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Oil Crisis Leading to Depression; World Leaders Meet in Canada; Remembering Michael Jackson; Cleaning Up the Oil; Top Foods For Your Heart; New High Tech Spy Gear for the Everyday Consumer; Michael Jackson Digging Out of Debt a Year After Death

Aired June 25, 2010 - 11:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, thank you. I'll take over here in Studio 7 from my colleague, Brooke Baldwin there.

Hello to you all there from CNN Headquarters. Big stories for you on this Friday, June 25.

All eyes on a brewing storm. Are you kidding me? Tropical weather my interrupt oil containment and cleanup in the Gulf in just a few days. We'll give you the very latest on where this storm is heading.

Also, this charter boat captain takes his own life. Friends blame the suicide on the Gulf oil catastrophe and the loss of his livelihood.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like a part of me has died. I feel like I'm losing a child.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And also today, President Obama, he's in Canada today at a big meeting with world leaders there. He'll tell Europe that it threatens the global recovery if nations pull back on their stimulus spending.

Hello to you all. Thank you for being here.

I'm T.J. Holmes, sitting in for my good friend Tony Harris.

Those stories and your comments, all of it, right here, right now, in the CNN NEWSROOM.

We are on day 67 now of this Gulf oil disaster, and there have been so many tolls taken, certainly on the economy and also the environment. But, also, it's taking more of a human toll now, literally.

Stress from this crisis being blamed for a suicide of a charter boat captain in Alabama. Friends say 55-year-old Allen Cruise (ph) couldn't handle losing his business and shot himself yesterday on his boat.

Also, BP says it spent more than $2.3 billion in response to the disaster. That includes everything from containment and relief well drilling, to money paid for claims and damages.

Also, a storm brewing in the Caribbean could exacerbate the Gulf crisis. The government's point man on the disaster, Admiral Thad Allen, discussed an action plan on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. THAD ALLEN, NATIONAL INCIDENT COMMANDER: They can move to a quadrant of the storm that is less dangerous. There are four quadrants of a storm. Some are more dangerous than another.

Sometimes they can take evasive action and actually deploy as a group to the back side of the hurricane and come in behind it. Those are the normal tactics for vessels at sea. It's not a good idea to stay tied up at the dock when a hurricane is coming to shore if you have the ability to be at sea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And we have been getting, of course, daily live updates from Admiral Thad Allen. Expecting his update to come here within the next hour. When that happens, we'll take you there live.

Right now, though, we want to get details on this new threat, this storm people are talking about building in the Caribbean.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: And here we go talking about a storm brewing. The oil is spreading, and money worries in the Gulf, they're on the rise as well. Well, depression is now setting in for a lot of folks there.

Greg Neumann of our affiliate WEAR reports from Pensacola, Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GREG NEUMANN, REPORTER, WEAR (voice-over): From Pensacola Beach --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like a part of me has died. I feel like I'm losing a child.

NEUMANN: -- to Orange Beach --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My boat is on a trailer in the yard. We can't use it for the weekends. We can't do anything.

NEUMANN: -- the oil spill is taking its toll both mentally and emotionally. Wednesday morning, charter boat captain Allen Cruise (ph) shot himself to death on his boat. Friends like Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon say the oil spill likely triggered it.

MAYOR TONY KENNON, ORANGE BEACH: As hard as it is on me, it's nothing compared to the guys and the ladies and the people in our community that just are fixing to lose everything.

NEUMANN: Dr. David Josephs of Lakeview Mental Health Services says the situation is tough for people like Allen Cruise (ph) due to a loss of control.

DR. DAVID JOSEPHS, LAKEVIEW MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: This is a group of people who tend to in the past just take care of stuff. This is a different situation for them, I think.

NEUMANN (on camera): Now that the oil is physically apparent to everyone, it's likely more and more people will become depressed, and there are some warning signs to look for.

JOSEPHS: The main warnings sign is you are doing things you never used to do before -- drinking more, using substances, angry at people you used to not be angry at.

NEUMANN (voice-over): And Dr. Josephs says acceptance of the situation is the key to moving forward.

JOSEPHS: Not to pretend to our children ant to ourselves that it's just going to go away tomorrow so we that we can start taking some actions to actually direct our energies in a constructive, productive way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: All right.

Well, President Obama, he arrived in Canada just a short time ago. He's there for the G-8 summit over the weekend. That's going to expand, and then they'll have the G-20 Summit as well.

Our White House Correspondent Dan Lothian joining us now live from Toronto.

Dan, hello to you.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello.

HOLMES: A lot of people out there will hear, of course, that we have got the leaders of the great powers of the world all coming together. We have all these great problems of the world, so surely they're going to get something done.

But we might have lofty expectations there, huh, Dan?

LOTHIAN: That's right. And, you know, there are a host of issues that they deal with at these summits, certainly the G-8 and the G-20 summits. G-8 in particular, they are dealing with issues about health, humanitarian, other issues, water.

But at the G-20, it's all about the global economy. And, yes, a lot of has happened since the last time that these leaders got together. But you will hear from President Obama is that this is not the time to relax, that you need to keep pushing forward.

And the president comes here, actually, with some evidence that he's getting tough on Wall Street, certainly the House and Senate votes that took place over night. The president will be able to say, listen, this is what I have been able to do. Now he can prod these leaders to push for financial reform.

The president obviously will be making the case that critical things can come out of the G-20 summit. Take a listen.

HOLMES: Well, it looks like, Dan, we might not have that sound we were looking for there possibly.

But on the point you're making, I guess, still, the entire world -- we have a global economic crisis here now. And the president has one mission. He'd like people to keep spending money.

LOTHIAN: That's correct.

HOLMES: But how tough of a sell is it to some of these other countries? And is there evidence there not necessarily wanting to go along, or go the direction that the president wants them to go, which is continue with this stimulus spending?

LOTHIAN: That's right. I mean, the administration does believe that continuing to spend, the stimulus, will continue to boost these economies across the world. But, yes, there is that big concern.

They see what has happened in Greece, and there is a concern that you need to pull back from spending money because it could lead to economic collapse. So, there is the disagreement, certainly, between what the administration wants these leaders to do.

And you will see that push, that prod, from Mr. Obama, that we need to continue the stimulus, because now is not the time to stop. As one White House official pointed out to me, we're not out of the woods yet.

HOLMES: All right. Dan Lothian for us, live for us in Canada there for the G-8 and G-20.

Dan, we appreciate you. We'll be talking to you again plenty throughout.

So, G-8, G-20. You're hearing all these things thrown around. We'll tell you what the G-8 is. Exactly what is it?

Well, it's supposed to be an informal annual meeting of eight countries to discuss major world issues. Leaders talk about issues as broad as the economy, the environment, as well as terrorism. The original concept was to allow world leaders to meet in an intimate environment to get to know each other a little better. The first one was held back in 1975 in France, but at that time there were only six countries involved.

The member nations are the U.S., the U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia. Canada and Russia were the last to join. The leaders produce a communique at the end outlining achievements and goals for the next year.

Well, thousands of mourners expected at the cemetery where Michael Jackson is buried. We're going to be taking you there on this, the first anniversary of the death of the pop star.

Also, our Bonnie Schneider, that we heard from just a moment ago, she is tracking weather for us. She's going to be taking a look at this storm, where exactly it might be going, in five minutes.

Also, it was all it took for a storm to leave a path of destruction in Connecticut's biggest city. She's going to be telling you about that as well.

Also, today, the markets are open right now. The Dow, 37 points down at the moment. We've still got time to get that stuff in the black.

Stay with us. A quick break. We're right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Can you believe it? It has been a year since Michael Jackson's death. Fans are marking the anniversary around the world at this end, as well as at the cemetery where the pop star is buried.

Our Ted Rowlands at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California, for us.

Ted, hello. What are we expecting today?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J., we are expecting thousands of people to come here today. They just opened the gates a few moments ago, and we are just starting to see the first trickle of cars come up and the first members of the public that will be allowed to come up and basically pay their respects.

The building behind me is part of the grand mausoleum which is where Michael Jackson was laid to rest one year ago. And basically, what people will be able to do is come up and pay their respects.

They're not going to be able to go actually inside the building. They can come through these partitions, drop off flowers or mementos. We've seen a lot of flowers being delivered today from around the world. People will also hand deliver flowers throughout the day. And then, they'll basically spend some time here and then leave.

The family, we are expecting at about 11:00 Pacific Time. They, of course, will go inside the mausoleum and spend time in there with Michael Jackson's remains. And we expect that they'll be in there for a considerable amount of time. That at 11:00.

Right now, we're told that there are hundreds of people outside the gates here waiting to get in, and we should start seeing them trickle in, in the next few minutes here. A lot of people, as you said, around the world paying their respects, and you can imagine a lot of people come here to where Michael Jackson was laid to rest to mark the one year anniversary of his death -- T.J.

HOLMES: And, Ted, we see they are kind of preparing there. They have some of the barriers up, and getting ready for the crowds.

Are they giving you any indication of just how many they might be expecting today?

ROWLANDS: Yes. They don't know.

They say they are prepared for up to 6,000 or even more people. They say just yesterday, there were more than 1,000 that came. And as they've gotten closer to the anniversary, people are showing up.

But they do expect that there will be thousands of people, and they said that a lot of them are outside the gates right now. We'll have to just see how many people make the pilgrimage and come up here.

HOLMES: All right. Ted Rowlands for us in Glendale, California.

Ted, we appreciate you. We'll be checking in again with you throughout the next couple of hours and certainly throughout the day as well.

Thanks so much.

Also, on this anniversary, Michael Jackson's father filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Dr. Conrad Murray. He's the personal physician who admitted giving the singer the powerful sedative Propofol which was found to have caused his death. The lawsuit alleges Murray gave paramedics and doctors false information about drugs Jackson had been given and hindered efforts to revive him.

And join our Don Lemon. He is speaking exclusively with Michael Jackson's friends and family members as they remember the man and also the legend. "Michael Jackson: The Final Days," that premieres tonight at 8:00 Eastern Time.

And then at 9:00 Eastern, Jermaine Jackson's first interview from his brother's final resting place. That's tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, a final vote to overhaul the nation's complicated financial rules looks likely next week. House and Senate negotiators approved a compromise bill at dawn this morning.

Now, President Obama, he's pretty happy with that. He got much of what he wanted in this historic legislation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Reforms making their way through Congress will hold Wall Street accountable so we can help prevent another financial crisis like the one that we're still recovering from. We'll put in place the toughest consumer financial protections in our history, while creating an independent agency to enforce them.

Through this agency, we'll combine under one roof the consumer protection functions that are currently divided among half a dozen different agencies. Now there will be one agency whose sole job will to be look out for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: All right. Ines Ferre here to help us with this.

Ines, this can be big and complex, and a lot of people don't really get how it helps them on a day-to-day level. But you're here to show us exactly that. If you have got loans and credit cards, all this stuff can affect you.

INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. And it affects so much, so we just want to show you a couple of highlight of the bill.

So, the bill creates a new consumer agency inside the Federal Reserve that will set rules against unfair practices in loans and credit cards, for example. Also, your credit score.

Usually, you can get a free credit report yearly, right, from the top consumer reporting agencies. But the credit score itself usually costs money. This would allow you to get that credit score for free if you lose a job offer because of your credit history or if you're denied a loan because of it.

So, the other thing that it does is, every time you go to the store and you buy something with your credit card or your debit card, the retailer has to pay a fee to the bank to cover the cost of transferring that money. Well, now the Fed could put a cap on debit card swipe fees and make them more reasonable and proportional.

And then, also, ban on liar loans, liar loans that have gotten banks into so much trouble during the mortgage crisis. As obvious as it sounds, T.J., with this bill, lenders would have to verify a borrower's income and assets -- T.J.

HOLMES: It's amazing you have to pass legislation to do what seems so obvious. But I think a lot of people will be helped, Ines.

The credit score part, you always get your credit report, and that sometimes can't help you that much if you don't have a credit score to go along with it.

FERRE: Yes.

HOLMES: So -- all right. Ines Ferre, we appreciate that breakdown.

And what do Americans exactly think about this? What do they think about a broad crackdown on big banks that helped cause the financial crisis?

Well, a recent poll from CNN and Opinion Research Corporation suggest most like it. A survey from May found 60 percent favored increased legislation or regulation of banks and other financial institutions. Thirty-eight percent opposed a crackdown.

It appears support for the legislation may be on the rise, though. Back in March, 53 percent of those asked wanted tighter financial regulations, 43 percent were against the move.

Well, Republicans have once again blocked a bill to extend jobless benefits to more than a million unemployed Americans. The GOP is insisting on spending cuts elsewhere before agreeing to pay out new benefits. The number of jobless Americans having their benefits cut off will rise to two million by the time Congress returns from its July 4th break.

Well, it continues, World Cup. You still got the fever? Well, the U.S. got another big game tomorrow, getting ready to go up against Ghana, which is the only African nation that's still in it, I do believe.

We're going to be going live to New York for some reaction.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Welcome back.

Want to give you the latest on the Gulf oil disaster.

Here we are, day 67 now. Too early to say for sure, but some tropical weather could disrupt oil containment and cleanup next week. Forecasters keeping a close watch on a stormy region in the Caribbean right now. Our Bonnie Schneider will give us an update on that, here in a bit.

(NEWSBREAK)

HOLMES: Well, who would have thunk it? World Cup fever here in the U.S.? We're excited about soccer? Seriously?

Team USA though gearing up to play Ghana tomorrow.

And nobody is as excited as Richard Roth, who joins us now from New York.

Richard, so excited to talk to you. You've got -- I know you're a soccer guy, or a football guy, but I'm really into the World Cup, and I appreciate your excitement on this thing.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I haven't said anything yet, but, yes, my passion is duly noted. We're always supposed to be neutral and impartial when covering stories, so we all root for all of the teams still left in the World Cup.

We are approaching, after today's games, the elimination round, the knockout phase. The U.S. will be playing Ghana Saturday afternoon, New York time. And if the U.S. loses, they are indeed out of the tournament, despite all their heroics and all the bad referee calls.

The World Cup is catching on with everyone. I'm sure people are aware of the social media component with various actresses, actors, stars, sports athletes complaining about the refs. Even the mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, speaking in front of a large contingent of global business leaders, couldn't resist referring to the big tournament going on in South Africa.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (I), NEW YORK: Thank you for asking me to join you for this Summit on International Cooperation. And it takes place at the same time that half a world away, so many of our national teams are engaged in friendly international competition.

I know, ultimately, only one team will triumph in the World Cup in South Africa, and I trust that that will be the United States.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: The United States, of course, has to win several more games to get to the final, T.J., but this may be a strange World Cup. They say it's the revenge of the minnows.

The U.S. is certainly not a minnow nation, but it hasn't had that much luck in the World Cup. It did go further in 2002 -- I know you remember that -- before getting eliminated by Germany -- T.J.

HOLMES: You know, I think this will help, and I think Americans -- and you may or may not agree with us -- but now we can understand it a little better. You win or go home kind of a thing.

A lot of people confused about the whole points and the group system. But now it's down to the nitty-gritty. It's a tournament we can understand a little better.

What do you think?

ROTH: That's right. It's like the sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. We're done with the Round Robin section, which really was quite fascinating, and including today.

You have two matches going on at the same time. Each goal affects the other.

I would be a little worried, though, about the U.S. energy level. They were spent. The athletes even admitted they used every inch of it to get past Algeria. They only have a short turnaround before facing Ghana, an African team. There are very few left in the tournament.

HOLMES: All right. Ghana certainly still has -- even though it's not home, it's their home continent, so a lot of people think they still have a home field advantage.

Richard, I will be in touch tomorrow, all right? As the U.S. and Ghana go at it -- I think it's 2:30 Eastern Time.

ROTH: Yes.

HOLMES: Go ahead.

ROTH: Don't bother me during the game, though.

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: All right. I'll talk to you halftime and after the game. Is that OK?

ROTH: OK. You got it.

HOLMES: All right. Richard, thanks so much.

All right, folks. A quick break. We're right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right. Take a look at this, folks.

This is out of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The city was just pounded by a big, powerful storm.

One of the hardest hit areas was downtown, where the wind knocked out windows, ripped signs and awnings off buildings. After the storm, the mayor declared a state of emergency.

And here's how one witness described it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was in the office in Bridgeport, downtown this afternoon. My window blew out. Our satellite dish on the roof blew to the next block over. And then when I came home here, Lordship is a disaster zone. It just looks like a bomb dropped here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Yes. Even if it did look like a bomb dropped there, good news. No reports of any serious injuries.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Well, a lot of people -- you may have noticed out there all the kids running around all dressed up. You know, it's prom season. You may have seen that.

We're just wrapping up prom season, I guess. But what about for the kids who are battling life-threatening illnesses? Well, attending a prom for them remains kind of beyond their strength and also their comfort zone. But not if they know about this week's CNN Hero, 20- year-old Fred Scarf. He's giving seriously ill teenagers their night to remember. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Losing my hair was worse than hearing I had cancer.

Wow.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You like it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So pretty.

Living with this life-threatening illness -- I am a whole new person -- you just wonder if this could be your last day.

FRED SCARF, YOUNG WONDER: Large here, small here, and then just put medium on the floor.

My best friend, Sherry (ph), passed way when we were in high school and one thing she really wanted to do was attend prom together and we never had a chance to do it. I didn't want to forget her charm, how funny she was, how optimistic she was. I just knew that I had to do something.

My name is Fred Scarf, and I organize proms for teens who may not live long enough to attend their own. You know, these battles go on for years and this is their life. They are continually running a marathon and they're never going to get a break.

These proms provide you with this break and create a milestone and you capture these kids imaginations and they can put on a tux and just kind of have a night off and be themselves.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I definitely feel a different intimacy with everyone. It's so great to have a good time and let loose.

SCARF: We're going to get them all in the same place by the end of the day, which literally is on the dance floor and figuratively would be just enjoying themselves.

By the way, I hope you don't mind, I'm stealing your girls right now.

Sherry would say, oh, my gosh, Fred and just laugh and like hit me or something. I think she'd be very proud, yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Fred Scarf's work has made prom dreams come true for more than 400 sick teenagers. To see one young woman get ready for her big night or to nominate someone you think is changing the world, go to CNNheroes.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We are on day 67 now of this Gulf oil disaster, and Congressman Ed Markey is asking the EPA and the Coast Guard to provide for information on the dispersants BP is using. Markey and a lot of others believe the chemicals could have a devastating impact on people as well as the marine life. The Massachusetts democrat spoke with CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Is BP still using too many dispersants?

REP. EDWARD MARKEY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Well, I have asked the Coast Guard and I have asked the EPA to tell me what the -- decisions have been made that affect BP's use of these dispersants.

I am still very concerned about the impact that this uncontrolled science experiment can have long term in the Gulf of Mexico. And that's why I am demanding that we learn more in public about why BP continues to use the dispersants and what the conditions are that allow them to use them.

COOPER: Because, I mean, BP has reportedly used 272,000 gallons of dispersants in the Gulf since the EPA directed the company to cease using them about four weeks ago, except in rare cases.

Do you know what these allegedly rare cases are that they're using them in?

MARKEY: Well, again, the Coast Guard has the final say on the use of dispersants. And that is why I am asking the Coast Guard to give me the information that they are using in order to allow BP to continue to use the dispersants or if BP is using these dispersants in contravention of an order that has been made by the Coast Guard, in consultation with the EPA.

COOPER: You have said that -- that you're concerned about the underwater use of these dispersants. You say that BP has exceeded the amount that they were supposed to use under the water.

MARKEY: Yes.

BP continues to contend that there are no underwater plumes. And they use evidence from NOAA to say that there are no underwater plumes. But they were, in fact, looking at the data from NOAA west of the well. East of the well, NOAA says that they have confirmed that there are underwater plumes. So, we just continue with BP to have this denial of reality, which has been characteristic of the way in which they have dealt with these issues since day one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, and Anderson Cooper has invited BP executives to appear on the program. So far, no response.

So what are the best foods out there for your heart? Who else will have the answer to that question except Dr. Sanjay Gupta?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Again, here we are on day 67 of this Gulf oil disaster and the family of a 55-year-old Alabama man says the charter boat captain killed himself this week due to pressures caused by the Gulf oil spill. Authorities say Allen Kruse (ph) was found Wednesday in his boat's cabin with a gunshot wound to his head.

Also, other stories making headlines, President Obama, he's arrived in Canada to talk about global finances. The G-8 and G-20 summits are the world's wealthiest nations. Those meetings getting underway today.

Also, Michael Jackson fans around the world marking this first anniversary of the pop star's death. Police in Los Angeles have increased security at the Jackson family home in Encino and at Forest Lawn Memorial Park where Jackson is entombed.

Well, strawberries and dark chocolate, sound pretty good to you? Not just romantic foods and gifts these days anymore, they are also among the super foods that keep your heart healthy. Our Dr. Sanjay runs through the rest of them in today's "Fit Nation."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Time to cut through all the clutter about what's really good for your heart. The biggest key, says registered dietician Paige Love, is reducing the inflammatory compounds in your body.

PAIGE LOVE, DIETICIAN: Inflammation is the body's response when disease is cultivating. And often, there are foods that can actually help do the opposite of that in the body.

GUPTA: So what are these super foods?

LOVE: Eating red really helps to decrease inflammation. For example, cherries, particularly tart cherries. Red grapes, tomatoes.

GUPTA: Blueberries and strawberries also top the list as do leafy greens like spinach, even oatmeal.

LOVE: There is quite a bit of evidence showing that the fiber in oatmeal helps to lower cholesterol, so it is kind of one of those key disease-fighting breakfast foods.

GUPTA: If you're looking for a good snack food, try a can of nuts.

LOVE: Nuts are a good protein source, a good healthy vegetable fat source.

GUPTA: Avocados are also full of healthy, unsaturated fats that can help boost good cholesterol. Oily fish like salmon are rich in cholesterol-lowering Omega threes which can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of clotting. Then, of course, is everybody's favorite -- chocolate.

KATHERINE TALLMADGE, NUTRITIONIST, AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION: The cocoa is full of compounds called flavinols (ph) and produce a lot of benefits -- relaxing blood vessels, reducing blood clotting, improving blood flow.

GUPTA: OK, but despite the benefits of chowing down on chocolate --

TALLMADGE: Keep sweets or sort of extra foods to about 10 percent of your calories per day.

GUPTA: So here's to your heart health.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: There is a new robot out there that allows you to essentially spy. Maybe you can keep your eye on your home, your kids, the babysitter, your husband. We'll have a demonstration coming up. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Technology always gives us new things, useful things out there. Well now we've got something else. How useful will this be? You can spy on folks. It sounds a bit underhanded, I know, but what about catching crooks get who are trying to get into your home? Or maybe watching the kids? Could be a good thing.

Let's bring in Katie Linendoll, an expert in spying. She joins me now from New York. Just kidding there. She is an expert on all things tech related.

So where do you want to start? I know you got props today. What is that?

KATIE LINENDOLL, CNN TECH EXPERT: First off, let's start out with the SRV-1 Blackfin. And this little robot here, T.J., if you go to any of the most popular robotics laboratories in the world, you will find him. But what is really cool is it's starting to make its way into the average person's home as a home monitoring unit. You can see, we have taken it around the studios here at CNN in New York. And what's awesome is you can remotely access it using any web browser anywhere across the world. So for example, I actually use my iPad to control this in my Manhattan apartment, which is pretty remarkable.

And it's using very sophisticated technology. And I can sit here all day and tell you about incredible processor and the components, but all you need to know is it has the capability to fire lasers. End of story.

HOLMES: OK, it fires lasers. Now I thought -- does it have a camera on it? You can see what's going on as well, right?

LINENDOLL: Yes. It has a camera.

HOLMES: OK, go ahead.

LINENDOLL: It has a camera right on the forefront. So again, you put this anywhere in your house and it has the ability to really rove anywhere. You're controlling it remotely using any web browser. So it flies around your place. It's incredibly fast. You can change the speeds.

And like I said before, the components are pretty remarkable. And actually, a device very similar to this is being used in tests for Google's lunar landing contest which gives $30 million to the first team to reach the moon. So talk about sophisticated technology. You have it right in here, the SRV-1 Blackfin.

HOLMES: Katie, Katie, Katie. Why would I need to fire a laser?

LINENDOLL: Listen, robots and lasers, T.J., that's all we need in life. Give you some fire.

HOLMES: Is this supposed to hurt somebody? If somebody is breaking into my house, I see them and I send a little four-inch robot after them, they are going to step on it.

LINENDOLL: Maybe I should clarify. The lasers are more like laser pointers coming out of the front.

HOLMES: Oh, OK.

LINENDOLL: So I don't want anybody to panic and think we're blowing stuff up in the studio. That would be a really bad idea. I would be quickly replaced.

HOLMES: OK, there just little pointers. OK, I thought it was a weapon I could use at sometime. OK, that's different.

Now how much -- how expensive is something like that?

LINENDOLL: Yes, it's actually running at about $500 right now. This is really an early adopter unit. And I want you to know, engineers, IT -- people who are geeky like us at CNN, we love stuff like this, but really to be commonplace, we're going to see this a few years out. But it is available, that's the bottom line. And again, the components in this unit are used in robotics labs across the planet, which is awesome.

HOLMES: OK, well, they are telling me to move on. They can tell I'm so fascinated by the robot, but let's get to the glasses, this other way to spy on folks. I got to see these. Let me see the glasses.

LINENDOLL: Yes, for sure. So this is really cool. Imagine being able to take video of everything that you are seeing. It's like having your own personal helmet cam, which is awesome.

So these glasses, they have the controls on the side. Not only can you take video -- and you can see my footage here in Times Square, it's kind of like a helmet cam, as I said -- you can take video, you can still photos. And also, it gives you the capability to actually have an mp3 player built in, as well.

So now you can do all these things with covert sunglasses, which is pretty awesome. And also, I love that it has a three to four hour rechargeable battery and up to four hours of video storage. And they're not that geeky, right?

HOLMES: Well -- they're not made by Gucci, clearly. But how much is something like that?

LINENDOLL: OK. These aren't bad. These run anywhere from $69 to $99, which isn't terrible. And again, to have four hours of video footage -- no one knew in Times Square that I was taking video of them. It's incredible covert, which I think is pretty cool. And the quality, as you saw, isn't grainy. I was expecting it to be terrible and pixilated. Pretty decent.

HOLMES: That is pretty good. Katie, you got some good stuff today. We do appreciate it.

LINENDOLL: Oh, you just wait for the next hour. It's even better.

HOLMES: Next hour, we got some new stuff, all right. Katie, you've got to do a lot to top a laser-shooting robot and the glasses. Katie, we will see you again here shortly.

And of course you hear the music there, a lot of people can't believe -- a lot of people are surprised I've been talking to, what, it's been a year? Yes, a year now since we saw the passing of the man known as the King of Pop. The brand that is Michael Jackson brings in millions on top of millions of dollars. Yes, even in his death. Stay with us.

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HOLMES: Time to talk some money now. And if you need a good place, a good spot, a good resource for all your money needs and questions and the top stories, CNNMoney.com, as always. An interesting read here, you might want to check this out. You know that name, that face -- Tony Hayward who is a CEO of BP, the story there about the golden parachute. You always hear about big CEOs leaving big corporations and they get a pretty good chunk of change as they leave. So just one of the top stories you read on CNNMoney.com.

Speaking of money, 15 points down now, the Dow. Still above that all-important psychological milestone of 10,000 right now. But still down 15 points, several more hours to go in this trading day.

Meanwhile, also in terms of money, Michael Jackson, we know he made a name for himself in a whole lot of ways, and one of them was because of the lifestyle he lived -- pretty lavish. But now a year after his death, the King of Pop's finances finally possibly on the road to recovery. Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange with more on that.

Alison, we remember so much talk about his debt, how much financial trouble he was in. Sounds like now a year after his death, he's digging out of that hole, amazingly, out of that financial hole.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, T.J., cause you know, even in death, those bills still need to be paid. And those bills are now being paid. And we talked with a source who knows the intimate details about Michael Jackson's estate finances, and here's what we found out.

Michael Jackson was almost $500 million in debt at the time of his death, and you know, it really makes you wonder, how did the King of Pop fall so hard. if one big problem is the fact that he didn't work in the years leading to his death and then his career took a hit when he had to fight child molestation charges. And at one time, Neverland cost $4 million to keep up.

So he was spending a lot of money, not generating a lot of money, not a lot coming in and that's why he wound up in so much debt. Now we're at one year later, T.J., the debt is reduced by nearly $200 million. You know, it's a simple math equation. If you want to spend money, you've got to make money, and at this point, the debts are being whittled away -- T.J.

HOLMES: You talk about them being whittled away, a lot of people have questions about how. We saw a lot of those sales. Is it just that music? The sales have been going up and a lot of interest since he died?

KOSIK: Yes, it's the music, it's the projects that followed his death. I mean, the sheer fact of it is his popularity skyrocketed after his death and so did the income of his estate. Michael Jackson was the best-selling artist last year. He sold $8 million. The chart, take a look at that, at that chart. It shows the sales over the past decade. In one year, he sold more albums than he did in the years before his death.

And then there are the projects that are going to be following here, other major sources of income. "This Is It," that movie, we remember it came out, it raked in $260 million and then it's expected he will make millions of dollars from other projects, including a Cirque du Soleil show and even a video game -- T.J.

HOLMES: Wow, that is amazing. But I guess we should understand, because even now all these years later, Elvis, quite frankly, is still making money, as well.

KOSIK: And he may surpass Elvis.

HOLMES: He may surpass Elvis.

All right, Alison Kosik keeping an eye on things. Good to see you, as always, Alison. Thank you so much.

We're keeping an eye as we told you on weather today. And there are weather watchers out there with their eye on a major storm system that could cause a problem in the Gulf. The last thing they need there. We're going to be talking about it and how this could all play out. That's coming up in the next hour.

Plus, an update on the disaster with the Coast Guard admiral -- the retired admiral now, but he's still in charge of the recovery -- Thad Allen.

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