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Supreme Court Rules for White Firefighters; Jackson Toxicology Results Pending; Surviving a Bomb Blast
Aired June 29, 2009 - 13:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: You know, why don't we take a look at it overall, Jeffrey, first, and talk about how this could play into how race is used, say, not only there with the firefighters, but what about in employment tests or college admission, or I was even reading here the makeup of the congressional districts?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: You know, Kyra, I think you really put your finger on why this case matters. Because clearly, there are at least four justices, and maybe five, currently on the court who think that the use of race under any circumstances by the government or by an employer is wrong, that the Constitution has to be, in their words, colorblind, that you can't put a finger on the scale, you can't consider race in employment decisions, in admissions to universities.
And there are four justices, but only four, it looks like, who think that diversity is a value that this country needs to preserve, that we need to have integrated institutions. And if you have to set up procedures that protect diversity, that's OK. That's really the struggle that's going on here, and this case is one example of it.
PHILLIPS: Well, and I think a lot of people are saying OK, what actions will government be able to take that, you know, that may benefit one race but not harm another?
TOOBIN: Well, unfortunately, sometimes it's a zero sum game. Sometimes there are only so many promotions a fire department can give. Sometimes there are only so many spots in, say, the University of Michigan Law School, which had a very celebrated affirmative action case a few years ago.
Sometimes you have to pick between people of different races. And the question is, should race be one factor that's considered? That is something that is very much up in the air in the court at this moment.
PHILLIPS: All right. So now this is all hovering over the fate of Sotomayor, and this is someone that's come forward and said hey, affirmative action, that gave me my opportunity.
TOOBIN: Right. And she, in fact -- you know, you have to remember, she was in the majority. All the other judges agreed with her in the lower court. Most of the other lower court decisions have agreed with the Sotomayor position.
Justice Kennedy's opinion for the conservative majority has changed things. She will be -- if she's confirmed, she will be replacing David Souter, who agreed with her in this case. So I don't think her appointment, if it goes through, is going to be a dramatic change in the status quo, but she is definitely on the more liberal side of the spectrum, which is to be expected when you have Barack Obama doing the appointing.
PHILLIPS: Jeffrey Toobin, thanks so much.
TOOBIN: OK.
PHILLIPS: Well, the high court could still issue a decision today on whether it will consider the case of Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis. You may remember he was convicted almost 20 years ago of killing a police officer in Savannah. His execution has been delayed three times.
Supporters say he deserves a new hearing because seven witnesses have either recanted or backed off parts of their testimony. Prosecutors say the evidence is solid and he should be put to death.
We have a statement now from Bernie Madoff's wife. Here's part of what she said.
"Like everyone else, I feel betrayed and confused. The man who committed this horrible fraud is not the man whom I have known for all these years. In the end, to say that I feel devastated for the many whom my husband has destroyed is truly inadequate. Nothing I can say seems sufficient regarding the daily suffering that all those innocent people are enduring because of my husband."
Madoff's investors lost billions of dollars because they trusted Madoff's reputation as a pillar of Wall Street. How can you make sure your investments are safe? Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis will join us shortly to answer that question.
And a judge has granted Michael Jackson's mother temporary guardianship of the singer's three kids. Katherine Jackson filed a petition this morning seeking legal custody.
Also today, New York's Apollo Theater firming up plans to honor Michael Jackson. It will open its doors tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. Eastern so visitors can actually come and pay their respects. Guests will go in 600 at a time, 45 minutes each. Expect video tributes and deejays playing MJ.'s music.
SIU correspondent Drew Griffin is looking into this story and brings us now an update on the questions surrounding Michael Jackson's doctor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What's next? Results from toxicology tests. They're testing the urine, the hair, the blood samples, to try to find out, number one, if there were drugs in Michael Jackson's system, when he might have taken those drugs, and if they had any bearing on his death. After those results are in, the coroner should be able to determine the cause of death. And a second autopsy done by the family, a private autopsy, will have another batch of toxicology tests to compare the two sides.
That's what will officially take place, and we'll see what happens in the coming days as the rumor mill continues to circulate around this story -- Kyra.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Drew Griffin, appreciate it.
Well, considered one of the advertising world's golden boys, Billy Mays could sell anything. We are learning new details about what may have caused his sudden death.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, calm but tense. That's the situation right now in Honduras one day after the military ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya and sent him packing to Costa Rica.
Zelaya says that he's still the legal president, but the man appointed president by the country's Congress has staked his claim. Roberto Micheletti says that Zelaya violated Honduras' constitution by allegedly trying to extend his rule. President Obama has denounced the coup and joined Latin American leaders and the U.N. for calling for his reinstatement.
Well, it's a day of celebration for a lot of Iraqis. The deadline for American combat troops to leave Iraq's cities just a few hours away. Most of the 130,000 Americans have already moved on to military bases outside the cities. The move is part of a security pact signed by Baghdad and Washington. Iraqi forces are assuming security operations in those cities.
Well, security is tight as this move comes about. There has been an uptick in bombings ahead of the U.S. pullback. While the Americans are relocating to the bases on the outskirts of cities, the top commander in Iraq says U.S. forces will still be busy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. RAY ODIERNO, COMMANDER, MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE, IRAQ: I think from a military and security standpoint, it's time for us to move out of the cities. We'll still be there providing training, advising enablers for the Iraqi security forces. I believe they're capable of doing this. We'll still be conducting significant operations outside of the cities, in the belts around the major cities, and I still believe that this will enable us to maintain the current security and stability situation here in Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: The Iraq War has left a lot of American troops wounded. More than 3,100, according to the Defense Department.
Our Barbara Starr brings us the story of two soldiers who survived a roadside bombing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Army Captain Shannon Meehan and Sergeant Hollie Clevenger, it's not easy to talk about what has happened since one roadside bomb injured both of them in Iraq.
SGT. HOLLIE CLEVENGER, U.S. ARMY: Before the blast went off, I remember seeing, like, this just real small glint of light.
CAPT. SHANNON MEEHAN, U.S. ARMY: I just remember feeling the ground erupt beneath me.
STARR: It's been nearly two years.
MEEHAN: ... of my returning to Iraq...
STARR: Shannon shows us his war photography.
MEEHAN: This is a mortar round that landed near us and did not detonate.
STARR: Hollie is helping him edit a book he is writing about the war.
MEEHAN: I was able to come to terms with it more by writing it down.
STARR: But it was only after this interview we learned how deep the pain really is for both soldiers. When the attack happened, Hollie comforted Shannon.
CLEVENGER: He was talking gibberish. It was -- I don't even know what he was saying.
MEEHAN: I was...
CLEVENGER: He was just completely out of it.
STARR: But when they got back to Fort Hood, it was Shannon's turn.
CLEVENGER: Captain Meehan was actually the one who told me about possibly being able to get into the WTU.
STARR: That Warrior Transition Unit was a lifesaver.
CLEVENGER: Everything was in a little shoebox, kind of. And I had PTSD here and TBI here, and dealing with the loss of my father and my sister being sick, my own medical situation.
STARR: Hollie's father died of cancer. Then her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer.
CLEVENGER: One day kind of opened that closet, figuratively, and everything just kind of fell out on top of me. And that's when I knew I really needed help.
STARR: Both are now in treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress and brain injuries.
MEEHAN: I sought therapy, and talking with my counselors about what had happened over there, what I had seen, some of the things that I had done and endured.
STARR: Both urge other troubled troops to help each other as they did.
CLEVENGER: We're all in this together. We're a family in the unit. We have to help each other.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And Barbara Starr joining us live now.
Barbara, they struggled so much, I'm curious what happened once the cameras were turned off.
STARR: Right. We talked about that at the beginning of the piece, Kyra. After we turned the cameras off, then more even came pouring out.
Sergeant Clevenger, Hollie, she told us that because of the cancer in her family, she underwent a preventative double mastectomy, and that caused her so much distress, obviously, that she contemplated suicide.
Shannon, Captain Meehan, told us his problems actually began long before the IED blast. One day in Iraq he was responsible, he said -- he called in an artillery strike on a house, not knowing, never knowing that there were small Iraqi children inside.
So, you know, while so many really do marvel at this deadline coming up tomorrow, which is to be applauded, that U.S. troops are getting out of Iraq cities, still, a lot of kids, a lot of troops paying a very heavy price for that success -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And paying an even bigger price when they come home, Barbara. I mean, what is the secretary of the VA saying about the fact that they've got hundreds of thousands of claims that are backed up, and it's men and women like this that aren't getting the care that they need for months? They're dealing with PTSD, they're dealing with injuries that are really hard to take, alcoholism, drug abuse. I mean, suicide rates.
I mean, what's going to be done to take care of these men and women?
STARR: You know, this is a story we are beginning to follow more and more, the long-term impact to vets who are coming home, and facing all of these problems. And while the government says we're going to take care of you, do they really mean it? Do they mean it for the next 10, 20, 30 years?
There's a lot of programs in place, but a lot of them having mixed results. And one of the things you just said, Kyra, really puts the finger on it. At the Veterans Administration, after they get off active duty, the case backlog for getting help to some of these vets is in the hundreds of thousands. And they are really struggling to get through that, and a lot of vets are suffering in the meantime -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Barbara Starr, appreciate your report.
Iran's hard-line rulers confirm the results of that disputed presidential election. What happens next -- more street violence, or will the opposition come up with a different strategy?
We're going to ask our guest who was recently in Tehran.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Applause and shouts of joy in a New York courtroom today when Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison. The one- time Nasdaq chairman got the maximum sentence for running a Ponzi scheme of historic proportion.
CNN's Maggie Lake standing by with all the details just outside the courtroom there -- Maggie.
MAGGIE LAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Kyra, that's right, 150 years, the maximum allowed. But I spoke to one victim afterwards who said it was the minimum they felt that he should get.
The judge, when he was giving that sentence, said he understood that it was largely symbolic. Remember, Madoff's 71. A much lesser sentence would have ensured that he would serve the rest of his life in prison, but he wanted to send a very strong message not only to deter others who may think about doing a similar crime, but he said it was also for the victims. And that was where the real drama was today inside the courtroom.
Nine of them got a chance to speak -- stand up, speak, address the court, and face the man who did this to them. And their stories ranged from a mother who didn't know how she was going to pay her daughter's college tuition, to retirees who said that they were just about getting by.
I spoke to one victim a short time ago who said she is now on food stamps and feels like a human calculator, just seeing if she can get by every month. So they told their stories.
We also heard from Madoff himself, who apologized and, at one point, turned briefly to the victims themselves and saying, "I know it's not going to help," but offered an apology. But when I spoke to many of them, they said it rang hollow at this point -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Maggie Lake, thanks so much. Well, the adoptive father of a 5-year-old boy is now charged with offering up the child for sex to an undercover detective. According to federal court affidavits, an informant tipped off investigators to Frank M. Lombard. The 42-year-old works at Duke University's Global Health Institute.
In court papers, the informant says that he saw Lombard molesting an African-American child on an Internet video chat service. The informant says that Lombard told him the child was one of his two adopted sons.
Earlier this month, a detective investigating the case conducted an online chat with someone calling himself F.L. Well, F.L. sent nude photos to the detective. They matched Lombard's driver's license photo, and the detective says in the affidavit that F.L. invited the undercover detective to come to Durham, North Carolina, and have sex with his 5-year-old child.
Well, Lombard has been charged with attempting to induce someone to cross state lines and to engage in sex with a child. The Associated Press tried to contact Lombard's attorney, but calls were not returned. Two children were removed from Lombard's home and put in protective custody by the North Carolina Department of Social Services.
Now a story that we have been all over in the past few weeks, a child porn sting in Florida called Operation Orange tree that collared nearly 80 suspects from 17 years of age to 83. Some of them said to have an instructional video that shows how to molest children and avoid getting caught. The star of that sting could be Florida's cutting edge computer software that made it possible.
John Walsh from "America's Most Wanted" says that he plans to make sure that your state has it, too, but police need your help. Two fugitives are still out there. And here they are.
Ricardo Lecky is wanted in the rape of a 15-year-old girl. And Richard Whitehead (ph) is accused of forcing young girls to watch pornography and perform sexual acts. Call the cops if you know where these two scumbags are.
Iran's disputed presidential election valid. That's the word from Iranian state television after today's partial recount of the vote. The country's electoral oversight group says it's confirmed that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's overwhelming victory is indeed legit.
Joining us for more on this development, Reza Sayah, on our Iran Desk -- Reza.
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
This news really doesn't shock anyone. Iran's Guardian Council, the top legislative body, finalizing, certifying the election results after a partial recount of the vote today.
Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi had said over and over again he doesn't want a partial recount, he wants a complete do-over of the elections. That didn't happen.
The Guardian Council today did a partial recount anyway, counting about 10 percent of the vote. And about a couple hours ago here at the Iran Desk, word that they have certified the results. So, according to them, Iranian President Mahmoud ahmadinejad has been re- elected.
So, as far as Mir Hossein Mousavi, the opposition leader, legally speaking, based on Iranian law, doesn't look like he has any more recourse. So a lot of people will be eager to see where he goes from here, what decisions he makes from here on out.
New developments today also concerning the shooting death of Neda Agha-Soltan. That was the 26-year-old who was shot to death a couple of Saturdays ago in a protest in Iran. Today, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came out and called the death suspicious. He also wrote a letter to the Iranian judiciary calling for an investigation, but based on a statement he made himself, he's already concluded that it was not Iranian security forces who killed Neda.
Here's the statement by Ahmadinejad: "The massive propaganda of the foreign media, as well as other evidence," said the president, "proves the interference of the enemies of the Iranian nation who want to take political advantage and darken the pure face of the Islamic Republic."
And Kyra, it's interesting to note the Iranian government has now offered three different explanations as to who killed Neda. They blamed the CIA, they blamed a terrorist group, and they blamed protesters themselves.
PHILLIPS: Well, Iranian state media reporting -- I guess are talking about the Basij members are imposters?
SAYAH: Yes. It was a lot of controversy over the past couple weeks surrounding members of the Basij. These are the plainclothes voluntary militiamen who have been charged with the duty of cracking down on these protesters.
We have seen a lot of video of them beating down on protesters. And according to state-run TV, police officials have come out and arrested armed imposters who they say posed as Basijis. Also, the commander of the Basij coming out today and defending his militiamen.
Here's how the report played out on Iranian state-run TV.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Iran says it has arrested individuals who are wearing Basij and police uniforms and were involved in violence during recent street riots. The commander of Iran's Basij, Hossein Taeb, says the force has contributed to maintaining security in recent riots without resorting to arms.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAYAH: Now, despite that report, there really has been a mountain of video events that indeed shows that Basijis themselves have brutally beaten a number of protesters. I myself, during my stay there in Tehran, post-election, on a number of occasions saw these men really brutally beating peaceful protesters. I saw them beating women. I also saw them climbing over the walls of private homes, raiding these homes when they heard chanting.
And what's troubling, Kyra, is that these men don't appear to be accountable to anyone. They work under Iran's Revolutionary Guard, but if there's an investigation, it's very unlikely that it's going to be a thorough investigation, because they will essentially be investigating themselves.
PHILIPS: On top of that, we're hearing that protesters are going to be executed. We reported on that I guess on Friday, and reading about that over the weekend. Obviously, a lot more to follow, Reza.
President Obama talks about his new energy bill. We are going to look at the pollution problem and how the plan is going to cost big bucks in our energy fix.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILIPS: Live pictures now just outside of Michael Jackson's home. Let's listen to Reverend Al Sharpton, hopefully bringing us information about Jackson's funeral.
REV. AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER: -- have really been expressing how gratified they are at the outpouring around the world for the love of Michael, and the love of his family, and his children, and to his legacy.
It is the determination of the family to be careful and deliberate on how they plan his celebration of life, because we're talking about a historic figure that really changed pop culture around the world. This is not something you do carelessly and spontaneously.
We must also remember they are still grieving, and in their grief, determined to uphold his legacy. We were glad last night that some of us were able to get Mr. Jackson to go out to the BET Awards, so that he could at least see the love himself of people, rather than just be at home and grieve.
Michael would have wanted his family to continue his work. And that is why Mr. Jackson said yes, I'll go to the awards, and I'll let them know I'm going to stay in the music business, because that's what my son would have wanted me to do. He had decided to engage in building a record company with Marshall Thompson, who is the lead singer of the Chi-Lites, one of the legendary groups that Michael admired, because Michael was about keeping the right music of hope and love in front of the world.
So some misinterpreted why Mr. Jackson went and what he said. He said it and went because he wanted to send a signal to the world that the Jackson family's going to continue doing what Michael did, give music and love to the world all across all boundaries, and across all nationalities. And he wanted to send that signal, as he did today, coming out looking at some of the gifts here at the house.
People around the world are planning celebrations tomorrow at the Apollo theater all day. And they will pause at the moment of Michael's death in a silent moment.
People are planning museums in Gary. There are all kinds of things the family is going to carefully consider. Mr. Jackson, Mrs. Jackson, Michael's brothers and sisters, as a family, they came out of Gary and they gave the world a whole new glow. And they must be careful to protect that glow and not rush into something that will -- may feed the media frenzy, but not uphold the legacy of Michael Jackson.
Mr. Jackson?
JOE JACKSON, FATHER OF MICHAEL JACKSON: Thank you. Hello, everybody. I'm here to witness that Marshall -- this is Marshall, by the way, and also, this is something that we want you to know, that I was asked a question last night about the record company. Well, what I'm doing is I established a record company with Marshall. And the company is called Marin's (ph) Record, distributed by Blu-Star and Blu-Ray. We have a lot of good artists fixing to come out.
I was asked that question and I answered just like it was asked, because they wanted to know what else I was doing. The family and I are very proud to see all of you come out here and help us with this whole situation, because we know that we do have fans all over the world. We know that we are loved all over the world.
But one thing that I wish could have happened, I wish that Michael could be here to see all this. He had to wait until something happened like this before -- before it could be realized.
Michael was a superstar. He's that superstar all over the world. He was loved in every country and the United States. And every country all over the world, he was loved. One thing Michael didn't know is, he didn't know how strong this would be, because he tried his hardest to please everybody.
The sick -- he donated so much money to the sick. He helped the blind. He helped everybody that need help. And he was glad to do it. I've seen Michael help so many people. And sometimes, he would go and cry about it, because he felt sorry for the people that he was helping.
So, you know, I was very proud of my son. And the legacy of Michael will still go on, I promise you that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There must be some gratification the judge has granted temporary custody of Michael's children to your wife.
JACKSON: Of course. This is where they belong. We're the parents and we got other kids their size. They love those kids, and we love those kids, too. We're going to take care of them, and give them the education they're supposed to have. We can do that.
We have the air enough, and premise large enough to be able to extend all kind of help that they might need.
(CROSS TALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What about funeral arrangements?
JACKSON: We're not ready for that yet, because we're trying to wait on something else. We're searching to see what happened to Michael.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any idea about the time frame for it?
JACKSON: I just answered your question. We don't have the time frame yet, because I want to see how this autopsy's coming out, you know, the second autopsy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When do you expect to hear back from the private autopsy?
JACKSON: They're doing it right now. I'm expecting to hear about it real soon.
(CROSS TALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Debbie Rowe has nothing to do with what we're doing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are going to take one question at a time. We can't hear everybody. Over here.
(INAUDIBLE)
JACKSON: I don't get into that yet, because we're looking at that too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did president Obama say?
JACKSON: That's a private situation. I have to deal with that.
(INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I never heard of a private funeral like this big, like Michael would be. Well, it will be some private, but not closed all the way down for the public.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will the family plan a world tour? Is it true the family may fulfill Michael's obligations in the World Tour?
JACKSON: I don't know about that. I have seen no rehearsal on a world tour yet, not with the rest of the family yet.
(CROSS TALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you talk about how the children are doing? Are they talking about their father? And what are they saying?
JACKSON: Oh, yes. They're happy, though. But they're happy with the kids that they're around, because we have kids over there, back there, at least. We have kids back there are small just like they are and almost -- some of them are the same age, because they was never around other kids. But they're happy.
(CROSS TALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will the long-time nanny, Grace, have a role in taking care of the kids?
JACKSON: We're looking at that, too. She's a good friend of the family and good friend with the kids.
(CROSS TALK)
JACKSON: I can't answer that. Because --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you manage to speak with --
JACKSON: Who's that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you manage to speak with the doctor?
JACKSON: No, I haven't spoke with him yet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Jackson, have you seen a will?
JACKSON: No, not yet. No, not yet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How is Mrs. Jackson?
JACKSON: She's fine. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will he be buried at Neverland?
JACKSON: That's not true. That's not true.
SHARPTON: All right, let's go. Thank you.
JACKSON: Marshall, go ahead.
(CROSS TALK)
MARSHALL THOMPSON, CHI-LITES: What's happening is on the entertainment side, we're going all the way back to the beginning. Myself, Marshall Thompson, from the Chi-Lites, from Chicago. We are going back to Michael Jackson's legacy, all the way back to the Regal Theater days, and get some of these kids off the street, just like Michael Jackson would want, and put them to work with their talent. And we are going to bring them back up and take Marin's records all the way to the top with the artist artists. We love you.
(INAUDIBLE)
SHARPTON: I have been -- I talked to -- well, he can answer, but he asked me Friday to come. And I have been around the Jacksons for 35 years. Mr. Jackson was the one that first started helping my youth group many years ago. And when I talked to him Friday, he said when are you coming. And I came and I'm here.
I'm going back tonight to do the Apollo, coming right back, because he told me to be here, and I'm going to be here. One thing you learn in the world of the Michael and the Jacksons, when Joe Jackson says come, you come.
We haven't decided what's going to happen at the memorial.
(INAUDIBLE)
SHARPTON: In a way that Michael Jackson would have been proud. Thank you. That's up to the family.
JACKSON: When you get the plan, you will hear about it. Beg your pardon?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you talk about the last time you saw your son?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The press conference is over now. We have to go now.
PHILIPS: Just outside of Michael Jackson's home there.
JACKSON: He was living then, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Press conference is over now. Thank you.
PHILIPS: Once again, just outside of Michael Jackson's home, there. You see his father, Joe Jackson, side by side with Reverend Al Sharpton. Not really saying much. They haven't made plans for a funeral; still trying to figure out what they're going to do about the memorial service. There are a lot of other efforts going on to memorialize Michael Jackson.
A lot of questions asked about Joe Jackson, the last time that he talked to his son, spent time with his son. He didn't answer that, which sort of leads us to -- for the sake of balance, Joe Jackson has now been on our air both last night and today. And he talks about his son, Michael Jackson, being a superstar. But we also know Michael Jackson suffered quite a bit, and he had come forward a number of times, talking about how he was abused by his father.
You may remember in the clip that we have shown in the special that we put together from a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, that Michael Jackson actually talked about the abusive relationship with his father. Here's a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL JACKSON, KING OF POP: There's a lot of sadness about my past life and, you know, adolescence, my father and all of those things. It just made me very, very, very sad.
OPRAH WINFREY, "OPRAH": So he would tease you, make fun of you?
M. JACKSON: Yes.
WINFREY: Did he ever beat you?
M. JACKSON: Yes. He did. Yes.
WINFREY: And that was difficult to take, getting beaten and going on stage and performing.
M. JACKSON: Yes.
WINFREY: Why would he beat you?
M. JACKSON: Because he saw me -- he wanted me to, I guess -- maybe I don't know if I was his golden child or whatever it was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILIPS: Well, in a BBC interview, Joe Jackson admitted whipping Michael with a switch or a belt, but denied ever beating him. Beating, Joe maintained, is something you do with a stick.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILIPS: During the height of street protests in Tehran last week, we had a chance to speak with Professor Babak Rahimi, who then was in Tehran. During that interview, you may remember what happened when gunfire broke out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PROF. BABAK RAHIMI, UNIV. OF CALIF. SAN DIEGO: They are spreading -- i don't know if you just heard the gunshot, but anyway --
PHILIPS: Where are those gun shots coming from?
RAHIMI: I don't know, actually. I'm trying not to go outside from the house, for obvious reasons. But there's this kind of feeling of unease.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILIPS: It's great to say that the professor joins us live from San Diego, where he is a professor there at UCSD. I got to tell you, it's great to see you in person.
RAHIMI: Well, thank you very much. Thank you. I'm glad that I'm back.
PHILIPS: You were a tremendous resource for us, because many times, we didn't know what was going on, what the truth was. And now you're back here in the states safely. What can you tell me now that you couldn't tell me when you were there on the street, something you have really wanted to get out since we last talked?
RAHIMI: Well, quite frankly, it was that mood of anger that just was everywhere. And of course, I didn't want to say that out in the interview. But that was definitely something that surprised me. It worried me at times. But, in many ways, it was kind of the mood that captured everyone's attention in Iran, the anger, the frustration. And also, later on, eventually became a kind of feeling of helplessness over the crackdown of the state over the demonstrations.
PHILIPS: How were you able to even communicate with me and feel safe? Because even our own correspondent was brought in and questioned and told to sign paperwork to only report good stories; and he finally got out. We were worried about him for a bit of time. But, you know, what kept you safe and secure and brave enough to give us the information that you did?
RAHIMI: Well, there is a saying in Persia called Jav Giro (ph), being caught up in the moment. I don't think I really realized what I was doing at the moment that I was, you know, doing the interview over the phone. But --
PHILIPS: Oh, we apologize. Here on live television, we have what you call a live feed, and sometimes that transmission gets interrupted. And unfortunately, we lost our favorite professor there, that was a tremendous source for us during the protests in Tehran. We will try and get him back, and hopefully get his story to all of you, now that he's back here safe in the United States.
After today's big win at the Supreme Court, reaction from the New Haven 20. We are going to check your thoughts on the workplace discrimination case. Comments and Tweets straight ahead.
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PHILIPS: Ali Velshi filling in for Rick Sanchez, and working hard for his money.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: In so much as one could really fill in for Rick Sanchez. I'm occupying --
PHILIPS: Nobody really fills those shoes, do they?
VELSHI: Listen, we got fascinating news we're continuing with. First of all, we are hearing more and more from a number of the victims of Bernard Madoff, what they're going to get, what they have been saying. Most importantly for our viewers is how do you protect yourself from that, and not be a victim, because, as you have pointed out -- I really appreciate that you do this -- this wasn't just something that took money from the rich. There were a lot of regular people.
PHILIPS: They lost all their life savings.
VELSHI: Their life savings. Frankly, even if you had a lot of money, when somebody does that to you, it shouldn't happen. Somebody can't steal your money. I want to talk about that.
Of course, Billy Mays -- I have to offer full disclosure. I just think the guy's fantastic. I always wondered if I could be a Billy Mays. I bought all that stuff. Then I would call my friends and tell them to buy it. PHILIPS: You bought it?
VELSHI: I got everything. I got the One Sweep. I buy everything that's on an infomercial.
PHILIPS: Did you buy a Snuggie, too?
VELSHI: Yes, you get two. I buy all that kind of stuff. They advertise anything, I buy it. We are going to talk about Billy Mays and the empire that he built, which, by the way, is quite remarkable. Closer to your home than you think, even if you don't buy stuff off infomercials.
And, of course, Michael Jackson, we've been covering that story. We are really trying to figure out what's going on, what are the plans for memorials and funerals.
PHILIPS: It's so much deeper, that message about his life --
VELSHI: It is. It is. And, of course, custody with the kids, Michael Jackson's mother getting that. Really full afternoon. And the case of these fire fighters in Connecticut. Again, something that reverberates through the country. You may not care about that case, but it may have some impact on your workplace.
Just so much going on right now.
PHILIPS: Affirmative action, reverse discrimination, all of that Coming into the forefront. Lot of news today.
VELSHI: A lot of news today.
PHILIPS: Good. You'll have a good hour. Thanks.
We have been asking for your thoughts on the Supreme Court ruling in favor of white fire fighters, claiming reverse discrimination. We were just talking about that with Ali. He is going to talk about it coming up in just a few minutes.
Let's go to your Tweets. I really appreciate you all writing in. Owen says, "Yes, I agree with the Supreme Court. I don't know the details, but it seems like local politicians were trying to politicize the fire department."
Journal Project says, "despite the verdict, one way or another, I wonder how this will impact the professional relations between the 20 and those who failed."
Then, Addie Starshine says, "had the New Haven 20 been black, they wouldn't have won this case."
And from Loham, "I agree with the decision. If they didn't think that the test for promotion was right, they should have changed it before it was taken."
Mike Bates says that "today's Supreme Court decision underscores Obama's blunder in trying to place Judge Sotomayor on the court. She's not qualified."
Finally, Greg D 999, "this country has to move on, sooner rather than later, considering matters of race employment issues."
Thanks to all of you for sending us in those Tweets.
Best known as the man with the booming voice selling Oxiclean -- Ali bought a lot of that, he tells us. We've got new information about the cause of TV Pitchman Billy Mays' death.
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PHILIPS: He lived on your TV screen, selling everything from Kaboom to Oxiclean. Now, today, we have new clues about how Pitchman extraordinaire Billy Mays likely died. Tampa, Florida medical examiner held a news conference just a short time ago. John Zarrella was there. John?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, you know, it's interesting because, apparently, Billy Mays didn't even know what he had. And what he had was heart disease. Now, the medical examiner is not saying definitively, 100 percent that that is, in fact, what killed him. But all the evidence, the medical examiner said, is pointing in that direction, that it was heart disease and it was not a hit on the head that he sustained during an incident on the US Airways plane that took a hard landing on Saturday at Tampa airport, when a piece of luggage fell out of an overhead and hit him on the head.
After that, Mays said he felt fine. When he went home that evening, though, he said he felt a little bit groggy, wasn't feeling good, wanted to get to sleep. That's what led to some of the speculation that perhaps it was this piece of luggage that somehow damaged his head.
But the medical examiner said that, in fact, the internal and external examination of his head showed no trauma to his head. Kyra?
PHILIPS: John Zarrella, appreciate it. That does it for us. We'll be back here tomorrow. Ali Velshi in for Rick Sanchez. He takes it from here.
VELSHI: He ran the biggest ponzi scheme in history. Today, a judge decides Bernie Madoff's fate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How am I ever going to trust anybody again?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Will the punishment be enough for his victims?
White fire fighters take their reverse discrimination case to the highest court, and win.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think this is just proof positive that people should be treated as individuals and not statistics.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: So what does this decision mean for President Obama's Supreme Court pick, Sonia Sotomayor?
What does a military coup look like? An up close look at the dramatic images coming out of Honduras.
A few hours from now, American forces will complete their pull-out of Iraq's major cities. Will Iraq become a forgotten battleground? And what can Afghanistan teach us? I'll speak to our war zone correspondents, Michael Ware in Baghdad, and Atia Abawi in Afghanistan.
Your national conversation for Monday, June 29th, starts right now.
