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Trial Continues for Michael Jackson's Doctor; Protesters on Wall Street; Primary and Caucus Calendars; U.S. Fugitive Captured in Portugal; Parts of Alabama Immigration Law Enjoined; Trial of Michael Jackson's Doctor Continues; Flogging Sentence Revoked in Saudi Arabia; Michael Jackson Death Trial; '85 Bears Star Refuses White House Visit; Obama Gets 'Real'
Aired September 28, 2011 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: The Michael Jackson death trial is under way and, today, we hear from his inner circle, the people paid to protect him and run his busy household. What did they see the day that Dr. Conrad Murray is accused of killing the king of pop? I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.
(voice-over): On the run for 40 years, the hijacker behind one of the most brazen airplane heists in American history -- how the FBI picked up on his trail and tracked him down halfway around the world.
Protesters occupy Wall Street.
SUSAN SARANDON, ACTRESS: People have gotten tired of hearing the same little news quotes every day.
BALDWIN: Fed up with bank bailouts and corporate cronyism, what exactly do these people hope to gain?
CROWD: Four more years!
BALDWIN: And the president in campaign mode, rubbing elbows with some real housewives and their husbands. Wait until you hear who else is a fan of the Beverly Hills-based reality show. Joe Johns with today's "Political Pop."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Welcome back. I'm Brooke Baldwin.
(NEWS BREAK)
BALDWIN: And in a down economy, people tend to look for some villains, and many point to Wall Street and that famous line, you know, the line from the movie that bears the same name? Remember, though, the ruthless character Gordon Gekko played Michael Douglas. The line was, greed is good. Well, for nearly two weeks now, protesters, the famous, the anonymous, have been showing up en masse to say greed is not good.
With that, here's Alison Kosik.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On day 11 of Occupy Wall Street, the number of protesters didn't appear to be growing, but their star power was.
SUSAN SARANDON, ACTRESS: I think that all change starts from the bottom up, and I think people have gotten tired of hearing the same -- little news quotes every day, day in and day out and it's time for a new paradigm.
KOSIK: The protesters have descended on Lower Manhattan to express their outrage against a financial system they say is broken, but no one can agree on how to fix it.
JULIEN HARRISON, PROTESTER: Most people agree, you're right. The system isn't working for most average Americans. So that's what we want to focus on. What do we agree on? What do we as Americans agree on and what can we do about it?
KOSIK: Organizers say that lack of focus hasn't stopped the movement from growing, but it is fuelling skepticism about their ultimate goal.
(on camera): There are so many reforms Occupy Wall Street wants to see happen and this signs really gives you a good idea about how many different demands that they have.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's usually summed up as social and economic reform.
KOSIK (voice-over): But it's clearly a protest against corporate America and Wall Street and yet it's a big corporation these protesters are relying on to get their message out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You bought a computer from one of the most valuable companies in this country.
KOSIK (on camera): Apple next to Exxon is the most valuable company. It flies in the face of what you're sitting here for day after day?
BARBARA ROSS, ORGANIZER: I think that's a very good point and it is true that this Mac is, represents the values that I'm not, but I'm just one person, and 90 percent of my life is in the direction I want to be.
KOSIK (voice-over): One of hundreds who really believe in their cause, so much so they have traveled thousands of miles to be here.
JOSH NELSON, PROTESTER: It's a matter of working the same job for next to nothing for the rest of my life or creating a system in which there is an opportunity for advancement.
KOSIK (on camera): Has your boss called you yet?
NELSON: I called in and told him there was a family emergency.
KOSIK: I think he's going to know the truth now.
NELSON: I hope not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: All right, let's go to Alison and pick up where she left off at those demonstrations.
I know the group here demonstrating, they're calling themselves Occupy Wall Street, but why? That's not really what's happening.
KOSIK: Yes. Well, exactly. The whole idea was to actually occupy Wall Street, but that's physically not even possible, because what has happened is there are these barricades that are literally all over the place around the building where I'm in at the New York Stock Exchange blocking people from coming anywhere near this place.
So, what they wound up doing is they're protesting a couple of blocks away, so, sure, I guess that's a plan B. But you know what? They're getting attention for it. You saw Susan Sarandon in there. Media mogul Russell Simmons, he also joined the protest today, saying that he wants to pay more taxes.
And you know what? I also asked how long are you going to be out here, and they told me, you know what, we're going to be out here as long as it takes to see change in this country.
And I told them, you're going to be here a while -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: While I have you, let's talk numbers. I know the Dow took a pretty big swing, looking over here, number settling down, 179. It was up quite a bit though earlier, was it not?
KOSIK: It was. We saw it up in the triple digits. Now we ended lower, the Dow down 179 points at the close.
You know what? We saw optimism that Europe is getting its act together, getting its debt issues under control, but that optimism kind of turned into impatience as the session wore on. What is happening is, investors, they want to see European leaders really get going on this and make these changes and make this happen.
One analyst termed it like this. He says it's time to just rip the Band-Aid off already and that really is what investors are waiting to see at this point -- Brooke.
BALDWIN: Alison Kosik, thank you very much.
Now this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five million is just a ridiculous amount, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In my opinion, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is. In fact, you didn't know exactly what you needed to pay a doctor either, did you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had a general idea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: That is the price tag that Dr. Murray asked to be paid by -- as his physician, as Michael Jackson's physician. Sunny Hostin has the latest on this trial. She is on the case for us.
And on the run for more than 40 years, the fugitive who escaped prison, hijacked a plane. You're going to hear how the FBI picked up on his trail and tracked him down halfway around the world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: On the case today, several twists and turns here in the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor. Sources close to Dr. Conrad Murray's defense team tell CNN that Dr. Murray left Michael Jackson's bedside as the singer was -- quoting -- "playing possum." And when Murray left the room, they say Jackson got up, took some pills, injected himself with the surgical anesthetic Propofol.
Also this afternoon, Jackson's personal assistant took here to the witness stand. Michael Williams is his name, detailed this brief, frantic phone call from Dr. Murray the day Michael Jackson died.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL AMIR WILLIAMS, PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO JACKSON: He told me Mr. Jackson had a bad reaction. He told me to get here right away. And this is excluding my part of the conversation. Mr. Jackson had a bad reaction. Get here right away and to get somebody up here immediately.
And I tried to follow his instructions to the best of my ability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: All right, let's pick this up with Sunny Hostin on the case.
And, Sunny, we know the lunch break started really in the midst of this personal assistant's testimony. Where is the prosecution trying to go with this?
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, I think they're certainly trying to give the jury, Brooke, a picture, an idea of how Conrad Murray reacted when he realized that Michael Jackson was in trouble, that he had this sort of bad reaction.
Now, what do people do when they are having a medical emergency? They call 911, right? What does a doctor do when there's a medical emergency? They either call 911 or they call another doctor. And what did Conrad Murray do? He called Michael Jackson's personal assistant, who wasn't in the home, who wasn't outside of the home, but was in downtown L.A.
So I think what the prosecution is trying to show is that, is this guilty behavior? Would a reasonable doctor do this? Would a doctor that adheres to the medical standard of care do this? And I think they're doing a pretty good job of painting that picture for this jury.
BALDWIN: What about this new defense theory? It was Sanjay Gupta, who I was talking to at the top of the last hour, was really breaking this news sort of that the defense is playing up this fact that -- they're saying Michael Jackson played possum, their phrase, until Dr. Murray left the room and then injected himself with more Propofol.
What do you make of that?
HOSTIN: Well, it sounds so ridiculous, right, but bottom line is that the defense has to be in reasonable doubt land. They have to give these jurors an alternate theory of responsibility.
And so, they have to paint Michael Jackson as an addict, as someone who was addicted not only perhaps to Propofol, but to other prescription medications, someone desperate for sleep and someone who perhaps may have given himself the fatal dose. That takes the responsibility out of Dr. Conrad Murray's hands and places the responsibility on Michael Jackson.
That's why they have this defense theory. We have heard about it before. Will it resonate with the jury? Too soon to tell, but many doctors, Brooke, say that while it's not really probable, something like that is possible.
BALDWIN: OK, from your legal perspective, Ms. Hostin, take a look at the prosecution, take a look at the defense. How are they doing? Because I have seen Murray's lead attorney described as a medium-time lawyer handling obviously his really -- his first huge case. How's Ed Chernoff doing?
HOSTIN: Yes, I'm surprised to hear that, but I think he's doing very well, actually.
And the bottom line is, as we say in the legal business, trial lawyers are born, Brooke. They're not made. We saw it with Jose Baez. That was his first big case.
BALDWIN: Yes.
HOSTIN: And he won it. So, I think to say this is his first big case; he's a medium time lawyer really means nothing. In the courtroom, he's doing a good job, but the prosecution is doing really well. They're painting Dr. Conrad Murray as this really greedy doctor who wanted $5 million to take care of Michael Jackson, to give him Propofol in a setting that no other doctor would give him that in.
And right now, I mean, the prosecution certainly has the momentum. It's a prosecution case. But the defense is doing a pretty good job in my view of bringing up these alternate theories of responsibility and that's where they need to be.
BALDWIN: Quickly, just I know they're on lunch break right now, but what are we looking for next? What will you be looking for?
HOSTIN: Well, certainly if the preliminary hearing is any indication of what we're going to see here, we're going to hear more about the inner circle, Brooke. We're going to hear more about what happened that day, the day of Michael Jackson's death and we're going to hear about Conrad Murray's reactions.
Did he try to hide the Propofol? Did he cooperate rate with the EMTs? What did the EMTs see and hear when they arrived on scene? I think we're going to go in that direction.
BALDWIN: All right. Sunny Hostin, we'll be watching right along with you. Obviously, we'll be taking it live, when need be. Sunny, thank you very much.
HOSTIN: Thanks.
BALDWIN: And now, listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This man was nice, easy going. He had good contacts here in the community. He also had a business near the beach. He lived alongside everyone else. No one would have thought that he's the suspect they say he is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: A fugitive, he was on the lam for 40 years. Now, he's caught. Keep in mind this is the kind of guy who ordered the FBI to bring him ransom money in swimsuits and they did it.
Then, from Wall Street to the world, Erin Burnett is "OUTFRONT" with the latest news. She's going to join me live with a sneak peek of her new show debuts Monday.
Hello, Erin Burnett. Nice to meet you through the TV. We'll do this in person sometime soon.
We'll be chatting, coming up next. Stay right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: There is a new addition to our CNN family. Erin Burnett launches her show, "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT," Monday night, 7:00 Eastern. Join me, watch it live, TiVo it, whatever you need to do.
There she is, live in New York.
Erin Burnett, welcome, by the way. Just hello and welcome. Good to have you back on this show.
ERIN BURNETT, HOST, CNN'S "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT": Thank you. It's been a busy summer.
BALDWIN: I know it has.
BURNETT: So, yes.
BALDWIN: Let's get the stuff in your wheel house sort of out of the way before we learn a little bit more about you. And, obviously, your background is in finance. Before becoming a journalist, I know you started your career as an investment banker.
Explain to me why the rest of Europe is haggling so much over this, you know, bailing out Greece. And then, also, from an American perspective, how worried do we need to be over which way this goes?
BURNETT: Well, you know it's amazing. I mean, Europe is when I guess you start to realize that, you know, after two world wars in the past century, they care a lot about their union and they think it matters. So, they really want to hold it together.
But it appears increasingly clear, Brooke, that they might not be able to, at least financially. When you look at countries like Greece and beyond Greece, you've got Portugal, Italy, Spain, Ireland, all of them with varying degrees of economic problems. And then, all of a sudden, it turns out when things are good, everybody's fine to work together. The whole euro concept, and when things are bad, the richer countries like Germany, and ultimately, we're really talking about Germany, they don't want to bail everybody else out.
So, the question is, does Greece fall out of the euro, and then what are the repercussions of that? And, by the way, you know, Brooke, certainly, there'd be repercussions for Europe, but in a sense, what some people have been telling me in the financial community is, you know what? This is like what the U.S. went through back in 2008 when we went through our massive financial crisis.
BALDWIN: They're likening it to that.
BURNETT: That's right. And it's not just Europe because a lot of American banks have exposure to Europe. And the exposure is not as big as European banks, but some of the numbers I'm looking at, some people saying as much $50 billion. It sounds like a lot. For the U.S. banks, it's not huge.
But the fact is, the U.S. public no longer has a stomach for bailouts. So, those banks, if our banks do take a hit from Greece and it spreads to other European countries, it could hit our banks directly. They couldn't get a bailout. So, it hurts our banks and, of course, it hurts the European economies, big trading partners for us. It hurts our whole economy, too.
BALDWIN: OK. So, Erin Burnett, I follow you on Twitter and by the way, she is @ErinBurnettCNN. Something you tweeted, I love travel, so I saw this and I thought I got to ask her. You tweeted, "Just back from a shoot around the world."
You got to tell us where you were and will we see any of that on your show?
BURNETT: You will. And, you know, when you say "OUTFRONT," Brooke, we're really excited about the name because it describes the concept of what we're doing and how we're trying to report it. But, also, physically, the way we want to cover global stories.
So, we did get out prior to the show and, literally, we went around the world, although I guess over the top, into China, and then down through Southeast Asia, into the Middle East, back to the U.S. So, we did go around the world and we'll have some of that next week, about some of the area that really matter a lot to our show that we think matter for America economically, strategically, militarily. We're talking China and the Middle East.
So, we'll be bringing that to people next week. Some very serious pieces and, also, some fun ones.
BALDWIN: OK.
BURNETT: It would be boring if there weren't some fun.
BALDWIN: I know. I saw your Twitter pictures with the camels, if that's any preview of what we could see. I'm kind of excited myself.
BURNETT: They might see a little bit of that.
BALDWIN: Little camels.
BURNETT: Little thing about me, I love music. I do this thing each and every Monday, music Monday, featuring different bands that I'm really into.
So, I'm just curious, put you on the spot, who's on heavy rotation on the Erin Burnett iPod right now?
BURNETT: OK. So, on the flight to China, I actually listened to this song so much. I was into this song that I might be a little bit of sick of it now, but I was into this summer, the song "Knee Deep" by Zach Brown band, "wishing I was knee deep in the water somewhere -- wishing all I had to worry about was when the tide was going to reach my chair." I like that song this summer. That was my hot song. But I played it so much even I am --
BALDWIN: You kind of over it. Move along. BURNETT: So, I have to watch you on Mondays and get some suggestions.
BALDWIN: Yes, definitely. Final question, some Erin Burnett trivia. Tell me a little bit more about you.
BURNETT: OK, well, I guess I can tell you a few things. One, I like to cook.
I have been to 40 states, the 40th was this summer. I went to Oregon and it is phenomenal. They have these painted cliffs. It was really one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.
BALDWIN: I love Oregon.
BURNETT: And my family is a big family. I have seven nieces and nephews. Seven.
BALDWIN: Oh, cute.
BURNETT: That is a big part of what I do.
BALDWIN: Wonderful. I can't wait to watch you, 7:00 Monday. Erin Burnett "OUTFRONT." Thank you very much.
BURNETT: Thank you so much, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Thank you. Look forward to meeting you in person.
Also, as we all watch, Erin, Monday, I want to quickly remind you again: change to this show. So, starting Monday, this show moves up an hour, so we'll be on from 2:00 to 4:00 Eastern, 11:00 to 1:00 Pacific. And that, of course, starts Monday here on CNN.
So, why are the people who like Chris Christie and Sarah Palin, why are they holding their breath until Halloween? CNN's Political Ticker is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Let's go to Washington and talk politics and get that Political Ticker update. We have Paul Steinhauser and Peter Hamby both standing by.
And, Peter, let's begin with you here. It sounds like we could be seeing the caucus, the primary calendar starting right after New Year's.
PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: That's right, Brooke. I mean, this is actually a copy of the RNC's working calendar before this morning when we at CNN broke the story that Florida's going to have January 31st as their primary date next year. That's going to force these other states, Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada in particular, those protected first four states, to move ahead of Florida to protect their status. So, we can basically throw the calendar out the window on Friday when Florida makes this official. We're also watching South Carolina and Georgia tomorrow, who are going to make announcements about when their primaries are going to be. I can tell you that the folks over at the RNC headquarters are making frantic phone calls to Florida, really try to fix this situation and protect the calendar that they carefully laid out last year at an RNC meeting, Brooke.
BALDWIN: OK. So, Peter, as you're chucking that calendar, Paul, let's talk about what this means for, you know, current campaigns. And we still have those people like Sarah Palin and Chris Christie, who maybe, maybe, could jump into this race. What does that mean for them?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes. Well, let's start with that. It's a good point. If they jump in, it's already late in the game, right, because they don't have campaigns yet. They got to get -- they got to get teams in all these states, which they don't have yet and they've got to raise money.
But this thing could even tougher, because they're now, if the calendar moves up a month, they have one less month. They basically have three months if they jump immediately today or tomorrow to get things going in these states like Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire, you know, all the important early voting states. So, it makes it a lot tougher for them.
But let's forget about them for a second. What about the candidates who are already there? Who does this help? Who does this hurt?
I was talking to a top Republican strategist today and said maybe Romney and Perry, let's just talk with the top two, maybe Romney comes out a little better. Why? He's been running for a long time. People say -- some people say he's basically been running for five years. He's already got operations in the states moving up.
Perry, not so much. He's only been running for six weeks. And, you know, the less time means it's tougher for him.
And what does it mean for Peter and I and guys like us and women who cover it?
BALDWIN: No vacations.
STEINHAUSER: Christmas Day, we're heading out to Iowa.
HAMBY: New Year's Eve all over again in Des Moines.
BALDWIN: Exactly. All right. Peter and Paul, thank you both very, very much.
Still to come, we're going to tell you about this woman who is sentenced to 10 lashes just for getting behind the wheel, this in a place where women are gaining more political rights. We're telling you about this earlier in the week. We'll take you "Globe Trekking" coming up.
Also, the hijacker behind one of the most brazen airplane heists in American history, caught.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Talk about a cold case suddenly getting scalding hot. After 40 years of searching spanning three different continents, a fugitive hijacker is finally under arrest. I'm going to take you back to 1972. A prison escapee and a new member of the Black Liberation army dresses up as a priest, smuggles in a gun in his hallowed out bible, gets on a plane, flies away.
At a stop in Miami, gets $1 million ransom, which he makes sure is delivered by FBI agents wearing nothing but bathing suits just to make sure he can see they're not armed. After all these decades, a small tip led the FBI to George Wright living a quiet live outside of Lisbon in Portugal. It's a fascinating case.
I wanted to bring in former FBI assistant director Tom Fuentes who actually used to run the FBI International office out of Madrid and is now a CNN contributor.
Tom, I know you've been in touch with some of your bureau colleagues, many of whom are not speaking publicly. Of what you can share, how did that break this case?
TOM FUENTES, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Brooke, they created a task force about 10 years ago to go back through the more serious cold cases and see if they can develop leads. The task force was the FBI and U.S. marshals and authorities from New Jersey. It was the marshals in this case who developed the key lead that led to the location in Portugal.
So the bureau, the FBI office out of Madrid worked closely with the Portuguese authorities and the police in Portugal conducted the surveillance and maintained coverage until they could get the provisional arrest warrants in order. They arrested him on Monday and now, the extradition is in progress to bring him back to the United States.
BALDWIN: Do we know what his connection was, if any, to Portugal?
FUENTES: No, they're not revealing what that was, but I think it was based on examining family members and phone call records and that type of information.
And of course, 41 years ago, you did not have the ability to track international phone calls and international financial transactions the way you can do it today. So that was the idea behind reopening some of these cases to look at applying new technology to old cases and seeing if they could solve them.
BALDWIN: This is out there, that he was in a resort community not -- doing menial jobs, not living in the lap of luxury, so whatever happened to that $1 million of ransom? FUENTES: When the plane was hijacked, he was given the million dollars in the U.S. He had a pilot fly the plane from Boston to Algeria. When he landed, the plane was supposed to be met by Eldridge Cleaver, who was supporting the Black Liberation Army. He was assuming he could get asylum in the country, but that didn't happen.
So the Algerians arrested him and his three partners, seized the plane and the money. And they returned the million dollars and the aircraft back to the United States, but they did not return him. So after a couple of days, he was released from custody and the trail went cold.
Two years later, a couple of his partners, or four years later, a couple of his partners were arrested in Paris, but they didn't have the lead information of where exactly he was until recently.
BALDWIN: Also in '72, he was dressed like a priest, shoves his gun in a bible, gets on a plane. Obviously, that was before metal detectors. When did that change?
FUENTES: Actually, this was the case that led to the scanning at airports. He got on the plane with a gun. Three other adult male partners of his got on the plane armed as well. So the scanning that goes on now has incrementally increased over the years, but this was the first case where it was actually changed the policy to do scanning after that.
BALDWIN: And then hijackings. It was almost back in those days, it was routine. It happened quite often, maybe would be a better way to say it, about once a week according to statistics. Today, it's a different world. Why? Because of security?
FUENTES: Exactly. It's much harder to get on an aircraft. You know, carrying any kind of a weapon. And there are much greater databases for people who might be inclined to do it. So it took the hijackings back in the '70s, many of those planes being taken to Cuba or other places people were seeking some type of asylum. And we're all grateful because that means that fewer FBI agents will have to board aircraft in bathing suits.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: No comment, Tom Fuentes. Thank you very much. I appreciate it from Washington.
Now, let's take a live look. We're going to get a look at the Michael Jackson, Dr. Conrad Murray involuntary manslaughter trial. Guys, do we want to dip in? Sure. Let's dip in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Could you --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You would not call and try to figure out what was happening first.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dr. Murray as Mr. Jackson's doctor, if he told me to dial 911, I would have done that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The question is whether you received a voicemail message telling you to do that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was not the question.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Objection sustained.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The question is whether you would have done that based solely on a voice mail message from Dr. Murray?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would have taken that serious, yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you would have done that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, when you called Dr. Murray back, you actually spent some time talking to him trying to figure out what was happening?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Because you wanted to know what was happening, right?
BALDWIN: You can see a moment ago, the corner of your screen, Dr. Murray himself sitting there in that courtroom. We're going to continue to follow what's happening in there. This assistant had been asked earlier, apparently he was testifying that it was Dr. Murray who had given him a phone call to come over before he picked up the phone and called 911. We're going to stay on it. You can always keep up with the latest on the trial.
Coming up, a second school parade with a decidedly anti-Semitic twist. Where and why would kids at a Christian school dress up like this?
Also, we just heard the governor of Alabama has officially responded to the news today from a federal judge, the decision against the tough immigration law in his state. We will tell you what exactly Governor Bentley has said, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: News today out of Alabama. A federal judge has blocked the state from enforcing part of a tough immigration law that passed there earlier this year. You remember the Department of Justice actually sued the state over this particular bill which was originally scheduled to go into effect last month. Here now, governor of Alabama, Governor Robert Bentley.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ROBERT BENTLEY, (R) ALABAMA: With this law, today, Judge Blackburn upheld the majority of our law and temporarily, and I say temporarily, enjoined only four sections. With those parts that were upheld, we have the strongest immigration law in this country. I believe that all sections of our law will be upheld and I will continue to work with our attorney general Luther Strange as we await judge Blackburn's decision on the temporary injunctions and if necessary, our appeals to a higher court.
This law was never designed to hurt fellow human beings. As a physician, I would never ask a sick person if he or she was legal or illegal. But as governor of this state, it is my sworn duty to uphold our laws, and that's what I intend to do. Thank y'all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Governor Robert Bentley of Alabama reacting there.
Also, let's get a quick check of stories as we take you globe trekking. Australia gives the OK for women in any combat role. Australian Defense minister Steven Smith says this, "Now all of the roles on the frontline will be determined on the basis of merit, not on the basis of sex." This change will be phased in over the course of the next five years.
It is in stark contrast to U.S. policy which prohibits women from fighting in these roles. It also means U.S. male troops in Afghanistan could be fighting alongside Australian women.
And a Christian school in Thailand now apologizing for allowing students to march in a Nazi themed parade. Take a look at the images yourselves. This is what sparked outrage around the world. Students from the Sacred Heart school in Nazi uniforms, carrying a Nazi flag. Jewish human rights groups denounced the march, saying it glorified Nazis.
In the apology posted on this website, it was part of a sports day event and student groups were differentiated by colors. The red color group is the one that used the Nazi symbol.
And a woman arrested in Saudi Arabia for driving in a car will not be lashed after all. Here's the video of this woman breaking the law, the law being that women cannot drive in Saudi Arabia. A source close to the royal king court says Saudi King Abdullah revoked the sentence on 10 lashes that would have been given to this unidentified woman. This follows King Abdullah's announcement earlier this week of greater political participation for women in the kingdom.
It is the 25-year anniversary of the Bears Super Bowl win and the president has invited the team to the White House, but a member of that '85 Bears team snubbing the president's offer, saying he's quoting, got better things to do.
Joe Johns has that in "Political Pop" and Wolf Blitzer is going to join me in a minute to take a look what's coming up next on "THE SITUATION ROOM." We'll be right back.
But first, have you seen the list of the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame inductees? See if you agree with some of these selections? The Beastie Boys. Thank you, Roger. The Beastie Boys, The Cure, Donovan, Eric B. and Rakim, Guns 'N Roses, Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Freddie King. That's just part of the list. You have to stick around to see the rest of the 2011 Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame class when we return.
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BALDWIN: OK, here you go. The rest of the groups for 2012 Inductees Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. You have Laura Nyra, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rufus with Chaka Khan, The Small Faces/The Faces, The Spinners, Donna Summer. Listening to War right now. This is "Why Can't We Be Friends."
Let's go to Wolf Blitzer. Before we talk "SIT ROOM," Wolf Blitzer, you know, I know you get to do a lot of things, but I've been to that Rock & Roll Induction Ceremony a couple of times in New York. I saw Prince. I saw Jackson Brown. Have you ever been?
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, CNN'S "THE SITUATION ROOM": I want to go. When is the next one?
BALDWIN: Next April. You want to go with me?
BLITZER: Yes, definitely. Is that in New York or Cleveland?
BALDWIN: It's now moved to Cleveland.
BLITZER: That's what I thought. Ever been to Cleveland?
BALDWIN: You got me. I've never been to Cleveland.
BLITZER: It's nice. We're going to go rock and roll in Cleveland.
BALDWIN: Good deal. They'll let us in. All right, what do you have coming up? Herman Cain --
BLITZER: Herman Cain, yes, we're going the talk to him right at the top of the hour. He's got a lot on his mind. He's doing well. He's got some momentum going after the surprising, crashing win in that Florida straw poll.
Now some of these other national polls he's doing well as well I should say, so Herman Cain. Also in the 6:00 p.m. Eastern hour, we have a special interview with the foreign minister of Afghanistan.
Brook, we're spending $2 billion a week, more than $100 billion a year in Afghanistan. Is that money well spent? Should it be spent here in the United States? We got some tough questions for the foreign minister of Afghanistan. When his troops, his security personnel, his military going to be ready?
Because as of now, U.S. troops are supposed to stay for at least another three years until the end of 2014, is that going to guarantee that there will be a peaceful democratic Afghanistan when all is said and done? We've a lot of good questions for the foreign minister of Afghanistan. We'll do that interview in the 6:00 p.m. Eastern hour. In the meantime, we'll start thinking about Cleveland.
BALDWIN: I'm already thinking about Cleveland. I'll take a look at the dates. We'll get it worked out, Wolf. You're going to be my date.
BLITZER: Thank you.
BALDWIN: All right, thank you. Coming up next, the president in campaign mode, rubbing elbows with some real housewives and their husbands. Wait until you hear who else is a fan of that reality show, "Housewives of Beverly Hills" anyone? Joe johns, next with the "Political Pop."
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BALDWIN: We want to dip just really quickly here in back into the Dr. Conrad Murray involuntary manslaughter trial. Again just quickly to set this up. This here on the stand testifying, his name is Michael Williams. This was Michael Jackson's personal assistant. He's talking a little bit about a voice mail left on his phone by Dr. Murray himself. Let's listen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course, I would do it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, and will you also -- did you also play the part, Mr. Williams as sort of a conduit for people who wanted to get in touch with Michael Jackson? Sort of an agent in case they wanted to get in touch with Michael Jackson, they would call you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the most part. He had his own personal cell phone which family and close friends, which I had nothing to do with. But if he didn't want someone to have his number or someone didn't have his new number, they would call me and I would relay the message.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And oftentimes, people from AEG would call you for instance?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They had his number and they called him sometimes, but it wasn't un-normal at all for me to get a call from someone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then you would hook him up with Michael Jackson?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes I'd be right by him, give him the phone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the things that you did as an assistant was to pick up prescriptions for Michael Jackson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But not in your name.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Michael Jackson's name.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And blank it appears (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you would pick those prescriptions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Myself or security.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And also, one of the things you would do is accompany Michael Jackson for -- in places he would go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like, for instance, doctor's offices.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the most part. I didn't go in them, but I would drive him there and wait outside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you recall at some point going to visit Dr. Arnold Klein with Michael Jackson?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir. I do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this was a regular occurrence?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At a certain point, it's very regular. Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you by in chance have occasion to listen to the audio tape that was played in this trial? Did anybody ever play an audiotape of Michael Jackson to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who played that to you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I actually heard it. I was told I wasn't supposed to watch it on TV, but I did see it on the news.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That happens.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Had you ever heard Michael Jackson sound like that before?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not that extreme, but I have heard him talk slow before.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And when he left Dr. Klein's office had you observed him sometimes to talk slow?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes, when he'd leave, he would talk slow like that. I never heard it that extreme, but I can definitely say he has come out a little slower. BALDWIN: And as long as the trial continues on, you know CNN will continue to cover it live.
I do want to get you a quick note about this particular newscast. We're going to be moving up an hour in the CNN line up starting Monday, so you will still get two hours from our team.
But you'll be watching from 2:00 to 4:00 Eastern or west coast, you'll be watching 11:00 until 1:00 still lunch time for you Pacific time. That is a change on the CNN NEWSROOM line up again starting next Monday.
Now, little bit of controversy brewing at the White House as they get ready to host the 1985 Chicago Bears football team. There's at least one player who says not so much and doesn't want to go to the White House.
Joe Johns is here with "Political Pop" and Joe, just quickly, remind us they couldn't go in '85 because soon after was the Challenger crash, correct?
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Right, exactly. This is yet another one of those guess who's not coming to the White House stories. Talking about Dan Hampton who is, by the way, an NFL Hall of Famer, nicknamed as Dynamo, played linebacker for the '85 Bears.
If you haven't heard about this controversy, yes, do over for the one and only Chicago Bears football team that actually won the Super Bowl. They were supposed to go to the White House shortly after they won, but like Brooke said, after the space shuttle disaster.
Then President Reagan's staff had to postpone the event and up until now, no one has been able to squeeze those Bears back into the president's schedule. Of course, it helps that President Obama is from Chicago and a Bears fan, so you can read between the lines there, Brooke.
BALDWIN: So what are we getting from Dan Hampton? Is he saying he doesn't want to go because he doesn't like the president's politics or something else?
JOHNS: Well, that's definitely part of it. I mean, reading what he said, he really doesn't quibble about that. Hampton said he's not a fan of the guy in the White House. He says he has no family to take with him plus he's really not fond of the idea of trying to, quote/unquote, "get the band back together after 25 years."
So no Dan Hampton, he's definitely not the first football player to turn down an invitation to visit the president, but at least he's out front about it.
BALDWIN: OK, all right, and again, when do they visit the White House? It's October 7th?
JOHNS: Yes. BALDWIN: Other story we know the president has been on this whole west coast swing and was recently in Beverly Hills and he met one of the "Housewives of Beverly Hills," is that the story?
JOHNS: Yes, that's right. I mean, this is an absolutely fantastic story. And part of the reason I think is because Kyle Richards is just such a character. You know, her tweets in leading up to meeting the president are fascinating and funny.
She went to this fundraiser at the House of Blues in Los Angeles with President Obama, tweeting before and during the event, sort of stream of consciousness, quality, if you will.
I mean, things that were certainly intended to be funny. Like -- what do I wear? Hope I don't say something stupid. I mean, these are things you would be thinking of before you met the president of the United States for the first time.
BALDWIN: My lip gloss?
JOHNS: Right, that's it. Probably the best tweet of the night was I'm going to ask our president if he can do anything about my favorite lip gloss that was discontinued. She was having fun with it. Her husband was there, also, and he tweeted that Mrs. Obama actually watches "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."
BALDWIN: Really?
JOHNS: Yes, so a lot of social media stuff going on there at that fundraiser, too.
BALDWIN: I mean, I'm sure it's programmed in your TiVo each and every Sunday night, right, Joe Johns?
JOHNS: No, I don't get to watch it every night, quite frankly, but I would if it could.
BALDWIN: I'm being corrected. She says it's Monday nights. Obviously, you're not watching.
JOHNS: I'm still keeping up with the Salahis quite frankly.
BALDWIN: Yes, I know. We're working on that. Joe Johns, good to see you. Thank you so much.
Thank you for watching. That does it for me. I'm Brooke Baldwin here in Atlanta.
Let's go to my colleague, Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM" in Washington starts right now.
