Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Marines Begin Day Two of Helmand Offensive; Michael Jackson Memorial Planned for Tuesday; Vancouver Faces Drug War; Fines for no Health Insurance; AAA Predicts Drop in July 4 Travel; Obama's Likeness Now in Disney Exhibit; S.C. Gov Pledges to Stay in Office; Inside Neverland Ranch
Aired July 03, 2009 - 09:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, some other stories we're following right now.
Vice President Joe Biden is in Baghdad this morning. He met earlier with the U.S. military's commanding general, also a top U.S. diplomat there. He's also going to meet with Iraqi leaders. Biden is expected to be with the troops for the Fourth of July.
Also, a California judge has thrown out the conviction of a woman accused of tormenting a girl on MySpace. That girl, a teenager, committed suicide. Lori Drew was convicted on a federal computer crime but the judge in the case is now saying that law is too vague. Prosecutors say they may pursue other charges.
U.S. Marines are gaining in Afghanistan in their fight against the Taliban. The U.S. launched a major offensive into southern Afghanistan yesterday, in the Helmand province. This is in the south, as we said. The marines met some strong resistance in one area but very little resistance in other spots.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is joining us now live from Washington.
And, Barbara, once again, remind us just what the point of the mission is.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J., what we're really talking about here is the new counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan. What is this all about? It's a different approach. It's learning the lessons of Iraq -- U.S. troops moving into areas, towns and villages, and engaging with the people there, engaging with the Afghan civilians, looking after them, seeing what their needs are, not so much focusing on combat other than when they absolutely have to.
They did encounter resistance in the place in the Helmand River valley called Garmsir. We have a map to show people. This is a major population center down in southern Afghanistan. Part of the Taliban stronghold.
We're told yesterday now that the marines were in an eight-hour battle with Taliban militants off and on. But the marines -- again, not calling in air strikes, using only their Cobra helicopter gunships, very precision fire. All of this is about not injuring civilians in the process and making the people of Afghanistan feel better about the military operations and turn their backs on the Taliban -- T.J.?
HOLMES: And one more thing before we let you go, Barbara. Any word at all about this missing U.S. soldier?
STARR: I got to tell you, T.J., that one still a very difficult story. Obviously, officials are very tight-lipped about what is going on.
But we are told by military officials, T.J., the soldier is still missing, still believed to be in eastern Afghanistan, being held there by Taliban militants. The feeling now is he's being held by a very significant warlord group headed by a man named Siraj Haqqani, a warlord very well known to U.S. intelligence and the U.S. military.
The officials tell us they are using everything they can to try and locate him, but, obviously, being very tight-lipped about what progress, if any, they are making -- T.J.?
HOLMES: All right. Barbara Starr for us in Washington -- Barbara, thank you so much.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is in Pakistan right now, meeting with government leaders there. Those meetings come at the same time the U.S. fire several missiles into a suspected Taliban leader's compound in South Waziristan. You it located on the border from Afghanistan. The military is using unmanned drones to fire those missiles.
Meanwhile, North Korea's latest move being called "provocative" by the U.S. That latest move dismissed by South Korea and an official there describing the North firing four short range missiles Thursday as being part of a routine military exercise. Still, the launchers are prompting concerns over possible future missile firings.
Last month, the Japanese newspaper reported the North might fire a long-range missile towards Hawaii, in the direction of Hawaii early in July. Now, moments ago, we spoke to an expert on the North who put such a firing into perspective. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN PARK, U.S. INSTITUTE OF PEACE: The reports basically right now saying that this may be aimed at Hawaii are certainly alarming. But given the previous test that North Korea has conducted with their long-range missiles, they haven't reached the range anywhere close to approaching the shores of Hawaii. But the concerns in the more medium-term is the -- and I would say short term as well, is the risk of proliferation. North Korea is being able to sell these missile parts to other countries, particularly in the Middle East.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: We have seen a lot going on this week. North Korea is launching four missiles, the U.S. launched a major offensive in Afghanistan, the Honduran president overthrown in a military coup.
A lot of international flair ups and we want to know which one worries you most? Go to CNN.com/T.J., CNN.com/Heidi. Let us know what you think. Join the conversation.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOLMES: Well, we have been waiting on word of exactly when Michael Jackson's public memorial might be. We have gotten word -- we do know when it will happen. It will be on Tuesday. It will be a service that takes place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Eleven thousand tickets will be given out to fans who register in advance. Still waiting on details on how that's all going to work out. We do expect those details shortly.
Meanwhile, Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, may be mounting a custody battle for their two children. Jackson's will, however -- as you know -- called for his mother to raise the kids. That is the latest we have.
We want to turn to our Kara Finnstrom who's at the Staples Center.
Kara, I can only imagine how massive of an event this is going to be on Tuesday.
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, T.J. You know, the media have already started turning out here. And there is a helicopter overhead and we're not even anywhere near Tuesday -- which is when this is going to take place.
But take a look behind me. This is the Staples Center, and this is where this public memorial service will be taking place, 10:00 a.m., Tuesday morning. This is home of the Lakers, the home of the L.A. Clippers -- and actually just two days before his death, this is where Michael Jackson was rehearsing. And the last images we see of him dancing and singing came from here.
Now, at this point, we don't know exactly what we'll see during those services that there may be performances, who might be speaking. We also haven't exactly learned how fans are going to register for tickets. We understand that there are some 20,000 seats inside and that about 11,000 of those will be given away to fans, and the public can register for those tickets.
As we pan off to the side, there you can see that there are some barricades set up, and once this bus goes by, you can see some police activity back there. In a short while, they will be holding a press conference and, T.J., that's when we expect to learn a little bit more about how fans can actually register and try and get those tickets. Obviously, they will be very highly sought after, a lot of people wanting to come and see this in person.
HOLMES: All right. And, again, I believe that press conference scheduled for 1:00 Eastern Time, 10:00 Pacific. For our viewers, we certainly will bring it to you live.
That's the latest there, Kara, on what's happening at the Staples Center. But a lot of people -- and a lot of questions surrounding what's going to happen to Michael Jackson's estate and also his children. Well, his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, it seems, maybe coming forward and saying she might seek custody of the two older children. What do we know here?
FINNSTROM: A little bit of a confusing 24 hours on that front. First, she came forward and told an L.A. TV station that she does want her children. Short time later, her lawyer was scurrying and then held a press conference and said, well, you know, the TV station wasn't inaccurate in its reporting, but that's not the whole picture. He says she has not yet made a firm decision on whether she wants to seek custody of those kids.
We can also tell you that right now, the temporary guardianship is in the hands of Katherine Jackson, Michael Jackson's mother, and the hearing that will determine whether this temporary guardianship will remain with her will take place now on July 12th. That's been pushed up a little bit.
So, we'll just have to wait and see what unfolds there, but an interesting development in that case. The last bottom line from the lawyer is that nothing has been decided yet, as far as whether she will seek custody.
HOLMES: Yes. And as we know, she has given up her custodial rights and hasn't seen the kids and being talking to the kids in the past couple years. So, it's interesting to see how that will work out.
Kara Finnstrom for us. Thank you for dealing with that helicopter. We appreciate you. We'll be talking to you again soon.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: And Kara mentioned there the video that we're talking about, we're just seeing of his last rehearsal. Take a look at this.
(VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, what you see there is 50-year-old guy moving pretty good, moving like we are used to seeing Michael Jackson move over the years. This was two days before he died, rehearsing at the Staples Center.
Well, last night CNN's Anderson Cooper spoke to some of the people at those rehearsals.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER 360": You were all with Michael Jackson Tuesday night and Wednesday night before he died. How did he seem?
MICHAEL BEARDEN, "THIS IS IT TOUR," MUSICAL DIRECTOR: He was happy. You know, we did a long, exhaustive technical rehearsal maybe Tuesday or -- Tuesday or Wednesday.
COOPER: You're the...
BEARDEN: Musical director.
COOPER: ... musical director.
BEARDEN: Michael Bearden, musical director.
And then by the time we got him to the stage, I'd just like to describe this because my band just saw this and see what I mean. M.J. had a glow about him. He had his shoulders back, his head up, and he just -- he just looked great. He sounded great.
RANDY PHILLIPS, PRESIDENT, CEO, AEG LIVE: All I know is the Michael Jackson that hugged me and said good night was a healthy, vibrant human being about to undertake the greatest undertaking of his life, OK? And, yes, something happened between 12:30 when he left us and the morning when I had to rush to the hospital when I got the first call.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, when those details of the public memorial are released, you will hear them first. We will be live at that news conference. It's scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time, 10:00 a.m. Pacific.
Again, you can see that live right here. Again, a lot of people are going to be after those tickets -- some 11,000 for the public. They're going to explain to us how exactly people are going to register to get those. Again, you'll see that live here at 1 o'clock Eastern.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOLMES: Well, IOUs flying off the presses in California. The state began printing these documents yesterday and they are being sent to government contractors, residents awaiting tax funds and also social service providers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN CHIANG, CALIFORNIA STATE CONTROLLER: This impacts county governments who are providing social service programs. It's going to impact the ability of child care providers, the people who assist the disabled.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, the IOUs were ordered after state lawmakers failed to balance the budget. And California now faces a $26.3 billion budget deficit. California is certainly not the only state facing money trouble, even though they might be the worst hit, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers.
Take a look at this, 42 states wrestled with budget deficits this spring. That's the most since the organization began tracking budgets 30 years ago. Now, the reason, of course, the sputtering economy has created an across the board drop in state tax collections.
Well, gangs near the U.S. border carrying on a drug war. Mexico, you might think? No. Canada. We ride with Vancouver police as they try to shut down dozens of gangs.
But, first, the holiday weekend is here. Rob Marciano is starting his holiday weekend in Orlando.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On the job, T.J. What a better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than at the spot where you can have the all-American vacation. We are live from the Magic Kingdom. A lot of neat things happening today, including what's behind me, the Hall of Presidents. And we've heard we have a new president and he will be debuted today in that very building.
Stay tuned. A live report is coming up when the CNN NEWSROOM comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Vancouver, British Columbia, it's a city long known for being safe. But right now, an estimated 120 gangs are fighting a drug war and innocent people are getting caught in the crossfire. CNN's Patrick Oppmann takes you to the other border war.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eileen Mohan walks out of her apartment in Vancouver.
EILEEN MOHAN, MOTHER OF GANG VICTIM: This is our hallway. This is where Christopher was killed.
OPPMANN: Her son, Chris, was an innocent victim in a war that erupted here, a war between drug gangs. One evening in the fall of 2007, he was leaving the apartment when he was caught up in a gang hit. Six people were shot to death.
MOHAN: They shouldn't have been out in the streets at first. They shouldn't have entered this building. They shouldn't have murdered my son.
OPPMANN: The target was Mohan's neighbor, also killed that night.
SGT. KIERAN MCCONNELL (ph), VANCOUVER POLICE: Some of these people are cold-blooded, murdering psychopathic.
OPPMANN: Sergeant Kieran McConnell (ph) is with the new police task force set up to tackle the gangs. His patrol goes bar to bar, high end places where gangsters show up.
MCCONNELL: Our role is to go out there and respond to places where gang, known gangsters or people with violent criminal pasts frequent.
OPPMANN: Long regarded as a city relatively free of violent crime, Vancouver is reeling from a wave of shootings tied to the drug trade. Just a few miles from the U.S. border, an estimated 120 gangs are fighting over a trade thought to be worth $6 billion a year. Cocaine comes in from Mexico via the U.S. and is traded for marijuana and synthetic drugs like meth.
Canada is now the primary supplier of ecstasy to the United States. But the crackdown on cartels in Mexico has led to a power struggle among the Vancouver's gangs.
SUPT. PAT FOGARTY, ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE: So, these gangsters that reliant on the drug trade to keep themselves profitable and exist are now in a position where they don't have that supply line and they're quick with -- quick with a gun, quick to take over other lines, quick to do rip-offs.
OPPMANN: Amir Javid got out of the gangs before the war.
AMIR JAVID, FORMER GANG MEMBER: How you doing, bro?
OPPMANN: Decision he says that saves his life. He says the drug culture is everywhere.
JAVID: We're on a busy main intersection, yet, there is -- there are poppies being grown for the purpose of bleeding them so that they can then use the sap to create opium -- which is the simple makeup of heroin. You would expect to see this in Afghanistan.
OPPMANN: Authorities say they are now taking the fight to the gangs and insist the city will be safe for next year's Winter Olympics. Eileen Mohan says they should have acted years ago. She advocates for tougher sentencing for gang members like the ones who allegedly killed her son and now face trial for his murder.
MOHAN: I want to create a way that's where gangsters are held responsible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And our Patrick Oppmann joins us now from Seattle.
Patrick, it's supposed to be a safe place. We heard so much about guns and these gangs being well-armed and have -- and quick trigger fingers. So, how are they arming themselves? How are they getting these guns?
OPPMANN: T.J., that's one of the main concerns Canadian police have. These guns are not being brought legally in Canada. They're being smuggled -- many times across the U.S. border.
That woman, Eileen Mohan was killed with an illegal gun. So, that's one of the things that Canadians are hoping the U.S. partners on the borders will help them with keeping these guns from coming across the border and fueling this really incredible violence that they've seen in Vancouver.
HOLMES: All right. Our Patrick Oppmann for us in Seattle -- we appreciate you. Thank you so much.
(MUSIC)
HOLMES: All right. We have a severe weather. We're just so used to running that when Rob Marciano is going to be coming up. But he's not necessarily talking about some severe weather today. He's talking about the president. Barack Obama is taking his place on the stage at Disney.
Rob, good morning to you, sir. How is it going in Orlando?
MARCIANO: It's going fantastic, T.J. A lot of exciting things happening here at the Magic Kingdom.
First off this morning, about an hour ago, 1,000 immigrants were sworn in to be citizens. Andy Garcia was the keynote speaker. I got to speak with him on his thoughts of his thoughts as being as citizen.
You know, a lot of people who are sworn in and immigrant from other countries, they tend to be our most patriotic bunch and a lot of them said, the most important thing they wanted was to be able to vote. Cool stuff.
All right. Behind me, the Hall of Presidents has been around since 1971. The Audio-Animatronics show has been a cool thing. It takes you back 221 years of presidential history in just 25 minutes. Well, they've revamped it and they took the opportunity of a new president because you got to add one when a new president comes onboard to really do it up well. And President Obama is the new addition to that. We'll have a full report on that.
And I've learned a lot of interesting things, T.J., being down there in that show and talking to presidential historians. I'll leave you with this thought. There are 40 -- Barack Obama is our 44th president.
HOLMES: Yes.
MARCIANO: But there are only 43 presidents...
HOLMES: Yes.
MARCIANO: ... in that Hall of Presidents. We'll let you chew on that for a little bit, and in a half hour, we'll discuss that among other things and we'll have another live report and it won't be about severe weather. We'll leave that to Reynolds today.
HOLMES: Yes. Well, I certainly know the answer. My mom is an elementary school teacher. So, I learned that lesson a lot. She thought that was the coolest thing she could explain that to me.
So, I'm about to do some weather over here with Reynolds, who's filling in for you.
MARCIANO: Right.
HOLMES: But you go ahead and give me the weather for Orlando so he won't at least have to do that city.
MARCIANO: Hot and humid.
HOLMES: OK.
MARCIANO: And a chance of showers. There you go.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: All right. We appreciate you, Rob. We'll see you again soon.
Reynolds, you take that away now, buddy.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: And as we've been talking about, it's been a busy morning on our blog, talking about a lot of things, talking about Independence Day. Also, you can tell us about someone you know who had sacrificed for the country. Again, go to our blog, CNN.com/T.J. or CNN.com/Heidi.
Well, coming up, your doctor's office wants you to pay if you miss an appointment. So what do you do?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, just like you're required to have auto insurance, you may be required to have health insurance, as well. Under a proposed Senate bill, people who refused to buy affordable medical coverage could be hit with fines of more than $1,000. Key Senate Democrats unveiled that plan yesterday, and under the measure, the government would provide subsidies for those who can't afford the premiums.
Let's turn to something else here that's really gotten my attention. Empower Me is our Friday segment here.
OK. I'm just blown away by this, really. I did know they could do this.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: They can.
HOLMES: They can do it. What we're talking about here is doctors can charge you for missing an appointment. And we got a question in here, and let's go ahead and show you what this question was. This came from J.T. It was really me, I just inverted my initials.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: No. He says, "I had a 10:00 a.m. dentist appointment here, showed up at 11:00 not knowing that one was at 10:00. They charged me a few hundred dollars for this error. Is this legal?"
Can they do this?
COHEN: Yes.
HOLMES: Late or miss it. It doesn't matter either way.
COHEN: Yes, they are allowed to charge you. It's very clear. And, in fact, the American Medical Association tells its members, its doctors, sure, go ahead and charge if a patient misses an appointment. In fact, some doctor's offices are now asking for a security deposit before they'll even take you as a patient because, in case you miss an appointment, well, they have a security deposit on you.
So, yes, doctors are getting more and more upset about patients who missed their appointments.
HOLMES: OK. They're just getting upset, or just things are tight for everybody and including for doctors and they...
COHEN: Exactly. And if you don't show up, that's money out of their pockets. So, they're going to charge you. Not all, but more and more.
HOLMES: OK. And like I said, there's -- how can you find out, can you just ask the question ahead of time? Is the onus on you, I guess, to find this out?
COHEN: That's a great way of putting it, because actually, the onus is on them.
HOLMES: OK.
COHEN: So, for example, if you get charged for a missing appointment, you can say, "Hey, you didn't tell me you did this. You didn't put this in writing. Show me the form that you gave up. I never signed anything."
So, that's the first thing that you ought to do -- or maybe, actually, it's the second thing. The first thing you can do is just try to explain. "Look, I'm sorry," for example.
In J.T.'s situation, he had a standard 11:00 dentist appointment, week after week, this one happened to be at 10:00. And so, doctors we talked to said, "Look, he should just explain to them, I'm sorry. It's always been at 11:00, you changed it to 10:00."
HOLMES: OK.
COHEN: And hopefully, they'll be OK with that. But you can also just like not to pay.
HOLMES: OK.
COHEN: You could try that...
HOLMES: That was really my question.
COHEN: They're not -- they're probably not going to chase you. It's probably not worth it. You could not pay and then go find someone else. That's an option, too.
HOLMES: You said more and more. Will this...
COHEN: Yes.
HOLMES: ... become standard at some point?
COHEN: You know, it may -- it's possible. It's really up to the doctors. But we've been hearing more and more complaints from people saying that, "Hey, they're going to charge me for a missed appointment."
HOLMES: And around a few hundred dollars, that's standard as well. It sounds very steep.
COHEN: I think it really various. Yes, that does sound steep, but I guess that's probably how much the doctor might have missed, you know, might have lost by not seeing this guy.
HOLMES: OK. You can tell, I'm asking you all -- you didn't even give me these questions.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: But I'm fascinated by this -- a lot of people would be interested to know. And I'll be asking...
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: Right. But tell the doctor, "Hey, you didn't put this in writing. I never signed anything."
HOLMES: OK.
COHEN: I mean, you do not have to fork over that check. They can ask you for it, but you don't necessarily have to give it to them either.
HOLMES: OK.
COHEN: I mean, they're probably not going to chase you.
Anyhow, we -- I know people have lots of questions about how to manage your health care and what to do in situations like this, how to handle situations with doctors. Send your questions to EmpoweredPatient@CNN.com. And perhaps, we'll answer yours a week from today, on Empower Me Friday.
HOLMES: I got one more. You mentioned there in writing. Does it have to be in writing, or just a verbal, if they just verbally telling you, I'm going to charge you if you miss? Can -- does that stand as well?
COHEN: I think that they would have a harder time kind of enforcing it if they just tell you verbally because they can't really prove that.
HOLMES: OK.
COHEN: So, you can say, "Hey, I never signed anything."
HOLMES: You can tell them in instant (ph). All right.
COHEN: Well, it's kind of -- it's a little bit infuriating. So, I can see why.
HOLMES: All right. But thank you so much, Elizabeth Cohen.
COHEN: Thanks.
HOLMES: I'll talk to you in the commercial break, as well.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: All right. Well, we need to talk about here. The suspense that we have been telling you about in Afghanistan: American troops on this offensive. They're chasing Taliban fighters out of towns and poppy field as part of a new strategy trying to capture hearts and minds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, it is day two of a major offensive by U.S. troops in Afghanistan, but, really, this operation not supposed to be over anytime soon. Thousands of Marines are going in to chase out the Taliban but also to stay there and change the perception of the locals.
CNN's Atia Abawi is in Kabul, Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIA ABAWI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Operation Khanjar, Strike of the Sword, began there in dark hours of Thursday morning, the biggest single offensive since the U.S. invasion of Afghaninistan. Four thousand U.S. Marines recently arrived in Afghanistan, supported by 650 Afghan forces.
Here the Marines prepare for the mission ahead and for the badlands of Helmand province, an area long under the influence of the Taliban.
CAPT. DREW SCHOENMAKER, MARINE CORPS BRAVO COMPANY: The aim of the air assault was to put Marine Corps forces back expeditionarywise out behind enemy lines. We dropped into a few places that nobody had been.
ABAWI: Helmand is one of the most volatile areas in the country. Several offensives by coalition forces in recent years have failed to expel the Taliban. Sharing a porous border with Pakistan, Helmand is reputed to be the top opium-producing region in the world, opium that is known to fund the militants.
The Marines say that so far they've exchanged only light and sporadic fire with the enemies. But that's no surprise. The Taliban is known to melt into the mountains and choose its moments.
The Taliban claims to have killed more than 30 coalition troops. The U.S. military says that is a fabrication.
This operation comes a week after British troops went on the offensive in another part of Helmand, trying to secure and hold areas previously out of reach without reinforcements. Helmand is seen as critical to President Obama's influx of troops to Afghanistan. Until recently, there were some 7,000 coalition troops in Helmand, mainly British. Now, that's more than doubled.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right. And Atia joins us now live from Kabul. Atia, give us the latest on this offensive.
ABAWI: Well, the operation is still going on, T.J. We did speak to a Marine spokesman, who told us that although the engagement with the Taliban has been light and sporadic, there was a unit down in the southeastern sector of Helmand, in (INAUDIBLE), district, where they did engage with the enemy for several hours. He did say it was on and off, but since then it has been abated and, again, it's back to light and sporadic fire.
We were also told by the spokesman that last night what the Marines did is they bedded in the villages with the permission of the Afghans. This is a big step because they're trying to engage the Afghan people to tell them that they're there to work with them. So, it's a new step taken by them, by the coalition forces. Instead of going back to the bases, they're actually staying in the villages with the Afghan people -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right, Atia Abawi for us in Kabul. Thank you so much.
We have other top international stories we're keeping an eye on right now, including North Korea's neighbors now downplaying yesterday's missile tests. They fired off four short-range missiles yesterday. Those tests are being dismissed as nothing more than regular military exercises.
Also, a diplomatic mission heading for Honduras today trying to restore deposed President Jose Manuel Zelaya to power. Zelaya supporters have been clashing with police. The Organization of American States and the U.N. have both condemned the coup that removed him from power. Also, in Iran, a leading cleric says British embassy workers arrested last week will be tried. Britain and the European Union are pressuring Iran to release the embassy employees. It's unknown when -- or what they've been charged with.
Now, a lot of stuff is going on out there on the international scene. We have been asking you for your comments. We've got this blog thing going on, and we appreciate those of you who have been participating. But that was the story today. What international hotspots are worrying you most?
So, some of you are chiming in. Here's one we've got in. It says, "North Korea." Says, "My dad says he's getting flashbacks of the Cuban missile crisis. I really hope their ICBM" - that's intercontinental ballistic missile -- "technology is not that good."
One more here, out of New York, saying, "I'm extremely worried for our troops now entering a new phase of combat in Afghanistan and pray they will get the support from our government so that they can do what they are sent there to do by our government. Also, I hope the rest of the world also backs us."
So, thank you to you all for participating. We appreciate it. Our blog, CNN.com/newsroom.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Well, a public memorial is now scheduled for Michael Jackson. The memorial service will be held on Tuesday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Eleven thousand seats will be available to the public. Those tickets will be free. However, those fans are going to have to register in advance to get those tickets. We don't have details on all of that just yet, but they are forthcoming.
Also, there's still no word on Jackson's final resting place. His brother, Jermaine, says the Neverland Ranch would be the best choice.
Also, we're hearing from Michael Jackson's ex-wife. Some confusion here, but there's a possibility that she soon may launch a custody battle for their two children. Jackson's will, however, called for his mother to raise the kids.
Now, again, when we get details of the public memorial, you will hear them here, and you will hear them first because we are going to cover that news conference live. It's scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Eastern, 10:00 a.m. Pacific. Again, you'll see it live right here. And that is where we're expecting to get details about how the public can actually register and get tickets to that memorial.
Now, Michael Jackson, as we know, extremely talented but not universally loved. A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll that was done shows just how evenly Americans are split over the King of Pop. When ask if they were Jackson fans, 51 percent said yes, 49 percent no. Divisions even greater along racial lines. Forty-two percent of whites say they were fans. That number goes up to 74 percent among nonwhites.
Well, Neverland Ranch, Michael Jackson's dream home, and he almost lost it at auction. We'll take you on a rare tour later this hour.
Also, a special tribute to Michael Jackson going to happen in New Orleans this weekend. The late Michael Jackson will be honored at the Essence Music Festival. That starts today. That annual event marks the birthday of black women's magazine, "Essence" magazine. Beyonce, Lionel Richie, John Legend, Anita Baker, Robin Thicke just a few of the stars who will be there to perform.
Of course, we know the city of New Orleans synonymous with the sounds of music. And our Fredricka Whitfield now reports that music was the only salvation for many when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, four years after Hurricane Katrina caused the worst of damage and death, some streets remain stagnant. On others, a harmony of hammers. Music to the ears of seventh- generation New Orleanian, 93-year-old Imelda Skidmore (ph).
EMELDA SKIDMORE, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: Oh, words cannot explain.
WHITFIELD: And 35-year-old Kansas-born musician Josh Charles, who moved to New Orleans four days before Katrina hit.
JOSH CHARLES, MUSICIAN: My timing was impeccable.
WHITFIELD: Charles wanted to move back months later.
CHARLES: All you see are steps leading up to grass or you still see the writing and the toxic floodwaters on the homes.
WHITFIELD: For this songwriter, that opened a floodgate of lyrics.
CHARLES: I walked around, and I said, this is going to take a lot of healing time, and that title stuck in my head.
WHITFIELD (on camera) : How did you use the words, the thoughts?
CHARLES: Well, you're trying to make it through the pain and the sorrow. And then after you make it through the pain and the sorrow, there'll be a better tomorrow, so the chords wrote itself very quickly.
WHITFIELD (voice-over): Josh Charles and Imelda Skidmore, complete strangers, decades apart, sharing a common bond with music as salvation. SKIDMORE: This old house is just dead. This old house.
WHITFIELD: Mrs. Skidmore (ph) was born in this old house. Here in her now rebuilt kitchen she and her daughter...
SKIDMORE: The water was up to there already.
WHITFIELD: ... came close to death August 29th, 2005.
SKIDMORE: I said, God is in this house and he will deliver us. I said, now, come on, let's sing.
WHITFIELD: The hymn often sung during a New Orleans funeral march.
SKIDMORE: The second line is "bring in the dead people to the grave," you know. (INAUDIBLE)
CHARLES: "Healing Time" was meant to be essentially like a second line. So, it starts off slow and somber and eventually, you know, starts to rejoice. The fact that music was their salvation, I mean, it's just ever more reason for me to keep doing what I'm doing.
WHITFIELD: What's he doing?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Yes, you can hear more about the healing powers of music in New Orleans. You can join Fredricka Whitfield in the CNN NEWSROOM at noon tomorrow. Her show will include live reports from Sean Callebs at the New Orleans Superdome. He'll be talking with musicians about how they are remembering Michael Jackson.
And we'll turn back to the economy and your wallet. The nation's gas prices, we've seen them climb. With the thermometer this spring and summer, will they approach last year's sky-high prices?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, AAA says gas prices have probably peaked for the summer. That sounds great, but even with that news, fewer Americans will be hitting the road this Fourth of July. Felicia Taylor has our "Energy Fix" from New York. So, what are people doing? Where are they going? They don't want to drive?
FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, not really. I mean, even though prices have peaked, we could be seeing a permanent shift in the way people drive. Gas prices have fallen more than six cents over the past 12 days. AAA says the national average is $2.63 a gallon. This time last year, it was $4.10, and of course, that was a new record at the time.
So, despite cheaper gas, many of us will be watching the fireworks closer to home this year. I know I will. I'm not going very far. AAA predicts travel this weekend will drop nearly 2 percent from last year. Uncertainty about the economy is the big reason for the decline. Yesterday we learned that 467,000 jobs were lost in June, and the average paycheck also shrank. Fewer people have been getting behind the wheel since the recession began. Over the past 17 months, Americans have cut the number of miles driven by 134 billion, b, billion -- T.J.
HOLMES: Oh, wow. Even though people might not be driving their own cars, people like to go somewhere and get out for the Fourth of July weekend. So, are they finding other people to drive them, if you will? Or what about public transit?
TAYLOR: Well, exactly. Bus and train use remain strong despite the economic downturn. In the first quarter, ridership did fall slightly, down more than 1 percent from a year ago. But driving fell even more, down almost 2 percent.
Supporters say it's time to strengthen mass transit, and that includes building high-speed rail in this country. President Obama is a big believer. He's earmarked about $13 billion for high-speed rail. Several states are competing for those government funds. California's plan is the largest, with plans to build a bullet train service between San Diego and San Francisco with a price tag of about $40 billion. But opponents say that's too much, and ridership will never be enough to cover the cost.
So, for more on this debate, you can check it out on CNNmoney.com -- T.J.
HOLMES: Well, Felicia Taylor from our "Energy Fix" from New York. Thank you so much. Good to see you. Enjoy your holiday weekend.
TAYLOR: And you, too.
HOLMES: All right. We're going to go back to the happiest place on earth and a guy who is happy to be there. Rob Marciano back at Disney World, where the president's making an appearance today, kind of, sort of.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kind of sort of in a way, yes, that's true, T.J. Good morning once again. It's Fourth of July weekend. What better way to celebrate it than here at one of the all- American vacation spots in the country, Disney World, the Magic Kingdom.
Behind me is the Hall of Presidents. So, yes, Mr. Obama, Mr. President making an appearance debut. He's going to be sticking around for quite a while, actually. They've revamped the Hall of Presidents. They've added our new president, and I got a sneak peek of it just a couple days ago. Here's what it looks like inside.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: There they are. It's just like I remembered as a kid, Eric. ERIC JACOBSON, VICE PRESIDENT, WALT DISNEY IMAGINEERING: Yes. Well, it's -- we've added to it since you were a kid.
MARCIANO (voice-over): It's like walking into a room with America's most important people. At Disney's revamped Hall of Presidents, it's Eric Jacobson's job to make sure they look lifelike.
JACOBSON: The magic of this show is actually being able to see all of the presidents throughout history on this stage together, which is impossible in real life. So, we have to use our magic to bring that together.
MARCIANO: It takes a team of what Disney calls imagineeers to create that magic. Details are the priority, especially when creating our new president.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, IN HALL OF PRESIDENTS: The American dream is as old as our founding.
JACOBSON: We actually went to the White House and recorded President Obama's voice in person, took him through the show, told him what we were doing.
MARCIANO: Sculptor Valerie Edwards pored through pictures and video of Obama to ensure her depiction of the president captured every trait.
VALERIE EDWARDS, DISNEY SCULPTOR: I can watch the different speeches, and I can watch his cadence as he speaks. I can watch his muscles as they move. I can see how his face changes.
MARCIANO: And, of course, the costumes are custom-made.
JANICE JONES, DISNEY COSTUMER: Nancy (ph) over here is working on a new jacket for President Nixon. Kitty (ph) over here is working on a new pair of trousers for our current president, Barack Obama.
MARCIANO: A presidential historian developed the theme of the show: the bond between the president and the people.
DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: And my hope is that through these animatronic presidents and through the now message of the exhibit, that people will feel a greater sense of closeness to them.
MARCIANO: This high-tech show's been around since 1971, but it's not Disney's first audio animatronics exhibit.
JACOBSON: The first one actually was the Enchanted Tiki Room that Walt Disney did back in the early '60s.
MARCIANO (on camera): The Tiki Room is my favorite show. And who's the one singing?
JACOBSON: All the birds sing. That's what it's all about. The birdies sing, and the flowers croon. In the tiki-tiki-tiki-tiki-tiki room.
MARCIANO: In the tiki-tiki-tiki-tiki-tiki room. Right.
(LAUGHTER)
MARCIANO (voice-over): While these presidents don't croon, this exhibit, just like its new name, is a true celebration of liberty's leaders.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: Tiki Room always a crowd pleaser, but not as educational as the Hall of Presidents exhibit and show, for sure. All right, T.J., you said your mom was a teacher of sorts, and I threw out the trivia question: Why, if there's 44 presidents are there only 43 standing in that hall. Why don't you explain to us.
HOLMES: It is because one of the presidents served as the 22nd and the 24th. And so, it wasn't consecutive terms, so that's why he's the 22nd and the 24th. It was Cleveland, correct?
MARCIANO: Grover Cleveland. Well done. I didn't know that little tidbit. I've got to hang around you more often. Hey, one other thing I learned yesterday -- this is cool, too -- that the White House was called the executive mansion. And it wasn't until Teddy Roosevelt said, you know what, that just looks like a white house. And now it's called the White House.
HOLMES: Well, there you go. You are full of information.
MARCIANO: Learning can be fun.
HOLMES: It can be. You're not all tornadoes and stuff and hurricanes.
MARCIANO: Not today.
HOLMES: All right, so...
MARCIANO: Happy Fourth.
HOLMES: Rob Marciano, have a good one. Have a good Fourth weekend, buddy. We'll see you soon.
MARCIANO: All right. Likewise. See you.
HOLMES: Well, last week he was vacationing in Argentina with his mistress. This weekend, he's going for the family vacation on the Fourth. How's that going to be?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, after spilling details of his extramarital affair, Governor Mark Sanford now says he will work on his marriage. That can start this weekend with the family vacation. And it includes the woman he's married to, the woman he says is not his soul mate. CNN's Candy Crowley has the latest on the Sanford saga.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Sanfords of South Carolina are on holiday weekend in Florida, together. Prior to the family vacay, the governor put out word through his office that he's not resigning and remains committed and determined to repair the damage he has done in his marriage and to building back the trust of the people of South Carolina. After more than a week of rambling apologies, unnecessary details and purple prose e-mails to his soulmate mistress, trust is hard to come by.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think his mind is somewhere else. And it's not with the people of South Carolina. It's with the mistress in Argentina.
CROWLEY: Jenny Sanford, the wife the governor says he's trying to fall back in love with, issued her own statement. She quoted the Bible and Desmond Tutu on the subject of forgiveness and said for the sake of her boys, she leaves the door open for reconciliation. "I am willing to forgive Mark for his actions," she said. "It is up to the people and elected officials of South Carolina to decide whether they will give Mark another chance, as well." Or not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, we didn't need one more thing to embarrass the state. My gosh, we're really good at embarrassing the state.
CROWLEY: Even in the face of Sanford's refusal to step down, critics have not backed down. One longtime Sanford ally said there are two different kinds of politicos: Those who have publicly called for Sanford's resignation and those hoping to talk him into it privately.
The governor can cross one thing off the to-do list. He got an A-OK after an investigation into who paid for those trips to see the mistress.
REGGIE LLOYD, DIRECTOR, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION: In regards to this relationship, we have found no improper use of public funds. That is the scope of our review.
CROWLEY: Terse but helpful to a man who has not done much to help himself and who needs any help he can get.
Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right, a tour of Neverland Ranch, probably like you've never seen before, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING) HOLMES: Well, Neverland Ranch. It's based on the fictional fantasy island in the story "Peter Pan." Last night, during Larry King's prime-time exclusive, Michael Jackson's dream home was opened up to CNN. Here now, CNN's Ted Rowlands.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Miko Brando, the son of the late actor Marlon Brando, spent much of the last 20-plus years at Michael Jackson's side. He was our guide, taking us through Neverland Ranch.
(on camera): Miko, you've spent a lot of time up here. This place is so big that, obviously, this isn't just for decoration. This train station was a real train station with a real train.
MIKO BRANDO, MICHAEL JACKSON'S FRIEND: Real train. Steam engine train. Large one. He had used it for years to get from the residence up to the theater and the zoo.
ROWLANDS: Which is about a quarter mile away.
Michael would put on videos on each of the monitors, the same video.
BRANDO: He'd put videos or cartoons. Whoever wanted could sit here and watch them on all these screens. You'd sit here and eat your candy, eat all the sweets you'd want. And the kids would just hang out here and watch videos all night long.
ROWLANDS: And this is just a minuscule part, obviously, of the compound here, one small portion of it where people would come and hang out. The outside, here's where the train would come through, Miko.
This room is, what?
BRANDO: This is the living room. Piano used to be over here with a bunch of photos on the piano. A castle he had built sitting over here. Living room chairs, furniture, sofa, the TV on the wall. He had a beautiful marble front here in front of the fireplace. He had the Oscar that he got. It was standing on the right side of the fireplace.
ROWLANDS: The Oscar from...
BRANDO: I think from "Gone with the Wind."
ROWLANDS: "Gone with the Wind," that he apparently paid one- point-some million dollars for.
BRANDO: Yes, sir.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): Inside the house, 13,000 square feet. As for Michael Jackson's bedroom... (on camera): ... you're looking at the doors, and you can see the locks on the doors, Miko. Privacy was key in this room, obviously.
BRANDO: Yes, he liked his privacy. When the doors were open, you know, it was OK. But when he locked, he wanted his privacy, he had his privacy.
ROWLANDS: This is one of the bathrooms. There are two bathrooms in this suite. And this is the area where Michael Jackson also slept sometimes. There's a staircase up there and a small bedroom upstairs. You say he slept on both levels.
BRANDO: Yes. He slept wherever he felt like sleeping. He'd crash out. So, he had a choice of two.
ROWLANDS: There's been a lot of talk about this closet. It is massive, and in the corner of it is a secret compartment or secret little area. And, Miko, you said this was sort of a safe room, just in case.
BRANDO: Yes, this was just someplace, you know, in case something ever happened, that would be where he'd go.
ROWLANDS: When you look at the house now, Miko, it is unfurnished, obviously. Give us a sense how different it was fully furnished.
BRANDO: Oh, it was the place. I mean, I've seen a lot of houses in my life, but this was the house.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): Ted Rowlands, CNN, at the Neverland Ranch.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right. It's top of the hour. I'm T.J. Holmes. Time to hand it over to my good friend in the NEWSROOM, Tony Harris.
