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Palin Officially Resigns as Alaska Governor; Clinton Defends White House Policy Amid Biden Comments About Russia; White House Keeps Health Care Pressure on Congress; A 2nd Cemetery Allegedly Conducting Bad Business; Sarah Palin Prepares for Final Speech as Governor; Lance Armstrong Finishes Third in Tour de France; The Marketability of 2 NFL Quarterbacks is Tested; Few African-American Teens Experience Marriage Through Family

Aired July 26, 2009 - 18:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Live right now on CNN. Anticipation in Alaska. What will Sarah Palin say? Is she saying goodbye or setting stage for a bigger political future?

A whirlwind weekend of goodbye picnics, parties and speeches, you'd almost think she's on the campaign trail again. She's been shaking hands, kissing babies and, of course, criticizing the media and her critics. Her model throughout all of this -- you ain't seen nothing yet.

Her farewell, her future -- Sarah Palin live within the hour right here on CNN.

Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

Politics taking the lead in the news this Sunday and we're covering every single angle for you.

Our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is in Washington, tracking the Palin resignation and all of the day's big political stories. All-platform Chris Welch is in Fairbanks, Alaska, covering Sarah Palin's speech. He will join us in just a little bit. And there you see here there -- our Kate Bolduan at the White House in Washington, D.C. with administration reaction to the events in Alaska and the latest on the battle over health care.

First, there is some political fallout today from outside-the- box comments from Vice President Joe Biden, the ones he made about the Russian government. In a developing story we first told but last night, Biden told "The Wall Street Journal" in very blunt terms that Russia faces big problems in the future. He says their economy is, quote, "withering," and in his words, "they're clinging to something in the past that is not sustainable."

The White House has issued a statement pledging cooperation with Russia, and today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was asked if the Obama administration is sending mixed signals on Russia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: No, I don't. As I just said, the vice president was the first person to call for resetting our relationships -- our relationship with Russia and that's what we're in the process of doing. Obviously, it's going to take time and effort but the president's summit in Moscow a few weeks ago was a great start. And the president said, look, we want a strong, peaceful and prosperous Russia and we're going to work with Russia and we're going to have areas of agreement and areas of disagreement as we do with any other country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Let's get for more insight now on where Joe Biden was coming from and what Secretary Clinton was trying to say with her comments -- Candy Crowley is in Washington. She's our senior political correspondent.

Hi, Candy. So, what is the fallout? Are you hearing anything about the fallout behind closed doors? We heard, you know, what secretary of -- what Gibbs had to say about those comments but what are the rumblings behind the scene?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I think the rumblings behind the scene are pretty much what you're seeing in front of the scenes, and that is: you haven't seen anyone actually refute Joe Biden. You saw the secretary of state saying, "Oh, I don't think we're at odds here, we're going to work with Russia."

The fact of the matter is that Joe Biden has a reputation for actually saying what people are saying, and the fact is that Russia is sort of an economic basket case at this point. He talked about how they would have to deal with the U.S. out of weakness. That's the one thing that the White House thinks might have gone a little bit too far, simply because while that is not necessarily not a part of their calculation, what President Obama did when he was over there was to say, you know, we need each other, it is in your national interest, it's in our national interest. And there are things that the U.S. does want from Russia.

And I think it's also important to understand location, and that is that President Obama was talking when he was in Russia, and Vice President Biden was talking when he was -- after he left Georgia and the Ukraine, very, very different places. And that's where you can see a difference in message.

LEMON: All right. Candy, thank you very much. But, Candy, sit by, I want to talk to you about some more about political news. So, we'll get back to you in just a moment.

First, we want to head to Fairbanks, Alaska -- once the most unlikely place to be the center of attention in American politics, but that is the case right now. Because Republican governor and one-time vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin, is about to leave office.

CNN all-platform journalist Chris Welch is standing by for us there. He's actually at -- it's called Pioneer Park.

Take us behind the scenes, Chris.

CHRIS WELCH, CNN ALL-PLATFORM JOURNALIST (via telephone): Hey, Don. Well, Pioneer Park is actually kind of more or less a very quaint version of an amusement park. There are all kinds of old boats, log cabins here and there. Today, there are a couple thousand, maybe even a few 3,000, 4,000 people here. They've all gathered to -- for the most part -- hear Sarah Palin give her farewell address. She's only got just a matter of minutes left in office before she turns over power to Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell.

The crowd here for the most part is very supportive. Now, I just ran into a few minutes ago though a small group of protestors. You know, these people, they have -- they've got signs made up, you know, "Sarah, not our barracuda," all kinds of things. But for the most part, this crowd is very supportive of Sarah Palin.

LEMON: And, Chris, who knows what she's going to say. That's what everyone is wondering. She has been out this entire weekend -- as I said, it's been a whirlwind weekend of farewells, goodbyes. It was like she was on the campaign trail again.

Catch our viewers up on the happenings from this weekend with Sarah Palin.

WELCH: And I think -- you know, we talk about her future (ph) and what she'll say and who knows what she'll do. We could -- we could hear her say that she'll run for president in 2012. I think that's very, very unlikely for her to say today at this point. But I think that a lot of people, even within her own staff, have no idea what she'll say.

I spoke to one of her communication staff members just a few minutes ago who's here. He said he's never even seen the speech. He has no idea what she's going to say. So, I think a lot of people holding, waiting with bated breath to see what comes out of her mouth today.

LEMON: She's usually very open to the media. She'll talk and off the cuff. But that hasn't been so. You have told us that she's been a little stand-offish and her staff has been keeping her and the media apart?

WELCH: That's very true. I mean, a lot of the media who have been here have tried to get as close to her as they can, just to shout out any kind of questions at all. I tried to ask, you know, what are you doing in the last few days? How's it feel to be, you know, almost done with your job as governor? And the only thing I got out of her was, it was two days ago, she said, "48 hours to go." And that was it. She ran away and I was pushed away by the staff.

LEMON: Oh.

WELCH: But that's pretty much been the feeling here.

LEMON: All right. All-platform journalist Chris Welch standing by there in Fairbanks, Alaska.

We're going to have live pictures for you coming very shortly. You can see that speech is happening at the top of the hour, in 53 minutes. That's when it is scheduled. It could come a little bit sooner. It could come a little bit later. But we're expecting Sarah Palin, what will she say?

Meantime, over at the White House, they're obviously aware of Sarah Palin's big event today, but aides to the president say they have bigger things on their plate right now.

Our Kate Bolduan is standing by at the White House with more on that.

Kate, 2012 is a long way off. You know, there have been rumblings about her possibly running for president. But right now, there is an August deadline that probably will not be met and that's what they're concerned about at the White House today.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, very focused today.

Well, on "STATE OF THE UNION" today, Don, John King asked for White House reaction to Sarah Palin stepping aside. Listen here to White House senior advisor David Axelrod.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, FROM CNN'S STATE OF THE UNION)

DAVID AXELROD, WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISOR: I can tell you with absolute honesty that when I sit around with my political friends, there's particularly friends who are involved with me in my current pursuits, there's very little, or no, discussion of Sarah Palin. We're talking about the problems we're dealing with right now facing the country, and so on.

I really have no idea what Governor Palin is going to do. She's entering private life now. We wish her well and it's up to her to decide what role she's going to play in the future. She's got plenty of advice, I'm sure. She doesn't need mine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: There you have it. The White House definitely trying to stay on-message and stay squarely focused on their top domestic priority, health care reform. Despite the setback that you mentioned, Don, that the Congress will most certainly miss the president's August deadline of having a vote on health care reform, the White House is pushing ahead in trying to crank up the pressure on Congress to get this done.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs today said he thinks they are 80 percent there in reaching agreement on health care reform. But there remain major divisions on just how that is going to look in the end. Among the major divisions are how to pay for this massive health care overhaul. It's estimated to have a $1 trillion price tag. But that debate will continue on Capitol Hill.

And this week, here at the White House, the president again staying focused on health care, he's taking part in a tele-town hall -- as they're calling it -- with AARP members, and then he's heading outside the beltway, heading to Virginia and North Carolina to take the White House reform message on the road.

LEMON: Yes. Focus, focus, focus. Kate Bolduan at the White House, we appreciate it.

Let's bring back in Candy Crowley now to give us some analysis on this.

Candy, let's go back to Sarah Palin. What will Sarah Palin say? And really, why should the American people care? And that's an honest question.

CROWLEY: Well, listen. I think the American people care for the same reason the media tends to focus on her. She is interesting. You never know what she's going to say or what she's going to do.

And people have followed her from absolutely someone that no one had ever heard of to become the vice presidential nominee for the Republican ticket and as she moved on. And there was -- there's sort of this, sometimes people are looking at it for the train wreck. Sometimes, especially among conservative Republicans, you're watching it because you really do like her. You really do want her to run for president. So, any number of things, reasons that people watch her and want to know what's going on.

As far as what she's going to say, I imagine it will be: thank you so much, Alaska. It's -- you know, you've entrusted me with this and that, and now, I'm going to take the things I fought for here in Alaska, ethics reform and against, you know, the people who are corrupted, I'm going to take that out on the national -- on the national scene.

What does that mean? Well, I'm not really sure what that means. I mean, listen, I think we are -- we are now going to see her in California. We are told she will be at the Ronald Reagan Library. Well, shoot, that's, you know, that's where people go to pay homage, that's the conservatives' conservative.

So, what can you read to that? Oh, she's going to run for president, or she's going just to the Ronald Reagan Library. Because a lot of the things that we know that she is going to do: write a book, help other candidates, help raise money for Republicans -- all of those things in and of themselves can be what she wants to do. On the other hand, they could be sort of laying the groundwork for a presidential run.

So, I think you're going to watch a dual track here. She will keep every avenue open, keeping us wondering whether or not she's going to declare at some point down the road, 18 months or so.

LEMON: So, it's hard to answer. We don't know if this is the end for her politically and, I mean, by her own -- you know, if she wants to get out, she says.

CROWLEY: Right. Exactly. And I think -- also, though, you can also -- I could paint you a scenario that says she's had it.

LEMON: Yes.

CROWLEY: She doesn't want to run for public office anymore. So, I think it is in her best interest and I don't think it is happenstance that both of those avenues and both of those possibilities are open.

LEMON: And you know what you have to -- you know, this has ran across my mind, just thinking about all the Sarah Palin stories that we have covered here since, you know, she first came on to that stage, John McCain when he made the announcement. It wasn't that long, she got into the political spotlight, into the media spotlight, and it wasn't really a long stretch of time that she was there. But in that short time, there were a lot of stories and a lot of very controversial things about her that came to light. And that is very tough on anyone -- man, woman -- no matter how long you've been doing this.

CROWLEY: It is. I mean, there is that. There's just the wear and tear of someone who is really being under the klieg lights. There is also -- she said when she announced that she was going to step down as governor -- that all of these ethics complaints, and the fact that she'd be a lame duck governor, that that was entered into her thinking.

But it's also, you could again -- I hate to keep arguing every point, but the fact of the matter is, you can look at it and say, "Boy, it is hard to keep them, you know, down in Alaska when they've seen the bright city lights." So, you know, she may have gotten the bug or she may have gotten rid of the bug. It's just -- it's hard to tell.

LEMON: OK. Let's talk about health care reform as we wait on Sarah Palin to make her speech. You know, even -- the Democrats firmly control Congress, but even, they don't have the votes to get this health care reform through. So, here's my question: Will the president try to do this even without Republican support? Or is it back to the drawing board? And if it is back to the drawing board, what happens next?

CROWLEY: Well, but you said it yourself -- it isn't really the Republicans that are so troubling for this White House, it is the Democrats. You could create a scenario whereby, in fact, there are enough Democrats and independents on the Senate side to break a filibuster were that to happen, although with Senator Kennedy away, it becomes a little more problematic.

But nonetheless, I think you could make a case that he doesn't need the Republicans really, certainly not in the House. So, what is -- what is really in the way right now is those conservative Democrats. And by the way, some moderate Democrats looking at this price tag, looking at the idea of a public-funded health care, little queasy about that. That may -- is that a first step toward nationalizing health care?

So, it is not the doubt of the Republicans. It is the doubt of the Democrats that is slowing this down.

LEMON: Candy Crowley -- Candy, thank you very much for joining us. We appreciate all of that.

And, everyone, stick around...

CROWLEY: Yes.

LEMON: ... because we expect Governor Sarah Palin to deliver her farewell address during the 7:00 Eastern hour, in about 46 minutes. There you see the countdown clock right there at the bottom of your screen. We're going to bring it to you live right here in THE NEWSROOM. We're going to have live pictures for you just moments away.

Also, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is taken to the hospital after becoming faint while jogging. What did the tests show?

And a Southwest flight is forced to make an emergency landing. What happened there?

Also, your feedback. Be a part of our show, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or iReport.com -- you, too, can be on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: As we wait for Governor Sarah Palin, soon former Governor Sarah Palin -- she's going to give her farewell speech in about 43 minutes. Right here on CNN, you will see it live. It could happen before, so stick around. We'll bring it to you live.

Meantime, we have a developing story to tell you about. Eight people, four of them kids, all dead following a head-on collision. It happened about four hours ago in New York on a parkway near Briar Cliff. Witnesses say it began with a minivan going the wrong way and then crashing head-on into an SUV.

The wreck stopped traffic in both directions for hours. One child survived the crash. No word on the child's condition. More details as we get them, right here on CNN.

Iran's opposition leader is petitioning the government to hold a memorial service for people killed in last month's post-election violence. Former presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi wants to hold the service Thursday in a Tehran mosque. But Iranian authorities fear the gatherings could spark the kind of demonstrations that followed the June 12th election.

July, the deadliest month on record for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Now, it just got deadlier. An American service member was killed this weekend in a battle with insurgents in southern Afghanistan. That pushes the number of Americans killed in July to 39.

Meantime, the U.S. military is still looking for a soldier in Afghanistan missing more than a month now. His captors released a video of him alive and talking. Military officials hope to track him by that way, by checking out the video.

CNN's Ivan Watson is in Helmand Province -- Ivan?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The search is on. The story about how this American soldier was captured is still kind of fuzzy. There are different accounts that the Taliban has given, that the private gave in his hostage video and that the U.S. military have given. Basic facts are that he went missing at the end of June and he was declared captured probably by the U.S. military around July 2nd. And he has been missing since then.

I think one of the remarkable things about this conflict in Afghanistan has been going on for nearly eight years -- eight years since the Taliban was overthrown. The remarkable thing is that we don't have previous cases of American soldiers being captured alive up until this point. That is really remarkable.

Of course, that's not going to help this young man who's been taken hostage and, unfortunately, the insurgents have been known to kill their captives in the past. That's going to be a threat for this young man.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right. Ivan Watson in Afghanistan.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is in the hospital after suddenly becoming ill this weekend. The 54-year-old became faint while jogging near his official residence. Sarkozy did not lose consciousness and initial tests show nothing abnormal there. But he will be under standard heart monitoring until tomorrow morning.

Still ahead: Louis Farrakhan speaks out about the death of Michael Jackson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LOUIS FARRAKHAN, NATION OF ISLAM: I called Michael, the archangel of sound, song and dance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Also, stick around -- live here on CNN, we're going to take you to Fairbanks, Alaska and Sarah Palin's farewell speech. But is it a farewell?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: On about 37 minutes, Sarah Palin is expected to make her farewell speech live in Fairbanks, Alaska. CNN will have it for you. If it happens before 7:00 Eastern, though, we'll have it as well. So, stick around.

A white police officer and a black Harvard professor are keeping a low profile this weekend after the arrest that sparked a racially charged political torrent that even rattled the White House. Cambridge police sergeant, James Crowley, and Professor Henry Louis Gates have been asked to sit down for a beer with the president. Sergeant Crowley, who arrested the professor outside his home for disorderly conduct, is still pondering that invitation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are you satisfied with how the president's handled this?

SGT. JAMES CROWLEY, CAMBRIDGE POLICE DEPARTMENT: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You are? What about that beer on -- what about the beer? Are you going to -- yes, are you going up to the vineyard?

CROWLEY: I don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: But presidential intervention, or not pockets of anger persist there. Look at those signs. Someone posted signs on Professor Gates' lawn calling him a racist. The professor is away from home this weekend and the posters have since been removed.

All right. Let's talk about the weather. Heavy rains and floods on one coast and heavy heat on the other coast.

Boy, oh, boy, Jacqui, what's happening in the middle?

(LAUGHTER)

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well -- nice weather, for most part. You know, this all...

LEMON: Just get off the coast. Yes.

JERAS: Exactly. There's always good weather somewhere. Unfortunately, we're just not going to talk about it today, because we have to talk about all the nasty stuff, because there's a whole lot of it going on.

I really want to show you what's been going on here across the northeastern corridor right now, just getting pounded across the mid- Atlantic states on up into the northeast. Really, I want to focus in on New York City right now. There is a severe thunderstorm warning which is in effect. This includes you also over in Jersey City, Rutherford, Hoboken; this is for you in Manhattan, in Brooklyn, in Queens.

This storm is likely producing quarter-sized hail and winds around maybe 60 to 70 miles per hour. And that can cause some significant damage. So, you need to be inside now, seeking shelter, waiting until this storm passes, maybe around another 30 to 45 minutes as this moves across Long Island. It is moving in an easterly direction.

Also, some nasty storms further on down south into the Baltimore area -- some warnings in effect for you. D.C., you're doing OK right now but you are under that watch. And this is going to continue until 9:00. And we could see anywhere between one to three inches of rainfall overall with these storms, and as much as 1 1/2 inches per hour.

So, that's a lot of rain in a short period of time. And so, we have flood watches which are in effect here. You know that -- especially in New York City, you get that much rain, and things just start to kind of pile up and you get that on some of the roadways as well.

Airport delays -- oh, man, this is not a pretty picture. I hate to show you this map, don't hate me, I'm just the messenger. Ground stops at LaGuardia, as well as Newark; delays over an hour at Boston as well as JFK. We also have some delays in Atlanta and also into Orlando.

Let's talk about the heat, because it is going to be on in the Pacific Northwest. Don, we've got excessive heat warnings and watches already in place. This isn't going to start until tomorrow, but we're talking 95 to 105 in places like Seattle and Portland. That just doesn't happen very often. This is going to last for a good chunk of the work week.

LEMON: OK. You heard it. I'm glad you got to deliver that news and I didn't. Thank you. Thank you, Jacqui.

A second Chicago area cemetery is under investigation after a human bone is found where it wasn't supposed to be.

And the state of the economy from the man who may know best. That is Warren Buffett.

Plus, we're standing by for Sarah Palin's farewell speech live here on CNN. We're hearing from our folks on the ground that her children have just walked in and taken a seat, Willow and Bristol Palin.

Your comments are already coming in. Someone said Sarah Palin is testing the waters. She has a big ego, big enough to run for the presidency and big enough to lose it. That is from "The Issue" on Twitter. We shall see what she's going to say in about 33 minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Scary moments this morning for passengers and crew on a Southwest Airlines flight. Possibly smoke in the cabin of Flight 693 forced the jetliner to make an emergency landing in Long Island. A flight attendant reporting having trouble breathing but is said to be fine. No other injuries to report to you. One hundred and thirty-one passengers and five crew members were on their way from Connecticut to Orlando.

A parking lot just outside the Philadelphia Phillies Stadium is now a crime scene. A man was beaten to death when a bar fight exploded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, WPVI, SATURDAY)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No! No!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Boy, oh, boy. I hate showing that. I had no idea that was there.

Shock and disbelieving people fill the streets last night after the 22-year-old victim was reportedly beaten up in the closing innings of the Phillies/Cardinals game. A 30-year-old man is hospitalized. He's in stable condition. Officers say dozens of people may have been involved in the brawl. But so far, there have been no arrests there.

Dug-up bodies, double-sold grave sites -- familiar allegations, different cemetery though. And now, an unearthed human bone is adding to family members' suspension about a second Chicago area cemetery.

CLTV's Aaron Baskerville is there with the details for us.

AARON BASKERVILLE, CLTV NEWS REPORTER (voice-over): First Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, then this cemetery in Glenwood area. A human bone was discovered on Friday but investigators aren't jumping to conclusions. But some already believe this cemetery was allegedly conducting bad business.

An investigation is now under way at Mount Glenwood Memorial Gardens south cemetery in the south suburbs. On Friday, a worker dropping off vaults found a human bone lying on the ground where headstones and other cemetery materials are stored. The Cook County Sheriff's Office is now trying to figure out if this is a sign of a greater problem, or if this is a valid reason why the bone was where it was.

Just a few days earlier, a lawsuit was filed against the Glenwood area cemetery alleging tampering with grave sites and removal of a headstone.

Investigators will start talking to workers at the cemetery immediately, but decline to comment any further.

The Cook County Sheriff's Office says there is no reason to close the cemetery or call it a crime scene. A spokeswoman for the cemetery is not commenting right now.

In the Glenwood area, Aaron Baskerville, CLTV news.

LEMON: All right, Aaron.

A nuclear first for India today in the southeastern part of the country. The Indians launched their first locally built nuclear powered submarine. Only five other nations have the capability to build nuclear subs. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says, there are no, quote, "aggressive designs for the sub." Still it is likely to rattle India's next door nuclear rival, Pakistan.

Four suspected immigrant smugglers are behind bars in Mexico accused of being tangled up in the murder of a U.S. border patrol agent. Agent Robert Rosas was fatally shot Thursday, prompting a manhunt across a dusty, rugged border region in San Diego County. Mexican federal police caught up with the four accused smugglers yesterday. They reportedly had 21 people in tow but one of the suspects is telling police that a man arrested Friday is the guy who actually pulled the trigger. Rosas had a wife and two young kids.

Famous faces, but are they still marketable? What lies in the future for two NFL stars who have been in the legal hot seat lately?

Plus, we're awaiting Sarah Palin's farewell speech in Fairbanks, Alaska. 26 minutes away. Sarah Palin expected to take the stage. live pictures coming to us from KTUU. That is Pioneer Park, inside that -- it looks like a boat, I would imagine, a building or facility there -- Sarah Palin will take to the stage. We are being told that her children have already come in and been seated so it should get under way any time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: What will she say? We're talking about Sarah Palin. She's going to speak in 23 minutes. You see that live picture there right at the bottom of your screen. That's Fairbanks, Alaska. I've told that boat that you see -- kind of small to see now -- will be in the background. She'll be speaking in front of that. Her children have already entered the room so the ceremony and her farewell about to get under way. We'll bring it to you live. Stand by. No yellow jersey though for Lance Armstrong. The veteran cyclist finished the Tour de France today in third place. That only seems like a loss because Armstrong has won the marathon bike race seven times. In reality, third is very, very respectable, even for a legend like Lance Armstrong who came out of retirement to race again. Armstrong's last Tour de France victory was four years ago. First place went to Armstrong's teammate, Alberta Contador, of Spain. Contador also won in 2007. Andy Schleck of Luxemburg was second overall.

If Armstrong was dejected about finishing third, he didn't show it. In fact, he said it was healthy for his kids to see him not win for change.

That's very interesting. He's probably right about that.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta spoke exclusively with Armstrong immediately afterwards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Coming in first, is that something you thought about? Did you care? You're right. It's not about the bike. Did you about you do you care if you come in first or not?

LANCE ARMSTRONG, TOUR DE FRANCE CYCLIST: Well, I wanted to come in first. But sometimes in sports there's somebody that's better. And I was that guy for seven years. And I never understood what it felt like to get second or third. I'm 38 now and you race guys that are 24, 25 or 26 and they're fast. They're strong. They have acceleration. They have all of the things that you had at that age. And you get third. That's what's the great thing about the tour, is that the best man always wins.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: You can see more of Dr. Sanjay Gupta's exclusive interview with Lance Armstrong on "American Morning" tomorrow morning, 6:00 a.m. Armstrong talks candidly about the challenges he faced after a four-year break, his critics, dope testing and why he's committed to race in 2010. "American Morning" starts tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m.

The image and marketability of two NFL quarterbacks are being tested this week. The troubles of Michael Vick have been well documented. He's now freed from his federal prison term for bankrolling a dog fighting ring. Now there's trouble for Super Bowl hero, Ben Roethlisberger. He's being sued by a Lake Tahoe casino waitress who accuses him of sexually assaulting her. Again, it is just an accusation. The Pittsburgh quarterback calls the charges false and malicious.

So the question today for our sports business analyst, Rick Horrow, can either of these gifted athletes overcome the negative publicity?

Before I go to that, there has been -- hang on one second. Sorry there. I need a little water, Rick. Nothing weird.

There's been some controversy or even some talk about even reporting this story about Ben Roethlisberger because anyone can file a civil charge against you, and then hide under the cloak of the law. Have you heard anything about that?

RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Well, clearly that's always the risk you take. By the way, are you OK? Everything all right?

LEMON: Yeah. I just needed some water. Not a big deal.

HORROW: I want to make sure. This is a difficult situation because, of course, the criminal charges were not filed. Ben Roethlisberger makes $20 million or so in endorsements and salary. His jersey sales are among the top in the league. Even though the commissioner can suspend somebody, whether he's had criminal charges filed or not, this doesn't look like that kind of case. The facts aren't all in yet, but this is far different than the Vick situation.

LEMON: Let's talk about the image of these two people. It's tough on both of them. Roethlisberger right now, because he still has a career. Michael Vick is not playing.

HORROW: Michael Vick is not playing but Roger Goodell could rule any time that he'll be allowed to. Remember, 23-month dog fighting sentence, it's over. He lost $40 million in contracts and endorsements, paid about $1 million in restitution. So he's paid his due on the one hand.

On the other hand, it was heinous. It was premeditated. It was violent. There was a cover-up. And whoever signs him has got to deal with this kind of situation. I was sent this in the mail, a "Sack Vick" jersey. There will be loads of people around whoever does sign him protesting that he hasn't paid enough. It is a very controversial issue. Michael Vick has extraordinary talent, and the chapters have not been finished yet in this long and intriguing book.

LEMON: Quickly here, because we're waiting for Sarah Palin and she may be coming up soon, I want to talk about a coup for a Connecticut town because of the WNBA all-star game.

HORROW: In a resort town, about a $40 million, $50 million impact all told. It's tremendous. The WNBA, by the way, television ratings up 90 percent. Candace Parker is one of those all-stars. Now, Maria Sharpoe (ph), Williams' (ph) sister's level. So women's sports, certainly stable. Why? Because women make 150 percent of the buying decisions in all of our households and we know that's why corporate America loves to support it.

LEMON: Thank you. Sports business analyst, Rick Horrow. Rick, thanks. I want to take you longer, but again, we have something live happening now.

I want to get you to Fairbanks -- thanks again, Rick.

I want to get you to Fairbanks, Alaska where you see the crowd here there. Sarah Palin about to take the stage very shortly to -- apparently it will be her farewell as governor. But some people are expecting her to make another announcement about maybe the possibilities of bigger political office.

Our countdown clock says 17 minutes. You can see it is getting started now. So it can happen at any moment live right here on CNN.

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LEMON: All right, live pictures from Fairbanks, Alaska. Listen to that.

(MUSIC) LEMON: It is about to get under way. Things are getting going there in Fairbanks, Alaska, where Sarah Palin is going to make her farewell speech as governor. We're told by our all-platform journalist, Chris Welch, who is standing by, by the way, that her children have been seated, Bristol and Willow. Also the Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell is there as well. Do we have that picture of Mr. Parnell that Chris sent us? He's arriving there at Pioneer Park. It's about to get under way.

Why don't we head out there and talk to Chris.

Chris, tell us what you're seeing there.

CHRIS WELCH, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Don. I hope you can still hear me.

LEMON: I can hear you.

WELCH: The military band has begun playing, as you've seen and as you've been hearing. The crowd here's been waiting. We saw Lieutenant Governor Parnell walk out. Shortly behind her, was Governor Sarah Palin, soon to be former Governor Sarah Palin. They walked out, they walk through the crowd and apparently they've gone into another holding room inside a boat museum. Looks like a boat. They will then come out when the program starts. I guess in about just over an hour from now, Sarah Palin will have left office an Sean Parnell will be the new governor of Alaska.

LEMON: You were saying that there are about 2,000 people there as of 45 minutes ago?

WELCH: That's my best guess.

LEMON: The crowd gotten any bigger or the same size?

WELCH: The crowd's definitely condensed in this one area where there is a stage, a podium, also cameras. This area of the park now is basically where everyone is. It's definitely gotten a little bit cramped. People are pushing for their cell phone pictures with Governor Palin, trying to get her so sign whatever they could. Today, at this point in time, she's on a mission. She's walked through the crowd, getting ready for her big speech today that I think a lot of people are getting ready to see.

LEMON: Chris, I'm sure everyone's wondering, it's been the best kept secret in political business here. You say we'll get a sense of what the speech will be about or we'll get an embargoed copy of the beach beforehand, but nothing like this. Tell us about this particular park. Why this park, this Pioneer Park? It is like an amusement park. Isn't it?

WELCH: It is. It is kind of like an amusement park. When I think of amusement park, I think of giant roller coasters. That's not what you find here. There is this boat, it is a museum. There are all kinds of log cabins and little shops, a merry-go-round. It is happening here today because this is the governor's picnic in Fairbanks. And it's the third governor's picnic of the weekend. Friday, there was a governor's picnic in Wasilla. Saturday, yesterday, there was a picnic in Anchorage. And today, the governor's picnic is in Fairbanks. They figured, we'll just do it on the third picnic day, and everyone will be gathered there already, and it will be a good day for her to give the speech.

LEMON: Chris Welch, our all-platform journalist, standing by in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Sarah Palin's farewell speech about 12 minutes away, live on CNN. We will have her and also Chris will be doing some reporting around it. and Candy Crowley will join us here as well for all of that. Farewell speech starting next hour. We'll bring her comments to you live. And what will she say?

Also, we want to know what you're going to be saying as well on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and iReport.com. We'll get your comments on.

But first, you're probably used to having information at the tips of your fingers, but soon you could have it in your line of sight, too. Gary Tuchman has tonight's "Edge of Discovery."

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LEMON: Let's get to Jacqui Jeras with some developing news on the weather -- Jacqui?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We have a possible tornado. This is New York, in the Queens area. The National Weather Service issuing a tornado warning for Queens and Nassau County. This is a Doppler radar indicated tornado so we don't have any ground truth right now. But a tornado could drop down and develop at any time. The radar is indicating this near the Flushing area. This also includes Little Neck, Manhasset, Garden City and Brookville. Seek shelter right now. The storm also has a history of producing quarter- sized hail and damaging winds.

We'll continue to follow it for you, Don.

LEMON: All right, thank you very much for that, Jacqui. We'll check back.

Marriage is a foreign sent to many African-American teens because they never experienced it between their own parents and people in their families. Educating them about the significance of marriage is emerging as one of the most important life lessons they can learn. Take a look.

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LEMON (voice-over): Nervous anticipation, big expectations. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From this moment forth...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We shall be one.

LEMON: Two lives, two families, joined forever, a love story begins.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are now husband and wife so you may salute your bride.

LEMON: But for some black teens this seems like a fairy tale.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of my friends never been to a wedding. A lot of people have seen weddings and got invited. I've got neither one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of people around me and areas I go to are single -- have single parents. Sometimes there is an occasion where their father takes care of them but not very likely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think of marriage but I'd be looking at ahead of marriage, like what could end up happening and that's a divorce.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really wouldn't want to be committed to nobody for the rest of my life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My parents are married. After they got married, everything took a turn for the worse. They started arguing. I hate arguing. I hate it with a passion. Seeing them argue all the time making me feel like that is something I don't want to deal with.

LEMON: It is no wonder these kids are ambivalent. Almost half of all marriages break apart. Black marriages are just as vulnerable to divorce. Add to that, the fact that nearly half of black men and women don't marry at all. More and more mothers are unwed and the state of marriage in the black community is in peril.

REV. CYNTHIA HALE, RAY OF HOPE CHRISTIAN CHURCH: The impact of the lack of cohesive family units and the high divorce rate on the African-American community is devastating.

I want you to be a comfort now.

LEMON: Mega-minister, Reverend Cynthia Hale, of the Ray of Hope Christian Church, in Decatur, Georgia.

HALE: It is devastating because of what it does to children. The children do not understand why their parents are not together, why their parents aren't living together any longer, why they're not living in the same house, why they have to be uprooted from their schools and their friends when parents move and separate. That affects their ability to learn, and then ultimately, their ability to be productive members of society.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILDREN: One, two, three, four... LEMON: It's children like this who are the target audience of Future Foundation, founded by former Sacramento forward, Shareef Abdur-Rahim. One of their missions, to give kids a glimpse of marriage.

(on camera): You are not pushing marriage? What if some people just don't want to get married?

TREY WILLIAMS, YOUTH EDUCATOR: No. We don't push marriage. We teach healthy relationships. It doesn't do any good to get married if you are in an unhealthy marriage.

LEMON (voice-over): Future Foundation uses community outreaches, mock weddings and teen summits to show black kids in Atlanta visions of marriage.

Today, I listened in on a discussion about marriage myths.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are here to talk about a very important subject. Does anybody know what that subject is?

CROWD: Marriage.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many say African-Americans don't value it more than white Americans? All right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Across the board, we all value marriage, however, in our community, we see an issue when there are not as many marriages when compared to other ethnicities. Why is that the case?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe it is because our parents weren't married or because we haven't seen how to handle those situations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I speak from first-hand experience. My mother was 15 when she had me. My father was nowhere around. I grew up in the projects. Honestly, youth development program saved my life. They are the reason I am a husband and I am a father.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't care about marriage.

LEMON (on camera): Why not?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. My parents didn't care about marriage so I don't care.

LEMON (voice-over): I spot a young woman in the crowd clearly struggling with the conversation.

LEMON (on camera): Maybe the big question is, how many of you don't want to be married, Ladies.

You in the pink shirt. What is your name?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).

LEMON: You come from a two-parent or single-parent family? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Single mom.

LEMON: Where is your dad?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't really know.

LEMON: Tell me about that.

He's just not around.

LEMON: And? Talk to me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listening to your stories, here's what I understand, you are dealing with issues and obstacles beyond your control. They will justify you making the same decisions moving forward and creating the exact same situations that you were brought up in, or those issues and obstacles will inspire you to do something different.

LEMON (voice-over): Something like building strong marriages, strong families, foundations for strong communities.

Finally, after an hour of heart to heart, a small break through.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What can be done, we see what is wrong and so, as young adults, as we get older, we can change according to what we see wrong and do what is right.

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LEMON: We came across that story researching our "Black in America 2" series. We decided to put it on the air. I want to remind you that this groundbreaking documentary, "Black in America 2," coming up in one hour right here on CNN. That is 8:00 p.m. Eastern.