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Michael Jackson Memorial Might Be Planned; Obama Plans Health Care Town Hall; S.C. Governor's Travel Records under Scrutiny; FDA Concerned over Acetaminophen; Losing Candidates in Iran Not Going Quietly; Ultimatum for Honduras Coup Leaders; Cities Growing despite Recession; Michael Jackson's Final Days
Aired July 01, 2009 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. It is Wednesday. The big stories we're following for you on this Wednesday morning, Michael Jackson. Fans will be flocking to the Neverland Ranch in order to remember the musical icon.
Let's check in with Ted Rowlands. Ted is going to join us live in a moment from California.
Also, President Obama's focusing on health care reform today at the White House. Our White House correspondent Dan Lothian is going to join us with a preview.
And of course the unrest and the chaos in Honduras. We continue to talk about the coup, the global backlash and what could be next.
Again, it is Wednesday morning. It is July 1st. I'm Melissa Long in today for Heidi Collins. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
And there are new developments we want to report to you this morning as the legacy of Michael Jackson continues to take shape. Just a couple of hours from now, lawyers will file, of course, more on that will in California in the courtroom. We've learned that a public viewing is now being planned for his fans as well.
With more on all of this, CNN's Ted Rowlands is outside the family compound in Encino, California.
Ted, let's just start with the will. Any bombshells expected today?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, Melissa. The will has been seen by the family. This will, of course, surfaced yesterday officially and that the family got a look at it. Family lawyers say they have a copy of it. What we do expect is that the will may be filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court as the probate process continues.
Two days ago, the family filed a petition asking that Katherine Jackson, Michael Jackson's mother, be given certain rights to take care of the kids and to control some of the finances in the interim, and at that time, in those petitions, they said there was no will, nothing had surfaced. Well, now they acknowledge there is a will. This is the only one that surfaced so far. If more wills surface, maybe it's a possibility things could get more complicated but at this point they are expecting that this will be sort of the working document.
And of course, there could be some folks that don't agree with all of it, but this at least gives a sense of what Michael Jackson would have wanted to happen to his estate and wanted for his children. So, a development that the family is looking at and saying publicly is actually a positive one.
LONG: Ted, so many fans have been remembering Michael Jackson at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. What about the memorial service that's under way or planned in California?
ROWLANDS: Well, bottom line is supposedly it's going to start tomorrow with a procession from Los Angeles up to Neverland. If that's the case, boy, it hasn't been publicly acknowledged yet on any level, so time would seemingly be running out. We're expecting probably today, one would assume, to get official word from the family.
Now, the family attorney says that nothing has been set. One thing is -- not set but it seems as though Neverland Ranch is going to factor into the family's plans to memorialize Michael Jackson.
LONG: Ted Rowlands live for us from the family compound in Encino, California. Ted, thank you.
Also today, startling details from a registered nurse who says she helped care for Jackson. Cherilyn Lee says the singer was plagued by severe insomnia in recent months and had grown increasingly frustrated and desperate. She says Jackson would plead for a powerful sedative typically used as an anesthesia during surgery.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHERILYN LEE, NURSE WHO SAYS SHE TREATED JACKSON: I told Michael, I said, Michael, you don't want this medication. You don't want it. It is not safe. He said, no, my doctor assured me it's safe. He assured me it's safe. I said, Michael, it isn't safe.
So, I left him that morning and I went to my office to get my PDR, so I said -- a physician desk reference. It's like the bible of medicine. You know and it's very big and it's very thick and it's basically medical terminology. And I said, Michael -- again, he was having another meal. So he had started to eat.
He said, I said, look, I want to show you this. In the book itself. You don't have to take my word. You know? I don't know who this person is. But whoever it is, they don't have your best interests at heart. Because you should never have this. You know? And you should not want to have this at all.
So, I opened up the PDR, I said, "Michael, I want you to read this." He didn't want to. He was eating. He didn't want to be bothered with that big book. So, I said, "I'm going to read you the symptoms." You know, so I start going through some of the symptoms with him.
And then I said, well, one, I said it's minor, but it's not minor because you're, you know, in entertainment, but these are major symptoms. The end result, you know, it could be fatal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: We want to point out that Lee said she had not seen Jackson take the drug. CNN is now investigating Lee's claims that she cared for Michael Jackson. So far, we have verified that she's a licensed as a registered nurse and as a nurse practitioner in the state of California.
Coming up, we're going to be checking in with Josh Levs. As you can see, he's getting ready to join us. CNN viewers sharing their own stories, their own memories of the King of Pop. Josh will take us on an interactive and, for so many, an emotional walk down memory lane as well.
Americans overwhelmingly want health care reform, but only a small majority support President Obama's plan. That is the finding of the latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll.
Here's the research for you. Ninety-five percent of those polled favor either a great deal of reform or just some reform. Fifty-one percent said they're behind the president's plan, while as you can see, 45 percent say they are in opposition of it.
The numbers show the president still has a big selling job with many Americans, and he's hoping to win over more people today when he takes part in an online, interactive town hall meeting on health care.
CNN White House correspondent Dan Lothian joins us now live from Washington with more on that.
Again, the White House has done a number of these town halls recently.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. That's right.
LONG: Focusing specifically on health care. So why is this one different, Dan?
LOTHIAN: That's right. Well, this one, Melissa, is a little different because the White House is saying it's the most interactive effort that they've had so far on health care. They will get questions from Facebook, from Twitter, also from YouTube.
In fact, the White House said that the president put his own video on YouTube to get some of the questions and some of the questions that they did receive they will be answering those.
And there will also be an audience there. Senior advisor Valerie Jarrett will act as the moderator for the event. Really what the White House is doing here is kind of trying to do a stepped-up effort to get public support behind healthcare reform.
The president, this White House, really pushing a public option but as you know, there has been resistance up on Capitol Hill, not only Republicans, but some Democrats, who think that this will only make it more difficult for private insurers. The president, though, saying that this will create competition, will create more discipline.
So, a lot of debate going back an forth on whether this public option will actually work up on Capitol Hill.
LONG: Dan, you mentioned trying to get public support. Interactivity, a great way in order to just get support in general. But what about getting support in Washington? Also sending a message to Capitol Hill.
LOTHIAN: That's right. The White House does point out that the primary effort of this town hall is to hear the voice of the American people during the process, during the debate, not after the fact. But an administration official pointing out that they do hope that Capitol Hill is paying attention.
That they will hear some of these compelling stories at the town hall from people who do not have insurance or perhaps are ill and are having a difficult time trying to pay for those hospital bills.
Those are the kinds of stories that they think can be very powerful for those watching up on Capitol Hill.
LONG: And from the White House, that's our White House correspondent Dan Lothian. Dan, thank you.
LOTHIAN: OK.
LONG: Let's turn our attention now to the political turmoil in Honduras. There are new developments. We want to share with you. Here is what we know at this hour. The Organization of American States, that's OAS, is condemning the military-led coup that ousted the Honduran president. That's Jose Manuel Zelaya.
The OAS is now giving Honduran coup leaders three days to restore Zelaya to power or risk Honduras being suspended from the group. The attorney general for Honduras says President Zelaya will be arrested if he returns.
Now the Honduran president was in Washington yesterday meeting with OAS officials about his return home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE MANUEL ZELAYA, HONDURAN PRESIDENT (through translator): In light of the fact that the OAS has requested 72 hours to do their job, we will wait 72 hours in order to continue with this process.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LONG: Zelaya says the presidents of Argentina and Ecuador, along with the head of the American -- the Organization of American States, rather, have signed on to accompany him back home.
So, again, what will happen if the exiled president shows up in Honduras? Coming up a little bit later in the hour, we're going to be talking to professor who attended yesterday's OAS meeting and has expertise in international mediation.
Search crews may have located the flight data recorders from that Yemeni Airways jet that went down in the Indian Ocean but a French foreign ministry official says so far the devices are unaccessible. One hundred fifty-three people were onboard. The father of the lone survivor, a 13-year-old girl, says she will be OK.
The Airbus 310 crashed overnight Monday on a flight from Yemen to the island nation of Comoros. Crews have expanded their search efforts for more bodies, more wreckage. It is the second deadly crash of an Airbus jet in one month.
Governor Mark Sanford now admitting to more meetings with his Argentinean mistress. And also saying he crossed lines with other women.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN severe weather center. Temperatures across parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes could be 10, 15 and in some cases 20 degrees below average.
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LONG: Well, it is finally over in Minnesota. After nearly eight months after voters went to the polls back in November, Al Franken has been declare the winner of the U.S. Senate race from his state.
Franken took the state after Republican Norm Coleman conceded. Coleman decided to end his legal challenge to the voting results after the state Supreme Court ruled Franken should be certified the winner.
The final quote had -- count, rather, had Franken winning the race by 312 votes. That's out of more than 2.9 million cast. Now Franken's election means Senate Democrats will have a filibuster-proof majority. But the senator-elect says he wants to be known for something else.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL FRANKEN (D), MINNESOTA SENATOR-ELECT: I know there has been a lot of talk about the fact that when I'm sworn in, I'll be the 60th member of the Democratic caucus. But that's not how I see it.
The way I see it, I'm not going to Washington to be the 60th Democratic senator. I'm going to Washington to be the second senator from the state of Minnesota, and that's how I'm going to do this job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: Mr. Franken is expected to be sworn in when the Senate returns from its July 4th recess which is next week.
There is more fallout from the Governor Mark Sanford scandal. South Carolina's attorney general is now asking authorities to review Sanford's travel records after he admitted to more visits with his Argentinean mistress than previously disclosed. In an interview Sanford also acknowledged other indiscretions.
CNN's Candy Crowley has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Turns out those three times the governor of South Carolina was with his mistress is more like seven. Also he told the Associated Press there were other women with whom he crossed lines but didn't have sex.
The explanation of which is this, "Have I done stupid? I have. You know, you meet someone, you dance with them, you go to a place where you probably shouldn't have gone."
Governor Mark Sanford says he's still not resigning but following his initial teary confession of adultery, he's taken to giving confessional interviews, unhelpful to a man trying to hold on to power in a conservative state with heavy evangelical influence.
Sanford told the AP his mistress is his soul mate, but he's trying to fall back in love with his wife. That would be Jenny Sanford, the woman who may be holding the keys to the governor's office.
LEROY CHAPMAN, GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS EDITOR, THE STATE: She understands media, and she understands what they convey. And if, you know, he's to save himself and save his term, she's going to have to be critical to that because she could certainly come to his rescue if she chooses.
CROWLEY: Mrs. Sanford may not choose. Her husband is insisting his involvement with his mistress was no tawdry fling but a love story, a forbidden one, a tragic one, but a love story at the end of the day.
The "too much information" interview was also puzzlingly bizarre on why he risked everything for this woman. "If you come into connection with a soul that touches yours in a way that no one's ever has, even if it's a place you can't go, this notion of knowing that you know, for me, became very important." Sanford also reveals when his wife discovered the affair, she let him go to New York to end it with the other woman. He took a spiritual advisor with him. The advisor, Sanford and the mistress went to church, had dinner and parted ways.
Over the months the Sanfords went to a spiritual boot camp with other couples, but in early June Jenny Sanford asked him to leave. He went to walk the Appalachian Trail -- make that he went to Argentina to see his mistress, a meeting he described in the interview.
"I got down on one knee and said, I'm here in the hope that we can prove this whole thing to be a mirage." No such luck.
Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LONG: The governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, throwing down a challenge to the president. Palin says she'd beat him in a race. Only she's not talking about politics.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Alaska governor Sarah Palin says she'd beat President Obama in a race. She's not talking politics. She's talking about running.
Palin's comments are in an interview in a magazine "Runner's World." Palin also talks about her sub-four-hour marathon time, how rotten she feels when she goes even a few days without running, and she even shares her running soundtrack.
What do you think? Van Halen, AC/DC and some country tunes as well. No pushback from the president yet to the governor's throw- down.
Now from painkillers to concerns about Dunkin' Donuts beverages. Lots to talk about tin today's health headlines. With that, let me bring in CNN senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen.
I guess let's start with the latest, and that's the warming or the concern that people are going to start to have about some medications that have acetaminophen.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. These are some of -- I would say some people would consider these their favorite prescription medicines. We're talking about things like Vicodin and Percocet. An FDA committee, not the FDA itself, but an FDA committee says take them off the market.
The reason why -- they contain acetaminophen, which is also in drugs like Tylenol. And they say there have been too many acetaminophen overdoses, which can harm the liver. Now, this committee makes a recommendation to the FDA. The FDA may say no, we disagree. But it'll be interesting to see what happens. Let's take a look at what acetaminophen poisoning can do. It can really harm your liver. Between 1990 and 1998, there were 56,000 emergency room visits from acetaminophen poisoning. 26,000 hospitalizations and 450 overdose deaths in each of those years just from acetaminophen. Again that's what's in Tylenol.
LONG: OK, again, very common.
COHEN: Right.
LONG: One of the other stories that you mentioned a moment ago it's may be of concern to people that rely on a jolt of caffeine day in and day out?
COHEN: Well, a jolt of chocolate, actually so all you chocolate lovers, listen. If you go to Dunkin' Donuts and you get their Dunkaccino. Sorry, I had to look down. Remember how to say that. Or their hot chocolate, well, you won't be getting that this morning. They found that one of their suppliers might have had salmonella on their equipment.
Now there's been no salmonella found in any of the Dunkin' Donuts products. Nobody has gotten sick, but because it might be on the equipment that went into making these products, they have decided to stop selling them.
I'm going to read a statement now from a Dunkin' Donuts spokesman. "We have confirmed that no Dunkin' Donuts products have been affected. We have made the decision to temporarily withdraw the beverages from our stores to ensure the safety of our customers."
LONG: Being proactive there.
COHEN: That's right. Exactly.
LONG: Also a story that we've continued to talk about for weeks now, will continue to delve into for months. That's health care reform. President Obama has another interactive forum taking place in Washington today.
COHEN: That's right. An online forum so that you can you go on Twitter or Facebook or YouTube and you can ask the president questions about health care reform. He has been trying to sell his plan to doctors and insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies.
Well, now he is taking it to the American people. This is on the heels of a poll that show that some people have concerns about healthcare reform. When people were asked will you be better off, worse off or about the same if Obama's healthcare plan is passed, 20 percent said, yes, I'll be better off. Thirty-five percent, though, felt that they would be worse off. Forty-four percent said about the same.
So, the president's goal here, he's trying to sell his plan to change the way healthcare is delivered in this country but trying to tell people who like their healthcare, don't worry, things will still be fine for you.
LONG: Selling his plan not only to the American public but also to Capitol Hill as well, today.
COHEN: That's right.
LONG: Elizabeth Cohen, of course our CNN senior medical correspondent, thank you.
COHEN: Thanks.
LONG: Also the protests. They may have died down but not the controversy over Iran's presidential election. CNN's Reza Sayah standing by at our Iran desk.
What's the latest today?
REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Melissa, the Iranian government says the elections are over. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the elected president, and that's final. What two big names are saying not so fast. More defiance coming out of Iran. We'll tell you where it's coming from, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Markets opening in New York. New month. Second half of the year, it is July 1, Wednesday morning. The S&P 500 posting the best gains in more than a decade in the second quarter. And investors are hoping they keep it on rolling today. Again, the beginning of the third quarter as I mentioned.
Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with a preview of today's market action.
Good morning, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Melissa. Welcome to July on the street of dreams. The S&P 500 jumped 15 percent over the past three months. The Dow 30 no slouch either. The blue chips registered their best quarterly performance in more than five years.
The focus today, jobs. The ADP national employment survey showed a loss of 473,000 positions in June. That was far worse than analysts expected. We received the more comprehensive government jobs report tomorrow. It's expected to show that the unemployment rate continued to climb in June inching closer to 10 percent.
Also due out this morning, the latest readings on pending home sales and a look at the manufacturing sector. Home sales are expected to remain unchanged from the month before, while analysts anticipate improvement at the nation's factories.
General Motors executives return to a Manhattan courtroom today. A judge may rule on whether to approve the automaker's plan for a quick exit from chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. GM hopes to transfer only its best assets like Chevrolet over to a new company.
Keep a close eye on your credit card statements. Citigroup raising interest rates on some of its U.S. accounts as it co-brand with some retailers. One analyst said that holders of co-branded cards who fail to pay their balance in full at the end of the month saw their rates rise by an average 24 percent between January and April. So pay your balance in full, if you can. That's my two cents.
In the meantime, we see a little bit of positive momentum on the first trading day of the new month. The Dow, the Nasdaq, the S&P 500, each up by about .5 percent.
Melissa, not a bad start. Back to you.
LONG: Not at all. And thanks for the advice, as always, as well.
Susan Lisovicz at the stock exchange.
Thank you.
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
LONG: Iran's spiritual leader says the election is a done deal. But candidates who opposed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for president, they're not going quietly.
Let's get now to CNN's Reza Sayah, just back from Tehran. He is over at our CNN Iran desk.
Good morning, Reza.
SAYAH: Good morning, Melissa.
At this point, the moment appears to be in large part with the government on a number of fronts. They pretty much shut out the international media, that aggressive crackdown is pretty much snuffed out. Street protests, and of course, yesterday, the Guardian Council, the nation's top legislative body, certified the election results, officially re-electing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
So, a lot of people are eager to see what opposition leaders are going to do now. Are they throwing in the towel? But a couple of them, pretty big names are saying not so fast.
First off, let's talk about presidential candidate Mehdi Karubi. You'll recall he came in third. He's the reformist candidate. Today, he came out on a reformist paper, blasting the election process and the crackdown that followed.
Here's what Mehdi Karubi had to say. "I see these and other actions as the foundation for the annulment of the elections, and I will not recognize the legitimacy of this government which has resulted from this process and will not participate in any of its processes in any way." So some strong words there by Mehdi Karubi. Also speaking out is former president Mohammad Khatami. He, you will recall, was supporting disgruntled presidential candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi. According to reformist paper, he came out and said, "The current militarization of the security environment must change and society must be taken towards calm and believe that all doors are not yet closed."
Of course, yesterday, the Guardian Council said all doors are closed. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, according to the government, the re- elected president is scheduled to start his new term on July 26 with a swearing-in ceremony led by supreme leader Khamenei.
It's interesting to know today, the president was supposed to go to Libya, but he canceled last minute. No reason why. So some defiance remaining in Iran from opposition leaders - Melissa.
LONG: Reza, what can you tell us about the reports of detentions and possibly human rights abuses?
SAYAH: Well, that's the really big concern on the part of human rights groups across the world. We've seen over the past couple of weeks is really an aggressive and what some call a criminal crackdown on dissent. We've seen according to Amnesty International as many as 1,000 people arrested, political dissidents, activists, journalists. And what concerns Amnesty International is they don't know if they're getting due process because nobody really knows where they are.
We spoke to a regional deputy director yesterday. Here's what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASSIBA HADJ-SAHRAQUI, DEPUTY INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, MIDEAST AND NORTH AFRICA PROGRAM: The authorities again are not coming forward with any information. And among the people who have been arrested, what is even more worrying is that nothing is known about these people. We don't know whether they've disappeared. The fact if they disappeared. Their families do not know their whereabouts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAYAH: And that's the big concern. Hundreds, according to Amnesty International, at least 1,000 people missing. And what they are concerned about is the Iranian government may not be held accountable or questioned as to where any of these people are - Melissa.
LONG: At the Iran desk, Reza Sayah.
Reza, thank you.
A standoff looms in Honduras. The United Nations and the Organization of American States, the OAS, are both demanding leaders of a military coup restore its ousted president to power. The OAS has now set a three-day deadline, but the new regime in Honduras says President Jose Manuel Zelaya has committed crimes against the constitution, and will be arrested if he returns. So now there's word Zelaya will delay his trip home until Saturday.
Here to talk all about this is Jennifer McCoy. She's a professor here in Atlanta and also director of the Carter Center's Americas Program.
Thank you so much for joining us here. Appreciate it.
JENNIFER MCCOY, DIRECTOR, CARTER CENTER'S AMERICAS PROGRAM: Thank you, Melissa.
LONG: Again, a possible arrest if he returns according to the new provisional government.
What could that situation be like?
MCCOY: Well, it could be very tense if in fact he returned as originally planned on Thursday. But now with this OAS attempt to give a 72-hour time for diplomatic initiatives, hopefully, that can be resolved so that he could return over the weekend in the company of the OAS and some Latin American presidents with some better resolution of the crisis.
LONG: So, you mentioned that in the company of the OAS, possibly the presidents of Argentina and Ecuador. This could potentially turn into a regional conflict?
MCCOY: Well, I don't think it will be an armed conflict, but certainly the entire world has actually pronounced against this coup. The European Union, the United Nations yesterday voted against it. All of this hemisphere. And so, there's certainly international condemnation and there is growing economic pressure as well on interim government in Honduras.
LONG: Explain what you mean by the growing economic pressure.
MCCOY: Well, several of the Central American neighboring countries are cutting off trade. Several countries are withdrawing their ambassadors. There are reports that the World Bank is going to stop loans. That needs to be confirmed.
LONG: So much international pressure.
Also, Zelaya was in New York. He was also in Washington for that meeting with the OAS. He spoke publicly.
Will that address, will what he had to say to reporters as well help him or hinder him?
MCCOY: Well, it's not helping him with the interim government in Honduras who are taking a very tough stand in reaction also to his tough stand. So that is clearly a standoff. That's where the international community plays a very important role, particularly the OAS who now has the responsibility and the authority to try to mediate this situation and resolve it so it is a peaceful return to power.
LONG: A moment ago we both mentioned that the presidents of Argentina and Ecuador could be going back to Honduras along with Mr. Zelaya.
I know you have had the opportunity to meet with the Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez before. Of course, he is also an ally of Zelaya.
So, what type of role could he play in this?
MCCOY: Well, he's certainly been playing an important role in giving important support to Zelaya and to Honduras through his trade initiative called the Alba, through discounted oil, through aid and diplomatic support and pressure for his return.
But he is a polarizing figure inside of Honduras as well. And some Hondurans fear that Honduras will go more the route of Venezuela, and they do not want that. Some parts of the population, including those who are in charge right now.
LONG: And again, just to stress, originally, Mr. Zelaya was returning back to Honduras on Thursday, but now this 72-hour window. This is the positive.
MCCOY: This is definitely a positive. And I hope that there will be dialogues, some negotiation, for example, President Zelaya committing to respect the separation of powers, which brought about this crisis in the beginning. And the other stepping down and pledging to respect the rest of his term through the end of this year.
LONG: Jennifer McCoy. She is a professor here in Atlanta. Also the director of the Carter Center's Americas Program.
Thank you so much for your perspective...
MCCOY: Thank you.
LONG: ... helping us better understand the story as well.
MCCOY: Thank you.
LONG: Thank you.
Now, the Obama administration may be close to making a move on altering the controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on gays in the military.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is saying now he's looking at ways to make the ban, quote, "more humane." The changes could allow some gays to serve in the military.
Meantime, the military court has rejected an appeal of the current gay ban by U.S. Army Lieutenant Dan Choi. Choi was discharged after he announced he was gay in a television interview. That was back in March.
The flight to the suburbs, now grounded. Why population numbers are bouncing back in the big cities even during a recession?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LONG: On CNN NEWSROOM this morning and on our blog, we are focusing on health care. Of course President Obama participating in a health care forum, an interactive health care forum a little bit later today. Here's your opportunity to interact with us on our blog.
What concerns you about health care reform? Again the townhall style session, we want you to participate in our conversation. Go to cnn.com/newsroom, click on Heidi's picture.
I'm in today for Heidi Collins.
We look forward to your thoughts.
The conversation continues in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Good morning once again. A Detroit school official says he is confident of an arrest soon in a bus stop shooting that wounded 17. Two of the teens are in critical condition this morning. Authorities say five of the teens had just left summer classes at a local high school when that shooting happened.
Witnesses say someone opened fire from a green minivan as the students waited at a bus stop.
Suburban sprawl appears to be slowing as the new report finds many cities are actually growing.
From New York, CNN's Christine Romans joins us with more on new finding.
Christine, I guess the reversal of a long-term trend, people no longer leaving for the 'burbs.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right. And a couple of reasons here, because you can't sell your house, because there aren't big jobs in the 'burbs. There isn't the big huge real estate boom that fueled the new jobs, the new building in the suburbs and exurbs over the past 15 years.
And so, indeed, the latest census numbers from 2008 are showing the growth in the cities, places like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, seeing their populations grow.
Now, it's interesting in New York and in Chicago, it's birth. We're having more babies. And some other towns like L.A. and Portland and Seattle. Some of the traditional gateway towns for new immigration. You're seeing those populations grow because people aren't moving out on to new places because there aren't any jobs in some of those places.
So, the fastest growing cities, interestingly, New Orleans, Louisiana. Eight percent growth there.
Yes, people are starting to come back. That's really the story there. People are starting to come back. And four of the top 10 fastest growing cities by percent basis are in Texas. McKinney, Texas, Round Rock, Texas.
We also got Cary, North Carolina, Gilbert, Arizona. These are the fastest growing cities percentage wise. But most of the big cities seeing more people, and that's because you just aren't as mobile when you have a recession like this. People aren't moving as much for jobs, and there's more diversity in the cities. At least the idea that there is a diversity of jobs in the cities where people can try their hand there, I guess.
LONG: Nice to see the changes in New Orleans. Perhaps people returning to their roots and returning home once again.
Yes, you focus on some of the big cities that are growing, but there are some big cities that are shrinking, and one in particular. Used to be home to the big three. Still home to the big three, but of course, it's not home to as many people anymore.
ROMANS: That's right. And this is Detroit. And Detroit's population declining, also Baltimore, Philadelphia, some of the other towns that are seeing their populations actually decline. But Detroit population declining.
And it brings me to our "Romans' Numeral," a number to kind of illustrate what's happening behind this story, Melissa.
And that is 14.9 percent. One of the reasons why Detroit is having so much trouble is because its unemployment rate is now the highest in the nation for big cities -- 14.9 percent unemployment in metro Detroit. Makes it difficult to try to attract people when there aren't jobs. People leaving Detroit because they're looking for work, because of unemployment rate is so high.
This all, of course, -- these are numbers in 2008. So this is even before the GM bankruptcy, before the Chrysler bankruptcy, before the most recent real painful period in the auto industry. So Detroit has been suffering long before this recession. This recession just sort of the icing on the cake there.
LONG: All right. Christine Romans live for us from New York.
Christine, thank you.
Michael Jackson's final days.
Was he too frail for a grueling series of 50 concerts?
We're going to hear from some of those who were closest to him as he was racing to get ready.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Michael Jackson, King of Pop -- again on the charts. The top nine positions. Billboard's top, top catalog, will house Jackson's albums. That's according to the preliminary sales figures from Nielsen sound scan.
His album number one, "The Essential Michael Jackson" and "Thriller" all sold more than 100,000 copies last week.
When news broke of Michael Jackson's death, the Internet was flooded with messages and images, many of them send it to us here at CNN.
So, we have compiled something for you. And CNN's Josh Levs joins us now to tell us all about it.
Hi, Josh. Good morning.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Melissa.
Do you have any of those albums yourself? Do you have any of those?
LONG: Got tucked away.
LEVS: Do you remember the big LP?
LONG: They're actually records. Yes.
LEVS: I still have those, when we were kids, those big records. Maybe there were some now.
But check this out. This is cool.
(INAUDIBLE), cnn.com, click the entertainment page. It's really neat. You can see, obviously, what the topic is right there. And what you'll see as I scroll down is we have lots of hyperlinks throughout. They'll bring you to different parts of our coverage.
Whether they be iReports, videos that we've had, the latest news out from Los Angeles or in the investigation, "Black in America," it's all right there at cnn.com.
Now a lot of what we're looking at are the iReports. And I'll tell you what I look for.
You know, what's so interesting to me is this iconography that when you think, if you look back at the 1950s, right, you don't just think about world politics, you also think about Marilyn and Elvis because icons say something about the time that they're living in.
So, I want to show you a couple of examples of iReports that we've gotten from people who help us understand why Michael Jackson meant so much to them. We're going to start off with Ty Blanton, who had a band of his own and no clubs around back in the day would hire them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TY BLANTON, CNN IREPORTER: I was actually in an all-black band at the time and weren't interested in hiring until one club finally asked, you know, can you guys do a Michael Jackson tribute. And, of course, we said, sure. So, thanks, Michael Jackson, and rest in peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: It gets to that trailblazing idea that crossing of cultures that we've heard about so much.
We also got this from Greg Reese, who says the message was always inside the music.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREG REESE, CNN IREPORTER: His music is just inspirational in itself. If you just listen to what he says in his song. All his songs are about healing the world, you know. Just making the world a better place. That's what he was trying to do. And I think that if you just listen to his music, you'll find comfort in his music.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: So, this is a few of the iReports that we've gotten. There is one stuff on the board behind me. This comes to us from a man David Meyer, who was a stand-in in the "Black or White" video.
I don't know if you all remember what this video was, but take a look at a little clip here.
(VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: I had forgotten. So, we saw it today. Tyra Banks was in that video. So, you know, you can see kind of what the message is right there.
And this we heard from this guy, David, who was stand-in in that. He said working with Michael Jackson was an absolute thrill. And he says that he was actually shocked at how deeply impacted with heartbreak he was when the news came last week.
All right, before I got to go here. Let me just show you a few more of our iReports. Let's zoom back in really quickly.
One thing we are getting from a lot of people is these images of remembrance ceremonies all over the country and all over the world. Here's one in Motown right here. You can just see people packing the streets. And here's one interesting, Oslo, Norway.
Let's end on the graphic here. You can send us iReports on ireport.com, where you can weight in. We got everything going. The blogs, cnn.com/newsroom. Also, we're going to Facebook and Twitter/joshlevscnn.
We're going to keep these discussions going.
Great to hear from people, Melissa, really on a personal level. What Michael Jackson meant to them. LONG: All right. A note, coming up we're going to talk about Michael Jackson's album sales as well with you.
Thank you, Josh.
LEVS: Yes. That's right. We've got some new figures.
You got it.
LONG: All right.
Well, Michael Jackson described as thin and frail in the final days. We're going to continue to talk about that in a moment.
But also what's going on in the next hour of the NEWSROOM. CNN crews are all in place to help break it down for you.
Let's start with Dan Lothian. He's at the White House.
Good morning, Dan.
LOTHIAN: Well, the White House will be focused again on health care reform today. Another townhall meeting, but this time in cyberspace. I'll have all the details coming up at the top of the hour.
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Kara Finnstrom in Neverland, where the media has converged in anticipation of memorial services for Jackson this weekend. Melissa, we'll have the latest for you coming up at the top of the hour.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Vicodin, Percocet, why it might be impossible to get these drugs from your pharmacist in the future. I'll have that at the top of the hour.
LONG: Elizabeth, Kara, Dan, thank you so much.
Also, being gay in the military. The Defense Department now considering ways to let people keep serving if they're outed. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" under review.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: Icon Michael Jackson described as thin and frail in his final days and pushing himself to get ready for grueling series of 50 concerts in London. Was he physically up to that challenge?
CNN Brian Todd has the answer from those who were closest to the king of pop.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As he geared up for the concert series he counted for his professional salvation -- those who saw Michael Jackson in his final days give varying counts of his health and his emotional strike. A producer who watched Michael Jackson's last rehearsal and spoke with him the night before he died tells CNN Jackson was energetic, excited about his upcoming concert series and even popped his significant moonwalk and spins that gave chills to the few people in the seats.
Another witness that night, Jackson friend Miko Brando, said he saw nothing out of the ordinary.
MIKO BRANDO, MARLON BRANDO'S SON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S FRIEND: He went up on the stage, danced with the dancers. He did some songs. He did his routine. He gave the crew some technical advice.
TODD: Jackson manager Frank DiLeo was also there on the last night. He says Jackson came off stage, put his arm around him and talked about how great he felt to be performing again.
(on camera): DiLeo told a radio interviewer Jackson had the energy for the upcoming shows. But he said they did discuss tweaking the grueling two-hour format.
FRANK DILEO, JACKSON MANAGER: We were going to do one of two things. We were either going to do so much in the beginning, take a half-hour break, then come back, you know, and do the second half of the shows or we were going to cut it down to 90 minutes.
TODD (voice-over): Others describe a ferocious production pace in those final weeks and in virtually the same breath as they recall his energy and vitality, witnesses also talk about Jackson being frail. And his doctor's attorney gave other details.
EDWARD CHERNOFF, ATTORNEY FOR DR. CONRAD MURRAY: Michael Jackson didn't eat very much. He really didn't, you know, drink very much. He didn't hydrate very well. When he rehearsed, it was very strenuous exercise.
TODD: Edward Chernoff says Jackson asked for Dr. Conrad Murray to stay at his house the night before he died, which Dr. Murray did. But Chernoff says Jackson still never complained of chest pains or anything else that would suggest a heart condition.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
