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Campbell Brown
President Obama Addresses NAACP; New Revelations in Florida Murder Case
Aired July 16, 2009 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Tonight, here are the questions we want answered.
Can the NAACP survive in the age of Obama? The first African- American president speaking just now to the nation's largest civil rights organization. Does he represent mission accomplished, or is there still a long way to go?
Plus, the parents of 17 kids murdered -- tonight, eight suspects in custody and a key piece of evidence found.
ROB WILLIAMS, WNRP ANCHOR: In Florida it's going to go one of two ways, death by lethal injection or death in the electric chair, Campbell.
BROWN: But is there more to this story? And why is the federal Drug Enforcement Agency involved?
And listen closely to this.
SEN. JEFF SESSIONS (R), ALABAMA: I feel better already. During these hearings, we're going to do that crack cocaine thing.
BROWN: What is this senator talking about? We will explain.
Plus, Paul McCartney speaks out about Michael Jackson owning the Beatles song catalog and how money slowly drove the band apart.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is your only source for news. CNN prime time begins now. Here's Campbell Brown.
BROWN: Hi, everybody. Those are our big questions tonight.
But we're start, as always, with the "Mash-Up." It is, of course, our look at all the stories making an impact right now, the moments you may have missed today. We're watching it all, so you don't have to.
First, Republicans said it would take a meltdown to derail Judge Sotomayor. Well, day four of her confirmation hearings, and the woman is not melting down.
Perhaps that is why today once frosty Republican senators, well, they started to melt. Here is the view right now from the right.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: We will see what your future holds, but I think it's going to be pretty bright.
SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: Judge, you have been great throughout this process.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm mightily impressed.
SESSION: I hope you have felt that it's been a fairly conducted hearing. That's been my goal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The test is not whether we like you. I think, speaking personally, I think we all do.
GRAHAM: You know what, Judge? I agree with you. Good luck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: In other words, we get it. You're in. We played our part. We roughed you up a little. And now it's over.
The Judiciary Committee's top Republican, Jeff Sessions, says his party won't filibuster the nomination. He expects a full Senate vote before the August recess.
Senator Sessions giving us lots to chew over today. Best of all, this. Check him out. This is him thanking a witness at today's hearing. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SESSIONS: Mr. Henderson, it's good to work with you.
Senator Leahy and I are talking, during these hearings, we're going to do that crack cocaine thing that you and I have talked about before.
We have got to...
(LAUGHTER)
WADE HENDERSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO, LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE ON CIVIL RIGHTS: Thank you, Senator. I appreciate it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You might want to restate that.
(CROSSTALK)
SESSIONS: Let me correct the record.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please, rephrase it, Senator. (LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please rephrase.
SESSIONS: I misspoke.
HENDERSON: No. Quite all right.
(LAUGHTER)
SESSIONS: We're going to reduce the burden of penalties in some of the crack cocaine cases, and make them fair.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: All right, that's a little more clear. It's like, Senator. We have all been there.
Worlds away from Washington, this is a troubling story, a troubling picture of extremism in action, kind of a terrorist version of "Sesame Street." Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is children's television, innocent enough at first glance. But this program on the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV features the sun and daughter of a female suicide bomber watching a reenactment of their mother's mission.
It was first aired in 2007 and has now re-aired, this time with a studio audience. Reem Riyashi killed four Israelis in a 2004 attack at the Erez crossing between Gaza and Israel.
In the video, an actress playing her prepares explosives for her mission, ignoring her children's questions about what she is doing. The daughter then sees a news report about the suicide bombing and sings, "Only now I understand what was more important than us."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: These are the same folks who produced a show featuring a Mickey Mouse-type character waving grenades and machine guns. Nice.
From those frightening images to these inspiring ones. Tonight, amazing new pictures of that one small step and that one giant leap. Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Forty years ago today, man set off on a new frontier. On July 16, 1969, the Apollo blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center, destination, the moon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is how 600 million people watched Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin take their first steps on the moon, through grainy, distorted black and white images.
KATIE COURIC, HOST, "CBS EVENING NEWS": Now 40 years later, a film restoration company hired by NASA has digitally enhanced the video. The images are much sharper. Reflections can even be seen in Armstrong's visor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But even in slightly higher definition, the pictures are still ghostly, like something from another planet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Or perhaps the moon.
Tonight also marks a somber anniversary, as we remember the son of Camelot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today, as you may know, marks a very somber anniversary. It has been 10 years since John F. Kennedy Jr. died, along with his wife and sister-in-law, in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ABC News has reports that his plane is missing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A massive search is under way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, 10 years after his tragic death, the public fascination continues. "People" magazine has just released these never-before-seen photos.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Although he never admitted it publicly, John had very clear political ambitions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He wanted to become the president of the United States. And, over the years that I knew him, he had been preparing for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: He had lived, Kennedy would have been 48 right now, just one year older than President Obama.
Some pretty heavy stuff tonight. So, let's lighten the mood a little bit, show you a piece of video that is going viral in a big way. Check out David Garrett. He plays the violin really, really fast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow. There's smoke rising from the strings here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Garrett can play 13 notes in a single second. Pretty impressive.
And with that, the punchline, courtesy of Conan O'Brien, his target, always a big one, Mark Sanford, the South Carolina taking a few more days off. Yes. He's in an undisclosed location again. But this time he brought his wife.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONAN O'BRIEN, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN": South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford is trying to bounce back from his sex scandal. So, Governor Mark Sanford -- yes, let's whoo that. Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Whoo, bounce back.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Governor Sanford has cleared his schedule this week to take a personal trip with his wife. Isn't that nice? Yes. Sanford said he wanted to go somewhere exotic and romantic, but he's going to get this trip with his wife out of the way first. And then...
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Conan O'Brien, everybody.
And that is in bad taste and, of course, the "Mash-Up."
The live blog is up and running. Chat now at CNN.com/Campbell. Tonight, we have our frequent guest John Avlon on there, too, taking your questions.
And Michael Jackson, the case a criminal investigation now, we have the very latest. Plus, an unreleased song, it is one of the last he ever recorded. We have got the tape.
Also, can the NAACP survive the age of Obama? He spoke to the group just moments ago. Hear what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let it be said that this generation did its part, that we, too, ran the race, that full of faith that our dark past has taught us, full of the hope that the present has brought us, we faced, in our lives and all across this nation, the rising sun of a new day begun.
Thank you. God bless you.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) OBAMA: God bless the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Earlier, we watched what has got to be a moment for the history books, the nation's first African-American president addressing the NAACP 100 years after its founding.
But President Obama's speech was a return to one of his favorite themes, personal responsibility, including calling on parents to set the bar higher for their kids. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: They might think they have got a pretty good jump shot or a pretty good floater, but our kids can't all aspire to be LeBron or Lil Wayne. I'm want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers, doctors and teachers, not just ballers and rappers.
I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court justice. I want them aspiring to be the president of the United States of America.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And here to react to that and the rest of the president's speech, we have got Dylan Glenn, a former special assistant to President George W. Bush, CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux also here, CNN political analyst Roland Martin finally back with us.
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I have been on vacation.
BROWN: He took a long vacation. Roland, OK.
MARTIN: Brother had to see his wife.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
BROWN: And, in Milwaukee, NPR contributor John Ridley.
Welcome to everybody. A lot of anticipation surrounding this speech.
Roland, what did you think?
MARTIN: It was a two-part speech. You had personal responsibility on one hand. But he also did touch on the structural issues in terms of education, in terms of health care that play a part in the disparities in education and health care. And, as he said Dr. King said, it's a question of doing both as opposed to them being separate.
BROWN: You have been traveling with him. You have been covering. What did you think, Suzanne?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I thought that he really raised a good point. And it's this whole idea of tough love.
Because what he did was he's saying I have more credibility and more familiarity with this group than previous presidents like President Bush. Some of the themes we saw and listened to were familiar when he talked about educational opportunities, business, economic opportunities. These are the kinds of things that we have heard from previous presidents.
But then he says, look, I get it. It wasn't long ago -- and it seems like it was a long time ago -- when people were asking in the black community whether he was black enough. That was something where he thought that was just incredible. It was a ridiculous question to him.
But when he lays this out, he is saying, of course I get it. I understand that people are suffering. I understand that the African- American community more so than others, more likely, are suffering even worse. And there is a way forward. There is a path forward, but that it also requires personal accountability and responsibility and that he's got the credibility to deliver that message.
BROWN: Dylan, let me play a sound bite. This is from the GOP chairman, Michael Steele, because to Suzanne's point that was just made, there are some in the black community who have said that he isn't doing enough specifically. And listen to what Steele said and then we will talk about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL STEELE, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: I think there have been two glaring examples where African-Americans have come to pause. And both occurred at press conferences where the president has been asked directly, how will your policies benefit the black community specifically? And he's talked about it in more generic terms: If I help this group, I help, you know, our community.
That's not what black folks want to hear right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And this isn't, by the way, just Republicans. There were a number of people at the NAACP saying this before his speech tonight.
What did you think on that point?
DYLAN GLENN, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Look, I thought the president gave a wonderfully soaring speech, as he's apt to do. He's very talented in that regard. I think there's no question that challenge will be rhetoric meeting the actual activities, actions. And I think he tried to challenge, I think, the NAACP softly today, much like George Bush, I would add, did when he talked about the soft bigotry of low expectations in terms of education.
But I think the challenge is really going to be for -- you can talk about personal responsibility on one hand. But then how do you actually implement that? Is that the way that president -- former President Bush tried to do it in terms of faith-based initiatives? Is it actually trying to get families -- what is the metric? How do you do it?
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: He said it. He said it in the actual speech.
GLENN: OK.
MARTIN: When he said, when it came to education, you need to read to your children, when he said it's a question of making sure that you are parenting your children, when he said in terms of getting them to bed early. And so he laid out in terms of, as an individual, this is what your responsibility is, because, look, you can blame the teacher and the principal, but you have a part in this.
(CROSSTALK)
MALVEAUX: And striking that balance is very important for this president, because, obviously, as you know before in the campaign, there were some people who thought that was paternalistic, that they were offended by some of those comments that he made, that perhaps it was airing the dirty laundry that didn't want to be aired.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: ... high school, 75 percent who are not -- trust me.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Hold on, guys. Hold on. I want to bring John Ridley into this.
John, give me your take.
JOHN RIDLEY, COMMENTATOR, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: I thought it was a good speech, as everyone else did.
I think, look, he did a very delicate dance. There were a lot of people at that meeting tonight who wanted President Obama to be the black president. And I think he had to remind everybody that he's the president for everybody.
I think one of the things that's very important is a lot of people were looking for more specifics about jobs. The economy right now is disproportionately affecting people of color. And I think that's where they really wanted specifics. Everybody can agree on education, that that's the key to the future.
But, in the short term, what do you do about the fact that you have got a higher unemployment rate with people of color than the rest of America? Now, no mention of basically anything about...
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: John -- before you guys jump in, I just -- John wrote a really provocative piece for us today with the headline of "Can the NAACP Survive President Obama?"
Explain what you mean.
RIDLEY: Well, I think there are a lot of people -- and, by the way, President Obama addressed this. A lot of people think, hey, you have President Obama. You have got Sonia Sotomayor, who is probably most definitely going to be a Supreme Court justice, Eric Holder at the DOJ.
Do you really need the NAACP in terms of protecting civil rights? I think the president did a very good job of stressing that the NAACP is not just about civil rights. And, by the way, the NAACP had a white paper they just issued called year one that's basically looking forward to the next 100 years.
So, I think it's important for everyone involved to remind folks that, no, we don't have total equality in America. But what is the next step? And certainly dealing with education and talking about that and moving forward is part of that process.
BROWN: To John's point, what do you think, Dylan?
GLENN: Well, two points. One, I think that it's no question the fact that the NAACP is struggling with the same deal that the March of Dimes struggled with. When we cured polio, March of Dimes didn't go away. So, they had to look and see what their -- what would make them relevant going forward.
But I want to come back to education, Roland,. If the president were serious about education -- and I hope that he is, and I think he's six months into a nascent presidency. We ought to give him the benefit of the doubt. I think that he would have backed the vouchers initiative in Washington, D.C.
MARTIN: Yes, he's not going to do it.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: I agree.
GLENN: And I think he would say something strongly about teachers unions. And I think he wouldn't just say it's about redoubling the budget in terms of the Department of Education.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: Here's the deal. I rode on Air Force One with him. I asked him that direct questions about vouchers.
And he said, look, that's a very small part, but the bottom line, it's taking money out of the system. He believes in charter schools. And, so, look, I supported vouchers as well. But the reality is this here. You can talk about vouchers, but they're failing in charter schools. They're failing in public schools.
And so you can bring up any of those issues. It still points to in the third and fourth grade something is happening with black children, while those numbers are dropping when it comes to math and science and reading. And that's what we have got to confront.
(CROSSTALK)
MALVEAUX: One of the things that the president is doing is, he's also backing the No Child Left Behind. He didn't abandon that, that Bush initiative. But he is putting money forward to actually make that stronger.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Guys, I wish we could go on. This is an entirely separate debate we can have for hours. But we got to end it there. We're out of time.
I just want to thank John Ridley, of course, Roland, Dylan, and Suzanne. Appreciate your time tonight.
And, as I mentioned, John Ridley did blog about the president's speech for us as well. Check it out at CNN.com/Campbell.
Tonight, we're also taking a closer look at segregated proms, believe it or not, still happening in 2009. But you're going to meet two students from one school that pushed for change, took on the challenge of bringing black and white students together for the first time. Hear their story when we come back.
Plus, a developing story. We have new details to share with you -- the parents of those 17 children murdered in their own bedroom. Why is the DEA involved in this case? We have got some answers for you.
Plus, Madonna, a stage collapse, the deadly pre-concert accident, that's coming up in tonight's "Download."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Now a look at some of the other must-see stories of the day.
HLN's Mike Galanos has tonight's "Download."
Hey, Mike.
MIKE GALANOS, HEADLINE NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Campbell, yes, a wild gun battle on the New Jersey streets to tell you about, five cops shot, two suspects killed. And the chaos began this morning in Jersey City, when police say an armed robbery suspect dressed -- get this -- like a priest opened fire on them with a shotgun.
Two cops are in critical condition. President Obama talked about them during a stop in New Jersey today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: We are confident that they're going to end up coming back strong as ever.
But it's a reminder for all of us of the incredible sacrifice that our law enforcement officials engage in and their families are part of each and every day. So, I hope everybody keeps them in their thoughts and prayers in the days to come.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALANOS: Now, the president was in New Jersey at a campaign rally for Governor Jon Corzine.
The Taliban have reportedly threatened to kill a captured American soldier unless the U.S. halts its operations in two Afghan provinces. Now, American troops are handing out fliers, asking for the soldiers' safe return. The Taliban claim responsibility for kidnapping the still unnamed soldier missing for more than two weeks now. The U.S. says it's possible he's been moved across the border into Pakistan.
And Madonna said to be devastated to hear that a man was killed while building the stage for one of her concerts in France. The 53- year-old worker was killed when a crane lifting some of the beams for the stage lights collapsed. At least one of Madonna's upcoming shows in Marseilles has been canceled.
And finally this, a first today, this from Marine One. That's President Obama's helicopter, an all-female crew assembled to honor Major Jennifer Grieves, who became Marine One's first female pilot last year. Now, today was her last day. And the president ducked into the cockpit to shake her hand before they took off from the South Lawn.
Nice send-off there -- her next stop, I believe, Quantico, Virginia. She is going to fulfill her retirements to become lieutenant colonel. So, nice story, yes.
BROWN: Wow. A little girl power. Congratulations to her. That's a great story. Mike, thanks very much.
(CROSSTALK)
GALANOS: See you, Campbell.
One of Michael Jackson's last songs, it has never been released. But we have got the tape for you tonight. We're going to play it for you next.
We also have some new details on that doctor who was the last one with him when he died.
Also tonight, segregated proms, yes, they still happen in America. Tonight, a closer look at one small town that brought black and white together for the first time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My parents didn't want me going to the prom with black people or anything like that. They were just so racial. And, you know, it was hard for me to deal with, because I had black friends.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Tonight's newsmaker, legendary Beatle Paul McCartney speaking out for the first time about the business move Jackson made that changed their relationship forever, when Jackson bought the rights to the Beatles music catalog. Here's McCartney. This is on last night's "Late Show With David Letterman." Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL MCCARTNEY, MUSICIAN: We had a really good time. We made a couple of records together, did a video. And we were very good friends.
It actually kind of fell apart a little bit later, because he was talking to me and asking me my business advice. And one of the things I said to him was, think about getting into music publishing.
And then -- and he looked at me. He kind of -- and he said, "I'm going to get yours."
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": Yes.
MCCARTNEY: So, you know, I kind of thought, oh, you.
(LAUGHTER)
MCCARTNEY: But it turned out to be true.
(LAUGHTER)
MCCARTNEY: ... which was -- you know, that was cool. Somebody had to get it, I suppose.
But -- and what happened, actually, is then I started to ring him up, because I thought, OK, here's the guy historically placed to give Lennon-McCartney a good deal at last, because we had got signed when we were 21 or something in a back alley in Liverpool. And the deal had remained the same, even though we made this company the most famous, hugely successful.
So, I kept thinking it was time for a raise, you know?
(LAUGHTER)
MCCARTNEY: Well, you would, you know?
LETTERMAN: Yes, I think so.
MCCARTNEY: And, so, it was great.
But I did talk to him about it, but he kind of blanked me on it. He kept saying, "That's just business, Paul."
So, yes, it is, and waited for a reply. But we never kind of got to it. And I thought, mmm. So, we kind of drifted apart. It was no big bust-up.
LETTERMAN: Yes.
MCCARTNEY: We kind of drifted apart after that.
LETTERMAN: OK.
(CROSSTALK)
MCCARTNEY: But he was a lovely man, massively talented. And we miss him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Paul McCartney with David Letterman last night.
Also, as we mentioned, tonight, for the first time, we're hearing a song by Michael Jackson that was never released. Only today did it become public. This was after it was posted on the TMZ Web site. The tune is called "A Place With No Name."
And, if it sounds familiar to you, it should. Jackson was actually given permission to record this song, even though it sounds very similar to the 1971 hit "A Horse With No Name" by the group America. Let's listen.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BROWN: And now we do want to bring you up to speed, a number of new developments in the Jackson investigation to tell you about.
Randi Kaye joining us right now. Randi has been looking into all of this.
And, Randi, there have been a number of reports that the doctor, Michael Jackson's personal doctor, Conrad Murray, is at the center of the investigation. What can we confirm? What do we know for sure?
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now, I can tell that TMZ was reporting that Dr. Murray made incriminating statements to authorities when he was interviewed just a few days after Michael Jackson died.
We know that he was in the house. We know that he said at least that he performed CPR on Michael Jackson. We also could tell you that he was interviewed twice by investigators.
Now, I called Dr. Murray's attorney today to see if he made those incriminating statements. And his spokeswoman told me -- quote -- "Whatever was said during the interview was not made public at all. It is part of an ongoing investigation, so unless they were sitting in the room" -- meaning TMZ -- "it is bogus."
Also, she told me that there haven't been any more subpoenas, no search warrants, nothing more requested of Dr. Conrad Murray. She says he is still a witness, being treated as a witness, and certainly not suspect.
BROWN: And what about this picture of Jackson's oldest child spotted at a gathering for Jehovah's Witnesses in L.A.?
KAYE: This is really interesting, Campbell, because I spoke with a family friend tonight.
And, as we know, Michael Jackson was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. But, really, he told me he shied away from it as he grew up. This friend told me it reminded Jackson of the trauma of his childhood. But now you have this photo. Take a look, Paris Jackson spotted at Los Angeles' Kingdom Hall with her brothers earlier this week, on Tuesday, in fact.
And, if you look at the picture, you can notice possibly that she is carrying a book right there titled "Sing Praises to Jehovah."
Now, according to "The New York Post," she was with her brothers, Michael Jr., and Prince, also known as Blanket, and their aunt Rebbie Jackson.
I asked the family friend I spoke with if this is how Michael Jackson wanted his children raised, and he told me absolutely not. He didn't intend to raise them as Jehovah's Witnesses. He said, Michael Jackson dabbled in a lot of different religions, but never really embraced religion. And all of it, he told me, Michael always told him it reminded him of this trauma that he experienced in his childhood.
BROWN: And, Randi, the autopsy results still haven't been released. But what's the latest word on whether or not this is a criminal investigation? It seems like there's been a lot of confusion on that.
KAYE: There is a lot of confusion. I'm sorry to tell you there's still just as much confusion today. We spoke to the district attorney's office in Los Angeles, and here's what we were told. "The death of Michael Jackson is being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County medical examiner. There have been conversations by district attorney personnel with police and coroner's officials in connection with the ongoing investigation."
The statement goes on to say, "It is common for law enforcement agencies throughout Los Angeles County to be in contact with the district attorney's office during criminal investigation."
So there you have the D.A. spokesperson using the word "criminal investigation" in connection with the Jackson investigation. But then you have the LAPD telling me that the investigation is ongoing, Campbell, and has not been determined yet if it is criminal or not. So it really depends on who you ask, which statements you read, exactly whether or not this is criminal or simply just an investigation at this point.
BROWN: OK. That clears things up, doesn't' it?
KAYE: We try. We did our best. We try.
BROWN: All right. Randi Kaye for us tonight. As always, Randi, thanks very much.
More new details in the killings of the parents to 17 children down in Florida. Tonight, why the sheriff now admits federal drug agents are involved when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: We have new developments tonight in the killing of that Florida couple that raised 17 mostly adopted and special needs children. Investigators have now recovered what they are calling valuable evidence and now the sheriff is trying to quash speculations surrounding the victims even as he confirms the involvement of federal drug agents.
Our own Ed Lavandera is in Pensacola tonight, along with Rob Williams, an anchor for Pensacola's NewsRadio 1620. And with me here in New York, former DEA special agent Bob Strang joining us as well.
Let me go to you, to Rob, down in Florida first. You know, Rob, the sheriff keeps saying there is more here than meets the eye in this case. He is hinting at that in every way imaginable and frankly saying it flat out. Are we any closer to knowing the real back story here?
ROB WILLIAMS, ANCHOR, NEWSRADIO 1620: Well, I don't think we are close to knowing the back story to be very honest. The state attorney here, Bill Eddins, very, very conservative on the information he's turning loose.
How many guns were recovered? Where were they recovered? Let's see the safe. Where was the safe? He's not putting any of that on the table right now. But he did say it's substantially over. It's substantially solved. There's still a few loose ends. That's a direct quote. And a few more people of interest that they want to talk to.
But with regards to the DEA, Campbell, I'll jump a question ahead, and plain and simple, take that off the table. It's not a factor at least on the Billings side of the equation.
However, for the scumbags they picked up in the last week, well, that's another story. The DEA is here for support. I talked to guys from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, they're here, too. But they're tracking down the serial numbers on the guns that have been recovered, Campbell.
BROWN: All right. Ed, as Rob referenced there, police saying today valuable evidence that they have found. What is it specifically they're talking about?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you mention the guns first or the weapons used. The state attorney mentioned that one of the weapons that they believe that they found was indeed the murder weapon used in this. We've been told by sources with ATF that those weapons will be sent to Atlanta where the ballistics testing will be done as well.
We've also learned that the safe that was stolen, which is what the item that was robbed from the house has also been found. We understand it was found on one of the properties belonging to Pamela Wiggins. She's the eighth suspect that was arrested yesterday. Authorities won't say what was inside the safe, but they say that they have finally recovered it.
BROWN: All right. Bob, you're here with us because I want to go back to this question about the DEA involvement. Why would the DEA be involved?
ROBERT STRANG, FOMRER DEA SPECIAL AGENT: Well, let's look at it this way. The first piece of evidence that the police had was a tag, a license plate. That was the hard evidence.
You know, people like to think it's some kind of forensics or digital, you know, something technical that brought the DEA and the FBI involved in this case. But really it was a license plate.
And what the police do, the first thing they do is run it through federal agencies to find out whether or not an informant knows that individual that it came back to, whether or not any information on this person is involved in money laundering or international narcotics, maybe a methamphetamine lab.
So what they do is they check to see is this person involved in a crime? And very often there's a link with one of the federal agencies.
It appears that maybe early on in this investigation that license plate came back to an ongoing investigation that the DEA may have been conducting. And they know that either through an informant, through a wiretap, through a pen register, we actually get a telephone number -- some type of indices systems connection that put these two things together.
And they need to learn more about the individual. What kind of person? Are they armed? What kind of gang do they belong to? Are they involved with the Colombian or Mexican drug cartel? Do they operate a methamphetamine lab here in the U.S.?
So as law enforcement gathers this information, it helps them with the current case. This goes on all the time.
BROWN: OK. We'll obviously be finding out more in the next few days, hopefully. I want to go back to Ed, though, on one other thing.
As we mentioned earlier, seven men charged with murder so far. This woman, Pamela Long Wiggins, has been charged with accessory after the fact. And I just want you to elaborate a little more on that, Ed. Any details we may know about her involvement?
LAVANDERA: Well, we got a hold of her arrest report today. And in that there was also another item that authorities have found yesterday. They have come here to the sheriff's office, and we had seen which was a red minivan.
This is different from that Dodge van that was seen in the surveillance tape. But this red minivan, and inside this arrest report it mentions that this van was placed near the Billings home the day of the murders and was actually used by the suspects as a getaway vehicle. It turns out that that van is registered to Miss Wiggins.
So whether or not she knew about it early on is not clear. She's been charged with conspiracy or accessory after the fact. So it seems to suggest that perhaps not.
So -- but the safe was also found on one of her properties. So did she allow that to happen? That seems to be something that is perhaps more likely.
BROWN: And do we know how many more people are out there, Ed, that the police are trying to talk to?
LAVANDERA: The last we heard from the sheriff, he mentioned that there were two or three other persons of interest that they want to talk to. But what will happen with that isn't clear and as we mentioned, this seems to be toward the tail end of this investigation is what the state attorney and the sheriff here are saying.
BROWN: All right. Many thanks to Rob --
WILLIAMS: Hey, Campbell, one thing very quickly.
BROWN: Yes, go ahead.
WILLIAMS: It was a week ago right now, pretty much to within five, ten minutes or right now when the home invasion and the murders took place. Right now. Funeral coming up tomorrow.
BROWN: All right. Rob, Ed and Bob Strang helping us see the big picture here as well, too. Thanks guys, appreciate it.
Live chat happening right now at CNN.com/campbell. Our guest, John Avlon, blogging right now. You wouldn't think we'd be talking about this in 2009.
But when we come back, we are going to address segregated proms. Tonight, you're going to meet the teens who are fighting to end it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Tonight we watched as the nation's first African-American president made a major speech to the NAACP. And it was a moment in history, of course. But before we all get carried away congratulating ourselves over the state of race relations, consider this.
A high school in Mississippi recently held its first prom at which both white and black students were welcomed, as in like very recently. It was paid for by actor Morgan Freeman and documented in an HBO film called "Prom Night in Mississippi" which premiers on Monday night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN FREEMAN, ACTOR: We can't keep muddling along in the most backward parts of your psyche, you know? You got to break free. These are shackles. These are steel chains we have around our souls.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It might be it. It might be the fear of your white daughter conceiving with a black man. That might be the fear that you're afraid of presenting, coming out you're white and you have a mixed baby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My parents taught me about racism. If you're white, God wanted you white to be with white. And if you're black, God wanted you black to be with black. You can't try and change them. Not somebody that's much older than you. Not a whole other generation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Just a little while ago, I talked to two of the students who attended that prom, Jessica Shivers and Chasidy Buckley, along with Paul Saltzman who directed the film "Prom Night in Mississippi."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Before all of this, proms for you were segregated events. How did you feel about that?
JESSICA SHIVERS, ATTENDED INTEGRATED PROM: I never went to the other prom, so I didn't like the fact that it was segregated. And when we first had our integrated prom, you know, I thought that was a great idea for us to all join together. And segregation was just nonsense.
BROWN: Is that why you didn't go to the other prom?
SHIVERS: Yes, I didn't go to no prom because of it. I just, you know, I wasn't going to waste my time if I couldn't spend it with everyone.
BROWN: What did you think?
CHASIDY BUCKLEY, ATTENDED INTEGRATED PROM: I thought it didn't make sense. But I went to the segregated prom my junior year because I was the vice president of the committee. And at first I didn't really want to go but I made up my mind to go. But I thought it was crazy that they were separate. But --
BROWN: But why? Why was it that way? Who's idea was it?
SHIVERS: It's pretty much the parents. You know, like my parents didn't want me going to a prom with black people or anything like that. They were just so racial. And, you know, it was hard for me to deal with because I have black friends.
BROWN: Did most people feel the way that you guys felt?
BUCKLEY: Most -- I mean most of our classmates did. And a lot of classes before us felt that it was silly, that they were separate. But, I mean, they never had the courage, I would say, or they never put forth enough effort to try to have it together. They thought it was nonsense.
BROWN: This happens. 2008, you had the very first integrated prom.
BUCKLEY: Right.
BROWN: What was the reaction?
SHIVERS: Well, there was so much drama and tension from -- really it wasn't -- there was no black parents conflict. It was more the white parents. And there was another prom. There was a white prom and we had our integrated prom, so there was just so much drama going from one end to another.
BROWN: You said conflict, and you mention this. There was a separate white prom.
SHIVERS: Yes.
BROWN: In addition to this.
SHIVERS: They offered for me to go. And they offered to pay for everything. And they said they made it more seniors and stuff like that. And I didn't go. I just -- I went to the meeting. I didn't like they were using words.
BROWN: But what words? What are you talking about? Be specific?
SHIVERS: Well, they used nigger and stuff like that. You know, just saying a nigger is not going to be grinding up on my daughter.
BROWN: How do you feel when you hear that?
BUCKLEY: It's just like stabbing me inside or something when you just hear that people are so hateful -- I mean about a prom, about us being together in a room having a good time together for the last time. It's just hurtful.
BROWN: So what did you think? What was the reaction when this all came about?
BUCKLEY: When we were sitting in the auditorium, there was like a sigh of relief that finally this is happening. And I was so excited and regardless of all the negativity that surrounded it, I was happy.
BROWN: And you talk about the parents again. But were black students and white students kind of divided in terms of their reaction to it? Or was everybody pretty much on the same page?
BUCKLEY: Well, at first it seemed like everybody was on the same page. As you can see in the movie, Morgan acts (ph), who doesn't want it? And nobody said no.
But outside of that, there were a few mixed, you know, disagreements saying, I don't know. I don't know. It's not going to happen for real. They didn't think it was really going to happen.
BROWN: Right.
BUCKLEY: But it did.
BROWN: Paul, let me bring you in here. Chasidy just mentioned Morgan. We're talking about Morgan Freeman. Explain to everybody how this came about, how HBO got involved, and how this turned into a movie.
PAUL SALTZMAN, DIRECTOR, "PROM NIGHT IN MISSISSIPPI": We started to shoot the documentary that is not the prom documentary and we finished that documentary. And the day we finished shooting we found out about the separate proms.
And I was actually back home in Canada. And I called Morgan. And I said is this true that there are segregated proms and you'd offered to pay for it and no one would take you up on the offer? He offered to pay for the full prom if it would be integrated.
BROWN: Right.
SALTZMAN: And he said, yes, that was ten years ago. It was 1997. And I just said to him, is the offer still good? And there was this pause on the end of the phone and he said, oh, OK. And the offer was put back on the table. And finally the school board and the parents agreed. BROWN: Chasidy, Jessica, explain -- or give us a feel for prom day, the actual day because you described the tension. And we've seen a little of the pictures and the video. What was that day like?
SHIVERS: Well, that's my first prom so I was really excited. And it was so much fun, you know, getting dressed and picking out the outfits we're going to wear and doing our hair and makeup.
But when I got there, I had butterflies. I didn't know -- I didn't expect to be as beautiful and as spectacular. And, of course, Morgan paid for everything. And it just blew me out of the water.
BUCKLEY: I did everything, hair and makeup, everything early, get dressed early. There was like this small mini photo shoot right before we left for prom. And we had to do that at everybody's house.
So that whole day was crazy. But when we finally got to prom, we were just letting loose and having fun and enjoying everybody's company.
BROWN: What is it about your town? Why has it taken so long for people there to catch up?
SHIVERS: I guess the old -- the old school, like the old heads. You know, like there's more of who pays for the town and kind of how things are run. And they don't want to, you know -- kind of the white people.
BUCKLEY: I think it's more of a power struggle.
SHIVERS: Yes, exactly.
BUCKLEY: They want to be in control. Certain people want to be in control and they want things to go their way or no way at all. They want it to be this way.
Nothing can change. It's going to be the same. Nothing can change. I think that's the problem.
BROWN: Do you think prom took a step toward at least changing views in your town?
BUCKLEY: Yes. I mean it was a small step in some ways and there was a big step in others. But I'm glad it happened.
And I'm sure that as it continues, because I mean it has continued. They can't just stop having it or say we're not going to do it this year or next year whatever. They have to do it.
BROWN: Paul, do you think this film has the potential to really send a powerful message?
SALTZMAN: I think so because Chasidy and Jessica and others are just so open and courageous in the film and sharing what they're feeling. And, by the way, Chasidy and Jessica are good examples. They knew each other before the integrated prom, but they're now very close friends. And it just happens, you know, when you're actually hanging out with people, that friendship, that barrier gets broken.
BROWN: Well, hopefully the time has come for real change.
SHIVERS: Right.
BROWN: It's about time.
SHIVERS: Yes.
BROWN: Jessica Shivers, Chasidy Buckley and, of course, Paul Saltzman, many thanks to you guys for coming on. And good luck with this.
SALTZMAN: Thank you very much.
SHIVERS AND BUCKLEY: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: And when we come back, John Avlon from "The Daily Beast" online right now. He's up next with the "Wingnut Watch."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Time now for a new segment we are calling the "Wingnut Watch. Our next guest, Daily Beast contributor John Avlon, calls out someone on the left or the right who -- I think I did it the opposite -- who divides us rather than unites us.
And, John, you've been looking at the people who are really playing to the extremes and who are really crossing the line here. Who's tonight's wingnut?
JOHN AVLON, CONTRIBUTOR, "THE DAILY BEAST": Well, tonight we've got a situation in Florida with a guy named Major Cook who this week refused deployment to Afghanistan on the grounds that President Obama is not a natural born American citizen and, therefore, is constitutionally ineligible to act as commander in chief. He's part of a Birther movement. And that's pretty far out stuff, a little conspiracy theory coming from the far right.
BROWN: Yes, I know. His lawyer, I think Orly Taitz, I think if I got it right...
AVLON: Yes.
BROWN: ... is part of the Birther's group still pushing this idea that President Obama wasn't born in America, ineligible to be president, right?
AVLON: That's right. And they're pushing this sort of idea that President Obama's been a Manchurian candidate. They want to undo the results of the 2008 election. And they're trying to do it on constitutional grounds filing all these legal briefs and pumping it up on the French (ph) festival in the Internet. What's really interesting is that the other plaintiff's she's had are people even further than this major who's a pretty distinguished veteran in his own right but is a willing pawn of this effort.
The first plaintiff in her case was a pastor named Wiley Drake, VP candidate for Alan Keyes in 2008. Also, you may have heard of him. He's been the person who's been praying for President Obama's death.
So you've got real wingnut stuff. You've got people who are suffering from severe Obama derangement syndrome and that's what we're seeing with this.
BROWN: But they're not making an impact, these people, are they? I mean, other than us giving them a platform as we just have. But there is not real relevance here. I mean, aren't we getting to the point at least where they're going away?
AVLON: Well, no. I mean, they've got an Internet culture that they keep pumping themselves up. And I think it's important to shine a light.
You know, sunlight is the best disinfectant. So what we need to do is shine a light and make a case that these folks don't have a shred of legitimacy because they keep trying to creep into the debate. If we're not careful, they'll hijack it.
BROWN: All right. John Avlon for us tonight with the "Wingnut Watch." John, thanks.
AVLON: Thank you.
BROWN: Motown goes Hollywood. We're going to show -- will, rather, show business A-listers like George Clooney, Robert de Niro save the Motor City? That's our "Money and Main Street" story when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Hollywood could be coming to the rescue of Detroit. Poppy Harlow shows us how in tonight's "Money and Main Street" report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POPPY HARLOW, ANCHOR, "CNN'S MONEY" (voice-over): Don't be surprised to see George Clooney or Robert de Niro next time you're in Michigan. Those Hollywood A-listers have joined others like Clint Eastwood to make major motion pictures in the embattled state as it works to reinvent itself.
GOV. JENNIFER GRANHOLM (D), MICHIGAN: We are focused entirely on diversifying our economy, for example, and creative economy whether it's filmmaking --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's the deal. You stay away from me because if I have to come back here again, it's going to be ugly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino" takes place just a few miles from Detroit. So what's the incentive to film here? A 42 percent tax break for studios that hire local workers.
Sounds great. But here's the problem -- even though Michigan has a skilled labor force, most don't have any experience working on film sets.
MORT MEISNER, CENTER FOR FILM STUDIES: OK.
HARLOW: Enter Mort Meisner and the Center for Film Studies. Started in March, the school gives Michigan workers the chance to hone their skills to meet the needs of movie execs.
MEISNER: I don't think Hollywood woke up this morning and decided, hey, let's go to Michigan. They're coming to Michigan because the tax incentives are here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are normally just painted black.
HARLOW: A full course isn't cheap. It costs $5,000. Seventy- five percent of the workers in the program are getting a free ride thanks to funding from Michigan's No Worker Left Behind program. At this class, construction workers that are used to building homes are learning how to build sets.
SAL PALAZZOLO, SET CARPENTER: It seems like the movies are coming here. There's a demand for carpenters, so I want to be -- we're actually right at the front of it right now, so I want to be right there.
HARLOW: Michigan may not be right there as a motion picture Mecca just yet, but the state has made progress. Thirty-five movies were shot in Michigan last year, bringing in $125 million of revenue to the state, up from just $2 million in 2007.
MEISNER: The real mission, pure and simple, is leave a legacy of jobs.
HARLOW: In Detroit, Poppy Harlow, CNNmoney.com.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: For more creative ways to reinvent yourself for a new career, check out the top ten jobs for the recession at CNN.com/moneyandmainstreet.
That's it for us. "LARRY KING LIVE" starts right now.
