorrow.

Highs today in the triple digits particularly into Texas, 102 in Dallas. Houston shattered records this week getting up to 103, 97 the high temperature for today.

The hot weather persists across a good portion of the south, the southern plains and the southeast. Here is where we're watching for the threat of severe storms. We could see powerful thunderstorms roll on through, through the day.

Look what is going on up here. Can't catch a break in the northeast. We still have wet weather there. It's been very problematic. We are also looking at a wet weather in and around New England. You can see the rain kind of pushing through the north.

I want to show you a quick picture of an iReport we got in of a water spout. This comes to us from Jacksonville, Florida. Sam Vaden (ph) took this picture yesterday evening. And you can actually see the point that comes down from the large cloud.

And he said the whole thing lasted 15, 20 minutes, very scary stuff. A water spout is a tornado that happens over the ocean. This was particularly on a river near city of Jacksonville.

So thank you so much for taking the pictures. This iReport very well done, just stay safe out there, because when a water spout is on the water, it seems, I'm assuming, it can be come on shore and be a tornado. So dangerous there.

WHITFIELD: That is always amazing to see. Bonnie Schneider, thanks you so much, appreciate that.

In a moment we will talk with a long time friend of the Jackson family. The Reverend Jesse Jackson shares his thoughts. He was just in Los Angeles. Now he's back in Chicago, and he takes time to talk to us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: This information just in as it pertains to the death of Michael Jackson.

We understand now the doctor that has been caring for Michael Jackson has hired an attorney. We are talking Dr. Conrad Murray. He's a Houston-based doctor who has been living and treating Michael Jackson in Los Angeles for some time now.

And he is also the person who, if you recall from that 911 call, who happened to be with Michael Jackson and trying to perform the CPR on Michael Jackson before he was declared dead.

Well, Dr. Murray, according to our own sources at CNN has confirmed, has indeed hired an attorney by the name of Ed Chernoff out of Houston form the Stradley, Chernoff, and Alford law firm.

And our affiliate in Houston, KHOU, is reporting, and CNN is unable to confirm that members of the law firm, representing Dr. Murray will be meeting with L.A. authorities, 3:00 pacific coast time today. What they will be discussing and circumstances or even where that discussion will be taking place unclear. But when we get more information on all of that we will be able to bring that to you.

Meantime, lots of friends and family members of Michael Jackson has been reaching out to the family in so many different ways. Among them, Reverend Jesse Jackson based out of Chicago.

But he made the special trip to Los Angeles to meet with Joe and Katherine Jackson, meeting with other members of the family. Reverend Jackson has known this family since 1967.

So, reverend, what was that meeting like with this family? And first, our condolences, given you are a close friend of the families and this has to pain you just like it pains the family members.

REVEREND JESSE JACKSON, JACKSON FAMILY FRIEND: Well it was lots of pain. I called Catherine at the time it happened. And Joe was determined to leave yesterday and got out there immediately.

And she is still fighting through her tears. She says I lost my baby. Michael was a good boy. I loved him so much. No matter what they said about him. He did his work well. And Michael was a good boy. And then we sat in the stillness of that room, and she reflected on her life with her son and his challenges as grew older he became more global.

And I must say with our sharing of grief, I said to her, Catherine you have had him for a long time, you know, 50 years. Enough is never enough, but Mrs. King lost her son at 39. And Mary lost her son, Jesus, at 33. And Mrs. Tia (ph) lost her son at 14. And so you have to take that which god has given you.

And we talked through issues of faith. And I think the joy to them was the response to Michael around the world. Over there, President Clinton called, when I was in the room, called to offer condolences.

The response in Bucharest and Russia and Australia and London, all around the world, was redemptive to them, because after all the challenges Michael had faced, the global response to his music took them to another level.

WHITFIELD: Do you feel like the family knew, though, how much the world loved Michael Jackson, ticket sales selling in a matter of minutes for these 50 concerts that he was to perform on his 50th birthday in London. They may have known that how much the world loved -- loved him. But perhaps did they say anything to you?

JACKSON: Maybe not this much. Michael's death knocked the Iran revolution off the front pages knocked the Iraq war off the front pages. It just like swept the world because he has been such a pivotal, transformational figure in American and global music.

I mean, his music has torn down walls and built bridges. We saw these huge crowds of people come when President Barack Obama spoke in Europe. But Michael was in Bucharest first.

In many ways his music became the medium which through so much change has taken place. We are the world, black and white. And he kept making these statements to music and rhythm and rhyme. I think the agony now is the unsolved issues around what happened to him.

WHITFIELD: And what does the family seem to believe what happened? I mean, did they know anything about his condition being so fragile that this kind of day would be near? Did they express anything to you?

JACKSON: No, they didn't see him in fragile terms. Michael was training with a trainer three hours a day. He was then dancing three hours a day. Some of the dancers from around the world, they were 25. And he was out-dancing them at 50.

So he was on the up. He was on a certain diet and feeling good physically. The idea that they sold out 50 concerts in just a matter of hours it seems. So Michael was on an up. And then from that up, from that high noon to eclipsing of the sun, something happened that night. Well, maybe the doctor said here's what happened, it may have helped. But the doctor wouldn't sign the death certificate.

WHITFIELD: Did the family express anything about wanting to got a second autopsy?

JACKSON: Yes, they have a very able lawyer.

WHITFIELD: They will be doing that? JACKSON: They will no doubt get an independent autopsy.

WHITFIELD: But apart from that, again, the doctor didn't sign the death certificate, did not meet the coroner as of yesterday. He shows up now with a lawyer. What happened?

JACKSON: And that's difficult, that's difficult to confirm. We don't really know the activity of the doctor, Dr. Murray. We do know because CNN has been able to confirm it he obtained an attorney, a Houston-based attorney. But it's unclear -- well, that itself creates even more suspicion. The attorney is because all of these questions are now out there.

WHITFIELD: That worries you? That's suspicious to you?

JACKSON: The fact the car was impounded. This thing has gone from inquiry to investigation. It has taken on a life of its own. And Michael should be able to die in peace. And right now there is no peace because there is this agony and pain over what happened when, who knew what. And none of us know that.

WHITFIELD: And also compounding that, perhaps, no peace too because of the debt, the $400 million in debt. And now we have seen images today of moving vans going into the rental property of Michael Jackson, but it's unclear why.

Do you know whether a family member would commandeer, would hire the moving vans to go in to perhaps take any kind of material possessions, any assets perhaps protect the Jackson estate? Do you know anything about that?

JACKSON: I don't know. Michael was in deep debt he had deep assets, great assets. And the tour was designed to address the issue of making the money to offset the debts. He still had the great asset in themselves.

He owned the Elvis catalog, and the Beatles catalog. And so Michael -- I was part of a small financial group working with him on that and trying to create cross (ph). And so Michael was overcoming that. Those are great odds. He was overcoming those odds.

I think the issue, what happened, seems to be something physical happened. We don't know what happened. And we need to know. Michael was not sick night before last, he was not frail, he was not fragile. And those who are close to him at the very end thought that we deserve from him, some answers.

I tell you what, the day is exciting, all this global attention. Michael is on center stage again doing his, doing his moonwalk. He is right there in the center of world attention. He would love that.

WHITFIELD: Well our condolences certainly go out to the Jackson family. Try to express that when you can next team you speak with them.

Reverend Jesse Jackson, thanks so much, and we'll check back with you, appreciate your time.

JACKSON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Michael Jackson's life spawned a host of imitators, including a kid who could bust a move with the best of them. He is all grown up now, but, you know what, he's looking back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As we look at the video, "The Way You Make me Feel," that from epic records. Take a look at Mariah Carey's comments here -- "Let us remember him for his unparalleled contribution to the world of music, his generosity of spirit in his quest to heal the world and the joy he brought to his million of devoted throughout the world."

Lots of friends and fans who are conveying their sentiments about Michael Jackson in so many different ways. We want to try to provide those for you as best we can.

Meantime, there are lots of memories of Michael Jackson. Among them a Pennsylvania man who not only loved Jackson's music as a kid, he imitated his moves. He thought those videotaped images were gone until his mom reminded him. Some parents keep everything.

Kylie Campbell with CNN affiliate WBRE has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYLIE CAMPBELL, WBRE REPORTER: It's 1984, and seven-year-old Brady Turi is imitating Michael Jackson in his family's living room. Twenty-five years later, the health and physical education teacher remembers the story we did.

BRADLEY TURI, MICHAEL JACKSON FAN: In the 80s, officers, if you grew up in the 80s he was a household name, a great entertainer. In my opinion, I'm sure, and I'm justified in saying he is probably one of the greatest entertainers of all time.

Yes, I was sad, like I said. I was more in shock of anything. I never expected him to die that young.

CAMPBELL: Turi is not as big a fan now as he was in the 80s.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every day after school he practices for about a half-hour.

CAMPBELL: His friends remind him of his Jackson wannabe days at wedding receptions.

TURI: They'll put on a Michael Jackson song, and they'll all call me out, give me a hard time.

CAMPBELL (on camera): Can you still do the moonwalk?

TURI: I can't do any of that now. I am the most uncoordinated dancer. I haven't done it in a while. CAMPBELL (voice-over): But back in the day, Bradley was confident in his foot work.

TURI: Yes, but I don't want to do dance lessons, because I know how to dance.

CAMPBELL (on camera): Do you have your white glove and glitter coat still?

TURI: I'm sorry to say I don't have that. I shed those long, long ago.

CAMPBELL (voice-over): But mom has a surprise.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I saved the jacket and the glove. I -- Bradley just doesn't know that.

CAMPBELL (on camera): VHS is kind of an 80s thing too. But I will hand off another copy so that way you can watch it later.

TURI: All right. Thank you very much. I will try to hide this from my friends.

CAMPBELL: Maybe he will burn it on to DVD, or maybe he will just burn it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)