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Air Race Disaster; Chaos on the Battlefield; Battle over Death Row Inmate Troy Davis; AIDS and the Black Community

Aired September 17, 2011 - 22:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Tragedy at an air race in Reno, Nevada. This kind of high-powered sport has never been this fatal except for now.

Innocent or guilty? Will Troy Davis die for a crime some say he did not commit?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After conversations with him, I did believe in his innocence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Is this an anti-death penalty case, or is it all about the evidence?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We still have the seven of the nine witnesses that have recanted. We have the people that are coming out, speaking the truth.

LEMON: Libya, under fire from Gadhafi's troops, and a CNN journalist is caught in the crossfire.

And a personal milestone for a music legend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've invited some of my closest musical colleagues to come and celebrate with me at The Beacon Theater in New York City.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: CNN sits down with one of the world's most popular entertainers. Can you guess how old he is?

Good evening, everyone. Thanks for joining us here in the NEWSROOM. I'm Don Lemon. We begin this hour with new information about a deadly crash at a Nevada air show.

Crowds have been going to Reno, Nevada for decades to watch incredible acts of courage in the skies. The National Championship Air Races draw up to 200,000 people every single year. Planes have crashed and pilots have died in the past. But until now, no spectators have been killed.

Here's what happened.

(VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: One witness called the sound of the impact unbelievable, and you can certainly see why. Veteran pilot and Hollywood stuntman Jimmy Leeward was killed. Eight people in the crowd also died.

Photographs taken right before the crash show a piece of the plane appears to be missing. A piece that would have had a major impact on the pilot's ability to maintain control.

CNN's Dan Simon is in Reno, Nevada tonight, and he has more on the pilot and the investigation into the crash.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He was an aviation all-star, at least here in Reno where Jimmy Leeward had been competing in races since 1975.

MARILYN NEWTON, PHOTOJOURNALIST: He was just really fun. He loved to smile. He loved to just visit with people. He would talk about anything but especially planes. He loved to talk about planes.

SIMON: Marilyn Newton, a photojournalist for the local newspaper developed a friendship with him after years of covering the annual event.

NEWTON: He was very experienced, and which you need to be if you're going to be racing close with other people. But he was a great pilot. You know, everybody admired him and thought the world of him. All of the other pilots I've talked to.

SIMON: Leeward, a Florida real estate developer who built a neighborhood especially designed for airplane owners favored the vintage planes, especially his WORLD WAR II Era P-51 Mustang.

JIMMY LEEWARD, VETERAN PILOT: Hi, I'm Jimmy Leeward. We are here at Leeward Air Ranch. We finally have galloping ghost back in the air.

SIMON: Leeward who was also a stunt pilot in several movies gave an interview at the air show on Thursday.

LEEWARD: Or maybe even a little faster.

SIMON: Sounding confident, he didn't want to show his hand on what kind of speeds his plane could reach.

LEEWARD: We've been playing poker since last Monday, and so it's ready -- we're ready to show a couple more cards. So we'll see on Friday what happens. And then Saturday, we'll probably play our third ace and on Sunday, we'll do our fourth ace. SIMON: Race organizers say Leeward's medical records were up-to- date. Initial speculation from attendees and other aviation experts has focused on the tail of the aircraft. It's because photographic evidence shows a key part missing. Investigators came across what may be that piece to break away from the aircraft.

MARK ROSEKIND, NTSB BOARD MEMBER: A component has been recovered in the area where that was observed. But I think it's critical at this point to know that we have not identified the component. It will be examined. So we don't really know what the component is, or if it came from this particular aircraft. We are really going to focus on that and that's part of the factual information gathering that's going on right now.

(on camera): Racing organizers say they had no other choice but to cancel the races for the rest of the weekend. While most are confident they'll be back next year, the crash has reignited a long- standing debate about whether races like this are just too dangerous.

Dan Simon, CNN, Reno, Nevada.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, Dan.

And I asked veteran pilot and aviation analyst Jim Tilmon about the photos taken just before the Reno crash, and if a damaged elevator trim tab on that P-51 Mustang could have caused this crash.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM TILMON, AVIATION ANALYST (via telephone): It could have been. You know, that little tab looks innocent by its size and the size of the airplane. But you have to realize what it does. Is it takes care of the air load on the pilot as he's trying to maintain a certain configuration. It also dampens or eliminates flutter, which is a very dangerous condition to have when you're flying at those speeds particularly close to the ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: It has been a tragic weekend for air shows. There was a crash today at The Thunder over the Ridge show in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The pilot was killed. But no one on the ground was hurt.

The crash reportedly involved a T-28 trainer aircraft. IReporter Jennifer Clark took these pictures. She called the crash, quote, "very scary."

In other news tonight, friends and family of two Americans imprisoned in Iran are anxiously waiting their release. An attorney for Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal says Iranian authorities are close to signing the necessary documents. The two were arrested with a friend while hiking along the Iran-Iraq border in 2009. An Iranian court convicted them of spying. Authorities demanded that each pay half a million dollars before their release. The battle for Moammar Gadhafi's hometown won't be easy. Government forces retreated today after coming under fierce fire in Sirte. A spokesman said eight anti-Gadhafi fighters were killed and 31 wounded.

It was a different story in southern Libya. One tiny town surrendered without any fighting. Residents cheered the government forces as they marched toward the south. People burned the green flags of the Gadhafi regime and celebrated by firing guns into the air.

The anti-Gadhafi forces might be better armed, but they are proving some battles can't be won with more weapons.

Phil Black rode with these raw fighters from Tripoli to Sirte and saw firsthand what they're up against.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): The battle to control Libya's last few remaining pro-Gadhafi strongholds is proceeding slowly with revolutionary forces making little progress. Today we got a real sense of why. We were on patrol with a unit of revolutionary fighters as they entered the City of Sirte. Its mission was to find and help local civilians evacuate.

But they quickly and intensely came under fire from nearby buildings. Small arms fire followed by rocket-propelled grenades.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, go.

BLACK: There were multiple casualties. We know at least one paramedic working with the revolutionary fighters was killed when an RPG struck his ambulance. CNN producer Ian Lee also suffered a shrapnel wound to his leg. He's doing OK.

This was only one incident but it is indicative of the challenges that revolutionary fighters are facing as they move into these restricted urban environments. These are battlegrounds that they are not trained or equipped for.

At this stage, they do not have the skills their commanders admit to steadily move through a city searching, clearing and holding territory. For these reasons, the battles are taking much longer than expected. Commanders believe that they do have superior numbers and superior firepower so that they expect they will win out in the end, but the question is, at what cost.

Phil Black, CNN, Tripoli.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, Phil.

Here in the U.S., billionaire investor Warren Buffett has often said he and other super wealthy Americans don't pay enough in taxes. Now President Obama may grant his wish to pay more.

"The New York Times" is reporting the president will propose a new minimum tax rate for individuals making more than a $1 million a year. People like Warren Buffett, an Obama supporter by the way, would have to pay at least the same percentage of their earnings as middle income taxpayers. The Times says the minimum tax for millionaires will be part of the president's long-term deficit reduction plan set to be unveiled on Monday.

Anger at the U.S. financial sector boiling over on Wall Street today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTORS: Wall Street, Wall Street. Occupy Wall Street.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Several hundred people packed into Bowling Green Park in Lower Manhattan for what they're calling an occupy Wall Street demonstration. Organizers say they were inspired by the Arab Spring earlier this year.

The mass uprisings in countries like Egypt, Tunisia And Syria.

CNN Money's Julianne Pepitone was in the middle of it today. She says the turnout fell way short of organizers' expectations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIANNE PEPITONE, CNN MONEY REPORTER (via telephone): The original call back in July from "Adbusters" magazine was asking for 90,000 people to show up.

And a couple of weeks ago, they kind of down played that asking for 20,000 people. But they certainly didn't get that kind of turnout today.

LEMON: Before we let you go, what do they want?

PEPITONE: Well, that's the interesting thing about this protest. They talk about we're going to demand something from Wall Street. But the demand is kind of being crowd source, the crowd is going to decide what the demand is.

But of course, when you go by that line of thinking, everyone wants something different. The people I talked to said things as general as, you know, overthrow capitalism. Some have more specific things that they wanted President Obama to do.

So, finding a common voice with hundreds of people is something very difficult to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: Well, protesters had planned to gather at the famous Bull Statue on Wall Street, but police blocked the area off because they say none of the demonstrators had permits.

Is the State of Georgia about to execute an innocent man? Troy Davis is set to die Wednesday for the murder of a police officer, 20 years ago. But most of the witnesses have changed their stories.

We'll hear from the sister of Troy Davis on her brother's chances for freedom. That's next.

And later, pull up your pants. One man's mission to get people to drop the rude behavior and learn some etiquette.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Four days left to live. Georgia deathrow inmate Troy Davis will be put to death on Wednesday, unless a state parole board decides to intervene during a hearing on Monday.

Davis was convicted for the fatal 1989 shooting of Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail. He has maintained his innocence and seven other nine witnesses in this case later recanted their testimony. MacPhail's family, however, has no doubt Davis was the one who pulled the trigger.

Davis was also accused of shooting another man earlier that same night in 1989. Prosecutors claimed the same gun was used in both shootings. But Davis supporter say that expert ballistic testimony was inconclusive.

(VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: There you see the show of support for Davis in the streets of Atlanta. Groups like Amnesty International and the NAACP are leading a campaign to save his life.

Davis has supporters all over the world who believe he was wrongly convicted, including his sister Kimberly Davis and Pastor Derek Johnson, the man who drove Davis on his way to turn himself in more than 20 years ago.

I spoke with both of them earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIMBERLY DAVIS, SISTER OF TROY DAVIS (via telephone): Well, he's always maintained his innocence. And, you know, he told us he was not the one that shot the police officer. And we stand behind that innocence and stand behind his word.

LEMON: You know, there is another family involved here, the family of the slain officer Mark MacPhail. His mother spoke with CNN and she's positive that your brother shot her son and a man earlier that same night. So, I want you to take a listen to this and we'll talk about it. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNELIESE MACPHAIL, MOTHER OF MURDERED POLICE OFFICER: I tell you that he shot that guy before and the casings are the same. Now, I think those are pretty good evidence.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Justice and closure only comes for you when Troy Davis is finally executed?

MACPHAIL: I will never have closure because that can't be. But I may have some peace, which I hope for. I certainly need it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Kimberly, do you understand how the MacPhails feel?

DAVIS: Well, yes, Don, I understand how they feel, yes. I do understand how they feel. And, you know, my heart goes out to them, because, you know, my brother, he is innocent.

And she said she will not have closure, but she won't have closure if an innocent man is executed either. We just want justice. And as I said, justice for Troy Davis will be justice for Officer Mark MacPhail and his family.

LEMON: You said that DA's office never interviewed you about that night. Did any authority ever talk to you about it?

REV. DERRICK JOHNSON, JOSHUA HARVEST CHURCH: No one ever spoke to me about which - when these many years later I saw on your news network the coverage about his trial, I thought it was odd that no one ever talked to the first person to look him in the eyes, the first person to talk to him. No one asked if, in fact, when I went to get him if he had a weapon on him. You know, just basic questions that you would think people would be interested in.

LEMON: But to this day --

JOHNSON: I was not then --

LEMON: To this day, have you been interviewed by anyone? Have you spoken to police or investigators or prosecutors or anyone?

JOHNSON: Not at all. And Don, you've got to understand the climate in Savannah when this particular heinous act happened. It was already racially tense, the community, the search for Troy pitted the black community against the police in many ways, which made it a volatile situation. So I don't believe at that time there was an interest in knowing what he said to me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: CNN is following every development in this case very closely.

Our very own David Mattingly will be at the hearing on Monday when Davis' fate will be decided.

Coming up tonight here on CNN, Sheryl Lee Ralph, actress, singer and self-proclaimed diva. She's also an AIDS activist. She talked tough about how the black community needs to face up to the illness.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: She's known as an entertainer and actress, but nowadays, you know, Sheryl Lee Ralph is focusing on the real world, making a call for action in the fight against AIDS.

In tonight's "What Matters," Ralph tells me about her plans for the AIDS quilt.

Sheryl Lee Ralph joins me now live from New York.

So great to see you. I know you were here in Atlanta. I wish I could have -- we could have done this interview in person.

SHERYL LEE RALPH, ACTRESS & ENTERTAINER: Me, too.

LEMON: Tell me what you're planning to do for the AIDS quilt.

RALPH: Well, let me tell you, it's very simple. The AIDS quilt is a national treasure. It is over 50 miles long. It's a memorial to those who have passed away due to HIV and AIDS-related diseases.

But in the way the numbers are growing up within the communities of color, people of color only represent less than half a mile of the quilt. And so today, we launched a project there in Atlanta at Spellman College -- I love Spellman for coming on board with us with this -- we launched a quilting project to encourage people of color to come out and memorialize their family and friends who have not been included in this quilt.

LEMON: It's important, it's important, Sheryl Lee for awareness because -- I know people have said it. And, you know, you don't want to criticize people but this is reality. That African-Americans, many African-Americans I should say are in somewhat denial of HIV and AIDS, and there needs to be more awareness. We need a reality check.

RALPH: Absolutely. And you know, my fear for this disease is that this -- this disease is getting younger and younger. We talk so much about adults, but I'm seeing 15-year-olds come in, get their tests and they are positive.

And after 21 years of this work, I say, not on my watch as a mother of two, something has got to change. So we've got to break the stigma, break the silence so we're asking people to call names. Come out. Make that quilt so people can see that you are very much affected by what's going on in the world around HIV and AIDS.

LEMON: You know, after your event, you planned to use the AIDS quilt in your performance in October. And I love this title, and you took me to task during the break going, what do you mean self- proclaimed diva. But I love the title "Divas Simply Singing." Explain that.

RALPH: "Divas Simply Singing" was something that I started 21 years ago as a living memorial to the many friends that I had lost to AIDS as an original company member of "Dream Girls" on Broadway. And so many of my friends died under stigma, shame and silence that I said I've got to come up with a way to make them live forever.

So I created divas, you know, because 21 years ago, if you can remember, nobody wanted to talk about this disease. But everybody would pay attention to a diva. So I invited my friends to come -- the light, the mike and the diva, simply singing. If you can't sing, baby, don't come to the diva stage.

LEMON: I'm going to come see it. I can't sing, but I think you would let me in.

RALPH: Oh, yes.

LEMON: I have to ask you something. It's a little bit awkward, because when you were talking it remind me, did you see the "Normal Heart" on Broadway?

RALPH: Yes.

LEMON: Amazing.

RALPH: Amazing.

LEMON: And having been alive during that time, it just brought it all back. And when you were talking about it, I thought about that.

RALPH: I remember a time so clearly when people got sick and died. You would dance with somebody tonight and they would be dead tomorrow. There was no dying process like the one that we've become used to. They got sick and they died. I will never ever forget that time and the silence that covered so many of them.

But in my mind, they were friends, they were somebody's lover, they were somebody's son. Most of them were incredible human beings who could help you with your wig, weave, west and wardrobe problem. Somebody like that has got to be remembered.

LEMON: Tell it. Listen, you are amazing. "Divas Simply Singing."

RALPH: Thank you.

LEMON: Thank you. And the age --

RALPH: Saturday, October 2nd, Saturday, October 22nd in Los Angeles. And visit TheDivaFoundation.org. And you have to have the "the," or you end up with some other divas in Canada.

LEMON: Thank you. Do you ever age? RALPH: Thank you.

LEMON: Do you ever age? You just look the same.

RALPH: Baby, good black don't crack and beige don't age.

LEMON: Oh, lord. Sheryl Lee, get out of here. Thank you. Best of luck.

RALPH: Thank you.

LEMON: Up next here on CNN, a one-on-one interview with the legendary musician, Sting. He's 60 years old. Can you believe it?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. He's part of rock music royalty, and now Sting is marking a music milestone. A quarter century of being in the business solo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STING: Roxanne, you don't have to put out the red light.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That song never gets old. To recognize the event, Sting will release a boxed set of his 25 years as a single artist which includes this never before released video of his "Broken" music tour in 2005.

That's just the beginning of the celebrations which also coincides with another milestone. All right.

Here she is, CNN's Shanon Cook is here to tell us all about that.

Shanon, does Sting reveal any secrets to his longevity both on the job and off the job?

SHANON COOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he did reveal a bit of a strategy when it comes to his career. He says that he likes to surround himself with musicians who he feels are more skilled than he is. And that kind of forces him to raise his game.

And if you look at the musicians who join him on a regular basis on stage from guitarist Dominique Miller to saxophone player Bradford Marsalis, they are all virtuosos. They're highly skilled musicians and they keep him on his toes. And let me just say as an interviewee, he kept me on my toes.

Here's part one of my interview with Sting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOK: You're celebrating 25 years as a solo musician. When you look back 25 years, what do you see? What does it look like? STING, MUSICIAN: 25 years is a sizable chunk of time. You think about it. My proudest moment is I suppose having six wonderful, healthy, happy children. I can't imagine anything more important than that.

A fantastic relationship with Judy, my wife, which continues to get richer. And then there's this career which is hugely fortunate for me. You know, I had a career with The Police for seven years. And left that band and then embarked on this thing, it was a big risk. There was no guarantee it would work. But 25 years later, I can look back and say well, that was a pretty good decision you made there. So yes, I feel fairly satisfied, not smug, but satisfied that I've done good work.

COOK: Do you get restless when you're not on tour, or when you're not planning a tour?

STING: It takes me a little bit of time to adjust to being in one place. So I don't unpack, which drives Judy crazy. What's that thing in the corner? That's my suitcase. Well, unpack it. I'll do it next week. Eventually I do. I unpack it bit by bit.

COOK: What's the longest you've ever stayed put?

STING: About three weeks. I don't know. I spend every summer in Italy. My home in Italy and I don't leave. I don't get in a car. I just sit in the garden. And watch the grapes grow.

COOK: Can you tell me about the photograph? The cover of your box set. When was this taken and where?

STING: This was taken about maybe four years ago. This is my lake. I have a lake in Italy. And I swim in that lake. And there's lots of fish in the lake. And I'm standing there in my Levis.

COOK: You like taking your shirt off, don't you?

STING: Yes. If you've got it, flaunt it, that's what I said.

COOK: I get the sense that musically, you still feel that you've only just skimmed the surface.

STING: I would like to think that the best work is yet to come. I know that's a pretty big statement to make. But I'm serious about my craft. I study my craft, and so as you get older and wiser, you're supposed to get better. Even though it's pop music. I think you can get better. That's my hope. That's my dream. I'd like to create something that people go wow. You know? You've lived beyond 60, and you're still doing good work. Why not?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOK: A little bit later in the show, we'll find out how Sting feels about turning the big 6-0. And he'll also talk about how he feels he's fared as a parent to his six children.

And Don, I'll ask him if he has any regrets.

LEMON: Ah. Well, thank you very much. We'll see you in a little bit. Looking forward to it. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: More of Shanon Cook's interview with Sting just ahead.

But first we want to give you a check of the headlines. Investigators are focused on what they're calling a component from the plane that crashed in Friday's Reno, Nevada, air race. The crash killed nine people, including veteran pilot Jimmy Leeward and injured more than 50 others.

Photos taken shortly before the crash show a section of a tail called the trim tab appears to be missing. Investigators say they've already recovered portions of the plane's tail section.

Another air show tragedy today, this one in West Virginia. A plane crashed at The Thunder over the Ridge show in Martinsburg. The crash reportedly involved a T-28 trainer aircraft. CNN has confirmed that the pilot was killed, but no one on the ground was injured. IReporter Jennifer Clark took these photos, and she said it was a scary moment. Obviously.

Two Americans detained in Iran could be freed sometime this weekend. Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were arrested more than two years ago while hiking on the Iran-Iraq border with a friend. An Iranian court later convicted them of spying. Iran demanded they pay half a million dollars each in bail money before being released. A lawyer for the two says authorities are close to signing the release documents.

A runaway soldier said to be armed and dangerous is on the loose at this hour. State police in central New York are searching for Private First Class Russell Marcum. They say he escaped from military custody at Fort Drum, stole his parents' car and then led police on a chase through four counties. Police popped his tires but Marcum reportedly escaped on foot. Marcum was in custody on the base after he was arrested on suspicion of burglary.

Vice President Joe Biden traveled to Pennsylvania to get a firsthand look at flood devastation. Biden toured neighborhoods hit hard by the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee last week. Record flooding along the Susquehanna River caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Biden pledged federal resources to help the victims, but questions remain about how to pay for that and for upgrades in the area's flood protection systems.

Next, more of Shanon Cook's one-on-one interview with Sting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. So I asked my Twitter followers about their favorite Sting moment. Darren Ramsey of Nebraska came up with this one from a 1991 "Saturday Night Live" skit. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got all your albums.

STING: Really?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, The Police and also I have all of your, you know.

STING: Solo?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, solo stuff. Yes. A lot of great songs you've written.

STING: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boy, I mean, you know, Roxanne. That's a classic right there.

STING: Oh, thanks a lot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roxanne.

Yes. You don't have to put on the red light.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Sting is stuck on an elevator and everyone who gets on keeps singing his songs. We want to return to the milestones that music legend Sting is about to celebrate 25 years as a solo artist and a birthday bash as he turns 60.

CNN's Shanon Cook got a chance to sit down with the rock icon.

So, Shanon, that was pretty funny, right? You have to admit. You got pretty personal. You talk about his father, his being a father, and last but not least, the details of his big birthday celebration.

COOK: Yes, and let me just say that Sting's not really a birthday cake and candles kind of a guy. When he celebrates a birthday, he wants to get on stage and do what he loves most which is sing. And this birthday, his 60th birthday will be no exception.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOK: You have a big birthday coming up in a couple of weeks. What does 60 mean to you?

STING: I don't feel 60. I feel like I'm 40-1/2 in many respect. At the same time, I think I've always had an old head on me. I've almost -- I've been pretty sat-- you know, serious beyond my years. So I'm kind of used to it.

At the same time, on the other hand, I feel very young. So I think there's a balance. COOK: In the book that accompanies the box set you write "Have I lived up to my father's praise in these 25 years? Have I used my hands well?"

Explain that.

STING: When my dad was dying, I went to see him, obviously, and I realized that he had the same hands. Exactly the same hands. I inherited his hands. And I mentioned this. He said yes, son, but you used your hands better than I did. You know, my dad was a milkman and I was a musician. And I realized that was the first compliment he had ever paid me. And so his timing was kind of devastating.

COOK: How do you plan to celebrate this milestone?

STING: I'm being very indiscrete about my 60th birthday. I've invited some of my closest musical colleagues to come and celebrate with me at The Beacon Theater in New York City. And the only stipulation is that they come and sing my songs because it's my party. So Stevie Wonder is coming. Bruce Springsteen is coming. Will.I.Am, Lady Gaga, Billy Joel, Vince Gill. It's a very eclectic bunch of friends.

COOK: At this point in your point, do you have any regrets?

STING: No.

COOK: None whatsoever?

STING: No, I don't. Not at all.

COOK: What about in terms of family? You've obviously been gone a lot as a touring musician. That must have been tough on your kids at times?

STING: I think so. I mean, you'd have to ask them. It wasn't the normal childhood for them because I was away so much. At the same time, you know, they had little privileges that you know they were given a sort of very sophisticated geopolitical sense by traveling a lot. And they've all ended show business, actors and singers and filmmakers. And so I don't know.

Have I been the perfect father? No, not at all. But I would say to them, look for some reason you chose me as your father. They'd look at me.

STING: What does that mean? I read that in your memoirs.

COOK: Well, I think if you say that, you know, if you blame your parents or whatever, then you're a victim. I think for some, there's something to learn in every situation. You're put in a situation to learn. I was put in my particular family situation to learn. So I'm grateful for it. So I think you have to be grateful for whatever situation you find yourself in, and I learned to figure it out.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COOK: Sting, of course, too is relentlessly. And he has just announced a new tour, a new North America tour. It's called "Back to Base." It kicks off October 21st in Boston.

And Don, Sting promises that this is going to be sort of a scaled down intimate tour, unlike his last one where he traveled around with a symphony orchestra.

LEMON: I will be looking for tickets because I know you can get us some, right?

COOK: I'll try. I'll try.

LEMON: All right.

COOK: I'll hook you up, Don.

LEMON: All right, we're counting on you.

Shanon, great interview. Thank you so much for bringing that to us, OK.

COOK: Good night.

LEMON: Have a good one.

Tired of rude behavior and seeing people wear their pants too low? New etiquette signs in New York City are trying to change all of that. You'll hear from their creator, straight ahead.

But first, studies show poverty and obesity go hand in hand. Well, this week's CNN Hero learned that for herself when she moved into her East Harlem neighborhood and she decided to do something about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GINA KEATLEY, CNN HERO: I grew up in very low-income areas. I experienced a lot of poverty, homelessness as a child as well, but it taught me to redefine myself and not let your past determine your future.

When I moved to New York four school, I was living in East Harlem and there's very few places to buy fruits and vegetables and healthy food. We've seen most diabetic and obese of all the neighborhoods of Manhattan. People were super malnourished.

I saw the connection between poverty and obesity, and it just seemed unjust and I had to do something about it.

My name is Gina Keatley, and I'm giving nourishment to people who are literally dying for it.

You want some free collard greens? Come on over.

Change is possible. If you want somebody to try a tomato, you give them a tomato. It's inspiration. They have to feel it, touch it, taste it, because people will not change unless something in them changes.

We go places other people will not go. We're giving out produce. We're doing classes.

You really can eat healthy on a low budget.

What are these?

UNIDENTIFIED KID: Greens.

KEATLEY: Great. What's this?

UNIDENTIFIED KID: Chicken.

KEATLEY: Chicken.

We really want them to start early on. It can set a ripple effect for the rest of their lives.

Say tortilla.

KIDS: Tortilla!

KEATLEY: OK. Good. All right.

But in the end of the day, the parents are the ones doing the shopping. So, we have to win them over, as well.

Thank you, guys. Thanks for coming.

When I see any child, it reminds of something that I didn't have and I want them to see.

It's about pulling yourself up and never accepting no and I can see it in people's faces. I think people are getting it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Well, next Thursday we will be announcing this year's top ten Heroes on CNN.com. Then you'll be able to vote for the CNN Hero of the Year for 2011.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Very different street signs are popping up all over New York City. They're alerting people to rude behavior and urging them to mind their manners. "Pull up your pants. No one wants to see your underwear" says one. Others read "Clean up after your horse," and "Pay attention while walking."

Get this, the signs aren't official but they look like the real thing. They are the work of graphic artist Jason Shelowitz who's dubbed himself the Metropolitan Etiquette Authority. Jason, you know it's pretty gutsy of you to be doing this. You've been posting signs in Manhattan telling people not to flick their cigarette butts and to pull up their saggy pants among other things.

I want to talk to you about the saggy pants. But what prompted you to do this PSA campaign on etiquette?

JASON SHELOWITZ, METROPOLITAN ETIQUETTE AUTHORITY: Well, it spun off of the project I did last summer. The subway etiquette posters got such a good positive response. So I did one other project like it about cleaning up after your dog and supplying the public with disposable bags for them to use. There were only three of those, but they were massive hand painted posters. Also got a really good response.

So in between I was working on lots of other projects but I thought it was time for another sort of public service announcement and this seemed like "The Natural Progression."

LEMON: What have people been saying to you? Or what's been the response, first of all, to this etiquette campaign?

SHELOWITZ: Response is great. I mean, people love it. I mean, I feel like I'm saying things that a lot of people are already thinking so because of that, the response is really positive.

LEMON: I have told people to pull their pants up before, and they basically tell me to mind my own business. So have you gotten that response from anybody?

SHELOWITZ: Yes, a little bit. Not to my face but, you know, in comment sections of Web sites, I've seen that. And that's true. I'm just making fun of it really.

When I was a teenager, I look at pictures of myself and some of the things I wore, it's ridiculous. It's really not that serious. I know that in some cities they've actually launched real campaigns with fines and schools banning kids from wearing it. I think people should wear whatever they want, whatever makes them happy. It's their right.

That being said, it's also my right to make fun of them if they look silly to me. I guarantee you when they're older, they're going to look back at themselves and say wow, I'm showing my underwear and entire rear end to the world when I was walking down the street. And, you know, they'll move on. It's just a style, but it's certainly funny to me and a lot of other people but people should wear whatever they want and I really could care less. It's just kind of poking fun at you if you dress like that.

LEMON: All right.

SHELOWITZ: That's my right, as well.

LEMON: You think it's silly, but they can wear whatever they want, I got it. SHELOWITZ: Of course. Sure, I'm nobody to tell people what to do.

LEMON: Listen, do you think there's going to be a permanent impact?

SHELOWITZ: We'll have to see. I really can't tell yet. The only impact that I'm seeing that I think will be lasting is just that people are smiling, sometimes laughing and enjoying them overall which if that's what I leave behind with this project, that's good enough for me.

LEMON: Have you heard any official word from anybody in the city, or anybody in government about the campaign?

SHELOWITZ: No, lucky for me I think they have bigger fish to fry. There's only 80 of these signs up around. They're all up. So, you know, they'd be lucky if they even saw one. I'd have to kind of tell you where to find them. They are just so few. It's such a big city. It's not enough to cause a problem. If there were thousands, I'm sure they'd be coming after me. But it's so few and a lot of them have already gotten stolen which is fine. I think people should take them if they want.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Pull up your pants. Pull up your pants. Shelowitz got a huge response probably all over the world. People are still contacting him. And he made enough money selling subway etiquette posters to pay for the ongoing metropolitan etiquette campaign.

An important witness in the case against Michael Jackson's doctor suddenly disappears. That conversation and other hot topics with Jane Velez-Mitchell -- next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A key witness in the case against Michael Jackson's doctor is missing. That's one of the topics I talked about with HLN's Jane Velez-Mitchell.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Jane, I want to start with the trial. I know it's going to be high drama. You and I both will be covering Conrad Murray in L.A. later this month. But there's already a twist, there's already a drama. A key witness is missing? What's going on?

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HLN HOST: That's absolutely right, Don. He was a key witness who testified in the preliminary hearing that he in the weeks before Michael Jackson's death shipped huge, huge quantities of Propofol to Dr. Conrad Murray. Obviously, a crucial witness for the prosecution, because Dr. Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter basically behaving with criminal negligence and engaging in activity that posed a risk of death to Michael Jackson. And so giving him huge quantities of Propofol which is not supposed to be used as a sleep aid, which is only supposed to be used in a surgical setting, that would be a huge win for the prosecution to prove. But the guy has disappeared. He is reportedly moved to Thailand and nobody can find him.

LEMON: Is that going to move the trial back? Is it going to affect the start date?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I hope not. I think this trial has been delayed over and over and over again, and anytime you delay one aspect of it, a whole bunch of other things begin to fall part.

LEMON: I want to move on to another trial. Look who is back in the news. I don't know if she left the news. Casey Anthony. What is this? She's going to have to pay nearly $100,000, I guess, reimburse the people who were looking for little Caylee during the time she was considered missing.

What's going on here? And is that even enough money to cover the cost?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, actually, some people are saying this is a win for Casey Anthony because law enforcement and the prosecutors wanted to bill her for more than half a million dollars in costs. And the judge said huh-uh. Just blow $100,000.

And I think that all of the efforts behind this is to make sure she doesn't make money. If she ultimately scores a big book or movie deal to tell her story exclusively, the powers that be do not want to see her cash in and become rich off of this case, which has proved so embarrassing to them.

LEMON: Jane, I want to talk about this because it's been all over the news, it's been all over the entertainment shows. Everywhere you look. I'm talking about Chaz Bono who is going to be on "Dancing with the Stars."

And there's been a lot of news around transgender people lately. And I wonder, just wondering, is this a moment for transgender people for the rest of the country, if not the world, to find out a little more information about them, and is Chaz Bono the way they're going to do it?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think so. I think it can be a break-through moment for the transgender community which is so horribly misunderstood. And I have to quote HLN's own Nancy Grace who is also a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars."

She was asked about all the hateful speech about Chaz, and she said you know, as a prosecutor, "I reserve my judgment and my anger for people who have done something wrong, who have broken a law, who have committed violence, who have done something bad. And I don't have time to be worrying about what somebody's doing with their own body and that's their business."

And I just thought she kind of summed it up perfectly.

LEMON: Jane, real quickly, what are you going to be covering?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, my gosh. Well, we have this wild trial. Bob Ward, this real estate mogul who was accused of shooting his wife.

And it gets more and more bazaar. The jailhouse videos of him doing, literally, dancing and doing a striptease when he's supposed to be mourning his wife. It's unbelievable.

We'll be covering that on "Issues."

LEMON: "Issue with Jane Velez-Mitchell," airs on HLN at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

Thank you, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: I want to get back to the Conrad Murray trial. I'll be in Los Angeles in the coming weeks starting September 27th for opening arguments and I'll be reporting on the Conrad Murray trial.

I'm Don Lemon at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

Thank you so much for watching. I'll be back here tomorrow night, 6, 7:00, and 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

Have a great evening, everyone.