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Obama Meets Russian President, Makes Arms Control Deal; Fans Pick up Tix for Jackson Memorial; New York Congressman Critiques Jackson Coverage; More U.S. Troops Killed in Afghanistan; S.C. Town's Residents on Edge after Murders; Riots in Northwestern China; Measles Cases Increasing; States Increasing Hotel Room Taxes; Parsing Palin's Resignation; McNair Death a Homicide

Aired July 06, 2009 - 13:00   ET

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

MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Tony.

We are pushing forward on President Obama's agenda in Moscow. His meeting with Russia's leader, starting off with handshakes, ending with a new arms control deal.

The wheels are in motion for tomorrow's Michael Jackson memorial extravaganza. Tickets are going out, fans are flying in, and the city of Los Angeles is wondering just what it's in for.

Six days, five murders, one suspect, 20,000 reasons to take a really good look at this sketch. A serial killer's sudden rampage in a small town in South Carolina.

Hello. I'm Melissa Long, in today for Kyra Phillips, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

President Obama and Medvedev, the two men say they basically hit the reset button for Washington and Moscow relations, and they agreed on a number of issues. These include cutting back on nuclear weapons, allowing the U.S. to ship weapons over Russian land and air space for the war in Afghanistan, and setting the stage for future cooperation. That doesn't mean the eagle and the bear totally see eye to eye.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I won't pretend that the United States and Russia agreed on every issue. As President Medvedev indicated, we've had some frank discussions, and there are areas where we still disagree.

For instance we had a frank discussion on Russia -- on Georgia, and I reiterated my firm belief that Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected.

Yet, even as we worked through our disagreements on Georgia's borders, we do agree that no one has an interest in renewed military conflict. In going forward, we must speak candidly to resolve these differences peace fully and constructively.

LONG: CNN's foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty joins us now live from Moscow. Of course, the two counterparts, how do they seem to be getting along?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are. I mean, you'd have to say the relationship between the two presidents is going very well. And although, as you just hear, there were some things that they didn't get agreement on, and one of those was actually that missile defense system. They were not able to work that out. They deal with it separately. But the relationship seems to be getting off to a very good start. They had met before in London in April.

The other question that will be interesting is what happens tomorrow when President Obama meets with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who of course, used to be the president. And some people here and in the United States think that president -- that Prime Minister Putin is still calling the shots in Russia.

An interesting question came up at the news conference this past hour on who exactly is in charge. Let's hear how President Obama answered that one.

LONG: All right. Looking forward to hearing more about that. And also, want to ask you a little bit more about the lighter side of this diplomatic trip overseas, the president obviously traveling onto Italy and Ghana after Russia. Right now, he's traveling with the first family. What experience have they had, and what role is Michelle Obama playing there in Russia?

DOUGHERTY: Yes, it's interesting, because this is one of first trips by presidents recently in which they had a whole family with two children. Because Sasha and Malia are here.

And the schedule as we know it, there will be a dinner tonight here in which the presidents, and President Obama and Michelle will go out to the residence of President Medvedev, and they'll have dinner. Ant then tomorrow they'll go out to the residence of Prime Minister Putin and have breakfast. And then later on, a lunch with President Medvedev.

And then Michelle Obama will go separately to an orphanage and to a hospital. And we also understand that the children will be going to a folk dance festival here and looking at a very good folk dance troupe.

Back to you.

LONG: What a great opportunity for the first family there, for the little girls there in Moscow. Foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty. Thank you so much.

Live now to Washington, D.C. We're hearing from Harry Reid of Nevada. But in a moment we will hear from Senator-elect Al Franken. He's arriving there in Washington, D.C., after the long holiday weekend. Official swearing in ceremony coming up this week for Al Franken after some eight months after the election. He is now the official senator from the state of Minnesota. Once again, Al Franken will be at the podium momentarily. First, Harry Reid.

HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: ... is coming to an end -- Al.

AL FRANKEN (D), SENATOR-ELECT, MINNESOTA: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Leader.

I want to thank the leader for all of your support during and after the campaign, and I look forward to working under your leadership.

A lot has been made of this number 60. The number I'm focused on is the number two. I see myself as the second senator from the state of Minnesota. Minnesotans are practical people. They want to make sure the work we do here in the Senate makes sense and that the decisions we make for the future have a strong return on investment.

Minnesotans want a rational health-care system that provides health care for all Americans, that is accessible and affordable, gets the cost down. Minnesotans want an economy that works for working families, and that means jobs. It means a decent day's wage for an honest day's work, and it means protecting people's retirements.

Americans want a new energy policy that creates jobs, that addresses climate change, and that is going to wean us from our dependence on foreign oil. And Minnesotans want their kids to have an education that prepares them for a 21st century economy. I am going to work day and night to make sure that our kids have a great future and that America's best days lay ahead. I'm ready to get to work. Thank you.

REID: We're going to have my big op (ph) tomorrow after the luncheons, a lot of questions will be asked then and a lot of questions will be answered. Al and I are taking no questions now.

FRANKEN: Thank you, everybody.

LONG: Brief comments from Harry Reid and Senator-elect Al Franken, representing constituents from the state of Minnesota, again, some eight months after the November election and a contentious recount battle with Norm Coleman and Al Franken.

Now, again, the senator-elect from his state, official swearing in this week, following the Fourth of July holiday. And also, while Al Franken was talking about really focusing on education during his term, he also will be talking about the Supreme Court, because he has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee. So that means he's going to be there right for Judge Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court. Those hearings scheduled to begin, by the way, one week from today.

Michael Jackson's family and fans pushing their interests forward today in court. Also on the streets, the great ticket rush is underway in Los Angeles. Winners of that online lottery to attend the Jackson memorial claiming the tickets today at Dodgers Stadium. And as the city is deploying police, busy blocking off streets and, of course, planning for tomorrow's crowds, the acting mayor says she'd love the Jacksons to kick in on the cost. No reaction yet on that one.

Also waiting for their reaction to a probate judge's decision that just came down. Against the family's wishes, he has granted interim control of Michael Jackson's assets to two co-executers named in that singer's will from 2002.

Those preparations are continuing for tomorrow's memorial. Investigators are digging deeper into the details of Michael Jackson's death. A Los Angeles County judge signed new search warrants yesterday.

CNN's Ted Rowlands joins us now live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles with the very latest on that part of the story -- Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, Melissa, the fact that the search warrants were signed means that, obviously, this death investigation continues, and it is being taken very seriously in moving forward in a way that, most obviously, death investigations don't go, where you don't have search warrants, typically, on a death investigation. But this is a different story.

And obviously, they are looking at doctors and other people who were around Michael Jackson in the weeks and months leading up to his death, and looking at the prescribed medications and then comparing it to what was found in the home and what eventually will be found in Jackson's body through the toxicology results, which should already be in. At least, the initial results.

Now, back here, we are at the Staples Center, where, of course, tomorrow is the large public memorial. And that, as you mentioned, at Dodgers Stadium right now, people that got tickets over the lottery system are getting their tickets and wrist bands. These are the wrist bands here that are being given out.

And the reason for the wrist bands is because there's a lot of fear of counterfeit and people coming down to this area of Los Angeles and downtown. What they're trying to do is implore people to stay away.

And already, there are people gathering here. Police presence is already fairly significant. There is a plaque here that people are signing, a canvas that's been up, and people have been sort of drawn to that.

Also here in huge force, the media from across the world. They'll be anchoring, a lot of networks, anchoring their coverage of tomorrow's memorial event here at Staples Center. And it is an incredible scene outside of Staples Center right now, where the media is gathering here. Risers have been put up in anticipation for tomorrow's event.

We have been told by the family, Jermaine Jackson specifically says that there will be a morning event, a private memorial service. Following that, starting at 10 a.m. here at Staples Center and the adjacent Nokia Theater, then there will be the public memorial event, which will also be televised worldwide. That event is expected to draw millions and millions of viewers tomorrow -- Melissa.

LONG: Ted Rowlands, live for us from Los Angeles. Ted, thank you.

Now, as we've been reporting, a judge today granting control of Michael Jackson's estate to the two men he has named as co-executors. Attorney John Branca, who has represented Jackson, starting when he was a singer at the age of 21. He arranged Jackson's smartest business deal, buying the Beatles catalog. That was back in 1985. He has also represented 29 acts in the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame, including the Rolling Stones, the Bee Gees, Aerosmith and the Beach Boys.

The other executor Jackson has named, John McClain, has been a family friend for some 40 years. He helped launch Janet Jackson's career, A&M Records, and he co-founded Interscope Records, whose artists include Eminem, Sheryl Crow and Dr. Dre.

Now a New York congressman says Michael Jackson was a pedophile who doesn't deserve all the attention he's getting. In park -- in remarks, rather, that have been posted on YouTube, the Republican of the state of New York, Peter King, says there was nothing good about Jackson. He accuses the media of disgracing itself with all of the coverage of Jackson's death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PETE KING (R), NEW YORK: This guy was a pervert. He was a child molester. He was a pedophile, and to be giving this much coverage to him day in and day out, what does it say about us as a country? I just think we're too politically correct. No one wants to stand up and say we don't need Michael Jackson.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: Jackson was tried on child molestation charges. That was back in 2005. He was acquitted after a trial that lasted 14 weeks. CNN's Mary Snow is following this story. She joins us live from New York.

And I know you had the opportunity to talk to Representative King.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We did, Melissa. We spoke with Congressman King earlier this morning, and we asked him about the very fact that you just mentioned, that Michael Jackson had been acquitted back in 2005 of molestation charges. We asked him about his statement that he posted on YouTube. Here is what -- how he responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Whether or not he was convicted of a precise crime, by his own admission, also by cases he settled, lawsuits that he settled against him, there's an admission he acted very, very inappropriately.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: Congressman King defending his statements that he posted on YouTube.

And we asked him why he did this. He said that he had been at a couple of parades over the weekend, Fourth of July parades. He had seen veterans and public servants, and he questioned why they weren't getting more attention. He said he felt it was his duty as a public figure to come out and question the media's coverage, extensive coverage of Michael Jackson, saying that he felt someone should say "Enough is enough."

Also, Melissa, just want to point out, the Jackson family spokesman, Ken Sunshine, told CNN that the family is preparing for Jackson's funeral and will not dignify King's comment with a statement -- Melissa.

LONG: Also, Mary, constituents of Congressman King, those who live in the state of New York would be familiar with him. Others may not be. Tell us a little about his political background. I know he's a long-time congressman.

SNOW: He is a nine-term Republican congressman from New York. He lives out on Long Island. He had been talking about potentially running for the Senate. This, of course to challenge Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who replaced Senator Hillary Clinton. Congressman King has been lately saying that the chance of running now is less than 50 percent.

LONG: Mary Snow, live for us from New York. Mary, thank you.

Now, former Washington mayor, Marion Barry, is in trouble with the law again. We will tell you why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: U.S. Marines engaging in a fierce fire fight with the Taliban. And more Americans pay the ultimate price in Afghanistan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: At least six U.S. soldiers were killed in two roadside bombings today in Afghanistan. And U.S. Marines are battling Taliban insurgents in a major new offensive in a town in Helmand province.

Atia Abawi is live for us from Kabul with the very latest -- Atia.

ATIA ABAWI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Melissa. Six U.S. troops have been killed today, four in northern Afghanistan in Kondoz province, northern Afghanistan actually considered one of safest part in the war on terror here in Afghanistan.

Two other U.S. troops were killed in southern Afghanistan. We're still not clear if it was part of Operation Khanjar. That's the operation Strike of the Sword that's been going on for the past few days. It started on Thursday. And it's a new push where thousands of U.S. Marines have come down to the south to help secure the area.

We're also hearing another -- of another ISAF death. That's International Security Assistance Force, in eastern Afghanistan, but we're still not yet clear if that, too, was a U.S. soldier -- Melissa.

LONG: Atia, I want to ask you a little bit about this major offensive and the terrain there in the Helmand province. I know it's extremely rugged.

ABAWI: It's a -- it's a very rugged terrain, Melissa. We were actually in Helmand province a few months ago. We hope to go there soon.

But what it is, it's a very -- it's an area that doesn't have very much infrastructure. This is a place where the Taliban have taken the lead the past few years. There are areas that these U.S. Marines and these Afghan soldiers and these British troops are going that they weren't able to before, because they just didn't have the manpower.

Now they're trying to get to those areas. They're trying to make it past certain obstacles that they faced -- they faced in the past. But right now they say that they are clearing and holding certain areas, but we have to wait and see what the Taliban are going to do next. At first they hide, but then they come out with their tactics, and IEDs being a big one -- Melissa.

LONG: And also, when you talk about the Taliban, you have to talk about how the organization is funded. And at the core of this operation, Afghanistan, of course, the poppy fields, the opium- producing poppy fields.

ABAWI: You're absolutely right, Melissa. The poppy fields are abundant, especially in this province, Helmand province in Southern Afghanistan, once known as the bread basket of Afghanistan. The agricultural industry was booming for food, for vegetables, for wheat.

Now it's booming for poppies. You have the drug trade, and it's the Taliban. It's the militancy. It's the insurgency. But it's also criminal gangs that are running down there. Some of them hidden within the Afghan government.

And this is why the Afghan people have been turning to the Taliban, because they didn't trust much of their own government and much of their own police force. This is another thing that the U.S., the coalition force is trying to change. They're trying to bring the Afghan government back to the people -- Melissa.

LONG: Atia Abawi joining us live from Kabul, Afghanistan. Atia, thank you.

Also, a warning for the west from Iran's supreme leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says western governments are meddling in Iranian affairs, and this will have a negative impact on relations. Iran has blamed the United States, Britain and other western countries for internal unrest since the recent elections. Khamenei again rejected charges of vote fraud, calling the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, quote, "a lasting and pure truth."

A plane carrying ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya, circling a Honduras airport, but military forces blocked the runway. Zelaya's plane ended up landing in Nicaragua, but he vowed to make another attempt to return to Honduras today or possibly tomorrow. The Honduran military forced Zelaya into exile more than a week ago, but the United States and the Organization of American States, the OAS, still considers him the legitimate president.

Security forces opened fire on Zelaya's supporters outside of that airport on Sunday. At least one person was killed.

Steve McNair, a warrior, hero on the football field, a generous man who gave to his community. His sudden and violent death now spotlighting a part of his life the fans didn't see.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Hope you had a wonderful long holiday weekend. Back to business, though. Let's check in with meteorologist Reynolds Wolf. A good day, I guess, for some parts of the country, residents in some parts of the country, to keep that umbrella handy.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LONG: I love watching you play with all the technology we have. You make it a lot of fun.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it is. It's all magic. It's a magic wall.

(CROSSTALK)

LONG: It is. Very magic. Thank you so much. Appreciate that.

Continuing to follow the story of a serial killer striking a small South Carolina community. What police are doing to hunt him down.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Michael Jackson's family and fans are tending to the final details for the King of pop's memorial, which is scheduled for tomorrow. The great ticket rush is underway in Los Angeles. Winners of that online lottery to attend the Jackson memorial claiming the tickets today at Dodgers Stadium.

Now, the city is busy deploying police, blocking off streets and planning for tomorrow's crowds. The acting mayor says she'd love the Jacksons to kick in on the cost. We have no reaction yet on that one.

We are also waiting for the reaction to a probate judge's decision that came down about a half an hour ago now. It is against the family's wishes. He's granted interim control of Michael Jackson's assets to two co-executors, two co-executors that were named in the singer's will, dated in 2002.

A town gripped by fear. Five people are dead, and police are frantically searching for a serial killer.

Gaffney, South Carolina, it's about 50 miles southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina. The community is on edge today. Sheriff's deputies say they have evidence linking all the deaths, which have consumed this town of 13,000 residents over the past nine days. They're searching for the suspect in this sketch. The sheriff is urging residents to be vigilant and be cautious.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL BLANTON, SHERIFF, CHEROKEE COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA: People are using caution, and that's what we're asking them to do. Just be cautious until we do catch this murderer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: The latest victim, 15-year-old Abbi Tyler. She died over the weekend, Saturday, after being shot Thursday along with her dad at the Family Furniture and Appliance Store. Her dad died at the scene.

Now, these killings have again rattled the normally town of Gaffney. As a local lawmaker put it, residents have guards up and guns handy. Gaffney City Administrator James Taylor now joins us live. James, thank you for your time today.

JAMES TAYLOR, CITY ADMINISTRATOR, GAFFNEY, SOUTH CAROLINA: You're welcome. Thank you.

LONG: Well, with the sheriff urging residents to be vigilant and cautious, what are residents doing there to be cautious and yet try to help out in the search?

TAYLOR: Well, the residents be being cautious by staying in groups, keeping their doors locked, not allowing strangers in and by being vigilant. And I would echo what the law-enforcement professionals are saying -- that is, urge the citizens to be cautious and vigilant and use good common sense. Good common sense is one of keys to this issue.

LONG: Now, I know you have a very closeknit, small community, some 13,000 people. About 50,000, from what I've read, in the county itself. Do you know whether or not anyone has a connection to the suspect or whether this person could be an outsider?

TAYLOR: You know, I think law enforcement currently is looking at all the options. And they are not releasing a lot of that information. They are working as a task force, as a team. And I think every option is on the table as far as leads that they are investigating. LONG: You mentioned how hard the law enforcement teams are working. I know law enforcement teams from South Carolina and North Carolina are part of this investigation. You're also a city administrator dealing with this as the mayor's on holiday.

TAYLOR: The mayor is currently out of town. We're keeping in contact by phone. We talk constantly. And my role a city administrator is overseeing the day-to-day operations, and I continue to do that.

LONG: Tell us your community, about what this is doing in your town, and again, that fear or feeling that you have and your friends and family have.

TAYLOR: Well, of course there's a feeling of sadness and a feeling of fear, as we talked about earlier. We still have city functions that must go on. We still have fire department that must respond. Municipal solid waste workers that must collect household garbage. And other city services that must go on.

Business is going on in the community, but there is certainly a shadow that's over this community, as the residents are fearful, and they're sad. And these families that have been touched, their lives will never be the same. It's a small community. Everyone in one way or the other knows someone that's been touched by this tragedy. And that puts, again, a shadow of sadness over everything that we do in this community, even as we try to carry on the normal functions of government and business.

LONG: And I'm sure it's so challenging to do that, as you mentioned, because of this intense investigation, because you are so closeknit, that shadow of sadness that lingers today.

Thank you so much, Gaffney City Administrator James Taylor. We appreciate your time.

TAYLOR: Thank you.

LONG: South Carolina Republican leaders will get on a conference call this evening. They'll be talking about Governor Mark Sanford. Mr. Sanford returned to work today after a weekend visit with his family. They were down in Florida. His future has been on shaky ground since he admitted an extrasmarital affair. The party executive committee could ask for Sanford's resignation, could decide to censure him for his behavior or do nothing.

Another arrest for former Washington Mayor Marion Barry, and this time the charge stalking. Police say a woman flagged down an officer over the weekend and pointed out Barry in a nearby vehicle. A Barry spokesperson says the charge is baseless. Barry served four terms as Washington mayor and still a city councilman. He served six months in prison after a 1990 cocaine arrest, and then in 2005, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor tax evasion charges, and he remains on probation.

The man probably most closely associated with Washington's role in the Vietnam War has died. Robert McNamara served as defense secretary under Kennedy and Johnson and was harshly criticized for escalating the war. He late wrote a book, "The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietam," and admitted that U.S. policy on the war was wrong. McNamara served as president of the World Bank after he left the Johnson administration. He died early today at his home. Robert Mcnamara was 93.

Choking black smoke clogging the sky line in western China. At least 140 people are dead, more than 800 others injured after a weekend of riots. And as our Emily Chang now reports, the violence was ignited by rising tensions between ethnic Muslims and the Chinese.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EMILY CHANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Protesters commandeered the streets of Urumqi in northwestern China, screaming, chanting, swelling. These pictures from China's state-run media. An eyewitness says throngs of ethnic Uighurs, men, women and children, left their market stands in the city's bazaar district to join in.

Chinese riot police responded swiftly, pushing the crowds back. The witness, an American studying in Urumqi, says that's when the crowds turned violent, throwing rocks, vegetables, setting vehicles on fire.

UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: They were smashing windows on cars driving by, smashing bus windows which had been evacuated, you know, once things got really heavy, and there was tear gas. I heard several bouts of gunfire, explosions.

CHANG: Police reportedly fired shots over the crowd. The riot quickly hit Chinese blogs. Netizens spread video and photos like these online, though they cannot be independently verified by CNN. In the end, state media reports at least 140 people killed, more than 800 injured.

Urumqi is the capital of China's Xinjiang province, where almost half the people are Uighur and mostly Muslim. There's a long history of ethnic tension between Uighurs and Han Chinese.

Around the Olympics, a bombing in Xinjiang killed 16 police. The Chinese government blamed what they call Uighur separatists.

RUSSELL MOSES, CHINA ANALYST: What you are seeing is stereotyping on both sides. The resisters themselves believe that everyone in the government is evil. The state believes that these are terrorist individuals who are being driven from the outside.

CHANG: The Chinese government says the latest protests were masterminded by activists outside the country, saying the violence is a preempted violent crime. It is instigated and directed from abroad and carried out by outlaws in the country.

(on camera): But many protesters reportedly said they are angry about how the Chinese government handled another incident in southern China at a toy factory in Quangdong. State-run media reports an ex- employee started a rumor that a group of Uighur men raped two Han Chinese women.

It led to a massive brawl between Uighur and Han Chinese factory workers and ended with two Uighurs killed, and may have ignited this bloody outpouring of pent-up frustration in Urumqi.

Emily Chang, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: There are new worries about an outbreak over a longtime preventible disease, not in a Third World country, in Brooklyn. It's important news for your health.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: Good afternoon, good morning to you, depending on where you're watching us todays. There has been a jump in the number of measles cases in Brooklyn. Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now with the details on this story. What exactly have they found?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: What they found is 11 cases, 11 new cases of measles in Brooklyn since May 14. That's 11 cases in a relatively short period of time. You probably won't be surprised to hear none of these people were vaccinated. So, here people are getting sick for a disease that they could have been vaccinated against.

The measles isn't just a nuisance. You don't just kind of feel bad. Measles kills children at a disturbingly high rate. Now, measles cases have been going up over the past couple of years. And the reason is that a lot of people are scared of the vaccine. They think that it can cause autism, which it can't. But we're seeing more and more people not getting vaccinated against measles.

So, for example, in 2004 there were 37 cases of measles in the U.S. That jumped to 66 cases the next years. Three years later, there were 140 cases. Now, in 2009, 25 cases so far. So, if that trend continues, hopefully we'll see those numbers come down.

LONG: Again, people have been scared of the vaccine, but not getting your own child vaccinated is one thing, but it puts other children at risk, as well.

COHEN: Right, exactly. Because babies under the age of 1, they're not allowed to be vaccinated. They can't be vaccinated. So, if you don't vaccinate your childn, your child could get a poor defenseless baby sick. Imagine how horrible you'd feel if that happened.

LONG: And just quickly, when should you actually be getting your child vaccinated?

COHEN: Get your child vaccinated between 12 and 15 months and then again somewhere around 6 years of age. There you go, by age 6 you should have a second dose. LONG: OK. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.

COHEN: Thanks, Melissa.

LONG: Now, think perhaps the state budget crisis nationwide doesn't affect you? Well, think again. There is a new tax coming to a town right near you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LONG: A bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of General Motors's assets to the new GM. The judge basically saying he had no choice. Otherwise, the company would face liquidation. So, here's what that means. Taxpayers -- you -- will have a 60 percent stake in the company. Four benchmark brands, Chevy, Cadillac, Buick and GMC will remain. The others, they're going to be sold off. And future retirees will have lower benefits than the current retirees.

Now, last week we told you how states across the country are scrambling now for new sources of revenue in order to make up for their budget shortfalls. Well, this week, we're going to tell you how some of them are trying to do so. And it could hurt so many of us when we plan to do something more than have staycation.

Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with more. This is going to frustrate a lot of people who are planning a trip.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, no question about it, and the frustration is mounting, Melissa. I mean, the reason why states are hurting is because we, the consumers, spending less. So, how do they make up for the shortfalls? They tax us, the consumer. And one of ways they're going to be taxing us -- we're seeing lots of states all across the country -- is with hotel rooms. Right at the height of vacation season.

For instance, Hawaii, the hotel room taxes there will increase 1 percent to 8.75 percent. It will jump another 1 percent in July of next year. Nevada will see a 3 percentage...

LONG: Ouch.

LISOVICZ: ... rate hike. Yes, really -- but it needs it. Think about what the housing market, about the real losses it's seeing there. That's expected to bring in 200 million annually for the state. We're seeing big hikes in New Hampshire. New York City where the hotel taxes were already high, going up to 14.25 percent.

And the reason why we're talking about it now, Melissa, is last week, most of the states saw their fiscal calendar end. So, they're trying desperately to balance their budgets once again.

LONG: OK, so, we understand why they're doing this. As you've outlined, we have budget shortfalls. But at the same time, aren't hotels already struggling to get people to actually stay overnight?

LISOVICZ: Excellent point. In fact, there are some consulting surveys out there that say that this is the worst year ever for the U.S. hotel industry -- 2009 will go down for that; 2010 not going to be great either.

But the reverse side of that is that while taxes are going up, room rates are going down. One survey, PKF Consulting, says that average daily room rates will decline by more than 10 percent this year, it will decrease another 3 percent next year and that the greatest degree of rate concessions will come this summer.

So, shop around. Because you may be able to find a good bargain.

LONG: You may be able to find that bargain online, OK, or by sweettalking when you make a phone call.

LISOVICZ: That works too.

LONG: All right, Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange, thank you.

LISOVICZ: You're welcome, Melissa.

LONG: Now, how do you bid a farewell to a cultural icon, one who's been pretty much a household name for more than 40 years? Next hour, we're going to be taking a look at what it is to say goodbye to the King of Pop and what type of elaborate preparations are under way in Los Angeles.

Plus, the Big Apple selling part of itself to raise money. Your next subway ride might be brought to you by a foreign bank.

And the FBI says it is not investigating outgoing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. The bureau hardly ever comes out and squashes rumors, but it felt it was necessary this time. Just the latest turn in the Palin political road. We're working to find out, of course, what's around the next curve. Always a surprise.

CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley joins us live from Washington -- from New York, I apologize. You're on the move today. Candy, nice to see you.

There has been so much talk over the weekend since this late- afternoon Friday announcement, which was pretty much last minute as well, from what I understand. There really weren't many people there at Palin's home in Wasilla, Alaska. Any clarity as to why she has made this decision?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: If there is clarity, I haven't found it yet. I have to tell you that. I think that there were still over the weekend -- I think we saw conservative pundits on TV. We saw a lot of traffic on conservative blogs. And there's still all this speculation, well, what's really the reason, because it was such a kind of outside the box decision, I think is probably the best thing we can say about it.

So, listen, there are two schools of thought at this point. One is that she did it because she wants to be able to campaign in the lower 48. It is very, very tough to get to the rest of the United States from Alaska, even to go give a speech, so this would free her up if she indeed wants to have a 2012 run. And the other school of thought is she's had it with politics.

Everybody still, no matter which side you're on in that, what's interesting to me is the bulk of the commentary and the bulk of the conversation on the internet has been either way you go, choosing to resign to get to that end certainly seems like a risky way to go.

LONG: Speaking of online, I know Governor Palin also connects with her followers through Twitter, through Facebook. What is she saying about the coverage, and what is she saying about her decision?

CROWLEY: Well, she is saying that she quit for the very reasons that she outlined. There were several of them, one of them being that there have been so much criticism, that she's such a big target, that the State of Alaska has had to pay for these investigations, which have turned up nothing, but yet she's unable to kind of push through her agenda. She says she already accomplished it. So there is certainly that. And she repeated that.

But she also said that as usual, the media was going after her, that her resignation was not treated the same as others in similar circumstances have been. And this is a very good argument for her to make to the people who like her most. And that is her conservative base, who have absolutely no love for the media, I can assure you. And this has always been a good selling point in terms of popularity and support for sarah palin to say the media's after me, and that's certainly how she feels at this point about the interpretation of why she resigned.

LONG: And Candy, before we wrap up, just to stress what we started our conversation with was the news of the FBI saying it's not investigating possible public corruption.

CROWLEY: Right. Interesting, because the FBI doesn't ordinarily tell you what they're not doing, much less what they are doing. But I think this has become so powerful, again, on the Internet that somehow, she was under FBI investigation so not only was the FBI feeling it had to say, look, we're not -- it not only had gotten that loud -- but they also put her attorney out there to say listen, you be very, very careful what you report about this woman because we're prepared to see what legal redress we can have. They may not have any legal redress, but they certainly, that was a strong pushback from her attorney about coverage of her.

LONG: From New York, CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley. Candy, thank you.

CROWLEY: Thanks, Melissa.

LONG: Now, an investigation that's short on answers, long on speculation. What led up to the sudden and violent death of a former NFL star who barely got to enjoy his post-career life?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LONG: Nashville's Metro Police say former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was, in fact, the victim of a homicide, but they're not saying anything about the other victim in this case. It's McNair's 20-year- old girlfriend. She was found dead near his body, one bullet wound to her head.

Cindy Carter of our affiliate WZTV reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CINDY CARTER, WZTV-TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Metro Police say 36-year-old Steve McNair and 20-year-old Sahel Kazemi were more than just friends.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They apparently were involved in a dating relationship.

CARTER: The bodies of the former Tennessee Titan and Kazemi were found inside this condominium on 2nd Avenue in downtown Nashville.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know Steve McNair was shot four times, twice in the head and twice in the chest. Ms. Kazemi was shot one time in the head. At the scene, a semiautomatic pistol was recovered from underneath Miss Kazemi's body.

CARTER: McNair co-rented this condo with friend sporting goods dealer Wayne Neely, and it was Neely who came across the bodies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When Mr. Neely arrived, he used his key to get in, and he saw McNair and Kazemi there in the living room area, and he just walked on through the kitchen, probably believing they were asleep.

CARTER: Neely contacted McNair's friend, Robert Gaddy, who came to the crime scene and called 911. That was at 1:30 Saturday afternoon, but police say McNair and Kazemi died earlier that morning, ruling McNair's death a homicide, but police aren't ready to call Kazemi's death a suicide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No possibilities have been ruled out. All scenarios are still on the table.

CARTER: Witnesses say the Cadillac Escalade co-owned by Kazemi and McNair was parked outside the complex the night before. McNair apparently went out that night and returned to the condo early Saturday morning after spending time at two bars, the Bluemoon Lagoon and Loser's.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will be talking to staff and management of those establishments about what he did there, what conversations they may have overheard, who he talked to, that type of thing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONG: Today, thousands of people are picking up their golden tickets, claiming their spot for Michael Jackson's big Los Angeles memorial tomorrow. The tickets, the I.D. wristbands, they're being distributed at Dodger Stadium about four miles away from the Staples Center.

It's going to be a full house there for tomorrow's service, but frankly, the city's not sure about how many other fans are L.A.-bound. So, they're deploying hundreds of police. They're establishing a perimeter around Staples Center.

Now, some or developments today. Control of Michael Jackson's assets shifting now, at least for now. A judge handing over the situation to two co-executors named in the singer's will dated in 2002. And we're also following up on House member Peter King's criticism of the Jackson media circus. Among other things, he called the singer "a pervert who we don't need."

We're working every angle of this story for you. Reporters, crews all over the country. Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley standing by for us in New York with more on Congressman King's comments. Ted Rowlands is live for us at the L.A. Staples Center, the center, of course, for tomorrow's memorial celebration. And the lottery winners have just a few more hours to pick up their tickets for the Michael Jackson memorial. Let's turn to CNN's Ted Rowlands now, who joins us with more on the final preparations there -- Ted.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Melissa, the preparations here are definitely winding up, if you will, and you can see it looking around. There are some people here. They haven't completely cordoned off this area yet. That will take place tomorrow.

Some people have come out to Staples Center, they're signing a mural and just sort of hanging out and looking at it. And when you look out, you can see an incredible presence in terms of media from around the world anchoring their coverage tomorrow in this worldwide event. And you can see that they've set up grandstands, et cetera, to accommodate all of the media.