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Beer Summit With the President; President Obama's Former Doctor Weighs in on Health Care Debate; Protests at Neda's Grave; Lawmakers Say Health Care Vote Before August Recess Doubtful; Hardline Islamists Intensifying Their Fight on Several Fronts Around the World; How Violence in Nigeria Affects the U.S.; A Difficult and Bloody Month For Marines and NATO Forces Against Taliban; New Developments on Custody Battle Over Jackson's Children

Aired July 30, 2009 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. It is Thursday, the 30th of July. Here are the top stories in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Health care reform goes from a standstill to a crawl. Congress resumes work today after a critical compromise shaves billions off the bottom line.

Beer summit at the White House. The first African-American president mediates a racial dispute between a professor and a police officer.

And hundreds die in a little-noticed showdown with Islamist extremists. Live to Nigeria, where the army is struggling against a Taliban-style insurgency.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Let's see here. A black professor, a White police officer, a biracial president. Can beer around the White House picnic table later today educate the nation about race relations?

Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry is here.

Ed, good to see you this morning.

What is President Obama's goal in hosting Professor Gates and Sergeant Crowley today?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Top aides here say the president's goal is very simple -- to foster a dialogue, to try to get the nation talking about race in a positive way, try to build something upbeat out of what was, obviously, a very difficult situation. The president himself acknowledging his own words at that news conference just over a week ago, not helping the situation initially when he called -- said that the Cambridge police had acted stupidly.

But, to be clear, White House officials are cautioning not to expect any grand policy pronouncements or anything like that from the president coming out of this so-called beer summit. It is really just getting the parties together, trying to tamp everything down here among the parties, but then also around the country.

You mentioned the Boston police officer situation now. This sort of building back up with some more racial words being thrown around. But they're being very clear here that the president is not going to do what Robert Gibbs called an after-action report.

He is not going to sit down with the police officer, Sergeant Crowley, and Professor gates and try to figure out who did what, what happened on that night. Instead, they want it to be very positive and forward-looking -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK. Our Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry for us.

Ed, good to see you. Thank you.

HENRY: Thank you.

HARRIS: You know, another police officer has chimed in on the Gates' arrest. It amounts to throwing gas on a fire. He sent a mass e-mail calling Professor Gates a "banana-eating jungle monkey."

Here's how our colleagues at CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" handled the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: This is the officer, 36-year-old Justin Barrett. He's also in the National Guard. And he sent the mass e-mail to some other members of the Guard and to "The Boston Globe," venting over a column on Professor Gates.

Barrett uses the phrase "jungle monkey" not once, not twice, not three, but four times, three referring to Gates, and once calling the writings of President Abraham Lincoln "jungle monkey gibberish."

Barrett says if Gates, if he had been the "... officer he verbally assaulted like a banana-eating jungle monkey, I would have sprayed him in the face with OC."

OC, by the way, is pepper spray.

The Boston police are condemning Barrett's comments, calling them "offensive and hurtful." But Officer Barrett and his attorney launched a defense, of sorts.

OFC. JUSTIN BARRETT, BOSTON POLICE: I am sorry that I wrote that. I'm sorry that my family has to deal with this selfish motivation and feelings that I had. I regret that I used such words. I have so many friends of every type of culture and race you can name, and I am not a racist.

PETER MARONO, BARRETT'S ATTORNEY: Justin Barrett didn't call Henry Gates a jungle monkey to malign him racially. He stated his behavior was like that of one, and it was a characterization of the actions of that man.

BARRETT: I am sorry for the content of the e-mail. I'm sorry for how people are reacting to it, especially my fellow police officers. I am not a racist. I never have been, never will be. I treat people with dignity and respect, every time.

ROBERTS: Now, maybe at some point during that whole run of sound you did what we did this morning and you said...

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Said, "What?"

ROBERTS: What? So, let's play again for you the explanation that attorney Peter Marono gives for what the officer wrote.

MARONO: Justin Barrett didn't call Henry Gates a jungle monkey to malign him racially. He stated his behavior was like that of one. And it was a characterization of the actions of that man.

ROBERTS: So, he didn't call him a jungle monkey, he only said he acted like one.

COSTELLO: There's a fine line between the definition.

ROBERTS: Lord.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: The Boston police commissioner has stripped Officer Barrett of his gun and badge ahead of a termination hearing.

In the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM, we will look closer at today's meeting and the broader issue of racial profiling. I will talk with two professors who focus their work on race relations.

And what you're thinking on this issue and this meeting today. Is this just about three guys? Will it make a difference?

Voice your opinion on our NEWSROOM blog. Could this meeting actually improve race relations in this country? Will it at least start a dialogue? CNN.com/Tony.

Health care reform deals and delays. A House panel got back to work last hour after Democrats reached a compromise with party conservatives. On the Senate side, Republican negotiations say they're close to a bipartisan deal, but they may not reach an agreement before the August recess.

Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar is following this story, and we will get to Brianna in just a couple of minutes with the latest on this developing story.

President Obama's former doctor is weighing in now on the health care reform debate, and his position may surprise you.

The story now from CNN's Jim Acosta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, hi.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chicago doctor David Scheiner has taken a hard look at President Obama's prescription for health care reform and sees bad medicine.

DR. DAVID SCHEINER, PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FORMER DOCTOR: This isn't the kind of health care program that I think is going to work.

ACOSTA: What makes Dr. Scheiner so special? He was Barack Obama's personal physician for 22 years. He voted for Mr. Obama, but the doctor thinks the president's plan doesn't go far enough.

SCHEINER: If I had to say the single one thing which is the worst part of it, is that private insurance companies continue to be a part of the health scheme. Everybody keeps saying we don't want the government getting involved in health care. The government is involved in health care and Medicare, and it works.

ACOSTA: Scheiner would rather see the nation adopt a single payer system like the ones in Canada and Europe. It's something an up and coming state Senator Obama talked about six years ago.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I happen to be a proponent of the single payer universal health care plan. But as all of you know, we may not get there immediately, because first we've got to take back the White House and we've got to take back the Senate and we've got to take back the Congress.

ACOSTA: But during the campaign, that position evolved.

OBAMA: If I were designing a system from scratch, then I'd probably set up a single payer system. But the problem is, we're not starting from scratch.

This is about the future.

ACOSTA: Now the president favors giving Americans the option of joining a government-run plan that would compete with private insurers.

OBAMA: Nobody is talking about some government takeover of health care. I'm tired of hearing that.

ACOSTA: But Dr. Scheiner points out nobody has seen the details of that option, making it a hard sell for the president.

SCHEINER: We don't even know fully what the public option is going to be. If the public option is too good, patients who are sick will flock to it and I'm not sure it will be able to support itself.

ACOSTA: Scheiner almost had a chance to confront the president with his concerns. He was invited to a recent televised town hall with Mr. Obama, but he says he was dropped from the program. SCHEINER: I just hope that the Congress and the American public and the president would hear some of my words. We've got to do something better.

ACOSTA (on camera): Dr. Scheiner will finally get a chance to have his say here in Washington. He and other doctors who support a single payer system are gathering at the Capitol to meet with lawmakers and rally with supporters. He may not be the president's doctor anymore, but Dr. Scheiner says he's trying to save the patient before it's too late.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Well, protests over Iran's presidential election results seven weeks ago are heating up once again. Today's trouble started at the cemetery where a symbol of these protests is buried.

Let's get right to it. Reza Sayah is at the Iran Desk.

And Reza, if you would, fill us in on these demonstrations.

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, another dramatic day in Tehran, clashes between opposition supporters and security forces once again, this time at a cemetery in downtown -- south of Tehran. Check that. Let's go ahead and set the scene here.

This is downtown Tehran. The cemetery here. That's where thousands of mourners gathered to rember Neda Agha-Soltan. The first piece of video coming into the Iran Desk about a couple of hours ago.

There you see Behesht-e-Zahra, the main cemetery in Tehran, what appears to be hundreds of people in this particular piece of video. But sources on the ground estimating that about 3,000 people showed up to rember Neda Agha-Soltan and several others killed during the protests on June 12th, about eight days after the disputed vote.

And who could forget Neda Agha-Soltan, the 26-year-old who was shot and killed? Her death, her final moments videotaped. The world saw it. She became an icon, sort of a rallying cry for opposition supporters.

Iran's leadership had asked permission from the government to mourn Neda Agha-Soltan and the several others killed. The government denied permission, but opposition leaders and their supporters defied that ban. They came out. Also showing up, himself, opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi.

And there you see video coming in from press TV. Now, it's very unusual that state-run, state-funded Press TV is showing coverage of an event as it happens. They even had a live reporter on the scene doing reports by phone. Keep in mind, this is a government-run, state-funded television station, and they are reporting an event that certainly doesn't bode well for Iran's leadership. About four hours ago, this happened at the cemetery, using gunshots in the air and tear gas at some clashes. The crowds dispersed. Now we're getting reports from sources that they're moving north to a place called Mosallah (ph). This is a prayer site where the opposition leaders had asked permission to mourn Neda. That was denied, but they're still heading up there.

So, the face-off continuing at this hour between opposition supporters and security forces.

HARRIS: Hey, Reza, correct me if I'm wrong here, but in Islam, in the Muslim faith tradition, 40 days after a death is a traditional day of mourning?

SAYAH: You're absolutely right. In Shia Islam in Iran, it's tradition, 40 days after someone dies, to commemorate that person with a ceremony.

Of course, Neda Agha-Soltan and several others killed on June 20th. There was a lot of buzz that the people were going to come out in the streets, and Iran's opposition leaders took the steps to ask permission from Iran's government. They denied it, but this is a significant sign.

The opposition leaders are once again defying the supreme leader, defying Iran's leadership. And you see this opposition movement with plenty of momentum continuing to move forward.

HARRIS: Absolutely. All right.

Reza Sayah for us at our Iran Desk.

Reza, appreciate it. Thank you.

You know, there is an agreement in the House on health care reform, but that doesn't mean everyone is on board.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Sixteen minutes after the hour. Welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM.

I'm Tony Harris.

Health care reform, deals and delays. A House panel got back to work last hour after Democrats reached a compromise with party conservatives. On the Senate side, Republican negotiators say they're close to a bipartisan deal, but they may not reach an agreement before the August recess.

Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar live from Capitol Hill. All right, Brianna. Let's start with the Senate. Just like in the House, the Senate will not vote on health care before the August recess. But how difficult would it be, really, to reach some kind of an agreement before the break?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, if it happens, it's going to be very difficult, Tony. But the question right now is, is it going to happen at all? Is there even a possibility?

And that is the hope of congressional Democrats. They want these three Republicans and the three Democrats from the Senate Finance Committee who just spent hours and hours trying to work out a bipartisan deal to come to one ahead of the break. And what we heard last night from two of the Republicans in this gang of six, if we can call it that, Mike Enzi from Wyoming and Chuck Grassley from Iowa, they basically threw cold water on the idea of at least coming to some sort of agreement between them before the Senate breaks for August recess, which happens after next week.

Now, that said, Senator Grassley was on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" this morning, and he wasn't so blunt about it. He certainly said no chance of a deal by tomorrow, but when it comes to next week, well, he left the door open.

Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: There's no way we can get all the compromising that needs to be done by an artificial deadline of Friday of this week. So, we're going to continue to work together this week and next week, but we're getting close.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Now, Senator Grassley laid out the sticking points, generally speaking, that remain. Of course, one of the big ones, how to pay for this, Tony, because, obviously, tax revenue is going to be needed. So, how exactly do you structure that tax? And then what exactly does this proposal look like?

We know, Tony, that it's going to include this nonprofit health cooperative. You think of maybe a rural electricity cooperative, a credit union, and even a co-op apartment in, say, New York City or other big cities, based loosely on that model instead of that government-run option.

HARRIS: Yes, the so-called public option.

We're going to drill down on this whole idea of a health care cooperative with our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, next hour.

But let's get back to this deal, Brianna, that was worked out in the House yesterday between the Blue Dog conservative Democrats and Democratic leaders.

There are still many Democrats who are not exactly on board, right?

KEILAR: There are. And we're talking about Democrats from the right and Democrats from the left, because this was a deal worked out, Tony, between some of the Blue Dog Democrats who are on this key committee that health care reform had kind of stalled in.

And remember, there were seven Blue Dog Democrats who were in these negotiations, and only four of them signed on. There were three who would not get on board. And then what you have from the left side of the Democratic Party, liberal Democrats, they're concerned about the kinds of concessions that these conservative Democrats got. For instance, shaving $100 billion off the price tag of health care reform.

But we've heard from some members like Barbara Lee. She is the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, and she says she's concerned that if you take that money out of the package, well, how do you cover everyone and how do you cover everyone to the extent that you want to cover them?

HARRIS: OK.

Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill.

So, it feels like there is some progress. Maybe not as hectic a day as yesterday, but the sides are still working.

Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill for us.

Appreciate it. Thank you.

Just when we start to see some turnaround in the housing market, a new wave of foreclosures may be coming to some unexpected cities.

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Foreclosures are easing in a few of the housing bubble cities, but soaring in others where so many people have lost their jobs.

CNN's Christine Romans is here with RealtyTrac reporting.

And Christine, do the Sun Belt cities still lead the nation in foreclosures?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And I'm telling you, foreclosures in some of these places are blooming like algae on the pond, Tony. Just as difficult to predict where it's going to spread, and it's spreading quite quickly there.

When you look at these four states, California, Nevada, Florida, Arizona, those account for the bulk of all the foreclosure activity. I mean, those states have just been hammered.

In Las Vegas, Tony, one in 13 homes has a foreclosure filing of some sort, from a default notice, all the way to the padlock on the front door. One in 13 homes is six times the national average.

HARRIS: I thought it was getting better.

ROMANS: If you look -- no. It's not there. It's just not.

In Cape Coral and Fort Myers, Florida, same thing. It is just incredible.

And when you look at some of those towns, the price of the home is cut in half since the peak. And you're still seeing foreclosures spreading here. In many of those places, it's speculation; right?

HARRIS: Right.

ROMANS: These are the places where the speculation just went wild. They built all this stuff, crazy, bad mortgages, I would say. But now in other parts of the country, Tony, you're seeing the unemployment part of the problem. People are losing their jobs.

They might have had a perfectly reasonable mortgage. They might have been able to perfectly afford their home. But now, with the combination of lower home prices, losing their jobs, foreclosures are heating up in places like Seattle, Minneapolis, Phoenix -- although Phoenix has been on this list. Phoenix foreclosures, first six months of this year, up 58 percent versus a year ago. Miami, Tampa, these are places you're starting to see things creep up here.

These are some towns that have been able to escape some of the other, you know, California, Florida, Nevada kind of activity.

HARRIS: Yes. And I was just looking at this. The reporting says that the rates are easing in some cities.

ROMANS: They are.

HARRIS: Is that true?

ROMANS: In a few places -- look, Cleveland, for example, suddenly had foreclosure filings down 11 percent. Cleveland. But remember, it's two or three years ahead of everybody else. You know?

It's had a huge, huge foreclosure problem. It's slowing a little bit there.

But St. Louis, Baltimore, New York, Houston, Boston, some of these places have had their foreclosure paces cooling off. This is a RealtyTrac report for the first six months of this year, so it's taking a look at six months of filings.

And a reminder, everybody. Foreclosure filings are everything from the first thing you get in the mail that says you're two months overdue, what's going on, all the way to the end of the process. As you see people working further out into the process, you start to see the numbers kind of gyrate a little bit, depending on where you are.

HARRIS: Got you.

ROMANS: But you know, Tony, it's uneven and it's a reminder after this week of those little tiny, tiny signs of stability in the housing market to remember, we've got a jobless situation and we've got foreclosures that are still a real problem here.

HARRIS: Yes. We saw, what, prices on homes uptick a little bit? We saw existing home sales go up a bit. We saw new home sales go up a little bit. And then you balance that all out with this.

Did you want to make another point? Because I've got another question for you.

ROMANS: Well, everyone cares about this because this is the biggest thing you're ever going to buy.

HARRIS: Exactly.

ROMANS: You're never going to borrow so much money. This is your biggest investment most people will ever make, and people are watching the value of that asset crumble, and they're just looking for any sign of stability.

HARRIS: Right.

But here's the thing -- the government has announced -- I can't even keep track of all the plans to sort of ease foreclosures.

What's happening with the government's efforts?

ROMANS: Look, it's been disappointing. And pretty much everybody involved says it's been disappointing.

They thought that there would be more foreclosure -- there would be more modifications. There would be more people who they'd be able to keep in their homes. And even this week, the Treasury Department summoned 25, 26 of the CEOs, or the heads of the loan servicing companies, and said, all right, let's figure out, five months into this, why can't we get this right?

Part of the problem, Tony, is that when you look at the calculation, or however you look at it, there's a certain number of people that, after they modify their loan, they're still going to lose the house anyway. They're going to fall behind again. So, the banks are leery in some cases, trying to figure out who they can save and who they can't.

HARRIS: Right. All right.

Christine Romans for us.

Christine, appreciate it. Thank you.

ROMANS: Bye, Tony.

HARRIS: You know, a company that set multiple records with its quarterly profits is finally feeling the effects of the recession, but ExxonMobil's numbers still big.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

HARRIS: Muslims against Christians. The fight killing hundreds in Nigeria. We will take you there live, next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Very quickly, new video of the demonstrations in Iran coming into the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's get you to Reza Sayah at the Iran desk. Reza, what are you seeing?

SAYAH: Tony, opposition supporters coming out en masse again, again clashing with security forces. New video in to the Iran desk. Let's go ahead and show it to you.

About 3,000 people, according to sources, showing up at the cemetery in Tehran to mourn the death of Neda Agha-Soltan and several others killed during the June 20th protest, eight days after the disputed vote. And there you see security forces meeting them. According to witnesses and sources, security forces shot fire into the air and used tear gas to disperse the crowds. The crowds moving to the north of Tehran.

According to sources, we are still seeing clashes. What does this all mean? This means after a ferocious crackdown that's lasted seven weeks, the opposition movement remains defiant. They still have momentum. They are continuing to come out to the street, and we saw it again today in the streets of Tehran -- Tony.

HARRIS: Boy, Reza, keep us posted when you get this new video into the Iran desk. Reza Sayah for us. Reza, appreciate it. Thank you.

You know, the fight against hardline Islamists intensifying on several fronts around the world. We're following the new developments. Our Christian Purefoy is with us from Nigeria, where there are reports of hundreds of people being killed in battles between the military and a fundamentalist sect.

CNN's Ivan Watson live in Afghanistan as Taliban attacks get more brazen and more deadly. And our Stan Grant gets his hands on a Taliban code of conduct booklet. He is bringing us that story live from Pakistan.

But let's begin with you, Christian in Lagos, Nigeria. If you would, Christian, tell us who is fighting whom at this point?

CHRISTIAN PUREFOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, Tony, well, as you mentioned, we've got a fundamentalist extremist group in northern Nigeria who are targeting government institutions. They're saying they want the removal of Western education, which local governments have been trying to introduce, and they want stricter Islamic laws introduced in northern Nigeria. Nigeria, you have to remember, has a -- split in two, a Christian south and a Muslim north. All of these attacks have been concentrated in the north against Muslims -- Tony.

HARRIS: And Christian, you mentioned an Islamist sect here, a fundamentalist sect. Who is that group's leader?

PUREFOY: The leader is a man called Mohammad Usuf. We don't actually know very much about him. Reports have come in that he's quite a wealthy man, ironically has a Western education. But he's been based up in northern Nigeria and been quite quiet over the years. We've never really heard much of this particular group until now. And as you mentioned earlier, I mean, we've seen five days of heavy fighting since Sunday, where his group, called Boko Haram, have attacked government institutions, and 400 people dead and thousands displaced.

HARRIS: Got you. Christian, is this group Taliban or al Qaeda backed or influenced?

PUREFOY: We don't have any reports of any foreign backing for this group, and it's highly unlikely. We don't really have al Qaeda or Taliban ties in Nigeria, but the concern is, and this is why the Nigerian government has cracked down heavily. They've brought up reinforcements to put this down. The concern is that this could be the thin end of the wedge, that if they don't deal with this problem right now, then maybe al Qaeda or someone else could move in.

HARRIS: All right, another quick one here. What is -- we saw the pictures just a moment ago of either the dead or seriously wounded or both. What's the death toll according to official reports, and how does that square with what you were hearing from human rights groups?

PUREFOY: They're both (INAUDIBLE) are now beginning to tally. At the beginning, it was very confused, but now human rights groups and the Red Cross are beginning to say 400 people dead. The military are still carrying out operations, though, so we can probably expect that tally to rise. And also we're told hundreds of casualties and also thousands of people displaced. People have been fleeing the violence towards military barracks to try and find somewhere safe to get away from this violence, which is still carrying on -- Tony.

HARRIS: All right, Christian Purefoy for us in Lagos, Nigeria. Christian, appreciate it. Stand by if you would, please. We want to get the big picture here and look at how this violence in Nigeria affects the United States. Our Josh Levs has that side of the story for us -- Josh.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Tony. You know, it really does. The U.S. has a stake on what goes on in Nigeria.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

LEVS: I'm going to tell you some surprising facts about it right now. I'd like to start off with the United States and then kind of zoom over to the area. Let's go into Nigeria right now, and as we zoom into Nigeria, there's two major places I want to locate for you. You've got Abuja right here, which is the capital, and then down here, Lagos. Now, that's where our Christian Purefoy has been doing a lot of great reporting.

But check this out, Tony. I want you to see these figures because this is wild. Look at this. First of all, the population 150 million. We are talking about the ninth biggest population of any nation in the world. Half the population is Muslim there, and then look at this poverty line right here. Below the poverty line, this population, 70 percent below the poverty line.

So, let's just think about that for a second. How many times have we heard first President Bush, now President Obama and others talk about the impact that poverty can have on spreading terrorism, right?

HARRIS: That's right.

LEVS: Well, this is certainly a clear issue for the United States when you have a huge population, including a large Muslim population. One thing to watch out for. Let me go back to the map because I want you to see a little bit more about what's going on here.

We're going to zoom into one more location here. This is a small town in the north called Katsina, and the reason I want to go there is that Americans actually have memories of this area controlled by Shariah law, and the reason is this piece of video that might be familiar to you. This was Amina Lowall (ph), a woman we were hearing a lot about back in 2004, Tony. This was a woman who was originally sentenced to stoning death because she had allegedly committed adultery. She was pregnant outside of wedlock.

She said it wasn't true. That was ultimately dropped. They determined that the reason was that there was not Shariah law in her area at the point she had become pregnant. But I wanted to point this out because this was a moment in which a lot of people around the world and in the United States started to realize that in fact, Shariah law was taking over a large part of Nigeria.

Before we go, there's a whole other problem Nigeria has been facing that I want to point to here. That's what's going on down here in the Nigeria Delta. Let's zoom down to the Delta really quickly because that's where you have the oil installations and we are hearing about a good deal and down there violence from the oil installations, as well. Another kind of violence that is happening sometimes.

In fact, we have a little video of one of the groups that are carrying out attacks on oil installations in that area. So, put all that together and what do you have, Tony? One other great concern for the U.S. because Nigeria is the fifth-biggest foreign oil supplier to our country. Yet another reason why we care about what goes on in that country, Tony. HARRIS: Terrific. Josh, appreciate it. Thank you. Let's get back to the other international hot spots. First, Afghanistan, Ivan Watson is in Kabul, the capital.

Ivan, you just returned from being embedded with Marines in southern Afghanistan, and it's been really hard hit in that area and it's been a very difficult month for the Marines and other international forces.

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. What you had on the ground there, Tony, was a major U.S. military offensive to try to push the Taliban out of some of its safe havens in southern Afghanistan. Summer is the fighting season here in Afghanistan, traditionally, Tony. And this has been a bloody summer. The deadliest month yet for U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Tony. Some 40 American forces killed this month, more than 30 NATO forces in addition to that killed.

The bloodiest, deadliest month for NATO and U.S. forces since this war began some eight years ago. And the Taliban tactics have evolved over these years. What we have seen over the past couple weeks, Taliban insurgents strapped with suicide bomb vests attacking a number of eastern cities armed at the same time. And they run in and they blow up the bombs and they shoot at the same time.

It's a terrifying attack going against Afghan government buildings, but the deadliest weapon that they had so far, Tony, is the roadside bomb called the improvised explosive device and that's what killed seven out of the eight Marines in the first two weeks of this offensive in southern Afghanistan, Tony.

HARRIS: And, Ivan, what affect is this insurgency having on Afghanistan's upcoming presidential elections?

WATSON: Well, just this week, Tony, the Taliban issued a statement calling for a boycott of the August 20 election and calling on Afghans to block all the roads a day before the election, accusing this, reclaiming that this is an American process, not an Afghan process.

Now, there have been some reaction from the Afghan government, saying the Taliban is a threat to peace and security, and they are, because I just spoke with election officials today here in Afghanistan and Kabul. Ehey say 700 of the 7,000 polling stations around the country are still too unstable, still too dangerous for voters to be able to go to the polls there, and most of those polling stations are in areas to the south and east of Afghanistan along the Pakistani border. This is a cross-border phenomenon and, Tony, let's bring in Stan Grant, my colleague in Islamabad to explain some of the Pakistani perspective for this.

STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ivan has just discussed the front on the Afghan side, which we've seen heavy fighting between NATO forces there, the U.S. forces and also the Taliban. And very heavy fighting here, as well. The Pakistan military has been trying to force out the Taliban from the northern regions here. That fighting has been going on for several months now. Heavy casualties, almost 3 million people fleeing the fighting from that region.

But the Taliban came out with a new tactic now, issuing a code of conduct. This has been printed in Pakistan and spread to all Taliban fighters in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It lays down rules for fighters in the field. The dos and don'ts. They are not to steal from civilians. They are not to take arms from civilians. They are not to sell hostages for money. Any soldiers who are captured must be executed only on the say-so of Mulla Omar who was the supreme Taliban leader. This is an attempt to try to win over the hearts and mind of the people. This insurgency needs the support of the population. They fear they are losing it. Tony?

HARRIS: And Stan, how closely will all this be followed by Taliban foot soldiers?

GRANT: That's the big question. We're already hearing of risks within the Taliban ranks themselves. We know that the Taliban have employed very severe tactics to try to drive a wedge between people in the areas that they try to occupy.

Just here in the Swat valley, for instance, a reign of terror by the Taliban where the bodies of beheaded victims were paraded through the streets to try to scare people away. Women were forced indoors. This certainly would not adhere to this code of conduct. There are reports that the hardliners in the field want to maintain that hardline presence.

But this is also an attempt by the Taliban leadership to shore up their position. The United States is interested in reaching out to what they call the "good Taliban," the moderates in the Taliban they can negotiate with. That's what the leadership do not want. They do not want their own movement fractured, trying to reassert that hierarchy. And, Ivan, what is the reaction in Afghanistan from NATO and U.S. officials there to this code of conduct?

WATSON: Stan, they're calling this empty propaganda and they're using examples. An Afghan defense ministry spokesman saying that the Taliban beheaded (AUDIO GAP) an Afghan national army soldier and that doesn't fit any rule of war. And a U.S. military spokeswoman here saying that the majority of the victims from these roadside bombs and the suicide attacks are actually Afghan civilians. They have already come out and said that this is basically propaganda, Stan.

HARRIS: Terrific, comprehensive reporting. Gentlemen, thank you so much. Clearly, a lot going on in the international hot spots. Christian is in Nigeria, Ivan Watson in Kabul, Afghanistan and Stan Grant is watching events from Islamabad, Pakistan. Gentlemen, thank you. Terrific.

The arrest of a black Harvard professor by a white officer generated a national conversation on racial profiling. We will take a look at a few of the iReports you sent us.

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HARRIS: Three guys hanging out in the backyard, throwing back a beer or two gets national attention. Oh, yes, when the president of the United States is the host. Mr. Obama will meet with Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates and police sergeant James Crowley. Gates accused Crowley of racial profiling when he arrested him at his home July 16 for disorderly misconduct. President Obama had to backtrack when he said police acted "stupidly" and his comment led to today's meeting.

The Gates arrest has sparked a national conversation on whether race remains a factor in American society. We have received a number of iReports detailing individual experiences of racial profiling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

MICHAEL WILLIS, IREPORTER: We have fit the description of four black males in a green vehicle when there were six of us in a red vehicle, and we knew right away it had nothing to do with that. Just knew that we were being profiled, and once they saw we were high school kids and not thugs that stole a Cadillac, he let us go. It was very upsetting to all of us.

MARK COOLEY, IREPORTER: I actually was getting stopped because I drove a Porsche and I was in my 20s. Wasn't because I was selling drugs or anything, but because I was young and had the wrong type of car.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

HARRIS: Hmm. What's your thinking on this issue, this meeting today? Is it just about these three guys? Will it make a difference? Voice your opinion at our NEWSROOM blog. Could this meeting improve race relations in this country? Will it even get the conversation started? Log on now, just let us know what you're thinking on this. CNN.com/tony.

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HARRIS: New developments on who gets Michael Jackson's children. A lawyer for the Jackson family says Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and the mother of his two oldest children, has agreed not to challenge the singer's mother for custody of the children. We are told the deal is not about money. We're also getting a firsthand account of the frantic moments as Jackson lay dying, as well as the focus of a death investigation. CNN's Randi Kaye reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): A federal law enforcement official telling us now that, quote, "Dr. Murray is the only one they're looking at." Now we know that other doctors' records have been subpoenaed, but clearly now with three search warrants now served on Dr. Conrad Murray's property, he has become the central focus.

Remember his lawyer told us that they were searching those properties, looking for evidence in the offensive manslaughter. Dr. Murray's lawyer's office told me they don't think an arrest is imminent because they haven't seen any proof or even a final autopsy report.

Also Murray's loan from the bank for his country club home in Las Vegas was $1.65 million. Well, it turns out that he failed to make his payment of just over $15,000 last January and has been racking up debt ever since.

I called his attorney about this. A spokeswoman confirmed he is facing the threat of foreclosure and told me, quote, "He was to be paid $150,000 a month by Michael Jackson. He was not paid by AEG," that's the tour promoter, "or Jackson for the two months he worked for them, so he is low on money."

Meanwhile, if Dr. Murray fails to pay up by mid August, he could lose his house.

And we have some insight to report about Jackson's final morning at his home. His personal chef is talking. Kai Chase told CNN Dr. Murray usually came down to get Michael Jackson his breakfast around 10:00 a.m. to get him something to eat or drink, but on June 25th, the day Michael Jackson died, the doctor did not come downstairs until noon.

Now the chef says that at that point, Dr. Murray came running halfway down the stairs, that actually led to the kitchen in the house, screaming, "Hurry, get Prince, get security." She said the house became chaotic. Security guards were rushing around. The housekeepers were screaming, and that Michael Jackson's daughter Paris was screaming, "Daddy, Daddy."

The chef said everyone gathered in a circle, and they all prayed at that point.

And finally we've learned that this Jackson case is actually not the first time Dr. Murray has had a brush with the law. He was charged in a domestic abuse case in Arizona back in 1994.

Deputies apparently responded to a domestic abuse call. We have confirmed Dr. Murray was arrested for, quote, "domestic violence and disorderly conduct." We're told by Tucson Police that his girlfriend accused him of having an affair and threw something at him, then Dr. Murray allegedly pushed her down. He was acquitted about five months later.

Randi Kaye, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Top stories in the CNN NEWSROOM. The professor, the police officer and the president. Details on beer as a political tool, and the upcoming White House suds summit.

And whether you're for it or against it, you can't escape it. The flurry of television ads trying to sway your opinion on health care reform, and they've only just begun. All that in the next hour. Stay with us.

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HARRIS: You know, it was quite a quiet Sunday in Plain City, Utah, until the cops were called on a reckless driver. A really short driver. Take a look at that. There he is. On the move, baby! He's seven years old. Police said they tailed him for what, ten blocks, as he was weaving in and out of traffic and blew through stop signs. The cop wasn't going to catch him. His parents had no idea their car or kid was missing. He was supposed to be in church. The boy told deputies it was just too hot to go to church!