Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Bill Clinton Visits With North Korean Leader; Americans Held in Iran; Navy Town Honors One of Their Own; Health Care Helping Hand; Detroit Public Schools; Turbulent Sky; Jackson's Estate Value; Candidate Stumps on Bike

Aired August 04, 2009 - 12:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: We're coming up on noon now in the East Coast. And first this hour, Bill Clinton's surprise mission to North Korea. The former president today asked North Korea's ruler, Kim Jong-Il, to free two jailed Americans.

CNN's Elaine Quijano watching this story unfold from the White House for us. Elaine, hello to you. And I guess a key here, as we're wondering, a lot of people, is this a mission on behalf of the Obama administration? And that is not the case at all.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, if you take a look at what White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said via a written statement released earlier today, you'd have to conclude that the answer is no.

A complicated story to be sure. Let's take a look at what Robert Gibbs did say in this statement. Saying, quote, "While this solely private mission to secure the release of two Americans is on the ground, we will have no comment. We do not want to jeopardize the success of former President Clinton's mission."

Interesting choice of language there, "solely private mission." Now, I can tell you, T.J., I was in the gaggle with Robert Gibbs in his office and other reporters earlier today. The White House is being very tightlipped, very cautious about all of this. In fact, Robert Gibbs said point-blank, look, I'm not going to be going beyond that written statement that I issued earlier today.

He was asked, well, why not? And he said, well, look, this is an extremely sensitive situation, and that is going to be the extent, really, of my comments on this, at least for the time being. So, I asked him, I said, look, at what point might we see or hear a little bit more about how the president was actually involved in all of this, what role he played? Might it happen when the journalists are safe on the ground back here in the United States?" And he said, "We will hopefully have more information to provide later on today."

Now, what Secretary Gibbs did do is deny a report out of North Korea that somehow, former President Clinton was carrying a message from President Obama to Kim Jong-Il. Secretary Gibbs said, point- blank, "That's not true" -- T.J.

HOLMES: All right. Elaine Quijano for us from the White House.

Thank you so much.

Want to turn now to our John Vause. He has more on Bill Clinton's visit and the political risk it carries from his vantage point in Beijing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The former U.S. president touched down in Pyongyang on board a private, unmarked jet, and was warmly greeted by two senior government officials and a young girl with flowers.

MIKE CHINOY, PACIFIC COUNCIL ON INTERNATIONAL POLICY: For him, this is an important fulfilling of an unfulfilled mission. And for Kim Jong-Il, who wanted him to come when he was president, it would be the height of rudeness not to receive him.

VAUSE: The turning point in all of this, say analysts, was when Washington dropped its demand for the journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, to be released on humanitarian grounds. Instead, saying they're hoping for amnesty.

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: The two journalists and their families have expressed great remorse for this incident, and I think everyone is very sorry that it happened. What we hope for now is that these two young women would be granted amnesty through the North Korean system and be allowed to return home to their families as soon as possible.

VAUSE: Analysts say enlisting Bill Clinton as a high-level envoy is a sign that most of the groundwork for a deal has already been done. In other words, you don't send a former U.S. president all the way to Pyongyang to come home empty-handed.

CHINOY: I don't think Bill Clinton is going to sit down and engage in horse-trading with the North Koreans over the terms under which these women are going to be freed.

VAUSE: It's hoped the former president could be heading back to the United States with the two women in just a matter of days.

John Vause, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right.

North Korea's top nuclear negotiator met Clinton's plane when it arrived. That's raising some questions about whether or not the nuclear issue is on the agenda as well.

Jim Walsh, an expert on international security at MIT, joining us now.

Jim, good to see you. Before we get to the nuclear issue, first of all, do you agree with what a lot of people say, that there's no way Bill Clinton would have taken off and gone that far had he not gotten something already close to a guarantee that he would be bringing these two Americans back with him?

JIM WALSH, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EXPERT, MIT: T.J., I agree with that take. Mike Chinoy explained the logic of it in your last report, and I think it's true.

Bill Clinton may be retired, but he's still a politician. He likes to take risks, but he also likes to have everything buttoned down, a little bit cautious. So, I think it's highly unlikely he would go there without some signal from the North Koreans in advance that this trip was going to be successful. Now, that doesn't mean every little detail is locked down, and it doesn't mean things can't go wrong, but he would not have gone unless he thought there was a good chance of success.

HOLMES: All right. And that is the major goal, the first and foremost, to get those two American citizens back. OK, if he's successful there, the U.S. gets its people back. What is North Korea going to get out of it?

WALSH: Well, I think North Korea gets out of it things that they have wanted for a long time. They have wanted a visit from a high- ranking official, former or current, for some years now. Also remember, T.J., they are going through their own political transition right now.

It appears that Kim Jong-Il, the current leader, will be leaving the scene at some point, will be replaced by his youngest son. And so, just like they had a nuclear test, just like we've had other sorts of actions that are meant to display strength, having a visit from a former president of the United States, a rock star in his own right, brings prestige, brings status, ,and allows the North Korean leadership to claim that they are an important country to their own population.

HOLMES: And you talked about them wanting a big leader, somebody high profile from the U.S., but they are getting somebody who technically can't negotiate on behalf of the U.S. So, we talked about this big -- that's a pretty big elephant in the room, this nuclear issue. So, what are the chances that it is brought up? I mean, is it just unavoidable, that that issue is going to be brought up? But what's going to come of it anyway?

WALSH: Well, I think it is unavoidable that something comes up about the broader U.S./North Korean relationship. And, of course, the nuclear issue is at the heart of this.

Now, T.J., remember, early, when Bill Clinton was president in his first term, a former president named Jimmy Carter went on a private mission, a mission actually that the Clinton administration wasn't very pleased with. It's sort of ironic right now. But Jimmy Carter went and had discussions that, then, as it turned out, paved the way for a resolution of that first nuclear crisis.

I don't think that's likely in this case, but it's possible, because North Korea, it's one-man rule. And when you're sitting down in the room across from the one man, then there's a chance that things can change. He can, with the wave of his hand, change the direction of Korean policy.

So, do I think it's likely that we're going to have a big breakthrough? No. But is it possible that something will come out of this beyond the journalists? Yes, that is possible.

HOLMES: OK. We get those two journalists, the two U.S. citizens, back here. Still -- that's a success, but, still, what risk is President Clinton and the U.S. running here? Again, if we have a successful trip in that regard, where is there still a little danger area of North Korea trying to turn this and sell this and promote this as something that, I don't know, kind of hurts us in the long run?

WALSH: Well, it's hard to imagine how it's really going to hurt us. I mean, you could say -- I'm sure President Obama will be criticized. Some will say, well, we shouldn't rewarding them with having sent Bill Clinton, we shouldn't be talking to them while they're holding the journalists.

But the president has to deal with the real world. And in the real world, those journalists are being held. And if we want to get them out, then it makes sense to talk to them.

So, you know, you could argue sort of academically -- and I'm an academic -- back and forth what the costs of it is. But at the end of the day, six months from now, when those journalists are home and with their families, no one's going to care about the side consequences.

HOLMES: Yes. You can argue academically, and that's the only way you know how to argue. Isn't it, Jim?

WALSH: Yes, pretty much.

HOLMES: Jim Walsh, expert on international security at MIT.

Jim, always good to see you. Thanks for being here.

WALSH: Thank you, T.J.

HOLMES: Well, Iranian officials now officially confirming that -- what was reported earlier by state-run media -- that three Americans have been detained and charged with illegal entry into Iran.

For more now on who these hikers are and what they were doing in the area, here now, CNN's Dan Simon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shane Bauer, seen here on his personal Web site, graduated with honors two years ago from UC Berkeley with a degree in Peace and Conflict Studies.

SANDY CLOSE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEW AMERICAN MEDIA: All of us who know Shane are sitting on the edges of our chairs.

SIMON: Sandy Close knows Bauer from his work as a freelance journalist. He takes photos and writes articles on Middle Eastern issues. She says Bauer was fluent in Arabic and left the San Francisco Bay Area last year for Syria.

Last week, she says he pitched a story on elections and Iraqi Kurdistan. That's apparently why he traveled to that section of Iraq before allegedly crossing into Iran with two others.

CLOSE: I think this is a very experienced traveler, a backpack kind of traveler, not somebody who would go to the Ritz-Carlton, somebody who would go to the hostile, who would operate on a shoestring as many freelancers do.

SIMON: She says Bauer was known to be dating Sarah Shourd, also a Berkeley graduate and freelance writer. Writing on the Web site, Brave New Traveler, she described herself as a teacher, activist, writer from California currently based in the Middle East. It says she loves fresh broccoli, Sabatistas, and anyone who can change her mind.

The third detained hiker, Berkeley grad, Joshua Fattal, grew up in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, also known for his love of travel and learning.

CHRIS FORAKER, FRIEND OF JOSH FATTAL: Fiercely intellectual. Voracious reader, and Josh and I would have conversations like no one else.

SIMON: The fourth hiker, Shon Meckfessel, stayed behind in Iraq, His grandmother says he was sick.

Three Americans known for their sense of adventure, now getting more than they bargained for. Because the U.S. has no formal relations in Iran, Swiss diplomats are now trying to secure their release.

Dan Simon, CNN, San Francisco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Now, Judge Sonia Sotomayor moves a step closer to a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. The full Senate begins deliberations today on her nomination.

We got a preview earlier of the arguments for and against Sotomayor's confirmation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), MINORITY LEADER: Judge Sotomayor is certainly a fine person, with an impressive story and a distinguished background. But a judge must be able to check his or her personal or political agenda at the courtroom door and do justice evenhandedly, as the judicial oath requires. This is the most fundamental test. It's a test that Judge Sotomayor does not pass.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: A long 10 weeks ago, President Obama made history when he nominated the nation's first Hispanic to be a justice of the United States Supreme Court, and only the third woman. This week, the Senate will make history when we confirm her.

Judge Sonia Sotomayor is an American of tremendous qualifications. Both her academic record and her court experience really are second to none.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: A final confirmation vote expected on Thursday. Six Republicans say they plan to support the nomination. And Sotomayor is virtually assured of being confirmed as the nation's first Hispanic Supreme Court justice.

Well, paychecks shrink in June, but individual spending increased. The Commerce Department says personal income fell 1.3 percent in June. It rose that same amount back in May. Spending by individuals edged up .4 of a percent in June.

Also, on the housing front, the National Association of Realtors say pending home sales rose in June by 3 .6 percent. That's the fifth straight monthly increase. The last time that happened was back in 2003.

Stay with us. We'll show you a Navy town that is honoring one of their own, Navy pilot Scott Speicher.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, in Raleigh, North Carolina, a detention hearing is under way right now for seven terror suspects. And here you see family members and friends arriving for court.

The North Carolina men are charged with conspiring to carry out suicide attacks abroad. Prosecutors may reveal some of their evidence against the men today. They hope to convince the judge to hold the suspects until trial.

Authorities have released the names of an eighth suspect who is believed to be in Pakistan. He's a 20-year-old high school dropout name of Jude Mohammed (ph). Like the others, he lived in that Raleigh area.

Well, several rockets hit the Afghanistan capital before dawn today. No injuries reported. An Afghan official says the barrage was most likely was an effort to disrupt upcoming elections. The U.S. commander of international troops in Afghanistan says his forces are not just battling the Taliban, but also trying to win the confidence of the Afghan people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. CURTIS SCAPARROTI, COMMANDER, COMBINED JOINT TASK FORCE: The true center of gravity is not the Taliban, but the willing support of the Afghan people. Here in RC East, we're working hard not only to counter the enemy's propaganda and misinformation, but to anticipate and expose them. And we're doing this by taking a proactive approach to seize and retain the initiative by preempting events and exploiting opportunities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Afghanistan holds presidential and provincial council elections on August the 20th.

Well, the first U.S. soldier -- the first U.S. service member, I should say, to die in the 1991 Persian Gulf War has finally come home. The Department of Defense revealed over the weekend that the remains of Navy Captain Michael Scott Speicher have been positively identified.

Our John Zarrella now reports on how the city of Jacksonville, Florida, will never forget this missing aviator.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On an overcast Monday in Jacksonville, Florida, people stood solemnly along a road leading from the naval air station holding American flags, paying their respects as the hearse drove by carrying the remains of a Marine Corps private killed in Afghanistan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're here to honor this fallen hero, to let the family know that we care.

ZARRELLA: And in Jacksonville, they continue caring no matter how many years go by. For 18 years, they kept alive the name Scott Speicher, Navy pilot shot down on the first night of the first Gulf War, never knowing whether he was alive or dead.

A banner still flies above a fire station. Speicher's name is etched on a veterans memorial wall. Beneath it, a yellow ribbon and a letter to his family. "He will always be remembered," it reads, in part.

BOB BUEHN, SPEICHER-HARRIS FAMILY FRIEND: These would be the first Gulf War, as we call it.

ZARRELLA (on camera): Right. Right.

BUEHN: We didn't know that when this was put up there. ZARRELLA (voice-over): Bob Buehn, a retired Naval aviator, knows the Speicher family. In all these years, Speicher's widow, Joanne, talked only once to a national magazine. There's a reason, says Buehn.

BUEHN: Joanne has focused on her family and her kids, and done a wonderful job of taking care of them and raising them as close to a normal situation as possible.

ZARRELLA: Joanne Speicher remarried. The children now attend state universities. They were on hand when Governor Charlie Crist signed legislation extending free tuition to children of missing soldiers and POWs from the Gulf Wars.

For the Speichers, some questions still have not been answered.

CINDY LAQUIDARA, SPEICHER-HARRIS FAMILY FRIEND: Any information we can learn about what happened when he ejected, and to the point of which he died, we think is beneficial.

ZARRELLA: At Arlington National Cemetery, there is a headstone with Speicher's name on it. Where he will be buried has not been made public. But he has, after 18 years, finally come home.

John Zarrella, CNN, Jacksonville, Florida.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, you've seen people do it, and you might not admit it, but you probably do it, too, driving and texting, or distracted by the cell phone, or whatever else you might be doing in that car. Lord knows.

Now the nation's transportation secretary says all that needs to stop. Ray LaHood, yes, says his department will convene a summit next month to address the problems of distracted drivers.

Love to see the results of that.

No decision yet on whether the Senate will pump more money into the Cash for Clunkers program. This program, as you know, gives car buyers money to trade their old gas-guzzlers in for more fuel- efficient vehicles. It will run out of cash, the program, unless the Senate approves a $2 billion extension. But a Republican senator from South Carolina says Cash for Clunkers is a bad idea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JIM DEMINT (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: They're trying to micromanage the economy here. They told us, OK, we need a billion dollars, we'd have this program through November. Within one week it was broke. Now they're back for $2 billion more. We have no idea what the program has done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Senator DeMint there says the program is only providing a temporary bump in car sales.

Well, a lot of these members of Congress, they are home for their recess for the summer. The Senate's going to be getting out of there a little later today. The House left last week already for their recess.

So, what kind of reception are they getting back home on a lot of issues, especially on the issue of health care reform? If you want to know, just go to YouTube.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

HOLMES: Well, House lawmakers may be on a break. They're not getting a break, however, from the health care debate. They're back home facing concerns and questions from their constituents. And things are getting a bit heated this summer.

The story now from our Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett was in his Texas district over the weekend, talking health care, trying to. Listen up to YouTube.

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Just say no! Just say no way! No! Just say...

CROWLEY: Also courtesy YouTube, Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in Philadelphia, trying to talk health care reform.

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (D), PENNSYLVANIA: We can rise (ph) up the bill very fast...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why? Why? Why?

CROWLEY: Suddenly, a four-week August recess seems a little too long. Most Capitol Hill lawmakers will head home with one thing on their mind -- health care. Actually, two things.

AMY WALTER, HOTLINE: Members are always thinking about running again, so, 2010, top of their mind.

CROWLEY: Even those not up for re-election next year feel the heat of an August recess when a hot topic like health care is in limbo on Capitol Hill. Senator Kent Conrad will do listening sessions across North Dakota. But bet your last dollar that August recess this time will have a lot more to do with talking than listening. SEN. KENT CONRAD (D), NORTH DAKOTA: I think it's also very important that people across the country hear that the course we're on is not sustainable.

CROWLEY: On the House side, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Leader John Boehner sent talking points to their members, basically boiling down to two broad themes.

WALTER: Big, evil insurance companies versus socialized medicine.

CROWLEY: Time is not on the side of Democrats, many of whom wanted health care done before recess. The longer the issue hangs out there the more it becomes a pinata. Advantage, the critics.

(on camera): Republicans are also encountering angry voters, but Democrats seem to be getting the worst of it, and they accuse Republican operatives of sending protesters to their town hall meetings. But even if there's any truth to that charge, the reality is that, poll after poll shows Americans are divided about Obama-style health care reform.

Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. Advocacy groups are finding creative ways to take on the health care debate. Meet Health Care Harry, an eight- foot-tall version of the guy from the old "Operation" game. You remember that? The group U.S. PIRG uses Harry to highlight concerns about health care. The public gets to operate by removing things like endless red tape.

Well, navigating through the health care system can be a challenge, especially when a loved one suffers a traumatic injury or serious illness. In our "Health Care in Focus" series, our photo journalist Gabe Ramirez (ph) introduces us to a family that needed help and the woman who guided them through a difficult time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBBIE THORNHILL, CHRISTOPHER'S MOTHER: My oldest son, Christopher, was in a car accident on September 6, 2007. He was driving his car and lost control and suffered a traumatic brain injury with several broken bones. It was the scariest time of my life. And to see him suffering like that was devastating.

And then to also have to worry about his care and is he going to get what he needs? Will they just send him home because we don't have the financial means? Huge things to have to think about.

The insurance company sent me letters that Chris could have something called a case coordinator.

PAM HOYTT, RN, CARE MANAGER: My name is Pam Hoytt and I'm a nurse care manager at HealthNet. Debbie is a mom of five children. She was frightened. She didn't know if he was going to live or die. She didn't know what sort of aftermath they would be dealing with.

D. THORNHILL: There was a sense of relief that this person was actually trying to help me. Was not trying to help her company find a way out of all these expenses.

HOYTT: I would help her to be in control of his medical life and their family life.

D. THORNHILL: She seriously is a friend now. I would consider her one of my best friends. She really was genuinely concerned about my son's recovery. The day my son, Christopher, came home from the hospital, he was totally different than he is now. I mean, he just couldn't do anything for himself at all. And it was like -- it was like having a big, heavy 19-year-old infant, you know, who's combative.

GABE RAMIREZ, PHOTO JOURNALIST: So how are you feeling these days?

CHRISTOPHER THORNHILL, CAR ACCIDENT SURVIVOR: Fine.

RAMIREZ: Feeling good?

C. THORNHILL: Yes.

RAMIREZ: At what point did you start, you know, remembering things again?

C. THORNHILL: Yesterday. I remember yesterday.

D. THORNHILL: If you ask him straight-on, Chris, do you remember this, he'll say no. But then if you're just talking about something that happened, he'll start talking about it with you, because the memory is there.

RAMIREZ: But he's come a long way, I here.

D. THORNHILL: A whole long way, yes.

C. THORNHILL: (INAUDIBLE) a vegetable and being me.

HOYTT: Chris? Oh, God. You're making me cry!

C. THORNHILL: Don't cry. Oh, please don't cry.

HOYTT: You are not. Are you Debbie? Oh, gosh.

D. THORNHILL: There were days where I just need a shoulder, you know? And I knew I could call her. She's seen me through some of my darkest days, that's for sure, and on to some much better ones.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, bankruptcy was the option for a couple of Detroit's big car companies. Should bankruptcy also be an option for the city's school system? (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, first Chrysler, then General Motors. You know they're both up in Detroit. They both declared bankruptcy. Well, something else in Detroit could be going bankrupt. Cnnmoney.com's Poppy Harlow has this story for us. We're talking about not a car company this time, the school system.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: T.J., can you believe it? I mean, we are talking about what could be a reality for the Detroit Public School System, folks. They could be the first ever to file for bankruptcy protection.

Here's why. A lot of problems that they are facing. A deficit of $259 million. A 58 percent graduation rate in Detroit proper. That's compared to a 76 percent graduation rate when you look at the entire state. There have been a number of corruption issues at this school. The public school system has been dealing with them for all of these reasons. Enrollment in Detroit's public schools is shrinking. And I spent a day with a parent and her daughter in Detroit. Take a listen to their concerns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FREDRICKA TURNER, DETROIT PARENT: Well, my daughter has never attended any Detroit Public Schools and it's because of this. As a concerned parent, my daughter would never go to a Detroit Public School as of now. Whereas I felt comfortable as a child going to school, I don't feel comfortable to allow her to attend a Detroit Public School.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: All right. We spoke with them right in front of that building you're looking at. That is Fredricka Turner, the mother's old high school. It is now closed down since 2000, T.J. Enrollment in Detroit Public Schools has dropped by nearly 44 percent. Take a look at the chart there. It's staggering when you compare it to the population decline in roughly the same amount of time has been just about 3 percent, T.J.

HOLMES: You know, it's a resilient bunch, the folks up in Detroit.

HARLOW: They are. They are.

HOLMES: They do. They always have hope that it's going to come back. Such a hospitable group any time you're up there. I was up there not too long ago, but they always hope things are going to turn around. But what is Detroit actually doing to try to turn things around?

HARLOW: I mean they are being very proactive. What they have done is they've installed an emergency financial manager to cut their costs. His name is Robert Bobb. We'll show you a picture here. What he has done so far, he's closed 29 schools, planning to close more, laid off more than 2,400 people, including a lot of teachers. He's also exploring a bankruptcy option for the school system. And his office told us today they haven't made a final decision on that yet.

But like with GM and like with Chrysler, this could be a good thing. This could allow the school system to renegotiate its debt, tear up some of those expensive union contracts and essentially give it somewhat of a fresh start, T.J. But we asked people on Facebook, what do they think. We said, should Detroit Public Schools file for bankruptcy. I want to read you a few quick comments here.

Howard wrote in. Here's what Howard wrote. He said, "I feel like filing for bankruptcy is a waste of time unless you have a plan to reduce costs without reducing benefits to the students."

James wrote in and he said, "no, the city and the state should adequately fund the schools to begin with."

And then, finally, Keith wrote in, he said, "as long as we," the city of Detroit, "have declining tax base because of the housing market, our public school systems will struggle for funding. Some school systems are even reducing school days to save money."

So a lot of people weighing in on this. It's interesting. Let us know what you think, facebook.com/poppyharlow. But it's going to be interesting to watch, T.J. This would be a first ever for a school system to file for bankruptcy.

HOLMES: Yes. And Mr. Bobb, up there, has his hands full. A lot of things he's doing up there not to popular.

HARLOW: Oh, yes.

HOLMES: Poppy, thank you. And nice Facebook picture.

HARLOW: Thanks.

HOLMES: Thank you very much. All right, we'll see you again soon.

Well, passengers aboard a Continental flight, shaken by turbulent weather, are describing a pretty rough ride. The plane flying from Rio De Janeiro to Houston, Texas, was diverted to Miami. Pictures from inside the plane showed just how violent things got. Brian Todd with the story for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, ABC CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is what violent turbulence looks like inside the cabin. These photographs from a passenger aboard Continental Flight 128 show the ceiling of the plane split open. Two sections you can see in this shot look like casings for several oxygen masks. One witness says this damage may have been done by passengers who were thrown upward.

JOHN NORWOOD, CONTINENTAL FLIGHT 128 PASSENGER: Yes, all the lighting and all where the masks come down and everything, people that weren't seat belted in flew up and hit the ceiling. So their faces, their heads hit the plastics and broke all the plastics up at the top.

TODD: The plane, with 179 people aboard, encountered severe turbulence on the way from Rio De Janeiro to Houston and diverted to Miami. Twenty-six passengers were hurt. Some required at least temporary hospitalization. CNN meteorologist Chad Myers says there was no severe weather in the area at the time. And a Continental Airlines official now tells CNN, this aircraft encountered what's called clear-air turbulence. Pilots we spoke to say this is when a plane gets caught between air masses moving swiftly in different directions. As the name indicates, it often happens when the weather looks fine and it comes on with virtually no warning.

JOHN WILEY, PILOT: So as the pilots are transiting this area, they're not seeing anything on the radar, they're not seeing anything visually that gives them reason to believe that they're getting ready to penetrate an area with clear-air turbulence.

TODD: Pilots say, during these events, passengers not wearing seat belts can get severely injured when "g" forces throw them to the ceiling. They can stay pinned on the ceiling even for a few seconds, then could get injured by being thrown back down onto seats or the floor. After landing in Miami, some passengers were asked whether they got any warning to buckle their seat belts when the heavy turbulence began.

DEANNA BUCKLEY, CONTINENTAL FLIGHT 128 PASSENGER: None, whatsoever. I hit my head on the light above and it broke the light out and was showered in glass.

TODD: Continental says the seat belt sign was illuminated and their procedures is to give a verbal warning when that happens.

TODD (on camera): A Continental official told me they're still gathering information about what happened, but he said there's every reason to believe a verbal warning was given.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right, let's head over to Chad Myers with the colorful screen behind him. And that's usually a bad thing. We've also got some pictures here to share with folks, Chad, about this flooding we're seeing in Louisville. So you start where you want to start.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Well, a lot of people, as you know, want control of Michael Jackson's estate, including his mother. So, just how much is that estate really worth?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, it's been dubbed surrogate scandal. Two police chiefs in Ohio accused of snooping on the woman who carried twins for actors Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. Now one of those officers has been put on paid leave pending the outcome of the case. His name is Chad Dojack. Prosecutors say he and another officer conspired to steal items from that surrogate and sell them to the paparazzi. That man has pleaded not guilty.

Well, a Los Angeles judge has ruled that the two men named as executers of Michael Jackson's will, will remain in charge, at least for now. There has been a lot of legal wrangling over Jackson's estate and CNN's Randi Kaye explains why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He was $400 million in debt by some estimates. So why the fight over his estate?

MARK ROESLER, CEO, CMG WORLDWIDE: Michael Jackson will certainly be worth more dead than he was alive.

KAYE: Business agent Mark Roesler handles the estates of other celebrities who have passed, like Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. He predict Jackson will be the biggest grossing personality of all-time. Good news for his mother, Katherine, and his three children, who together were left 80 percent of his estate.

KAYE (on camera): So what is the estate really worth? Katherine Jackson's attorney has said it's worth $2 billion. But a source close to the estate dealings calls that ridiculous and called her attorney terribly misinformed. That source told me the estate is more likely worth about $100 million right now, with the potential to be worth a whole lot more.

KAYE (voice-over): Already we've learned deals are in the works that could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars, including a movie, featuring hours of Jackson's final rehearsal footage. Our source says the estate will get 90 percent of the profits. Also, Jackson's memoir, "Moonwalk," will be re-released in October. That deal is worth about $60 million.

ROESLER: You're talking about the copyrights. You're talking about the trademarks. You're talking about the -- what you call the right of publicity that's associated with his name and likeness.

KAYE: One of the men in charge is John Branca, who also helped turn around Elvis Presley's estate. Two years ago, "Forbes" magazine put Elvis at the top of its list of top earning dead celebrities. If all goes as planned, Jackson may surpass him. Since his death, he's outsold every artist in albums and downloads. In fact, he's the highest-selling artist after death since Nielsen started tracking this stuff in 1991.

The numbers don't lie. From January 1st of this year until the week he died, Jackson told 297,000 albums. Compare that to 3.73 million five weeks later. And in 2009, prior to the week he died, fans downloaded just 1.3 million of his songs. Five weeks later, it had jumped to 8.5 million. Also, he had the top 10 albums on the "Billboard" chart for two weeks. The first time any artist, alive or dead, has done that. This senior editor from "Forbes" says the time is now for Jackson's estate to cash in.

MATTHEW MILLER, "FORBES" MAGAZINE: Right now, Michael Jackson's got his best shot ever because everyone is looking at it through rosy- tinted glasses. And the further we get away from his death, the more you'll see those sunglasses taken off. And so the value of his assets will actually go down.

KAYE: No doubt Jackson's family and his creditors hope that doesn't happen any time soon.

Randi Kaye, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, getting elected to any office, never an easy thing to do, especially difficult in Afghanistan, and especially if you're trying to do it by riding a bike.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, the shuttle Discovery has arrived at the launch pad. This is a pretty difficult journey. It's a slow journey it has to make, essentially from its hangar down to the launch pad. About a 3.5 mile journey to get to that launch pad. And it moves at about a mile per hour. This thing goes for about six or seven hours. This video you're seeing is showing it actually moving. But again, it only moves about a mile an hour for 3.5-mile on this stretch to get to the launch pad. It made it. It's getting ready for a launch that's supposed to happen around August the 25th. We will keep an eye on it.

We'll turn to Afghanistan now where it's gearing up for a presidential election later this month. Forty candidates competing against the incumbent president, Hamid Karzai. As you can imagine, with all those names, it's tough to keep them all straight. But one man has managed to stand out. CNN's Ivan Watson reports now from Kabul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every morning Sangin Mohammed Rahmani says good-bye to his wife, gets on his bicycle and sets out alone on a long, bumpy road that he hopes will lead him to the presidency. Compared to other far wealthier presidential candidates who travel in helicopters and armed convoys, Rahmani is a virtual unknown. A retired army officer, scraping by on an $830 a year government pension. His political campaign is a very humble one.

"Can I put my poster up here?" he asks this street vendor.

Rahmani introduces himself to voters as an independent candidate, saying, "please read my biography, then you're welcome to throw it away. I'm honest and I don't make backroom deals," he adds. "I'll struggle for the rights of the people."

For this cash-strapped candidate, it's a one-man struggle just to get his posters up.

WATSON (on camera): This is Mr. Rahmani's commando style of campaigning, riding around on a bicycle, putting up his own posters. Does he really stand a chance of winning? Probably not. But the people here seem to like him.

"I want him to do well," says this man. "He's a man of the people."

Rahmani's bicycle campaign may look comical, but it comes loaded with very serious criticism of Afghanistan's western-backed government, which he accuses of stealing billions of dollars in international aid.

"The international community does not understand that the current Afghan government is a government of force, of nepotism and waste," he says.

That's a view echoed by many other Afghans, frustrated by lack of development and rampant corruption eight years after the overthrow of the Taliban.

"We don't want the tyrant who opposes the people," this watermelon vendor says. "We want a president who cares about poor people."

With his cell phone and mobile office on two wheels, this aspiring politician says he's just the man for the job.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Kabul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right. Well, that's one way to do it. We will check in with them with the election coming up in just a couple weeks.

That's it for me for now. I'm T.J. Holmes, sitting in today for Tony Harris. Now time to hand it off to that lady, Kyra Phillips, in the CNN NEWSROOM.

All yours, Kyra.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, T.J.