Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
British Embassy Employees Arrested in Iran; 70-Year-Old Deployed to Iraq; Investigation Into Michael Jackson's Death Continues
Aired June 28, 2009 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody. From the CNN Center here in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Yes, it is June 28th.
Good morning. Thanks for joining us. I'm Betty Nguyen.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes. It's 8 o'clock here in Atlanta, Georgia. It's 7:00 a.m. in Eureka Springs, Arkansas; 5:00 a.m. in Pendleton, California. We're glad you could start your day right here with us.
Among the major stories today we're talking about today: Iran, major developments there, including eight employees of the British embassy have been arrested, accused of having taken recent roles in those riots. Also, supporters of the opposition candidate there -- they could take to the streets again today.
NGUYEN: Yes, we're watching that very closely.
Plus: This man being deployed to Iraq and he's 70 years old.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think my wife and my grandchildren and my children, they said, you know, you've done probably enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, he is headed to Iraq for the third time, and we're going to tell you why he is in such high demand.
But first, there is some new information this morning on Michael Jackson's death. The cardiologist who was with the singer when he collapsed spoke with L.A. police detectives for about three hours yesterday.
Meanwhile, Jackson's family spent the afternoon at his rented estate in Holmby Hills. Two moving vans also showed up, one left with items from the home.
Now, autopsy results are inconclusive at this point. And we're told more tests could take weeks and we're now hearing that the family wants a second private autopsy. As for the singer's three children, they are with their grandmother, Katherine Jackson -- potential guardians could be named in Jackson's will, which hasn't been made public as of yet.
HOLMES: And Jackson's body has been released to the Jackson family. We are still waiting, however, to hear about any funeral arrangements. Meanwhile, the investigation continues into the singer's death.
As our Ted Rowlands reports, the focus of the police investigation continues to be Jackson's doctor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While no official criminal investigation has been launched, detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Michael Jackson's death. Saturday afternoon, police met with Dr. Conrad Murray, the personal physician who can be heard in the background of the 911 call made while Jackson was dying.
(BEGIN AUDIO TAPE)
911 OPERATOR: Did anybody witness what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, just the doctor, sir. The doctor's been the only one here.
911 OPERATOR: OK. So, the doctor see what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Doctor, did you see what happened?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ROWLANDS: Hours after Jackson was pronounced dead, the car Dr. Murray was driving was towed from Jackson's rented home.
DEPUTY CHIEF CHARLIE BECK, LOS ANGELES POLICE: The vehicle was impounded because we are still actively trying to assess what the nature of Mr. Jackson's death is, and whether or not any prescription or other medications were involved. You know, that the vehicle was secured so we impounded it to see if there was any evidence of the nature of the death in that vehicle.
ROWLANDS: Murray is a cardiologist who has clinics in Texas and Nevada, and he's licensed in California. He was hired by Jackson as he prepared for an upcoming concert series. Murray was paid as part of the deal Jackson made with the concert promoter.
Since Jackson's death, speculation has swirled about Dr. Murray's role, if any, in providing prescription medication to Jackson.
Murray's lawyers tell CNN the doctor is cooperating with police and has absolutely nothing to hide.
MATT ALFORD, FIRM REPRESENTTS DR. MURRAY: He's found himself in -- obviously, in a very unusual position. Ed informed me that he is, he's obviously -- he wasn't just Mr. Jackson's doctor, he was a friend of his. And they've come to know each other, know each other well. And he's grieving for the death of Mr. Jackson, as are millions of people around the world. But he was -- he was close to him. And he's very sad about it, but he's -- Ed said he's holding up well and he's ready to continue to cooperate with the police.
ROWLANDS: An autopsy was inconclusive as the cause of death. The coroner says Jackson was on prescription medication when he died, but exactly what and how much was in his system is still unclear.
ANTHONY HERNANDEZ, DIR., L.A. CO. CORONER'S OFFICE: Toxicology's going to be a very important factor in this particular case so that we can get to the truth and find out what the actual cause of death is.
ROWLANDS: Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And our coverage of Michael Jackson's mysterious death and musical legacy continues tonight with our Don Lemon taking an in- depth look at Michael Jackson -- his childhood, his music, his finance, his influence. Don't miss a special "CNN PRESENTS Michael Jackson: Man in the Mirror," tonight, 8 o'clock Eastern.
NGUYEN: Well, it is a critical week for U.S. troops in Iraq. Combat forces are due to move out of main Iraqi cities just in the next few days.
CNN international correspondent Michael Ware joins us now live from Baghdad with details on how that process is going.
And, Michael, I've got to ask you -- once these troops move out, can the Iraqi security forces handle the load?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No.
NGUYEN: Plain and simple.
(LAUGHTER)
WARE: I mean, I can expand upon that if you like. No, I can't. Look, there's hundreds of thousands of Iraqi security forces, from patrolmen, cops on the street, to the national police -- which is a fine and upstanding unit that seems to be arresting, you know, American -- those who have helped American forces until now. You have the Iraqi security forces.
But let's not ignore the fact that I -- they're simply not ready yet. I mean, America had to stand this army up, these police forces up, from scratch shortly after the invasion. I mean, in terms of building an army, you know, that was five minutes ago.
Then we get to the question of equipment and ability, that's why 130,000 U.S. troops are going to be sticking around for the next little while, because they still need air support, they still need artillery, and they will still need the cavalry to come and help them if they so require, and if the Iraqi government -- who will soon be in charge of this war -- invites the Americans to do so.
Final point, let's not forget the fact that all of these security forces -- in one way or another -- are made up basically of different members of different militias. Now, at the moment, the general tide, everyone's heading in the same direction. But it wasn't so long ago that some of the death squads, in fact, many of the death squads roaming this city, torturing and executing people were the police, were the national police.
So no, these guys aren't ready. That's why your troops are staying here for the time being. Betty?
NGUYEN: All right. Well, you know, that being the case, then I have to ask you this. If security forces there in Iraq are not ready for this drawdown of U.S. troops, how are the Iraqis reacting to it? Many of them are very worried about the situation come June 30th?
WARE: Look, some are worried. You know, honestly, some are worried. A woman we spoke to said she's filled with horror and dread at the notion of the U.S. handover. And she, on camera, begged General Ray Odierno, the U.S. commander of the war for the next 48 hours, to please don't forget about us.
But, by and large, there's a feeling of celebration. I mean, national state TV here in Iraq has sponsored their screen for 24 hours a day with a countdown to the moment that the U.S. forces lose control of this war. Most Iraqis are celebrating the fact that U.S. troops will no longer be in their streets, foreign tanks won't be on the corner of the neighborhood, foreign troops won't be bursting into your house at night and dragging your men off into foreign-run prisons.
I mean, let's face it, whether it was done with good intent or not is irrelevant to the Iraqis. They have been under a foreign occupation, and at least in law and in many ways in practice, that's about to end. It's a national holiday here on June 30. They're celebrating the fact that the Americans are leaving, at least out of the cities.
NGUYEN: Yes.
WARE: That, however, has upset some American officials. That's about the size of it, Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, here's something that may make you a little bit happier covering this. At least I can see something behind you. Earlier, it was just a yellow haze. Is this sand storm starting to let up?
WARE: No, no. That's part of the smoke and mirrors, magic of TV, Betty, the magic of TV, it's all theater. We put up a screen. You see that?
NGUYEN: Oh.
WARE: It's not the real world out there. So, yes, I'm still fighting (ph) dust. And still -- and look, when I put on my morning moisturizer, I mean, honestly, it's disgusting.
(CROSSTALK)
WARE: I have go down and do it again.
(LAUGHTER)
WARE: It's murder on my beauty regimen, let me tell you.
NGUYEN: Time for another shower, my dear. All right. We'll talk to you shortly. Thanks so much.
(LAUGHTER)
WARE: I'll be -- conserve water, shower with a friend. Thanks, Betty.
NGUYEN: Oh, my goodness. All right.
HOLMES: Oh.
NGUYEN: I'm telling you, that sand gets in all kinds of places. He's been working hard.
HOLMES: Yes. Our Michael "Keeping it real" Ware we have out there. (INAUDIBLE).
NGUYEN: Oh, my goodness.
HOLMES: All right. Let's turn to Ivan Watson over here at our Iran desk. He can't help but to have a grin on his face, as well.
I know, Ivan, you're over here to talk about Iran. We should all take a moment here to get past Iraq for a second. But, no, Iran, a lot of developments happening there, including -- I heard -- from the ayatollah, the supreme leader, today.
IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And our team here, T.J., they're hard at work on the Iran desk, translating his statements. We've got linguists here, producers, following this, because of those draconian restrictions that the Iranian government has imposed on foreign media, blocking CNN from working on the ground in Iran.
Now, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he's the supreme leader of Iran. He came out with a statement calling for unity, this, after days of demonstrations, some deadly crackdowns, the arrests of hundreds of opposition members, and the ongoing complaints by opposition candidates that the June 12th presidential elections were rigged. Of course, according to the official statements by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the past, that election was a victory for his ally, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Now, let me move us to another subject that's very important right now, T.J. -- that is the detention of eight staff members, eight local staff members working for the British embassy in Tehran. The British foreign office, the top diplomat of England, David Miliband, he has come out calling this detention unacceptable.
Let's listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID MILIBAND, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: The United Kingdom is deeply concerned at the arrest and in some cases continued detention of some of our hard-working, locally-engaged staff in British. This is harassment and intimidation of a kind which is quite unacceptable. These are hard working diplomatic staff. The idea that the British embassy is somehow behind the demonstrations and protests that have been taking place in Tehran in recent weeks is wholly without foundation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: And, T.J., since those June 12th elections, the Iranian government has repeatedly accused Britain and other western countries, including the U.S., of supporting these demonstrators and inciting divisions in Iranian society -- T.J.?
HOLMES: All right. Ivan Watson keeping an eye on things there for us -- Ivan, we appreciate you as always. We'll check in with you again.
We have been talking about the weather. Severe weather, usually, we deal with here on the weekends. We're talking about ...
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: ... some kind of flooding or tornadoes, some things. It's severe this time because it's hot.
NGUYEN: Oh, man, is it hot? You know, in some parts of the country, you don't want to ask how hot is it outside because you're almost afraid to find out.
Reynolds Wolf joins us with the latest on that. I know, you know, summer started last week, we're supposed to be expecting this -- but my goodness, Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I know. Wouldn't it be better if we could just somehow gradually move into summer other than just being ...
NGUYEN: (INAUDIBLE) into it.
WOLF: I know. It's like we're just getting beaten over the head with a sledgehammer and that sledgehammer says 100 degrees on it. That's going to be the high today in Dallas. A bit cooler than the 103 they got yesterday. Ninety-six in Atlanta; 90 in Tampa. We're going to be talking about that coming up.
Plus, we got some cool pictures out from the sand storm out in Iraq. That's coming up in just a few moments. Let's send it back to you weirdos. NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Reynolds.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: And what does it take to be named the world's ugliest dog? Yes, we are going to reveal the winner and the slightly less frightening runner-up, shortly.
HOLMES: Actually, I think the runner-up was uglier than the winner.
NGUYEN: Scarier than the winner -- really?
HOLMES: Yes, we will reveal -- coming up.
Also, he's 70 years old, and he is going to Iraq. Yes, Uncle Sam wants him once again; his fifth tour. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
NGUYEN: Common (ph). What a world.
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: All right. Well, speaking of the world in which we live, how about the weather? What you're going to be dealing with today?
Reynolds Wolf has a look at that for us. Talk about some heat.
WOLF: Yes, you know, we're not just going to talk about heat or weird weather here in the U.S., because that only gives the viewers a little bit of the story. We go across the ocean, too. We're going to show you what's happening or what did happen over in Iraq.
We've got some great video for you. Take a look at this. Visibility at times almost down to zero, I mean, just intense sandstorms that was just roaring right through parts of Baghdad. Gosh, it looks like it's going to be an issue for many people, certainly, the elderly people with respiratory problems are going to have a tough time for it today. People are just getting sandblasted by this storm.
Basically, what you have is a wind storm that swept off the gulf. It picks up, of course, a lot of that dry sand, those particles go the atmosphere and it just wreaks havoc on all kinds of things. Certainly, rough times there.
You know, temperatures in Baghdad, certainly, hot this time of year, things have been very hot back home here in Dallas. We're going to go from this shot to a shot that we have in Dallas, Texas. I believe a live image is going to pop up at any time, again. There it is. It looks pretty good for the time being. I'm sure, if you happen to be tuning in from Dallas. Good morning to you. You'd love to have a few scattered clouds, you'd like to have some rain, anything to cool down the temperatures that are expected to go high again today.
Triple-digit heat anticipated for much of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Yesterday, the high temperature chalked up to 103 degrees. When you bring in the humidity, it was even worse than that.
Let's take a look at the rest of the heat: 94 degrees your expected high for Memphis; back over to Atlanta, about 96 degrees into the afternoon hours; 90 in Tampa; Miami with 90 degrees.
Back into Vegas -- take a look at that -- Vegas 107, Phoenix was 108, and Valley of the Sun up by Sky Harbor Airport, just oppressive heat. Again, a little bit drier, though, out towards the west. So, good news for them.
Bad news for you if you happen to be in the Appalachians, you're hoping to go out maybe on, I don't know, Blue Ridge Parkway. Go for a nice drive. This afternoon, you could be dealing with heavy thunderstorm or two, possibly some strong, damaging winds, some large hail, damaging winds, and also some heavy rain that could cause a little bit of flash flooding. Certainly, it's something we're going to watch out for.
Also, something else about the heat. We got to mention, the Bay Area, San Francisco going up to 80 degrees. But if you're making that drive over to San Jose, in the inland areas, you could have highs going up to about 101. So, be prepared.
That is a look at your forecast. Let's wrap it up and send it back to you guys at the news desk.
NGUYEN: Well, you've got to hang around because ...
WOLF: I'm not going anywhere.
NGUYEN: ... we are unveiling the winner of this year's ugliest dog contest, all right? There's a big question mark. Can we get a drum roll, please? Because the winner's name is Pabst.
HOLMES: As in the beer, Pabst Blue Ribbon.
NGUYEN: Oh, wow. That's kind of scary, huh? A winning smile.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: They say his name is Pabst after the beer because he has a beer face. And there you see it. He has a severe underbite here. He was rescued from a shelter. But this is the contest, the 21st year they've done this and this is out in Petaluma, at the Sonoma-Marin Festival they have out there.
But the runner-up is Ms. Ellie.
NGUYEN: You say is uglier than ...
HOLMES: Look at -- look at the runner up, please.
NGUYEN: Oh!
WOLF: Good gosh almighty.
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: Oh, wow.
NGUYEN: Children are screaming across America right now. Oh, my goodness. What's wrong with the tongue?
HOLMES: I don't know. But Ellie, this -- whatever mix this is. The Chinese ...
WOLF: The tongue ...
HOLMES: Yes.
WOLF: What's wrong with the rest of it?
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: There's so many things wrong with this picture. Goodness gracious.
NGUYEN: And that's the runner-up.
WOLF: Wow. That's hard to believe.
HOLMES: People actually thought it was a major upset because, obviously, this is the lesser attractive of the two dogs.
NGUYEN: I think Ellie has won before. Is she ...
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: You know, how can you forget a face like that? She's a 15-year-old Chinese Crested Hairless.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: Well, and a face only an owner could love, I guess.
WOLF: My eyes are bleeding, guys. That's horrific. Scary thing to see.
HOLMES: All right. We're glad we could share that with you, Reynolds, and with our viewers.
WOLF: Wow.
NGUYEN: For your viewing pleasure.
HOLMES: All right. Well, we're going to turn to much more attractive things, John King.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: (INAUDIBLE) on the air, I guess. No, John, we love you. He's going to be up next, the show "STATE OF THE UNION," a preview. He's up after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: "STATE OF THE UNION" is coming up at the top of the hour. John King joins us now with a preview of what's coming up.
HOLMES: Well, good morning to you, John.
JOHN KING, "STATE OF THE UNION" HOST: Good morning.
HOLMES: A lot to get at this week, a big week on a lot of fronts. Let's start over in Iraq. This is a major deal. U.S. troops are pulling out of the major cities. They're pulling back a bit. This is going to be a major test for the Iraqi forces.
KING: This is a huge test for the Iraqi forces and a huge test, T.J. and Betty, as to whether U.S. troops will come out on the current schedule, which is most combat troops out by next August and all troops out by the end of 2011. Forty-eight hours away from that key deadline -- all U.S. major troops out of Iraqi cities, handing over security operations to the Iraqi forces, and already, see some U.S. generals questioning whether they should do this at this pace and even a former Iraqi national security adviser saying, "Our guys aren't ready and we might need the U.S. troops here another 10 years or so."
So, if you want the U.S. troops home from Iraq, if you want a stable Iraqi government, the next 48 hours will be a big handover, and the next few weeks -- as we watch this transition take place -- a huge test of the security situation in Iraq.
NGUYEN: Well, yes. So, which is a bigger test -- the military situation in Iraq or the political situation and implications of all these?
KING: Well, we're going to put that question to the commanding general of U.S. forces in Iraq, Ray Odierno. He'll be with us on "STATE OF THE UNION."
And it's a fascinating question, Betty, because it's a combination, of course. You can't have a secure political environment without a secure security environment. And yet, just about everybody -- if you talk to them privately -- acknowledges these decisions, the timetables are being pushed not on military considerations, but political considerations. Maliki wants the U.S. troops out. He wants to say, "I'm the leader of Iraq who removed the U.S. occupying forces."
President Obama, of course, is promising in the campaign he would get U.S. troops out as soon as possible. So, there are some concerns that political consideration, not the facts on the ground, if you will, the military and security progress, are dictating this timetable. And that's a concern to some.
HOLMES: Yes. Another concern, certainly, in Iran, things don't seem to be subsiding necessarily there, and the president talk is getting a bit tougher. But, John, how tricky is this going to get? Because Ahmadinejad is not exactly liking what's coming out of President Obama's mouth, but this might be the guy. These two guys might have to deal ...
KING: Right.
HOLMES: ... with each other down the road.
KING: And that's what makes it so complicated. President Ahmadinejad has clearly decided in this past week that he is going to try to instigate almost a daily war of words, saying the president should apologize, the United States is meddling, what is this president doing, he's acting just like George W. Bush.
The White House has tried to keep a relatively moderate tone here and not essentially have a ping-pong game of rhetoric. But you're exactly right, where will we be three months or six months or even three or six weeks down the road if there is some possibility of dialogue on the nuclear program or if there is some provocative step taken by Iran when it comes to the nuclear program.
So, the White House's calculation is: we don't like this guy, we don't like his rhetoric, but we may have no choice to deal with him for the next two or three or four years. So, because of that, they're trying to be careful on what they say.
But, as you both know, there's a lot of criticism. Some say the president has not gone far enough in saying I stand with the demonstrators. So, this debate is not quieting down.
NGUYEN: And, you know, there's another debate brewing over Mark Sanford, the governor of South Carolina. We've been talking a lot about that this week. I'm sure you're going to be touching on it.
KING: We are going to have a leading Republican governor, Tim Pawlenty, in the studio. Like Governor Sanford, he is on the list of potential candidates in 2012. Governor Sanford now has been crossed off by most because of his admission of this affair.
And I want to talk to Tim Pawlenty about that, because some say, this is just an isolated incident. One governor -- remember, we had Senator John Ensign, also was considered a prospect to run for president, he also acknowledged marital infidelity. Some say it's just personal behavior, it doesn't stain the party, if you will. But the Republican brand is in trouble right now.
So, we want to ask Governor Pawlenty: A, does the Sanford situation hurt the party broadly? And B, what about health care, climate change, the economy? How do the Republicans position themselves heading into the 2010 and then, ultimately, the 2012 cycle?
So, we'll have a nice conversation with Governor Pawlenty this morning, as well.
HOLMES: Well, John, always good to see you. We appreciate you this morning -- looking forward to all of those conversations.
KING: Take care guys.
HOLMES: And to our viewers, you can see those conversations, as well. Coming up at the top of the hour, 9 o'clock Eastern Time: John King, "STATE OF THE UNION."
NGUYEN: And still ahead right here: More on Michael Jackson's mysterious death. And we'll have an update on plans for remembering another pop culture icon, that being Farrah Fawcett.
HOLMES: Also, Bernie Madoff stole millions and millions and millions of dollars, and tomorrow, it's his turn to pay.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, welcome back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING for this June 28th. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Yes, good morning, everybody. Thanks for being with us. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: Iran's supreme leader today is calling on both sides in the dispute over presidential elections to calm down -- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared on state TV for the first time in days.
Also word out of Tehran that eight workers at the British embassy have been arrested for their part in anti-government demonstrations, Britain's Foreign Secretary is accusing Iran of harassment and intimidations.
NGUYEN: U.S. troops are due to be out of the cities and towns of Iraq by Tuesday. That's the next step in the process of pulling U.S. forces out of the country. The move is part of a security agreement struck between the Iraqi government and the Bush administration.
HOLMES: And Los Angeles detectives say they have interviewed Michael Jackson's personal doctor, you see him there, Conrad Murray. They said that interview was extensive, this happened yesterday. They say he gave them key information that could help them figure out what happened when Jackson died. Detectives however, not commenting publicly about what they learned from the Doctor. Murray's attorney says his client is not a suspect.
NGUYEN: Well, spiritual teacher and doctor, Deepak Chopra knew Michael Jackson. He says Jackson once asked him to write a prescription for a painkiller but he refused and he told the story to CNN's Larry King.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DR. DEEPAK CHOPRA, AUTHOR: After the trial in 2005, Michael came and spent a week with me. He stayed at my house, he came to our center and at one point he suddenly asked me for a prescription. He knew I was a physician, I had a DEA license. And he asked me for a prescription for a narcotic.
And I said, "What the heck do you want a narcotic prescription for? And then suddenly it dawned on me that he was already taking these and that he had probably a number of doctors who are giving him these prescriptions.
So I confronted him with that. And at first he denied it then he said he was in a lot of pain. He said he had back pain. I knew all the pain was muscle aches and pain and musculoskeletal pains from the stress that he was going through.
I said, "Michael you don't need these drugs for that. There's so many ways to do it." And for a while I lost him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: People this morning also talking about the so-called rifts within the Jackson family. Well, Reverend Al Sharpton is hoping he can help set the record straight. He's had a friendship with Michael that goes back from 35 years. He's in L.A. right now with the family. He spoke to our Don Lemon last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. AL SHARPTON, JACKSON FAMILY FRIEND: They are more concerned about preserving the legacy of Michael and making sure that it is clear that the family's going to continue to try and make sure what Michael lived for and did is what is exulted here.
You know -- one of the misnomers done that people have is that there was some division in the family. Michael was very much a family person, loved his mother and father, loved his brothers and sisters.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR, "NEWSROOM": Yes, you said he was there a couple of weeks ago in Las Vegas for the 60th anniversary for his mom and dad.
SHARPTON: 60th wedding anniversary, Michael was there, all of the grandchildren was there. And Michael have said to the brothers and at the end of this too, I'd like you all to come out and do something with me for the last couple of dates.
I mean, so all of this about the family split-up and all is erroneous.
LEMON: Yes.
SHARPTON: Like any family they their differences from time to time because they are so public, they become public, but they're far exaggerated. And my conversation with them, they wanted to be real clear about their commitment to his image and his legacy. The investigations would take its course like anyone naturally would be. They want to know what happened and why. But they're even more concerned that people remember the Michael Jackson that really changed the world. That's his legacy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, tonight 8:00 Eastern, our Don Lemon taking an in- depth look at Michael Jackson's life; a CNN special tonight. Our "CNN PRESENTS: MICHAEL JACKSON, MAN IN THE MIRROR" tonight 8:00 Eastern; again, right here on CNN.
NGUYEN: Well, private funeral services are scheduled Tuesday in Los Angeles for Farrah Fawcett. She died Thursday after a long battle with cancer. Fawcett was best known for her role in the 1970s television series "Charlie's Angels" and then she soon became an international sex symbol.
Recently Fawcett chronicled her battle with cancer in a documentary film called "Farrah's Story." Private services for Fawcett are planned at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels in L.A. again, on Tuesday. Farrah Fawcett was 62.
HOLMES: Well, the Brazilian Navy will hold a tribute service Monday for the victims of Air France Flight 447. Friday, Brazil's military called-off its search for more bodies from that doomed flight.
The Air France jet-liner plunged into the Atlantic nearly four weeks ago while en route from Brazil to Paris. 228 people were on board, 51 bodies were recovered. A French-led search continues for the airplane's data recorder. Time, however, is running out; the underwater locator beacon for those recorders is expected to go silent on July 2nd because of a limited battery life.
NGUYEN: Disgraced financier Bernie Madoff will be sentenced tomorrow in New York and hundreds of people -- some of them disgruntled clients -- are expected to be in the courtroom. Madoff has admitted to orchestrating a massive Ponzi scheme that robbed thousands of people of their life savings.
He could get 150 years in prison, although the defense has asked for leniency because of his age; he's 71. Friday a judge ordered the court to seize about $170 billion in assets from Madoff and his wife.
And there are calls for South Carolina's governor to resign. Mark Sanford admitted that he visited his mistress during a state- funded trip to Argentina last year. A spokesman for the state law enforcement agency says that this time it does not appear that the governor did anything illegal.
A spokeswoman says Sanford met the woman during private time on that trip. The governor admitted to the affair just this past week after returning from a trip to South America.
HOLMES: Well, Skid Row and Harvard. Maybe worlds apart, but one student is on the verge of making that huge leap.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Going from homeless to Harvard. That is the dream of a high school student who actually sleeps on Skid Row in downtown L.A. after class.
HOLMES: Yes, CNN's Thelma Gutierrez tells us how charm, skill and a little of luck could help him beat the odds.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KENNETH CHANCEY, HOMELESS STUDENT: In sixth grade, I lived in a van. My mom used drugs, my step-dad used to hit me.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kenneth Chancey says all of the ugliness he's seen has made him determined to be someone.
CHANCEY: Because I know that I'm better than Skid Row, I know that can accomplish something.
GUTIERREZ: At 17, Kenneth is on a journey that many of his friends know nothing about, a dream to go to Harvard.
He's a starting running back on the varsity team at Helen Bernstein High School.
CHANCEY: American history, 1930.
GUTIERREZ: He's an honor student who was named Best Overall Academic Student. Kenneth is also student body president, and no surprise, one of the popular kids.
But at the end of the day, when all of his classmates go home, Kenneth and his 14-year-old sister Stephanie start their journey to Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles to the Union Rescue Mission.
(on camera): There are quite a few families who live in shelters, who are homeless right now. What would you want people to understand about the struggles of their children?
CHANCEY: Well, there are struggles, especially obviously financially. Like I was -- you ought to have a house and my own room.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): From Skid Row, Kenneth says he's determined to get to Harvard when he graduates. His dream is to become a doctor. But no matter how far he's come academically, Kenneth has a huge financial challenge. If he's accepted, Harvard costs $50,000 a year.
(on camera): Do you really think that you can go there and be -- could you afford to go there?
CHANCEY: Honestly, no, I can't afford it, but I know that there's financial aid available. I know that I'm worthy of certain scholarships. So I'm not going to let that stop me.
GUTIERREZ: Kenneth's only hope is financial aid, student loans, or scholarships. He realizes it'll be a long road ahead to get to his dream.
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Best of luck to him.
HOLMES: We'll make sure we follow up on that story.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: Also, we continue to follow what's happening with Michael Jackson and that mystery and that investigation. A lot of people all over the world loved Michael Jackson, but we are also finding out what one former president felt about him from that very own president's own writing.
Stay here for that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(EXCERPT FROM THE JACKSON 5'S, ABC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: My favorite song there from the Jackson 5.
All right, here's something that you may not realize. The "King of Pop" Michael Jackson was no stranger to the White House. And CNN senior political analyst, Bill Schneider takes us back to when Jackson met President Ronald Reagan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: On May 14th, 1984, Michael Jackson met with none other than the President of the United States.
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To Michael Jackson, with appreciation for the outstanding example you have set for the youth of America and the world.
SCHNEIDER: President Reagan wrote in his diary that day. "A ceremony on the South Lawn to honor young Michael Jackson who is the sensation of the pop music world, believed to have earned $120 million last year. He is giving proceeds from one of his biggest selling records to the campaign against drunk driving. He is totally opposed to drugs and alcohol and is using his popularity to influence young people against them." Reagan added, "I was surprised at how shy he is." MICHAEL JACKSON, "KING OF POP": I'm very, very honored, thank you very much, Mr. President and Mrs. Reagan.
SCHNEIDER: Pop stars want legitimacy. Politicians want to reach young people, particularly Republican politicians. President Richard Nixon, for instance, had welcomed Elvis Presley to the White House in 1970. Nixon saw Elvis as an ally in the campaign against drug abuse.
In the "Memorandum Summarizing the Meeting" Nixon aide, Egil "Bud" Krogh wrote that Presley indicated to the President in a very emotional manner that he was quote, "on your side."
Krogh noted that three times during the meeting President Nixon told Elvis how important it was for him to retain his credibility. A point President Reagan also alluded to with Michael Jackson.
REAGON: Michael Jackson is proof of what a person can accomplish through a lifestyle free of alcohol or drug abuse.
SCHNEIDER: We now know what an intensely personal struggle Michael Jackson, like Elvis Presley, had to face.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And we are hearing a lot from you, whether it's the NEWSROOM blog, or on our Facebook and Twitter sites about Michael Jackson; your memories of him and what a loss this is.
But we're also hearing about another topic that has really set fire to a lot of people because they have an opinion on this; this being Governor Sanford of South Carolina and his affair with a lady from Argentina. More importantly, what they've been talking about is his wife's response to all of that thing. You know, "I don't care about his career, I'm focused on my family right now."
I want to read just a couple of them that we're getting today.
Daniel says, "her comment takes on added resonance because she used to be his top political adviser."
And quickly to my Twitter page if I can get it up here. This person right here says, "I love here respond. No little 'standby your man woman,' she has backbone and isn't going to fall for his false remorse."
HOLMES: Well, hearing a lot of this thing, I don't think I have read a single comment on my Facebook or Twitter pages that is in support of the governor, if you will, or saying maybe she should be a little more publicly supportive; everybody saying the same thing. No.
NGUYEN: Or that she should've stood there as he came out and apologized because she was not at that press conference...
HOLMES: Not a single one. NGUYEN: Like we've seen many other, you know, political wives stand there as their husbands -- "I'm sorry."
HOLMES: It's become the norm; we expect to see it.
We appreciate you all chiming in. Keep them coming. Quick break; we're right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Nearly a decade after most men have retired, a 70-year- old doctor from Concorde, North Carolina, is going back to war.
HOLMES: This is his fifth time he's being deployed. Listen now to our Alex Reed of our affiliate News Channel 36 as he tells a story of this man who is ready for duty.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX REED, NEWS CHANNEL 36 (voice-over): Colonel Hector Henry never thought he'd have to pack his army gear again.
COL. HECTOR HENRY, U.S. ARMY: I think my wife and my grandchildren and my children -- they said you've done probably enough.
REED: As his own home movies show, this will be the third time he's gone to Iraq, the fifth time he's been deployed with the army overseas.
HENRY: You can't do enough for your country, I don't think, you can't do enough for this country and for this state.
REED (on camera): You're 70 years old; will you be the oldest guy over there?
HENRY: Probably.
REED (voice-over): And that's something his wife worries about.
MARGIE HENRY, HECTOR'S WIFE: Yes. I do.
REED: But she says Henry refuses to act his age.
M. HENRY: He runs 4 to 6 miles a day, lifts weights for an hour and a half. He's an animal.
H. HENRY: I do have hair, but it's probably all gray now and so I'm afraid to look at it so I keep my head shaved.
REED: It's that spunk and seven decades of -- let's call it -- experience that should serve him well as he follows patrols around the battle zone in Iraq.
H. HENRY: I'll be right out there with them.
M. HENRY: Every single day just gets to be closer before he's coming home, coming home.
H. HENRY: It won't be long, I'll be back. I'll be back soon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Good for him. 70 years old. He says that he runs four miles a day? Wow.
HOLMES: That's pretty good. Do you want me to say it? His wife, I'm sorry, she looks a bit younger than he is.
NGUYEN: Youthful. She probably runs four miles a day too.
HOLMES: If he is 70 and she's what she is what she appears, maybe then, he's obviously got good energy and can keep up...
NGUYEN: Absolutely.
HOLMES: ...her then he can keep up in Iraq as well. So do your thing, young fellow.
All right. And a reminder for you here: CNN will continue to cover the new U.S. troop assignment in Iraq at the top of the hour. "STATE OF THE UNION" with John King, of course, is always coming up at 9:00.
NGUYEN: Yes. And we are also monitoring developments from Iran this morning when we come right back. We're going to show you how state of the art technology is making it easy for Iran's government to actually crackdown on protestors.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Good morning, Atlanta. Got to be hot here today; doesn't the music just make you happy?
HOLMES: It does. That's a gorgeous picture; I could go to the window and just wave. That's a shot of us.
NGUYEN: We better stay inside though and not venture out because it's really hot here.
I want to give you a quick look at what President Obama has lined up for the week. The president meets with Colombia's president on Monday and he's also scheduled to attend an event recognizing the accomplishments of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. He's also expected at various meetings Tuesday through Thursday.
And he's travels on Thursday to Camp David where he'll stay until Saturday. He is celebrating the Fourth of July at the White House. Then he's going to be leaving for Moscow on Sunday.
HOLMES: The same technology, the same cell phone technology that has brought us images of protestors in Iran could be used against those same demonstrators by Iranian authorities.
Our Brian Todd looking into this for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It might some day be called the cell phone revolution; Iranian protestors broadcasting unforgettable images from the streets through their mobile networks. We've counted on these pictures and cell phone calls, but so have Iranian authorities.
A European firm, Nokia Siemens, confirms that late last year it sold the Iranian government some of the technology to monitor and control local cell and land line calls. And experts believe right now Iranian intelligence and law enforcement agencies are putting it in overdrive.
Ira Winkler is a former NSA analyst who has written several books on cyber security.
(on camera): You're sitting here at your monitoring center, what are you doing?
IRA WINKLER, FORMER NSA ANALYST: They would have their monitoring station which goes ahead and would list the source and the destination of every cell phone call that happens to be going on. Also that would probably include text messages, as well.
TODD (voice-over): He says with the technology the Iranian government bought, officials can double click on any phone numbers that come up on their monitors and in real-time listen to calls and look at texts.
A Nokia Siemens spokesman tells CNN the company sold Iran the same technology that U.S. telecom companies are legally required to have for lawful intercepts by U.S. authorities. And the spokesman says technology doesn't allow the Iranian government to filter or sensor Internet content.
But Winkler says Iranian authorities can block these phone calls and monitor the dramatic cell phone video we've all seen.
(on camera): I'm a protester, you're taking some video of me. You want to send it to YouTube, how do they know that you're doing that?
WINKLER: They'll see a lot of transmission going in and out of my phone here. And basically the volume of transmission, how long it takes, the fact that I'm doing more sending than receiving, that's an indication of what's called traffic analysis to say this phone is sending an awful lot of data in one direction.
TODD (voice-over): Winkler says Iranian authorities cannot see the video in real-time, but they can tell that the video is going out. And since every phone is the equivalent of a GPS locator, they can also see where the video is being sent from. In addition, they'll be able to view the video later when it's posted. (on camera): The other edge of that sword, the Nokia Siemens spokesman says his company is one of the main reasons we can see these pictures in the first place. He says they expanded their service inside Iran last year, giving millions more people access to their networks and the images they can transmit.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Another lovely live shot of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, where Reynolds Wolf said it's going to be steamy -- Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. I'm just puzzled by the music. That sounds like something from the "Austin Powers" sound track, doesn't it?
HOLMES: Yes, of course. It is.
WOLF: "Yeah, baby, yeah."
Let me show you something that we're watching. I was a little bit concerned yesterday. Then, of course, that intense heat still a concern. If you happen to be someone in Dallas or anywhere say back in Memphis or Atlanta; that heat is going to continue for yet another day. Make it at least a week before we see some serious relief. But very intense.
If you have any outdoor plans, you might want to be careful. Limit them to the early morning or into the late afternoon or even as the sun drops and as the temperatures begin to cool down. Late afternoon is when it gets its hottest: 82 degrees, your high in Chicago; 79 in Denver; Billings, even farther into the north in Big Sky Country looking at 90 for a high; Seattle with 73 degrees, (INAUDIBLE) fish markets.
Good chance for a strong storm today, especially back in parts of the Appalachians and Tennessee Valley. Be advised, mainly late afternoon activity from 3:00 to 6:00 is when we could hear those booms of thunder.
That is the latest. Back to you guys.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Reynolds. We appreciate it.
HOLMES: Thanks Reynolds.
NGUYEN: And "STATE OF THE UNION" with John King coming up at the top of the hour.
But first, here's what's now in the news.
U.S. troops are due to be out of the cities and towns in Iraq by Tuesday. It's the next step in the process of pulling U.S. forces out of the country. Now this move is part of a security agreement struck between the Iraqi government and the Bush administration. Iranian television reports eight local staff members of the British embassy in Tehran have been arrested. Now, it's unknown if any are British citizens. But yesterday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad once again blamed the unrest on interference from U.S. President Barack Obama. Now, the government says opposition candidates have until the end of the day to file any more complaints over the election.
Los Angeles detectives say they have interviewed Michael Jackson's personal doctor Conrad Murray extensively yesterday. They say he gave them key information that could help them figure out what happened when Jackson died. Detectives are not commenting on the details. Murray's attorney says he is not a suspect.
And private funeral services are scheduled Tuesday in Los Angeles for Farrah Fawcett. She died Thursday after a long battle with cancer. Fawcett was best known for her role in the 1970s television series "Charlie's Angels." Farrah Fawcett was just 62 years old.
There is much more to come right here on CNN. In fact, at the top of the hour, in just seconds, we have "STATE OF THE UNION" with John King.
