Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

U.S. Soccer Success; Gulf Vessel Owners Wait for BP's Call; Perspective on G-20 Summit

Aired June 25, 2010 - 14:00   ET

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

TONY MEOLA, FMR U.S. SOCCR PLAYER:--And there are two options we'll either play Ghana or play against Germany. And we know how tough mentally the Germans can be on the field.

And I think this is a good match-up, because, mentally, I think that this game just matches up better on the field with them. And they also know they're going to get some opportunities. The African nations are known for giving away opportunities because they take so many chances going forward. So this is a good setup for the United States.

ROTH: Why are the South Americans doing so well?

MEOLA: You know, that's been the mystery of the World Cup. We all thought that due to the weather, the European teams would be the strong teams. South American teams have an incredible record. And I think you're going to see about half of the final 16 to be South American teams. And it really has been one of the mysteries of the tournament.

ROTH: Let me ask you a question I think I did in 1990, when you departed for Italy on the World Cup, one of the three squads you were on. Could this put the sport of soccer over the bar, to use Ali's phrase there, in America?

MEOLA: Well, I spoke about this with Ali, that we needed some good results. And certainly given what happened in the last game, coupled with the fact that we had this sort of -- I call it on on- field scandal with the goal that was disallowed against Slovenia, and certainly the excitement has built and we've gotten some American fans behind this team. They're a good team. They should get support. And this will obviously help the sport grow.

ROTH: Tony, thank you very much. I know you'll be watching, as you have with your heart racing, as the United States continues in the World Cup in South Africa.

Ali, back to you in Canada, where their team did not qualify for the World Cup.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: They did not. But as you know, Richard, from being here, Toronto is a very multicultural city. So, you see cars driving around the streets here with the flags of their nations who are competing in the World Cup. And I'll tell you, ,even here at the G-8, where everybody should be watching feeds of speeches and introductions and things like that, there's World Cup games on the screens right here.

You know, Tony, when I talked to him a couple of weeks ago, said to me he really thinks America is going to push forward and do really well. And at that time, it wasn't clear. America was playing a game where they'd get into it later in the game, they had some setbacks. But this team continues to surprise and to do well.

I think it's got a lot of people's attention, Richard. I know you're a soccer guy from a long time ago. But there are a lot more people, I think, talking about it and watching it.

ROTH: It's the viral, also, aspect of this. I mean, Jeanne Moos did a great report. People are setting up cameras to watch themselves react to if the U.S. scored in that game against Algeria. There's pandemonium in living rooms. Forget the bars.

This was what was different in 1994, when the U.S. lost to Brazil, a game that Tony played in, the most watched U.S. soccer match ever.

VELSHI: Yes. Well, it will be fun to watch. We'll watch it together.

Richard, thanks very much. And say thank you again for Tony. It's always a pleasure to have him on.

All right. It's a new hour, a new "Rundown." Here's where I'm taking you today -- the Gulf of Mexico.

It's the last thing people there need. Some potentially nasty weather could move into the oil-filled waters. We've got a forecast for you you're going to want to pay attention to.

Plus, I'm reporting to you today from Toronto, Canada, where world leaders are converging for two global summits back to back.

And I've got some advice for them. Listen to the 89-year-old mayor of nearby Mississauga. She's doing everything right in her job, and you'll see why.

And South Africa, as Richard was saying, the World Cup in full swing with the U.S. facing a crucial match tomorrow. But there is something different about this World Cup, and it comes down to what's being kicked around on the field -- a new ball for a new tournament.

We've tested this thing. We're going to tell you what's different about it.

Let me take you to the Gulf Coast first.

Some new concerns growing. Every day for the last 67 days, we have showed you that leak, the cameras under the sea. But now we're going to show you two different things.

We're going to show you the leak on one side and we're going to show you a weather system on the right side of your screen. This is a tropical disturbance that's forming near Jamaica, and the conditions for this thing are favorable for pushing it northwest, into the Gulf of Mexico, making this into a tropical depression, maybe even a tropical storm. And if it hits that area where the oil is, this could cause all sorts of new problems.

(WEATHER REPORT)

VELSHI: National Incident Commander Thad Allen is saying he needs five days to start moving people out of position if there is a tropical storm coming in, or a hurricane coming into the Gulf. He talked to CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" this morning to talk about what has to be done with those vessels that are in the Gulf of Mexico right now if a storm comes on.

Listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. THAD ALLEN, NATIONAL INCIDENT COMMANDER: This will be the first time, and there is no playbook, but I will tell you there has been an extraordinary amount of planning being done by the folks at the National Incident Command, the Unified Area Command, and our incident commanders on the ground. Been working very closely with Craig Fugate from FEMA, of course Secretary Napolitano, and also our DOD counterparts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: OK. There are a lot of vessels out at sea. Some of them official vessels. Many of them are these Vessels of Opportunity, vessels owned by shrimpers and crabbers and fishermen that are being used by BP. They're being contracted out to BP, allowing these people who are out of work to have some work.

But there are a lot more people who are out of work who would like to be employed by BP, and they can't seem to get that done.

Gary Tuchman is in the new Orleans. He's been in the Gulf Coast following the story, talking to workers who are trying to get work who can't get work.

Gary, what do you know?

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ali, in Louisiana, there are more than 600 boat captains, and there are boats that are part of that program. But there's another 1,600 or so who are on the waiting list, who desperately want to.

Many of them are making no money whatsoever. And the big problem we're finding is these people are telling us that they are talking to not courteous BP employees, BP employees who don't know what they're talking about, BP employees who tell them to call another number, and they just don't know what's going on.

So, we went to investigate this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN (voice-over): We met Carl Le Blanc Tuesday working at his crabbing boat. But it's on the front lawn, not on the water. That's his fishing boat. That's his shrimping boat.

(on camera): Are you making any money?

CARL LE BLANC, VESSEL-OF-OPPORTUNITY APPLICANT: None at all. I mean, Not a dollar.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): So Carl applied for BP's so-called Vessel- of-Opportunity program. BP pays for boats and crews to help in the cleanup. The program is intended for people like Carl, fishermen who have lost their incomes. But after Carl applied, he heard nothing.

(on camera): So, you called them up and said, what's going on? What did they tell you?

LE BLANC: They told us that we needed to bring --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They didn't know where our paperwork was.

LE BLANC: That we weren't in the system.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They didn't know where --

TUCHMAN: You weren't even in the system?

LE BLANC: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): The same thing happened to fisherman Thomas Barrios?

THOMAS BARRIOS, VESSEL-OF-OPPORTUNITY APPLICANT: We called and we were checking on where we were in the system. And so far, it seems like no one knew who we were.

TUCHMAN: So, Tuesday night of this week, both men went to this open house designed for people with these types of problems. And there were many others with similar complaints. But they said they didn't get meaningful answers from a BP contractor who was there.

So, because BP lifted its controversial rule preventing contractors from talking to journalists, we went looking for answers.

(on camera): So, I wanted to see if we could talk to you about the Vessels-of-Opportunity program and why so many people who want to be part of it are not hearing from anybody.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry, I can't comment.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): This man wanted us to talk to a supervisor who was not at this open house.

(on camera): BP's been very specific that its contractors are allowed to talk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've not given me that information. I suggest that you talk to Judy Paul.

TUCHMAN: So, BP has told you, you can't talk?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've told me to refer media requests to Judy Paul.

TUCHMAN: I'm asking you, sir, BP said you can't talk to the media?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've told me to refer media requests to Judy Paul.

TUCHMAN: I'll ask you one more time. They said that you can't talk to the media?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. They've told me to refer media requests to Judy Paul.

TUCHMAN: So we decided it was time to find Judy Paul, but we had no luck reaching her. A BP spokesman did give us a written statement saying the two men's cases will be investigated, but we still wanted to talk to Judy Paul.

(voice-over): So, we showed up at a heavily-secured BP office in Houma, Louisiana.

(on camera): You are the Judy Paul we were looking for?

I am the Judy Paul you were looking for, yes.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Ms. Paul says she's sorry she missed the town hall meeting. But, lo and behold, tells us she just called the men we interviewed.

PAUL: I can tell you I spoke with both Mr. Le Blanc and Mr. Barrios this morning. Their contracts have been confirmed as being in the system.

TUCHMAN: That's the good news. The bad news is hundreds of other people are also in the system on the waiting list.

(on camera): Is there a chance these two gentlemen will get work with your program?

PAUL: There is a chance. But we can't displace someone else who perhaps entered the program earlier just to move people forward because they happened to talk to CNN.

TUCHMAN: You can't offer anybody any guidance about whether they're going to get called or not.

PAUL: That's correct.

TUCHMAN: That's a tough position to put all these guys in who are not making livings anymore.

PAUL: It is. It is.

TUCHMAN: So you acknowledge that?

PAUL: Absolutely.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): In Louisiana alone, about 1,900 vessels are on the waiting list.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN: Ali, a typical boater who is in the Vessels-of- Opportunity program can make about $1,500 a day. It sounds like a good chunk of change, and indeed it's good money. But this is not an infinite program. And fishing was their life.

VELSHI: Right.

TUCHMAN: They thought fishing was infinite for them, and they don't know if they'll ever be able to fish again. And that's certainly a big problem.

Another thing I want to mention to you about the woman you saw in our story who we found eventually, she says she will be available for any comments or questions we have about this Vessel-of-Opportunity program. She says she will be accountable when it comes to this issue.

VELSHI: You know, Gary, a lot of these people, when I was down there and I talked to them, they're grateful if they can get that work. But even hurricanes -- they say when a hurricane comes, they know that it will pass, they'll fix it up, they'll go out and fish.

They don't know when the shrimp come back, when the oysters come back. This could be it for a lot of people in their 40s or 50s. They don't know if they'll ever fish again.

So, they're not counting on this Vessel-of-Opportunity program to last forever, as you said. The oil will stop, hopefully, at some point, maybe in August, and they don't know what they're going to do with the rest of their time.

TUCHMAN: I mean, that's the thing, Ali, that most of these people we've talked to -- they love this. This is what they've done their whole lives. And they don't know anything else. They don't know what their future holds.

VELSHI: Gary, thanks for some great reporting from New Orleans.

He's going to be around the Gulf, and we'll keep checking in with him.

All right. I want to turn directions here.

He's the president and CEO of the second largest bank in Canada, a bank that has maintained a AAA credit rating when a lot of other banks are suffering. He's got some advice for members of the G-20 summit. And you'll recognize the name when I tell you what he's in charge of when we come back in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: I'm here in Toronto for the G-20, the G-8 summits. Toronto, a beautiful skyline behind me.

A lot of Americans enjoy coming here because it's got a lot in common with American cities. There are some differences, and there are some things, particularly after this financial crisis, that we can learn from Canada about.

The Canadian banking system is rated one of the safest in the world. The Canadian lending system has been safe. And Canada has escaped a housing crisis for some simple reasons.

Now, the second largest bank in Canada is TD Bank. Many of you along the East Coast of the United States will recognize it because there are TD Bank branches pretty much all the way from the Northeast, down to the Southeast.

I've got the CEO of TD Bank with me, Ed Clark. He's here, based in Toronto.

The second largest bank in Canada, but one of the largest banks in North America entirely.

ED CLARK, PRESIDENT, TD BANK: Right. Yes. We'd be about the sixth largest bank in North America. And in terms of our U.S. operations, we'd be in the top 10 in the U.S.

VELSHI: Tell me a couple of things. If we are looking at how the rest of the world does business -- that's one of the advantages of G-8s and G-20s, you can see what works in other countries.

The United States has encouraged -- and this might be government, this might be the banking sector, but encouraged risky lending for some years. This is something that wasn't allowed in Canada, and now it appears that the banking system here is substantially stronger than that in the United States.

Is that by design, or did we just not take risks in Canada that, frankly, some people wanted to take?

CLARK: Yes. No, I would say it was by design. That, fundamentally, the mortgage system in Canada operates differently. And the core element is that we hold the mortgages that we originate.

So we have skid in the game of whether or not we think someone can pay us back. But I think the core weakness in the U.S. system is that they separate origination, the person who originates the mortgage. All they have to do is say is, can I get this thing sold? I don't care whether ultimately it works or doesn't work. So, I think you have an alliance of interest where we actually want to help our borrowers and make sure they can get it. So, in this crisis, once it started, if people who held mortgages with us start getting in trouble, we said, well, let's modify your mortgage and let's help you through this crisis.

VELSHI: So you don't have to way for a government program.

(CROSSTALK)

CLARK: We've been doing about 1,000 of those a week right from the start. And I didn't have to tell any government I was doing it and didn't have to ask their permission.

VELSHI: Well, you know, in the United States, a lot of these programs, including the writing off of mortgage interest against your taxes, were designed to encourage homeownership. But when you look at the numbers, homeownership is not greater in the United States than it is in Canada, which doesn't encourage -- which doesn't give you a break on your mortgage interest.

CLARK: Right. Because I think what people don't understand is sort of the simple economics that, when you do those things (ph), all they do is drive up the price of houses. So, the people who already own houses get the benefit, not the people who are buying houses.

VELSHI: What do we learn? What can the U.S. from Canada -- and can they -- can they take something to create a stronger banking system in the United States like Canada has?

CLARK: Well, I think they are starting to take some measures to try to do that. I think it will be very important that Basal (ph) reforms, which is sort of an international set of rules about capital and liquidity, are terribly important. If we don't get those rules right, then all these other reforms won't have the real impact.

So, I think there's a lot of worldwide interest in getting this right. I think reforming the mortgage system, frankly, is going to be a long process in the United States, because the structure fundamentally has big weaknesses. It's going to take some time to sort it out.

VELSHI: So, as you become a bigger banks in the United States, whose rules do you play by, the ones you're used to in Canada, which are a little more conservative, or the ones that allow you to be more competitive in the United States?

CLARK: Well, because we're a bank that's built all around this relationship with our customer to be America's most convenient bank, we originate a lot of mortgage business, but we keep the mortgage business. We will sell off our services rights because we want to have that relationship with --

(CROSSTALK)

VELSHI: So, if I'm a mortgage holder with you, and I find myself in trouble, my call can be to your bank, and you can negotiate some sort of a modification with me if you choose to?

CLARK: Right. That is critical.

To me, that's critical, because we only want -- we're a franchise builder. We want to have relationships with customers, whether commercial customers or individual customers. And we always say that we don't make bad loans in good times so we can make good loans in bad times.

And so we've been increasing our market share dramatically in the downturn. And we want to be there for customers.

Often, you know, banks say, well, we're there for you when you're rich, but we're not there when you're in trouble. We think the opposite. That's when you need your bank, is to be there when you're in trouble.

VELSHI: All right. Well, let's hope that comes out of it. And let's hope there's something that comes out of this G-20, because I know they're going to be discussing particularly what you said, capitalization.

I think a lot of people who don't follow banks were surprised to learn how leveraged banks are, how little capital they actually have to do business. And there's some emphasis on that changing worldwide.

CLARK: Yes. And we've been advocates. I've written articles about it and given speeches about it.

We're advocates to get the capital rules right and get the liquidity rules right. And I think we should do it with some urgency. Because given that sort of international fragility that we're seeing right now, I think we need to get certainty.

Now we have U.S. regulatory reform. There will be lots of things that we'll have to learn about what it means and what it doesn't mean. But we have got a basis now.

I think now, if we could quickly follow up and say, what's the common capital standards, and, frankly, let's make sure we have good liquidity standards, because it was called a liquidity crisis for a real reason.

VELSHI: All right. Ed Clark, thanks for joining us.

CLARK: Thank you.

VELSHI: Ed Clark is the CEO of TD Bank, Canada's largest bank, the sixth largest bank in the United States.

Coming up next, a young man turns personal tragedies into prom dreams. He's a CNN Hero that you will never forget.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) VELSHI: Well, it's a rite of passage for millions of school kids -- prom night. Some young people never get to experience it because they are fighting life-threatening illnesses. Well, this week's CNN Hero is changing that, giving seriously ill teens their night to remember.

Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

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

Wow.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You like it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's 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)

VELSHI: Well, Fred Scarf has made prom dreams come true for more than 400 teens.

Well, to see one woman get ready for her big night, or to nominate someone who you think is changing the world, go to CNN.com/heroes. You can follow our heroes on Facebook and on Twitter.

All right. I can't go too long without talking about World Cup. So, there's this big controversy over the World Cup soccer ball. You know, it's newly redesigned every time. Players say it is messing up their game. So, CNN went to a testing to see if it's true.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: OK. So, the World Cup soccer ball is pretty cool. We've shown it to you a few times.

I've got one. It looks and feels very different than what you're normally used to on a soccer ball. It's said to have some remarkable technological improvements.

That's a regular soccer ball on the left. The World Cup soccer ball is on the right.

But World Cup players are complaining. They're saying it plays differently than a normal soccer ball, and not in a good way.

They only had about a month of practice with this ball. Now, here's the difference.

A regular soccer ball has 32 stitched panels. The Jabulani, which is what this one is called, has eight panels. It's got grooves like a soccer ball, like dimples.

They, in theory, make the ball go farther. It's aeronautical. It's all sorts of things.

So, aeronautical engineers at Cal Tech (ph) did a wind tunnel test to see differences in the ball's air flow pattern, which is what the soccer players have been complaining about. Critics have called the ball tricky and unpredictable.

Now, to the engineers, that translates to a lot of jargon, things like surface roughness, planes of symmetry, turbulence versus laminer flow. I have no idea what that means.

So, they set the dial to about 30 meters per second, simulating the average speed of a ball kicked by the players. Now, if the ball was always turbulent, we would see wind hugging the curvature hugging of the ball. Instead, as you can see in this high-speed video, the wind does not hug the ball, it separates as it passes over the ball. The surface area of the ball with all its dimples still may change how it plays. Think of a golf ball, the dimples tend to make it go further. So the issue is that, it's prone to switch from turbulent, to smooth air flow.

Now here's how this actually plays out on a soccer field. A goalie sees the ball coming but then it suddenly changes its trajectory and the goalie misses. This may have been behind England's goalie's miss last weekend.

Full disclosure though, the scientists in this experiment is English. Now this is not comprehensive testing, it's not completely scientific, it's a little bit scientific. Signs say that this controversy may have been right after all.

We'll see if it changes the results. July 11, final game of the World Cup. I'll be there, I'll tweet. Tell you whether it makes nay difference.

OK. On- -I want to take you over to Muskoka, Canada, this is the tape of the G-8 leaders, were all gathering eight world leaders. This is their family photo they just took a few moments ago. There are the leaders that's Japan, Italy, the United States of America, President Barack Obama, various other world leaders, David Cameron there of great Britain, Angela Merkel of Germany. And another guy. Taking their pictures.

There's Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada. Very nice, they look very happy, getting things done. And we'll keep you posted. They're about two hours away from Toronto right now. They'll finish up their G-8 meeting and then they'll come to Toronto for the G-20 meeting, much bigger meeting. I will be on TV all weekend bringing you everything that's up to date with my colleagues Dan Lothian and Jeanne Meserve. They're all here with me

OK It's a year after Michael Jackson's death. And a lawsuit is headed to court His fans are gathering to remember him. Don Lemon joins us live with more on the man, his music and his legacy coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Today marks the one-year anniversary of Michael Jackson's death. Jackson's father is expected very shortly to file a wrongful death suit against the last doctor who treated him, Dr. Conrad Murray. In the year since he died, Jackson's estate has generated at least $1 billion, according to billboard. That includes $429 million from record sales. $392 million from film and TV. $130 million from music publishing. Don Lemon spoke to Michael Jackson's family.

But he joins us live first to talk about it.

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Let's talk about this. Because, we're awaiting the family members to come up. And I just want to show you there are lots of people who are on the VIP list. And you might recognize this person right here who is on the VIP list. Actually friends with Randy Jackson. Hey, Tony.

Can you believe it's been one year?

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: No I can't we were talking about it. We've been talking about it for the last few weeks. Darnell Sutton is the business manager for Randy and the other brothers as well. And we've been talking about it for the last few weeks. And just can't believe that it's been a year.

It's been tough for me to sort of put it in perspective given that I grew up with the guy. Look I'm 50 years old he died at 50 so I feel like I watched him from the very beginning. To be here today is just very odd.

LEMON: Say again.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: It's a day of celebration.

LEMON: It is. And that's what these people have been saying think more people are going to be surprised that you gave your age on television, Tony. Because you know you're not supposed to do that.

Ali's laughing at you because Ali knows what that is. Thankfully when I first came to work for CNN, Tony said, the only thing I don't like about you is you have hair.

HARRIS: And so damn good-looking.

LEMON: But listen, you know and it's not a somber mood. Tony You guys see that listen can we pan around here? Again the family is going to come this way and we're going to talk.

Tony, stand by real quick, we're going to show you - look at, this, this is where all these people have been streaming through here. So far, over 1,000 people have come here and they have to walk up about a quarter mile up a hill and then up here to this platform where they have set off for flowers and what have you.

And we've been seeing people like this young lady walking by if you can see her here with tears in her eyes. We've seen Japan, we have seen Australia we have seen, New Zealand. Can we talk to you, ma'am? are you okay?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

LEMON: She's upset. And as many people who have been walking by they're upset as well. Some of them wanting to talk, others not wanting to talk. But again Michael Jackson has had --look how beautiful this architecture is. And this is a mausoleum where they have Michael Jackson inside of here. And CNN, the only camera allowed up here this close for people to come. The sunflowers, you're going to go in, you're going to run inside --

HARRIS: We're going to run inside and maybe visit with you a little later this afternoon?

LEMON: Give me a little color. I'd love for you to do that Tony. Pleasure, it's good seeing you. Always good to see you, Tony, take it easy mean. Ali, he says good-bye. But again, it's been a lot of folks. Yesterday it wasn't even open and 1,000 people showed up. And there were some back and forth about whether or not this was going to happen.

And it did, so people weren't' sure but you know what I find interesting,? Of course you have to watch the documentary tonight. Is that there are these conspiracy theories about what happened to Michael Jackson even from the family members, from the brothers. Jermaine he said, I believe there were people around my brother who wanted him dead.

And I said, do you think your brother-there are people who think your brother is worth more dead than alive? And he said, ,Ali. you know the questions to ask yes. And I said, well do you? And he goes yes I do. I said who are they? And that will be answered for you tonight in the documentary. And as you said that wrongful death suit that civil suit is being filed in district court here today.

VELSHI: Has it been filed yet?

LEMON: It has not been filed. We're anticipating the filing of it. And we have -- the person who is filing it is supposed to have filed it on behalf of the Jackson family is Brian Oxman, who is the family attorney.

And the same thing we have--we know that there was a complaint filed against the medical board. The same accusations in that complaint are supposed to be in this new complaint, this new wrongful death suit that will be filed, that it was Dr. Conrad Murray and other agencies who are responsible for Michael Jackson's death. And the family, fans, everyone, they wanted to get to the bottom of it because they feel Ali that they were cheated out of the last moments of Michael Jackson's life.

All right. Good work out there. By the I should tell you, I probably owe Tony Harris my job here because he was actively lobbying to have more guys without hair on CNN out of Atlanta.

LEMON: So he wouldn't feel he wouldn't be alone.

VELSHI: That's right. Exactly. Don, great stuff. I want people--what an interesting interview that you had with the members of the Jackson family. You can watch that tonight in "Michael Jackson, The Final Days"

It airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN. You'll also hear from the king of pop's closest friends about his health and his state of mind leading up to his death.

Last year, today, one year ago at the age of 50.

OK One Canadian mayor is sticking to her long-term plan of building a better city the right way, a city without debt. She could teach the presidents and politicians who are all here for the G-8 and the G-20 some lessons. You're going to meet her when I come back.

(COMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Time for "Mission Possible" now where we show you how people are making a difference. Today we're focusing on someone right next door to where I am. I'm in Toronto where I'm covering the G-8 and G-20 summits. Now right next to the city of Toronto, right next to is a city called Mississauga

I remember growing up it was a kind of place you went for a drive, through maybe you lived there, but you worked in Toronto. Mayor of Mississauga, Hazel McCallion, 89 years old, she's been the mayor since 1978.

This is a city that under her watch has grown by leaps and bounds since she took office, grown debt-free. As you can almost say It's a model for some of the politicians gathered right around the corner.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All in favor?

VELSHI (voice-over): From early morning council meetings and photo ops --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On her shoulders rests a great responsibility.

VELSHI: -- to an eighth grade graduation ceremony, where she's mobbed by her constituents, young and old. It's not easy keeping up with Hazel McCallion, the tireless 89-year-old mayor of Mississauga. Leading Canada's sixth-largest city, she is not too big to pick up garbage or run with the Olympic torch. She has been the mayor since 1978. The city she governs has grown from a sleepy bedroom community next to Toronto into a thriving metropolis, home to 61 Fortune 500 companies.

HAZEL MCCALLION, MAYOR OF MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO: People from Toronto came out to pick strawberries and apples.

VELSHI: McCallion still drives herself around. She has won re- election ten times by huge margins, except when she ran uncontested. Regardless, she says she never campaigns, just works under some simple rules.

MCCALLION: Working hard and being out with your people. And not making promises that you can't keep.

VELSHI: McCallion is a widow. She plays hockey, fishes and loves to get out on her bike. But she is no small-town mayor anymore. The recession didn't hit Canada as hard as it hit the U.S., but famously debt-free Mississauga may soon run out of its surplus. It has made McCallion focus on keeping business in Mississauga even sharper.

MCCALLION: We're not allowed to give tax breaks to industry or commerce in the province of Ontario. It's illegal. We are conscious of the needs of the community. Taxes is not the only thing a company looks at. They want to make sure -- they want to attract the type of personnel that they need to operate.

VELSHI: McCallion has also nurtured relationships with developers.

GERRY TIMBERS, "THE MISSISSAUGA NEWS": You want to build a subdivision, you're going to build a community center. You're going to build a hockey arena, you're going to fix up the park. So, she made the developers pay the way, and that was how she kept taxes down.

VELSHI: McCallions points to Mississauga's diversity as one of its greatest strengths.

MCCALLION: A lot of them settled in Toronto when they first came over here. And then some of their nest egg, and then they wanted to move out of Toronto to buy a house of their own.

VELSHI: And she proudly points out that nine of her twelve city counselors are women. She plans on holding on to her office, running without campaigning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELSHI: Quite a character. Hazel McCallion tells me that she is going to run again this fall. By the way you saw mayors around her wear those things around them. That's why you saw those sort of coins. That that---I don't know what you call it but it is kind of cool. She's a great mayor. They are facing challenges thought like so many other cities where either services need to be cut or they're going to have to go into the red a little bit.

But her constituents seem to love her and hopefully some of what she does will rub off onto some of the other people having some of these struggles in other cities around North America.

I want to turn my attention back to the Gulf now some good news, a wildlife center is excited about the impact that the oil is having on them. Details in an unusual :"Building Up America" report coming up after the break.

VELSHI: You're looking at Janet Jackson now arriving at Glendale, California, the memorial for Michael Jackson, one year after his death, one year to the day. This is the forest lawn cemetery, members of the Jackson family, Don Lemon is there. He said over 1,000 people are there already. Members of the Jackson family arriving.

Janet Jackson, we understand other members of the family are arriving as well. Our cameras are there as you can see with Don. And tonight, 8:00, Don's got a special. He interviewed members of the Jackson family. Some very interesting things that they've said, including the fact that they feel that there were people around Michael Jackson who felt that they might profit from his death. You'll hear about that tonight 8:00 Eastern on CNN.

The race is on to save the unique wildlife along the Gulf coast. You would think that animal activists would be as terrified as the rest of us as more oil creeps to the shore. But some of them are actually excited about it. Tom foreman is in Tallahassee, Florida, with today's "Building Up America".

TOM FOREMAN: Ali,. as we've traveled the Gulf coast all week long, we've run into lots of frustrated people who are terribly frustrated that they can't do anything to help all the wildlife that's certainly being hurt by this catastrophic spill.

But in some places, they have redirected their efforts to helping wildlife in general with great results.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN (voice over): For every living creature at the Florida Wild Mammal Association, the oil catastrophe has changed the world.. And the woman in charge, Chris Beatty, says oddly it's for the better.

CHRIS BEATTY, FLORIDA WILD MAMMAL ASSOCIATION: We received over 1,000 e-mails in the last four weeks and the phone just rings off the hook with all sorts of questions from volunteers.

FOREMAN ( on camera) Because they want to help the wildlife of this state?

BEATY: Yes, they do. And this is their home, their community, their environment.

FOREMAN (voice over): The center takes in 1,000 animals a year, mostly injured or orphaned, most to be treated and released. Seagulls, possums, raccoons.

BEATTY: It's baby season, if you couldn't tell.

FOREMAN: Dozens of deer like this fawn whose mother was hit by a car and flocks of little birds.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE; And every 15 minutes we feed them through a syringe. Unless they're really little and then it's every ten minutes.

FOREMAN: But lately they've also been taking in lots of donations, from people intent on building this place up in case the oil keeps coming. One recent Saturday, the center was given almost $19,000 in cash, supplies and free labor from 80 volunteers, including Clutch Simms (ph)

UNIDENTFIED FEMALE: Can't depend a whole lot on our government. So we have to do it ourselves, take care of our own business.

FOREMAN: So they are rebuilding pelican pens, hawk and oil enclosures, Fox habitats. They don't know if they'll get any oiled animals, but --

We feel it's better to be prepared than to wait till it actually happens. FORMEMAN: Close by, the U.S. the fish and wildlife service is preparing, too, surveying the eastern Gulf coast ahead of the advancing oil.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually we're trying to get real specific information on wildlife. We're comparing the situation now with what might occur.

FOREMAN (on camera): So at least you'll know what you're up against if it happens?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE That's right. That's correct

FOREMAN (voice over): Fishing, hunting, eco tourism

(on camera) Wildlife of Florida really is an important part of what makes this state attractive to people.

BEATTY: I think it's beyond that. The whole panhandle is a rural area and that's what our livelihoods depend on. Without wildlife, we'd be very damaged.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN : As it is, the tragedy is bringing attention that could help Florida's wildlife for many years. Some of the support for this program came through a program called volunteer Florida, it's an initiative by the governor's office here which is aimed at just this -- getting people out to do what they can to improve their communities at all times and especially when faced with catastrophic problems like this one. Ali?

VELSHI: Tom, thanks so much. Tom is out with the CNN -- the beloved, my beloved CNN express.

OK Coming up, we've got a very Toronto "Wordplay" for you. Coming up, fleshing out some abbreviations that confuse folks annually.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Gee, I hope today's "Wordplay" helps a lot of folks. You guessed it we're looking at G-8 and G-20. First things first G-8 stands for the group of eight, G-20 for the group of 20. They're forums that get some of the most powerful people in the world face to face around a table.

The -G8 are the heads government of the U.S. Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy Canada, and Russia The agenda is determined by the summit's host country which rotates around the members. It's Canada now. G-20 which happens on Saturday and Sunday, the agenda there is money.

And it's made up of finance ministers and central bank chiefs from 19 countries. The 20th one is the representative of the European union who acts on behalf of the 27 member countries there. The European union is bigger than the economy of the United States.

OK Coming up in my "Xyz", I want to talk about a Philadelphia court case involving a local chapter of the boy scouts. Legally, the case in ruling may seem clear but there's a whole lot more to it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Time now for the "Xyz" of it. You may find this hard to believe, but the city of brotherly love just took a local chapter of the Boy Scouts of America to court. And yesterday jury ruled in favor of the 100 year old organization. This particular chapter in Philadelphia has been occupying a nearly rent-free city-owned building since 1928.

But in 2007, Philly city council passed an ordinance to evict the scouts. The reason? The chapter's refusal to reject the national Boy Scouts ban on gay membership. The city says because the chapter does not openly reject that policy, it's violating a Philadelphia charter against discrimination. A spokesman for Mayor Michael Nutter says, "While the good work of the Boy Scouts cannot be disputed, the city remains steadfast in its commitment to prevent its facilities from being used to disadvantage certain groups.

So over the last few years, there's been a lot of legal maneuvering and ultimately the local chapter filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in 2008 claiming that Philadelphia was violating their first amendment rights. The jury agreed. About 10 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts of America could exclude gay members and troop leaders, because the group is categorized as a membership organization.

I'm no lawyer but it does not seem fair to me that a group meant to positively influence young boys should have an anti gay stand. Beyond that it seems even more unfair that they should then be protected in perpetuating attitudes that promote that prejudice. They may have the legal right to do it. But it would seem Philly comes out on the right side of this. By posting the not welcome sign until such time as the Boy Scouts of America update their position on homosexuality. That's my "Xyz" have a great weekend time now for RICK'S LIST.